I learned so much from this chapter. There were so many helpful tips that lead to helping my design ideas. For example, I was so hung up on an idea, not caring whether I am able to do it or if I know how to do it. I just did. I just wanted to make fire and smoke because I’m always fascinated by fire. It is a good thing that design derives from personal experience but also it needs to actually happen. I started reading and the first thing that rang for me was the simplifying the form. I was creating so many innovative ideas that if they actually happened, they would not read properly. I had to take a moment and read to learn that it’s a process and it is a lot simpler yet complex than that. I needed a personality for my design. On page 134, Ge points out that motion does not represent personality. Ironically, that was what I was aiming for which is why this chapter was a knock on the head for me. Personality is so many things but most importantly it has to read (I noticed Ge repeated “It’s Gotta Read” several times so lesson learned). Maybe making it read is the beginning of the design’s personality as far as I’m trying to believe. It’s like the first impression of a person. Does it read to you that it is something? Then you get to know the person. This is where several elements play a role, such as motion, interaction, visuals, design loops and so on. These elements do not have to be planned as Ge mentioned in page 141. No one wakes up one morning and decides to make a design loop of any shape or form. At least as far as I know. Reading this hit like a train to me. I was trying so hard to make my visualizer impress but I ended up losing personality. It should be a process, an unintentional intentional fun mistake.
What I noticed in every design mentioned either in this chapter or the previous ones, that an artful design contains something I like to call the “Whoa!” effect. Ocarina gives the whoa effect through the simple additive design and most importantly through the world interactive feature. The pencil case gave Ge the whoa effect when he realized it’s all made of its own zipper. Same goes for the kids’ reaction to SNDPeek. I wouldn’t call it the sublime but it is an effect that makes you say whoa and then smile right after. That’s what we should aim for in our designs but not plan it too much at the same time.