About this Blog

Welcome,
this blog's soul purpose is to inform and is therefore is not a personal blog for my thoughts and machination on life. It is a result of an ongoing University assignment where all students must, to the best of their ability, carry out the tasks posted below as though we were design professionals and attempt to develop a coherent and contextual setting for the information.
Benjamin Browning.

Planning tools for Interaction

Making Toast Flow Chart List

1. Make sure there is a flat, hard surface to put the toaster on.
2. Plug the electrical cord into the wall outlet, and turn on the power point.
3. Unpackage bread (is bread mouldy, off?)
4. Place one or two pieces of toast into the machine where inlet allows you to.
5. Turn cooking dial to medium, depending of desired cooking darkness.
6. Press down lever until there is a click or a locking sound. (is it cooking?)
7. Don’t touch the toaster until the process is complete.
8. When the toast pops up, wait a few seconds for the toast to cool. (is it cool?)
9. When cooled examine the toast, (is it cooked right, or is it burnt?)
10. Place toast on plate or flat surface for preparing.
11. Spread with desired topping .
12. Enjoy

Making Toast Flow Chart

Click for larger image

Story Boarding

This is an inactive slide, just relaying the instructions to the user.

The same slide, except this is an example of an interactive piece where the 'Next' Button when rolled over turns a different colour to highlight that it is a link.

Mood Board

The following moodboard is what i came up with for the following statement.

Johnny Smith

John is a 75-year-old retired carpenter who still enjoys hikes in national parks and ridding his Harley-Davidson. He looks forward to the local club raffle and a catch up with the boys on a Thursday evening. He also enjoys playing bingo, listening to local radio and watching old western movies with his wife Jill. As he gets older and has to visit the hospital more often, he prefers quick and efficient healthcare with simple, bold instructions and hospital signs. He aims to enjoy the rest of his life traveling a little and spending time with family, especially his grandchildren.

The pictures used in this mood board are some of my own and the rest collected from Google images.

Bennyb

Interactive Design

Definition

Interactive design defines the behavior of a system when it is being controlled by a user within different environments, eg Biological, technological, and online . Research is usually carried out before taking on the design project to identify what is important and relevant to the user, and what design elements can be utilized in the best way to communicate efficiently to the user. New technologies are becoming more complicated, so designers aim to minimize this by increasing functionality and efficacy without taking away value of the technologies functionality.

Examples

Examples of interactive design can be anything where a design process has undergone to create a user friendly interface of some kind to help users use the technology.

Click to see larger images.

• Google Earth

Google Earth is a good example because there are thousands of different ways in which users can change, and interact with the program so that they can view what they are cooling for in different ways. Eg. In 3d, street view, underwater, view in weather, time of day etc.

• Socialvibe

Socialvibe is an incredible interactive webpage because it allows everyday people give to charity simply for doing surveys, putting badges with advertisement on their pages, and completing task with other users around the world.

Bennyb

Information or Instructional Design

Definition

Information or instructional design refers to the way that a list or order of steps that instruct, or inform the user to carry out a certain job/skill/practice is designed. A good design must be functional, uncluttered and cater for the target audience. These designs can be anything from computer instructions, and 'how to's to non electrical instructional step that attempt the inform the user to correctly. It is also important the the design is able be followed by users around the world, especially if the design is web based. Desingers need to consider things like; legibility, text or font, size, and whether image instructions are required to aid the written instructions.

Example

Anything that informs or instructs users to carry out a practice is an example of an informational or instructional design. These include things like application instructions, safety instructions, way finding instructions, steps in recipes, articles etc.

click for larger images

• Game instructions

This example is from a game called 'Farm Ville'. The offer is that if you become are 'dedicated farmer' you receive bonuses. The graphic above is an example of an instructional design because it tells you exactly what to do, including links of where to do it, and a percentage bar indicated how much of the task has been completed.

• Internet upload instructions

This example is of an image sharing host where users can upload their photos, and place them onto placeholders or within their webpages. The uploading screen is simple and precise where instructions are in bold and the links are easy to see.

• Fan Pages

This example is another annoying Facebook instructional page. The page asks you to carry out several steps which support and promote them before you can access the material. Eg in this screen shot, they ask you to 'add as friend' to see 'The most dramatic Break up caught on tape'.

Bennyb

References (click to view page)


Definitions


Facebook


Imageshack

Web 2.0

Definition

The term Web 2.0 refers to a new generation of browsing that has occurred on the web. This new way of browsing had been brought about because designers made their designs more interactive for users, this meant that users could be more involved and thus felt more comfortable using the software. By interacting with the software, users thus interacted with other users, which leads to networking and online communities. Web 2.0 means users can do more then just gather information from a webpage.

Example

Any webpages that enable the user to edit, change or add things to the webpage is part of the Web 2.0 continuum. These may include social networking sites, blogs, chatrooms, videorooms, video tubes and online banking.

Click for larger images.

• Facebook

Facebook is an excellent example of the web 2.0 continuum because it has become a community within a community. This webpage can digitally inform users of their friend's and families whereabouts, doings, achievements and photos & videos all at a click of a button. This is also evident in the reverse where people can update their profile daily so that what was discussed above can be viewed.

• Twitter

Twitter is similar to Facebook as it updates and informs through interaction of users and viewers. But twitter has naturally become a, for lack of a better word, a 'celebrity-stalking' device where fans can track and be updated on what they are doing and or thinking at any particular time.

• Myspace

Myspace, similar again to Facebook and twitter, is a social networking site that relies on users to interact with each other for it to function correctly. These days, Myspace is generally used for musicians to display their work for potential buyers to preview.

Bennyb