The space that I chose to explore was the ChickFilA/Quiznos area of the Hub. I chose a restaurant because I though there was a high degree of interaction in these kinds of spaces, and also because this specific area has a really nice design.
How does the layout of the space work? This space has two entrance points, one on either end of the structure, making it easier to move around so as not to create a buildup of people. On one end there are two door, leading to the outside of the building. The both open inwards, so the use of either door would be the same (both push for in, pull for out), even though the flow of traffic inwards usually comes through the right door. The other end of the space is just an open walkway to the rest of the building, containing bathrooms and trash cans. Although there are two restaurants in this space, they are very clearly delineated and the waiting line for each is separate, made up of ropes like you would see in the long waiting lines at a theme park. The flow of human traffic is clearly visible between the restaurants and the seating area. The seating area is comprised of 3 different types: booth seating, round table seating, and bar seating, so depending on the size of your party or the duration of your stay, there is a perfect seat for you. In the same way, there is much more seating available to you in other parts of the building/right outside the building.
How does the layout of the space not work? Although many things are working with this space, there are things that definitely inhibit activity within it. Although the space is roomy enough while people are in class, the place is flooded with people who get out of class during the lunch hour. Even with the clearly defined lines, a concentration of people grows up near the cash registers and at the beginning of the marked lines. Especially concentrated is the area of the condiments, located between two poles, between the two restaurants. I'm guessing that the poles/columns are there for structural integrity, but they inhibit the movement of the people within the space, especially since they are located in the space where people not only get their condiments/napkins/straws, but is also the exit area for both of the restaurants (where people get out of line after receiving their food/drink).
What parts of the space work from a design point, but not for humans? Like stated, the columns might look awesome as they taper towards the ground, but they inhibit the movement of the restaurant lines.
What sorts of things do people do in the space to compensate? One thing I saw a lot was that the line structures would still be in place, regardless of their being a line or not. So, to compensate, lots of people just skipped the line altogether or moved under the barriers up to the counters.
The types of errors people made with our piece: Not many errors were made - the structure was pretty straightforward in this digitized age and the mediated context.
DOET 5
What are the six different varieties of slips? Give a real life example of each (not one found in book).
Capture Errors - Leaving the house is a beginning of many of my activities, and sometimes I end up going to the wrong place because it has the same beginning.
Description Errors - My drawers in my room have a false left side, but it looks identical to my real right side, so people are always trying to open it.
Data-Driven Errors - I often leave my brush in the fridge, especially if I'm brushing my hair while fixing food in the kitchen.
Associative Activation Errors - It's already been said a couple times before, but I'll automatically say "thank you" in some instances, like when leaving a restaurant if the waiter/waitress says something to me, regardless of what they say.
Loss-of-Activation Errors - Of course, walking to the kitchen or somewhere else and then forgetting why I went there.
Mode Errors - The "status" button on my remote - when it is on a normal screen, pressing it will show the channel number, when it is on the menu screen, pressing it makes the menu go away. You'd think that pressing this button would also bring up the menu, but no, you have to press the "sleep" button, even if you do not wish to use the sleep function.
Create a flowchart diagram of the set of interactions a person will undertake when interacting with your groups piece. Where are the potentials for error?
The potentials of error in our project come from possibly not understanding the idea of dials/knobs, or not knowing to interact with the piece in the first place.
How do you personally memorize/retrieve information?Give examples.
I try to memorize (my poor memory aside) by repetition - I find flashcards a great way of studying. Unfortunately, most of my errors come from retrieving information I did not study well enough, for I always find myself sitting there trying to imagine the page that I remember reading a certain thing on. Not a great method.
What is the connectionist approach?
The connectionist approach is pretty much what we learned in beginning psychology - the biological connectivity of all the neurons and cells in the brain, where a certain path, or group, or connection can be one of billions upon billions, letting many different firings of activity to exist.
Explain what is meant by the expressions, wide and deep structures and shallow structures. What are the potentials for each or perhaps only one of these types of structure in your group’s project?
A narrow structure is one where there is are only a few or even only one way(s) of initiating/making decisions, but it can have many steps (depth). A shallow structure means there are less decisions, but can have many more choices(wide). With our project I would say that it is shallow and wide, because the number of ways you can turn the dials is numerous, but there is only one outcome, one decision that can be made, there are no other steps.
What activities must a person perform simultaneously when “doing” your groups’s project?
The person must be able to turn one or two dials and look at the screen to note the differences, although none of these MUST be done simultaneously.
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