Matt Maeda 7, 8

In regards to emotions versus simplicity, I tend to lean more towards simplicity. I love clean and modern design. I also like the style and versatility of the color black. It is so common for things to come in black, it is very easy to match. My mother also has a similar point of view to Maeda's. She enjoys cross-stitching and has an attachment to Victorian era. I think that things like ipod or cell phone skins / cases offer a fitting compromise to this conflict. Luckily people have the freedom to choose and customize the things that matter, like cars, clothes, and their homes.

Omakase is an interesting concept. The idea of "I leave it up to you" to trust the person making the decision is something that I would like to have but would not expect to see in America, where people complain and are never satisfied with someone else's decision, nor their own. Buyer's remorse is a constant in our society. I think this is due in large part to our competitive nature and desire to have the biggest and the best. It would be nice to be able to "just lean back" once in a while and not have to make certain choices or worry.

Matt Maeda 5, 6

Simplicity and complexity are compliments to each other. Without one there cannot be the other. If everything were as simple as possible, it would be very plain. Complexity adds interest, challenge, and stimulation. When listening to music for instance, a repetitive, predictable song is boring and uninteresting.

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A "lack" of something is just as important if not more so than what is actually being presented. Without breaks, pauses, and space, the message quickly becomes lost in a bunch of noise. When forced to pay attention to things in the background, they become much more distracting and confuse the focus of what is truly important.

Matt Maeda 3, 4

By completing something quickly, the task at hand feels as though it took less effort. This perceived ease is complimentary to the feeling of simplicity. Time spent waiting can cause frustration and take away from time spent doing more desirable things. Therefore hiding the time being spent can relieve some of this frustration. However, showing a timer or loading bar for instance can reassure a person that their time spent waiting is not being wasted or that there is only "X:XX" long left to go. I prefer to provide a distraction for longer waiting times. Giving people something to focus their attention on keeps them busy and they spend less time thinking about being forced to wait. For example, putting a TV in a waiting room or having elements to interact and play with during a loading screen on a website.

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Not knowing what to do instantly makes things more complicated. Therefore it is vital to make things as intuitive as possible. Some things simply require prior knowledge. This is where tutorials and helpful tooltip hints come into play. Showing people what to do and how to do things increases their chances of success and gives them more pleasure in doing it.

SPRING BREAK

General Page Designs:
David will be combining what works in each design and what's been said in critiques to create some refined pages. As you create continue develop the style guide.

Data Visualizations:
Matt will be making data visualizations for the Admissions category.
Ojai will be creating data visualizations for the Employment category.

Consider what graphs will lead into other graphs (example: I click something general which leads to something even more specific, or an new graph topic) Also consider the how these graphs will work when they are being compared to another major/school/year.

PDF of Initial Design and Map Ideas

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~omitchel/Studentify_Initial.pdf