Reflection Paper 10/16 – Mobile Techonololgy V.S. Sacrifice

Mobile phone has been spreading out at the fast speed both in the north globe and south globe. For people from the north side, those cool mobile phone functions such as camera, Internet access, GPS…etc, are taken for granted. People would change a new phone regardless the price just because of a upgraded function on the phone. Many people from the developed world sometimes “text” their friends instead of using the phone’s original function – talking. So what do those things mean to the our neighbors from the south side?

Ling and Donner hold the positive attitude about the mobile phone’s future in the developing world but also have concern about it might create bigger gaps. That is possible, but we still need to focus on the birght side of how the new communication technology can help people in the BOP countries. Since computers are way more difficult and expensive to afford, mobile phone sure is a better option for the developing areas now. It offers a chance for them to reach out and more opportunities to gain knowledge of the outside world. It eventually will become a huge platform for people to gather together and exchange information, just as the way people from the north side use their computer and Internet. Again, this theory is based on the foundation of good government leadership in these countries.

I am not sure if it is worthy for some people from the BOP countries to sacrifice their food for mobile phones, but the author points out that sometimes “value” is not measured finacially, I am not an expert, I hope those who suffer hungry for cell phones get what really nourish them.

Reflection on Shirky’s speech

Shirky made an important point of social media: “Everybody is able to take it for granted. ” All of those popular social media sites are free, easy to use/share and they gather groups of people.

The biggest difference between media now and media ten years ago is audiences are allowed to give instant command, to re-produce, to spread and to interact with the media now. We are not just passively getting content they provide us, we are even aboe to create our own content and share it with public in a second without spending a cent. The magic of the social web is making it easier and easier to get our stories out to more than our core audiences and allowing us to drawn in potential new listeners like never before.

With social media’s help, storytellers have the power to do things that people in print/TV era can’t do. It creates opportunities for people to get involved. Social media can be used to extend a story and generate a conversation around their work. It can especially help gathering power from community members. It forces marketers to figure out different strategies to create buzz and to reach the market. By using the tool of social media properly, storytellers can eventually form their stories from people’s opinions and be able to fix stories if the audience show any sign of dislike. The audience takes a big role of the story production in the upcoming social media era.

I am excited and curious about the future that will be effected by the communication technoligies. as a marketer, Max Gladwell, from Rob Reed Marketing said “Our children will inherit a world profoundly changed by the combination of technology and humanity that is social media. They’ll take for granted that their voices can be heard and that a social movement can be launched from their laptop. And they’ll take for granted that they are connected and interconnected with hundreds of millions of people at any given moment.”

Social media is giving storytelling a face-lift and a brand new perspect to looking forward to.

Final Paper for Com597 – Theories & Practice of Interactivity

Team Memebr: CHao-Wei Wu & Yu-Lan H. Loken

Final Paper

Site Map & Wireframes

Journal Summery

This quarter had a new beginning. A new class, new students and a new teacher. Befor I took this course, I did not know what to expect. At the end of this quarter, I think I learned something that I did not realize before from Carolina  Mellow-e-Souza’s “Theories and Practice of Interactivity”.

Before taking this class, I did not pay much attention on the design, background and interactivity when playing a video or computer game. From our guest speaker, Jimmy, I understand that designing a game it not just about how to make it looks cool and sounds amazing. There are a lot to consider about during the long process. The target market, the budget, hardware/software issues, those are few of the limits require designers to comply with when trying to make a good game.

We evaluated some websites in the class at the third week. It was interesting to see how some big companies ignored the design and function of their websites by cluttered images and crammed information. But it was also nice to see more companies take mobile-phone users into their account by adapting simple design and page arrangement.

Shelley Armstrong gave us a insight edition of the production procedure of XBox 360. The reason for its success is simply because the design team created this product from a general user’s angle. Microsoft did what a company with $38 billion in the bank can do. It poured money into the effort, flying around the world to interview consumers about their tastes and hiring a cadre of design and engineering firms. The success of XBox 360 tells people that when a designer/ producer puts the heart into the product, customers will see it.

Then I found an incredible designer, Henry Dreyfuss, who really cared about people and tried to design for people. His idea was simple: every point of contact between what is designed, and the customer/user, must be positive, a delight, it must make people happier. Dreyfuss also told us that good design gives to the user self-assurance, efficiency, and satisfaction. Further, he emphasizes how industrial designers need to understand the producers’ points of views as well. His honorable recognition was not just a random surprise. By his thoughtful design for people and by his world-changing innovations, he is one of the most important designers of the past century.

At week 5, Amanda McCoy showed us the constraints that designers need to face. But without constraints, design would become “art”, constraints make good design.  I chose IKEA’s cushion “FAMNIG” as my jounal subject of that week. I was amazed by IKEA’s designer, Anna’s clever and bold idea to make almost-dead raw materials into new products. To get more from less, IKEA’s magic also matches Maeda’s “make it simple” principle.

After reading Donald Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things”, I started to look at my “everyday things” from a different aspect. I gradually recognize what products I see are “good designed” and “bad designed”. And I hope to develop this ability more so I won’t waste more money on crappy stuff anymore.

Good design

(http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/cea_design_excellence_award_winners_personal_electronics_11712.asp)

Bad design

(http://www.goodexperience.com/tib/archives/product_design/)

Overall speaking, this is a interesting and different class to me. It gave me the chance to see what prospects we can see on current point, and it also allow me to think deeper when it comes to “design versus usability”. And, at last, thanks to this class for finally understand the answer of a dummy question – the difference between “site map” and “flowchart”.

Journal Entry 1

Journal Entry 2

Journal Entry 3

Journal Entry 4

Journal Entry 5

Reference:

Dreyfuss H. (2003) Designing for People. New York: Allworth Press

Frog design (2000). Case study. T-Mobile website strategy and design. Retrieved Oct 14, 2008, from http://www.frogdesign.com/case-study/t-mobile-website-strategy-and-design.html

Proposal – A Chocolate Cake Bakery in Seattle (Revised)

Team members:

Chao-Wei Wu & Yu-Lan H. Loken

Subject:

A website structure and business plan for a chocolate specific bakery located in Seattle.

Significance:

Seattle is a city with a great diversity of restaurants and food stores, but being one of the major American cities, it is surprisingly to know that there isn’t any Chocolate specific cake bakery in Seattle. We can find cheesecake stores, smoke salmon stores, Russian bread bakeries, Chinese and Greek restaurants, but there is no such a place where chocolate frenzies can find all kinds of Chocolate cakes. Usually they go to regular bakeries to buy chocolate cakes, but for serious chocolate goers where they can order heavy-chocolate-pudding-cake, or chocolate cappuccino cake, they either bake the cakes themselves or maybe just forget about it.

It could be a good chance to open a bakery that is only focus on Chocolate cakes. For a new business starter, starting an online store first would be a budget-saving solution. The website would have pictures and descriptions of every flavor, customers can review, order and even custom-make their cakes online.

Every featured promotion would be seen on the interactive website. The website would be easy to understand and easy to use, also, customers are allowed to design their own cakes on the website just by easy steps.

Case study:

1. The Confectional

http://www.theconfectional.com/boutique/

We’ll exam the case of The Confectional cheesecake specific bakery in Seattle, who successful opened a store only sells cheesecake in 2006.

The scope of final deliverables:

We will study the rules of IBS (Internet Business Solutions), website design rules and similar cases to support our plans. Further, we will deliver a website structure , the challenges it might face, and finally, the possible future for this chocolate specific bakery in Seattle.

Reference books:

1. Norman, D.A. (2004). Emotional Design, NY: Basic Books

Emotion is a part of our lives, affecting our thoughts and behaviors. Even in decision-making, we partly depend on our emotion. Sometimes, we do not really know why we make the decision, just because it feels right, and this is how emotion affects us.

The book separates a good design into three different aspects: Visceral, Behavioral and reflective. Visceral is the design’s appearances, including the aesthetic while using it and not using it. Behavioral considers the pleasure and effectiveness of use. Reflective has to do with the rationalization and intellectualization of a product, which is the design may generate a certain discussion or a story of it.

We could follow the three design aspects to design our products and services, which is a way to arouse certain emotion of customers and make the business flourish.

2. Tufte, E.R. (1997). Visual Explanation, CT: Graphics Press

The book is mainly about how to make explanation by graphics. In our project, we may need to design our menus, product instructions, promotion, advertisement, etc. We have to do it in a more attractive and creative way to attract customers and the book may be a useful reference.

3. Nielson, Jakob (2000). Designing Website Usability, IN: New Riders

This book introduces the basic rules of designing a usable website. We will follow the guidelines provided by the book and try to design a website that meets our customers’ needs.

References:

Wade, M., Johnston, D., & McClean, R. (Nov 8, 2004). Exploring the net impact of internet business solution adoption on SME performance. International Journal of Electronic Business, 2, 4. p.336. Retrieved October 22, 2008, from Expanded Academic ASAP via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM

Lorber L. (2008, September 5). Small Business Link: QA: Building a Brand Around a Personality :Online edition. Wall Street Journal  (Eastern Edition),  p. 0.  Retrieved October 22, 2008, from ProQuest National Newspapers Core database.