I started in Web and Desktop and now do pretty much everything. From a technology perspective, don't assume everything is different. The toolkits used to do UI development for devices (QT, Java, C, etc.) vary, but you needn't know the details of how. If you use devices, you have an idea of what's possible.
What IS different are things like the one below. And they are the hard part to learn. But here's some things I've learned matter over the years: - input mechanisms; touchscreen, small buttons, wheels, etc. How will someone tell the computer what they want? Obvious, but non-trivial issue for you as the designer. - output: voice, small screens, etc. How do they get info/value? What's the resolution? What "fits" on screen? Ditto on the non-trivial part. - processing power: often non-PC products have small processors, so you need to work with developers on what that constrains. Typically it constraints UI animations, data crunching, number of "apps" running and the like. With UMPC's becoming prevalent, this becomes less of an issue (depending on your market), but always good to ask about up front. - memory size: this is less true lately, but devices can have limited on-board memory. This most often affects things like the number of languages you can support, the number of page "templates" you have, and the number/type of fonts. But that's really only when you have sub-2GB devices. Work with your engineers to map features to SW footprint. Typically devices that "capture data" (photos, messages, etc.) will have adequate memory, since a photo is more expensive size-wise than software. But that's a HUGE generalization. - COGS/BOM: you need to be aware of target cost in a way that you don't for pure SW. Cheap medical devices don't get a lot of memory or processor speed because that costs. Work with your engineers closely to map features to HW needed. - Medical: this is a special area unto itself and hard to generalize about. But I'll at least tell you that small/cheap devices that people don't pay for/pay much for will be highly constrained. The "special sauce" that makes them tick needn't be large in size, nor something that you understand technically. In fact, most of the time, the medical/science part is and should be a black box/algorithm-thingy that you are providing access to/from. If you have a client asking you to design their glucose measuring algorithm, you are dealing with someone that doesn't have a product and you should walk away. Medical companies should have the science. They may not/often don't know how to make consumer electronics, which is why they hire you. Hope it helps, Gretchen -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lukeisha Carr Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 6:53 AM To: IxDA Subject: [IxDA Discuss] IxD Work on Various Product Types Hi All, It seems that although IxDers do not necessarily have their hands deep in technology in terms of the implementation of it, we still need to know the capabilities of the technology behind what we are designing, so as to not request impossible solutions. Working on different types of technical products (other than web technology) is one of my goals for the future. Those of you who do not ONLY do IxD for websites/web applications, what product types did you begin your IxD experience? Then, how did you transition from one to another? For example, if you started out in the web, how did you move on to doing IxD for medical devices, hand-held non-web applications, desktop apps, etc.? For, I would assume that the technology behind such products as medical devices is so very different than what is used for the web. Do any of you shift product types depending on the project, or have you just shifted product types as a whole? What is the most difficult part of making such transitions? Thanks in advance for your responses. Lukeisha ________________________________________________________________________ ____________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
