Contiining on from last weeks question;

‘How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?’

The long answer is any designer who designs any object must anticipate the different uses their object will have. For example, the Hitachi Magic Wand was designed with massaging peoples head and feet in mind. Little did Hitachi know, people would be using their object for masturbation (nasty ass). Alas, each object has constraints which they cant achieve; for example, the Hitachi Magic Wand couldn’t possibly be used as a substitute for a food mixer.

Norman D. wrote in ‘ The design of everyday things’ that, “When we encounter a novel object, how can we tell what to do with it? Either we have dealt with something similar in the past and transfer old knowledge to the new object, or we obtain instruction” (p. 82). He also previously mentions the idea of “communication” in designing objects, so users can understand how to use it (preface, x). This is extremely prevalent with any everyday item, the user must understand how to use it immediately when interacting with the item, otherwise it’s prime use has the designer.

Albeit, the designer must understand each item they design could possibly have constraints on the user and the environment. Norman D. continues his theory of constraints in ‘Affordance, conventions and design (Part 2)’, by grouping them into four categories:

• Physical – Physical constraints are closely related to affordances, as in objects are to be used in the realm of their abilities. For example, we cannot change the shape of a video game controller, or are we able to move our game character off screen.
• Logical – Logical constraints refer to the “common sense” of objects, they are made to be used reasonably and can be understood by all participants. As such, the X or A button on a game controller globally refers to the ‘go’ or ‘jump’ button. Whereas the O or B button wheres to the ‘stop’ button.
• Cultural – Cultural constrains are a set of ideologies shared by a cultural group, that is engrained in a certain group which is synonymously understood. For example, the left joystick button refers to movement of the character, whereas the right joystick button refers to camera movement.
• Semantic – Semantic constraints refer to the “language” of the object, be it literal or implied. Whereas the “start” on a game controller literally means start, while gaming on a desktop the “enter” button usually has that role.

It’s crucial for a designer to refer back to these constraints while designing an item, so that users can correctly interface with said objects, and can most important personalise them. Designers must be ready to adapt to societal change, and allow their objects to be used differently in the future. Norman D. concludes this by stating “Designers can invent new real and perceived affordances, but they cannot so readily change established social conventions. Know the difference and exploit that knowledge”.

References;

Norman, D 1998, The design of everyday things, Basic Book, New York (Sections: Preface vii-xv; Chapter one 1-13; Chapter 4 (constraints) 81-87; (computers) 177-186).

Norman, D 1999, Affordance, conventions and design (Part 2), Nielsen Norman
Group, viewed August 2018, http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordance_conv.html