Project 3_Redesign for SEPTA's train service

Learning Log 6 - 2

12-2-09
An Interface That Can Be Improved

Some interfaces throughout septa are decent but can definetly be improved to help interaction. Currently you buy a ticket, get on the train, then wait for the conductor to come and punch your ticket. Sometimes the conductor does not have time to get to each person, letting some people get buy without paying the fare.

I think a good way to improve this interface would be to have a machine at each train station. At the machine you can select your destination and buy your ticket, eliminating lines because there can be several machines. Also their will be another machine that u insert your ticket into to get punch. The conductor on the train will have a corresponding machine that tracks how many people had their ticket punched. This will cut down time and confusion while riding the train.

Learning Log 6 - 1

Response to Chapter 9 of DFI
12-02-09

This chapter about the future of interaction design was particularly interesting. It discussed mostly about how computers are going to play a major role in the future of interaction design. When i first read about this i wondered if it would eliminate many job opportunities because computers would ultimately be replacing workers. When i though about it, i realized they would still have to be people hired to fix the operating systems.
I found is very interesting how much the ratio of persons to computers has changed over the years. When computers first emerged, there were many people using one computer. Soon the ratio became one to one, meaning each person had their own computer to use. Now most people have multiple computers that they use for themselves. Many people own a laptop and desktop computer. Also, most people now have internet access on their phones and most phones are mini computers. It is amazing how much technology has changed due to technology and computers. Even throughout my lifetime i have seen vast improvements amongst computer systems. I remember when computers had green screens and huge floppy disks. Now all you need is a small flash drive to save your work, and some computers are not much bigger than a sheet of paper. These improvements that are constantly happening play a huge role in the success of interaction design. Computer systems make it easy and more appealing for interactors.
The chapter also described the huge role that the internet plays in design interaction. Now, just about anything can be done or found on the internet. Something as small as ordering a pizza can be done on the internet, eliminating the hassle of calling to order, thus improving the pizza store's interaction design. This chapter helped a lot to make me think about improving the future of interaction design, as well as brainstorming ideas for the last project in this class.

Leanring Log 5 - 2

I recently bought the Google phone (G1) and i bought one of these gel skin cases. After using it I realized that it is a bad interface. The gel skin gets caught when you try to slide the keyboard open. It actually got jammed so many times that it eventually ripped. Also, it is not as protective as a hard case. I dropped my phone once, with the gel skin on it, and there was still a mark on the phone underneath the skin. I think only way to improve this interface is to eliminate them and use hard cases. A week after having the gel skin i bought a hard case and have not had any problems.

Learning Log 5 - 1

After reading about service design, it made me think of how often this is used on a daily basis. Service design is projected towards the users, making it easier for them to use and find a service. Usually this has to do with clear way finding and signage, just like the project we just completed. The most intriguing part about service design to me was the fact that the designer finds a layout or design, and improves it to make it more accessible to the user's. Saffer also explained that when it comes to designing for interaction, their are many mistakes that can me made. Sometimes, i feel designers focus to much on the visual aspects rather that the actually usability of the service. I believe sometimes it is important to keeps things simple, especially when you are trying to hep users find their way in a complicated area.
There are many stores and corporations that use good service design. Septa for example, has a successful service design. Their are signs that are simply designed all throughout the stations, making it almost impossible to get lost. Also, their mapping signs are very easy to read. They do not include to much color and only include the information you need, no extra nonsense.
Another service design that i find easy to use is the ordering systems in Wawa. When you want to order a sandwich or some type of food you go up the the small touch screen tv's to order. Everthing is catagorized by breakfast lunch and dinner. Their are even more catagories once you choose which meal you are looking for. Once you pick the food you want, a screen then comes up with all the condiments and you simply press on each one you want on your meal. Once you press order a small slip prints out, and the person making your meal also gets a copy. This makes it less likely for the employee to forget what you ordered and make your meal the wrong way. This service design is easy to use and simple at the same time, making it a great design for interaction.
After reading about Service design i will think more about what Saffer said when i design services myself. It it important to focus on funtionality when designer a user based service.

Project 1

The above image is the original website for AWA. The logo does not seem legible and the information is scattered in an unorganized way.


This image is my redesign for the AWA website. Information is more legible and it is more apparent where you can click on the page. This is because the clickable items are organized through their color, buttons, and use of underlining. The central image also relates directly to the whole idea of the website itself.
The above image is the original subpage for the AWA website. Everything is align left, rag right and reads directly down the page. This makes it uninteresting for the viewer and possibly more difficult to read.This image is my design for a new subpage. Information is catagorized across the page making it more visually appealing. The surrounding information also matches the homepage making it known that you are still on the same website.This website for The Humane Society of The United States is where i drew some of my ideas from. They effectivly designed this page using color coordination and grouping. I also like the way they took a main image a put it in the center, relating directly to the websites intentions.

BAD interface

The design for this self checkout interface at Walmart is designed in a way that could make it easy to make a huge mistake. If you notice, the place where you get your cash back is all the way at the bottom, completely out of sight. Although there is a large sign that says cash out, it is not in plain for for someone over 3 feet tall to easily see. The sign would actually be covered by your own body since that is where most people stand in order to scan their items. I noticed most self check out interfaces are designed like this and I often wonder how many people accidently forget to take their cash after they pay. I can only imagine how angry I would be if this happened to me. To make this interface design more successful the designer should put the cash out section in a higher area, possibly directly next to where you put your cash in.