CCDN 231EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IDEAS

PROJECT THREE

CONTEXTUALISATIONGood design manipulates and generates sensory and emotional response; �nite feelings and moods can be constructed through design, and realised through experience. Withdrawing or including certain elements within a given design has an inherent e�ect on the sensory and emotional response generated. Drawing on the observations and experimentation in projects one and two, I’ve used digital media design techniques to develop a response-generating experience. My intent in creating the experience was to construct the feeling of glamour within the user.

When discussed during tutorials, it was suggested that the concept of glamour might be di�cult to construct using only digital elements. Consequently, the research that informed my design choices was focused solely on conventions of glamorous interface design, or ‘digital glamour’. The associations that humans have with digital objects and experiences, speci�cally those that inspire feelings of glamour, are di�erent to those made in the material world. If a digital media experience can give the impression that it is innovative, ubiquitous and re�ned, it will be associated with wealth and glamour. Physical glamour is visually characterised by embellishment and detail (Dyhouse, C. 2011, p. 45-47). Glamorous digital objects are more frequently characterised by minimalism and restraint (Norman, D.A. 2004, p.139-143).

The EDIbank (experimental design ideas bank) interface is a reinterpretation of a typical ATM interface designed to embody the concept of digital glamour. The experience was created in Adobe Flash Catalyst, with graphical elements created in Photoshop and Illustrator. Due to practical limitations, the implantation of the EDIbank interface utilises a laptop trackpad and simple point-and-click navigation. However, my experience is intended to be a mock-up of what would ideally be a touch-screen interface.

The di�erences between the interface that I designed and the typical ATM are primarily visual and structural. A consistent, digitally glamorous visual style is implemented, rich with polished animation, graphics and type. The intent of my use of visual richness was to establish a stark contrast with the austere look of current ATMs, where beauty is decidedly deprioritised. In technology, beauty and glamour are inexplicably linked; by using “a pleasing design, one that looks good and feels—well—sexy, behaviour seems to go along more smoothly, more easily, and better. Attractive things work better” (Norman, D.A. 2002, p. 41).

The design of the EDIbank interface follows a strict colour scheme of warm yellows and rich oranges. The motivation behind using this choice of colours was to convey a sense of glamour and elitism. Another bene�t that motivated the choice of colours was that there are no New Zealand banknotes that are yellow or orange, and this guaranteed that the skeuomorphist design of the withdrawal page, whose upper region is canvassed with images of New Zealand banknotes, would be visually striking.

Across the entire interface, I chose to use only the Gotham family of typefaces in di�erent weights, this was a choice made to establish a stark contrast between my design and the design of typical ATMs, whose use of ubiquitous sans serif fonts such as Arial and Helvetica was viewed by my interview subjects as “trite” and “decidedly un-glamourous”.

Although visual �air is crucial in constructing glamour, the steps necessary to achieve glamour within an experience aren’t merely visual. In the EDIbank ATM the order, number and nature of the steps a user must take to withdraw cash are also altered.

When deciding upon the order and structure of the EDIbank interface, my intent was to embody “the revolutionary intimacy of the interface” that has the potential “to move [the] nervous system” when designed thoughtfully (Mosco, V. 2004, p. 185). By crafting the various stages of the ATM withdrawal process to feel logical and intuitive, I created an experience that succeeds in inspiring a mood of elitism and glamour.

The user begins by placing one (or any number) of their �ngertips on the screen for a �ngerprint scan, this is used to verify identity and de-necessitates the memorisation of pin numbers and the carrying of an ATM card. Once the scan is complete, the user is greeted by name with on-screen text, and the options to withdraw, transfer and deposit funds are displayed, as well as the users’ balance.When the user chooses to withdraw, an empty envelope appears on-screen, as well as stacks of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Instead of typing a dollar amount (as one would with a typical ATM), the user is able to choose the speci�c combination of notes that they would like. A physical envelope containing these bills is then dispensed, and the user is asked if they require any more services. The user is then either signed out of the ATM and thanked or redirected to the main menu, based on whether they answer yes or no.

Accompanying the glamourized visuals is a soothing soundscape. During the experience, a half-hour long ambient track plays through stereo speakers mounted behind the participants. I created the soundscape by digitally manipulating and overlaying multiple pieces of classical music by Bach (Sarabande, Bourree II, Rondeau and Badinerie). The orchestral pieces themselves were also pitch-shifted, slowed down and obscured with reverb, echo and delay e�ects. Within the Flash Catalyst composition, I also added ‘shimmering �ute’ sounds to coincide with any button pushes, as well as any signi�cant events within the interaction, such as completed �ngerprint scans and withdrawals. Five di�erent �ute samples were used in total, all of which were in the same key as the orchestral soundscape. The intent of the soundscape was to increase user immersion, and was a direct response to my interviewees’ complaints about the aural performance of ATMs during project one.

Ultimately, I feel that the EDIbank ATM interface was a successful project. Both in constructing the feeling of glamour, and in providing a realistic alternative to the status quo of ATM interface design.

KIRAN MATTHEWS-GHOSH 300 227 986

REFERENCES

Dyhouse, C. (2011) Glamour: Women, History, Feminism. London: Zed Books. 45-47.

Gundle, S. (2008) Glamour: A History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mosco, V. (2004). Cyberspace and the End of History 6. In: The digital sublime. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. 185.

Norman, D.A. (2002). Emotion & design: attractive things work better. Interactions, 9(4), 41.

Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic books. 139-143.

TUTOR: MEREDITH