Main Street versus Shopping Mall

Robert Gibbs uses many things to evaluate a "Main Street". Those include:

• the placement and color of the trash cans, benches.
• how clean the area is
• the material for the pavement
• how secure the area is
• placement of specific retailers
  
• the type of retailers
• The left turn rule

I do not believe that Main Street should be a mall, for the fact that consumers would not have as many options in terms of environments to shop in. While shopping in a mall, customers have a different mindset than when shopping on the Main Street. Also, the whole point of the Main Street is to attract tourism and to make people want to walk all around the city, and if the Main Street would be made into a mall, it would take away from it.

For my own checklist, I would include cleanliness, type of retailers and security as the main points for a successful main street. Consumers must feel safe around where they shop, so they would be comfortable to spend large sums of money. Also, there should be a variation of type in terms of retail, so that there is a competition between many stores.

Retail Analysis

The store that I chose was an old favorite, Michael's, the Arts and Craft store. The store is located on South Westnedge Ave. The store markets to all ages, just anyone in need of art and craft supplies. Outside of the store, the set-up is similar to most department store. The store has one level, but is stretched wide. The store itself contains two long glass mirrors, separated by the automatic doors. The top of the store contains the classic red-lettered Michaels sign. Inside of the store, there was "elevator" music, which was played at a decent level. It was low enough not to annoy someone who was not interested in the genre, but loud enough to notice. There was not many people inside of the store, so there was not much customer-employee interaction. Since it is the fall season, the store is decorated in the front with last minute sale Halloween crafts. Each aisle is equipped with a long wide shelf, about 7 ft high, where the shelves are separated by sections. The floor is tiled with black lines. The crayons and paint are in the front of the story, the knitting materials are in the back. As for the sign, there were not as many signs there, only for the front and for the special items in the store. The cashier area is just four registers, right across from the exit, making it an easy trip for the customer.

Michaels the store is trying to portray the image of all-inclusive in terms of arts and crafts. The store has items for every art project of every kind. It gives that sense, due to the massive space the store takes up on the block. The store did not have many customers there, but the ones that were, they seemed to know what they wanted. Myself on the other hand, was lost in the store. I had the simple task of trying to find the fabric paint, which took about two minutes, since I had to walk around the whole store to see everything. The fabric paint aisle was separated by brand, color, style, and size. Along with the paints, there were the t-shirts on the side and press on letters for making clothing.

The thing that made Michaels so interesting would be the huge red sign on top, where you could recognize it from a mile away. My friend and I were driving around, and we saw Michaels down the road and dedicated to stop in. She is a knitter, so she needed to get her materials. Also, employees are so friendly in Michaels. I would probably be bored out of my mind in there, but they make it seem fun.

American Shoppers Don't Pay Attention

The most important point from this article would be that some designers and marketing directors actually keep the consumers in mind. In class, the earlier discussions of product design usually contained the question of "Why don't the marketing directors and the manufacturers ever include the opinion of normal people?". This article proves that someone has been "taking notes". The interesting about this article would be the Decompression Zone. From experience with working in retail, it has been shown that customers do not pay attention to what is near the entrance. As a customer myself, I usually walk into stores, and turn to the right to see what is on the wall, and then walk around store to see if there is anything I like. Also, the "butt-brush" is an interesting topic to examine as a whole.

As a consumer I think I am highly influenced by a store's design. If a store has interesting window displays, I would be more likely to go inside of that store just to look around. This would include updating clothing and shoes or other products that the store sells. The environment of the store is important too. For example, music is a factor in whether customers stay in the store or not. If a store is playing country music at loud volumes, I will probably not go inside of it. The workers also attract customers in, due to their outer appearance.

Things that a store would need to qualify as attractive would be a compelling window displays, attractive and/or outgoing employees, decent music, a collection of products in relation to the space available in the store, fashionable mannequins, and prices relative to the quality of the product.

Advertisement: Clever Wordplay and Bright Colors

After reading both articles, I have come to the conclusion that packaging in marketing is very important. Without the marketing, consumers would not know which functions of the product should be highlighted, nor the advantages of using the product. For example, the marketing of the Apple iPhone was and still is brilliant in its composition. The commercials are simple, only having the white background, the Caucasian hand, and a magnified perspective of the iPhone. The narrator describes the convenience of having the iPhone as a mini computer on the road and the ease of use for the applications on the phone. Also, the narrator describes the new 3G network with only mentioning of the faster speed. This is the idea of marketing to all consumer groups. The marketing idea brings me back to Norman's Emotional Design, to the discussion about the water bottle. The example of packaging techniques would be Fiji water. The bottle itself is a clear wide cylinder type, which is different from most water bottles. Then, the designers put graphics of flowers on the bottle, making the water seem more "natural". After the packaging is finished, the water costs around $2.50, which brings in the idea of "If its costs more, it must be special".

Other products that have iconic packaging would be Degree deodorants and its separation between scents and genders. The Degree for Men bottles are simple in terms of design, with a grey, or the classic blue-green containers and "manly" scents. The design for the Degree for Women bottles are similar, making the container more slim with a mint green color, with sweet smelling scents. Also, the Vitamin Water bottles has an iconic packaging. The label is manufactured as the same color as the drink, which brings a visceral aspect to it. For example, one might see the Kiwi flavor and like the color pink, and buy the drink just for that color.

Some issues with packaging that exist are packaging that do not cater to the product. For example, heavy products with large boxes that do not have strong handles on the box. It is very annoying to have to carry heavy boxes with both arms, having them slip out of your hands due to inadequate grips. The ones that do have grips, they are made out of cardboard, which is definitely not the most dependable material in terms of lifting.

Biggest Mistakes

The reading relates to user-focused design in many ways. The first principle that Flanders spoke of is that the reader does not care about the author or the process of making the website. The user only cares about how the website can help him/her. This involves gaining information, donating, searching for entertainment, or to be apart of a community. This is what Norman wrote about in his book "The Design of Everyday Things". The product should be user-friendly and user-focused, or else the goal will be missed. The topic of user-friendly also connects to the Emotional Design, where Norman speaks of behavioral design, where function is key. Visibility is important in terms of physical design, and it is also important in terms of website designs. Another key point brought up in Flanders article was the "heroin content" on a website. The same thing goes for the products. If companies figure out how to constantly update functions, they will create a heroin effect, similar to iPods.

The most important points have been mentioned already somewhat. The fact that users don't care about how much work goes into the website, nor the creator of the website is indeed factual. The heroin effect is also important because I deal with that everyday. There is a certain website where I get all my fashion and entertainment information from a certain website and I check it everyday to see updates. Also, the excess use of flash animation is very annoying, so using it in moderation is important.

My list would have to entail knowing that the user comes first and making sure that they can interact with the site and leave feedback. The most successful sites on the web allow the users to comment on the design or contact the user. Also, the constant updating of information will cause the users to always come back to see what is new. Using flash animation in moderate use is important. Another important feature is making the website compatible with all web browsers, because from personal experience, when a website is not compatible with my particular browser, I just forget about it. Lastly, the use of navigational links are important. They will make or break a website.

Topic Change... Somewhat

Chuck, I just wanted to inform you, that I am broadening my topic from just HYPE to the whole Service Learning section in Kalamazoo College. There is no mention of any of the programs on the Wikipedia, and it would be easier to write 4-8 pages about several program than just to focus on one specific program that was just recently implemented in the school.
HYPE -----> SERVICE LEARNING at Kalamazoo College

Wikipedia, I Will Defeat You

The author, Stacy Schiff, touched on many points in this article. The first was to introduce the phenomenon of Wikipedia and the comparison of it to its predecessors. Wikipedia was created in 2001, and in those seven years, it has taken over the online encyclopedia field by force. Its main appeal is the process of becoming all-inclusive in terms of articles, allowing online readers to edit articles and a "checks and balances" style of reviewing amendments to each article. [A side note, Wikipedia has an article about Wikipedia on the website]. As many users have found out and love about Wikipedia is that they have articles about everything, which is an advantage that it has over Britannica. The next point is how Wikipedia includes diversity in its makeup, due to the inclusion of articles written in over two hundred different languages. Next the articles speaks of how far back encyclopedias date back, which is over two thousand years ago. The next part of the article describes Jimmy Wale's education and the process he underwent in order to become involved with the project. The rest continues to talk about the concept of Wikipedia.

"Wales’s most radical contribution may be not to have made information free but—in his own alma-matricidal way—to have invented a system that does not favor the Ph.D. over the well-read fifteen-year-old. “To me, the key thing is getting it right,” Wales has said of Wikipedia’s contributors. “I don’t care if they’re a high-school kid or a Harvard professor.” At the beginning, there were no formal rules, though Sanger eventually posted a set of guidelines on the site. The first was “Ignore all the rules.” Two of the others have become central tenets: articles must reflect a neutral point of view (N.P.O.V., in Wikipedia lingo), and their content must be both verifiable and previously published. Among other things, the prohibition against original research heads off a great deal of material about people’s pets". This passage is effective, at least in my opinion, because of the distinction of how easy it is to post on Wikipedia. The comparison of a high school kid versus a Harvard professor shows the wide range of knowledge that contributes to the website, as well its encouragement for users to create, no matter their brain capacity. Also, the neutral point of view is an important aspect of Wikipedia articles, because it is not a forum, it is an online encyclopedia of facts and information.

The design of Wikipedia depends on simplicity, showcasing its ease of use and compatibility to users of all ages. The background consists of white space, with the Wikipedia symbol in the top left hand corner. The articles are separated into sections, with separate links, allowing the reader to skim through the page and find the specific facts that he or she needs. Britannica is similar, but contains more things in terms of the background. It contains a navy blue background, links that overlap on the top of the page. Another noticable different would be the advertisement on the top of the Britannica homepage. Also, Wikipedia is written in the wiki software tool, while Britannica uses javascript.

Post-Presentation

The concept of simplicity and complexity contributes to the three levels of design in various ways. They are linked directly to the way a consumer views the product. A product may be naturally attractive to someone on the terms of how simple or how complex it is. For example, if a child was to see a white ball and then see a multi-colored ball, the child, nine times out of ten will go for the multi-colored ball due to the variety of colors. His/her mind is drawn to the complexity. Behavioral Design works the same way. The simplicity of a product may draw in an elderly, less experienced user, while it may turn away a younger, more experienced consumer. It is vice versa for complexity. For example, today's generation is all about cell phones. When they came out, they were only used to make calls and maybe text message. As the years advanced, so did the technology. Now, users are able to make phone calls, send text/picture messages, watch mobile television, play video games, browse the internet, record videos, hold walkie-talkie conversations, etc; Those new and complex functions are necessities to some, while more confusion for others. Reflective is basically the combination of those two. Consumers may feel superior, or want others to view as high classed with certain products. The class touched upon the topic in the discussion about fabric quality, where Gucci t-shirts are horrible in design, but costs $150 due to the prestige. In comparison, some people might prefer Hanes t-shirts because they are of better texture and cheaper cost. To sum it up, complexity and simplicity control the three levels of design.

"This article illustrates many elements of design including ease of use. There had been other MP3 players made but most of them were difficult to navigate through many of the songs. The iPod had as few buttons as possible to assist with ease of use as well. The actually style of the iPod is very aesthetically pleasing with its clean and crisp appearance. The iPod was also made somewhat affordable with pieces used to make it being relatively inexpensive. The shape was very carefully thought out making sure it would fit in a pocket and was relatively lightweight. The iPod showed the element of innovation by making a product that filled a new niche. The element of durability was also tested with a drop test. " - Liz

"At the risk of sounding obsessed, the one product that stands out to me for all of these design categories is Apple's iPod. On a Visceral level, the iPod is essentially, pretty. It looks and feels nice, and it' s something that feels nice and is visually appealing. On a Behavioral level, the iPod does everything it says it will and more. It functions exceptionally well, and meets the needs of a handheld music and entertainment device. Lastly, on a Reflective level, there are few products that match the iPod. Few products have had such a cultural impact. It promotes a good self-image and it sends a positive message about the owner. " - Hannah

I took those two posts from Liz and Hannah in order to prove that simplicity and complexity both control the three levels of design. The iPod is the perfect example of the paradox. The design of the iPod is simple which draws in the older crowd. Behaviorally, the iPod has few buttons, but the buttons allow more features on the iPod itself. With the click on the menu button or the button in the middle of wheel, a longer list of options appear on drop-down menus. On a reflective level, the iPod was made out to be the social norm, meaning if you did not have one, you were not as cool as if you did.

Proposal

My topic for the Wikipedia article would be the HYPE program that is associated with Kalamazoo College. The relationship between college and prison is always interesting. Wikipedia does not have any information, but I do not know if I can find that much.

Simplicity is... Bliss?

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.

Complexity is justified when the innovative technology becomes comfortable. Drawing back to "Hannah's" interpretation of the correlation between innovation and obselence, once a product becomes the "norm", designers must strive to create something new, something that has not been d0ne before. This is when most designers try to introduce more complex set-ups while keeping easy interfaces. Norman's answer to the question of simplicity is sufficient enough for the rest of this blog, but I guess I will add more."Make it simple and people won’t buy. Given a choice, they will take the item that does more. Features win over simplicity, even when people realize that it is accompanied by more complexity. You do it too, I bet. Haven’t you ever compared two products side by side, comparing the features of each, preferring the one that did more? Why shame on you, you are behaving, well, behaving like a normal person."
Simplicity is only important in terms of use. If you bring a cellular phone without any features, no one will buy. Nowadays, a camera, music player, and internet is standard for any phone. The complexity is needed, but the ease of use is highly appreciated.

"I had a very hard time using a microwave once. It had a plethora of buttons; however I couldn’t find one that simply let you heat something for a designated time. This shows a lack of adequate visibility of a basic button. Instead of the button being located somewhere which made sense or being clearly labeled it was hidden amongst many specialty buttons. This arises from mapping errors as discussed by Norman. If the most used button was mapped in an obvious or central location, it would be easier to identify" - Liz

I found this passage interesting for two reasons. For one, I haven't heard or seen the word plethora used ever since I left New York[that is a good thing]. The second reason would be that I could relate to this situation. My microwave at home has so many buttons, but it is confusing to use. Older models of the microwaves just used the numbers 0-9 and a start button, maybe adding in a time set button here and there. Now, there are only 10 secs, 1 min, 10 min, and 1 hour buttons, along with popcorn, frozen dinner, and other ones. There are so many problems with this set up. First, why would you ever need to put something in the microwave for an hour? Secondly, the specialty buttons that Liz mentioned do not work correctly. The popcorn button puts microwave popcorn under radiation for 2:30 min. By the time it comes out, all of the kernels are burnt. Also, new microwaves introduced the "power levels". I remembered Jeff tried to bring this up in one of the conversations, but no one listened to him. The power levels bring even more confusion to one of the simplest machine created. The main selling point of a microwave was rapid cook time, but if it takes two hours to figure out the set up, it becomes a waste of time.