CCT333

Lecture One discussion:


 * Review the classical principles of human-centered design, write two list of five items about what you like, and do not like about your mobile device. write three points on how you would improve its usability. **

I own a fairly old phone, and I have no pressing desire to improve its usability. If I wanted to improve the usability of my mobile device, I would go out and purchase a more modern phone, where designers and engineers has spent nearly a decade trying to improve the usability—or at least, the marketability of mobile devices over my current phone. ‘Aesthetics and minimalist design’ is listed as one of ten usability heuristics, and all that I fundamentally require of my mobile device is to make and receive calls, even instant text-messaging is an added luxury that is not mandatory. A list of contacts, which conveniently enough my phone does provide, is a feature mostly taken for granted by today’s cellphone users. This is an example of several usability heuristics: recognition rather than recall, flexibility and efficiency of use, error prevention, and user control/freedom among them.

There is little I dislike about my current phone, but if I were to be critical, I find its battery life, data transfer speed (from PC), and the usability of its keypad leaves much to be desired.


 * Personal media devices comparison **

Cassette player: the grand-daddy of personal media devices, there was no comparison at the time, all of a sudden you can take music with you, and to put it less gracefully, people were all like, WOAH.

Discman

iPod