a bit written

got a little bit written, so I am actually ahead of schedule... but was hoping to get more done. will probably put a working document link up just so others can see my progress... sort of forces me to also write more :)

but not today... sleep's calling!

design

from dictionary.com:

“To create or execute in an artistic or highly skilled manner.”

I like it.

whiteboard?

getting the feeling that I might need to get myself some sort of whiteboard... just to have a place to put all things relevant to this project, instead of trying to have loads of papers and post-its lying around on my desk... hmmm...

good design

what is good design? 2005 was the design year in sweden and apparently in norway too, so they had a small exhibition about some award-winning designs at the airport. here's an interesting paragraph which I found there on my way back home...

“Good design improves our everyday lives, by simplifying communication and creating products and solutions that are developed with our needs and wants in mind. Good design improves our everyday lives and creates clarity from clutter.
Good design solves problems, contributes to the effective use of resources, creates more functional solutions, unique experiences, and more effective communication.”

will probably use this somewhere in the introduction of my report, which I've started writing a little bit on today... nothing much, just trying to make an outline and bring up some of the points that I would like to have.

workshop pictures

here are the pictures from the workshop:

choices, choices...

so I have some choices to make... and quite big and important ones. here they are:

• english/swedish: my tutor said that I could write in whatever language I feel comfortable with, so it's up to me. here's the link to my original thoughts about it... can't decide, but it's leaning towards english right now actually...
• mysql/access database... there's a big problem for me... I'm used to access databases and can use it running locally on my computer, and can easily import the excel data that we're using right now into it. in a completely unrelated event, I created a forum a while ago (something they asked for in the workshop), which is using an access database, and that means I won't have to redo that one. however, the bahai.se-site uses mysql, and since the whole system will eventually be transferred there it's probably what I'll have to implement it in sooner or later... question is if I should do it already now or maybe wait and do it later? not sure how difficult it is to learn how to use mysql, but it's another extra thingie, beyond the other things I already have to learn...

oh, happy *week!*

just found out that I had actually planned this week as a vacation! thought it was already over... lucky me!

will probably do some work this week anyways though... better to be ahead than behind :)

design workshop

had a workshop yesterday... took about an hour, unfortunately only three of the coordinators were there, but I'd say it was quite good anyway. split it up into three parts:

• positive/negative things about the excel sheets, and how to fix the negative ones
• scenarios of use and some functions
• actual design of the system

got quite many pointers on how they want it to look like and what it should do, so it seems I will have a lot of work to do :)

next week will be spent on writing the background, and then I'll have a few iterative phases of design and implementation... gonna be interesting! and fun! and difficult!

post-it bought

just got my post-it stuff...
here's a pic:

wanted to get a couple of different colors, so I could use different ones for different functions during the workshop. 400 of them should be enough I hope... ;-)

and the receipt:

39 kr spent this far on my thesis... let's see how high it will go :)

back

home and all, but not gonna do much work. winter school coming up, and am gonna have a workshop with a couple of the coordinators, those that will be there... gonna try to have some sort of design session, along the lines of what gustav taxén described in his article introducing participatory design in museums, so I gotta read that again and plan what I want to do. probably going to need to buy post-it notes... they feel useful :)

this will happen 6th or 7th I think. other than that, nothing until the 9th, when I get back to seriously working and writing again...