New York City

New York City Transit-

To be honest I have never really done public transportation except buses to and from Florida State, work and home when I was at college. Now the city brings a whole world of craziness.

First off I walked in not knowing which way to go up the stairs because there were no arrows or signs. Then once I went to buy a ticket I went up to the booth because the booths were not visible when you first walk in. The guy in the booth was rude and couldn't really direct me because he was busy on his phone. So then I called a friend who pointed me to the ticket booths which were around the corner. I then went back to the entrance and had to push through the doors to get in. Once you are at this point the stairs take you down to the platform.

Once you are on the platform there are more visible letters to show you which side the train is on etc. This is a lot better set up than the entrance.

The information written on the signs on the platform are pretty straight forward the only thing I would change is more maps as to where trains go. In most of the trains now they have lit up screens that show which stop you are at which one is next and which one is when the train ends. Oh and they call it a train not the subway in NYC.

There is nothing to engaging when you are in the subway but the actual people that are in them. I saw a bird on a leash on a guys shoulder and a small girl dancing around. This was the only entertainment available. The design needs some minor changes and some of the stations need to renovated. The cohesiveness and unity needs to be updated as well.

Structured Design

Another thing to look at when it comes to when designing something for the internet is to look at structure. The visual structure of something is very important in portraying a certain message.

This website helps for webhosting. The structure of the font in association with the picture makes the website seem simple and to the point. This is a bit calmer visually.

Now this image is structured in a very modern way. The angle in which the photo was shot is also interesting. The image was taken from the ground up which adds more depth to the image and creates a better look at the  structures in the image.

The image below here is of a walkway. This image brings about a techy-feel to it. The structure is modern but portrays something completely different than the image above it. The literal structure is layered and colorful. It captures the eye and brings a little drama to the eye as well.

This image below has a little different structure and brings about a serene sort of get away feeling when you look at it. It's very simple yet clean.

This image has structure but the purpose of the abstract art is to go against structure. This can create feelings of anger, mayhem, or any other. To each person it could be slightly different. The colors help the image however remain positive.

The above images create different feelings and emotions and affect you differently. One may create mayhem, serenity, or have a calming effect on someone. To use structure to your advantage is key when dealing with design.

Designing with a Few Things in Mind

There are a lot of tools used to present information to others.  Audio information design is just one form of information that we perceive. What we hear on a constant basis cannot be all understood at once due to the overload of information. We are constantly in tune with different sounds like the sound your brakes make when they need to be replaced, the sound that a door makes when it is opening or when you hear the sound of water splashing on a hard surface. All of which are subliminal noises that we have learned to perceive and process unconsciously. This auditory information also encompasses things like music, TV, people talking, and even silence. To use these sounds to your advantage you ought to use the sound effects generously almost like a catchy McDonalds commercial or even more memorable a Geico commercial, even the introduction to Law & Order is recognizable. Use it sparingly as to not distract the user from the actual information at hand. Also to ensure the quality and effectiveness one should use test subjects.

There is also another factor to consider like the design of the information. The way the information is designed can impact the influence of the information positively or negatively. Whether it’s politics, religion, etc there are always something that can influence the media like a slogan or an image. One of the oldest ones is the cross which is known throughout the world and stands for different things for different religions but this symbol is influential.

Now visually there are symbols that stand for things that we don’t even realize are being understood. On page 210 in Information Design it describes a “*” as being a “focus, attention, emphasizing”. This is a fairly universal tool. Another example like a line can be used the divide, separate, show a boundary and show direction. There are many different things to keep in mind especially things like space and orientation.  

Image from http://www.rnbhaven.com/ ,
http://jblog-hwayeon.blogspot.com/2011/05/music.html

Human-Centered Design

Human Centered Systems is an approach that "rejects the mechanistic paradigm of technological and social development." (Cooley 64) HCS includes all aspects of scientific methodology doesn't discriminate when it comes to things that are considered fate, subjectivity and tactic knowledge (Cooley 64). This design theory importance is based off of great variety and provides "motivation to reflect and enhance cultural, educational, and even product diversity." (Cooley 65)  This theory reverses the thought that technology will be used more and humans be more passive.  The tools or technology used would help support humans instead of machines doing all the work. In order for this theory to work it  requires the human to  be able to...

1. Absorb new knowledge and transform it

2. Draw conclusions about the unknown from the known

3. Take initiatives

4. Make decisions

5. Work with a team

6. Adopt a systematic, analytical approach

7. Plan independently

8. Take on responsibility

Taken directly from Cooley page 68

This list of skills are not able to be taught but learned in the environment with practice and different exercises. In order for this theory to be successful it has to be these characteristics- coherence, inclusiveness, malleability, engagement, ownership, responsiveness, has purpose, panoramic, and transcendence (Cooley 69-70).  

Information Design. An Introduction

What is Information Design?

Information Design can be a good thing and a lot of times confusing.

Good Information Design-

A pie chart can show simple division, percentages and give the user immediate answers. This is an extremely commonly used to show information.

Bad Information Design-

Now if I lived here I would know where I was going. Since I don’t I would probably be going around in circles.As you can see this is a confusing intersection. Now if there was a north, south, east or west, you might know where you’re supposed to go. Or instead of AV they could have put street or road.

Now this NYC street sign is more than confusing. No standing from 7-10am, 10a-7p no standing except trucks, allowed to park at night? Who really knows? My guess is don’t park here ever.