Q What from the audio ‘Ten Faces of Innovation’ was successful to you when making your observations?
I am glad that I listened to the audio piece before conducting my observation. If I had not, I would have overlooked the most important techniques while conducting it.
The first thing I learnt was to observe with a fresh eye, and see things like I have never seen before. This is almost similar to ‘Vuja-De,’ which is exactly opposite to Deja-Vu. In the sense, seeing things as if you had never seen them, before being in the situation.
Most importantly, it is necessary to leave aside your knowledge and education and pre conceived notions. I learnt to judge things, but in fact observe and empathize with the person or situation under observation.
It is vital that one looks at problems in an innovative way and find creative ways to solve the problems. I learnt to pick up observations and information “from trash bins” as in find insight from the least expected places.
What I learnt most is that a successful observation would be when you finally have enough information to let you form a pattern through your study.
If I had not known these factors before, I fell I would have been quite biased in my observation and also less open-minded.
Q What interesting and non-obvious things did you learn/like from this audio?
One thing that has stuck in my head so far is what Steven Berlin said. He stressed on the negative ideas and the negative impact that video games were actually known for, some examples being violence, addiction and immortality. Once upon a time, I thought the same way. Then he goes on to stress on how virtual communication has grown to be in demand in society and taking the passive form and making it as interactive as possible.
To this, Ed Castranova adds that the ‘software’ of video games is itself what immerses people in the activity that enhances growth of population in the online world. I found these key discoveries and statements awakening.
Ivan went a few more steps ahead and actually implemented these beliefs by inventing the game, which aimed to spread world peace. I think his idea was ‘Genius’.
He actually took real world situations and applied it in the virtual world. His game very interestingly, helped people battle corruption and other social problems.
Q Free Writing on ‘Things that make us Smart’
Norman addresses the external aids that make the human mind more intelligent. He sheds light on the most important aids to be pen and paper, and skills of reading and writing that go along with it. What I found most interesting in his piece of writing where he added dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus and how they talk about books, writing and reading destroy reason and thought of the human mind.
In my opinion, I always thought of books to be the purest form of education, which also extended into a source of entertainment. But when Socrates introduced the realm of reflection it made me realize how we are being dominated and emotionally imprisoned by the author of our reading material. The fact that he emphasized on questioning and examining provided me with an extra purpose to read. Through Socrates’s discussions and beliefs I comprehend how we are chained by the author and how influenced we get by his/her piece of writing. But at the same time I agree with the fact that it is in the hands of the reader to be influenced or drawn in by the author. The most interesting part was when Socrates says that the author does not come along with the book hence, it is impossible to question or examine anything the reader might want to explore. Before reading this article, I never thought about the negative aspects of a book. I understand how Norman stresses on the power of representation and how we can control ways of making things harder or easier for ourselves. This is something I truly believe in. This belief can also be applied in our daily lives where we are ‘representing’ our lives and its how we make or break it. But of course the detail that goes into, regarding the significance and methods of various numbers and concepts being represented well, to best suit our needs and enhance our comprehension is phenomenal.
Q Define each area and explain the use of each area.
A Prototype, an artifact can almost be termed as 3-Dimensional when it comes to its effectiveness. The three main areas that are collaborated in building a successful prototype are as follows:
•Role: While looking at a prototype and studying it functionality, it is considered to be under the role category. A Prototype can be characterized under Role if the experimenter or the designers are looking at ‘how it serves the function of the users,’ and what ‘role’ it will play in their lives.
• Look ‘n’ feel: Is basically when the prototype is based more on imagining/visualizing the concept that the prototype is used for a complete sensory experience.
• Implementation: Talks about the techniques that are used or could be used in the prototype.
• Integration: is basically a complete and coherent composition of all three characters; Role, Look ‘n’ feel and implementation in a prototype that it serves.
Right now our prototype is leaning more toward the ‘Role’ character but is also looking at the look ‘n’ feel element of it.
