Week 4 | Creative Reading Reflection: The Design of Everyday Things, The Psychopathology of Everyday Things + Generative Text Assignment

Creative Reading Reflection – The Design of Everyday Things, The Psychopathology of Everyday Things:

Imagine trying to open a door, use a smartphone or operate a microwave and it’s just frustratingly confusing. That’s what the text talks about when it mentions “poor design.” Poorly designed everyday objects can lead to inconvenience, annoyance, and even accidents.

The reason behind this frustration is that many designers, whether they are industrial designers or interaction designers, often overlook a critical aspect of their work: understanding the people who will use their products. They might focus too much on making things look sleek or fancy without considering how users will interact with them.

The text also mentions that even simple things like stoves or washing machines can be overly complex, with too many buttons and settings. It’s like trying to pilot a spaceship when you just want to make some toast. These are instances where designers should prioritize simplicity and make sure that their products don’t overwhelm users with unnecessary features.

Ultimately, the key message here is that designers should put themselves in the shoes of the people who will use their creations. They should understand how we think, what we find easy or difficult, and what we need. This understanding should guide their design choices to create products that not only look good but also make our lives easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

Generative Text Assignment -Coldplay Lyrics Archive:

I created this assignment while listening to a Coldplay song, which ultimately led me to immerse myself in their entire discography. Coldplay’s lyrics are profoundly relatable and carry substantial meaning, which inspired me to develop a generative text program using Coldplay’s lyrics. My aim was to demonstrate that even when lyrics from different songs are combined, they can still cohesively convey a profound and meaningful message. It may not always make perfect sense, but the beauty lies in the words and the literary artistry that they create.

I opted for a text generative project rather than pursuing data visualization because I found it challenging to formulate a compelling concept within data visualization. While data visualization can be a powerful tool for conveying information, text generation allowed me to explore a different view, working artistic expression to convey meanings and to experiment with the beauty of words and literature

whenever you click: a new starry background and lyrics generate 🙂

Code:

I developed this code with the guidance of Professor Michaels, who provided a “roses are red” poem example. However, I simplified and extended it to incorporate a CSV file containing Coldplay lyrics instead of random words. This project presented some challenges, but thanks to the assistance of a friend and my perseverance through trial and error even if doesn’t make sense, I successfully completed the code. I also took care to ensure that the code is well-structured, easy to comprehend, and thoroughly explained by adding comments to elucidate each step of the process.

  let lyric_lines = []; 

  
  // loading the CSV file that has the coldplay lyrics
  function preload() {
  lines = loadStrings("coldplay_lyrics.csv");
  photo = loadImage("coldplaymeme.jpeg");
  
}
  // set up function to set up the canvas 
  // text size and position, and if it loops or not
  function setup() {
  createCanvas(300, 300);
  textSize(14);
  textAlign(LEFT, TOP);
  noLoop();
}

  // function to generate the lyrics
  function generateLyricPoem() { 
  let lyricPoem = " ";

  // randomly select lines from the CSV
  // file that has coldplay lyrics
  let coldplay_line1 = random(lines);
  let coldplay_line2 = random(lines);
  let coldplay_line3 = random(lines);

  // construct the poem with randomly
  // selected lines 
  lyricPoem = lyricPoem + coldplay_line1 + "\n";
  lyricPoem = lyricPoem + coldplay_line2 + "\n";
  lyricPoem = lyricPoem + coldplay_line3;

  // return statement to return the lyrics
  return lyricPoem; 
}

  // draw function to draw the lyrics + star background
  function draw() {
    
  background(0); // background color to black
  
  drawStars(100); // the number of stars
    
  // new variable of generateLyricPoem
  let drawlyric = generateLyricPoem(); 
  
  // filling, displaying and positioning + (x,y,h,w)
  // the text contain in drawlyric 
  fill(255);
  text(drawlyric, 20, 20, 360, 100);  
    
  // checks if the image has been loaded
  if (photo) { 
  image(photo, 85, 120,150,150);
  }
  
}

  function drawStars(howManyStars) {
  noStroke(); // no outline for stars
  fill(255); // sets color to white

  for (let i = 0; i < howManyStars; i++) {
    let x = random(width); // random x-coordinate
    let y = random(height); // random y-coordinate
    let size = random(1, 5); // random star size
    ellipse(x, y, size, size); // draw a star
  }
}


  // drawing a new canvas to generate 
  // a new poem on mouse click
  function mouseClicked() {
  draw(); 
}

 

Reflection:

I faced numerous challenges throughout this project, often relying on trial and error to find solutions. At times, I questioned whether my approach aligned with the requirements for the generative text homework assignment. To clarify my understanding, I’ve scheduled a meeting with Professor Michael to seek guidance and discuss my progress.

 

 

Leave a Reply