jamin.org

Seminar Paper

I downloaded about 30 research papers that I thought might pertain to my Seminar paper topic for Jodi Forlizzi. Yes, I know that’s too much. But around every corner is another fascinating paper on some aspect of design. I suppose this insatiable appetite is why I’m in this program.

I also bought Donald Norman’s Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things tonight. My paper sort of argues that it’s not necessarily as love or hate proposition, but an intercourse of love and hate.

I also bought Everyware by Adam Greenfield because I was already spending money and it was there and I convinced myself it might be relevant. I will, of course, have no time to read it.

Emergence

I’m working with Joe Iloreta, Emergence creative director, on a new website design. We have more content to go up, but I’ve been waiting for the design. It may have to go up regardless.

Invitations to keynote speakers are starting to go out. Chris Downs from live|work accepted over the weekend.

We worked out a flexible schedule over the weekend to accommodate our ideas for change from last year. I hope to provide more information on the Emergence site soon.

Thesis Topic

I need a whiteboard and some stickies and markers and play-doh for this one. What am I interested in? You would think I would know.

Despite not having a clear topic, John Zimmerman and Shelley Evenson have agreed to by my project advisors. I’m still meeting with people for my paper advisor. But I’m aiming to have the paper and project relate to each other.

Work

This weekend I spent way too much time moving a client site to a new server. Nuf said.

Monday we had a meeting regarding choosing a thesis project and paper for the upcoming year. Over the course of the next month, it was suggested we start talking to faculty to see where there is a synergy in interests.

Currently, I have no clear thoughts about what I will do for my thesis. I did meet with John Zimmerman a couple weeks ago to get his advice. He believes choosing a complementary project and paper is better than doing separate theses, and also suggested thinking about what job I would like and think about how my thesis can lend itself to marketing myself to future employers.

While that makes good sense, I still feel like I’m exploring the possibilities of interaction design and haven’t come to a solid idea of what I want to do. It seems that rather than a particular area of interest, my interest lies in the various design challenges, the wicked problems. I feel like I could be successful in various areas.

Perhaps that’s the plight of being a generalist.

The alternative to being strategic with the theses is to do whatever I fancy while I still can. This is the advice Richard Buchanan gives.

I’m not sure which view I feel more strongly about. I like the Buchanan’s idea of doing something that’s more for me and not about getting a job. But I also think doing something that will help me get ahead is smart, too.

Even without clear theses ideas, I already have a general idea of which faculty members I would like to work with: John Zimmerman, Shelley Evenson, Jodi Forlizzi, and Richard Buchanan. I guess looking at that list, one could infer which way I’m leaning, as John, Shelley, and Jodi are also of the pragmatic persuasion.

Still, I need to talk to them. And I will likely talk to others, while I start figuring out what it is will do in my second year of grad school.