Where Are You Going

My final project is my thesis project– Votalky, and 5 things  I want user to test are:

1, What’s this site about?

2,What’s your expectation of this site? Vote or Create a poll.

3,Vote/Create poll

4,Comment

5,Share it

I used to be addicted to look at this Andy Warhol’s piece Time Capsule for some reason. That I discover every single piece in the box, read the intro of them, and just imagine the background story is very interesting experience.

Time Capsule

http://www.warhol.org/Tc21/main.html

Some one introduced this website to me few days ago, and I immediately fell in love with it. Honestly, I’m not a fan of manicure and nail polish, but I love to try this website out since it helps me to complete the experience in virtual world. Very good user experience explorer, and very close to my Stocking Matcher idea.

http://www.opi.com/

For me, this interface is definitely outdated, but the content is amazing, and deserves better design.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html

Home page

According to GBC’s RFP, the home page needs to have these functions:

Content page
As a typical building page, I would show the basic information, photos, and users’ comments here, and direct link the out source knowledge relevant to this subject since GBC is a website whose first target users are students, so more source put up here, the better. Comments is also a “contributing” function here–exchange ideas and share the knowledge is very important for student users.

I have several sets of coasters sent as gifts by friends, with different styles, patterns and materials, however, I don’t use them often since once I use them, I need to collect and clean them, otherwise, I lose them. Carrying them with cup around my apartment always frustrates me, and I regularly think besides preventing the water stain left on the table, coasters should have more functions to be daily necessity.

Here is the idea I come up with

Mop Coasters can easily solve all the problems that coasters usually have, and generate more functions and fun.

Most popular pocket knives (Swiss Army Knife) in the world
(Also famous to tinkers, hikers, soldiers,and chefs)

1,800 years ago, as a basic living tool, Swiss Army style knives already existed in Roman.

Folding knives such as the modern one shown above were sold in the 19th century as “bowie knives.” They had to be carried in a sheath, as the blade extended beyond the handle when folded.

The first Swiss Army knives were reproductions of pocket knives mass-produced in Soligen, Germany. A blade, punch, can opener, and screwdriver folded into the knife’s handle. But, as you see, the pocket knives are too thick and heavy to carry.

Karl Elsener, a son of haberdasher, began making them for the Swiss Army in 1891. However, he was not the only contractor for serving the military department. From the business aspect, Karl Elsener’s design needed to be special to expand.

Fortunately, a small change made Karl Elsener’s design jump out from other contractors’. A small, sharp “erasing” blade was useful for scraping off mistakes in paperwork handwritten by pen. A corkscrew helped enhance the officers’ dining and socializing. The six blades required only two springs. The “Offiziersmesser,” the official knife of the Swiss Army, was registered for trademark protection on June 12, 1897.

Victorinox (changed name in honor of Karl Elsenser’s mother who died 1909) maintained an enduring relationship with pilots, who had a natural affinity for compact, lightweight devices. One aviator even reported using his Swiss Army knife to free himself from burning wreckage. The knives would later be carried aboard the space shuttle.
The knives that appendages often served more than one function. For example, in 1951 Victorinox received a patent for its new can opener, which was said to work easily and not leave ragged edges. The end of the can opener had been fashioned into a small screwdriver blade.

“Champion” has been displayed at MOMA with 24/30 functions.
Victorinox manufactures 34,000 pocketknives per day. In the 1990s, it retailed for about $90; the six-blade Classic sold for $18.

Stockingmatcher is a mobile app for solving girls’ daily concern about how they dress appropriately with colored stockings. Pick the color of your stocking you are going to wear, and discover the perfect dress and shoes for it. The exploration is based on the model images on catwalks.

As a user, my motivation for going to TV program companies websites is:

1, Check the recent schedule;

2, Look for the information of a specific event or program;

3, Watch TV programs;

4,  Stroll through audience community (social network).

Schedule:

Fox:

Simple, Self evident

NBC：
Confusing, not sure where to go

Untitled from Ge Yu on Vimeo.

2. & 3. Programs & Info

FOX:
Easy to find what I’m looking for, including the basic information （story&cast), full episodes, and out source social networks.

NBC:
Information is complete,well organized, but too much things are going on on the page. To audience, information pages always need to be clear and efficient.

nbc program info from Ge Yu on Vimeo.

4, Audience Social Networks
FOX:
Not alluring, and not friendly. “It’s cold, don’t join it.”
No any extra information about this community.

NBC:
Visually–too much
Signal– welcoming
Information management– not efficient, but at least, it’s showing here is the community.

Untitled from Ge Yu on Vimeo.