Browsing by Subject "design"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Designing a mobile application interface to support mid-career professionals in creating better financial futures
    (2020) Pentz, Audrey; Kuttel, Michelle
    South Africans borrow more and save less than other nations (Discovery Bank, 2018). One reason is a lack of financial knowledge. If a mobile application could guide individuals to modify their financial habits slightly by spending less and saving more, they could dramatically improve their financial future. When designing visualisation systems such as a mobile application interface, users' qualitative design feedback and quantitative usability evaluation are both important and complementary. The benefit of usability feedback in software development is undisputed. The importance of qualitative design feedback from users however, seems to be controversial in Science. Gathering users' qualitative design feedback, ahead of usability evaluation, can have a substantial impact on downstream development costs. The researcher used design as a tool for thinking (imagining new possibilities) and communicating (sharing ideas). The purpose was to clarify ways in which a mobile application interface could support users in making better financial decisions and creating better financial futures for themselves and consequently for society. A user centred design (UCD) approach was followed, emphasising design before development, with a strong focus on user involvement in all three phases, namely requirements gathering, design and evaluation. A primary client archetype for mid-career professionals was developed, split into two personas, Alan and Zoe, based on personality and self-rated motivational attributes which were used in an unconventional way to inspire two parallel, diverse designs. In early design stages, before an idea is well formed, producing multiple contrasting designs in parallel and qualitative design feedback from users is beneficial to establishing utility (solving the right problem), tapping into users' domain knowledge, improving the quality of the design and reducing fixation on one idea. Once the concept has been socialised and evolved sufficiently with users' input, converging on one final design and testing usability (solving the problem in the right way) become more important. This research offers two refinements of the UCD process guidelines for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.
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    The development of a design for a school hall
    (2012) UCT Knowledge Co-op
    This project looked at the development of a design for a hall at a primary school. 9 Students used the Sim office project of their Architecture course to work with the Extra-Mural Education Project (EMEP), and the Kannemeyer Primary School in Grassy Park. The object was to develop designs for a school hall, including changes to existing buildings. Nine students from the Architecture Department at UCT worked on the designs.
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    Topological studies of three related metal-organic frameworks of Gd III and 5-nitroisophthalate
    (2012) Davies, Kate; Bourne, Susan A; Öhrström, Lars; Oliver, Clive L
    The reaction of 5-nitroisophthalic acid (H(2)NIA) with Gd(NO(3))(3)·6H(2)O in DMF afforded three new metal-organic frameworks: [Gd(NIA)(1.5)(DMF)(2)]·DMF (I), [Gd(2)(NIA)(3)(DMF)(4)]·xH(2)O (II) and [Gd(4)(NIA)(6)(DMF)(5.5)(H(2)O)(3)]·4DMF·H(2)O (III). These compounds can be prepared through a variety of methods. Compounds (I) and (II) are more reproducibly formed than compound (III). Network analysis revealed (I) to have a (4(12).6(3))-pcu topology, while (II) displays a (4(2).8(4))(4(2).8(4))-pts topology. Compound (III) was found to present the uncommon 4,5,6T11 topological net, which combines aspects of both the pcu and pts topologies. The short symbol of this net is (4(4).6(2))(4(6).6(4))(2)(4(8).6(6).8).
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    World design capital 2014: transforming Cape Town through design
    (2013) Makalima-Ngewana, Bulelwa
    Cape Town has been designated World Design Capital (WDC) for 2014. This designation is unique in its aim to focus on the broader essence of design's impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. This audio lecture by Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, the CEO of Cape Town Partnership, is useful for anyone who wants to know more about transforming Cape Town through design.