The criteria Robert Gibbs uses to evaluate “Main Street” is to first visit the place and observe how it is set up. He tells them his views and points out feature by feature how the design actually hurts the town’s businesses. Gibbs compares Clematis Street with a better example in the same area (Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue). Gibbs main points into making “Main Street” into a mall would be:
-Nice floors
-Should follow the malls example in dealing with the public’s fears-Keeping the area clean, having visible police around
-Not to have anything on the street that distracts the costumers from looking at the stores.
-The benches can attract people that make other people uncomfortable to walk by that street.
-Retail planning should begin far from the selling floors.
-”No-left-turn rule”
-Size of windows
-Do not locate store next to restaurants because of certain smells that stick to the clothes.
-Be aware of sunlight direction-stores should be luminous, have enough light to see the merchandise.
I think “Main Street” should be a mall, because they have all the components, but they just need the adjustments that Gibbs suggests to make it look more presentable enough to attract customers. “Main Street” can be one of the outdoorsy malls.
Checklist to judge “Main Street”
-Clean area
-No distractions that may cause customers to not walk by
-Enough light to show the merchandise and attract costumers during daytime and nighttime
-Security
-Make it look a little bit classy enough to attract people with money
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Frayed
Store Analysis
The name of the store is “Frayed.” It is located at the end of Academy Street, across the highway. It is next to “Rice Kitchen” Chinese restaurant and is across the street from Dino’s Café. “Frayed” sells clothes that usually college students would wear, ages 18-25. They sell both men and women clothes. They are mostly known for their “Bang-on Custom T-shirts.” Costumers can pick out any type of t-shirt and choose any design the store has and they can make it for them.
The store has glass windows, so anyone in a car, or anyone walking from far can see what kind of clothes they sell. “Frayed” has mannequins displaying their fall clothing. It helps bring in costumers, because of the designs the clothing has and the combinations of colors. The sign that displays the name of the store is huge and has big font letters. The color of the background is black and the font is white. At the bottom of the name the words “Bang-on Custom T-shirts” is written with a red background and black, white and yellow letters.
On the inside of the store, you can see three big plasma television screens showing music videos; alternative rock and hip-hop music. There are speakers all around the store especially at the entrance so when the costumer walks in, they would hear it and get drawn more into the store. And they wouldn’t leave right away. They would take their time in shopping, because they wouldn’t want to miss the song. The music is perfect for any teenager, it is “hip” music that everyone listens to.
When the costumer walks in, the first thing they see is a table of t-shirts, which makes sense since the store is known for customizing t-shirts. They give examples of the t-shirts that display funny statements, pictures, signs(peace sign) or celebrities. Around the table, there are other tables and racks that display clothing with really nice designs and different colors. On the right of the store, women can get attracted by a section where they have all of the jewelry. On the left of the store, they have the little section where the t-shirts are made. The t-shirts are on racks and behind the counter, the designs are displayed against the wall. There are more designs in three other binders on top of the counter. There are red, fancy, stool chairs around the counter that welcomes the costumer to sit down while they look through the binders. At the back of the store, there are three fitting rooms. The doors are made out of wood, and the handle is a belt cut in half and nailed into the door in a handle shape. On the outside of the fitting rooms, there are two black leather chairs facing the doors with a table in the middle that has magazines for anyone to read while they wait for the person to come out to show off the clothes.
The floors are beige with red orange swerves around the store. It is not very smooth, but it does not really matter much because the costumers would be too distracted by the music videos and the clothes.
There are picture frames displayed young people having fun and wearing the clothes they sell. On some of the tables, there are signs that have little descriptions about the clothes on the table.
The cash register is located up front to the right of the store. The cashier asks the customer for their name to enter them into their system, because they have a raffle for shopping sprees every month. The cash register looks like a bar, it has chairs around it so the customer can sit down while the cashier is ringing up the clothes. On top of the counter, there are more accessories and gift cards.
The image the store projects is any teenager or college student can enjoy shopping at the store because of the music and the clothing is trendy. All the clothes matches with each other, they are set up in a way that anything around it can be combined with another piece of clothing.
When a customer first walks in , they go straight to the table that displays the “Bang-on t-shirts.” Then they are attracted to everything else around. I think it is hard for a customer to choose what they want because there is so much the store offers, that it is hard to choose only one or two things, or what the customer came into the store for.
I found the store “Frayed” very interesting, because many of the students at Kalamazoo College have the style of clothing that the store has. The way it is displayed is understandable but it is one of those stores that the wallet carriers wouldn’t want to walk into.
The name of the store is “Frayed.” It is located at the end of Academy Street, across the highway. It is next to “Rice Kitchen” Chinese restaurant and is across the street from Dino’s Café. “Frayed” sells clothes that usually college students would wear, ages 18-25. They sell both men and women clothes. They are mostly known for their “Bang-on Custom T-shirts.” Costumers can pick out any type of t-shirt and choose any design the store has and they can make it for them.
The store has glass windows, so anyone in a car, or anyone walking from far can see what kind of clothes they sell. “Frayed” has mannequins displaying their fall clothing. It helps bring in costumers, because of the designs the clothing has and the combinations of colors. The sign that displays the name of the store is huge and has big font letters. The color of the background is black and the font is white. At the bottom of the name the words “Bang-on Custom T-shirts” is written with a red background and black, white and yellow letters.
On the inside of the store, you can see three big plasma television screens showing music videos; alternative rock and hip-hop music. There are speakers all around the store especially at the entrance so when the costumer walks in, they would hear it and get drawn more into the store. And they wouldn’t leave right away. They would take their time in shopping, because they wouldn’t want to miss the song. The music is perfect for any teenager, it is “hip” music that everyone listens to.
When the costumer walks in, the first thing they see is a table of t-shirts, which makes sense since the store is known for customizing t-shirts. They give examples of the t-shirts that display funny statements, pictures, signs(peace sign) or celebrities. Around the table, there are other tables and racks that display clothing with really nice designs and different colors. On the right of the store, women can get attracted by a section where they have all of the jewelry. On the left of the store, they have the little section where the t-shirts are made. The t-shirts are on racks and behind the counter, the designs are displayed against the wall. There are more designs in three other binders on top of the counter. There are red, fancy, stool chairs around the counter that welcomes the costumer to sit down while they look through the binders. At the back of the store, there are three fitting rooms. The doors are made out of wood, and the handle is a belt cut in half and nailed into the door in a handle shape. On the outside of the fitting rooms, there are two black leather chairs facing the doors with a table in the middle that has magazines for anyone to read while they wait for the person to come out to show off the clothes.
The floors are beige with red orange swerves around the store. It is not very smooth, but it does not really matter much because the costumers would be too distracted by the music videos and the clothes.
There are picture frames displayed young people having fun and wearing the clothes they sell. On some of the tables, there are signs that have little descriptions about the clothes on the table.
The cash register is located up front to the right of the store. The cashier asks the customer for their name to enter them into their system, because they have a raffle for shopping sprees every month. The cash register looks like a bar, it has chairs around it so the customer can sit down while the cashier is ringing up the clothes. On top of the counter, there are more accessories and gift cards.
The image the store projects is any teenager or college student can enjoy shopping at the store because of the music and the clothing is trendy. All the clothes matches with each other, they are set up in a way that anything around it can be combined with another piece of clothing.
When a customer first walks in , they go straight to the table that displays the “Bang-on t-shirts.” Then they are attracted to everything else around. I think it is hard for a customer to choose what they want because there is so much the store offers, that it is hard to choose only one or two things, or what the customer came into the store for.
I found the store “Frayed” very interesting, because many of the students at Kalamazoo College have the style of clothing that the store has. The way it is displayed is understandable but it is one of those stores that the wallet carriers wouldn’t want to walk into.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Science of Shopping
The most important points that were mentioned in the article were when a shopper is in a store, they want to have the option of choosing what they want, buy it and get out. And they want to see everything laid out for them so it is easy for them to choose. The shopper also has to see the designer’s point of view and understand what they are trying to say based on their clothing and how they it laid out throughout the store.
A lot of tips are also given to people who plan to open a business. The person has to be aware of where their store is located, how is it presented on the outside and on the inside. They have to make sure that they make the shopper feel comfortable in their store and make sure that they are providing most of the shoppers with what they want.
I personally go for what I am shopping for. If I go shopping for fall clothes, I go into the stores that have it displayed at the front of the store. Sometimes, I go in when I’ve been to the store before, and know how the store is laid out. For example, H&M is known for having one of the best fall clothes at a good price, so I always aim for that store. But others that are unrecognizable have to have it displayed outside their windows. If I am not shopping for anything in particular, I go into every store possible, because you never know what you can find. I always find something that I really like in a store that I never walked into, and the store ends up being one of the “it” stores on my list.
I like it when the stores put compliments together with things that I might need with a product. In the article they gave an example about shoppers buying a pair of jeans and then getting a belt to go along with it. And also women trying on clothes sometimes would try on accessories that are right next to the fitting room. I like it when they do this, because it makes it easier for me than to go around the store just to look for it. Even though I go around the entire store anyways, I would like to be lazy and have the compliments at the moment I need them.
Checklist:
-Where the store is located
-How is it presented on the outside
-name of the store
-colors
-clothing on display
-What type of clothing is placed on the front
-is it drawing shoppers more into the store
-what type of clothing is at the back of the store
-Are the shoppers having a hard time choosing what they want
-What kind of shoppers are going into the store
A lot of tips are also given to people who plan to open a business. The person has to be aware of where their store is located, how is it presented on the outside and on the inside. They have to make sure that they make the shopper feel comfortable in their store and make sure that they are providing most of the shoppers with what they want.
I personally go for what I am shopping for. If I go shopping for fall clothes, I go into the stores that have it displayed at the front of the store. Sometimes, I go in when I’ve been to the store before, and know how the store is laid out. For example, H&M is known for having one of the best fall clothes at a good price, so I always aim for that store. But others that are unrecognizable have to have it displayed outside their windows. If I am not shopping for anything in particular, I go into every store possible, because you never know what you can find. I always find something that I really like in a store that I never walked into, and the store ends up being one of the “it” stores on my list.
I like it when the stores put compliments together with things that I might need with a product. In the article they gave an example about shoppers buying a pair of jeans and then getting a belt to go along with it. And also women trying on clothes sometimes would try on accessories that are right next to the fitting room. I like it when they do this, because it makes it easier for me than to go around the store just to look for it. Even though I go around the entire store anyways, I would like to be lazy and have the compliments at the moment I need them.
Checklist:
-Where the store is located
-How is it presented on the outside
-name of the store
-colors
-clothing on display
-What type of clothing is placed on the front
-is it drawing shoppers more into the store
-what type of clothing is at the back of the store
-Are the shoppers having a hard time choosing what they want
-What kind of shoppers are going into the store
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Isn't It Ironic?/Powerful Packaging Design
Packaging is important, because it is the visceral design of the product. It is what catches the attention of a buyer. It is also what helps the buyer recognize the product, because of its unique appearance. Packaging is also important for the brand manager of a company. They would want the product to stand out from other products that are the same. For example, there are many different ketchup companies, so it is important to be different and stand out from those other companies.
Packaging is not really important for me unless if it is really pretty or pink and that would look good if I want to put in my dresser, or a place that is very visible and can catch the person’s attention when they come into the room. Tiffany & Company might be something I would want to have in my dresser. Tiffany & Company has a very simple visceral design. Their packaging is always the same baby blue color that has the name of the brand on the bag. The box where the jewelry is in, is the same color as the bag. The name of the brand is displayed in the jewelry also.
Tiffany & Company is a very famous jewelry store. Anyone walking around with a small blue bag would know that it’s from Tiffany’s.
Hellman’s Mayonnaise has an iconic packaging. It went through the same thing with the Heinz Ketchup. It has been a great product for many years. The packaging is in a clear plastic container that has a unique, round cylinder shape with a blue cap. It also comes in squeezable bottles, which is easier and faster for the person to make a sandwich. The label is yellow and blue and the name “Hellman‘s” is in capital letters. The product itself is recognizable and it is the only mayonnaise I get, because it tastes better than the others.
A product that has made it hard for me to use because of its packaging is a box of Christmas lights. They come in a box, but after it is taken out of the box, they are wrapped around a plastic thing that makes it hard to take it out because the lights interfere with the plastic thing. Others are just wrapped around and the lights stick to each other, and it’s hard to be careful to not rip them apart from each other, which would cause them to break. Once it does break, the lights are useless, so because of packaging, you can’t use to product.
Packaging is not really important for me unless if it is really pretty or pink and that would look good if I want to put in my dresser, or a place that is very visible and can catch the person’s attention when they come into the room. Tiffany & Company might be something I would want to have in my dresser. Tiffany & Company has a very simple visceral design. Their packaging is always the same baby blue color that has the name of the brand on the bag. The box where the jewelry is in, is the same color as the bag. The name of the brand is displayed in the jewelry also.
Tiffany & Company is a very famous jewelry store. Anyone walking around with a small blue bag would know that it’s from Tiffany’s.
Hellman’s Mayonnaise has an iconic packaging. It went through the same thing with the Heinz Ketchup. It has been a great product for many years. The packaging is in a clear plastic container that has a unique, round cylinder shape with a blue cap. It also comes in squeezable bottles, which is easier and faster for the person to make a sandwich. The label is yellow and blue and the name “Hellman‘s” is in capital letters. The product itself is recognizable and it is the only mayonnaise I get, because it tastes better than the others.
A product that has made it hard for me to use because of its packaging is a box of Christmas lights. They come in a box, but after it is taken out of the box, they are wrapped around a plastic thing that makes it hard to take it out because the lights interfere with the plastic thing. Others are just wrapped around and the lights stick to each other, and it’s hard to be careful to not rip them apart from each other, which would cause them to break. Once it does break, the lights are useless, so because of packaging, you can’t use to product.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Biggest Mistakes in Web Design
This article explains that websites are suppose to be a behavioral design, because people only use websites to get what they need quickly. Websites should also be a visceral design, because the page has to look very easy to use, and make sure that it would have the information that the majority of the people who go into it are looking for. It cannot have too much information, but just the most important things.
I think that the most important points in this article was making a website that any person would want to use with ease, and no interruptions with advertisements or other offers that were never asked for.
List of important design factors for a webpage
1. Whatever I need from the website, I need it to be right in my face
2. No obstacles to getting where I want to be
3. It has to be easy to go back to it so I would remember how I got there
I think that the most important points in this article was making a website that any person would want to use with ease, and no interruptions with advertisements or other offers that were never asked for.
List of important design factors for a webpage
1. Whatever I need from the website, I need it to be right in my face
2. No obstacles to getting where I want to be
3. It has to be easy to go back to it so I would remember how I got there
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Know It All
Stacy Schiff’s main point in the article “Know It All” was how “Nupedia” became “Wikipedia”, its achievement, and people’s views about it. Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia said he is on a mission to distribute a free encyclopedia to every single person on the planet in their own language. So anyone who has Internet can create a Wikipedia entry or edit one that already exists. Some people take this to their advantage and change things. For example, senators from House Representatives are now banned from visiting Wikipedia, because many of them tried changing facts about them and what they do. Others also tried making false statements and insulting certain people like the president. Actions were taken to stop abuse and vandalism.
“Even Eric Raymond, the open-source pioneer whose work inspired Wales, argues that “ ‘disaster’ is not too strong a word” for Wikipedia. In his view, the site is “infested with moonbats.” (Think hobgoblins of little minds, varsity division.) He has found his corrections to entries on science fiction dismantled by users who evidently felt that he was trespassing on their terrain. “The more you look at what some of the Wikipedia contributors have done, the better Britannica looks,” Raymond said. He believes that the open-source model is simply inapplicable to an encyclopedia. For software, there is an objective standard: either it works or it doesn’t. There is no such test for truth.”
I think that this passage gives a good insight on how people write inappropriate things that make Wikipedia seem unprofessional, and makes Britannica a better encyclopedia. Schiff said that some entries look like they were written by a seventh grader, and people don’t really want to rely on information from Wikipedia. So Wales, idea of letting anyone create an entry in Wikipedia was not a good idea, but the idea of having rules and a mediation committee to block certain people and be aware of editing any entries that have misspelled words or bad grammar, is a good idea to make the Wikipedia more presentable and have people want to use it instead of Britannica.
Britannica gives pictures, advertisement, and it gives options of shopping browsing, blogs, and log in place. Wikipedia’s homepage has no pictures or advertisements. It gives the user a choice of languages any user would want when they look up information. And then it just has a search bar at the bottom. Once you enter what information you need, then it pops up in paragraphs. In Britannica, when you enter a topic, they give you many choices that has to do with what you entered, but it might not be exactly what you are looking for. For example: I typed in Frelon Dance and it just gave me every type of dance except frelon. When I typed it into Wikipedia, it gave me no entries, but it gave suggestions. It gave me the link about Kalamazoo College and what they offer. Britannica also gives very little information about any topic you ask for. Wikipedia expands and tells you everything you need to know.
“Even Eric Raymond, the open-source pioneer whose work inspired Wales, argues that “ ‘disaster’ is not too strong a word” for Wikipedia. In his view, the site is “infested with moonbats.” (Think hobgoblins of little minds, varsity division.) He has found his corrections to entries on science fiction dismantled by users who evidently felt that he was trespassing on their terrain. “The more you look at what some of the Wikipedia contributors have done, the better Britannica looks,” Raymond said. He believes that the open-source model is simply inapplicable to an encyclopedia. For software, there is an objective standard: either it works or it doesn’t. There is no such test for truth.”
I think that this passage gives a good insight on how people write inappropriate things that make Wikipedia seem unprofessional, and makes Britannica a better encyclopedia. Schiff said that some entries look like they were written by a seventh grader, and people don’t really want to rely on information from Wikipedia. So Wales, idea of letting anyone create an entry in Wikipedia was not a good idea, but the idea of having rules and a mediation committee to block certain people and be aware of editing any entries that have misspelled words or bad grammar, is a good idea to make the Wikipedia more presentable and have people want to use it instead of Britannica.
Britannica gives pictures, advertisement, and it gives options of shopping browsing, blogs, and log in place. Wikipedia’s homepage has no pictures or advertisements. It gives the user a choice of languages any user would want when they look up information. And then it just has a search bar at the bottom. Once you enter what information you need, then it pops up in paragraphs. In Britannica, when you enter a topic, they give you many choices that has to do with what you entered, but it might not be exactly what you are looking for. For example: I typed in Frelon Dance and it just gave me every type of dance except frelon. When I typed it into Wikipedia, it gave me no entries, but it gave suggestions. It gave me the link about Kalamazoo College and what they offer. Britannica also gives very little information about any topic you ask for. Wikipedia expands and tells you everything you need to know.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Simplicity v.s Complexity 2
Simplicity contributes to visceral design, because designs that look simple can attract a person by how many buttons it has. That automatically tells a person how the design would behave with them. If the design has only two buttons, the person will know that it can only do a few things, which might be exactly what the person is looking for in a product. Simplicity also contributes to reflective design, because anyone who is seen with a product that looks simple to use can say that that person is a simple person who doesn’t like things that are extravagant.
Complexity contributes to visceral design by a person that likes to have products that have many functions and buttons would like the product just by the way it looks. It can contribute to behavioral design, because if it has a lot of buttons, then it has a lot of functions, which is what the person wants. Reflective design contributes with complexity, because people seen with complex products are seen as complex people, or people who are in business and are too busy to have many products that have only one function. It is better for them to have an “all-in-one” product.
“Complex products are only good when that is what the user is looking for. Most of the time they are inappropriate and frustrating for the user. Some users my take pride in the fact that their product is complicated and they are still able to operate it. I think the majority of the time simplicity is the way to go. It is easy to understand and operate. It is especially important when the product does crucial functions that need to be easily understood.”-Keenan
This passage makes a good point about how it depends on the person to want a product to be complex or simple. It explains why is it that people choose one over the other, which makes their decision based on visceral, behavioral or reflective design.
“People often buy stuff just for looks or something cool that it can do instead of other important features. I think that complexity is not always the best thing, but it seems like everything is becoming more complex in today's society.”-Evan
I think that Evan is right about products that are complex is what everybody wants these days. Just to have something that has so many functions even though they are not going to get used, it is still good to have it there in case if one day the person decides to use it.
Complexity contributes to visceral design by a person that likes to have products that have many functions and buttons would like the product just by the way it looks. It can contribute to behavioral design, because if it has a lot of buttons, then it has a lot of functions, which is what the person wants. Reflective design contributes with complexity, because people seen with complex products are seen as complex people, or people who are in business and are too busy to have many products that have only one function. It is better for them to have an “all-in-one” product.
“Complex products are only good when that is what the user is looking for. Most of the time they are inappropriate and frustrating for the user. Some users my take pride in the fact that their product is complicated and they are still able to operate it. I think the majority of the time simplicity is the way to go. It is easy to understand and operate. It is especially important when the product does crucial functions that need to be easily understood.”-Keenan
This passage makes a good point about how it depends on the person to want a product to be complex or simple. It explains why is it that people choose one over the other, which makes their decision based on visceral, behavioral or reflective design.
“People often buy stuff just for looks or something cool that it can do instead of other important features. I think that complexity is not always the best thing, but it seems like everything is becoming more complex in today's society.”-Evan
I think that Evan is right about products that are complex is what everybody wants these days. Just to have something that has so many functions even though they are not going to get used, it is still good to have it there in case if one day the person decides to use it.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Complexity v.s Simplicity
The iPhone looks complicated, because of all the functions, but I still wanted to get it, because it has a really cool touch screen and looks pretty and slim. But in order to understand it, I would have to sit there and play with it and try out its many functions. It would take at least 1 hour or 2 to completely know everything about it well enough to remember what I have done.
Board games should be easy to play and be fun play. Some of the board games I own at home are: Pictionary and the Cranium game. They were not easy to understand. Even though they came with instructions, they had so many steps to win the game. It made it hard for me to want to play it, which is not what is suppose to happen. But the fact that the games looked so interesting or because of the fact that the “package” looked interesting, I went ahead and bought it to try it out.
Video games, especially the Xbox 360 are hard to use also. If you don’t have experience, or a person who is not a video game fanatic, it will be hard to use an Xbox 360. The games are confusing to play. Just the simple fact of turning it on and off is confusing. I only bought it, because all of the people I knew that had them, said that it was so cool to play, and the games were so fun. But I never knew it would be so hard to understand how to use the Nintendo.
Electronics, especially computers, have about over one hundred uses and you need to have a little bit of experience before you use them. I remember my first time using a computer. I had to type an essay and I didn’t know how to get to the Microsoft word. I didn’t know anything about having to type the letters, the use of a space bar, backspace, capitalizing letters, and using symbols and punctuations. My friend had to sit with me and tell me what to do. But, because they are so useful and necessary, it is understandable for them to be complex.
Simplicity has to be found in products that are used everyday, many times during a day. Like utensils, coffee and tea makers, and microwaves. Some electronics: television, DVD players, laptops, have to be easy to use also. Even though you won’t use them every single day, they still need to be simple enough to remember how to use it.
“One product that I found appealing due to its complexity would be the Sidekick LX, when it was first introduced to the world. The flipping of the screen always intrigued me, especially after seeing my friends using it during high school. When I first used it, the visibility for the flip was confusing. The screen seems like it can be flipped both ways, but there are hinges on the left side, so it can only flip to the right. Also, the buttons on the sides are not labeled, which made the process even more complicated. After I figured out how to work it though, I decided that I did not need one, because I could find a phone that is less complicated, but with more features. Hence, me and the Blackberry Curve have finally united.”- Dion
I agree with Dion’s point about the complexity of a Sidekick LX, because when I first got my Sidekick LX, I had no idea how to use it. All I knew about it was that the screen can flip, and I knew the direction the screen was suppose to flip, because both of my sisters had the old version sidekicks. The buttons on the side are confusing, because, as Dion said, they are not labeled. But when you press the button you will see what pops up on the screen and you can automatically see what it is for. The Sidekick LX has many functions, but you can work those functions by using the eight buttons that it has on the outside, and then by using the keyboard that is shown after the screen if flipped. It is not so difficult to use after you get the hang of it, but if a person has no knowledge of a Sidekick, they will probably not know what to do with it.
Board games should be easy to play and be fun play. Some of the board games I own at home are: Pictionary and the Cranium game. They were not easy to understand. Even though they came with instructions, they had so many steps to win the game. It made it hard for me to want to play it, which is not what is suppose to happen. But the fact that the games looked so interesting or because of the fact that the “package” looked interesting, I went ahead and bought it to try it out.
Video games, especially the Xbox 360 are hard to use also. If you don’t have experience, or a person who is not a video game fanatic, it will be hard to use an Xbox 360. The games are confusing to play. Just the simple fact of turning it on and off is confusing. I only bought it, because all of the people I knew that had them, said that it was so cool to play, and the games were so fun. But I never knew it would be so hard to understand how to use the Nintendo.
Electronics, especially computers, have about over one hundred uses and you need to have a little bit of experience before you use them. I remember my first time using a computer. I had to type an essay and I didn’t know how to get to the Microsoft word. I didn’t know anything about having to type the letters, the use of a space bar, backspace, capitalizing letters, and using symbols and punctuations. My friend had to sit with me and tell me what to do. But, because they are so useful and necessary, it is understandable for them to be complex.
Simplicity has to be found in products that are used everyday, many times during a day. Like utensils, coffee and tea makers, and microwaves. Some electronics: television, DVD players, laptops, have to be easy to use also. Even though you won’t use them every single day, they still need to be simple enough to remember how to use it.
“One product that I found appealing due to its complexity would be the Sidekick LX, when it was first introduced to the world. The flipping of the screen always intrigued me, especially after seeing my friends using it during high school. When I first used it, the visibility for the flip was confusing. The screen seems like it can be flipped both ways, but there are hinges on the left side, so it can only flip to the right. Also, the buttons on the sides are not labeled, which made the process even more complicated. After I figured out how to work it though, I decided that I did not need one, because I could find a phone that is less complicated, but with more features. Hence, me and the Blackberry Curve have finally united.”- Dion
I agree with Dion’s point about the complexity of a Sidekick LX, because when I first got my Sidekick LX, I had no idea how to use it. All I knew about it was that the screen can flip, and I knew the direction the screen was suppose to flip, because both of my sisters had the old version sidekicks. The buttons on the side are confusing, because, as Dion said, they are not labeled. But when you press the button you will see what pops up on the screen and you can automatically see what it is for. The Sidekick LX has many functions, but you can work those functions by using the eight buttons that it has on the outside, and then by using the keyboard that is shown after the screen if flipped. It is not so difficult to use after you get the hang of it, but if a person has no knowledge of a Sidekick, they will probably not know what to do with it.
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