The topic says it all. I have been in my apartment four months and just this morning I noticed what is wrong with my range. And no I am not talking about the mapping of burners to controls. What I mean to discuss is the labeling. Both my microwave and oven are Whirlpool and one is positioned above the other in typical kitchen layout.
Still, the control on one reads "cancel/off" an the other reads "off/cancel". Now these ate two devices, often paired and the language is different for be same action. This then led me to think about other repetitive and confusing commands. Keyboards have enter and return keys. A logical and necessary separation in the days of typewriters. But wholly useless and confusing in modern day computing. I can tell you the technical separation between the task but not the axtuallbreapn the two are still separated in modern computing.
Even in he iPhone there is a done send and return button on my interface. Which performs what action? The only way to learn is to try and risk losing my data.
It is with this in mind that I challenge designers and corporations to design consisent products and identities. I can offer more examples both win the iPhone an elsewhere but I fine it interestingbto discover where systems are inconsistent. A company can not assume a user should see a solution without proper design and the first step toward this is consistency in one direction or another.
Showing posts with label industrial design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label industrial design. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Now I can post my gripes
An aside: u found a free blogger application for the iPhone. I can't tag posts or edit the tyeface but at least I can post and modify the appearance later.
To start, this will not be a very technical post instead a compokagion of some of my initial iPhone reactions. I am trying to publish where I stand on the battle for iPhone functionality and don't intend to uncover any new truths. Topics will be described byname, my awareness to them prior to purchase and my current feelings gowards the mater.
Copy and paste
Known
Agreed
Nothing new to add to what the Internet critics gave already said.
Notification LED
Known
Underestimated, disagreed
I thought this was a minimal complaint of balckberry converts. It would be great go kniwnif k have a missed call without interacting with the device and, perhaps more importantly, know if the device is evenin.
Better camera, flash
Known
Disregarded
Owning the device though, I wish it had both
Customization of hiding unused native apps
Unknown
Wanted
I have a sutuon for the application I am designing, why doesn't apple?
Landcape keyboard in more applications
Known
Disagree
I initially thought I would want this. As I peck at the portrait keyboard writing this post and autocorrect covers for the size of my finger, I was wrong. It works great as is. It might even be faster given the Fitts law sudd of life.
Battery life
Known
Underestimated
But this kachina needs it.
Customize dictionary
Unknown
Wanted
Why can I turn off autocorrect thanks to firmware 2.2 but I can't add my own shorthand? Rimm definitely has the victory here.
Multiple apps
Known
Agreed
Though in all honesty they need a better battery first.
Louder ring, better vibrate
Known
Underestimated
But if my phone is in my pocket on the other end if my short desk you might as well put up smoke signals.
So I said nothing
New but I felt obligated to post my iPhone wishes now that I am a full user for a week
To start, this will not be a very technical post instead a compokagion of some of my initial iPhone reactions. I am trying to publish where I stand on the battle for iPhone functionality and don't intend to uncover any new truths. Topics will be described byname, my awareness to them prior to purchase and my current feelings gowards the mater.
Copy and paste
Known
Agreed
Nothing new to add to what the Internet critics gave already said.
Notification LED
Known
Underestimated, disagreed
I thought this was a minimal complaint of balckberry converts. It would be great go kniwnif k have a missed call without interacting with the device and, perhaps more importantly, know if the device is evenin.
Better camera, flash
Known
Disregarded
Owning the device though, I wish it had both
Customization of hiding unused native apps
Unknown
Wanted
I have a sutuon for the application I am designing, why doesn't apple?
Landcape keyboard in more applications
Known
Disagree
I initially thought I would want this. As I peck at the portrait keyboard writing this post and autocorrect covers for the size of my finger, I was wrong. It works great as is. It might even be faster given the Fitts law sudd of life.
Battery life
Known
Underestimated
But this kachina needs it.
Customize dictionary
Unknown
Wanted
Why can I turn off autocorrect thanks to firmware 2.2 but I can't add my own shorthand? Rimm definitely has the victory here.
Multiple apps
Known
Agreed
Though in all honesty they need a better battery first.
Louder ring, better vibrate
Known
Underestimated
But if my phone is in my pocket on the other end if my short desk you might as well put up smoke signals.
So I said nothing
New but I felt obligated to post my iPhone wishes now that I am a full user for a week
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Designing Products and Designing Cases
Industrial design has always had to fight the belief that designers are simply decorating a functional object. It wasn't until the early 20th century that designers started manipulating materials in a way that the world started looking at products as designed objects and not just functional tools.
Jump to the present day, corporations are hiring designers left and right to try to make their products on the cutting edge. Apple has been at the forefront of the market in computers, mp3 players, and recently mobile phones. Having just purchased my iPhone and joined the smartphone world, my post will focus on that.
Along with my iPhone, i purchased two items: a screen protector and a case. This made me think: Apple spent countless hours developing the iPhones interface and physical form. As the end user, I bought the phone for these reasons and feel that the device itself it an elegant piece of design. I do not want to scratch it, dent it, or in any other way hinder the design. So what do I do? I put the phone in a case. I no longer see the clean plastic back, the sharp edges or the overall form obssessed over by Apple designers for so long.
So my question is two fold:
When does an object become so well designed that people are afraid to use it in its natural form for fear of breaking it
and
When should a case be designed, used, and obssessed over as much as the form it supports?
Cases are by their very nature a protective service against the elements. But when we are dependent on a shell and that is all we see, the case should be attractive as well. There is a limit though - for if the case is too attractive then would we need a protector for our protector?
What are the limits on clean design and when is too much reached?
Jump to the present day, corporations are hiring designers left and right to try to make their products on the cutting edge. Apple has been at the forefront of the market in computers, mp3 players, and recently mobile phones. Having just purchased my iPhone and joined the smartphone world, my post will focus on that.
Along with my iPhone, i purchased two items: a screen protector and a case. This made me think: Apple spent countless hours developing the iPhones interface and physical form. As the end user, I bought the phone for these reasons and feel that the device itself it an elegant piece of design. I do not want to scratch it, dent it, or in any other way hinder the design. So what do I do? I put the phone in a case. I no longer see the clean plastic back, the sharp edges or the overall form obssessed over by Apple designers for so long.
So my question is two fold:
When does an object become so well designed that people are afraid to use it in its natural form for fear of breaking it
and
When should a case be designed, used, and obssessed over as much as the form it supports?
Cases are by their very nature a protective service against the elements. But when we are dependent on a shell and that is all we see, the case should be attractive as well. There is a limit though - for if the case is too attractive then would we need a protector for our protector?
What are the limits on clean design and when is too much reached?
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