Introductory Questions

1. I'm Isabella Xie, a junior based in Olin studying Economics & Strategy with a second major in Communication Design.

2. With an extensive fine arts background, I actually started out in Sam Fox, though I knew I wanted to double-major between SFS and Olin – ultimately switching into Olin just last semester. My passion for the arts is reflective of my general interest for creative pursuit as well as human systems, experiences, and thought. (The HCI minor sounds really interesting!) That said, I think the intersection between design and technology is really fascinating and important; and this class is the perfect place to begin formally exploring that interest!

3. I have no experience with any of those languages.

4. As mentioned, I would like to formally learn about the intersection of design and technology, so I hope to integrate some of the communication design concepts I've learned with the awesomoe technical work with computer languages in this class.

5. The medium itself is the most inherent difference between digital and analog design, and I think it's fair to say that there are limitations from analog to digital, and vice versa. Additionally, the users of digital and analog design may have different intentions with the end-product which affects how the designer operates.

6. IDEO's site exemplifies effective design. While it engages its viewers with its composition and animated text, it showcases the content – the company's work, people, ideologies – very well with readable design and good organization. Furthermore, it scales well with the screen.

7. McKinsey's site exemplifies effective communication. It shares its insights on relevant news on its main page, drawing the reader in to further explore the company's services – which are readily available on the top menu bar. Despite the company's broad scope of services, each industry and function is well organized and easily accessible with information broken down into sizeable pieces that increase in specificity on each page.

8. Uber's site works well. It sells its main services (food and transportation) on its main page by presenting the user their options (e.g. "Most popular restaurants near you," "Sign up"). It also offers information about its commitments as a company, which go beyond the consumer-grab and appeals to the user's ideologies. It is clear what value this company presents to its users – discretely and effectively – and Uber gives additional information that its users or prospects may be interested in.