Website discovery- Yugop

Following my last blog, simplicity in process appears to be a way in which to gain genuine charm. Users like to feel fundamental to the process that is occuring. Also understanding that process helps to reduce the feeling of alienation between man and machine. Sean Hall suggested the website of Yugop as an example of this. It shows a wave on screen which begins to move with the movement of the cursor. A simple interaction where using my process equilibrium theory the input versus output weighting is even. The more the user exerts and makes the cursor move the more movement occurs in the wave on screen. The user is able to relate to this and therefore understands themself as key in the process of interaction. This helps bring charm to the digital object.

5th December- Charm Survey

I conducted a survey with the objects shown. Asking every respondent to indicate which objects had emotional effect on them as well as, what items did they believe would they keep longer than 10 years.

The results were as i expected and the more basic the process behind the product the more effect the object had on the user. The objects were for this reason, in general, older. However, i eradicated any nostalgia sentiment for objects by asking all respondents to pass on any of the objects that they had previously owned. I am still a little skeptical because I am aware that people tend to warm towards older objects due to their richness of history. Having said this the reason for negativity towards current objects is only because of bad design creating no emotion with the user.

I believe relationships and value to build over time and the only way in which a user can gain time with an object is to feel emotional towards it and therefore, reluctant to throw it away. The most obvious way of gaining attachment is involvement and interaction with the object. The more interaction on the user's behalf the greater connection there can be between the object and user.

1st december- Gramaphone theory

Gramaphone test.



Whilst writing this week. I came up with an experiment to carry out regarding gramaphones and tape recording versus digital recording. I took two recordings of Louis Armstrongs 'What a Wonderful world' and recorded the tape version digitally and the digital version on tape. In theory this would capture the warmth of tape whilst keeping the purity of digital. The blend was not quite as hoped for! However, the layering of analogue and digital is interesting and the way in which analogue warmth can be 'captured' is making me wonder in which ways could i possibly try and bottle the 'warmth.'