Text for Wayfinding Signs

Prototype Wayfinding Signs

Interaction Design

Bill Verplank draws diagrams to help summarize his ideas  

He summarizes interaction design by answering 3 questions about 

• how you act “how do you do?"

 How do you affect the world by the choices that you make. When you try to design the way people act they still tend to have a choice. With the example of handles and buttons a person has to make a choice to either manipulate the handle or you can choose to just push the button and let the machine do the work for you. 

• how do you feel

How do you get feedback. We design a lot by our emotions and tend to get more feedback when we seem to have a stronger connection to it. 

• how you understand

How do you know? A map gives the knowledge that you need if you are designing a complex system and gives an understanding path that is more about skill and doing the right thing at the the right moment. It provides an overview of how everything works and lets viewers understand it. He explain the context of the history and future of interaction design with paradigms that serve as patterns of the way people think about the subject. 

Paradigm serves as a pattern for the way people think about something. In the example that they use they ask the question “What is a computer?” The ways we think of a computer we characterize it as a tool, as a form of media, as a form of life, as a virtual vehicle, and even as a form of fashion. 

The Interaction Design Process Consists of a Four Step Process

1. Motivation

they should be motivated by an error or idea and decide what the goal for the design should be. 

2. Meaning 

The next step is to find a metaphor that connects with the motivation to the end goal and develop different paths for them to take to help create meaning.

3. Modes

 Next through the use of step by step tasks a conceptual model is created and expanded on to help evolve from it and create a concept that users will understand

4. Mappings

Displays and controls helps show a representation of the things that you are manipulating 

Process Example

With the example of a tactile pager Bill Verplank used its development as an example to illustrate the interaction design process. Bill Verplank states that “It shows the progress of the concept, going from error and idea to display and control, and how metaphor, model scenario, and task are the core of that process.” Breaking the concept into steps Verplank explains:

1. Error and Idea: Celine wanted to solve the problem of her cell phone going off and being embarrassed by it so she came up with the idea to make a silent pager with being able to feel it instead of hear it. 

2. Metaphor and Scenario: She wanted something that was like concept of holding hands so that you could just give the other person a “squeeze” without interrupting them. 

3. Model and task: There are 2 conceptual models. One is that she is connected to him and no one else. the other is that when she “squeezes” it is not at that moment. The first tasks to set the connection while the seconds is to trigger the squeeze. 

4. Display and Control 

Celine’s first idea was to have a necklace that could vibrate to inform her of the squeeze.   

WayFinding Project

The lower level of Budig is very hard to navigate and does not have a lot of signage to help find rooms. Some of the problems that we found about the location is that it is very dark and does not have great lighting to help see the signs and room numbers. We would have to have signs that are light up in some way to help be visible for pedestrians. 

Wayfinding

Definition: 

Wayfinding is the organization and communication of our dynamic relationship to space and the environment.

What does it do:

It allows people to determine location within setting, find destination, and develop a plan.

What is Good Wayfinding?

Good wayfinding is identifying or marking a space, grouping, and linking together. Characteristics that help have good way finding are thinks like text, color coding, rendering, or using different shapes and sizes.

Paths and Circulation
Have to do with key organizing component like focal point, repetition, and clear navigation, and material changers.
Markers like intersections and benches can be used to your advantage in a creative way.
Nodes: "connect the dots" and are easy to understand
Edges: help determine a path like a subway or train platform that have texture and color
Zones and Districts:each have a unique feeling, signs for it start outside of the designated location

Pictures are all from graphic ambient.com

Tim Brown Video

In the Tim Brown video he explained how design had become smaller and needs to be what humans need and what they desire. He also said that yes design was small but is become big again through design thinking. It is human centered and involves the understanding of culture, context and people. The new way to design things is by building them first in order to think and keep expanding on the ideas and creation of it. Tim also talks about how design was once consumption but is now all about participation and how the people interact with it. The biggest impact to a product is when it is given to everyone. Design thinking and come to be a divergent approach. This is all done by asking the right questions to help your design thinking expand.