The chapters entitled Images, Power, and Politics provides a basic overview of visual images and the myth of photographic truth. It explains that viewing an image is more than just a mechanical act of perceiving a replication of realty, but rather an event in which meaning is derived from socially constructed truths through cultural ideologies, personal experience, and countless other attributes. This is the second time I have read this text, first in visual communication, and the second time around its meaning is more profound. The myth of photographic truth implies that photographs are absolute representations of realty. Photographs are often used as indisputable evidence in criminal proceedings, as well as determining whether an event occurred in history or not. This viewpoint implies that photographs are taken without bias, perspective, or any other subjective means. In order for a photograph to be absolute representations of reality they must, by default, be completely objective. However photographs are taken by people, whether through the lens of a camera or through the programming and placing of surveillance cameras. Perspective is applied in each case, and with perspective comes subjectivity. That subjectivity is based on ideologies and conventions, which in turn is how images are created and perceived: both the signifier and the signified.
Kolko (9 - 51)
"Interaction Design is the creation of a dialouge between a person and a product, system, or service. This dialouge is both physical and is manifested in the interplay between form, function. and technology as experienced over time." In short Interaction design is the design of interactions. It is a combination of human-centered design, usability, human-factors, cognitive psychology, art, engineers, computer science, ...you get the idea. Its sole purpose is that at the root of any design project is HUMANITY. Design is done for PEOPLE to use. (simply put) One of the most helpful sections of this reading was the chart on page 22 which lists out the project process by phase (according to Kolko). That process is: define, discover, synthesize, construct, refine, and reflect. Each of these different phases employ different "fields" and expertise to contribute. One of the fascinating aspects of this flow chart was the "discover" section. Kolko further explains that during the discovery phase a project will produce research on user mental models, user process models, user's relation to context, and a summary of current products meeiting needs. This portion, discovery, is one of the most difficult to accomplish. In my opinion it is because people do not know how to accurately articulate what they want, and even if they know what they really want. It is a difficult job for a designer to determine what an individual really wants/needs in any given product or experience. Being able to tune into the individual consumer's hidden needs takes a lot of research, time, and money. Something that most companies simply cannot do. Instead we witness a system of trial and error between companies and consumers. A company releases a project/device/service and consumers can respond through channels that the company allows, and through social media outlets. Every single retail website on the internet, has a location for user-reviews. This reviews are incredibly important not only to would-be-buyers, but also to the designers. What was wrong with this version? What could we update in the next version? Take even the book Kolko wrote. This book (at least the one I have) is the 2nd version. Kolko practiced what he preached. This is an ongoing process that shows a small glimmer of the potential of technology. "Yet these products - seemingly the best of the best - only hint at the capabilities of technology, if applied in a humanistic and aesthetically relevant manner." Think back to the first introduction of the iPod, which mind you was only 11 years ago (roughly). Compare that product to the current iPhone or iPod touch and the differences are staggering. Its easy to point to smaller battery size, faster processor, better screen, etc. as the obvious technology improvements. However that is not what makes the product so much better now than before, it is better because its better to USE.
Another section talks about the "over the wall" problem in businesses. Which basically means that separate departments, such as engineering, design, and marketing, are just that: separate. It is obvious that certain people are "married" to their given profession and believe that it is of upmost importance. It is the interaction designer's job to be sure that one of those "professional areas" is people and humanity. Which, in order to be effective, must permeate all aspects of product/service creation. The problem is that often times motives apart from the user push product creation. Hence why the world is cluttered with things that are pointless (at least fromt he perspective of a user-centered designer). This is an exmaple:What do people need? Of course! A way to smoke 20 cigarettes at once!
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