Thursday, September 27, 2007

Chapter Two: The Design of Everyday Things

"In the absence of external information, people are free to let their imaginations run free as long as the mental models they develop account for the facts as they perceive them" (39).

I have never thought about the process in which people form theories. Norman puts the process simply into words. Keeping to cliches, up until the 19th century people believed that the world was flat. Well, it makes sense, sure there are mountains and valleys, but since one cannot tell that the world is round, why would it be anything but flat? And for that matter, the sun might as well travel around the earth, because one cannot tell that the earth is moving, I mean, I can see the sun moving around the world I live in....

Norman, Donald A. The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 1988.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Opening Blog Post

hey guys whats up.

The more time I have spent away from work, the more I miss retail. I never thought I would miss a place where there is always something to do. Ranging from crabby customers, trying to please management, and picking up fitting room disasters..... retail is hard, but I love it.

It all began with my first microeconomics class, essentially the seven steps of microeconomics fit in beautifully with the retail world. AAnnnnnnnnnd, of course a class on the intelligence of design coincides with the fashion/retail/whathaveyou world. I am really digging the fuctionality and visibility of design. I never really thought about why I like the utter simplicity of a Mac compared to a sloppy PC. And of course it all fits in to fashion as well.

I love jeans. love love love denim. It really is a bad obsession. At work, for example, I cannot just leave a pile of poor jeans all alone. They must be maticulisly merchendised into the scheme of the floor lay out. Oh, and they must all be sized, buttoned, folded, tages tucked, and of couse seperated by brand and fit.