End of Semester Learning Report

This module has taught me to think critically about, of course, user experience.
Various forms of assignment, ranging from individual assignment to group assignment, have made me look at things differently since then. Currently, I have an intention of getting a new compact camera and have been actively doing my research to find one that suits my need. In the process of doing so, I realized that I have been using some of the invaluable knowledge gained from this class.

Take the first assignment as an example. I am sure everyone has come across a particular design which we feel needs improvement because the current design is not satisfactory. An object can be aesthetically pleasing but fails in its practicality. Thus, in reality, there is always this constant struggle between gaining a balance between the aesthetics and the functionality. Many of the compact cameras look aesthetically attractive – seductively slim and sleek- but because of its design, certain functions are being compromised.

In the second assignment, we were taught that human emotional attributes are the result of three different levels of brain processing-- visceral, behavioral and reflective. And, designs of products have the ability to impact us emotionally because of the different levels of brain processing that take place. I see this as an extension of the first assignment we had because instead of looking at one object alone, we are now looking at 3 designs (of the same kind of product) to see how different designs target the different emotional aspects of its audience. Obviously, these different designs show that they are designed with different types of users in mind.

Thus, knowing that designs are made with different groups of users in mind, we got to have a deeper understanding regarding how this is actually being carried out. Therefore, the third assignment on the four pleasure analysis allowed us to understand how needs of users are being satisfied and how product benefit specification is usually carried out to suit the various needs. This allowed me to understand that a design is not just a design. Careful consideration has to be put into it to make sure that the product would appeal to the target audience eventually, otherwise, time and effort in the production would go to waste.

Now that we are done with understanding how the thinking process behind the designing of a product goes, we moved on to observe a lecture theatre to see how its design actually influences our learning experience. This assignment was done with Yiteng and Christie. And in the process, we realized that our senses were exceptionally alert and we took note of things around us which we would not usually notice. It was interesting nonetheless to let our imagination run a little wild by brainstorming ideas which can improve the learning condition in lecture theatres.

Last but not least, the final project with Jermine, Christie and Yiteng was an unforgettable experience. We faced quite a trouble at the initial stage. It was tough coming out with an idea with the standard we gave ourselves. We wanted to create a website that has the actual market demand. We wanted something that taps on the latest Web 2.0 trend. We knew that we have to strike a balance between letting our imagination run wild and doing something which is within our technical capability. Thus, after having negative feedback in regards to our ‘1kwords’ proposal, we decided to make a switch while keeping in mind the need for credibility when it comes to the quality of a photograph. We discovered a target group that exists on Clubsnap.org. In order to prevent falling into the functionality trap (again), we placed our emphasis in finding out what the users want. Thus, that was how we came up with PhotoFolio HQ. (Refer to project report for details). Group discussions were held almost every week as we tried to come out with a good design within the limited time frame left. After we agreed on the content inventory and look of the website which we want to focus to develop, jobs were divided. Aside from the report writing which involved equal contribution from everyone, Jermine was incharged of the technical aspects of this project while the rest of us were involved in the various types of research and prototypes testing to ensure that we were on the right track. Throughout the process, we have indeed learned the importance of users feedback and how certain experience do requires interaction with a high fidelity prototype before feedbacks can be obtained. This is because certain ‘wow’ factors, in our group’s opinion, would come from the aesthetics and interaction with the interface. However, we also kept in mind the need to have the ‘stickiness’ in our web design and the tradeoff between flexibility and usability.

All in all, the project work has made the problems faced during the designing process of a website more real to us than we initially imagined. This has made the concepts learned in this module useful and inspiring.