{"id":5732,"date":"2021-03-15T18:37:08","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T01:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec523\/?p=5732"},"modified":"2021-08-31T16:46:17","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T23:46:17","slug":"designing-with-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec523\/2021\/03\/15\/designing-with-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing with purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two of the most important characteristics of good design are discoverability and understanding.<\/p>Don Norman (2013 p. 3)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I am reading Don Norman’s book, “The Design of Everyday Things.” In his book, Don Norman describes the importance of good design. His examples range from doors to teapots to nuclear power plants. However, his model remains the same, that design should be intuitive. This includes designing from the users’\/learners’ perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When designing courses\/training for learners, the first step is to ensure the training is “discoverable and understandable” (Norman 2013 p.3). When we design and organize a Learning Management System, a Learning Design Community, or even a Blog, the first question must be, is it easy for learners to find and understand the content they need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the duty of machines and those who design them to understand people.<\/p>Don Norman (2013 p.6)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Don Norman states that it is the responsibilities of designers to create effective user-friendly content. When we get excited about new learning solutions like augmented reality or virtual reality, we still need to ensure they are designed in a way that will help learners, rather than leave them frustrated. We need to ensure the tech companies responsible for these learning solutions create a well-designed product that make students and designers happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recently read an article about how frustrating it can be when a classroom is forced to use a system that does not work for them (Hashir 2021<\/a>). The Reddit thread described a teacher who was so frustrated with the program his students were forced to use. He encouraged his students to take screenshots of every error they encountered and send them to the CEO (and other executives) of the technology company. This resulted in no longer being forced to use a program that did not work for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When design is done well, our jobs are made so much easier, but when it is not, or we are forced to use technology before it’s ready…mayhem can ensue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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