Cognitive Design Experiments with a Smart Phone
Your iPhone, Android, Blackberry or other Smart Phone can be a powerful tool for doing design research, prototype testing and other fieldwork in cognitive design. Besides basic mobile communication, video capture and GPS functionality new apps are creating some intriguing possibilities.
Take for example, Stickybits. Here is what you do:
1. Download the free app and turn your smart phone into a bar code scanner.
2. Buy some labels – about 30 to 50 cents apiece depending upon how many you buy.
3. Associate digital content (photos, music, documents, videos, URLs, etc.) with your label.
4. Attach the label to some object.
Anytime someone scans the label they see your digital content! Example applications mentioned on the website include: Attaching a video to a birthday card, a resume to a business card and recipes to a cereal box.
A very creative app ripe with implications for designers. I am going to challenge Northwestern students in my Cognitive Design class this summer to use Stickybits in the design process.
