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Title: Bringing Design to Software by Terry Winograd, John (Editor) Bennett, Laura (Edt) (edt De Young, Brad (Editor) Hartfield ISBN: 0-201-85491-0 Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co Pub. Date: 02 April, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $34.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.57 (7 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Ehhhh..... A collection of stale essays.
Comment: I had to buy this book for a class; if you're interested in a historical perspective on instructional technology, you might find this interesting. I didn't.
Rating: 4
Summary: Take the user into account
Comment: Winograd brings together a mix of software designers, computer scientists, graphic artists, architects, scientists, and consultants, and their conceptions and methodologies for software design. Each describes their design situations from his or her position of expertise. Each of the "designers" has a similar message, ease of use and interaction must be relevant to the user, not only to the hierarchical structure of the software. Another point in the book is, if software is designed in such a way as to have the user append knowledge, as opposed to throw all daily logic of how things work in their world out the window, the learning curve for new software would be minimal.
The designer's involvement needs to be invoked from the beginning of the software project, and should not be considered as just a "final coat of spray-on aesthetics". Thought and design energy need to be given towards the capabilities of identifying the skill level and needs of the user, so that the user can accomplish his or her tasks while enduring the least amount of frustration. Hopefully the user will also learn something through his or her experience with the software, which would then bring them up to a new level of mastery. The use of design teams, with members encapsulating differing points of view, is emphasized as a successful methodology for the development of such software applications.
Rating: 4
Summary: Bringing Design to Software
Comment: This book is a collection of chapters focusing on design and design topics. The chapter authors are from a variety of disciplines including software and product design, technology, architecture, graphic arts, and philosophy. This diversity adds to the richness in which the book addresses "design," expands the notion of the "designer" community of practice, and illustrates the importance of multifunctionality in design by taking lessons of practice from a variety of disciplines. After each chapter a "profile" of a product or situation is provided as a real-life example of the key points of the chapter.
The following themes appeared throughout the book:
· There needs to be a move from product-centered design to user-centered (or maybe use-centered) design. Talking, observing, interacting and listening with the users are key activities in making this happen.
· The move to a user-centered design can be aided by recognizing and professionalizing the role of a designer in the software development process. (in this book people are variously referred to as software designers, interaction designers, artist-designers, software architects, etc.)
· There is a need for tools and materials developed for software designers to create a language of design, and to develop prototypes and models. These things are needed for use in the design process to allow for a "conversation with the materials," --to create opportunities for exploration of the design, which may lead to unexpected characteristics and surprises. These, in turn, allow for reflection and lead to the development of better questions about our design and design process. These tools and methods also allow for communicating ideas, changes and goals to others involved in the design process.
· Design is a team-sport. Successful designers will be familiar with the roles, language and concerns of everyone involved in the design process so as best to include them, and their contributions, into the overall design effort. It's also true that the design process resides within an organization, whose values, culture, management and business concerns have an impact on the success of design efforts. A skillful designer will be aware of (and perhaps challenge) the impact of the organization on the design process to allow the design effort to be as successful as possible.
This is a good thought-starter for anyone interested in broadening their definition of designer and incorporating additional perspectives into their design practices.
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Title: Serious Play: How the World's Best Companies Simulate to Innovate by Michael Schrage, Tom Peters ISBN: 0875848141 Publisher: Harvard Business School Press Pub. Date: December, 1999 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman ISBN: 0465067107 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 17 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Corporate Information Strategy and Management: Text and Cases by Lynda M. Applegate, Robert D. Austin, F. Warren McFarlan, Rob Austin, Lynda Applegate, Robert Austin ISBN: 0072456728 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Pub. Date: 11 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $130.65 |
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Title: Business Data Networks and Telecommunications (4th Edition) by Raymond R. Panko ISBN: 0130359149 Publisher: Prentice Hall Pub. Date: 26 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $110.00 |
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Title: Understanding Computers and Cognition : A New Foundation for Design by Terry Winograd, Fernando Flores ISBN: 0201112973 Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co Pub. Date: 01 January, 1987 List Price(USD): $24.99 |
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