Le Dernier Poste

No articles this time, all I will write here will be in reference to my memories and experiences of this class.

1.  What seminar readings, exercises, or assignments were most challenging, interesting, or rewarding for you? Why?

The readings I liked the most were the ones by Norman; The Design of Everyday Things and Emotional Design. I actually do not know why they were more interesting than others, it's probably just the concept. Also, in both articles rather talking about things I didn't know or I hadn't thought about, Norman talked about 'everyday things' — common knowledge everyone has but never names — and defined terms to address them. Maybe this was what made them interesting; being introduced a professional perspective to things that I was already familiar with.

When it comes to picking the best exercise, of course, It was the egg drop! (Or was it an assignment?) Either way, it was fun! And it wasn't just fun, we were introduced to a concept through it which lead to a discussion.

I also enjoyed talking about retail store design, how people make you 'get in there and buy stuff'. That really raised awareness in all of us, I believe. Now when I walk into a store, I check for the things that Paco had talked about. The discussion was also interesting until people started talking about store I had no idea about, I felt like an alien.

2.  What are the most important things you learned in this semester?

As I have said, the concept Underhill introduces were pretty important, and interesting. In addition to learning from a reading, I learned from experiencing. The group presentation for the 9th week was challenging but a very educational assignment. I had done group presentations but this was the most serious and the most intense one, however, I really liked how my group did. Especially, meeting at least two times before every deadline.

            

3.  How might you use this learning in the future?

I believe, in any job I will have in the future, I can and will use knowledge I acquired in this seminar. It was really mind-opening and didactic. 

I would also like to add something. It wasn't only when people talked about retail stores that I felt like an alien. Most of the time I didn't have much of an idea what people were talking about. People mostly talked about American culture and its elements, like Forever 21, American Eagle... I know, that that is the culture of most of the participants of the class and I cannot expect them to talk about the stuff in Europe, but still it was though for me to follow. I really had a hard time finding something to say, and also, I always debated whether to talk about something from back home thinking people would be like; 'what is he talking about?' Therefore my discussion participation was impaired. Both that I didn't understand what people were saying and that what I had to say would be alien to them... So, I would not advice this class to international students, it is do-able, but still a hard time.

Thank you for the quarter! In general I had a great time! Best seminar ever!!!

         

Everybody is going GREEN!

It is still the 19th of November; I hope this does not fall into late submission :)



The article for the last group presentation is The Secret of Turning Consumers Green by Stephanie Simon.

1. What are the author's main points in the article?
     
   I believe the author has one main point. This main point is that peer pressure ads are very strong in directing crowds. He especially focuses on this technique's effect on going green.
     
2. Do you think you would be more affected by peer pressuring advertisements than advertisements promoting green?  
    
   To be honest, I believe I would be more affected by peer pressuring advertisements. I also believe that not only on this topic, but on many other topics peer pressure is very important. Peer pressure is a very powerful tool in making someone do something. Most people, although they would rather not accept it, are easily affected by what the crowd does.
     
3. Give a personal story of you buying a product because of its environmental design.
     
   After learning that spray deodorants contribute to ozone depletion, and after studying ozone depletion in chemistry, I bought less spray deodorants but more stick deodorants.
         
4. Give specific examples of products becoming environmentally-friendly.
     
   • The new Hybrid Cars
   • Plastics bags changing into environmentally-friendly bags
   • Water bottles
   • Household items like cleaning items
    

PS: I tried to write answers as long as I could to these questions, but the way they are asked makes it very hard to have a long and information-full answer. Especially the first three questions can (and most likely to be) answered by one sentence.

The Mountain and The Wave

Its time for my group's presentation! Here are the answers to our questions, and the article is "Specialty clothing retails this fall want to let shoppers know that they, too, are a brand" by Jennifer Steinhauer.

• Select a quote from this article and explain how it relates to clothing advertising and brand identity.
     " 'Today brands are built emotionally,' Ms. Lastrina said. 'You have to get a message across and show what the brand ideology means to her life.' " is almost the whole point in this article compressed into one sentence. Also, it is very relative to clothing advertising and brand identity. This shows how important the reflective elements of the design and the company is. The products aside, the image of the company is very important. Companies need to address the people prospective costumers in the emotional aspect also. What a brand stands for, what its iedology means to someone is very important in advertising.
    
• What are some examples of clothing companies that have iconic advertisements? Include an image of one of your examples and explain what it says about the brand. Who are they marketing to? What are they selling (both physically and reflectively)?
    
  I believe Quiksilver has iconic advertisements and an iconic image.

This is an example of an Quiksilver ad. The clothing is almost not visible. Obviously the guy is wearing some Quiksilver products but the main things on this picture are the board, which stands for surfing, and the wave/ the sea. The company is an icon for boarders; surfers, snowboarders, skateboarders... Although they sell all different kinds of clothing gear; from t-shirts and sweatshirts to wallets and bags, they promote themselves through ads based on one of these boarding sports. Their tactic can be perceived as just renewing and polishing their iconic image. They tell you; "if you want to be like a boarder, if you want to have their style, or if you are a boarder, you have to wear Quiksilver.

• How has brand image influenced your decision to buy or not buy clothing? Do the clothes define the people, or do the people define the clothes?
   
  Never a brand image made me buy one of their products. For an example, (I know they are for girls, but even if there was an equivalent to them for men), I would never buy an Ugg. I do not care if everyone has them, I do not care if they are popular. I just dislike their looks. I see Ugg's as Medieval clothing; like a sheep fur wrapped around one's feet.
  Furthermore, I believe clothing defines people. Or maybe defining is a very strong word at this point. But from the cloths they wear, assumptions can be made on people, and just like any other assumption these need not be true. However, everyone is going to keep on making assumptions and assuming their through. Therefore, the clothing one wears has an effect on how one is viewed by others.

No Sleep Till Brooklyn

Answering questions on Cookie Cutter Housing: Wrong Mix For Subdivisions by Rick Harrison.

1. What are the author's main points in this article?
     
   The main point of Harrison is that he dislikes Cookie Cutter Housing. His distaste aside, he has a few other key points. He believes in that ordinances should be reward-based instead of being minimum-based. The designers should think about the consumers, the people who will actually "live" in those houses. Another point Harrison emphasizes is that people should not be afraid to complain. He also points out that the area use of subdivisions is not successful.
     
2. How do you feel about subdivisions after reading this article? Are they a positive addition to city layouts or is urban sprawl a negative phenomenon? Why do you feel this way?
     
   If I am right with the meaning of the word subdivision, there are some subdivisions I have seen that host the exact houses all through the itself. I believe that these somehow give the feeling of security and belonging. I sometimes like these, but I now also agree with Rick Harrison. If the case is more similar to what he speaks of, like, same subdivisions, same houses all through the city, then he is right. However, the subdivisions I am familiar with are mostly grouped. Each subdivision consists of similar houses but the houses are different among different subdivisions, which gives the area variety I like.
      
3. Do you live in or near a subdivision? What about the author's viewpoints are true or false, in your view (how is this article relevant to what you know?)
    
   In Turkey, I do not live in a subdivision. On the opposite I live in the middle of the city, right next to the actual downtown and pretty close to the "social downtown". However, I have seen some subdivisions, which I have talked about in the previous question. I believe that answers this question also. The author has decent points on the concept he is talking about, however, not all subdivisions are like that, like I have said.

"Don't Click Here"

An article on why web-pages fail with a lot of examples; "Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015" by Vincent Flanders. Here are some Q&A on it, as my assignment:

1. How does this reading relate to the concept of user-focused design that we have discussed in class?
    
   This article is all about user-focused design. We basically said that things need to be easy to understand and easy to use for the user. This article says exactly the same. The second point of Flanders, "[people should] figure out what the site is about within four seconds", is very alike Norman's point that everyday objects' how-to-use should be understood in a few seconds. Almost all the other points of Flanders' article is about easy use: Links with explanation, user's needs before yours, not keeping the user from going where he wants to go, well-built navigation, etc...
     
2. What points do you feel are most important?
    
   I feel like point 6 is the most important one. NO WEB-PAGE SHOULD EVER BE LIKE THAT!  I also believe that aiming the web-page towards the user and meeting his needs rather than the designer's or the company's need is highly important, since the user is the one who is going to use the web-site, eh? Point #4 is also crucial, since I can recall many times I was frustrated that I could not get to the end of something (like shopping) because the site would keep throwing things at me... Furthermore, a web-page needs to be light-weighted! Especially, when there are a lot of graphics the text loads first and while waiting for the graphics to load the "naked text" looks very awkward and uninviting. Also, people (like me) might just get bored and close the window/tab.
     
3. Create your own list of important design factors for a web-page.
     
   Although being full of himself, Flanders' article is great. I believe it covers every point on the subject, I have nothing else to say but accepting his list as my "factors for a web-page".

Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything: 42

As almost always the case is, I am assigned an reading assignment and questions on it. However, this time, I have four questions at hand, rather than the general three. For this post, the article is The Future of Retail by Nicholas Negroponte.

1. Does Negroponte explicitly state his thesis? If so, identify it. If not, write your own thesis statement for his essay.
   
   Negroponte does not have an thesis explicitly stated in his article. My thesis statement for his article would be: "Retail is going to shift into digital in the future because it is, or will be with a few changes, more convenient than what retail is now.
    
2. How does this reading relate to Norman's concepts of user-focused design?
   
   Negroponte's main reason for thinking in such way is that online shopping is more user-friendly. The buyer does not need to go to the store, does not need to walk around the store, does not need to carry the stuff he bought back, etc... Also, if the store does not have the product or if they are out, the user saves a trip. Negroponte also implies that the price of the products online are cheaper than in a store. These all apply to Norman's user-focused design concept: according to Negroporte, online shopping is more friendly to the user in every way. He further states that it is more convenient for the stores to switch to online retail, since they won't need to pay rent anymore.
    
3. Negroponte published this in 1998; to what extent do his ideas remain relevant today?
    
   Negroponte's ideas have became true for today in the core. People are inclined more towards online shopping, however, not in the extend he predicts. Negroponte almost says that all the retail stores are going to be closed, however, if not more, there are as many retail stores and retail store shoppers as there was in 1998. His point about the bookstores is quite a description for the situation today. However, his predictions fail when it comes to online food shopping: we do not have refrigerator-mailboxes. It might be because people still like the physically feeling or seeing their product, or another reason, but online shopping for food is not a big trend. Negroponte further says peer-to-peer buying and selling will be more popular since people will want to buy homemade food. Yes, people dare more careful with what they eat now, however, rather than peer-to-peer homemade food shopping, we have huge companies selling organic food. Overall, he does successfully predict that there will be an in increase in the use of online shopping, however his guess is way too higher than the situation nowadays.
    
4. What predictions would you make about the Future of Retail?
    
   I do not believe there will be drastic changes in retail. There will most likely be alterations. Since the humankind is more caring towards the environment now, to save energy almost through every aspect of retail shopping, online shopping might become more popular. On the other hand, people will still want to feel their clothes or food, these things will still be bought from stores. Other items however, like electronics, might be bought online more. Also, computers and internet access will be even more common in the future, which will affect this topic; probably increase the popularity of online shopping.

D town K

Last Friday, our task was to evaluate Downtown Kalamazoo. As we were assigned to do, we started with Burdick Street. A kind friend drove us there. Lead by GPS, we entered the street from the northern side. However, not soon after we had to make a turn since we were facing the part of the Burdick Street which was pedestrian-only. So we went all the way to the Kalamazoo Public Library and parked the car at where Lovell St. intersects with Burdick St. We got out of the car and started walking towards north, after we passed South St., I could feel the atmosphere of a Main Street. Simply, the detail and effort in the design of the street was saying "I'm the Main Street!". The red tiles caught my eye as we walked in. The tone of the red was perfect. Not very shiny of a red that has the feeling of wealth and showing of, but the mediocre red that is cozy and welcoming. The two-story, red-brick buildings contributed to that feeling. Except some buildings (like the indoor mall) the design of the buildings were going well together and creating a feeling of togetherness. The indoor mall's exterior was grey, and modern in design, which was standing out. I did not like this, believing in that it did not suit into that atmosphere. The mixture of the retail stores was well done. The street was home to a good mix of clothing stores, restaurants and miscellaneous shops. Combined with the emptiness of the streets, the types of the retail stores, the old design of the street as a whole gave the feeling that this place was for adults. To support my point I can say that I saw no other young person other than our friends evaluating the place. The street also contained benches and trashcans. Keeping mind that the street was aimed at adults, this was nice, since they might need to sit and rest. The vegetation was also appealing. In addition to contributing to the welcoming and friendly atmosphere, the short trees places through the sidewalk supplied shade to the benches and the people sitting on them. The street was open to car traffic at most of the parts, however, I do not believe this hindered the friendly atmosphere since the road was thin; only one lane. Every now and then a car wood pass, making a new sound, adding a new sight and breaking the monotonicity of the street; keeping it alive. Also, this made it easier for the shoppers to cross the street, making the shopping experience more convenient. As a whole, with the two-story red-brick buildings, with the vegetation and not very crowded pavements, it was as if the street was hugging the people on it.

My first recommendation will be to modify the indoor mall so it will suit the general design. Also, the color (green) of the benches can be changed. Lastly, it might be better to contribute to the feeling of safety through a way Whyte proposes.

In his book City, William Whyte says that a crowded Main Street is better since it draws people, and since people like other people. Downtown Kalamazoo fails in such sense. The streets are very empty, and with the wind blowing the leaves it gives the feeling of danger and loneliness.

Fight of the month: Whyte vs Gibbs

This post includes answers to two questions directed towards comparing two articles, each the subject of one of the last two blog posts.

1. To what extent do Whyte and Gibbs approach city design from different perspectives? Do you find one more convincing than the other?
   
   Whyte's and Gibbs' articles are different in basics. Although they both talk about city design for shopping, it is like they are talking about two completely different things. However, there are some common points they disagree on. Like crowd. Whyte wants a crowded and cluttered street full of people and objects that point people towards the shop. He tries to increase the number of the actual buyer buy massively increasing the number of people near the shopping place, almost hoping that they will turn out to be a customer. I say almost hoping since he proposes other adjustments to increase the chance of converting them into actual buyers. On the other hand, it seems as if Gibbs tries to address the person with the shopping intention already in his head, and make the street more attractive to them against other shopping places. A main difference is that while Whyte favors benches and alike street furniture, Gibbs does not approve such objects, believing in that they will draw loiters to the street. Weighting the whole article; Whyte's points are directed at metropolitan cities. While, Gibbs ideas are for more mediocre cities.
   As far as I'm concerned, I would favor Gibbs. Although I like people and being with them, I do not like overcrowded streets where it is tough to walk. I am a buyer only when I have the intention of buying. Therefore, I want it to be as easy and quick as possible to shop when I want to. Therefore, on the other occasions, like when I'm walking on the street, I would prefer it to be not cluttered and free of loiters, unlikeWhyte's city.
      
   
2. What elements of an urban area are particularly attractive to you? What elements repel you?
   As I already said in my previous answer, I do not like overcrowded cities where it is hard to walk. I like people, I really do. I like running into people, having quick chats with them. However, I do not like to slow down my pace since the flow of the street is slow, I do not like to try very hard not to bump into people, I do not like to stop when the person in front of me stops to check a window display, I do not like the street furniture to block my path while I'm walking. I would also want vegetation and scenery.

Now, it is time to go downtown and evaluate this place!

Take Back The City

In this blog post, "author" refers to William Whyte, and the chapter mentioned is the sixth chapter of his book City.

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
   
   People like being with other people, thus, sometimes crowded sidewalks can be appealing. A smaller sidewalk can easily be perceived as a crowded sidewalk.Obstacles can be placed in such ways on to the sidewalks that people will be drawn into the stores. However, the entrance to a store should be as open as possible; it should be large and left open when possible.
   Window shopping is still alive, thus, window displays are important. A window shopper will bring other window shoppers and increase the chance of having an actual customer. When one element of the display attracts a person, his attention is likely to be drawn to other elements. Window display designs should be aware that most pedestrians view the display from close and they rarely stand and stare at the middle of the display. Also, motion, enigma and sound contribute to drawing attention.
   Multi-function objects on the sidewalks are good, like trashcans that can be used in other purposes.
    
2. Compare Whyte's ideas on design to Norman's concepts that we studied earlier. What's similar? What's different?
   Use of visceral design elements is the greatest similarity. Most of the points Whyte makes are use of visceral elements to grab people's attention. Some other points of Whyte would be named as behavioral success by Norman, like covering a window with brown paper except a few eye holes. This is functional as in being successful in what it aims; drawing attention. The subject of entrance is also similar in both points of view. It should be easy to use. One big difference is the people on the sidewalks. While Whyte states a clutter as functional, Norman would disagree.
    
3. Create a checklist, based on Whyte's chapter, that could be used to analyze an urban area.
   
   
   • Vegetation
   • Wide entrances to stores
   • Large display windows of stores
   • Medium wide sidewalk
   • Cleanness
   • Benches, trash cans, etc.
   • Traffic flow
   • Buildings in all perspectives

Main Street vs The Mall

“What Main Street Can Learn from the Mall” by Steven Lagerfeld:

1. List the criteria Robert Gibbs uses to evaluate a Main Street.
  

There are a couple of criteria for design Robert Gibbs uses in his evaluation. First, he states that the decor of a street is important. Decoration like trees and planter boxes might look nice, but they are harmful to shopping when they prevent shoppers from seeing the shop windows or signs. The structural elements of a street is also important according to Gibbs. Designers should think twice before putting benches on the streets for they may draw loiters which in turn may repel shoppers. While trying to be visceral, the decor or the structure should not be disadvantageous to the function of the street as a whole.
Gibbs further touches the point of drawing loiters when he talks about dealing with the public's fears. A visible police presence should be ensured, Gibbs says. Also the benches and other a like features of the street should be either rearranged or removed so that they do not encourage loitering. Thus also, keeping the sidewalks clean. Furthermore, he believes lighting has an effect on the feeling of security along the presence of security/police.
Similar to Underhill's right side point, Gibbs names a "no-left-turn rule". This means that prospective shoppers should not have to take a left turn to enter the shopping center; this turn is against traffic and is repelling.
He also states the location of a shop depending on its kind is particularly important and gives a lot of examples. He underlines the point that clothing stores should not be next to restaurants or on the north side of the street. In addition, since retail stores; shoppers might be impulsive on their decisions to shop, since retails stores are not destinations like restaurants, they should be the ones located in high-traffic areas.
Gibbs also mentions that an average shoppers walks past a shop in about eight seconds, and that this should be kept in mind as a criteria.
Lastly, he highlights the importance of reflective elements of a shops display.

2. Think critically of Gibbs’ argument.  Do you think “Main Street” should be a mall?

I believe Main Street should not be a mall. As Gibbs states mall shopping is "out", and street shopping is "in". People had enough with huge tasteless shops and now want to move to outdoors and enjoy shopping with tasteful surroundings. There is a newly opened outdoor mall in Izmir, Turkey. The mall is constructed with cobblestone streets accompanied with decorations such as trees and benches. So far, it has been a great success. I believe inter shopping level between malls and main street should be the next trend.
  

3. Make your own checklist to judge a Main Street.  What things do you think are important?

I would add all the criteria Gibbs points out. However, I would re-evaluate his points with respect to cultural elements since these criteria might require adjustments depending to where they are implemented.

Wikipedia Paper

I wrote my Wikipedia Article Assignment on American Collegiate Institute, my high school. Either search Wikipedia or click.

MC Sports

For my retail store evaluation I went to the MC Sports in Kalamazoo, a sports (and hobby) gear store. The store addresses a wide range of costumers. Anyone who wants to shop for almost any sport can go to MC Sports.The store contains gear for sale for hunting, fishing, snowboarding, skiing, canoeing, soccer, golf, basketball, football, track, tracking, etc. and also weight-lifting gear. They sell general sports items like thermal gear too. Therefore, they market to anyone who is interested in any sport.

From the outside, the store is not appealing. It has a industrial look with grayish colors and sharp edges. Also, the gates are not very user friendly. The entrance is through two layers of doors; two double-doors as the first layer and three double-doors as the second layer. Although the existence of more than one door, and all the doors being double widens and frees the space available for entrance, they are also disadvantageous. First, to enter the store, the costumer needs to go through two doors rather than one. Also, two of the doors in the inner layer are in the middle while one is on the left, and there is a huge canoe inside the store, in the middle of the middle doors and the door on the left. So it is almost as if the door on the left opens to another section of the store. This might cause confusion on the costumer. When the costumer goes through one of the doors in the middle, there are items on the way narrowing further movement into the store.

The display of the merchandise also fails in a few points. First of all, there is merchandise everywhere, the store is overcrowded. With the addition of lack of labeling and sings the it is very hard and tiring to find what one is looking for. There are some obvious sections in the store which are distinguishable like the hunting and the canoeing section, however, the others are not noticeable. Also, the footgear section is shoved all the way to the back, which is impossible to see from anywhere in the store because of the high shelving throughout the store. While I was looking for weight-lifting gloves to buy I was completely lost, so, I asked a staff member. He directed me to another staff member, who just directed me to a huge part of the store and told me that the gloves "should be somewhere there". Although MC Sports describes their staff as a "friendly knowledgeable staff " on their website, I have reason to disagree. On the other hand, there are helpful signs also, for instance, near the socks section, there is a informative board indicating the relationship between shoe and sock size, which extremely helpful for me while shopping.

After a nightmare of shopping, the cashier area relaxes the costumer a bit. There are not that many items blocking the path or limiting movement, but just enough. However, one always has to go through the troubling doors to leave.

Egg in a Bed of Balloons

My partner for the "Egg Drop" assignment was Mike Korn.Me and him were to build an container for a single egg so that the egg would survive a fall from a second (or a higher) floor. This is how we ended up with the Bed of Balloons as our container.
 
We brought our ideas together right ahead, just after we decided on being a group at the end of the class the project was assigned. I was thinking on a container that would have the egg covered in something soft inside, and on the outside I wanted to cover the container with material that would make the whole container bounce, thus reducing the impact of the fall. I even had it pictured on my head. After a few sentences with Mike, I realized how complicated my idea was. I still believe it would be a very nice container if we had weeks and access to different material for the project. However, we only had a week and we were in college. Mike had the idea of balloons. Wow! How I couldn't think of that? I had this complicated idea of a bouncing ball with the egg held in a separate container inside, but balloons never crossed my mind. I guess I was lost in excitement.I assured him I had access to balloons: my workplace had a few extra after the decorations for Homecoming. So I had the balloons... When I showed up for the second meeting Mike asked me where the balloons were, so, I showed him the non-inflated balloons. He was disappointed, apparently he had this idea of helium balloons; "c'mon Mike, how can you even think I would have access to helium balloons?" After a few laughs, while Mike was trying to come up with a new idea I proposed continuing with the materials we had. However only balloons and a card box did not seem enough, so, we went to our rooms, looking for anything we could use. I found this orange Kalamazoo bag and an airbag with three sections that was the container for the in-ear headphones I had ordered. We wrapped the airbag around the egg and taped it to stabilize. Then we half-filled the bag with semi-inflated balloons, put the airbag with the egg in the middle, the covered the rest of the bag with more balloons! Now we had this bag full of balloons with the egg in the middle. However, we were not satisfied, and we had some balloons left unused. So we fully inflated them and taped them around the bag for more protection. My aim of something bouncy and soft was accomplished. In addition, the outer circle of balloons made a huge vertical surface area that the air friction on the container was extremely high. This ended up in our container floating from a third story window and softly bouncing on the ground. It was so soft that it is hard to call the contact with the ground a 'hit'. We exchanged looks of accomplishment: Success! Fun times... =)

If I was to evaluate our container I would first say that it was a success in behavioral design. In addition to the proper functioning it is cheap, fast and easy to make. On the other hand, it would fall behind the container made by Claire and Shelbi in the visceral aspect. Ours was not ugly or repelling but it was not that pretty either. I thought of how we could make it an visceral success. The first thing that came to my mind was that the tape on holding the outer circle of balloons was unattractive. We could have used an subtler material to attach those balloons to the bag. Or maybe, we could just not have them, why not? As long as we could stabilize the airbag with the egg in the center of the bag, I believe our bag would still be functional. Furthermore, our container touched the reflective aspect of design in the sense that it reflected the K spirit, since  the bag was a K-College Bag! Go Hornets!!

Also, I was fascinated by the idea of freezing the egg in ice. I doubt it was Keaton's aim to make the egg so hard that it would not break at all, but it worked, didn't it? Although, it does feel like cheating, if the egg can still be edible after defrosting, it will the best idea of all.

Overall, it was the best assignment I had in K so far, I'm glad I picked (and found a spot in) this seminar.

Shopping

The following questions are answered in accordance to "The Science of Shopping" by Malcolm Gladwell.

1. What points from this article do you feel are most important?
   
   To start with, I was quite fascinated that there is actually a job that observes and keeps data on people shopping. This is a significant point also. The shops are doing their best to make us buy stuff. Like advertising tricks, the way a shop is built and decorated has an effect on how people shop. We should be like "Fulfilleds" and be aware of the trick being played on us. They want us to buy, and do everything they can to accomplish this. I believe, a costumer needs to be aware of this before buying and always ask himself "Do I really need to buy this?". I also found it interesting and important to know how many details there are that affect shopping, for instance; "a women's product that requires extensive examination should never be placed in a narrow aisle". It is very interesting that how detailed and how subtle but effective design can be. It is also important that men and women are and should be addressed differently. Over years of observation, there were a few interesting points that are akin to Paco's observations that I have discovered. In Turkey, almost all clothing shops have the women's wear in the first floor — if the shop is more than one story — or out in the front of the shop — if the shop is a single floor. Especially the shops in downtown. I had believed that it was because mostly women would wander around downtown and the displayed clothing was to draw their attention. It is not very often that a men would see a store display and be attracted and say "oh, I should check that out". It is also because men are mostly busy when they walk downtown. Men mostly shop after going out with the purpose of shopping. Of course there are retail stores that displays men wear, but less in number. Another good point in the article is that how alike clothing like socks and shoes should be arranged to be near one another in the store. This way, when one buys a shoe, one is reminded that one needs socks to go along with a shoe also.
    
2. How much do you personally feel you are influenced by a store's design?
   
   I believe I am not influenced much by a store's design, because I mostly go shopping with the purpose of shopping. I buy what I need most of the time. However, the arrangement of alike items put together might be affecting me. Sometimes I buy a t-shirt and see a jacket that will go with it and I am attracted to the jacked. I am not saying I just buy it, but it is true that I am attracted. And mostly my mother does my shopping, she has good taste.
   
3. Make a check list you could use to analyze a retail store like Paco Underhill does.
   
   I believe every point Paco has makes sense. My top points on my list would be that arrangement of alike clothing together and the separation of clothing of different genders.

Mustard and Gum

This blog post will again answer three questions, this time however, on two articles; "Isn't it Iconic?" by Stacey King Gordon and  "The Power of The Box" by Tuija Seipell.

1. To what extent is packaging important in marketing a product? Give an example of how a package influenced your decision to buy (or not buy) something.
   
   I believe the packaging is pretty important since it is the first impression of the product on the costumer. It might either draw or repel the costumer. However this mostly applies in extreme conditions. If a packaging is very appealing it might even be bought just for the packaging, or else if the packaging is extremely distasteful it might not be bought just because of the repelling packaging. If the situation, the packaging, is not extreme it will only be the second factor that comes after the quality of what is inside the package.
   I think people don't just go and buy products, but do research on what to buy first (at least I do). In this case the packaging does not play a big role because the buyer first asks what to buy to a person with knowledge on the that type of product. Advice plays a great role in peoples decisions in shopping; it might overrule a very ugly packaging. I doubt that people will buy a repellingly packaged product without an advise or previous experience.
   If these conditions do not apply and a person is about to buy a product of a type for the first time, packaging is a significant criteria. And the effect of each package on each person varies. Children will be attracted to childish, colored and fancy packaging (although they may lack behavioral design success). On the other hand, an adult might just look for a decent and professional looking packaging. A women will be drawn to a packaging while a men is drawn to another one... In other words, each package has a different impact on different people.
   For me, when my father asked me to buy mustard, it was my only choice to buy only through looking at the packaging. Glass or plastic? Bold yellow or fancy colored? Full of text or plain? In the end, I bought the professional looking glass packaging painted simply with just enough text as explanation
    
2. What other products have iconic packaging?
   
   The drink Caprisun has an iconic packaging, to me at least. I used to drink and love this juice when I was young, and since I was not very familiar with reading and writing — also I have been bad with remembering the names — I would distinguish this delicious product by its unique packaging. This packaging fits all five points/requirements pronounced by Stacey King Gordon: It is simple; uses basic and bold colors; is different, appealing and easily distinguishable but does not stand out more than it should; is still nice after being subject to adjustments over years; lastly, it contains an extraordinarily delicious product. Also, the feel of packaging is a success; it takes ones grasps shape when being used.
    
3. What usability issues exist for packaging? Give examples of particularly good or bad packaging from a usability perspective.
   
   Usability is very important in packaging. A fragile product packaged in a soft container, a product that one plans on carrying in ones pocket packaged in a big container... These will fend off the consumer. When buying gum — and I do this frequently — the usability of the package plays a great role in my decision. Will it fit my pocket? Will its weight annoy me? Does it have sharp edges that will hurt me? Is it hard enough so that the gum will not be squashed? Will the box open and set the gum free into my pocket? After these questions, I always pick this over this (too big) or this (the box opens by itself in my pocket).

Wikipedia

The following questions and citations are in reference to"Know it All" by Stacy Schiff.

1. What do you think are the author's main points in this article?
   
   One of the main points is that, although very young (especially, when compared to Encyclopedia Britannica), Wikipedia has hundreds of thousands entries. And the number of entries is increasing each day. It is not a formal encyclopedia where almost only academic subjects are found. Since it has a non-solid database, there is almost no limit to its size. Thus, it covers a variety of subjects of information; "how to"s, academic entries, places, everyday things... Also, it is edited constantly. Finally, through the constant editing and easy renewal/access it keeps up with the ever-changing world.
   
   
2. An important part of credible writing is selecting good supporting evidence. Select a passage from this article that illustrates the effective use of supporting detail. Explain why you think it is particularly effective.
   
   
   "Wikipedia remains a lumpy work in progress. The entries can read as though they had been written by a seventh grader: clarity and concision are lacking; the facts may be sturdy, but the connective tissue is either anemic or absent; and citation is hit or miss."

   Use of reference to other publications or supporting evidence will make the article more reliable in the readers mind. Most Wikipedia articles lack this, because everyone can write on Wikipedia and citation is not mandatory for an article to be published. Although,  the people in charge of running Wikipedia constantly check the articles and mark them for improvement or purge some text, it is not enough. The are many more users than organizers. As it is said here, people don't put much effort into making Wikipedia
   articles meet some standards like citation, clarity, non-sturdy etc. Therefore the Wikipedia articles don't seem reliable.
   
   
3. Throughout the article, the author compares Wikipedia to the Encyclopedia Britannica, but not specifically on design. How would you compare the two encyclopedias from a design perspective?
   
   The best advantage of Wikipedia is that it is web-based, so, people can access the information on it through any internet connection (from computers, smart-phones, even normal cell phones with internet access). This easy accessibility makes Wikipedia far more user friendly than Encyclopedia Britannica. And in a world where the internet is more popular each day, and where people are getting lazier, easy access goes a long way. However, Wikipedia lacks the physical feel. Some people like the smell and the feel of books, thus Encyclopedia Britannica is better in this sense. Another user friendly aspect of Wikipedia is the computer based search. Unlike  it is with Encyclopedia Britannica where the user needs to go through the pages to find an entry, in Wikipedia the user just types the topic and hits Search. The computer based search also by the "did you mean this..." response, where it leads the user to the desired article. 

The following questions and answers are in reference to the web article "Organization and Preparation Tips" by Garr Reynolds.

1. What do you think are the author's three most important points?
   
   I believe the points numbered 2, 4 and 7 are the three most important points made by the author. Point 2 is "Know your audience as well as possible". This point is very significant in the sense that according to the audience the presentation is presented the way of presentation, and even the content, will vary. A subject can be presented in a thousand ways to a thousand different audience. The audiences level of knowledge on the topic, level of education (one cannot use the advanced level language of a presentation made to university graduates in a presentation for elementary school kids), culture (both not to commit any faux pas and to be able to use examples/ways of presenting familiar to the culture), interests... Any knowledge on the audience will be of help when preparing and presenting the presentation as it will help set guidelines for the presenter. Point 4 emphasizes simplicity while not being stupid. This I believe is a very fine line. Complication in presenting will cause the attention of the audience to slowly fade, therefore the presentation should be simple, but not stupid. And for it not to be stupid but simple the presenter should know the audience as in stated in point 2. Also point 7 is crucial. A smart audience will always evaluate and try to make sense of what they here, therefore answering the possible "so what?"s is very important. Also, a clever presentation will amaze the audience and return in an increase in attention.
    
2. How might you apply this advice to your own presentation?
   
   Prior to preparing our presentation I will try to evaluate our seminar group (which will be the audience) and prepare the presentation accordingly. Although not very much, I have a rough idea formed on the group through the earlier discussions. Also before the presentation, I plan on doing a brainstorming exercise with my partner to figure out to flow and the content. This will help in making the presentation fill, and not go over, the required 5 minutes. Passing the elevator test and the doing the exercise given in point 4 will also be my aim. Furthermore, while picking the topic of our discussion, which will be a product, the
   ten points made by Garr Reynolds will be helpful.
   
3. What do you think presentation preparation has in common with product design?
     While designing a product it is very important to know the audience of the product to meet their needs as it is in presentation preparation. Also, simplicity is a common goal, as pointed out by Garr Reynolds for presentations in his web article and as strongly emphasized by Donald Norman for design products in his books cited in the previous posts. Moreover, the 7th point "so what?" by Reynolds is similar to the Behavioral Design concept by Norman. A product should have a needed function, the use must appeal to the costumer. The costumer should not say "so what?"after learning the function of a product. Similar to the elevator test a products use should be learned in a few minutes (except very complex products like computers).

*Briefly discuss the areas of design you would be most interested in exploring. 

I would like to learn how a product is created; the process it undergoes from beginning as a thought to being physically formed, with the job descriptions of which person does what. Who starts the idea of a product? Does the designer draw the product? Does an engineer or a designer create the first prototype? and questions alike... The reason for my curiosity is that I am yet to decide on what I want to be, and I believe the knowledge of this detailed process will help me decide.

Amsterdam Burns

Donald Norman again, makes you say "Really, again?" right? But his books are good reads, you should take a look! :)

1. Select a brief passage from Chapter Three of Emotional Design by Donald Norman and post it on your blog (right here). Explain why you thought it was interesting.
   
   "Advertising can work at either visceral or reflective level. Pretty products — sexy automobiles, powerful-looking truck, seductive bottles for drinks and perfume — play with the visceral level. Prestige, perceived rarity, and exclusiveness work at the reflective level. Raise the price of Scotch, and increase the sales. Make it difficult to get reservations to a restaurant or entrance to a club, and increase their desirability. These are reflective-level ploys" (87-99).
   When I read this part, especially "make it difficult to get reservations to a restaurant or entrance to a club" I remembered an episode of the TV Series South Park I had watched a few days ago. In this episode, one of the characters, Cartman, won $1million and followed his dreams. He bought a theme park. He hated lines and he wanted to be able to ride any item in the theme park whenever he wanted, so, he bought the theme park, named it "Cartmanland" and did not let anyone in, not even his buddies. A few days later, as in the show time, he was on TV as the creator of a new marketing technique: denying costumers entry. Not being able to get in made them want more. It was the exactly what Norman talks about here. People want what they cannot achieve, what they cannot get.
   
   
2. Norman uses the terns Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, Reflective Design. Do these categories seem useful to you? What other names or phrases make the categories clearer?
   I cannot think of better naming of such categories, at least not right now. A Visceral Design success succeeds in visceral aspects; human emotions, instinctive human penchant, physical feelings, appeal... Behavioral Design fits even better. If the products behavior, its function and purpose, is a success, then the design is a success; pretty self explanatory. The name Reflective Design is also useful. Although I had hard times understanding what it meant at the beginning, after the discussion in class it was clear to me. If the design product successfully reflects you to others, or has successful reflections on you (like good memories) then it is successful in Reflective Design. Although I sometimes found Normans points redundant, repetitive or contradictory, these are the perfect words for these terms.
   
   
3. How could a designer decide if Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, or Reflective Design is more important for a particular product? Are some types of products more visceral, behavioral or reflective?
   
   If I was a designer I would aim to be make a product successful in more than one levels. It shouldn't be hard. A good product might even be successful in all three. I have a lighter that I bought when I was in Amsterdam with "Amsterdam" written on it. It is a simple product, press the mobile part it will be lit, successfully designed behavior; it looks good and fits my hand, successful in the visceral level; it has "Amsterdam" written on it, it shows that either I like Amsterdam or I have been there, reflects a part of me. Successful in all three levels.However, not all products will as easily be successful in all tree levels. When designing an item that might be used as a souvenir the designer should try to make it successful in the reflective level. When designing everyday products designers should aim for behavioral and visceral (especially user friendliness) success. For each product and the possible use of it might have, a level might be more important in marketing than the others, the designers should pay attention to this and try to design accordingly.

Ford Shelby GT500

Donald Norman is starting to dominate my blog! This time however, the post will be about another book by him; Emotional Design chapter III.

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
   Norman starts this chapter in his book by an introduction followed by the explanations of the three levels of design: Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, Reflective Design. In the introduction section, Norman, through the water bottles example, states that "the entire success of the product lies in its package, not its contents" (64). "Visceral design is what nature does" (65); Norman starts explaining Visceral Design. It is mostly about the first reaction humans give to a product. These reasons are either common penchants build through becoming a human, or are determined by the experiences of a single person. In short, if something looks good, feels good, it succeeds in Visceral Design. On the contrary, Behavioral Design focuses on the function and performance of the product rather than its appearance. "If the item doesn't do anything of interest , then who cares how well it works?" (70) is how Norman explains the dynamics of Behavioral Design, stating function is the most important factor. "After function ocomes understanding" (75). A product needs to be self-explanatory, people should not need manuals for using, and if they ever do they should be able to read it once and never need it again. Usability is also covered in this section, it is defined to be complex: "A product that does what is required, and is understandable, may still not be usable" (77). Furthermore, Norman categorizes physical feel in the checklist in a successful Behavioral Design. Another key point he includes in this section is that designers and engineers need to observe thier target audience and determine their needs if they aim to be successful. Moving on to the third level of design Norman explains Reflective Design by stating that it is about what the product means to the consumer and what message it gives. He also says that long-term costumer experience is a criteria for Reflective Design.
   
2. How does this chapter compare to the earlier writing (The Design of Everyday Things) by the same author?
   
   The earlier writing was only focused on everyday products and mostly their usability and how-to-use. However this writing covers a broader range of topics and even includes the topics covered in the earlier writing like the conceptual model and understanding how to use a product at the instance that one encounters it. In this writing the concept of successful design is divided into three. Although sometimes these may contradict, if a product is to sell and be successful it needs to be successful in at least one of there three. Another similarity between the two writings is that Norman again includes a lot of examples and anecdotes.
   
3. Give examples, from your own experience, of (i) something that succeeds as Visceral Design, (ii) something that succeeds as Behavioral Design, and (iii) a Reflective Design success? What do you thing makes each thing successful?
   
   A Visceral Design success... Looks good... Cars? A Ford Shelby GT500 perhaps! This car just looks so good, so cool, so muscular (d'oh, its a muscle car). I mean who would love that looks. Although this car is not the best in performance vs cost or in its category I would buy this one just because of its appearance. But its fuel consumption is very high. Who cares?! It looks nice! Continuing with the cars concept, lets give an example of Reflective Design success. I watched the episode of Cribs on MTV featuring Shaquille O'Neal's mansion. After riding a bike inside the house he showed his car collection. He had a lot of them, a lot... He had a Ferrari F50, which is a classic, one of the best cars to walk on Earth, only a limited number exist. He said that he bought this car only to say "Hey, I have a F50 too!",  if conversation on the car was ever brought up. He probably cant fit into the car anyway. This is a Reflective Design success by Ferrari. Their company, their cars symbolize wealth and uniqueness, so that people buy these cars to show off or try to reflect their personality. An example of a successful Behavioral Design would be a cap a friend of mine owns. The cap looks funny, when he puts it on he looks like he is bald and being bald doesn't look good on my friend. The cap also covers his ears. Its not visual. Its function however: wow! The weather is -25 Celsius degrees outside; its very cold. No problem, just wear the cap! It will really keep your head and your ears warm. Although it is not a visceral success the product does its job: keeps you warm.

As days pass, I'm starting to submit my assignments later and later... Laziness is capturing me! Must be diligent!

An Elders Ideas

More questions, therefore, more talk about The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. I believe this time I will go deeper into the article.

1. Select a brief passage from Chapter One of The Design of Everyday Things (Donald Norman) and post on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.
   
   This passage is the last part of Donald Norman's anecdote on his conversation with a designer: "Now you understand," said the designer. " Consider the use of voice messages on complex devices such as cameras, soft drink machines, copiers. A failure. No longer even tried. Too ad. It us a good idea, for it can be very useful when the hands or eyes are busy elsewhere. But those first few attemps were very badly done and the public scoffed — properly. Now, nobody dares try it again, even i those places where it is needed." (29) My reason for selecting this passage is that while reading the chapter this was the only part that I have had not actually thought about. On all the other points the author made I had a say in my mind or I had thought about earlier: they were familiar points. However I reacted to this passage with an admiring "cool" and noted; g point as in good point. I found this idea very intelligent and I absolutely agree with it now I read it. This passage was like the last piece of a puzzle that made everything clear. Not only dazzling but it was also informing. After reading this I believe I took another step into the business word; thank you Norman!
   
   
2. Norman's book was first published in 1988 and still influences designers today. Why do you think this book continues to be influential 20 years later?
   I believe there are a few reasons. The first one is that Norman does not build his book on specific examples. Even though they are included in his book, they are open-ended examples of and common products. Also, the audience of the designers is still human beings as it was 20 years ago as it will be 20 years later. The addressee of the design did not change. The designers should make their products clear for the people and there is a general way in people's perception in such everyday things, therefore, Norman's points are still influential. The way people perceive things now is not much different from the way they did years ago. Yes, the technology changed, the environment and the norms have been modified, but still people use the the simple everyday objects as simple everyday objects: a door is still a door. Hence, Norman talking on simple everyday products also makes his points influential after long years. Furthermore, his points in the book are clear and precise. He just tells what is wrong and how things should be. In a nut shell, Norman addressing common points in a clear tone makes his book influential even after all those years. Honestly, I believed this was a recently published book before reading this question.
   
3. Based on this chapter, what factors would you include on a checklist for evaluating the design of a product?
   
   • How easy is it to use the product?
   • Is it universally comprehensible?
   • Is it simple and not complicated?
   • Button/function ratio (does not have to be 1 but a button should not have millions of functions)
   • Does it include natural mapping?
   • How easy is it to remember the use of controls?
   • Explanatory words/letters/pictures (I disagree with Norman and still believe these should exist.)
   • After all of these is it attractive and aesthetic?
   • How function-able/needed is it?
   • Will people buy it?

Designed To Be Simple

Donald A. Norman talks about the flaws in the design on everyday things in the first chapter of his book The Design of Everyday Things. After reading the chapter, I am now to answer the questions I was assigned:

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
   
   Donald Norman points out his key points so clearly that he leaves me very little work to do. In the first part of his chapter states that "Well-designed objects are easy to interpret and understand. They contain visible clues to their operation. Poorly designed objects can be difficult and frustrating to use" (2). This is basically what the chapter is about in a whole. However, he points out that he will not only identify the problems but attempt to change the way of things. Donald Norman believes the design of an everyday object should not evoke any questions and should be self-explanatory without signs or drawings but merely by tiny but well placed clues. He also declares that these clues should be aesthetic and fit into the object. He names this as visibility: "The correct parts must be visible, and they must convey the correct message" (4). After talking about incomprehensible and poor designs he makes a simply point: don't buy them. Although he mostly disregards this option in most of his arguments,his reasoning that if people keep buying the poorly designed products the companies will get the wrong message and continue to make them is very reasonable. Afterward, he shifts the topic onto psychology of materials and psychology of causality. Here he explains by an example that some material are doomed to be targeted by vandals. In the Twenty Thousand Everyday Things part he indicates that even if learning how to use an every product took 1 minute, adapting a lifestyle full of them would take a lot of time. Following this criticism, he moves onto explaining what would make a design good. Here, he again underlines visibility and also adds that providing a good conceptual model is very helpful. In the following pages, he talks about modern everyday items like telephones. He states that as technology develops the complexity of simple everyday items start following an U-shaped graph: an increase and then a decrease in complication. After talking about cars, he recommends one button or switch having only one function to keep things simple. Before moving onto The Paradox of Technology through an anecdote he points out that if a new product is introduced with a poor design a few times it will be marked as not-to-be-bought in the eyes of the public. In a nut shell, his key points are that a design of an everyday item should be self-explanatory and simple to use through visibility and mapping.
   
2. Think of a specific object that you have had difficulty using. How did the design contribute to making it difficult to use? Does the usability problem arise from one of the principles that Norman discusses in this chapter?
   
   My fathers dishwasher. It includes one dial that sets the wash program and an on/off button (or at least I assume it is that). The button is a rhombus with a vertical line inside. It also has a screen which through experience is assumed to show the minutes remaining on the wash. One day my father told me to start the dishwasher. I went to the kitchen; asked him which program I should use and set the dial to that program. I closed its cover ( I forgot to put washing liquid in it but that was my bad not the designs). Now I needed to start the program. But how? I discovered I could press the dial, so I did. Nothing happened. So I hit the only button, the the machine turned off. I turned it on and while I was thinking on how to solve the problem the sounds of water flowing into the machine informed me I was successful. I still have no idea how I started the program. It was pure coincidence. Why not add a start stop button?
   
3. How did the designers of the iPod address the principles that Norman discusses here?
   I believe Apple products are one of the worlds best in design as in both look and user friendliness. iPod, although having only five buttons and many functions is simple to use. Each button has several functions but only in different menus or applications. The wheel is a living symbol of "design intelligence". Also, while having various functions, the buttons and the wheel always have natural mapping as mentioned in Norman's article.

The 'Almost' Perfect Thing

In his article, "The Perfect Thing", which can be found here, Steven Levy talks about the creation of the first iPod by Apple. Now, I am assigned to answer three questions on this article, I assume "post answers to the following questions" means i should deal with each question separately.
1) What elements of the design process does this article illustrate?
As it is included in the article, Apple's creation and design of iPod starts with inspections of the current products that fall into the same category as iPod; portable mp3 player. To begin with, various Apple employees examine various mp3 products and highlight their flaws. Through this examination and highlighting process, Apple sets out aims to how to address these flows and make a better, a perfect, product. Some of these ideas include: The brand new scrolling wheel, which will replace the buttons on any other mp3 player and make it easier to scroll through thousands of songs; a HDD (hard disk drive) with huge storage space; the pocket-size dimensions combined with long battery life and lightweight for ultimate portability... In the modeling process the iPod has various curators which cause ideas from various minds to meld together.
The trial & error process is clearly visible in Fadell's three models. He shows three designs to Jobs — hard to imagine how many designs he made until he obtained the best three of them — after which Jobs finds faults in tow of them and admires the third one with a "just right". It is also true that Fadell, plays a little game in his presentation and knowingly brings two faulty and one perfect designs, but still this shows he underwent the trial & error process.
Lastly, although not very deeply illustrated in the article it is clear that, to obtain the perfect product the iPod team puts the iPod under various tests to make sure it is durable and enduring, like the falling test.
2) What factors would you use to evaluate a "perfect thing"?
Although some staying the same these factors would vary from product to product, since different products are used for different purposes. Generally, the looks, weight, size, fit, easily usability, and sometimes simplicity are important factors. Also for a IT instrument, battery life and compatibility is important. There are tons of products running on various software systems, therefore compatibility is a key factor. For an example Apple's iPod only works with iTunes, this is a flaw, since the owner of an iPod has to use iTunes for the iPod to be put into work, and there are a lot of people who use different programs. However, this is a trick, since through a good product like iPod, Apple promotes another of its product; iTunes.
3) Whether you own an iPod or not, you probably have some opinions of this product. What do you feel are its strengths and weaknesses?
In overall, I believe iPod is an almost perfect product: good job Apple. To be on the same ground, I do not own an iPod, but I have seen and used many, and I own an iPhone, which adds all of the capabilities of a phone to an iTouch — the last form of iPod. The design (looks) is very temping. No comment but only astounding admiration to the scrolling wheel and navigation with only four buttons. Although the dimensions are okay, I find the dept-width and dept-height ratios a little low. The weight and size make this product perfect in portability. The huge storage space is more than anyone can desire. The only lacking point I can name is the compatibility problems. iPod will only work with iTunes, which makes people like me who used to use a different music player now use two, or migrate into iTunes, which is quite a work. However I am anything but surprised on this compatibility issue since this is long war from the past between Apple and Microsoft. Fun fact on this cold war: type iPod or iTouch or iPhone on a Apple word program it will accept it, type the same into a Microsoft based word program it will underline it with a red line and mark it is wrong.

Who? What? Where? Why? Which? When? How?

Ok, so this is "from my point of view" but who am I actually? Starting with my name, I am Mehmet — a Turkish guy 5378 miles away from home. My generous mom gave birth to me in Izmir which is a quite large city — especially in comparison to where I am right now; Kalamazoo — on the western coast of Turkey. Since then I was raised there. Henceforth I never witnessed a real winter; I remember it snowed when I was 12 and my dad tells me it had snowed when I was two months old: that's all.  Then why did I come here? I have probably answered this question hundreds of times in the last week I was here. Simply put, I wanted to study in the US and in a liberal arts college, so here I am! So far I liked it here, except the food. Mom, I miss your food!
For those who are confused right now (I doubt there will be any since — C'mon why would you read my blog?) with this random but specified information: I created this blog for my Design Intelligence Seminar Class. Normally, I don't do blogs; but schools are full of opportunities eh? However, anyone is welcome to read although I am not sure what I will be posting here. Where was I... Oh yea, classes. In addition to this seminar I am taking a Math class; Math 214 and a Computer Science class which I might change into a Theater class — still not sure. I am yet to decide what I want major in, or double majors minors... I have a range of ideas right now, but generally it will be a combination of math , physics, 3/2 engineering, CS and maybe an art or theater minor. This is mostly what there is to know about me, but you have to meet me in person — socializing through keyboards doesn't work. Also, keep in mind that I tend to be sarcastic, that's pretty important. Take care!