Design Journal 3: Part 2- Crown Royal

Highlighting
The Crown Royal bottle embodies what it represents, class. The title, Crown Royal, is highlighted by the use of bold as well as italics. This ensures that there in minimal noise by using bold, and a sense of subtlety through the use of italics. Crown Royal also chose to use only one font, promising that aesthetics and readability is not disputed by multiple fonts. There is a small description located underneath the heading. The description does not hinder the focus of the title due to the small font size and the lack of bolding. Crown Royal sticks to four primary colours in the design of the label, blue, gold, red, and black. Black is used in the heading to emphasize the name.

Introverted Pyramid
On the back of the Crown Royal bottle there is a short blurb discussing the product. At the top there is the Crown Royal logo, a line stating “The Legendary Whisky” below the logo, and a rhetorical paragraph describing the “superb whisky of unequalled taste”. The introverted pyramid information pattern highlights substantial facts first, which is expected to be remembered, and leaves the consequent information for the latter.


Legibility
The typeface used in the Crown Royal design is the only questionable legibility. Despite the fact that the typeface is in script, it depicts the “royal” theme. The font size is roughly 12 pt for the body of the text, while the “Crown Royal” heading is roughly 3 font pts larger. The black typeface on top of the gold background ensures an aesthetic pleasing and legible background. The spacing between the heading and the body of the text is appropriate to differentiate between the two sections.

Picture Superiority Effect
A crown lying upon a purple velvet pillow is placed above the Crown Royal heading. Due to the nature of the product the use of the easily-remembered crown photo is essential to the marketing of the product. To purchase Crown Royal the consumer must travel to the liquor store. When looking for an item, they will view hundreds of similar products in a short period of time. According to the picture superiority effect information is better recalled when pictures and words are exposed collectively. This allows consumers to better recognize the product, particularly in when making a decision in a short period of time. Thus, in order for Crown Royal to make an impact of the buyer it is essential they include a photograph.

Mnemonic Device
Similar to the picture superiority effect the mnemonic device principal ensures that through imagery and words designs are memorable. In terms of Crown Royal designers used the image of a crown to aid users in related the image to the keyword, crown. Similar to other mnemonic devices, the image is exaggerated. The crown is overtly royal. This is because it is placed on a purple velvet pillow and surrounded by a regal curtain. The strong image influences consumers to recall the information presented.

Design Journal 3: Part 1 Computer: The outward design of the laptop and basic start-up procedures

Good Continuation
The mobility of the laptop design in comparison to a desktop is dependant upon the continuation of lines, maintaining relatedness of the computer. Laptops are a rectangular shape with rounded edges when closed. Upon opening the laptop the monitor and keyboard maintain the same shape as when closed. This continues the established direction the user senses when first perceiving the object. Through the shape of the monitor mirroring the shape of the area where the keyboard, mouse, and speakers are placed the perceived alignment corresponds the relatedness of the two sections.

Hick’s Law
When applying Hick’s Law to starting up a computer is appears there is only one alterative. The task is simple, the goal is to turn on the computer, and there is only one available option, the on button. Designers of laptops make the decision easy by only including one primary button deemed as “on”. However upon implementing the option a number of decisions follow. The user must decide what their primary goal is when entering the computer. Due to the number of complex decisions presented when starting up a computer, Hick’s Law only applies to the process of turning on the computer.

Hierarchy of Needs
All basic laptops should follow the hierarchy of needs design principal. Thus, the design should satisfy basic needs before concentrating on adding innovative features. The design of a laptop must be able to meet the basic functionality needs of computing. The laptop must then be able to meet reliability and usability needs. If these needs are met the device will consistently compute, be tolerant of basic user errors, and be the product of an intuitive design. Once these basic needs are met, designers can focus on high-value needs such as proficiency and creativity needs.

Life Cycle
Computers are designed to last a finite amount of time. New hardware and software are constantly being developed. Computers are designed to accommodate the transition in software, by being built to last roughly four years. The growth, maturity, and decline of computers are accommodated by the use of warranties. A standard warranty is typically valid for one year, maintaining customer satisfaction during the adolescent years of the computer. The computers companies then give to option to purchase an extended warranty. These indefinite extended warranties accommodate computers until their stage of maturity.

Mapping
The shell of the laptop allocates simple controls to users. The good use of mapping allows beginner to advanced computer users to anticipate the effects of laptop controls. That is, users understand that the largest button, usually located above the keyboard, acts as the power button. The keyboard is located in the middle of the bottom portion of the laptop and the mouse pad is placed below the keyboard. The predictability and ease of laptop controls indicates a good use of mapping.

Design Journal 2: Part 1 The Starbucks Cup

The Exposure Effect
The success of Starbucks can be accounted through the notorious Starbucks coffee cup. The green mermaid Starbucks emblem plastered in the middle of the white cup is constantly seen in the hands of the rich and famous. As the famous becomes increasingly associated with Starbucks people see cup as a status symbol. The repeated exposure of Starbucks amplified the popularity of the overpriced coffee. Starbucks increased this effect by including inspirational quotes in the design of the cup. Thus, the more one purchases Starbucks the more often they will be exposed to meaningful words, strengthening the exposure effect.
Starbucks advertising campaigns are based on the exposure effect rather than advertising campaigns, resulting in the massive success of the company.

Expectation Effect

As the Starbucks cup became increasingly exposed, people began to hold expectations of people who possessed the cup. Due to the high prices associated with Starbucks the cup tends to define consumers as wealthy and sophisticated. When applying the expectation effect to the Starbucks cup, the halo and placebo effect highlight the expectations that can arise from a design. For example, if an employer was a Starbucks enthusiast and a new employee came into work with a Starbucks cup, the employer would view them more positively then a Tim Horton’s toting employee. This idea follows the halo effect phenomenon. Touching upon the placebo effect, an insecure person who wants to portray them self as urban and chic could use the Starbucks cup as an antidote. The belief that a Starbucks cup will make them appear more sophisticated would change the way the act.

Framing
Starbucks changes the design of the cup depending on the season. During the 2008 holiday season the design of the traditional white cup has been changed to a deep red with white silluotes of Christmas characters. The design was reframed to accommodate the new red campaign. The campaign emphasizes the positive effect of buying the expensive product, which is to help save children in Africa. For example, if a critic was to frame the red design negatively they may emphasize the expensive prices and that we help save people in Canada.
Figure-Ground Relationship
The Starbucks cup has a stable figure-ground relationship. The Starbucks emblem acts as the figure, while the surrounding white space acts as the ground. The figure is the object of focus. This is due to its defined circular shape and its location underneath the horizontal brim of the cup. The surrounding white space ensures that the emblem is the only point of visual stimuli. Additionally the use of white space minimizes visual confusion eliminating any other visual stimuli, allowing the emblem to be easily recalled.

Figure-Ground Relationship
The Starbucks cup has a stable figure-ground relationship. The Starbucks emblem acts as the figure, while the surrounding white space acts as the ground. The figure is the object of focus. This is due to its defined circular shape and its location underneath the horizontal brim of the cup. The surrounding white space ensures that the emblem is the only point of visual stimuli. Additionally the use of white space minimizes visual confusion eliminating any other visual stimuli, allowing the emblem to be easily recalled.

Constancy
When a consumer walks down the street holding Starbucks cup the size remains constant to a person perceiving the object from a distance. This is due to the fact that a Starbucks cup is an easily recognizable and many have memories of what sensory inputs the artefact consists of. The Universal Principals of Design defends this idea by defining constancy as “a process of continuously reconciling sensory inputs with memories about the properties of things in the world.” The green emblem surrounded by white space, illuminates the cup as a familiar object. This allows people to perceive its size, brightness, and shape as constant.

Design Journal 2: Part 2 iTune Library

Consistency

Apple excels in aesthetic and functional consistency. Apple was cleaver when designing their products. From the iPod to the Apple commercials a consistent design is used; the same font, grey and white colours, along with the decipherable Apple logo. This leads users to easily identify Apple products, websites, and programs.

In order for iPod users to active their device they have to download iTunes. For many users Windows Media Player (WMP) was the traditional media program. Upon downloading iTunes former WMP users could easily identify the program functions. iTunes followed the design of WMP by keeping menu options on the left tool bar and leaving the control panel at the bottom of the screen. The authors of the Universal Principals of Design support this type of functional consistency, “The consistent use of these symbols on devices enables people to leverage existing knowledge about how the controls function, which makes the new devices easier to use and learn.”

Cost-Benefit

In regards to iTunes the cost-benefit principal is heavily used The cost of running iTunes is taking the time to download the program. The benefit of downloading the program is the ability to access iTunes for the purpose of downloading and sharing music as well as watching TV shows and movies. An additional cost is transferring music from an alternate program to iTunes. This is a frequent complain amongst iTune users. However, the benefit is the ability to upload music to an iPod. As mentioned in The Universal Principals of Design a cost-benefit analysis can be used in “all aspects of design”. The cost-benefits mentioned latter are only a selection of comparisons that can be made.

Constraint

iTunes limits its functions by hiding the difficult options. The majority of advanced functions are located in the preference window. In order to access the window the user must click on edit in the upper toolbar then proceed to open the preference window. Once in preferences there are a number of options available to users. By limiting the advanced actions the chance of error is reduced.
There are number of psychological constraints within iTunes. For example, iTunes chose a music note as their primary icon. By choosing a universal symbol, such as a music note, iTunes users automatically associate the program with music. For instance, the iTunes symbol, as seen below, influence users to choose iTunes before other musical systems. The symbol is now universally understood as an icon for buying and sharing music, thus, changing how people think of music.

Control
iTunes is an intuitive program. The ideal design reduces control for beginners and leaves room for experienced users continually gain more control. The left bar directs users to music, movies, podcast, and radio tabs. When a user clicks on one of the tabs in the left bar, they are directly connected to the music, movie, or radio tool they wish to operate. This is all that beginners typically need to acquire. iTunes has many additional features. As users get more familiarized with iTunes they have the option to continually gain more control of the features. For instance, a medium-level user can build a playlist by clicking on the arrow at the bottom of the screen and drag songs onto the playlist. An advanced user may share her iTunes publically by accessing their iTunes preferences.

Form Follows Function
The image of Apple results in the belief that the products are of superior quality. The iTunes library is a follower of the form follows function principal. Many designers believe that increased white space results in an aesthetically pleasing design. The iTunes library, following the lead of Apple devices and website, use white space and clean colours to their advantage. When rating the iTunes library in terms of aesthetics it ranks higher then any other media library such as Windows Media Player. Advocates of the descriptive interpretation agree, stating that, “aesthetic considerations in design results from purity of function.” However, the contrasting view would beg to differ, and assess the functional ability of the iTunes library rather then the aesthetic design.