Demonstrating a design theory:
In my design theory class, we were each assigned a chapter/theory for a project. My chapter/theory was “Our Attention is Limited; Our Memory is Imperfect.” In this project, our goal was to demonstrate the theory in a creative way.
About the theory:
This theory is about the strengths and weaknesses of our memory/attention. To explain a little more, long-term memory is stored in neurons and the older memories start to lose details as new ones come in. People need tools to augment long-term memories. User-interface design can either help support memory or burden it depending on the design. Working memory is the most important type of short-term memory. Our working memory is limited so our attention is selective and restricted.
How I chose to demonstrate the theory:
I chose to demonstrate this theory through an app/game. Here is my finished prototype video below:
How I got here:
I started with my goal, researched, and then comes the hard part. The most challenging part of this project for me was to actually come up with solutions to demonstrate this theory (ideate). To come up with ideas, I did an exercise called Crazy 8’s. This is where you have a grid of 8 and you have 1 minute to sketch out each idea.
From there, I chose the app idea and started working on the prototype. When designing my prototype, I was really focusing on making it presentable and user-friendly. I wanted it to be challenging, but not too challenging.
How it demonstrates the theory:
This demonstrates the theory that our memory is imperfect, and our attention is limited. We get distracted easily and also information can be lost easily from our working memory. Thus, this game/challenge would demonstrate these things.
Testing:
I think the testing part of the process was really helpful as I got to see the game in action. I got useful information as they all agreed it demonstrated the theory for different reasons. Here are some of the replies I got when I asked if it demonstrated the theory creatively:
- “Yes, because it is easy to get distracted by things like the clock and it shows the memory is imperfect because you forget the pattern quickly when it is removed.”
- “I think it does because I find it easy to get distracted and forget things, especially when there is pressure or a time limit.”
The testing helped me to see where any holes were, what needed to be changed, and overall if this really does demonstrate the theory well.
This project really taught me how important it is to have a process when designing and not just start making things willy nilly. I think the most important things I learned was research a lot and set your goal before you start. Research helps you in so many ways and I have definitely learned the importance of it. The end result will be much better, more complete, and actually be a solution to the problem.
