Customer Reviews

Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For some people, this volume merely offers a collection of "humble images" accompanied by a relatively brief narrative which establishes a context or frame-of-reference within which to present the photos. For others such as I, this book achieves Suri's expressed objective which is indicated when she wonders how "designers might be influenced [by the images provided of] visual evidence of the realities of everyday behavior, of design in use. Might reference to such images help designers to be more sensitive to people's experience and needs?" Her hope is that those who see them "will take this same lens to the real world to enrich their own perceptions....The key is looking carefully at what people actually do in various situations and asking [themselves] various questions" to explain what they see. Suri explains that she and her associates at IDEO constantly observe common, everyday human experiences (i.e. "thoughtless acts") to stimulate, guide, and sustain "intuitive design."

Suri explains how this process highlights human needs and problems worth solving; frees designers from existing paradigms through a focus on action; reveals what is intuitive and thereby supports the design of appropriate "cues" (i.e. that which evoke recognition the purpose and accessibility of products, spaces, and services when designing them); tunes designers into relevant cultural patterns and meanings; uncovers significant, often overlooked emotional experiences; harnesses tacit knowledge which inform the design process; and inspires more flexible and enduring solutions to unmet needs.

Of special interest to me is that the photos in this volume capture moments which are comparable with those I experience in my own life. Oh sure, I have been aware of such images but, until sharing Suri's perspectives, I seldom (if ever) gave much thought to them as resources for stimulating new or improved ideas about human relationships, the aesthetics and utility of commonplace products and services, and the physical environment within which people as well as products and services interact. Adults can learn much from children about what is referred to as "the invisibility of the obvious." Those who question that should take a long walk in the woods with (let's say) a four-year old. Children notice so much that adults do not. Suri has reminded me of how interesting, and sometimes how valuable "thoughtless acts" can be.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Tom Kelley's The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm. His book seamlessly complements Suri's. Also check out Donald A. Norman's Emotional Design: Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things and The Design of Everyday Things, and, Alan Cooper and Robert M. Reimann's About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design as well as Edward Steichen and Carl Sandburg's The Family of Man, Robert Frank's Robert Frank: The Americans, and William Eggleston's Guide. Collections of "humble" (and not-so-humble) images can help us to see more than what we expect, to recognize and appreciate human experience from a variety of different perspectives, and thereby to activate, energize, expand, and nourish our own powers of imagination.

Yet another lousy book by IDEO. The whole book is nothing but photos. The title "Observations on Intuitive Design" implies to me that they are Jane Fultons observations. Sadly they are not. They are YOUR observations from looking at the pictures. And I paid for this. No written content (to speak of). I'll save you some money; take your camera into a supermarket, a compusa, and a walmart and snap away. Then go home and review them. Done and I saved you some cash. The arrogance of these guys. They slap their name (IDEO) on a collage and call it observations?

At my initial experience of going through this book, I must say that it has too many pictures/photos which one cannot comprehend at first glance. Though they are obscure by nature, but in fact, there are some real meanings toward each situation. It requires some proper thought and understanding of "how" and "why" we go through certain 'thoughtless acts' in our daily lives, and that's exactly the case Jane Fulton Suri has presented in this book. The IDEO process through its power of observation helps to "peer" deeper in those 'un-thought off' understandings in the pictorial situations. However, in order to grasp the meaning behind those pictures/photos, we have to somehow breakdown the boundaries of thought, and unleash our imagination to the next level to comprehend its obscurity. To summaries it all, this book is basically to feed our creative-thinking (and definitely not rational-thinking) process so that we can experience and learn to make products/services better and more versatile.

However, I could have given this book a complete 5-star, with the exception of its price.

This book ties human interactions beautifully with everyday pictures. It is not a book for a person who wants to read or get direct knowledge, rather it is a book for the observer, the person who learns from everyday newances.

It did change my perspective on Human Interactions with surrounding objects and environments. I do believe this book is meant to provoke and inspire towards observing more carefully.

A book that makes you aware instead of being in automatic pilot. Sit in a restaurant, at a park, or simply on a bus and start thinking about this book and how people behave. Great for account planners.

Overall concept is interesting. What we observe, how we are conditioned, how we respond to our environment but quality of book could have been taking further. Instead of being paperback size, it could have been a larger coffee table book with higher quality photos to illustrate points. Rather than having to refer to back of book to understand why image was included, it should have been on the same page as the picture.

This was a good overview/introduction to leveraging observational research in design and innovation thinking, not an in-depth treatise on process nor a how-to instruction manual. Reading the negative reviews, I somewhat agree that there could be more "meat" in the book, or that the author could have positioned the insights/questions with the photos to create a more usable work. However, I realized that perhaps it was intentional that the observational photos were positioned without explanation in the first half of the book, with narrative in the back. That's how observations typically happen, relying on each one's personal reflection and evaluation first, unskewed by external opinion. I appreciated this book as an inspiration to tune into the obvious around us and by capturing the everyday, learn to gain insight into it's ability to shape the creation of future things. Good stuff.

While a fan of IDEO design group, this book is more personal photo journal (and a bad one at that), than a guide for creative interaction. This book is testament to Jane's hubris and not a contribution to design. Too bad and I'm personally sorry I spent the money.

Excellent book that illustrate the little things that miss our senses and observation day in day out.

Opens up a world of thought for everyone around, expecially designers.