What’s something (not mentioned in the reading) that drives you crazy and how could it be improved?
What drive me crazy is the back of a normal wooden HB pencil once the eraser is finished. It is understandable that the metal band was designed to secure the eraser, but what if I excessively used it throughout handwriting and hear a screeching sound, similar to nails on a chalkboard? Nowadays with new materials used to secure erasers on pencils, I believe they should get rid of the metal band on the pencil end.
- The metal band itself can feel uncomfortable when touched or pressed against the skin. It’s often slightly sharp and can feel like it’s tugging at your fingers or the paper.
- When I have to erase something on a page unintentionally, it would be sharp enough to tear the paper apart.
I wish that these wooden pencils at least replace the metal bands with materials like rubber, silicon since to me, rubber and silicon would give the pencil a soft, smooth feel, and they’d be less likely to scratch or irritate your fingers.
How can you apply some of the author’s principles of design to interactive media?
To apply these principles, it ensures that technology aligns with human needs, making systems more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable to use. With the use of his principle of affordances, it can help users understand what actions are possible, while signifiers provide clear cues to guide them, like buttons, links, and things the mouse can hover over, so that it can be accessible to the users. To me, a well-designed model for websites and apps helps users predict how a system works. While technology can make tasks easier, it can also add complexity, so designers must carefully balance functionality, usability, and aesthetics to create a smooth and engaging experience.