Exercise Five - Andrea

Object that you love, object that you hate
(better late than never)
Mug!
This mug is one of my favourite things that I don’t actually own. It’s my roommate’s and it’s really cute so I use it as much as I can. There is nothing wrong with this mug! The handle is so nicely mapped that you can grip it with either hand and avoid a burnt digit! (It’s perfectly sized so that three of my fingers can snuggle in like pigs in a blanket.)
Its affordances are pretty much a handle and an opening. It’s so simple to use – just pour tea or hot chocolate in the top and carry it with the handle. Everything’s very clearly laid out on this mug – and it even has an adorable monster on it.
Another plus is that the mug will tell you if it’s empty or full.
One thing that could be a constraint is the fact that there’s only one handle, and it might be heavy or awkward for some people to hold it in one hand. But not me, I’m a big girl and I love it. Plus, who’s seen a cup with two handles that’s not a baby drinky cup?

Stereo
I hate this stereo so much. It’s from the Brick and it is terrible because first of all, the wire that connects from the outlet to the actual machine doesn’t fit into the back of the stereo snugly so it sometimes falls out and you have to push it in really hard or jiggle it until you get the stereo’s ‘on’ light to glow. This can be a very frustrating and time-consuming process. It makes moving the stereo to different locations very annoying.

While the machine does have a nice plump yet compact appearance, and a volume control that is satisfyingly nice to twirl, this stereo has many more pitfalls, which constrain usability. The stop button often doesn’t work, so pause must be pushed instead. Also, when a cd is placed inside, the stereo sometimes spins it so hard that it makes a really loud noise and shakes violently – then when you open the lid the cd almost flies out! I don’t know why it does this.

The player itself isn’t even mapped out well. The controls for the cd player are close to the tape deck, and the tape’s play/stop/pause buttons are super close to where the cd lid is. I found that confusing at first. The number display is also pretty hard to read. If it were illuminated that would be nicer. I think the poor thing already has too many problems to fix!

One thing though, that’s good about it is that it plays music when it works! So that’s a good form of feedback.

Exercise 5 - LOVE . HATE

LOVE

Visibility, The macbook pro’s system is very easy to use; it’s similar to that of any laptop but almost simplified. Everything is mapped on the keypad, including each buttons’ action, and use. Also, the whole system runs mainly on the straightforward click and drag concept. At the bottom of the desktop, all my programs are stored, and as I roll my mouse over each program it enlarges therefore making it very visible to the user. Also, the system preferences icon allows you to go in and change your lighting, sizing, and overall preferences of the system. This is very useful because this way you can modify the visibility and options of your screen to best suit your needs. Affordance, The affordance of the macbook clearly fits with its function, its compact and light making it easy to transfer from place to place. It’s still fairly small, making it easy to hold and travel with. The buttons are all clearly labeled, and the keypad resembles any basic keypad making it easy to use for anyone. Mapping, the mapping of the keypad is similar to that of any keyboard, therefore the consistency makes it incredibly easy to use. The on/off button is a larger circular button just next to all the letters and numbers. It’s quite clear that it’s on/off because of its size and placement on the pad. Constraint, there may be various cultural and age constraints because you have to be able to read and write the English language to use the keypad, or to generally do anything on this system.

HATE

Visibility, I don’t like this alarm clock, because from far away the time tends to blur together, and its unreadable. Also, the buttons are all over the place and have no visible pattern. The most difficult issue is after I set my alarm, I have no idea if it’s actually set right or if it will even go off. There is no icon saying the alarm is set. So I just have to hope it goes off so I don’t miss class in the morning. Affordance, the actual design of the clock is quite basic, nothing special. However, the size of the buttons are tiny and the on/off button is a switch on the side, but if you push it the wrong way it will alarm so it’s quite difficult to turn off, especially when still sleepy early in the morning. Mapping, the mapping of this alarm clock is very poor because one may misinterpret what each button does, and since there are no labels it’s difficult to figure out. Constraint, the constraints of this alarm are basically just if you don’t know which button does what then it is very difficult to set the alarm, or turn it off. If the mapping were clearer, then there would be very few constraints.

Exercise 5 - Kay Lee

An object I love is LG FM30 portable multimedia player with Audio-Technica portable headphones. (click on the image to see the specs) The reason I put them together is because they function best with each other. Their goodness diminishes in the absence of any one of them.

FM30 is a compact sized mp3p that is also able to store videos, texts, and pictures. Its OLED display has a lower resolution than TFT-LCD yet it saves the power a lot. Yea, one of the greatest advantages of this tiny gadget is the battery life. I've never used the battery charger since I bought it. It's being charged while it's connected to the computer for transffering songs, and it does last a couple of weeks. Its simply designed display occupies the front view of the body, and the rest of the space is utilized smartly. The main control buttons are on the top of it with other buttons or devices arrayed on the sides. Its compact body is easy to grasp, convenient to carry, and clear to see how it works.




Here we go, everyone's beloved iPod.
However, it's on my dishonourable list.

Good Mapping, Defective Functionality
While a lot of minor enterprises were introducing numerous models of mp3p in local or national markets, Apple introduced this fresh looking iPod in global market. Thanks to its brand power in addition to the innovative design and intuitive interface, (and personal engraving too!) iPod heated up the American market quickly. When the iPod Mini first came out in 2004, I was one of the excited buyers until it disappointed me from the first day I received it. Its outer appearance was really cool.. the sensitive wheel was sexy too. On the first day I got it, it didn't turn on for some reason, and it never lasted 8 hrs. It randomly shut off after 2 hrs of playing, when I walked into subway, etc. Although I really liked the colour and the way it feels in my hand, it was comparatively bigger than other mp3ps and slippery too.

Exercise 5 - Joanne

One object that I love using is the ihome. It is a docking system that allows me to charge and play my ipod and also is a clock radio. The physical constraints on the ihome make it easy to differentiate where to put the different ipods because there are 2 different docking ports: one for the shuffle and one for all the other ipods. Another reason I like the ihome because of its affordances. The snooze button is the best feature because this button is the biggest and easiest to find. The visibility of this system is also great because all the buttons are labeled clearly for its functions and also light up so you can see them in the dark. I also like the mapping of the system for the volume and when setting the times for the alarms. The control for the volume is placed on the right, while the control for time is placed on the left. Both controls are scrolling wheels similar to the ipod control.

One object that I hate is my old alarm clock. The affordances on this alarm clock annoy me because they are too small. Although the snooze button is slightly bigger then the other buttons, the button sizes are too similar because I often press the wrong buttons when trying to press snooze. The visibility of all the buttons are clearly labeled for its functions but are useless when it is dark. Although, I don’t like this alarm clock the mapping and the physical constraints are good. There are switches to control the on/off alarm modes and turning axes for controlling the volume and radio stations are vary easy to use.

Excerise 5 - Kaylyn Frecker

LOVE YOU BABY.

I love my toothbrush. I wake up with him, and go to bed with him. He's tall, slender and soft to touch. He attacks and protects me from the bad guys. With his gripped body, I could never let go of him.

When his hair changes color and turns from bright blue to white I know it is time to look for a new toothbrush; feedback.

With his gripped body clearly laid out on his tall body my hands know exactly where to go; mapping.

It has gotten to the point in our lustful relationship that he just knows when I want him; habituation.

F***IN HATE YOU.

I hate batteries. He sits in his ass grooved chair all day doing nothing. Sometimes he gets a sudden urge to play with me but otherwise he goes hours upon hours doing nothing.

His cylindrical form not only makes him physically unattractive, but it's nearly impossible to keep him organized he will just roll away!

Also, half of the time I don't even know if hes a live or nearly going to die because he refuses to wear any sort of colour to reflect his lively hood.

Honestly, half the time I can't even get him out of his chair because he has nothing to grip onto.

Exercise 5: Miriam

L O V E

Visibility The camera’s system is very easy to use, everything in the back of the camera is clearly mapped. The actions are all labeled with each button. Whether it is the menu, the filming option, the preview option, flash, etc. When a photo is taken it shows up on the screen, obviously clarifying that it has been taken and saved on the memory card. All of the information is not shown, so easy to read menu’s and steps are installed in the program. The MENU button provides many more options, such as lighting conditions, or night photo settings. The camera uses relevant controls to show it’s information. Affordance The affordance of the camera fits with it’s function, it is small making it easier to hold and carry, and the fact it has a clear usability function makes it simple to use for anyone. The small symbols on the camera such as the magnify glass with the plus symbol make it understandable to users because it is a object we use in everyday life to see things closer, making it a logical symbol. It is made to a size that fits the hand perfectly, and has a small grip at the front for your finger. Mapping The mapping of the camera’s back menu is set very basically. The shutter button is at the top right of the camera, since I use my right hand to take photos. The scrolling menu (up, down, right, left) does provide arrows, but they are not necessary because it’s obvious where the buttons will move selections. Constraint Not all of the functions are provided on the physical camera. Compared to my other camera, the functions such as shooting modes (manual function, portrait, night, etc.) are attached to the outside body of the camera. While in this one, they are all programed inside.

H A T E

Visibility This alarm clock is a piece of rubbish. Maybe the fact that I bought it for a dollar would explain it. Whenever you set the time or the alarm your not sure of whether it preformed the task or not. If it didn’t, then you need to go back and set it. There are no visible controls, one is not sure of what button does what action. If these buttons had small labels or names it would be easier to manage. The time also is difficult to see unless you have a non-busy background. Since it is transparent, also making it hard to see the time at night. Affordance The design of this clock looks pretty nice, but the performance level is a failure. One knows that the buttons are there to set the time, but because of no labels they are difficult to figure out. There are also four extra buttons which do not serve any purpose? Mapping The mapping is very poor, because the buttons effect do not work to what one expects of the object. If there were more controls then it might be easier to use. Constraint Uses psychological constraints, mappings, however without any instruction they are not very accurate.

Excercise 5: David McInerney

The object I love is the iPod touch, despite the constraint that this device cannot be used as a cell phone, it offers most of the iPhone applications. The mapping on the iPod touch is almost exclusively by a touch screen, which assumes with software upgrades, the mapping can be partially changed. Having the touch screen and central button on one side, eliminates the affordance of someone mistaking the metal plate on the rear as the screen. When the iPod Touch is turned on, visibility is very clear, information such as battery power usage, time, date, websites, songs, youtube, photos, videos, contacts, calendar, calulator and iTunes can easily be accessed from the main screen. The use of album art and the album art viewer ensures the user is aware of what song they are listening to and choosing new music.

The object I hate* is the Bose Speaker dock for iPod, mainly because this object is constrained to only playing iPods, whereas other speakers the same price, size and quality offer an input for other Mp3 players, computers, cd players etc. Another source of grief for me is that the mapping is so minimal that there is no off-switch, therefore the iPod is constantly being charged and on standby mode, this can be considered a massive waste of energy! There is little room for affordance as the device is designed with the iPod dock at the centre of the device on the same side as the output for the speaker. In addition to the speaker being on a slight angel leaning backwards and on a curve, leaving the back with void space. The small remote has constrained controls and does not allow the user to switch between playlists, albums, or genres.

*'hate' is a very strong word... I try hard not to hate anything!

exercise 5: Love/Hate Kristen Burns

One thing that I use everyday and love very much is my Ipod. Wherever I go I always have it. The screen its self lights up when using it, which makes it easy to read. It uses Alignment when listing all the music. When you are scrolling, where you are is highlighted, which gives you visible feedback. It is very clearly illustrated that the buttons are buttons because they each have printed on them what they do.

One of the things I really hate is the Mac Mouse. How can such an awesome computer have such a useless mouse? The biggest reasons for why I hate it is because it doesn’t have a right click. Instead you have to go threw a command instead of just pressing a button like the PC mouse. Also in the way the mouse is mapped out there is nothing to imply that it actually has a button at all, there is no finger imprints or anything. There is some feedback when it comes to the actual click of the mouse, but there is no way of knowing if it is even supposed to click down.

Exercise 5 - Love & Hate

An object that I own which I use daily is my Brita. Honestly, it is the easiest thing to use and it saves me money on water. You can’t go wrong with that combination. One of the reasons I find it to be such a good design is that it is mapped in such a simple way that using it is easy. There is good feedback when it comes to the filter. It lets you know when it needs to be replaced when the electronic bars on the top are no longer lit up. Once they are gone, it tells you it needs a new one for maximum water quality. The handle is grooved, obviously made for fingers to fit, and the spout to pour is visible. The opening on the top is easily accessible; the finger grip on the top is an affordance to its opening.



One of the things I can not stand due to its design is my coffee machine. There is nothing about it that makes it easy to use. There is limited visibility when it comes to its different functions. There is no mapping when it comes to where the opening for the filters is, and where you put the grinds in. You have to figure it out for yourself. The only way to start the coffee making process is to press a button, the only one on the machine, at the front of the base which only shows the symbol of ‘power’. This is a cultural constraint because that symbol represents on/off only in North America.

Gio Petrucci

Exercise Five: Jesse Colin Jackson

An object I love is the STAEDTLER Mars technico 780 C lead holder. I have 4 of them. One I've had since 1996, and the rest I've acquired later. In each I keep a different weight of lead: 6H, 4H, 2H and HB.

Affordances are subtle yet clear. The knurled end gives a tactile indication of where to best hold the lead holder; the clip keeps it secure in my pocket protector (ha, ha). As we expect, the end serves as a push-button to advance the lead. More unusually, it also serves as a sharpener, a possibility subtly suggested by its size (the same as the lead) and clarified by a diagram on the Staedtler website.

When the end is depressed, the lead advances. One potentially problematic aspect of the design is that unlike most lead holders, the lead does not advance incrementally. Instead, the push-button opens the jaws at the end that grip the lead, allowing the lead to potentially fall out of the pencil (an expensive error, at 2 bucks a lead). Once learned, it becomes natural to guard against this with your other hand when advancing a lead, and the infinite adjustability allows the lead to be sharpened to both a sharp and rounded tip, but perhaps a physical constraint could be introduced that prevents the lead from falling out completely.

There's no way to automatically differentiate between the different weights of lead, as the only available colour is blue. I've added an ugly label made of masking tape to each, which provides crude visible feedback, but it's an ugly solution at best.

[Disclaimer: I'll concede that I don't actually use a lead-holder much anymore. So perhaps there's some wistful nostalgia in my praise.]

An object I hate is my Sony Ericsson W810i mobile phone. It seems clever, at first: I'm impressed with the fact that the camera elements are mapped to a conventional camera. To operate the camera, you turn the phone sideways, which places the shutter button exactly where you expect it to be. By taking advantage of my existing camera interaction model, Sony has made it easier to take pictures. . . if I could figure out how to turn the camera on. There are no physical constraints to keep me from pressing the buttons when the phone is in my pocket, and these affordances are way too small in the first place: I'm forever turning the walkman on when I want to answer a call, as the buttons for these functions are right beside each other.

The audible feedback is excruciating: why can't mobile phones come with a normal ring tone? Why does my phone have to sound like a cat? I know, I know, I can download new ring tones - perhaps one of you can show me how.

Exercise 5: Tori

I don't think that I could go so far as to say that I 'hate' my old camera (pictured bottom left), but I will say that the new one (pictured top left) better suits my purposes.

The visibility of the DVX100 (top) is far superior. All camera functions are placed on the body, allowing for quick and easy changes. Additionally, the state of each function is clear via the use of dials and switches instead of buttons where necessary. So I can feel with my finger (without having to look away from the monitor) what my settings are.

The old camera required going into menus and used an organizational system that was not intuitive. This decreased the usability and therefore the image and sound quality, while simultaneously increasing frustration.

Mapping is also far superior with the newer camera. The joystick navigational tool for menu options up, down, left, right, and for forward, backward, play, stop creates easy navigation through menus and the VCR mode.

Credits:

I had to grab these images from the internet as my cameras are being lent out right now. The DVX100 was taken from here (and altered): http://www.compusales.com.mx/images/Videocamara%20AG-DVX100BP.jpg
and the PVGS70 was taken from here: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41K9Z3SMVVL.jpg&imgrefurl=http://shop.spack.net/p/pa/na/panasonic%2BPVGS70%2BMiniDV.B00008RUES.html&h=347&w=500&sz=27&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=IF6WXz1jbN7mvM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpanasonic%2Bpvgs70%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN
and the thumbs up image was from here: http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/archives/hand-thumbs-up-2.jpg
The image inside the PVGS70 was taken by me in 2004 using that camera.



Also, I am obsessed with organization. These nesting Ziplock tupperware make my heart beat a little faster.

Nesting (Pg 104 under hierarchy).

Exercise Five: An Object you Love, an Object you Hate

In your home, find two functional objects: one that you love, and one that you hate.

Make a brief post to the blog where you describe your love/hate relationships, using the tools and vocabulary introduced in the Basic Principles of Experience Design presentation. Before you post, review the following terms in Universal Principles of Design: Visibility, Affordance, Mapping, Constraint

Be sure to include photographs of your objects in your post. Make sure the photographs adequately represent the source of your love/hate relationship.

Exercise Four is due on Sunday, January 27 at 11:59PM.