8 - Kristi Starling

The single most important thing I've learned about the "whole game" of HCI design is that it isn't a linear process, but rather iterative.  The cycle of research, design, evaluation, and revision happens again and again until the product is finally ready for publication.  This doesn't mean it's perfect though; no design ever is, and often the cycle just starts all over again with a new version of the product.  I'm also a math major (and I was a math major first), so this isn't how I'm used to thinking.  I'm used to black and white, right or wrong.  There may be different ways of arriving at the same place in math, but one way usually is "best".  When a problem or proof is finish and your work adequately explained, you're done.  But as we've been learning, design isn't like that.  You can't just spend enough time analyzing a problem, figure out the solution, and have the correct answer.  The "Fail Faster" video we watched in class today just demonstrated that even more for me.  I'm one of the people who like to wait and figure things out, to make sure I have a plan before I begin a project.  Again, I'm having to adjust my idea of what a problem solving process should look like in order to most effectively complete the design projects in this class, and that is by far the most significant thing I have learned about the "whole game" of HCI design.