Lesson 5 (Lesson From Marketing)

Today’s lesson is on experience based on “Marketing” perspective. This involves events that occur in response to some sort of simulation (marketing efforts before & after purchase). It also involves direct observation and/or participation in events (real, virtual). Experiences are usually self-generated, not induced. In other words mean the marketing’s point of view of the product.

The key factor of it is “Value”. There are 2 types of values, objective value & subjective value. The first one is based on criteria such as availability, size, quantity, hours, etc; in turn decides the price one has to pay for the product or service. The latter one is more elusive; which means on the benefits the goods can provide (comfort, pleasure).

Next will be “Expectations”. This implies the “Give & Take” from the users where they “Give” the time, money & effort to buy the product; in return, they expect to “Take” back some rewards (Experience).

Moreover, we are also introduced to “22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” & the “4 Es of Perception” (Educate, Explore, Elevate, and Entertain).

Last but not least, we are given the final assignment (project); an interactive one that should have a purpose/goal.

Lesson 4 (Understanding User 2)

Today is the 4th lesson for NM4210. After going through the previous lesson on RMA techniques, I realized that designing a product is a very “demanding” process. “User Experiences” is the most important factor of designing a product.
In this lesson, we are exposed to 2 more new concepts or approaches to Experience Design. First, it’s “Laddering”, which is a very popular marketing technique that has very powerful procedures for eliciting the values a person holds. It involves direct links between specific features of the product and aspects of pleasure of the user.

The other is, “Ethnography study”, where culture probe could be clubbed under ethnography. “Probe” is to capture signals & samples from places where human researchers cannot go. The final design proposals were inspired from and based on the data collected using the cultural probes. “Ethnography” is naturalistic, where its studies should be of real people & their activities, operating in their natural environment.

Besides that, we are also introduced to a framework for analyzing experience with technology, which consists of 4 intertwined threads of experience (Compositional, Emotional, Spatio-temporal, Sensual), and six sense-making processes (Interpreting, Reflecting, Appropriating, Recounting, Anticipating, Connecting).

Last but not least, we are given the next assignment, “Emotion Design Probe”, on improving learning experience in lecture theaters, which will be due 2 weeks later.

Assignment 2 (4 Pleasures Analysis)

Into Sakura's World

Based on the RMA profile that we had developed during the classroom activity, we must now come out with a detailed version for the targeted user. Here is how the story goes…… “Into Sakura’s World”!

Sakura has just stepped into the age of 21 this year, which is a turning point or a new starting point in her life. Since young, she had been leaving in a beautiful island in Japan, Okinawa. It was only on her 12th birthday that she had come to live in Singapore due to her father’s commitment in work over here. This means that she had been living in Singapore for at least 9 years, so she is bilingual not only in Japanese and English, but also in Chinese.

Currently, she is working as a retail assistant in a toy shop, after graduating with a diploma in fashion design not long ago. She is a happy-go-lucky person who knows what she really wants; she wants to be in the entertainment line, if not, a successful fashion designer. But right now, she just wants to lead a lifestyle that gives her more exposure to the different fields of work.

Till now, she still finds no problems in her current job, in fact, she really enjoys it. This is partly due to her character. She is a very outgoing person, friendly & always full of confidence & laughter. Maybe because of her small-size and “cute” looking features, she is always mistaken as a teenage student by the customers. At that same time, she can click very well with the children coming into the store. They always call her, “Big Sister”. Ha-ha! She is always devoted in anything she is doing; that’s the reason why she’s well-liked by her boss.

Besides working in the toy shop, she has a “side-line” job too. She has an online forum, selling & sharing cartoon & anime figurines and products. Since the age of 10, she had developed a liking to this hobby, after receiving a very attractive “Hello Kitty” keychain & teddy bear from her father as her birthday gift. From then on, she had started her collection. Till now, she has a collection of over 50 products, ranging from clothes to household furniture. Thus, it’s not surprise to see her room “decorated” with all the cartoons products, especially “Hello Kitty”, which is her favorite.

She likes to dress up in her favorite outfit to work or even when she goes shopping with her friends, but it is only in the latter situation that she will dress like what she used to when she was back in Japan. From the local people point of view is the “kawaii” (means cute in Japanese) type of dressing. This is also one of the reasons why she is well-liked by the children & attracts a lot of male customers to the shop at that same time. Ha-ha!

Besides having hooked online & shopping, she also likes to take photographs, even of herself, and upload to her blog to share with everyone; her blog had attracted more than 10,000 viewers. Wow! Her favorite camera is the one that she has just bought recently from Japan; with “Hello Kitty” design. Moreover, she is also into “Cosplay”, where she will dress up like any character from the anime. Her favorite is to dress-up like “Sailor-moon”.

4 Pleasure Analysis

Physio-pleasure

• At the moment, she is very pleased with the work she’s doing now, although she has a dream or goal to achieve in the later stages of her life.

• She is particular in the way she dresses on occasions. For example, she will have sets of guidelines on how to dress up on formal occasion; i.e. job. While she goes shopping with her friends, she has another set of guidelines. A person who is very concerned on her image. She knows when to be serious & when to be “crazy”. (Needs Pleasure)

• At the moment, she just wants to try to lead a care-free life if possible. (Appreciation Pleasure)

• She doesn’t show much concern to her diet as she is the type of person whom will not grow fat easily. The only work-out she has is only during her working hours in the retail shop and not to mention, shopping. (Appreciation Pleasure: in terms of keeping healthy by shopping)

Socio-pleasure

• Her hobbies, which are shopping & taking photographs to upload to her blog, are the more important ones as it is only then that she feels her presence when with her friends or through the responses in her blog. (Needs Pleasure)

• She likes to take photographs of herself & friends or even on her favorite products, and to share them with everyone or even to her friends in Japan. (Appreciation Pleasure)

• On the other hand, participating in “Cosplay” is just a way where she is able to experience a very different way of presenting herself. As “Cosplay” function is not held regularly in Singapore, thus it is just another form of relaxation for her. (Appreciation Pleasure)

Psycho-pleasure

• Her work as a retail sales assistant gives her a sense of belonging & recognition of her skills from the customers & her boss. This gives her a boost in her self-confidence level as this is her 1st job. (Needs Pleasure)

• At the same time, interaction with the customers gives her the opportunity to learn how to deal with all the customers. (Appreciation Pleasure)

• Her online shop & forum lays the foundation for her dreams; of opening a shop that sells these types of products; as she will be able to know how to manage her own shop & all the necessary responsibilities required. It also gives her sense of fulfillment (Needs Pleasure)

Ideo-pleasure

• Her long term goal is to enter the entertainment line, if not, as a fashion designer & boss of her own shop & brand. (Needs Pleasure)

• To share her experiences & happiness to the less fortunate children, who are unable to know how the cartoon products will look like; through her blog & photographs. (Appreciation Pleasure)


Her Ideal Hand-phone Specifications

I think her ideal hand-phone will look like something that is stylish & suit her image of “kawaii”. Size of the hand-phone is not key factor for hers. She’s a person who is not into the functions or enhanced features that a hand-phone can give her. Maybe one that enables her to view her blog or forum when she needs/wants it; can be through GPRS or WIFI. Moreover, it should be a one that can support Japanese text so that she is able to communicate with her friends in Japan when using SMS. A plus point will be one that comes with a good built-in camera. A plus point because, anyway, she will have her favorite camera (“Hello Kitty”) with her. He-he!

A recommended hand-phone would the “Hello Kitty OKWAP C150T. (http://www.intomobile.com/2007/10/26/its-another-hello-kitty-phone-hello-kitty-okwap-c150t.html)


I think this suits her well….. =)