Week 4 - 7th November Lecture

This week's lecture was all about Affordance..

The concept of affordance is the quality of an object. it is something that makes one choose the object over a certain reason or purposes.

As a designer, in the context of creating and designing an object in the aspect of affordance, we should take into account what should be included in the product and how it is made to suit the user. We must design to satisfy people's need. A good affordance design of an object is that it is able to communicate with the user the way it is suppose to be. For example, as we look at it, we know the purpose of the object and how to use it. But an affordance of an object does not change, even if the user doesn't like it. it is the way it is!

Elements of perceived affordance;
take a mouse for instance*
1. Context - Where? ( A mouse is at a computer)
2. Culture - Society ( Something to do with computer, pointer )
3. Instinct - Unconscious act ( feel like grabbing it )
4. Mental Models - Expectations ( to control the screen )

Affordance Manipulation;
Ability to create something that the user can't avoid of using it. Eg, we must use a mouse in order to control a computer.

Forcing Functions;
1. Look-in - Can't quit certain application until something is done to it.
2. Look-out - Can't open certain application until certain action is taken before opening it.
3. Inter-lock - The combination of both Look-in and Look-out.

How do affordance apply to robot?
Affordance is applied on robots through how it is applied to our daily basis. it must be designed and made so that it can benefit our life, and in the same time it must be user friendly. Something that we can easily use, something that is not TOTALLY new to the user.

How does a robot dog know what to do with a ball?
This plays with both affordance of the robot dog and the affordance of the ball. A dog is designed so that it can recognize the structure and the properties of the ball. every robot has it's own "brain", so the elements of affordance in the robot dog will suit the robot's design so that it is able to perform action. on the other hand, the affordance of the ball must be designed and make it look like a ball. if a ball is designed with a different criteria and properties, the robot dog might not recognize it and treat it as something else and not a ball.

In conclusion, all design regarding affordance must be persuasive and able to function as expected. If the object produced is in line with affordance, then it will benefit the user and profit for the client.

Post by,
Muhammad Syahmi Abd Aziz
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