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Design Objective - Design Checkpoint

Evaluate the current direction for the information architecture and the branding of a website and logo for the Waterloo Regional Children’s Museum.

Understand/Observe - Design Checkpoint

• Reviewed the design intention with the information architect and artist

• Toured the new museum facilities and met with the museum marketing team to understand goals

Evaluate/Refine - Design Checkpoint

• Prepared for design checkpoint by creating possible interview questions and small user tasks

• Asked introductory questions to participants to establish rapport and set context

• Prompted the customer to verbalize their thoughts and expectations

• Encouraged the participant to explore the wireframe designs and asked the participant to explain the design back from what they saw

• Facilitated through small tasks on paper prototypes to look for mental models and expectations

• Used a word sorting technique to see how the logo and website aligned with the client's intended brand attributes

• Debriefed the clients with top findings

Alex Tam - WORK

Design Highlights • Interaction Design • Product Design

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Interaction Design Projects

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Brand/Design Checkpoint
Waterloo Children's Museum (2003)

Design Objective:
Evaluate the progress of the information architecture and the branding of a website and logo for the Waterloo Regional Children’s Museum in an early design phase.

Design Solution:
Run an informal design and brand checkpoint with target customers of the Museum. Facilitate participants through the information architecture, site navigation, and brand exercises.

Result:
Ensured that the current information architecture was on track and provided feedback to information architects and designers. Solicited emotional responses to various logo alternatives to give the client marketing team more confidence in their branding decisions.

Wireframe of website used to evaluate information architecture

Brand evaluation exercise - Projective word association

Link:
Waterloo Regional Children's Museum

Time: 1 day prep, 1 day to run checkpoint
Tools: usability lab, audio video recording equipment, word sort, paper prototypes
Team: (facilitator), scribe, clients

Logo Evaluation

End result of website design

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