Information Architecture: Readings and Solution

Our final project in Information Architecture has started, and I'm looking forward to the outcome. This will be a new experience for our entire class, as we are designing applications for the iphone operating system. 

We are beginning with one of the subcultures that our class has researched into. Since I chose the bike commuter subculture for the last User Experience project, I'll be designing for the sustainable DIY subculture. 

After reviewing the DIY research book, particularly to the task analysis, and reviews, I brainstormed and considered a wide range of topics to gear this new application toward. In the end, I've decided to create an application assisting DIYer's in joining together in collectives and organizations. DIYer's naturally work on an individual basis, but there is a hidden desire to work together, share knowledge, and above all contribute to society. My application will make a community where DIY users can easily group together based on individual interests, skills, location, etc., and help them find opportunities with volunteer organizations such as those assisting with natural disasters and even community issues on a much more localized level. 

Designing for the iphone has proven to be a difficult and interesting experience thus far. The screen is far smaller than your typical computer screen, and legibility and organization seem to be major concerns. I'm hoping to capitalize on both the gestures used to interact with the iphone interface and icons to help maximize screen real estate. 

Here are the 5 points I found most interesting from the first 2 readings on the subject of designing for the iphone platform.

1. Gestures Reading: Supported Gestures

The 8 listed gestures listed under the table section were a great reference. I haven't had much experience with the iphone, so it's nice to know the simple interface options that bridge hand and software.

2. Icons Reading: Immediacy

Icon immediacy is imperative to icon effectiveness. The examples of the brush were great in showing excess detail, and the importance of simplification in form. 

3. Icons Reading: Standard Icons

I thought this section was the most helpful of my listed 5. Knowing what icons are used across the iphone platform is infinitely helpful. It was also interesting hearing that they are used in many different situations.

4. Icons Reading: Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness is a design essential. You don't want a finalized design solution to seem pieced together and mismatched. The series of balls was a great example in following a similar theme as well.

5. Gestures Reading: Custom Gesture Tips

The custom gestures section shared some great information on capitalizing on the iphones touch interactive features. It also never occurred to me that fingers of the user do cover a good portion of the screen space. It's important to consider that in the design.

Information Architecture: Aperture

So today is my critique for my Aperture camera collection website. It's currently up on our schools server for you to look at too; just click the link below!

http://design.kcai.edu/blyon/

Information Architecture: Progress

So after last classes critique, I got the most positive feedback from my analogue sketches that were superimposed over the photos of each camera. In this way, my rendering style reflects the analogue properties of the camera in my collection. The chosen layout however, comes from the digital icon layout. I had to adapt it to a full format since we are on a tight time frame to crank out these websites, and creating scrolling content and capabilities in flash for a website is pretty difficult. I've also turned the TLR cameras right side up, so that they are oriented as they actually would be when used. The first two sorting worked pretty well with the TLR's in the layout, however, the third has some issues since by camera type, three TLR's occur in a row, which can't be done vertically in a single column. So that  still needs to be addressed. For now I simply pushed a fourth camera on each vertical column to make space for the first TLR in another column. 

In each of the macro layouts, I have began using a negative image that focuses on details of that particular camera. The negative reflects the analogue film each camera uses, and helps to provide contrast for the type to be legible. For now, the info graphic on the right hand side is all I have in the layouts, so the info graphics will be shown some love next. The printers were also not working last night, so I couldn't print the cameras out to draw over them, so for now the other cameras are strictly photography. But refer to the Minolta Autocord, Kodak Instimatic, and Nikon TG-20 for the sketchy quality the others will have later. Each camera, when in the macro view, will have a smaller set of thumbnails below them, which when clicked will change the larger main photo. These photos will be without the sketchy rendering properties, so that the full camera and details are unobstructed.