Category: Design

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Design HCId

Emotional Design

Don Norman: Three ways design makes  you happy

This post is in reply to Kathleen’s comment on emotional design. I didn’t leave this in the comments because I thought the embedded video would get  better play here. I’ve been meaning to read Norman’s book for a long while now, but here’s his TED talk.

Considering emotions in design is so important. My ipod brings me joy or putting together these shelves bring me frustration. Today I was trying to get my printer working and realized I needed new ink cartridges. I would have been much less irritated if there was a feature where my printer sent a note to my computer, and therefor a note to me asking if I wanted to buy new cartridges. But, instead I had to fuss with the hardware for a while, get ink all over the place and search for some serial number. I felt like I paid a lot of this technology and it ought to be easier to use.

Getting back on point, emotional design is an art.

Categories
Design HCId Journalism

Your designs are “crappy” but you have good taste

I revisit this video of Ira Glass, NPR Journalist, every couple of months. I think it’s completely natural to go through these cycles where you think I think I am just absolutely fantastic at what you do. Now, is not really one of those times. But, that’s exactly it. I (we) reach these thresholds and tipping points where all of a sudden we can see further along the horizon of how much more we have to learn and experience. Anyway, any time I am starting a new creative project or feel like my designs “suck” I call on Ira Glass (watch from 0-:00-2:41. Then skip to 4:45 if you want to skip the journalism part). I always feel better. He reminds us 1. We are young 2. We have great taste, that’s why we began doing this in the first place 3. We have the great taste to know our work is “crappy” 4. There is a solution: do a huge volume of work. Keep practicing and exercising.

I’ve been thinking about this video as I’ve been filling up my calendar with red, orange blue and purple events. Work,  HCI, events, social and so on. Then I start looking at my task lists. Again, work, HCI, Shopping, General life To-dos. But then I think about Ira. I think about how much work I am doing. These huge volumes of work and how much practice I’m getting. (Remind me to blog on Malcom Gladwell’s Outliers. This is all about practice).

That’s what I think we are learning here. Between all of these classes and the rest of our lives going on we are learning a lot in a short ammount of time. We are implementing Ira’s advice to do a huge volume of work. Failing often. No problem.

If this video doesn’t make you feel better… well, it will. It really will. I just love it.

“It’s going to take you a while… You will make things that aren’t as good as you know in your heart you want them to be. Just make one after another.” Please trade the word “TV” for whatever you want to be making.

Categories
Design HCId

I will be a Master of Science #HCId

Well, let’s take a deeper look and understand design a little better. There are some computers, some humans and a whole lot of interaction between the two. Let’s wrap that up into a masters program and offer Nina a MS in the School of Informatics at IU.

Some doors have closed and others opened and I’m grateful that I found myself back in Bloomington, Indiana. Since I’m here, I chatted with the directors of the program and it seems to be everything I want from higher education. It’s a half lab (practicum), half academic design program with elective wiggle room to tailor fit this degree. I’ve been really impressed with both the faculty and wide range of students who are in the program right now. Diverse backgrounds.

There was a decisive moment when I met with Professor Marty Siegel. He shared that many of his courses begin with music, what I understood to be an academic meditiation. For example, there is one Bela Fleck song he played that has multiple variations in the piece. In there is a lesson to approach a (design) challenges in multiple ways. There’s also an emphasis in the program on doing something for the greater good with the degree. I don’t plan to graduate and work on website interfaces for the rest of my life. I couldn’t say say what I plan be doing; I hope it doesn’t exist yet.
I’ll continue working at the Journalism School as a graphic designer and pouring wine tastings at Oliver Winery till fall when I begin classes.

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Poynter

Gratitude. Gratitude.

Gratitude. Gratitude. 21 cards later, I’m surely forgetting at least a dozen more people that I need to thank.  I really could not have done Poynter on my own–that’s kind of the whole point, right?

I took my indy.com editor out for lunch yesterday. She’s one of the main reasons I was so excited to come back. I’m such a millenial sometimes, I fit the description to the T. My editor send me a one-liner email telling me they’re excited for my return. I’m not sure why such a small thing made a big difference. But it did, it does.

I’m pretty lucky I had a job to come back to. Swinging 6 weeks out of work is not easy. I work for a pretty cool place that invested in my personal and professional growth.

I’m back now. Breaking into everything that’s changed over only a month and a half. New reporter, new marketing director, new general manager. I feel like everyone at indy.com was at Poynter with me. There’s more communication, better story telling, smarter visuals and different thinking all around. I have good thoughts about what’s going on here.

It’s tough times in parts of the J world. You have to find the people that will hear you, then speak up.

So far, it’s working.

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Poynter

Mario and Roy, like it’s no big deal

Dear Ron, Dear Mario, Dear Roy: Hey, thanks for Poynter.

Mario Garcia and Roy P. Clark  sit with the fellows in The Great Hall wrapping up the end of a great summer. Ron Reason (left), helped begin the fellows program is taking a photo Mario Garcia (center) and Roy P. Clark (right), Poynter’s founding fathers.

This was such a wonderful day. Ron spent a few days coaching with us leading up to a wonderful closing session with Mario. We then all gathered out on the floor and had a warm cozy campfire chat with Mario and Roy. We talked about the past, the future and really what we can be doing next. Mario’s advice: if you are just too scared to be making the move or next career leap, it’s the perfect time. If you wait for the right moment, it has already passed.

I hope this advice will stay with me. Thanks Ron. Thanks Mario. Thanks Roy!

Categories
Poynter

A visit from Jahi Chikwendiu

Jahi Chikwendiu over in Washinton at The Post did a fanastic session on photo journalism and storytelling. There’s something about people like him. We had a wonderful opportunity to talk about traveling and journalism. And how, as a designer, do you do it if you’re fresh out of college. Not quite ready to be speaking at sessions or redesigning papers. I’d say, the answer is being both a reporter and a designer.

Chatting with Jahi reminded me how much I love running around the world with my little backpack. A few days indebted to the showers and the fantastic discomfort that comes with being lost in a new place. Still planning that 2k10 trip to Brazil.

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Poynter

Creative activities for the newsroom

I would love to do creative exercises in the newsroom.

Sara gave us an assortment of letter noodles. During a grids and type session we tinkered and spelled out little words. We then took those words and used them as a title for a magazine cover that we then designed. Worked different photographers and designers than usual. Allisence is a sharp one.

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Poynter

similie.mit.edu

Link: similie.mit.edu

Matt Waite came in from the St. Pete Times and spent some great one on one time with me talking data driven stories. So many opportunities, so many numbers. It reminds me of that Wired story in the End of Science issue that says sometimes you really have to start taking numbers and variables away to get a better picture. Gotta love looking for trends.

Categories
Poynter

Miss Florida

I ran into someone from my high school today. She’s running for Miss Florida. We both studied journalism. Funny how different our lives our and both ended up in the U of South Florida dorms.

Small world. Both of us simltanously asked “What are YOU doing here?”

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Poynter

Shan and Jan

Shan Carter over at the Times in NY did an excellent sessions on interactivity and user experience. Darla and I have been waiting and waiting for a this. Keep it simple, but sometimes use cilantro. Looking forward to the hands on workshop tomorrow in the lab.

Jan Leach (right) over at Kent State here is showing us the Journalist fight club. Jan’s been my guiding light through the world of copy editing. While at heart and experience I am a designer. Poynter decided, hey–Nina’s going to copy edit this summer. So I did and thanks to Jan, I have some idea of what I’m doing.