Week 2 outside of class

We were to read Mobile First chapter 3. It was about the capabilities of mobile devices. Even though mobile devices have natural constraints, it doesn't mean they are inferior. This just means that developers must use all they can to the fullest extent. The author tells a story about going through the Tube in London. He says he can easily download a PDF map off his laptop but would rather use the mobile app Nearest Tube which, "relies on access to a mobile’s location
detection services, digital compass (or magnetometer), video
camera, and accelerometer." This makes finding your way in the Tube as easy as looking at your screen. It is clear that both versions solve the same problem but in their own ways. The app version uses location information to aid in the searching experience. Mobile devices are made to be moved around a lot so the accelerometer allows the website to respond accordingly to the direction it is being held. This can turn the limited screen space into a benefit. More benifits and features of mobile devices include:

Direction: from a digital compass
Gyroscope: 360 degrees of motion
Audio: input from a microphone; output to speaker
Video and image: capture and input from a camera
Dual cameras: front and back
Device connections: through Bluetooth
Proximity: device closeness to physical objects
Ambient light: light/dark environment awareness
NFC: Near Field Communications through RFID readers.


We were to also read part of IID (Interdisciplinary Interaction Design). A content inventory is a process of taking stock of the information on a website. A content audit is the tool used to carryout a content inventory, usually in a grid formate. Diverging is keeping an open mind and being open to all possibilities, while converging is narrowing your idea down to the final conclusion. When designing it is common to forget basic human needs, which is why Abraham Maslow created a hierarchy of needs with basic needs on the bottom and more specific needs on top. Shannon and Weaver's communication model is used to show the basic flow of communication, but also shows use how easy it can be to be misunderstood.