THESIS : Research Diagrams

The following diagram outlines general ideas in my thesis research. The second outlines the framework for each interactive investigation.

THESIS : Research Panel

My thesis research was presented in a panel display here at NC State College of Design.

THESIS : Content Building

I continue to rework the concept maps that initially addressed my various thesis topics. I figured out that it works best if I put everything in one HUGE illustrator file and work from there. This is a peek at the thesis content building file (as I now call it)...soon to be printed.

THESIS : Proposal Questions 1

These are the questions I presented at proposal/mid-semester.
These will be updated this coming week:

Researchable Question:

In what ways can the visual and organizational characteristics of an
online environment facilitate information seeking?

Sub-Questions:
What role does diagramming and mapping play in
constructing imageability in information structures?

How can emotional attributes inform visual and organizational
decisions in the design of online environments?

What are the visual and organization contributions to the
individual motivations in the online environment?

Definitions:
visual and organizational: design
online environment: internet
diagramming and mapping: a design process to organize navigation, content and behavior in an environment
imageability: Lynch’s theory of imagability,
making the environment legible
emotional attributes: from the five factors of personality
motivations: reasons one has for acting or behaving,
aligned with the five factors of personality

THESIS : Personality Types

A paper titled "Five personality dimensions and their influence on information behaviour" enlightened my interest in the cognitive differences of users. The paper provides a study for me to work from. The personality dimensions will only be used to help build possible motivations against the various behaviors. I do not want to use this to create labels for individuals, but rather generate some visual and interactive ideas.

THESIS : Users

In an attempt to categorize what users do online, I made this diagram to help further narrow my interest in the searching behaviors of users, specifically for information.

THESIS : Lists

The practice of working on 3 x 5s has followed me from my Hallmark days. Why change a good work process? These are the lists that I did over the summer. I often go back and look at these for interest confirmation.

THESIS: Personality

Since I am researching personality for thesis, I found it appropriate to take this test...here are my results
Big Five Personality Test

THESIS : Finding a Researchable Question

Round #1: Today we had to present 7-8 "researchable" questions to Meredith. We had to generate these questions with the connections we made from our lists that we developed over the summer; content interests, ways of working, and future goals. I won't share all of my questions or my lists, but here is a general list of my interests:

inclusive approach to the design of communication, affective computing, how intelligence is measured, different minds, emotions, sensory information, individual negotiations of meaning, cognition, expert/novice, relationships, receiving information, storytelling, forming new behaviors, interaction, empowerment, navigation through physical space, navigation through cyberspace, maps, people, understanding, knowledge, trust, influence, concept.

My first pass at a researchable question was too vague, my next step is to get specific. Here is the question/direction I am heading:

How can theories of way finding inform the design
of online information structures?