West End - week one

From what I have researched so far, it seems that the West End lacks personality. According to most of the reviews I found online the district has become too corporate, boasting chain restaurants and expensive shops meanwhile overshadowing local businesses and talent. Because of this, tourists visiting the West End are not getting a unique experience. When I think of a unique city, Austin always comes to mind. Local talents perform every day and quirky souvenir shops plague the downtown area; it offers an experience that you can’t get anywhere else. The district should dive into the local talent pool and perhaps find street performers that could liven up the place.  

Having said that, maybe there is an opportunity for the West End to take advantage of its historic status in order to establish a personality for itself. The fact that there are so many chain restaurants and very few “mom-and- pop” places contradicts its historical status. If this is the place where most tourists go, developers should keep these stakeholders in mind when attempting to revamp the area.  They need to take advantage of the available architecture and incorporate a theme so that people visiting the area get an experience they can’t find anywhere else. Also, when I think of Dallas I think of a technologically advanced urban area, there should be a way to incorporate that into the district without losing the historical feel.  

In continuing with the district’s historic status, there are several museums in the area but I am not sure if they are within walking distance of each other or how economically accessible they are. Perhaps they should offer a package with a set rate that includes access to all the museums as well as transportation to these. Accessibility seems to be an issue in the West End because the area is so spread out. Tourists visiting the area may find it more appealing if they are guided to certain areas.

I started with three issues: lack of personality, preservation of historical status and accessibility. But once I expanded these I found that they overlap. I feel that the more I research these themes they will come together to form a pretty solid case.              

Week 5 - Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception or “the morning after pill” is an over-the-counter drug used to prevent pregnancy AFTER intercourse unlike other contraceptives that must be used in advance.  Different from abortion which terminates a pregnancy, it merely prevents fertilization of the egg making it less controversial.

Victims of rape have benefitted from the morning after pill and so have couples. It has become a means of “erasing” a mistake or accident. This “after-the-fact” contraception has given women further control of their bodies and their sexuality. They are no longer condemned to the repercussions of unprotected or forced intercourse. But some may argue that its accessibility promotes irresponsible sexual behavior, especially in teens. Because women have further control of their bodies, it may prompt them to be more promiscuous. Although innovations like these have empowered women in many ways, they are incapable of reversing preconceived notions of ethical female behavior.     

Week 5 - Artificial Insemination

Often thought of as a modern technology, artificial insemination actually dates back to the 1950s. Ever since, this medical procedure has empowered women by freeing them from traditional reproductive roles.

Artificial insemination is the process by which sperm is planted in the female’s reproductive tract thus impregnating her without the need for sexual intercourse. It has enabled single and homosexual women to conceive a child without the need for an actual relationship with a male. Motherhood is no longer restricted to the heterosexual woman in a relationship; it has become an option for any woman capable of conceiving. It has liberated females from the societal pressures of finding a partner in order to reproduce. This idea of breeding without the need of a partner could possibly lead to a female revolution in reproduction where women no longer seek a man to placate their maternal desires.      

Week 5 - Induced Abortion

In continuing with female rights, abortion is another innovative process that has allowed women to take control of their reproductive systems. This controversial practice has provided women with an alternative when it comes to unwanted pregnancies; it has given them control of their own bodies.

Before abortion was legalized, women virtually had no choice when it came to giving birth once the child was already conceived. Victims of rape and incest had to accept the outcome regardless. And in cases where the mother did not have the means to care for the child, the two suffered alike. Although unfair to the child, abortion became a viable choice which women did not have in the past.

But to this day abortion continues to be taboo and is spurned by society, oftentimes viewed as homicide. Although it empowered women by giving them a choice, it also made them subjects of public controversy. Legality and ethics clash in this ongoing debate between the individual’s rights and what is morally correct. 

Week 4 - Computers in the Classroom

In recent years, more and more schools have adopted computerized teaching as an innovative learning system. Access to personal computers in the classroom has bridged the gap between education and technology in a world governed by the latter. Students are more likely to be engaged in the learning process if it is facilitated by a computer because they are accustomed to using the technology in every other aspect of their lives. In a world where technology is advancing at an incredible speed, computer skills are vital to achieving success in the professional world.

But this innovative system is also detrimental to learning. As we all know, you can find answers to almost anything on the internet. Students nowadays are borrowing ideas from others instead of developing their own – it’s a new form of cheating. The ease of finding an answer has replaced the basic thinking process. Not only that, teachers that are not “tech-savvy” may find it difficult to adjust and properly execute their teaching strategies. Could computers eventually make teachers obsolete? If computers are able to tutor as well or even better than a teacher, the latter element is at risk of being eliminated from the system. 

Week 4 - Online College Classes

Online college courses have opened the doors to non-traditional students and changed the way people think about higher education. It is now possible to pursue a degree on your own time and without the inconvenience of having to travel to the actual university. The ease of accessing classes at any time is mostly appealing to people with full-time jobs, families, or other responsibilities that otherwise would not permit them to further their education. Some universities even offer degrees that are entirely online. Professors also find them practical because they do not actually have to be present in order to teach the material.

Universities are expanding their domain by using technologies like these and reaching wider audiences. By facilitating education, institutions are spreading the message that pretty much anyone can attend college. It is financially appealing to the institution as well as socially appealing to its students. 

Week 4 - Long Distance Learning

“Long distance learning” is a technology that allows high school students to take college classes without having to attend the institution. In essence it is a virtual classroom directed by a real professor in real time. A camera located in the actual classroom transmits the feed to the high school classroom through television sets which allow the students to see, hear and talk to the professor as if they were actually there.

This technology makes it possible for high school students to advance their college careers before they graduate. It changes the way we perceive higher education; students no longer have to wait until they’re out of high school to start college. It mainly facilitates the process for kids in rural areas that do not have immediate access to a university. They do not have to travel long distances which may interfere with other educational demands.   

Week 3 - Traffic Signs

Traffic signs have become so standard in our lives that we fail to recognize them as an innovative system integral to public safety. They are used to regulate traffic and allow for thousands of vehicles to circulate in an orderly fashion through the same roads at the same time. This set of rules makes travel safe for automobiles and pedestrians alike.

When you really think about how automobiles are used, you realize that they are part of a larger system which allows them to exist. The system is made up of rules that must be followed by drivers in order for it to work effectively. These rules are represented by stop signs, speed limits, warning signs, traffic lights, etc. Traffic signs have been standardized through shapes and colors that make them easily recognizable, i.e. stop signs are octagonal and red. Without them, the system would not work.

This reminds me of the issue we discussed in class about traffic control. We are governed by these rules that allow us to feel safe when driving down the road because we trust that others will respect them, which brings me back to the issue of public safety. Traffic signs make it possible for automobiles and pedestrians to circulate in the same space basically without killing each other.         

Week 3 - Traffic Citations

While traffic signs help implement a system, traffic citations are what enforce it. Sometime after the introduction of road signage, the need arose for a way to assure that drivers would follow these rules. Citations became a way to essentially scare people into respecting the law. Punishment is a good enforcer – especially when it’s monetary. But in order to be effective the punishment must be significant enough so that people are not inclined to break the law; at the same time, it must remain reasonable. But who or what determines what reasonable is? Surely it does not mean the same thing to a person of the lower class compared to someone of the upper class. And even if a median was reached, the fine may not be significant enough to someone who is rich therefore they are more likely to break the law.

Taking it a step further, it is a common belief that the only criminals are the ones who get caught. Police officers cannot possibly be present for every traffic violation thus drivers break the rules all the time. Citations have only partially solved the problem of driver safety and people continue to jeopardize their lives and the lives of others by not respecting traffic laws.      

Week 3 - Photo Enforced Traffic Lights

Photo enforced traffic lights have taken law enforcement to the next level. As I already mentioned, it is impossible for officials to witness every single traffic offense. These lights have provided a solution – at least when it comes to respecting red lights. Intersections are monitored 24/7 so even if there are no cops around you will get punished for running a red light.

Taking the human factor out of this equation had opened up more opportunities for enforcing the law but it has also unraveled a new set of problems. Some may say that these lights are helping to keep us safer but others (like myself) may argue that they can be unfair. Just last week, I turned right on a light just as it had turned yellow and behind me I saw the flash of the camera. In my defense, I could argue that the light had barely turned yellow but there was no one to argue with. Likewise, for someone who is unaware of the local laws for right turns on red lights it means they will get punished either way. And as we all know it is hopeless to appeal a ticket that has already been issued. 

Innovation Week 2 - NeatDesk® by The Neat Company

If you've watched late night television lately you’ve probably seen the commercial for the NeatDesk® scanner. This digital filing system is an improvement on the traditional scanner because it has multiple trays that accommodate sheets of different sizes. The usability has certainly been improved because the sheets are easily fed through the machine like in a shredder.  

The premise of the product is to reduce clutter by digitalizing documents that can be saved on your computer.  Although the product serves its purpose it does not provide a solution to losing documents because as we all know digital files can easily be erased. I wonder if the creators have included some kind of protection against file loss. If anything the safest way to prevent loss would be to have a backup on a flash drive or external drive. But the latter can crash or be misplaced, leading us back to the original predicament – yet another wicked problem.  

Innovation Week 2 - Automatic Bill Pay

Automatic bill pay is a service that automatically deducts payments from your checking or credit account each billing cycle. It is a convenient way of keeping up with your payments without having to worry about sending them in on time. It has also become a means of protecting the environment by reducing the use of paper bills, checks and postage.

But the ease of automatic bill pay has its repercussions as well because it allows others to manage your finances. It is easy to lose track of how your money is being spent and incur unfair overcharges or overdraft fees on your checking account. This is an example of a “wicked problem” that faces not only the service designer but the user as well. The user must find a way to preserve the convenience of putting their payments on autopilot while still keeping tabs on their account each billing cycle.     

Innovation Week 2 - Skype

Skype is an innovative application that makes it possible for people to make voice calls over the internet. The service is free and allows for video conferencing, instant messaging, and file transfers. For a small fee, its users can also make calls to landlines and mobile numbers. Although not the first of its kind, Skype has surpassed many of its predecessors like the MSN Instant Messenger by improving video quality and sound synchronization.

This fairly new technology has spread quickly and reduced the need for landlines and business travel through the use of video conferencing. With computers and internet services becoming more affordable, the product is readily available to almost anyone. Skype connects people from all over the world and improves the experience by allowing users to see each other, making the act of communicating from a distance more tangible – as humans we feel the need to employ as many of our senses in order to make things seem more “real”.   

Innovative Artifact - Pentel Smear-Proof Pen

This pen is a good example of how Herbert Simon describes design, "changing existing situations into preferred ones." It uses the same technology as a regular gel pen but adapts it for left-handers by using quick-drying ink that prevents smearing. When writing we tend to drag our hand and for left-handers that means dragging it over everything we've just written. The quick-drying ink provides a solution to this problem as well as a service to a significantly wide audience.      

Innovative Artifact - Rock Band by Harmonix

Rock Band is a video game consisting of several musical instruments that function much like the real thing. This example of discontinuous innovation (Wylant) provides a unique experience that is unparalleled in gaming history. Non-musicians eliminate the need to learn how to play a real instrument by virtually simulating the experience.

A discontinuous innovation like this one can also be seen as disruptive (Wylant) because it facilitates the practice of making music which otherwise would be done by using pre-existing instruments.           

Innovative Artifact - Austin Duck Adventures bus

Duck Adventures is a local sightseeing company located in Austin, TX; it takes its passengers on a guided tour of downtown and Lake Austin by using a single means of transportation. I am not exactly sure how it works or how it is built, but this bus is able to tread into water and function much like a boat.

Just like the many examples in Roger Martin's "The Opposable Mind", this company combined two pre-existing ideas and combined them to form one coherent system that would offer its customers the best of both worlds in a single experience.