Exercise 3.3 – Speculations: Amir Rashidifar
Exercise 3.2: Personas – Amir Rashidifar
Project 3: Part 1
Exercise 3.1: Narratives – Amir Rashidifar
My receipt is from my trip to Porto’s Bakery & Cafe on Thanksgiving morning to pick-up my pre-ordered cake:
As you can see from the video, the line for those who did not pre-order was significantly longer than what I had to stand in:
Witnessing this line and driving through the crowded Topanga Canyon intersection, I noticed a number of individuals having to wait in lines to complete their last minute to do list items. This inspired my poem about procrastination:
Procrastination.
I’ll decide tomorrow.
Procrastination.
I’ll finish it later.
Procrastination.
The moment is here and I’m unprepared.
Why do I do this?
Because the last minute is the only one I find productive.
Mapping Part 3: Amir Rashidifar
For my mapping project, I selected 6 forces to map: traffic, areas where homeless individuals congregate, greenery, business and residential areas. An additional force I added to my final map was areas with the most crime, specifically car theft . The 6 forces combined created a pathway of disturbance in the area. Traffic monitors the flow of people’s movement through the area. I also included the time of traffic as a result of some feedback from my fellow classmates. Homelessness paints a path of unsafe areas where these individuals congregate, which I also edited due to some feedback and added more descriptive language in my legend. Greenery draws a path of where trees and bushes. This was a very valuable exercise is assessing a particular area and all the forces that impact one’s interaction with the intersection.
Exercise 1.3: Amir and Manuel
Exercise 2.3 Geographies – Amir Rashidifar
I found that this exercise was extremely difficult, I began at my home and felt like I didn’t want to keep going the direction I was told because I wanted to leave the residential areas. But the directions kept taking me right back to where I wanted to leave. Also I couldn’t reverse and go back because you don’t have many options in area. One thing I did notice from the area in which I live is how it is designed to take you to the main streets. I think this design has a lot to do with the grid design.
Mapping Part 2 – Amir Rashidifar
Mappings: Part 1 – Amir Rashidifar
Forces Present at the Intersection of Topanga Canyon and Venture Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA
- Traffic: The traffic in this area varies by the time of day but is generally congested. Both Topanga Canyon and Ventura Blvd are major streets that connect individuals with various parts of the valley all the way to the ocean so commuting through this intersection can be hectic. Luckily the lights on the main intersection have specific signals for turns as opposed to a yield light. However, right after the main intersection, there is a large strip mall that is very chaotic and there is a light that was meant to help facilitate better traffic but because it isn’t coordinated with the major intersection light, it often causes further back ups into the intersection. Below is the diagram of the intersection and the various flows of traffic that feed into the traffic.
- Human Habitation: Southwest of the intersection is a residential neighborhood that is home to a number of individuals. These individuals likely shop, eat, bank, and whatever else is possible at the various businesses around the intersection. On the diagram below, the residential neighborhood that contributes to human habitation is indicated.
- Business Type: There are a variety of businesses around this intersection, which also contributes to the traffic in the area but given the human habitation not far away, many of the businesses are services oriented. Two of the corners of the intersection are different banks. Another corner is a gas station and the fourth corner is the beginning of a large strip mall that includes grocery stores, coffee shops, barbers, fast food restaurants, another bank, and an ice cream shop, to name a few. These businesses are depicted in the diagram below.
- Homelessness: Homelessness is a problem that Los Angeles faces all over the county. Given that this intersection is a major one, there is someone who stands on the island in the middle of Topanga Canyon with a sign asking for money. Additionally, the alleys surrounding the area have a number of homeless encampments and there are some homeless neighbors who spend a lot of the day in the parking lot of the strip mall on the corner of the intersection. Out of respect for these individuals, I did not include any photos but indicated their locations on the diagram.
Vegetation: Los Angeles is known as the city of cement but this intersection and the surrounding area has a great deal of vegetation in comparison to other areas nearby. There are a number of trees planted along both Topanga Canyon and Ventura Blvd. There are also a number of blooming flower bushes that add color to the area. The vegetation is depicted in the diagram below.
Exercise 2.2 – Architectures – Amir Rashidifar
Home View
Neighborhood View
Daily Commute
2.1 Information: Map Of Union Station
Iconic Representation: This is a critical component of most maps. The map of Union Station Los Angeles uses universal symbols that indicate locations for food, bathrooms, parking, etc. This strategy helps make navigating the area easier.
Consistency: This strategy makes reading a map significantly easier. For example, there are similar areas with the use of the same color to represent restaurants or the same shape to indicate the various gates to the trains. This aligns well with the use of the same colors as well, which is another useful strategy.
Wayfinding: The goal of every map should be to facilitate wayfinding. This map does a good job of helping the user with this with the use of arrows and words to indicate where he or she is relative to the map and where they need to go by finding the line they want to catch.
Orientation Sensitivity: By reviewing the map of Union Station, a user can orient his or herself that to the direction of the streets. For example, by looking at the map, one can see the direction of Chinatown or Little Tokyo and can orient to that in the space.
Color: Each element of the map that has some sort of similar attribute uses the same color to indicate that similarity. For example, all metro buildings have a tan color or all restaurants are indicated with a teal color. The additional consistency of labels and shapes helps add to the ease of navigating the map.
Graphics 1.3: Amir_Manuel
Strategy: Confirmation
Confirmation is a technique for preventing unintended actions by requiring verification of the actions before they are performed. The use of confirmations help to minimize errors in the performance of critical or irreversible operations.
Example in Original Source:
Source: Universal Principles of Design
Example in Different Source:
Source: Dribbble.com
Real World Example:
Source: Screenshot from my iphone
Strategy: Proximity
Proximity refers to the understanding that elements that are closer together are perceived to be more related than elements that are farther apart. This understanding should be considered in designing.
Example from Original Source:
Source: Universal Principles of Design
Example from Different Source:
Source: https://blog.thepapermillstore.com/design-principles-proximity/
Real World Example:
Source: My Espresso Machine
Strategy: Lockouts
Lockouts are a strategy to keep someone in a space or prevents an action until the desired operations are done. Lockouts are usually used for safety reasons. Forcing functions can be a nuisance that people will deliberately disable, making the safety feature void. Good deign will minimize the nuisance while retaining the safety feature.
Example from Original Source:
Source: The Design of Every Day Things
Example from Different Source:
Source: iPhone Lockout Screen to protect content of phone
Real World Example:
Source: Waze Passenger Mode for usage while vehicle is moving
Strategy: Logical Constraints
Logical Constraints refer to the logical relationship between the spatial or functional layout of components and the things they affect or are affected by. This does not have anything to do with physical or cultural principles.
Example from Original Source:
Source: The Design of Every Day Things
Example from Different Source:
Real World Example:
Source: This is a light switch in my house. The order of these switches do not align with the natural mapping of the lights they control.
Strategy: Activity Centered Controls
Activity centered controls are when there is a mapping of controls to activities. This strategy anticipates the needs of the user and puts all the similarly related activity controls together.
Example in Original Source:
There was not a photo included for this strategy but the example described was related to auditorium controls for the lights, computer, video etc and how mapping out these controls around a particular activity like a lecture makes the experience far better.
Example in Different Source:
Source: http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/activitycentere.html
Real World Example:
Source: Menu on television to control different components.
Strategy: Storytelling
Storytelling is a strategy or method of creating imagery, emotions and understanding of events through an interaction between a storyteller and an audience. This strategy is the original method of passing down information from one generation to the next. Storytelling can be done orally or digitally, but good experiences require certain elements: setting, characters, plot, invisibility, mood, and movement. Each of these elements contribute to the evoking of emotion from the audience.
Example from Original Source:
Source: Universal Principles of Design
Example from Different Source:
Source: Reuters News
Real World Example:
Source: The Alchemist from my bookshelf
Strategy: Advance Organizer
Advance Organizer, at times referred to as “onboarding,” is an instructional technique that helps the user understand the new information. The information can be spoken, written, or illustrated. There are two kinds of advance organizers: expository and comparative. Expository advance organizers are used when the user has little or no knowledge similar to the information being taught. Comparative advance organizers are used when the user has preexisting knowledge similar to the information being presented. The use of this strategy has been shown to have benefits when used in learning situations that are presented in a linear sequence.
Example in Original Source:
Source: Universal Principles of Design
Example from Different Source:
Source: Dribbble.com
Real World Example:
Source: My Kitchen Microwave
The Chairs in Amir’s Life
The Chairs in Amir’s Life
Home Office Chair
This is the chair in my home office. Anytime I work from home, this is the chair I tend to use. My home office shares a space with our guest room so I was limited to selecting a desk and chair that matched the other furniture and didn’t take up too much space. While aesthetically appealing, it isn’t the most comfortable chair, lacking cushions and support.
Dining Room Bench
This is the “chair” in my dining room, which is actually a bench. I use this bench when I eat dinner. I relate to this bench as a place of gathering and sharing a meal and conversation with friends and family. While this bench is a departure from the traditional dining chair, I appreciate the design, making you feel closer to the others you are sitting next to. It also makes me feel like a kid again, reminding me of all the meals I used to sit on benches to eat at school.
Commute Chair
This is the chair I spend at least 2 hours in a day, commuting to and from work. This chair is in my all electric Fiat, which has its pros and cons. I gave up the luxury of comfort and speed in a vehicle to transition to an all electric vehicle that reduces my carbon footprint, but also lets me ride in carpool as 1 person. Since the car is Italian made, the usual controls are not in the places you would typically look for them. For example, when you want to recline the back, it is not on the left but rather the right side. This interferes with the arm rest on the right side as well, making this design very uncomfortable. The same is true for the control that moves the chair forward and backward. But, I’m willing to deal with these design choices for the opportunity to drive an all electric vehicle.
Balcony Chair
This is the chair I sit on when I want some fresh air on my balcony at home. This chair isn’t the most comfortable chair but it was definitely affordable. It is all weather proof, giving me piece of mind that I don’t have to worry too much about it. It makes me feel good to sit outside and take in the fresh air while reading, writing or working.
One thing Amir Loves and One thing Amir dislikes strongly (hate is strong word)
One Thing I Love: August Smart Lock
The August Smart Lock allows me to control entry into my home by opening the application and with the press of one button, I can lock or unlock my front door. I can allow others access to my home remotely as well. The first thing I love about my August Smart Lock is the feedback it gives me via my iphone application. I am notified if the front door is locked/unlocked automatically or manually. I can check to make sure the front door is locked, giving me peace of mind when I’m away from home. The second component of the August Smart Lock I love is the design. Because of the shape of the lock, affordances are successfully employed such that there isn’t much room for confusion on how to manually unlock the door. Additionally, the design of the application is similarly designed, with the touch of one round circle in the middle of the page, controlling the lock and unlock features.
One Thing I Dislike Strongly: Climate Control Unit
My climate control unit was not designed with the basic principles of interaction design in mind. This unit is meant to control the heating and cooling system for my home (and on hot Southern California days, you know this is a critical system for my sanity) but it is extremely difficult to navigate and not intuitive. The first design principle this unit lacks is feedback. When pushing the buttons, the user rarely receives clear feedback on what has happened, making it confusing to know if you’ve actually done what you intended to do. Secondly, the unit lacks clear mapping, both physical and semantic. There are a number of buttons on the unit, with the majority of them lacking proper labeling or placement on the unit. Lastly, affordances were not successful employed in the design of the unit, therefore, making it very difficult for the user to know how to activate the unit. The only clues the unit has is the plus and minus buttons to increase or decrease temperature, as well as the on and off buttons. I remain confused as to how to set a schedule or use any of the other buttons on the unit.
Histories: Amir Rashidifar
Mapping: Concept Shoes
Good mapping should visually give you a layout of what the product should structurally look like. Often you will also find affordances visual, giving you a better idea of how one might use the product as well.
Golden Ratio: The Vetruvian Man
The golden ratio can be found in nature, art and architecture. There are numerous examples of the golden ratio found in famous architecture such as the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge. This ratio is essentially where the ratio of the width and height is approximately 0.618.
Structural Forms: Taj Mahal
Regardless of what you are building the basic understanding of structure is critical for good design. There are different types of structure Mass, Frame and Shell structures. The structure of the Taj Mahal contains all 3 structures.