John Maeda: Simplicity patterns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHsXfmHaBUo

In this video John Maeda talks about the simplicity patterns and exemplifies it with books like those series "for dummies". He also says that after he published his book, simplicity started to follow him. This video is a great watch as it is very funny and very informative at the same time.

Week 1

In week one, we were separated in group perspectives, and were supposed to make a presentation on that perspective in the next week. I was not part of that project as I did not attend the first class (was still overseas).

We were also told about John Maeda's book, which was to be used during the course in our subject

1. What does Maeda call the 3 keys?
Away, open and power.

2. Describe how you have used these in your work towards UPHERE? Give at least
one example of each key.
Away - started to do exhibition work at home
Open - Did exhibition work when I needed to be somewhere else.
Power - Lost hours of sleep to do exhibition work.

3. Describe an incident in the production of UPHERE where technology has been an
enabler…. and another where it has been a disabler!
Has been an enabler to make it possible for me to do my projects, as I need the programs and computers in the university to do my work.

4. At this stage in the exhibition process you are all working on some element or
process for the big event. List 3 things (in your current project) that you could
take away to simplify and one thing you could add for meaning.
I would make the interviews shorter to simplify my editing time, remove the timeline and ask simplier questions to the interviewees. I would add a little more organization to the schedule for meaning.

Q.W.10

1. Using UPHERE as an example, describe an aspect of your work or something
you have worked on, where you have found a symbiotic relationship that is both
complexity and simplicity

In a design perspective, using any software(e.g. Photoshop, Maya, FinalcutPro) to produce art can be both simple and complex. Simple because you can easily use the tools in your creative process and create something awesome, but very complex because you need to KNOW how to use the software tools. Also, there is a very deep and complex process occurring in the computer so that the tool can work properly.

2. Provide a conceptual example of a situation that has arisen during this project
where you have had a return on failure?

Especialy the fact that there is too much stuff to do and no time to do everything, but also
this blog. In my opinion there is no need to make a blog or diary, so it fails.

3. Homework: How are you using the laws in relation to your contribution to The
UPHERE exhibition? Provide a short explanation and example for TWO of the
laws so far. Use your work towards and your examples.

Using the laws to answer the questions in the blog.

Q. W. 9

1. Provide an example of a situation where you have to have trust – in the same
vein as the author in his swimming lesson example. What made you trust in this
situation and how did you feel?

Everytime I eat in a restaurant! What says they didn't put something poisonous or something I'm alergic to in the food? I'll have to trust the cook and eat it nevertheless.


2. Where in our exhibition do we need to instill trust? Give examples. How are we
going to achieve this?

Professionalism, provide new, but at the same time strong ideas.

3. What strategies are used to instill trust? Examples? Where do we need to employ
this in uphere? How are we going to do this?

Create quality content, specifically written for your target audience.

4. If you could “undo” any aspect of the preparation for the exhibition to-date, what
would you “undo”? With this in mind, what would would you change now in your
preparation strategy to overcome having to “undo” anything?

Nothing... I wouldn't change anything at all.
5. Homework: How are you using the laws in relation to your contribution to The
uphere exhibition? Provide a short explanation and example for each of the laws
so far. Use your work towards and your examples.

I try to make everything as SIMPLE as possible.

Q.W.8

1.  When Maeda uses the “Feel, and feel for” principle, he is drawing on peoples
connection to a very personal experience: feelings. List 3 ways that would make
use of this principle to visitors of your exhibition.
Being polite, welcoming and using etiquette.

2. What is animism? Why do you think the “Tamagocchi” craze of the ‘90s became
such a craze? How can you apply this to your exhibition?
Because it was an electronic device that had similar needs to a real pet. In the exhibition, some kind of 'needy art' can be created, like something that evokes the 'puppy eyes' image into someone's head.

3. Name 2 products that you have purchased that gave you that feeling of “Aichaku”.
What feelings did those products evoke? Was it the feeling that sold the product
to you?

My first Game Boy Color and the first shoes I bought with my own money. With the Game Boy, I could have fun anywhere I was and it was a expensive electronic device for that time, so I loved and cared a lot for it. With the shoes... I don't know, I just loved it... and I had use my own's work money to buy it!





Game Boy Color, exactly the same model as the one I had.


4. How do the references to emotion relate to the simplicity/complexity relationship
discussed in Law 5 - Differences

Something too simple can give the impression of it being fragile or of inferior quality to some people, while it can be seen as sleek and modern. Just add the factor of emotion and this can be evoked.

6 thinking hats

Edward de Bono designed the Six Thinking Hats as a tool to assist in the decision making process. He believes that when the thinker has to deal with a wide range of information and perspectives at once the thinker loses focus and thinking becomes muddled.

To help separate information and perspectives de Bono created a tool called the Six Thinking Hats with each hat being a different colour. The Aim? By separating and focusing upon parts of the problem the thinker will be able to make clear choices.

• White Hat – The Facts, seeking information
• Blue Hat – Metacognition, for planning, monitory and thinking about thinking
• Yellow Hat – Positives, looking for the advantages
• Black Hat – Negatives, looking for the disadvantages
• Green Hat - Creativity, generating alternative ideas or solutions
• Red Hat – Feelings, identifying and expressing feelings

FONT:
http://www.teachingmadeeasy.com.au/store/thinking_skills/six_thinking_hats_-_class_display/