Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Critique of Paramus Park Mall

"Visual organization is the deliberate prioritization of meaning within a visual design. It's the process of applying the principles behind perception to illuminate relationships between content and actions."
-Luke Wroblewski

The abandonment of Paramus Park Mall made it a particularly interesting public space to analyze. One of the largest malls in the state was built 5 miles away from this shopping center, and the demise of this location is almost guaranteed.



Image credit:  http://www.labelscar.com/new-jersey/paramus-park-mall

The area pictured above is the most visually appealing space in the mall, and as you can see, it is not particularly impressive. The day I visited the fountain was not functioning, it was just a cloudy water pit. Skylights give the impression of openness and liveliness and have a positive impact on your mood. Unfortunately, the skylights are the only energetic feature in the entire mall. There are a number of vacant stores and the volume of shoppers is sparse. There is not a wide variety of stores, and an equally unimpressive selection of inventory within the stores. The stillness is almost uncomfortable, as there is no music to compensate for the lack of human noise. Space allocated for advertisements are mostly empty and the decor is unkempt. Overall, the lackluster environment does not encourage shoppers to spend their time there. 

The story communicated to the audience is one of despair- a mall that has been largely abandoned by shoppers, vendors, as well as the property manager.  It's clear that the structure has been largely neglected for a number of years, and it's largely apparent that the owners are not interested in reviving the atmosphere. The only thing that would seem to encourage customers to shop here is the convenience that stems from the lack of activity (abundant parking, no waiting in line, better service from store employees, etc..). I would be very surprised if the mall is still open a few years from now. 

Wayfinding 

The only sign for the mall is large metal figure that says "Paramus Park," which is located approximately 10 feet from the exit. Unless you are familiar with the mall, deciding where to park is a guessing game because the signage only directs you to the 2 largest stores in the mall, Macy's and Sears. The parking areas are appropriately labeled with numbers, which helps you find the general area your car is located (given you remember to look at the sign when you park). If you use one of the department store entrances, it is difficult to find your way out of the store because there is no signage to provide direction. If you enter the mall through the main entrances, the directory map is easy to locate.  I did not bring my camera, but the directory is on their website:

 


Elevators, stairs, customer service, and first aid are not represented on the directory. Macy's and Sears both have an upper level, which is not represented on the map. The list of stores on the directory is difficult to read because the font is so small,  and the list contains stores that are no longer in the mall.



Recommendations
Regardless of the scope of changes implemented, the mall will never be able to regain the volume of customers it once had. Paramus Park Mall cannot compete with the size, variety, attractions, and entertainment that the nearby mall provides. Therefore, the shopping mall should refine their target audience to appeal to a particular niche.  Considering about 95% of the stores are located on the lower level, and the mall is relatively small, it makes sense to focus on older shoppers. Generally, older customers prefer to shop in an environment that is calm, uncrowded, and highly functional. Creating an inviting and appealing atmosphere for this audience will require less investment than designing to appeal to the mass market. If the mall can gain a substantial volume of customers in this niche, stores that serve this segment will have no reason to leave. Marketers that promote products and services for this audience will fill empty advertising space. 


In relation to wayfinding, drastic signage improvements must be made. Roadsigns for the mall should be placed at least 1 mile before the exit. Entrances that are located within the department stores should contain directories, and signs should clearly guide customers to the other stores in the mall. The directory must be updated regularly to reflect the stores that are currently located in the mall. First aid, stairs, elevator, and customer service icons should be added to the legend and placed on the map accordingly.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Collage


"The only important thing about design is how it relates to people." -Victor Papanek




I used Vuvox to create a collage that provides examples of each of the devices in Baer's Design Toolkit (p. 90-121). Vuvox is an exceptional interactive tool that helps designers create a seamless presentation and proactive user experience. The designer can add "hotspots" to enrich contextual areas. For this presentation I added video hotspots, which open a relevant video in a new window when the viewer clicks the icon. Hotspots can also be used to add text, audio, and links to other webpages. Vuvox also offers a number of image manipulation tools. It is free, relatively simple to use, and provides comprehensive tutorials for users.


Sources for images used in this presentation:
Color
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/06/08/arts/08kuo.html
http://vi.sualize.us/view/6797f5739d8f076eaef839d7bd401ab0/

Type Styling
http://bestdesignoptions.com/?p=4076
http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Official-U_S_-Playstation-Magazine/82456

Weight and Scale
http://www.deannecheuk.com/print/art-direction-design/2654278
http://www.free-range.org.uk/cgi-bin/portfolio.pl?yearID=7&exhibitionID=78&memberID=2176

Structure
http://www.time.com/time/magazine

Grouping
http://www.mikewirthart.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/howlawsmadeWIRTH2.jpg
http://www.minnesotaplaylist.com/

Graphic Elements
http://pulse2.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/how-long-will-it-last.jpg
http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/health

Imagery
http://pulse2.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/humans-vs-animals.jpg
http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/health
http://pulse2.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Picture-224.png

Sound and Motion
http://www.snoarc.no/#/projects/
http://www.lightandmotion.com/


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Mapping


"Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from" -Gavin Degraw

Information designers utilize mapping techniques to show where objects are located in relation to one another. Mapping is an incredibly versatile tool that “makes all kinds of ideas about the spatial relationships of objects unexpectedly clear” (Roam, 2009, p. 166). Information maps are used to create a visual connection between interrelated concepts, structures, or processes in a clear and incisive manner. According to Horn (1994), information mapping makes it easier to write technical materials, provide more specific content and analysis, and leads to more effective and efficient learning.

Applications of mapping in information design:
  • Wayfinding
  • Infographics
  • Wireframes 
  • Blueprints
  • Information architecture, such as sitemaps
  • Project documentation: team organizational chart, work plan diagram, etc. (Baer, 2009, p. 34)
  • Diagrams
  • Webbing
  • Matrix
  • Charts
  • Timeline
  • Structure mapping
  • Process mapping
  • Concept mapping



Concept mapping has become increasingly useful as a research tool and an instructional technique to facilitate meaningful learning” (Novak, J. & Gowin, B. & Johansen, G., 2006).  For this blog post, I created concept maps to demonstrate each step in Roam’s visual thinking process: look, see, imagine, show.  Then I created a process map that demonstrates visual thinking as it really happens (Roam, 2009, p. 41). 




Once I sketched out my process map, I used Microsoft Office object palette to create concept maps for the four steps in the visual design process:














References:

Baer, K. (2008). Information Design Workboook. Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Horn, R. (1994, March). Information Mapping. Training in Business and Industry. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDEQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stanford.edu%2F~rhorn%2Fa%2Ftopic%2Fstwrtng_infomap%2FartclInfoMappingTraining.pdf&ei=tetrT4yDDKjs0gHq7N3HBg&usg=AFQjCNEuhfBo-eisnCTPYQPtnUyvIpZMBA&sig2=QODvhG1cgYU7p79EQPTRrQ

Jacobson, R. (1999). Information Design. Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Novak, J. & Gowin, B. & Johansen, G. (2006). The use of concept mapping and knowledge vee mapping. Cornell University. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.3730670511/abstract

Roam, D. (2009). The back of the napkin: Solving problems and selling ideas with pictures. New York: Penguin Group.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Informational Design Process

"People ignore design that ignores people." -Frank Chimero

Designing information for a particular audience is a problem solving process that requires careful thought, collaboration, and planning. Each step of the process is described in the graphic below (Baer, 2008): 

* Please click on the graphic to view enlarged image
This process ensures that the client and the design team are on the same page throughout each phase of the project. The only improvement I suggest is to include more information about the target audience during the creative brief and collaborate with representative audience members during the development of personas and scenarios. This will prevent the team from making assumptions about the audience that may mislead designers during the prototype development phase. I think that the preliminary questions are the most important phase of the project because it is imperative to gain a thorough understanding of the client's unique needs and develop a collaborative relationship in order for the project to be successful.

For my blog, I have considered how to present information to members of the class in a clear and concise manner. I have created graphics to help the audience gain a better understanding of key messages. I have used feedback from my classmates to edit the content of posts and consider their recommendations in later posts. I considered the importance of a user-centric design and arranged the elements of the blog to give the important features greater visibility. I have eliminated certain elements that I felt were not necessary for the audience's purposes. This process has also helped me understand that I cannot look at the entire class as one audience, because we have different learning styles and technical experience.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Information Interaction Design

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." - Henry Davis Thoreau

Nathan Shedroff’s theory of information interaction design integrates three design disciplines as demonstrated in the concept map below:

Sherdoff focuses on creating meaningful interactions by giving the audience the ability to actively contribute to the experience. The strengths and weaknesses of his theory are listed in the chart below:

Interactivity is giving the audience the ability to control tools, pacing, or content to be productive or creative (p. 283). Blogs provide a forum for interactivity because viewers can add comments to your posts and share your blog on social media sites. The blogger site gives the designer the ability to include many other interactive features through gadgets and HTML coding. I plan to include many of these features in my blog, including a poll, search bar, links to other useful websites, as well as other tools. 

Shedroff's theory also discusses the importance of organizing and presenting information in a way that gives meaning. I have incorporated graphic organizers, bulleted lists, colors, and font elements to summarize information and emphasize important content. This theory also discusses the role of sensorial design, and I plan to include different forms of presentation media to stimulate the audiences' senses.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Informational Design Basics

"Good design encourages a viewer to want to  learn more" -Alexander Isley


The goal of informational design is to “present the right information to the right people at the right time, in the most effective and efficient form” (Jacobson, 1999, p. 15). This discipline is still evolving and integrates research from diverse areas of study, including graphic design, technology, computer interface design, advertising, communications, and educational psychology.  While the meaning of informational design is debated amongst practitioners, there is one principle that all agree on: creating meaning for the intended audience through effective communication.

Informational Design and Cognition

Since we are constantly inundated with visual stimuli, our brain overlooks a majority of the information presented in the environment. Therefore, informational designers must consider cognitive issues that lead to the active processing of information (Cross):
  • Perception
  • Interpretation
  • Understanding
  • Interacting


Communication is only effective if the audience pays attention, engages, and retains new knowledge. The design of visual communication determines how the brain will translate data into information that is meaningful and valuable.


Informational designers should understand the differences between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom:


Informational designers should create communications that develop knowledge. Knowledge is the highest level of understanding designers can affect directly, and these messages are the most valuable and memorable for the audience (p. 273).

Creating a Balance

Aesthetic features create a strong visual appeal, while functional characteristics ensure that information is presented effectively. “Aesthetic form and functionality need to go hand in hand, providing insights into a rather sparse and complex data set by communicating its key aspects in a more intuitive way” (Friedman, 2008).  

Effective visual communication requires a delicate balance between the aesthetic and functional aspects of informational design.

Visual Design


The elements of visual communication have a tremendous impact on how users access, learn, and remember information (Canali De Rossi).
 

The most visually appealing design is useless if it fails to “simplify, integrate, filter, and selectively emphasize information” in a way that creates meaning for the intended audience (Canali De Rossi). The aesthetic and functional value of each of these elements must be carefully evaluated when designing visual communication.


To close this discussion, I thought it would be fun to show an example of the worst informational design that I was able to find: