Reflection Journal
Fifth Cycle - 04/06/00
Simplifying Further:
Due to conversations with Ericka Mayweather about the scope of my project and feasibility of my plans, I've decided to make further changes to my project.
Instead of having the properties character, animal, song, vacation, and color, I'll use something simpler that will be easier to illustrate and less confusing for the user. I like the idea of songs, but this seems to complicate the puzzle, does not add instructional value, and the songs I want to use aren't really that recognizable.
I've decided to focus instead on favorite foods, holidays, places, and pets of the people in each house. I've found clip art that can easily accommodate these qualities and will focus on getting these in the interface for the dress rehearsal.
Further, from Ericka's comments, it seems that the clue area isn't so easy to read, so I need to make that clearer.
See improvements here.
Norman - Design as Practiced
Norman's advice is sound: "Question the business model, the organizational structure, and the culture. The path to a solution seldom lies in the question as posed: the path appears only when we are able to pose the right question." Communicating with clients requires this behavior. Good design does not come from isolation, good design comes from dialogue about a problem and immersion into the reasons behind the problem.
It is very easy to fall into assumed roles, patterns and behaviors. It is up to the designer to challenge these ideas, ask "why" (and "why not"), and collaborate on an approach to answer the question of "what can make this better?"
There is also wisdom in the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Careful attention to the why of a problem and avoidance of design for self-gratification should address the "is it broke?" question.
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