Four pleasure analysis

Name: Pete
Age: 29
Occupation: Engineer
Marital Status: Attached
Citizenship: Singaporean


Pete is a 29 year old engineer living in Singapore.

He has had 3 years of working experience between 2 companies since he graduated with a decent degree in engineering a few years back.

Being keen on photography since his teenage years, he has been dabbling in photography but did not join photography society back in school as his heavy engineering course coupled with tuition jobs have taken up all his time. As a result, he is now more into digital photography due to the technology age. He is quite a confident person and believes in himself.

He enjoys going on fishing, hikes and being with nature and this is his form of exercise for both his physique and photography skills. He frequents places like Bukit Timah nature reserve, botanical gardens and short trips to nearby islands. He is not that obsessed with his body as he sees it more as a functional tool for his soul than something to show off. However, he is rather pleased that the hikes and fishing do accord him more attention by repaying him with tanned skin and slightly above average build.

However, ever since he got attached to a banker which he met at a company party, he has less time for his hiking, fishing buddies and photography as compared to the past. They have taken to the typical dinner and movie date. It's not that he minds, but he would have been happier if she loved hiking as he did.

Pete' buddies from secondary school are an odd mix- a rising entrepreneur, a creative director and a fashion stylist. He has gotten over feeling a little out of place at times for holding a 'conventional' job. Pete is known as the ever- practical guy in his clique. His family is neither dysfunctional nor extremely close; he has a fashion- conscious sister with whom he is on good terms with.



Four pleasure analysis of Pete

Physio- pleasure (maintaining his tan, relaxing with close mates)
To him, relaxing is a night out drinking with friends or going on dates with his girlfriend since he reduced his frequency of hiking some time back. He enjoys going for an occasional Sunday jog under the hot midday sun to retain the tan that his girlfriend found attractive.

Socio- pleasure (simple needs, easily contented with unchanging company) (need)
His girlfriend stays over at his place rather often, and when she doesn't he goes out drinking with his mates. His social needs are simple. At work he does not interact very much with his colleagues, not that he minds. Socializing or being showy is not his forte. Definitely not a trend setter.

Psycho- pleasure (need for stability)
He has a job that satisfies his need for stability. His friends are the same old gang always. His girlfriend, however, can be a bit of a flirt, which worries him just a little at times. Hence, he tries to be a tad more fashionable than he was since he met her, to keep the passion going (and to make himself feel more secure). Knowing how she loves clubbing, he tries to catch up on the latest songs with the help of his buddies. He enjoys the satisfaction of mastering new applications and techniques in photography (appreciation). He also derives pleasure from having ease of use over something which people have problems in such as manual settings on his camera (aperture and shuttle speed configuration) (appreciation). He loves the smell of new gadgets(appreciation). He enjoys the feel of a good grip of a quality equipment (appreciation).

Ideo- pleasure (filial, decent, down to earth)
He knows he looks slightly above average but does not take pride in that. He dresses conventionally and would not be caught dead in pink. He does not like the idea of being in the centre of attraction, especially since the girls in his life (girlfriend and sister) are already the attention seeking sort. He is a Buddhist who goes as (not) far as to offer an occasional set of joss sticks with his parents when he brings them to the temple to pray. Being practical, he does not think much about his image. Basically he is a rather nice guy with a decent set of morals. Change is not appealing to him. Being down to earth, he believes in quality over appearance (need).



Specifications of product

Practical
- Bluetooth (to transfer data of computer to handphone for work purposes)
- removable memory (to easily transport loads of data and free up space)
- shock protection (for in case he gets a chance to go hiking)
- at least 400 hours of standby time (no need for constant charging)
- not too many useless functions (active functions or keys should always be on top)
- caller ringing tones that vary with different people (so he can know if he should bother answering quickly without reaching for his phone as few people matter to him)
- personal shortcuts (being busy at work efficient use of handphone is necessary)

Affective
- large screen (girlfriend maintains it's more manly)
- 3.2 megapixel camera (to please photo- taking girlfriend) (also practical for taking spontaneous rough shots as ideas for his designs at work)
- quality camera lens
- on device photo editing capabilities
- looks stylish yet is not too loud for his liking (especially colour)
- music player that can play MP3 and AAC formats (his closest friends use a Mac and often like to exchange songs)
- direct plug in, drag and drop of music files
- picture messaging (for when his girlfriend sends him her sexy pictures)
- weight not more than 170g (as an engineer, he appreciates good but lightweight design)


This is how his ideal handphone should look like (in my opinion):

Pleasure with products

Viseral
This is the girls' toilet at Club Momo. The doors are plastered with hunky men, the toilet seats are glittery gold to give you that glamour princess feel. At one glance, you know you like (subjective) this toilet already, despite it being just as functional as any other lousy toilet with no added functions. The cubicles are not even spacious to begin with, but I just like it.


Behavioural

I chose my home's lousy ugly toilet because I feel happiest using it. It's not pretty, it does not have flashy men on the door to welcome me with washboard abs, nor am I proud to show off my toilet to visitors. The seat is even cracked and the flush and door lock a little faulty. However, despite its very minimal functionality, because I have been using it all my life, I am most at home with it and hence to me, what might be any old ugly toilet to others is more cosy and warm to use to me than any designer toilet. Somehow, my total experience with my home toilet (which made me choose it for behavioural design) is not really based so much on the toilet features but my emotions.



Reflective

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/techno/toilet/women.html

I haven't actually come across any toilet that made me feel it had a reflective design, so I am using these Japan toilet pictures. This is how Matsushita expects toilets in future to look. This toilet has medical sensors to "measure the blood sugar, the pulse, blood pressure, and the body fat content of the user. This data may automatically be sent to a doctor through a built-in internet-capable cellular telephone".





http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/techno/toilet/women.html

Even now, as I type, Japanese women are pressing the buttons on the Sound Princess, a device that produces flushing sounds to cover the sounds of their own peeing and stuff. Below are the features that a Toto toilet offers apart from this device.

- washlet to wash diff parts of body with warm water
- heated seat
- automatic flushing
- germ-resistant surface

Other toilet models in Japan (according to Wiki coz I haven't been there)
- glow in the dark
- play music
- arm rests for eldery and elevated seats
- automatic air deodorizing
- automatic lid with proximity sensor to allow opening and closing based on the location of the user

I believe that as reduandant as many functions are, we would be proud to own this toilet despite it being very user- unfriendly (you have to read the maunal). I would think that the owner of such a toilet would feel pretty high- tech and up to date with this gadget in his bathroom. It may not be the prettiest thing, but it sure will wow (and wet) the trousers off your visitors.

Men only

Viseral



I'm not a guy, so I can't be sure, but I guess some guys might love this urinal design that appeals to their erm. senses. This urinal is from the club Roxy. It has this perceived hedonic quality of fun and cheekiness, so even if it may be hard to clean properly at the sides of the erm. mouth, some weird men may actually want to own it. I guess it is fully functional and usuable, so yea..why not.


http://www.urinal.net/the_felix/

Another cool toilet at Felix in Hong Kong. A more conventional feel- good kind of cool. Not too user friendly as the design makes one feel exposed. Messy guys might miss and splash all over the floor. Other than that, who doesn't want to look at the pretty Hong Kong night scene while peeing?


Behavioural



The good old school urinal. It could be pleasurable to use because it is functional and no- frills, serving the needs of men when they need it most. Namely after long lectures without breaks. Plus, every guy knows how to use it because it is user- friendly.

Reflective

Again, no cool toilets in Singapore, so I had to search online. This is what I found.









http://www.urilift.com/

A public toilet (by Urilift) that elevates with a remote at night to cater to party animals who used to pee publicly all over the streets (in other countries). In the day, it is almost invisible, camouflaged as a sewage cover. Makes you want to own one of these, though you can't unless you are freaking rich or is the government. It combines high- tech with functionality as the hardy material means it is vandalism proof, making things easier on the eyes and on the toilet auntie.

Bad design (warm up assignment)

You know those litter bins that have revolving swing lids with tight hinges? It doesn't matter if the lids are placed at the side or top of the bin or whether the bins are made of plastic or metal; they suck either way.

Said user tried to throw light litter without touching the dirty lids with her hands. Because everyone does not want to touch dirty lid with their hands, the lid becomes dirtier with each rubbish that grazes the lid. She pushes the lid hard with the litter. It opens. She tries to push the litter into the bin but cannot because once she tries to let go, the lid immediately shifts back into place, hence pushing the litter back into her hand. She tries to do it fast. The same thing happens. She tries to push deep and fast. This time she succeeds, but gets her wrist rubbing against the dirty bin she has been trying to avoid all this while. Another time, she gets the litter clipped in between the lid and the bin.

The user is frustrated because the design of the dirty bin refuses to let a user dispose of litter without getting in contact with the lids which are filthy from this vicious cycle. Such designs (especially so for the lids placed at the top of the bin) facilitate only litter that are at least a kg heavy so the weight itself pushes the lid. However, litter are usually light, considering how litter usually consists plastic bags, empty bottles etc.

This is a bad design not because users cannot figure out how to use it, but because it does not serve its purpose.

I think the designer intended the revolving lid for hygiene and convenience, so dirt stay in the bin where they belong with no need for a lid that might get lost, but the tight hinges have made this design ironically unhygenic.

Make the lid lightweight and the hinges looser. That way, force can make the lid shift inwards and stay that way for a split second for users to toss the litter in that exacting second. Otherwise, a knob could be situated on the lid so users can push the knob to part the lid instead of having to touch the dirty parts and start the vicious use-litter-to-push-open-lid cycle.