Journal Entry 14: Design Symposium Lecture 3

This presentation was also on April 8 and was all about Information Design "in Context". This was all about document design using Universal Design Principles that would allow the data within these documents to speak for itself.

He spoke about the 3-Layer Model, which incorporates:

• the look/formal aspects

• the content (shaped to the need of the audience)

• the task structure (only the information that is needed is on the document
  

He also spoke about documents, data, or form influencing emotional responses within users. This can either be good or bad; some emotional responses can be wanted or expected, while other emotional responses might drive users away from that particular design or product. For us as designers, it is important that we aim to make information design as clear and concise as possible: easily readable, with the best functionality/purpose, and that elicits positive emotional responses from users.

While this presentation didn't strike me as particularly thought provoking or particularly entertaining, I did realize the span of emotions that people can feel while they are looking at a particular design. Just because I see something and have a certain reaction to it, does not mean that everyone will have that same reaction. Just because I feel like the design is good, functional, and informational, does not mean that every target audience will feel the same. I need to make my design(s) as universal as possible, which means that every group that will be using that particular product needs to be thought about during the design process.

The examples that were used during this presentation were all informational in nature. First was a comparison of University of Iowa and NAU freshman papers/immunization documents and their redesigns. The point made about these documents was that they were cluttered, hard to read, and forced apathetic users to neglect reading key points of information. After their redesigns, they were cleaner, more simple to read, and had the most key information at the right places. The redesigns were definitely in support of the lecture topic.

A second example was a series of immunization papers and records from different schools around the country. Most, if not all of these papers were cluttered with tiny margins, too-huge-font, with an unclear purpose. These papers were similar to the aforementioned example, but had never been redesigned. Using this example made it very clear exactly how crucial it is to check and recheck designs and make sure they are always legible and functional. While the paper themselves was not aligned with the topic, the idea that they presented definitely was.

The third example were Medical Decision "Aids" targeted at Diabetes patients. This is the example that brought up the idea of "emotional reaction". The different cards were made according to different design elements, so one was all text, one was all images, and several were a mix. The users questioned about the cards reported specific emotional reactions to certain cards, feeling some were too "sad" or "scary" while others were "friendly" or "inviting". These cards, no matter their design principle, were easy to read and had no informational fillers, so to speak. This example also supported the lecture topic.

Thanks to this lecture, it is definitely clear to me that even something like Information Design, that we as designers may not always think about, is really important and can make or break a design. It is something that we should always just be thinking about in order to make the best designs we can.

Journal Entry 13: Design Symposium Lecture 2

This presentation took place on April 8, and was entitled "Design for Behavioral Change and Social Inclusion". The main points of this presentation were that design enables us to access, interact, and use information while reinforcing our sense of community. Design is also capable of supporting us emotionally, empowering us, and extending our capabilities.

Behavioral Change
This design ideal is targeted at modeling and directing positive changes in the behavior or attitudes of the target audiences.

This ideal helps to encourage healthy outlooks in certain audiences. For example, a website was constructed about IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This website was created to help encourage these sick, self-conscious, fatigued patients feel that they are not alone and better about themselves. The progress through the website, visually and contextually, was very supportive of this ideal. It showed an example of similar-to-the-audience people going through a journey and coming out on top. Speaking from personal experience of mystery diagnosis and chronic illness, I know that a website such as this is hugely helpful in getting better, both physically and emotionally.

Social Inclusion
This ideal aims to break down social inclusion barriers and promote inclusiveness for all groups.

The thought process behind this ideal is that a designer must keep in mind everyone when designing a program, web app, or packaging. Functionality, sensory feedback, and usability are huge things to consider when creating. The programs/applications created to support this involved autistic children, sign language, and learning. These programs helped to include autistic children, who most commonly need special education, into a more normal education program. I felt that this example really helped in aiding the children to feel good about themselves and to feel like normal children.

There was one product in the presentation that didn't really sit well with me. The product in question was a camera/blackberry/GPS aimed at tweens with autism that would hypothetically allow them to venture out in public on walks or what have you, alone. The GPS aspect of it would allow the parents to monitor them from afar to make sure they haven't strayed off of their path, as well as provided the path to the child. I am very torn on this item...I think that it supports the meaning of Social Inclusion, but this is just a lost child or a kid-toucher waiting to happen. The presenter was talking about marketing this to 10-12 year olds. I am not a parent, but I was never allowed out by myself this young, nor would I allow my own child to be out alone at this age. I think that while the Social Inclusion aspect fits and allows the child to feel freedom, but it doesn't fit into the "Optimal Solution Zone", which was also a big point of this lecture. This "Zone" is all about whether or not a product is socially appropriate, emotionally appropriate, and if it fits into the physical constraints of the user. I do not feel like this product is socially or emotionally appropriate. There are too many things that could go wrong with a child this young out on their own; depending on the severity of the autism, a child could suffer from sensory overload in the outdoors. Perhaps marketing this device towards an older age group could be the key to its success?

This presentation really got me to thinking. It was definitely the presentation that moved me the most and really convinced me that I'm doing the right thing...Design can really, really help people in so many different ways, and even though my major is in graphic design, I can still project myself in the ways suggested in the presentation. An idea might start small, but with the right direction and the right ideals, it can really help a large population out. My first step in this direction was made by really thinking about functionality and inclusivity in my final project for VC 332: a website about gluten, dairy, and sugar free cookies aimed at those with food allergies and chronic illnesses exacerbated by such ingredients. I also featured a section completely devoted to allergy and disease information and links to their association websites. My website can be viewed here. I think I definitely still have some improvement to make in this area, but I definitely feel like behavioral change and social inclusion is the way to go.

Journal Entry 12: Design Symposium Lecture 1

This presentation was on April 7 and was entitled "Essential Elements of Great Web App Design". The presenter lectured on 7 key points of good web design:

1. Understand Users, then ignore them.
   
   • Understand what the consumer actually needs, then read between the lines.
     
2. Build only what's absolutely necessary.
   
   • Messy, unnecessary design confuses users and makes them leave.
3. Support the user's mental model.
   
   • Mental models help us to assimilate ourselves to new ideas.
     
4. Turn beginners into intermediates immediately.
   
   • Most users are intermediate users, do not build above that level.
   • Design step by step to help the user navigate the app.
     
5. Handle errors.
   
   • Always underestimate the usability of your designs, not the users.
   • Think of web apps as humans- is it friendly, welcoming, and easy to understand?
     
6. Design for uniformity, consistency, and meaning.
   
   • This is a self-explanatory point: build your app to house the ultimate functionality.
     
7. Reduce and refine
   
   • This ties in to rule number 2: build only what's necessary.
     
   • MUST HAVES, then begin eliminating.
   • Always spend time making what you already have better.

I feel that this is a lot of stuff that should already be second nature to web designers, or designers in general. Unfortunately, a lot of this stuff isn't something that we would think about or consider on a daily basis. I think a lot of people might get a little too attached to their projects and get offended when people criticize its usability. It's important to remember that as designers, our work is for the use of others, not for our own enjoyment. We also need to remember that we are never perfect, mistakes can be made, and there is always a lot of room for improvement. Even with that in mind, an excellent, functional web app is always within our reach. Here are a few websites/apps that this presenter talked about.

Myspace.com- It was important for him to talk about this because he is working on it personally, and wanted some...urm...feedback to take back to work with him. A lot has been said about MS, and a lot of it negative. A lot of people have stopped using this application in order to go to Facebook. MS has started becoming a clone of Facebook, which is weird, but also has a very difficult to use interface and way too many options for content, customization, and a very weird news feed. Personally, I rarely log into my MySpace anymore because it's just too much. Aside from that, where is the fun if everyone I know is using Facebook anyway? This website supports the lecture topic, if only to provide an example of how not to mess up.

Facebook.com- If we talked about MySpace, then Facebook definitely had to be in there as well. So here is the big question: why is FB so much more successful than MS? FB has a bit of a better appearance. The colors are more uniform, which helps the ability to navigate around the site. It also offers an IM system that works (most of the time...) and a lot of apps that can be bookmarked for easy/frequent use. FB also makes relevent suggestions for pages, friends, and fan pages; however, this can be really annoying with the sheer volume of suggestions. FB also changes their layout/home page all the time, which is very annoying for the user. I am on the fence about this one. I think they are headed in the right direction according to the 7 steps, but might not be right on target yet.

Amazon.com- This was an example of what NOT to do, says presenter. He claimed to not like Amazon because of the numerous lists, tabs, pay phrases, and what have you. I agree that this can become too cluttered and too time-consuming, but for over all use Amazon is simple to use. The problem is, I get in, get out, and get on with my day. An online store probably wants users to stick around and shop all day, but with all that stuff blaring on the sides it is difficult to do that. Either way, they are making money, so something is working correctly.

I think the biggest problem with a lot of websites and apps these days is that everyone wants to be the best and have/do it all. The problem is, you can have one or the other. If you have it all, no one is going to want to be on your website because there is too much crap. If you are the best, people like your app and are going to come back a lot, but are going to make suggestions to give it more "usability". It seems like a really vicious cycle. I think the best thing that any web designer can do is keep a certain goal and do step number 7 all the time while honoring the needs of the audience. Unfortunately, the audience is never happy and always wants to keep adding, so it looks like the designer's job is never ending. I guess that's a good thing in this really poor economy? :)

Journal Entry 11: PostSecret

PostSecret is a project started by Arizona born, Maryland native Frank Warren. This project allows readers to submit handmade secrets to Frank to allow them to heal from their secrets anonymously. He began the Reluctant Oracle project in 2004, which ultimately transformed into PostSecret later on. Now in 2010, Frank has received over 500,000 secrets, has 5 books and two websites, has appeared on many talk shows and news reports, tours colleges all over the states (and actually just appeared here on April 15), has poured countless donations and hours of help into HOPELINE (1-800-SUICIDE), and has been called the "Most Trusted Stranger in America".

I have been an avid reader of PostSecret for a few years and have presented a few seminars on how to use it within a residence hall. During this time, I have thought a lot about what makes these secrets so special- both to the secret-holder and to the reader. Each and every secret is unique, like a snowflake. Nearly all of them have custom art and hand drawn lettering on them. It seems to me as though the person creating the secret wants to convey a certain tone or style with their entry. They want it to look a certain way in order to create feelings in themselves or the reader. Even if it is not quite that deep, they are pouring their heart and souls into these secrets so they feel a deeper sense of possession, yet release. The following secrets were taken both from my own ACLC PostSecret project and the real PS.

This first secret was taken from ACLC PostSecret. This secret really speaks to me on many levels, mainly because of its subject matter. The type helps the subject matter in a few ways. The hand-drawn block letters spelling out "form" give the message a certain weight, yes, but also a certain emotional heaviness and emphasis that could only come from something like this. The aesthetic differences between the first few words and the last word aid in this. Also, the drastic differences between the hand-drawn lettering and the medicine label create a very stark difference that could only be described as black and white, similar to the tone/message the secret is trying to convey.



This secret was also from ACLC PostSecret. I found this secret pretty silly, mainly because of the image and the design of the card. I really like the colors they chose- it creates a very "in your face" statement. The bite mark in the top is hilarious. Moreover, I really like the weight of the word "Meat"...it makes it seem like almost an evil word, as if meat is the entire bane of their existence. It is, after all, the whole purpose of the card. Putting the word in bright red marker only helped this feeling, as it forces it to stand out from the rest of the secret. This has really been one of my favorite secrets of this year.


This last secret has come from the real PS archive. While this one has no art and isn't hand lettered, the stark reality of this secret speaks to me in volumes that the others can't. The font face- High Tower- isn't a commonly used "professional" font but still works incredibly well for this secret. The secret is so simple and beautiful, yet so empty (compared with other secrets). It is for this reason that the type choice is so wonderful. The incredibly blunt idea of taking your own life is a very scary, stagnant, empty feeling as conveyed in this secret. The type definitely portrays that. Would the same tone be conveyed without this crucial design element? I don't really think so. Even though the secret talks about getting better, depression is something that needs to be worked on every day...it doesn't necessarily get easier. The author of this secret was able to put their emotions into this secret using only design and type choice. That's amazing.

This secret has taught me that I have as much power in my fingertips as I want. I just have to make the right choices.

Jones Soda Update!

Jones released some new ads this morning via their Facebook.

How genius!





The second ad for some reason saved in the negative form, the original image can be seen here.

Also, these specimens didn't exactly survive to be photographed, product and all. It's just too yummy....I guess the labels will suffice. :)

Journal Entry 10: Helvetica: the sometimes unhealthy obsession.

While I'm pretty sure this doesn't count as a real entry, I still think it's kind of ironic-funny and hilarious that these men chose to have something regarding Helvetica tattooed on their persons. I had to post these pictures. I'm curious as to what their motives were...maybe they thought it would get them into the industry door faster? Almost like, "OMG I LOVE HELVETICA SO MUCH SEE HOW MUCH I LOVE HELVETICA YOU HAVE TO HIRE ME I'M SO HARDCORE!!1!!!!!11" Apparently the second picture, of the man with "I <3 Helvetica" on his back, was already in the industry and had this tattooed as a testament to his dedication to design. Still, I find this kind of cliche, you know? I like Helvetica and think it is a great typeface for lots of things, but it seems to be the "go-to" typeface for most breakout or learning designers.

This also got me to thinking about typefaces used in tattooing. Some of the older, retro tattoo typefaces are very wonderfully made and very beautiful. But not all of them are. While perusing ugliesttattoos.com (NSFW, FYI) I noticed that nearly all of them are nasty prison-tat quality. WTF? If you are putting something permanently on your body like that, shouldn't you consider all aspects of the tattoo- design and typography included? Or have today's tattoo artists become too lax?

A question for the ages.

Journal Entry 9: Jones Soda!!

Jones soda is, hands down, one of my favorite treats ever. It is rarely ever found in grocery stores due to stocking and shipping, but when I find it I make sure I go back to that store every time. The best part about Jones soda are its labels, photos, and fortune telling caps. Jones soda bottles are a phenomenal example of all-over design and a hugely diligent thought process. Recently, Jones soda underwent a logo/label redesign (much like the products in this post). However, in this post we will be taking a look at specifically Jones soda and how their advertising, branding, and look has changed--as it has all undergone an extensive makeover. For this post, I have taken images from jonessoda.com, as hunting down Jones Soda in this town can prove to be very difficult.

Here is an example of the old Jones bottles. These haven't changed, I'm pretty sure, since the dawn of time.

Overall I like the old labels. They are recognizable and they have been constant (well, when the store has them in stock). The information is easily found. I love the way they incorporate the color of the product into the design- the color of the flavor corresponds both in the bottle and on the packaging. There is also a clear hierarchy and balance between the sections on the label. The sans serif typeface really lends a "mod", "indie" tone to the soda, which is exactly what it is. It isn't mainstream at all. For the last several years, this label has been the face of their brand. When any consumer thought "Jones" this label is what they thought of. Great Success! But let's look at the new labels....

So jonessoda.com offers a fancy little contact sheet of all their new labels. Unfortunately, Blogger wouldn't let me post this picture for some reason (I resaved it as the right file extension and everything) but the PDF of the contact sheet can be found here. Anyway, I really like the color switcharoo...The header text is now white, while the background of the label is black. This is a very pleasant change! The header text is also now in all-caps and much larger atop the photo. Also, on the bottom, instead of showing the flavor in color, the text is black against a band of the flavor color. The flavor announcement also uses a clear hierarchy between the main flavor, sub flavors, and the word "soda". They also use an interesting hyphenation layout, as seen in the Strawberry Lime bottle. The word is hyphenated after the first syllable, leaving the second syllable on the second flavor line. This is a clear grid, as the opposite end of the flavor band has more information on it. I love how kooky and creative this is! It isn't a cookie cutter label and it definitely is a pleasant, "about-time" change for the product. I really love the new labels!



This is an ad for "myJones", a branch of the brand that allows consumers to customize their labels and cap quotes online. The same imagery that is used in the soda bottles is used here. I like the way they continue to use all-caps in white against black for the headline, followed by a tagline in all-caps, black against the flavor color. The ads and the bottles have an amazing continuity. Not only does it continue into the ads, but into the four-bottle boxes, other merchandise, and any other packaging. The use of the same color for the background of the ad as the bottle is daring and risky, but executed very well. This helps the rest of the text to stand out. The ad, as well as the new image of the brand, is simple and in-your-face. Awesome.

Finally, here are some bottles that I have yet to ever see in public. I think they are special-order-online-only products, which would explain why I have never seen them. I think they are simply superb. They don't have the appearance of normal Jones bottles at all. The colors, illustrations, and typefaces used in them are so intense and amazing! I also love the way that some of the images are meshed into the wording...i.e. the balloon as an "O", logs formed into the letters, and the "S" in the third bottle being carried away via helicopter, flavor sign posts, etc.. There is an amazing type-image relationship going on on these bottles. The illustrations are also very quaint, hand-done, and colorful; they grab your attention but they don't detract from the fact that it is a Jones bottle you are looking at. The only thing that detracts from the design is the big chunky logo at the top; it disrupts eye flow quite a bit. I feel that it should be put in a more conspicuous place. Otherwise, it is my personal opinion that these bottles should be sold in the stores! They are so neat and I think it would really boost sales as these are more "keepsake" bottles than anything else.

If anything, these new bottle designs and branding have endeared me to the Jones label even more! I'm sure I will be an avid consumer for years to come (if I can find the product, that is...)