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Every week we were given an article to read. I found this exercise very useful and educational. When reading, I gained essential knowledge of good structure and layout as well as learned technical terms commonly used in Web Design.
I enjoyed discussing the articles each week in the studio and share my opinion with others.
Also every topic was different from each others. Some articles were based on arguments, others mainly described practical and theoretical practices using specific tools.
Reference: Andersen, K. and Wilde, D. (2012) Circles and props: making unknown technology. Interactions. 19 (3), pp. 60-65.
Circles and Props - Making Unknown Technology
In my opinion this article is very interesting and evolving. The article focuses on human imagination to create something new and unique.People from different age groups participated in the OWL project. The workshop gives an opportunity to share ideas with other members of the group and be able to create objects in the controlled environment and with limited tools available. The article itself is well structured and easy to read.
During the discussion in the class, it seemed that many students liked the idea about 'hands on' approach in the workshop; however some students said that it is not useful as technologies need to be build in a certain way and with previous experience.
Annotated Portfolios
Written by: Bill Gaver and John Bowers.
Reference: Gaver, B. and Bowers, J. (2012) Annotated portfolios. Interactions. 19(4), pp. 40-49.
In this article writers describe tools which are designed mainly for elderly people living in a care home.
These tools include Photostroller, Prayer Compnion, Plane Tracker and others. The main purpose using these devices is to help venerable people to reflect their memories reducing loneliness and neglect in their lives.I enjoyed reading this article and found it interesting to read. It was well structured and was showcasing the projects made with their description.
In addition, I firmly believe that these tools can make considerable difference in somebody's daily life. These devices are easy to use and encourage elderly people share the events from the past with others.
Taking Our Sweet Time to Search
Reference: Dörk, M., Bennett, P. and Davies, R. (2013)
Written by: Marian Dörk, Peter Bennett and Rosamund Davies .
From all of the articles, 'Taking our Sweet Time to Search' paper was my favourite one. It introduced me to the benefits of deliberate research and drawbacks when looking for instant answers.After reading this article I started to take more time searching for the most relevant information rather than choosing the first source which is available.
There were few students in the class who disagreed about the idea of slow search saying that the time can be wasted and many advanced search engines are now available.
Overcoming Procrastination with ReMind
Written by: Matthias Laschke, Marc Hassenzahl and Jan Brechmann .
Reference: Laschke, M., Hassenzahl, M. and Brechmann, J. (2013) Overcoming Procrastination with ReMind. Proc. DPPI 2013, 77–85.
This article started with a phrase 'Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today!'.
I believe that procrastination is a common issue nowadays and many people want to find a way to make their day more productive. In this paper, writers introduced a calendar related tool celled 'ReMind' in order to help people to reduce procrastination.
Case study showed that users felt satisfied after using this product and it helped them to finish most of tasks they intended to do.
I liked the article, it included new terms related to the creative industries.
New Media, New Craft ?
Written by: Andrew Richardson.
Reference: Richardson, A. (1998). New Media , New Craft ? Electronic Art and Animation Calalogue, 157–159.
This article examines a relationship between traditional crafts and computer programming.
I agree that a craftsmen needs mastery and skills required in order to communicate effectively, the same applies to the web developer.
Nowadays, there are many creative industries where having a deep understanding about web design is essential. I believe that without it, there is no success. As an example, when there are mistakes or it is difficult to understand somebody's code, others would not be able to help or see the meaning behind it.
Overall, the paper was well written and structured; and I believe that this topic is relevant to creative industries.
Below are the articles which were discussed each weak and my own feedback about each article.
Distinguishing Concepts Lexicons of Interactive Art and Architecture
Haque, U. (2007). Distinguishing concepts: Lexicons of interactive art and architecture. Architectural Design, 77(4), 24–31. doi:10.1002/ad.484
This article is about language used in interactive art and architecture. The writer has a strong opinion
about it being borrowed or stolen from elsewhere. He admits that people are comfortable with current situation and not willing to change. As well as being afraid to share something what is different. However the writer believes that it is important to have more specific meaning when describing design.
It is a very interesting article to read. It has different ideas and examples illustrated by relevant images.
Theories and Practice of Design for Information Systems: Eight Design Perspectives in Ten Short Weeks
David G. Hendry and Batya Friedman The Information School
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-2840
This article presents design education covered in ten weeks intensive course. The course itself is optional and made for students from different backgrounds. It includes theoretical, practical and pedagogical aspects related to the learning process . All students enrolled in the course need to put a reasonable amount of time in the class activities and working individually after the lectures in order to succeed. I believe that the main purpose of the course is to teach students how to focus on technology which would be essential in the real world. Some examples include; managing complicated drugs, system that promotes the efficient use of energy within a home environment and much more.
Overall students were satisfied about the weekly tasks in the class environment as well given home tasks. Students admitted that weekly reading materials were stimulating and beneficial. Also different activities encouraged students to discuss the design and eventually become more confident in developing technology. In my opinion the article was informative and with a good structure.
The “Mastication Amplifier,” a bonnet-like device that when attached to your head will
amplify the sounds of food and mastication for the food enthusiast.
[The Photostroller with annotations.]
[Slow search is a type of information seeking that favours perspective and reflection over facts and immediacy.]
[ReMind in its several parts.]
[Three solutions for the concept of “playfulness”.]