Week5B

Today in class we mainly continued to work on our overall flowcharts. There was a lot of little stuff that we had to change so we made some of those changes in class. We went through the flowcharts and made a universal key for all of the flowcharts so they were the same size. We went in and corrected all of the arrows and found a new typeface for the secondary type. Devin and Paul added some illustrations and organized things on the chart. What we have here is a work in progress.

AIGA Job Forum

I learned a lot at the job forum on Thursday night. I think it was really important to hear from designers themselves on the best things to do when going to an interview. Some things I learned from them were to always be prepared, learn about what job you're interviewing for, have a short and long term plan, and talk about your skill set. Something important I picked up was find something at your current job that you would change. That shows that you're thinking of ways to improve things which is what design is all about. I also learned that I should ask questions when in an interview too. The reason is because it shows that you want to know more about the where you would potentially work. It shows that you care about what you do rather than you're just looking for a job. Some questions to ask are

Ask the interviewer what they think of the business
Ask what a typical day looks like
What makes something successful at the company

The interview should be a casual conversation and not something to be nervous about. I also learned that it's important to set yourself apart. Your resume and portfolio need to stand out. Make everything purposeful. If it doesn't have a purpose then get rid of it. Be respectful to them and yourself by being on time and organizing your work. Have multiple examples of different variations and ideation. Be enthusiastic. A lot of times less is more. Going simple can make things a lot clearer. At the end of an interview follow it up with an email by saying it was a great conversation and you appreciate their time.  I think it's also important to make the process more fun. This can help with the nerves and let the interviewer get to know you for you.

Week5A

Today in class we critiqued each other's layouts. We talked about what worked and what didn't. We suggested different layouts for each group to make their flowchart better. We also talked about our own flowchart. While we were waiting we changed a few things to make it better, things we saw on our own.  We took notes on what people said. Some of the things people said were...
figures are too big
typeface is boring, need to find another typeface
text is too small
maybe make the rink bigger
add titles to the flowcharts so they know what they are
show where the goalie is on the rink
move key to top right corner and make it smaller
organize content
describe terminology
boxes too small and not same size
indicate where flowchart starts
include what penalties mean
add scoring
add powerplay to penalty chart

Week4 Outside of class

Outside of class I worked on creating different styles of the visual translations we wanted. I made one set more solid than the other so we had an option for which theme we wanted to go with.

We also got together to finish the complete flowchart outside of class. We organized everything on the flowchart and added the visuals with explanations on it. We made sure we had a color scheme and layout.

Week4B

Today in class we continued to work on our flowchart. We separated the content so we were each productive during class. We had an overall layout of what our final flowchart will look like but it's in progress. During class I created a new flowchart of the overall game. We needed something explaining the basics of a game so that the viewer can understand that before they understand the more in depth parts. I sketched it out and then put into illustrator with the color scheme we established.

Week4A

In class today we critiqued other people's layouts and formats. We had to say what we thought was working and what we thought wasn't. We also continued to work individually on the separate parts. I worked on doing visual translations and creating a cohesive visual that we can take throughout our flowchart. We also as a group, decided what color scheme and layout wen wanted. We chose a simple one so that it doesn't get too complicated. We also figured out where to put everything on our final layout after we got critiqued.

Week3 Outside of class

Outside of class we had to come up with visual translations, style tiles, and an overall flowchart for the final layout. Me and Jared split the different styles up so we each did three. I created the ones on the right. The first is more literal and reflects that of hockey while the other two are simpler forms. I wanted it to reflect hockey colors and styles. We also had to read chapter 2 and 6 of each book. I really enjoyed Don't Make Me Think because it made me think about how users do things over and over again because its what they are comfortable with but it may not always be the best option.

Week3B

Today in class we continued to work on our flowchart project. We split the work up between flowcharts and visuals. Jared, Sam, and Paul worked on creating defense, offense, and penalty flowcharts that will be on our final project. Me and Devin worked on figuring out the layout of the whole project and its main components. After that we started doing visual translations of different aspects of the game of hockey. She drew a referee and a player and I drew some equipment. We discussed what we are going to do for the next part of the project. I am going to create some flowchart styles of different type, color, and arrow type. The rest are split up between the rest of the group.

Week3A

Today in class we critiqued everyone's flow charts. We went from group to group looking at their flow charts and seeing if there are any combinations/ changes to be made. What I saw in a lot of them were no end/start points, confusing connectivity, and wrong decision/action boxes. After the critique wen got into our groups and collaborated on how to combine some of the flowcharts to make one big one. We decided to combine the basics with defense and offense. We are staring to think about the overall project so we came up with a definition of hockey.

Hockey is a sport of 2 teams of 6 players each that fight for possession of the puck on ice and make various shots to attempt to score while at the same time the team defends the goal. After 3 20 minutes periods the team with the most points wins.

Joshua Buckwalter visit

Josh Buckwalter came to speak about User Experience and User Interface. I thought it was a really interesting and insightful talk. He started out by talking about the difference between the two. User experience is about the usability and information architecture while user interface is about the aesthetics and prototypes of a website. He also talked about different projects he worked on. The first was called Engine Yard. This was a company that hosted PHP apps. They did a lot of research by spending time with the client. They did different exercises to learn more about the product they want to produce. They had a card sorting exercise where they picked out different words they would want to describe the website. They created mock-ups and wireframes and eventually came up with the design. They used a term called sprints which means prioritizing what you accomplish weekly instead of having a set deadline. Another great thing he talked about was the open design hour. It is 20 minutes of individual exploration and then everyone  presents what they have. They then vote on the best design. I think this is a good way to explore everyone's ideas without shooting anyone down. The most important thing I learned was that you should always be curious. I should want to go out and ask people about their design and why did this or that. I would learn a lot more and become a better designer.

Week2 Outside of Class

Outside of class we had to  three different chapters this week. The first chapter was from User Experience. The expanded on the definition of it. The book said that UX is the creation and synchronization of the elements that affect the user's experience with a particular company, with the intent of influencing perceptions. It can be through touch, hearing, and even smell. Tangible things such as products can also influence a brand or company. A good website can't make up for a bad product. UX is a balance between logic and emotion. You need to have empathy so you can immerse yourself in the world of potential product users. Chapter 11 of this book went into specifics about site maps. It named a site map a simple way to display representative pages of a website. It also talked about task flows and the difference. I'm not sure what exactly the difference is until I do it myself. The chapter broke all of the components of a web page down. The most interesting to me were the mistakes. Even the smallest of details can misguide a user. The most important thing I learned from the other book was that you need to get rid of the question marks a user might have. I also worked on making my flow chart outside of class. I color coated everything and made a key so it is easier to understand.

Week2B

Today in class we went over our word lists and revised them. We put them into new categories according to what they are. We had to make sure that similar words were in the same categories. After we did that we talked about flow charts and how to create one using our sports. There are many different possibilities but we just have to narrow it down some and create a general flow chart for our choice. I did a flow chart on the Results of a penalty and the picture above is the result that I got.

Key Concepts:

Positions/Players:

Left Wing

Right Wing

Center

Goalie

Enforcer

Referee

Linesman

Offense

Defense

Outcomes:

Win

Lose

Tie

Foul 

Penalty

Overtime 

Equipment:

Padding

Stick

Skates

Helmet

Gloves

Puck

Rounded rectangle rink

Ice

Goal Net

Dimensions:

From defending zone to blue line

From attacking zone to blue line

Center Red Line divides the rink in half

Goal Line

Goal crease line

2 attacking face off circles

2 defending face off circles

1 neutral face off circle

4 neutral zone face off spots

Goal tender trapezoid

Referee crease

boards

Time:

3 periods of 20 minutes

1 point per goal

2 minute penalty

5 minute penalty

10 minute penalty

5-20 minute overtime

ice time

30 second timeout

Actions:

Shot

Face off

Penalty Shot

Power Play

Checking

Passing

breakaway

clearing the puck

odd man rush

shootout 

penalty kill

substitute

short-handed goal

Full strength

rebound

wrap around

wrist shot

hat trick

Penalties/Fouls:

Offsides

Minor

Double Minor

Goal Tender

Icing

Misconduct

High Sticking

Interference

Hooking

Holding

Slashing

Crease 

Clipping

Roughing

fighting

Zones:

Attacking/Offensive zone

Defensive zone

Neutral zone

Week2A

In class we went over the research that we did about our sport. Each group presented on the information that they learned from the research. We learned a lot about the rules about hockey. We learned that there are a lot of penalties. The game is fairly simple. We also took notes on different mapping principles for our research. We learned about flowcharts, task models, user journeys, funnel diagrams, and site maps. We went over examples of each to see what they show visually. We also created a list of words relating to the sport hockey. We had to categorize the words into key concepts, things of medium importance, and minor details. This is what we came up with.

Key Concepts:
Period
Puck
Goalie
Center
Left Wing
Right Wing
Equipment
Faceoff
Players
Team
Referee
Rink
Offense
Defense
Penalty
Foul
Win
Lose

Tie
Score
Game
Point
Shot
Net
Ice
Lines
Zone
Passing
Linesman

Of medium importance:
Offsides
Minor
Double Minor
Goal Tender
Icing
Misconduct
Penalty Shot
Power Play
Stick penalties
Interference
High sticking
Overtime
Hooking
Holding
Defensive Zone
Offensive Zone
Neutral Zone
Crease Line
Checking
Clipping
Division
Substitute
Blue Line
Goal Line
Breakaway
Trapezoid

Minor Details
Short-handed goal
Zamboni
Net
Skates
Gloves
Boards
Enforcer
Full strength
Fighting
Hat-Trick
Slashing
Rebound
Roughing
Wrap around
Wrist shot

This is offsides.

This is an example of sticking. It would be a goalie penalty because he is hitting the goalie.

This is what the referee does when he calls an interference. Below is a picture depicting what interference might look like in an actual game.

Week1 Outside of Class

On Monday we had homework. It was to read the article "The Difference Between Usability and User Experience". The article not only talked about the differences but also the similarities. Usability is more concerned with the effectiveness and goal unlike user experience which is concerned with all aspects of the experience. Usability is all about making it easy for the user to use so they don't get frustrated. User experience is about whether the user is happy and if it was a delightful experience. A simpler way of saying is that usability is a part of user experience. Along with usability there is utility, desirability, and brand experience. These all contribute to the overall experience of a user.

We also had to get information and research about the sport that was assigned to us. Our group has hockey. I talked to my brother about it because he is a hockey player and he told me all about the rules and what to except of a game.
This is what we talked about:

Me: Can you tell me about any rules or penalties in hockey.

Steven:

Offside- when the team with the puck enters the offensive zone before the puck does. That means any team members that cross the blue line completely before the puck.

Icing- Icing the puck is when one team shoots the puck form their side to the other side of the rink without it being touched.If the team defending touches it the play is dead and the face off goes to the other teams end.

2 minute penalty (minor)- The team that the penalty is against becomes 1 player short and it becomes 5 on 4 play.

Double minor (If you draw blood or do 2 penalties) – It can be a 4 min penalty of 4 on 5 or the team takes 2 separate penalties and they are used when the referee decided to call the penalty.

Goal tender interference-If you make contact with goal tender. If you go in the crease which is the box around the goalie, there is no penalty but there used to be.

Penalty shot: Awarded if a person has the opportunity with a 1 on 1 shot to the goal but the other team trips them or does a penalty, the tripped team gets a penalty shot.

Power Play- The team that is not down a player during a penalty has the power play. If the team scores the penalty is over. If it's a 5 minute penalty for fighting and a team scores then the penalty is not over and they can score until the penalty time runs out.

Stick penalties- One is hooking which is taking your stick and hitting it into any part of someone that isn't their stick and obstructing them. Slashing is swinging the stick with force onto another players stick or their body. It has to break or knock the stick out of their hands to be a penalty.

If the team that got sticked touches puck and continues the play the high sticking is null and void.

Misconduct penalties-It is a 10 minute penalty awarded with another previous penalty. A player has to sit out of the game for 10 minutes. This doesn't make a power play.

Game misconduct- A player can't play for a whole game.

If a penalty has been called, the ref will put his arm in the air. The play doesn't stop until the team that commits penalty has control of the puck.

Delayed penalty- 6 vs. 5 This is when the 1 team pulls their goalie from the rink.

FOULS:

Fighting foul- This is a 5 minute penalty. Players from both teams drop their gloves and sticks and start fighting.

Interference- When one player impedes the progress of the other team's player when the puck isn't nearby or has just been gotten rid of.

High sticking- If your own stick is above your shoulders and hits somebody else it is a penalty.

Regular high sticking -The play is blown dead and given to defending teams side.

If the puck is touched with a high stick and it goes into the net then its disallowed which means it doesn't count.

EQUIPMENT:

Team members wear shin pads, hockey pants, a cup, elbow pads, shoulder pads, a helmet, and hockey gloves.

The goalie has goalie pads instead of shin pads, a chest protector instead of shoulder pads, a glove hand, and a blocker which is the off hand.

RULES:

If the puck goes out of bounds (over the glass) it will start in whichever zone's team that hit it in the first place.

Odd man rushes- The team with the puck has 1 or more players than defending team in a rush. Sides aren’t even and they rush towards the goalie with the puck.

If the goalie ever hits the puck the play is dead and it goes to face off on the goal side of the ice.

There's a spot behind the net (the trapezoid) which was added recently. It's the only place the goalie is aloud to go beside the box. He's not aloud to go into the corners but he can come up to red line.

Passing-You can pass with any part of your body except with your gloves. You can pass with glove if your in your zone but if your'e outside of the blue line, it's considered to be a hand pass and the play is dead. They would then have a face off in the nearest face off circle.

Overtime is a 5 min period.The game play is 4 vs. 4. If it takes longer than 5 mins they go to a shootout.

Shootout -3 on each side. Whoever has the most goals after 3 shots wins. They keeps going until 1 team scores and the other teams saves.

In the playoffs overtimes is considered whoever scores first and there's no shoot out.

There are 2 refs and 2 linesmen.

REFS call penalties and sometimes offsides and icing.

LINESMEN call offside and high sticking and drop the puck at face off.

There are 3 periods of 20 minutes each. If there is a tie it goes into overtime.