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Hi all:
I found a free PDF version of this reading over internet. It is good for people enjoy computer screen PDF reading.
I was stunned during the class exercise about falllingwater, when someone concluded the shape of balcony and floor is parallel to the edge of waterfall, and it is obvious and easily perceived.
Although my background is in industrial design ( somehow related to architecture), this wonderful observation never came to me in that particular moment. Why?
I try to come out with a list to explain the reasons:
- Maybe I am not good in design.
- I am too “Design-Professional” and take it for granted that every floor should be parallel to the ground.
- I am so surprised that this new point of view comes out.
- I then recognized this idea, was almost persuaded, and start to think about the purpose of author, although I am still not sure this is Wright’s idea or not.
- It is a process of inspiration. I might apply this “rule” in the future.
As a designer, I want to argue another similar example of the design process related to criticism, with my own past experience. Maybe it will be a start point for further discussion, or just a quick answer to Jeff’s curiosity about my thinking as a designer with past “proper” design education.
I think we can practice on this, or make a quick comparison with Mæve project.
My roommate, a bio informatics PhD student without any design background, is taking Erik’s “HCI Design Theory” course as his PhD breadth. He came to me last Sunday and asked me is there any “Common, Unify Theory” in design. He also mentioned about the Mac Sleep LED indicator as one example and ask for explanation. My response was, the LED light for mac just fade-in/fade-out like respiration, and user might associate it to a “living stuff”, for example sleeping pet. User might then have a special kind of attachment or emotion for this computer. I also use the LED light on my Thinkpad as another example, the simple symbol of moon is easily recognized and related to night time, and we rest and sleep at night. Those are some rule or theory that behind design, in my point of view. He seemed to “know” something (“je ne sais quoi”?), and I am pretty happy that help him in some way. Maybe I am doing some form of “Critical Interpretation” in this case, and my audience is a normal user, a layperson in design.
When Jeff mention in his blog series “How To Do Interaction Criticism”, using design magazines as examples how design writers write about design or how designers themselves explained their designs, the immediate thought that came to my mind is, who read this magazine? Designers? Fans? Normal user?
In part III of Jeff’s blog series, he mentions:
For professional interaction designers, my assumption is that criticism would often be oriented in one of two directions. If a designer has a specific design problem, criticism would be oriented toward generating insights particularly useful to that problem or problem space….. If, on the other hand, the designer wants to improve her craft in a more general domain, criticism could accordingly be geared to understand a particular technique, material, or experiential effect…..
How about professional interaction designers communicate with none-designer, team member in a corporation or directly to user, through interaction criticism? Is it worthy not only through a good design but also proper communication to other people, to promote design or enhance design literacy/designerly thinking for other people?
I don’t have a answer now, although somehow I think I have to do that.
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