Design Interaction: What I Learned
The best way to communicate what I learned in this class is through a class-by-class journal. With eight hours of instruction and then a week in between sessions, I felt like I learned quite a bit that changed my perspective walking out of the classroom every other Saturday, and then had time to absorb the material, think about the readings, and formulate my own thoughts on the matter with our week off. That rhythm of learning made each class session feel distinct and unique.
Class 1 (Jan 15)
I felt like a fish out of water in the first half of class. My only saving grace was the fact that I had taken the Psychology of Digital Media class during a previous quarter. However, as the day progressed, I got more comfortable. I began to understand that good design wasn’t just about things that looked nice or felt good in your hand (although both of those are certainly considerations of the design process), but at a higher level, good design is about the effective organization of information, and the process a user goes through to access it – whether it’s an on-screen menu or a Swiss Army knife…what is this thing, what am I supposed to do with it, how do I do it, and does it do its job well? All of these questions are central to design. In the first class, I took away two central ideas:
- Designers organize, structure, and classify information
- Designers determine the behavior of information systems
Class 2 (Jan 29)
The library application development project was a great way to begin working through the mental exercises of making design decisions. From scoping the project, to creating the site map, and then mocking up wireframes, it was an interesting first foray into tackling the questions designers must answer on a daily basis. The best part was that in designing a mobile application, we had to take into a count that the user would be using this product on the go, and on a 4” or smaller screen. Those two constraints force you to make the tough decisions. I also enjoyed the conversation on the user’s mental model. It made me think that designers need to step away from their own thoughts, feelings, and assumptions about a certain design or product in order to use the research and data they may be provided effectively. In some instances, I’m sure designers can design for themselves, creating a product they themselves feel is perfect. However, many times, a designer needs to set their own thoughts and opinions aside, and design in a purely objective manner.
Class 3 (Feb 12)
I really enjoyed the information graphic exercise. My mind is conditioned to think about data in the simple bar graph/pie graph format I’m used to, so it took some time and energy to get myself out of those predispositions to plot everything on an X and Y axis. It was also interesting to go out and find relevant information on a current event that wasn’t neatly packaged already. The prospect of digging up information, analyzing it, determining the story you want to tell with it, and then creating an interesting and impactful visual from it was a great learning tool.
Class 4 (Feb 26)
I had trouble with the bodystorming exercise. Maybe given more time, I would have gotten used to it, but my mind automatically reverts to pen and paper, and most of the brainstorming I find effective involves writing and pictures. I understand the use of it, and wish I could have taken to it more quickly, but it was one design development practice I just couldn’t wrap my head around.
All-in-all, I have a much better appreciation for the design process. I’ve always been interested in design, and felt like I knew a good and bad design when I saw it – but I didn’t know why and couldn’t intelligently explain myself. In my day-to-day job, I have the opportunity to shape the mobile experience for millions of sports fans. After taking this class, I now feel I have the foundational understanding to confidently share my opinion on product and design decisions.
