I learn to be a PERVERT in this module – the experience of using a PERVERTED approach.

Alright, for people who are reading this post, you probably think, there he goes again, talking some nonsense and seeking attention. Well… all I can say to this is… I love marketing? To me the basis of marketing is to talk the talk and grab attention of customers.

Let me tell you straight in the face, I learn to be a PERVERT, the module is all about PERVERTED, and even our lecturer was also “perverted” to give us nightmarish assignment! (kidding about the last part! =P) So have I gone insane, sick, or simply PERVERTED? Before this post garners me a F grade for slandering, let us first examine the word ‘pervert’ in its most literal sense from wikipedia:

Perversion is a term and concept describing those types of human behavior that are perceived to be a deviation from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Perversion differs from deviant behavior, since the latter refers to a recognized violation of social rules or norms (although the two terms can apply to the same behavior).

Two things can be gathered from the above definition, that being perverted is human, and being perverted suggest an action that has not been immediately recognized as a violation of social norms. Picasso’s cubism was initially seen as a perversion of fine art. Duschamp’s “fountain” was also seen as another perversion of art. Perversion to me is hence the “dark side of innovation”, something that is truly made from a mind of creativity, but social rules and norms did not allow it. Why else would a serial killer made top headline news, if not for the innovation of violence deployed? (BIG DISCLAIMER: I do not support nor condone violence though. And I do not see such acts as art.) Well… this aint my idea of this module anyway…

The true meaning of being a PERVERT.

Alright, cut the crap and get down to this self coined term. PERVERT is nothing but a useful acronym that if a designer sees it, he or she will remember it for life. Yet I felt using the guidelines as laid out by the acronym, one can truly design a wonderful user-centred experience. Now… behold… the PERVERT.

P – Perception

Perception is everything in a product design and especially in the marketing of a product. Before a product is being physically used, users would already perceive the use of it. This perception can be formed in many ways, from past experiences of using similar product, to mere hearsay from other sources, be it media or other people. The first question any designer would have to ask is what would the user perceive of my product? Already the conceptualization of the product starts from “perceived perception” of the user!

E – Emotion

Emotion is a strongggggg factor in determine whether the product is a success or failure. What kind of emotions would be evoked from the product? The most featured laden, hyper functional product would still be a failure if people are either pissed off or emotionally negative from using it. It is a factor that is beyond logical reasoning… people can reject a product simply due to the reason: “I just don’t feel like using the product.” This is where the four pleasures of analysis come in handy.

R – Reaction

Now the product is somewhat made, or at least a prototype of it is released. What is the user’s reaction to the product? When there’s an action, there’s always a reaction. This reaction indicates success or failure in the product. In doing user evaluation studies, it is basically finding out the reactions made when users interact with the product and determine if the reaction made is positive or negative. If there’s no reaction at all… it is also a clear feedback of misuse in the product.

How to test reaction? We have user evaluations in the form of interviews, ethnographic studies, self reporting and many others... all done in the name of reasearch. Perhaps the letter R can be seen as Research, yet i personally feel that all types of research boil down into observing and interpreting reactions.

V – Visuals

Visuals can be taken in the literal sense of simply visual appearance of the product. This is to do with the aesthetics of it. Does the product look pleasing and pleasurable to use? As was taught in the example of the lobby, the “first contact” of the product by the user must be aesthetically pleasing to ensure subsequent contacts. It is a very intuitive thing – although “beauty lies within skin deep”, a good outward skin somehow induces people to assume the beauty within. Also as mentioned by Don Norman - Attractive Things Work Better.

E – Education

What form of education user must take to muster the product? Some products are just pick up and use, needs no formal training. But things like a car, musical instruments, computers… they need some form of education before one can develop a wholesome experience with it. Hence this factor of education is rather underrated, but is designers would think through how it incorporate a fun pleasurable learning experience of the product with the actual use of the product, I believe the product is gonna stay with the user for a long while.

R – Realisation

What would the user realize of the product? If the user realizes the CD-rom is a good paperweight or coaster, then it is a failed product. But if users realize the CD-rom contains vital knowledge that would change the very lives of the users, then this realization would add into a wholesome user experience.

T – Thinking

Otherwise known as the reflective part of using the product. This is the aftermath of the user experience and it determines if the product is ever gonna be used again. After going through the perception of the product, emotionally feeling something, react to the using of it, visualise the product, educate himself with the product, realize the potential of the product, he or she would sit back and just think… whether it was all worthwhile using the product. This is the final leap to the successful user experience.

Hence presenting to you what I have learnt: Perceived Emotion Reactive Visual Education Realisation Thinking Experience Design.

Throughout the course we first learnt how to perceive something... via the assignment of perception of a bad design. What seems bad to one ... may not be bad for another. Why is this so? Perception is everything.. and highly individualistic. Emotion... well... we learnt the four pleasure analysis and how to apply it in Reverse Marketing Analysis. Late in the course we learnt aboout the circumplex of emotions. Emotion is beyond reasons and logic at times, and a fulfilling experience is most often linked to positive emotions being felt. In fact one can forget the details of the experience, but one can never forget how he or she felt at that time. Reaction... well I believe Research = finding reactions, hence throughout the course we learnt various methods of finding reactions from the users. Visual asthetics would complete the experience and would just be as important as the functions themselves. Why else would buildings seek to be iconic and monumental? The rest of the factors like Education, Realisation and Thinking are not highlighted in the lectures, but I found them highly important to take care of especially in my final project.

Most of the website have to be intuitive, hence learning curve have to be smooth. If a site is too difficult to "learn", it will lose its time-starved audiences. People also must have the right realisation of the product. What use is there for a CD-rom to become a coaster? What use is our website if it's just another match-making site? And lastly, people would need to reflect upon a product and think about it in a positive light. Thus the circle is complete.... User will undergo being a PERVERT, UX Design is PERVERTED.

I am truly PERVERTED.... =p

"Say Like Never Say Like That"... afterthoughts of User Research Smoke and Mirror

(The above title is a direct translation from mandarin: 讲好像没有讲一样！)

The die die must read article had alot of thought provoking points, but at the end of it all it seems to lead me back to square one. So to do or not to do user research? The article seems to be hinting that most user researches are ... crap. It is via pure GUT feeling (recall the pot bellied picture that Mr Reddy showed us in one of the lectures) that you get the inspirational design. And very often, simple common sense would lead to the same answer as empirical studies. From a design perspective it's probably true! Let us see why...

To me user design experience is very much an individualistic experience. It differs from person to person, and factors such as gender, cultural upbringing and age. Let's take some interesting example:

How about a Karaoke bar, complete with bottles Remy Martin XO and beautiful bar hostresses? To some middle age businessmen, it would be a priceless experience there. To a young kid, there's nothing appealing there. To a housewife... the husband will be so dead if he was found there! With this in mind it is common sense that one shall not build a gym that resembles a funeral parlor, one shall not make an item so heavy that is meant for a body builder. We are making something for a specific user! However like what the article mention, sometimes in a bid to appease some of the key stakeholders (i.e. the ones that give you money), it is build for them instead of the real target audience in mind.

I came across one interesting web example:
http://cedysworld.com/en/index.php?Insref=domain_com/

Looks like a kids website right? But look at the one promoting the site: Mercedes Benz! Wow... to me it's so ironic, promoting a brand that is more towards the older population to kids! What user research was made for the creation of such website? I wonder...

Anyway the article pretty much is a variant of Dead Poets' Society. Poetry, like a good design, is not created via rules and procedures, but by inspiration, creativity and sometimes abit of luck. The part where the teacher asks the students to rip off one whole section of a poetry book is still etched in my mind.

It confuses me then... are rules and procedures really insignificant? I remember working in an F n B outlet where one of the first things I was told to do is to read the Standard Operating Procedure. (SOP) for mixing certain drinks. I could be creative and try to mix my own composition of drinks... but I will get into trouble with the boss.... ahhhh! Now I get it about the part on research as a political tool! You need facts, figures, statistics and SOPs... simply to show that you are doing something and doing it "right". This "right" method may not necessarily be the "best" method, but it has been codified and "backed" by the very power of quantitative authority. Ever heard of the old adage "number speaks louder than words"? There is always the idea that numbers provide a more authoritative and asserting statement than mere words. A simple example... one can go on and on describing how a man looks like, how much white hair he has, how dry is his skin etc... but one phrase: "He is 50", conjures almost the whole image of him.
Still I am in suspended animation... to research or not to? One thing's for sure... we still need to do the card sorting exercise... which the article indicated that it is not scientific...

Say Like Never Say Like That... in the end still must do card sorting exercise!

On a side note... I am coming to the point of evaluating the whole concept of user experience. Throughout it seems that designers must have the assumption of User is king, User is everything. But I'm not sure... is it really true that all products should be user centred?

Assume now that we have a product that is extremely difficult to master. That only a few in the world would be able to handle that product. Can it be successful? For me who is musically challenged, I regard the violin as one example. For me to play the violin, it will simply make terrible noises. It is not at all intuitive, even if it's just simply movement of the bow and string. But if say I take time to master it, I believe there is much pleasure to be gained. So is the violin a user centred design? Not really... it is... activity centred.. or even learning centred to some extent!