One of the most important ideas that I learned in this class was the importance of the word WHY. At the first projects I thought that design something that looked or sounded cool was enough… I didnt feel the need to question what made it “cool” or if it was cool to everyone or just to me. I didnt feel the need to ask myself “why is this useful” “why will people use it” “why is it better than what already exists”??? As I went along I started question mine and others ideas more and more, which I found that helps both narrow the ideas to more precise solutions as well as improve on it.

Defining the problem!! A great example of this is the approach I was taking on my capstone class and the approach I am taking now. On my first approach I had decided that the problem I was going to tackle was obesity and that was it. What I have learned is that obesity is a huge problem space and that unless I narrowed it down my project simply wouldnt work. So I decided to start narrowing it down…. ok first step RESEARCH, I found out there is a big problem of obeity with children…… and I started to take an entirely different approach to it so that I could identify exactly what it was that I was trying to solve in the first place.

Well those are a few things that really stood out when I stopped to think about my progress….

I have always found design itself to be very intriguing and pleasurable. I find, as an art student, that I focus on aesthetics first. Taking this class has been a challenging endeavor. The projects got progressively more complex and in turn were challenging to solve. I feel that I have made a sort of metamorphosis this semester through working in groups and tackling tough problems. I find myself thinking about the user in more of a “big picture” way where cultural and societal factors play a role. I used to think of a solution in terms of my own wants and needs, thinking that if I satisfy myself it should also satisfy others.

I have to admit that this course was not what I expected, but I feel that concepts we have learned about and discussed will be invaluable to me in the future as I concentrate on my own work.

As an artist, one of the most challenging things is to conceptualize a project. The Principles I have learned during the semester and the themes of design that I can apply to this process offer me a good road map for success. The group work has helped me with communicating my ideas, and the projects we have worked on, offer me a way of thinking about how people interact with computers on a day to day basis that I don’t think I was fully aware of before.

I was very impressed with what others had done in the class and the passion each team seemed to bring to their designs.

I want to thank everyone for the part they played in my own HCID metamorphosis.

Beside the 15 point listed in the post, these is another point I am struggling with in the design procedure, mainly in project 4&5. That is when to move forward from one step to the next step. Finally I found move to concept before you really get the deep insight could be misleading and time-wasting. When we moving for naive designer to experience designer, we will know better about when to move on.

I agree with Dasen. Me and we is one of my most struggling part in this semester, especially there is teammates with strong opinion in the team. The procedure of coming out one idea from four minds is struggling, but also of pivotal importance in team collabration. I am glad I am learning this in school, but not waiting until working in industry.

I really appreciate what I have got from this semester, even those frustrations. There is a song I listened a lot in this semester - “travelling light” by Joel Hansen and Sara Groves. I guess we all will get some feeling when listenning to it. I cannot “laid my burdons down” and “lift high” yet, but I believe some day I will.
I just find a short version of it on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hgnsMg4z2I

Lyrics of Trvelling light:

Well I was doubling over the load on my shoulders
Was a weight I carried with me everyday
Crossing miles of frustrations and rivers a raging
Picking up stones I found along the way
I staggered and I stumbled down
Pathways of trouble
I was hauling those souvenirs of misery
And with each step taken my back was breaking
‘Til I found the One who took it all from me

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Through the darkest alleys and loneliest valleys
I was dragging those heavy chains of doubt and fear
Then with the one word spoken the locks were broken
Now He’s leading me to places
Where there are no tears

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Down by the riverside
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

When I started with project 1 this semester, I was almost doing everything by myself because my teammate was sick - but I didn’t get a bad grade out of it. In that time I was feeling OK with all works doing by my own, especially when I was doing project 2 in a 2 people team and had lots of arguments and misunderstandings with my teammate. We could not communicate with each other well, and we argued till the end of the project. Both of us didn’t think we can make it. However, we get an even better grade. Teamwork might be suffered. But we can get a much better result if we stick to each other and go through the whole process together.

In project 4-5, I was assigned to a team all speaking my native language. We totally have no problem with talking to each other. However, it doesn’t mean we won’t have issues of communication. It’s not about languages. It’s about minds. People are different. Different people holds different minds. When working as a team, we need to think about how to defend our mind, and how to compromise to others. Team have to come out with only one idea finally. Everyone has to be on the same boat. So what should we do? How can we make it?
First, we all open up and listen to others.
Second, perform a contrast diagram with different ideas.
Third, team protocol.
Finally, if any team member still holds very stongly with her or his mind, for example this person has A idea. All other members have agree with another B idea. If both are making sense, why can’t we think of a C idea which combines both A and B? That’s also my experience. With C idea. team might be able to move forward.

Well, team collaboration is so complicated that we can never make one solution and fit it all. We will never get away of problems and issues of teams in our journey from naïve designers to experienced designers. I have learnt a lot in this semester. And I will explore more in the near future. Thank you all.

Two (of many) that I have struggled with:
(10) Notebook - Too many (seemingly) good ideas fall through the cracks because I fail to record them. I do feel inspired all the time, so I should be sketching all the time!
(13) Reflective Design - I have not yet developed in terms of “out-of-body” reflection and looking at “how” I am designing.

The one that I am finding really interesting at the moment:
(12) Research and Philosophy - This has been very eye-opening in Jeff’s Interaction Culture class this semester. HCI can be pretty conservative and very rooted in ‘other HCI research’ only. Bringing in theoretical/philosophical perspectives is very important, in my opinion.

This fall for me is when everything started to come together much of it with the help of Erik’s class forcing me to really think about who I am as a designer. My conversations with some of the first year students this year really helped me understand more about who I am as a designer.

I think it is really important for those of you in the MS program before you leave to figure out who you are as a designer and what your design philosophy is. There are a lot of barriers but the largest barrier is not having an open mind to what is going on around you. The classes are just part of the whole experience the rest of it is the people around you.

I have enjoyed working with all of you and know I will see many of you in the spring.

Moving forwards to CHI, the one thing that my project needs to present better is the human-centered approach that we initially had. This was commented upon by one of the mentors during our presentation, and we would really like to work on this before CHI.

Here are what I am suffering most this semester.

Technology-centered vs. human-centered.

I am from Engineering background. Although we considered human-centered before, that is not real human-centered, it is engineers’ mental modal.

User research.

I seldom do any user research before, at that time, we think all we need from user is some guideline of requirements.

From this class, I think I have constructed a great “designer’s mind”, we think and observe things in a quite different way, which is really amazing when I realize that.

Thank you very much for this course, I like it very much!!!!