Task 5: Video Reflections (Paul Bennett)

Paul Bennett addresses in this video the notion of designing from the point of view of the user; which is kind of like putting yourself into someone else's shoes to create a product or design. The first thing shown was excepts from a 6 minute video from the point of view of a hospital patient. This video was to show how seemingly dull and lifeless it is lying in a bed all day. Paul then describes the notion of 'small being the new big' and how the smallest things can have massive impacts on the lives of others. In the case of the hospital this meant putting mirrors on the wheelchairs so the patient could have a conversation with the nurses face to face; and giving each patient their own wall in their room where guests could write get well messages. Although very minor things, they have big impacts on the consciousness of the patient and serve to give them a more enjoyable experience.

Looking towards the edges was also new concept that was raised in this video. This is basically looking for the things that people would often discard as being unimportant for a design. Such as a nurse holding a patients hand while in an operation, or having the natural human instinct of placing rubbish in a place where someone else already has. By using these little things we can create objects that talk to the user better and in a more meaningful way; instead of just simply looking nice. This also ties back to the 'little things, big impact' notion.

The overall message in this video is to design with the user in mind first and foremost as apposed to making the design look nice and function to its best. If we consider the user and how they think and act, the design achieves more in the eye of the user than something that does not. He also shows how to create things with huge impact by simply deriving it from small areas of a users day to day life such as emotion and spacial awareness; in essence telling us that 'small is the new big'.