Assignment 6

DAY 1 (with mobile device)

Observation of self (When, What and Why I use the mobile device for)

1. Calling:

• To contact someone urgently
• when: Rarely, usually for making appointments (or the parents)

2. Texting:

• methods: SMS, Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger
• casual, non-urgent way of contacting someone
• a quieter and more discrete way of “talking”
• Substitutes the need to call or meet
• easy way to send information like pictures and documents
• when: anytime that is suitable (not sleeping, eating, walking or physically talking to someone)

3. Taking pictures:

• using the phone camera
• done to record memories and meaningful moments
• to share something interesting
• “taking notes” instead of writing them down

4. Dictionary:

• when: read a book or the news and come across an unfamiliar word
• to check the pronunciation of a word

5. GoogleMaps:

• finding out how to go somewhere
• finding the best possible route, or see the options available
• find out where I am
• when: lost somewhere, or when planning a day

6. Internet browser:

• search for food places to go to
• finding out location and opening hours of stores
• search for articles that interest me, finding answers
• instantly getting results instead asking others, or going to the library
• reading reviews before buying a product
• booking movie tickets for a cinema far away

7. Social Media:

• types: Facebook and Instagram
• used to entertain people and mummy
• when: bored at home, or curious about current trends and strange news

8. Notes:

• check to-do list
• dreading over the list of assignments and errands
• jotting down cooking ideas

9. Email

• checking if there is urgent work, appointments, sales
• Hardly reply emails
• when: more frequently than social media

Observation of others (When, What and Why others use the mobile device for)

1. Playing mobile games (like Candy Crush and Pokemon Go):

• noticed a huge group of Pokemon Go players sitting at around the entrance of the park during the weekend evening
• and throngs walking around or standing outside Marina Bay Sands
  2. Social Media (usually Facebook and Instagram)
  3. Reading (on the Kindle)
  4. Watching videos (with earpiece on or larger phones)
  5. Listening to music (with earpiece or headphones on)
  6. Texting

When:

• waiting areas (e.g. outside a public toilet, MRT station, bus stops, clinics, restaurants)
• public transport (buses and trains)
• alone (pairs or groups usually seen interacting, sometimes sharing the phone)
  Why:
• utilising time to catch up with friends whether through chatting or social media
• kill time and boredom
• habitual
• tune out of the surroundings

7. Talking on the phone:

• usually in larger spaces
• if in enclosed areas: train and bus (usually meeting someone or important calls, not casual chats)

8. Taking pictures:

• selfies, wefies to record memories (usually during outings)
• taking pictures of tourist attractions
• pictures of food, or “outfit of the day”

Specific People
Father :

• messages and talks on phone anytime, even during meals, due to work issues
• communicates with family either by text or calling (but rarely)
• does not play games
• does not use social media
• sees videos sent by colleagues/ friends

DAY 2 (without electronic devices)

Difference in behaviour patterns (and alternative behaviours)

1. Planning the day in advance:

• had to inform parents about plans before leaving home
• have follow plan strictly
• not going to unfamiliar places
• consciously plan to avoid electronics (and feeling left out of social activities as others are watching TV and playing games, etc)
• planning more meaningful activities (dinner at home, etc)

2. Observing the surroundings more:

• bringing a book to read instead of reading from the phone
• cannot kill time through using social media
• glancing at other peoples’ phones

3. Recording things by writing:

• have to bring a pen and notebook (and larger bag)
• am the only one in the train holding a pen and book

4. Not worrying about battery life:

• or about the phone going off in church

5. No phone in pocket:

• easier to walk, sit down and climb stairs
• did not have the hassle of placing phone elsewhere so as to sit more comfortably
• did not have to constantly check if phone not lostUnchanged behaviours:
• wearing a watch to tell time
• reading books

Remarks:

• feel comfortable without the phone as I already leave it at home when going out to exercise
• phone is more of a distraction and a tool
• not very attached to the device as all the photographs taken are regularly uploaded online
• chose to detach from electronics during the weekend, where there is less urgent need to do school assignments or urgent work
• knowing that it is only temporary, it felt manageable withholding the need to surf the net (usually like to read articles or admire pictures)

Jonas Löwgren and Erik Stolterman, Thoughtful Interaction Design Chapter 1

The chapter was interesting to me as I had no prior knowledge of interaction design and what it entails. Initially, the word “design” seemed more focused on the outer appearances rather than the interior. We are currently exposed to one aspect of design (i.e. aesthetics) more than the others stated in this reading, e.g. “fashion design”, “designer bags”, “designer sandwiches” and these evokes a sense of prestige and beauty. It was very insightful to know that plenty of thought is required behind designing and this makes me more conscious about what I notice in my surroundings (and become a bit more critical). Traits like being open, sensitive, flexible and mindful would come useful to a designer. It also took a while to accept the broadness of the term material (people labelled as material?). I enjoyed how the authors focused more on the attitude rather than a strict methodology when it comes to the design process, and this comes as a relief as I have always wondered about the rights and wrongs. They state that “every design process is unique”.

With this shift in perspectives of the term “design” and also a clearer picture of what it is, it makes me ponder:

• if the incessant need to “make the world a better place” will result in a negative or positive effect
• can design be non-purposeful (without all the profound and deeper ideology, political reasoning, etc)
• are all the definitions of terms (e.g. material, design, knowledge construction, etc) common across all books/ papers/ articles?

Link Here

Concept 1:

Tree Voice collects data on variables such as motion, temperature, noise, and pollution, all from a series of sensors placed on a tree. This data is used to make the tree “speak” through light and iconic images. The interactive display provides anyone the opportunity to engage with the tree and receive updates on their local environment. Citizens can also view the data through an online dashboard, which gives information about all the connected trees. The data can help in making decisions as basic as where to go workout in the evening or as substantial as where to buy a house. Eventually, Frog Austin sees trees having a voice in local government, and becoming influential in planning future cities that are data rich and environmentally intelligent.

Concept 2:

Frog Milan created CompassGo to help users discover unexpected places in an age where city-dwellers often pre-Google their destinations instead of exploring. When held in the hand, the device suggests and guides them through urban discovery by using smart-phone-synced personal data, GPS technology, and physical signals. The device reveals a general category – such as culture, food, or relaxation – before providing navigation to a hip clothing store, hole-in-the-wall café, or super-secret winery.

Assignment 5: Response to You Are What You Carry

At the start of the chapter, I did not expect the author to also classify digital objects as your own personal belonging. It feels like a belonging is something that we attach meaning to, and develop a “relationship” with (i.e. a wallet received on your 18^th birthday, or a phone bought with your first pay). And the author moves on to describe belongings bought over the internet or in the stores as data companies keep track of. They then use this knowledge to predict future purchases or to suggest new products. Things that are supposedly our private possession becomes less of a secret.

Technology has changed the way we own things, store things and perceive these things. I remember that I took a long time to adapt to the use of loyalty cards stored on the phone using an application. But after a while, the term “out of sight, out of mind” proved its point. I never remembered the digital cards, but the ones which I saw in my wallet every day.

Ultimately, we would never be able to escape technology’s pervasive impact on current society. However, I think the physical realm still carries a certain richness and depth that the digital cannot replace.

Questions:

Digitalisation clears up physical space but lets us possess more. Does it cause us to have so many things to handle till the disadvantages of this technology outweigh its benefits?

Does over-convenience empower us or make us more handicapped? (less need to move around to get items, more reliance on technology to help us make decisions)

Assignment 2: Navigating Public Transportation (link)

Done by :
Clara Wong, Danni, Katie (Ke Tian), Wan Qing