What Main Street Can Learn From the Mall

1. Gibbs has lots of criteria for evaluating a Main Street. One of the first points he lists is whether or not a “generator” store exists. This is a type of store that will attract a lot of other businesses to the area. The example he provides in the article is a gym, which will lead to the development of other athletic stores in the area and possibly even health food stores. Thus, a good “generator” is able to attract not only customers but also businesses. This leads into another one of his points that stores must be clearly visible and nothing should exist to distract customers. The location of trees, benches, garbage cans, and other things need to be strategically placed or factored into the design of the store. Gibbs also talks about the price-point-to-aperture ratio. This has to do with the window display of the store and its size and features. Big window displays generally indicate a store that sells cheaper products whereas smaller windows are used in stores that sell more expensive products. These smaller windows draw the attention of customers that are curious and want to see more about the store. Stores must also follow what Gibbs says is the cardinal rule: keep shoppers’ eyes on the merchandise at all times. In malls, the winding paths ensure that customers are always looking at a store in front of them. Stores should therefore advertise well to capture the interest of the customers. The shoppers should feel safe in the shopping area and overall have a positive experience. There are stores that people simply enjoy visiting because of the atmosphere, and all stores should strive to provide this environment.

2. I believe that Main Street should not be a mall. There is a different appeal to Main Street and malls that cannot be reconciled into one entity. Malls can sometimes be very crowded, especially around holiday seasons, and many people simply do not like this environment. People may prefer to amble through the street in and out of a wide variety of stores. There also tends to be more independence in stores on Main Street because they are not part of a collective mall. This allows customers to have a more true experience with the vendor.

3. Criteria for evaluating Main Street:

a. Accessibility – is the store easy for customers to get to. Are there enough parking spaces to support the maximum capacity of the store? Is the store located in a place that most people would go to? Are stores visible and products being sold well displayed in the windows? (Should be able to go “window shopping”)

b. First glance – how does the place look if somebody were driving by? Everything should be rather aesthetically appealing and inviting to customers. Aesthetics can be defined by naturalness such as trees or artistic objects.

Variety of stores – can people walk around and find a nice mix of stores to explore

Wikipedia Paper

Below is my final article about the Sacred Cenote of Chichen Itza. The Wikipedia link is provided at the very bottom.

Sacred Cenote of Chichén Itzá

The sacred cenote of Chichén Itzá is located in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and was a major part of Mayan culture. A cenote is a naturally formed sinkhole in the ground that provides access to ground water. The sacred cenote is located about 300 meters away from Chichén Itzá, the capital of the Mayan civilization around 800-1250 A.D. The Mayans believed the rain god, Chaac, lived at the bottom of the cenote, and that this provided a gateway to the Mayan underworld, Xibalbá. Sacrifices ranging from gold to wooden carvings to human beings were made at the site of the cenote.

Edward Herbert Thompson dredged the cenote during the years of 1904-1910, and he found jade, pottery, gold, and other artifacts. He also found the remains of human bones that showed evidence of being damaged and sacrificed.

I. Importance to the Maya

II. Objects found in the Cenote

Human Sacrifice

III. Dredging the Cenote

Dredging Under Edward Herbert Thompson

Diving in the Cenote

Dredging Under the Mexicans

IV. Naming the Cenote

V. References

I. Importance to the Maya

The Yucatan peninsula is a limestone plain and does not have any streams or rivers, so cenotes provide the only access to underground rivers. Cenotes are scattered across the peninsula, but the sacred cenote of Chichén Itzá was by far the most important to the Maya. In fact, Chichén Itzá translates to “At the mouth of the well of the Itza.” (Sharer, and Traxler)

The Mayans believed there were three entryways to Xibalbá. The bottom of the sacred cenote was one way along with caves and the Mayan ball game. They believed they could communicate with the Gods and ancestors by offering sacrifices into the cenote. The rain god Chaac was thought to live at the bottom of the sacred cenote, and many humans were sacrificed to appease him. A “cenote cult” eventually formed as people sacrificed objects to worship the gods. The Mayans would pray for bountiful harvests, good rains, and fortune. Many priests would also collect water, which they thought to be sacred, to perform rituals at temples. (Sharer, and Traxler)

Cenotes were so important and central to Mayan culture that they were often represented in art. Many depictions of gods such as Chaac, the Water Lily Serpent, and Chaac Chel show the gods pouring water into a cenote or creating storms. Water lilies growing on the edges of the cenote also symbolized the cleanliness of the water. (Sharer, and Traxler)

II. Objects found in the Sacred Cenote

One of the most amazing aspects about the objects found in the cenote is that many of them were perishable, but the cenote preserved them. Wooden objects, which normally would have rotted, were preserved in the water. A great variety of wooden objects were found including weapons, scepters, idols, tools, and jewelry. Jade was the largest category of objects found followed by textiles. The presence of jade, gold, and copper in the cenote offers proof of the importance of Chichén Itzá as a cultural city center. None of these raw materials are native to the Yucatán, so people travelled to Chichén Itzá from other places in Central America in order to worship the gods. Pottery, stone, bone, and shells were also found in the cenote. Archaeologists have found that many objects show evidence of being intentionally damaged before being thrown into the cenote. Some speculate that this intentional damage is meant to be like “killing” the objects as sacrifice to the gods. (Shane III 13-29)

Human Sacrifice

During the exploration of the cenote, many bones of human bodies were found. The remnants indicate that many different types of people were sacrificed. Young girls, presumably virgins, burly men, captives of war, and average people of the city were all sacrificed. While a variety of people were thrown into the cenote, young males were most commonly sacrificed because they represented strength and power. (Willard 97-118)

III. Dredging the Cenote

Dredging Under Edward Herbert Thompson

Most of the major findings of the cenote were made under the supervision of Edward Herbert Thompson who began dredging in 1904. Dredging is the process by which mud and water from bodies such as rivers or cenotes are scooped out using something like a bucket. Much of what is known about the dredging process is derived from Thompson’s personal notes. Thompson received money from Stephen Salisbury to help him buy the Chichén Itzá excavation site and explore the cenote. Many of Thompson’s findings and research can be found at the Peabody museum at Harvard University. (Sabloff 34-47)

A bucket attached to a pulley system was used to dredge the cenote. Much of the beginning work consisted of clearing debris and fallen trees on the top of the water. Leon Cole, a colleague of Thompson, once recorded in his journal, “they made ten hauls in the morning and six or eight in the afternoon.” People would search through the buckets of water looking for artifacts and categorizing them accordingly. Unfortunately, there were several reports of stolen artifacts that could never be found. (Sabloff 34-47)

Thompson decided to take a break from dredging after Salisbury died. A host of problems including the Mexican revolution and financial problems began to hinder the work effort and damage the morale of the workers. Thompson’s house in Mexico was also burned down, and one of the chests in which he kept his notes and data was engulfed in the fire. By 1923, Thompson was officially done working on the cenote. (Sabloff 34-47)

Diving in the cenote

In 1909, Thompson decided to dive in the cenote to explore the floors. He reported limited visibility due to the murky water, and many shifting rocks and trees made the dive hazardous. Thompson found a layer about 5 meters thick of blue pigment that had settled on the ground of the cenote. He described the bottom as, “full of long narrow cracks, radiating from centers as if the glass bottom of a dish had been broken by a pointed instrument. We found down in the cracks and holes a grayish mud in which were imbedded the heavier gold objects, jades, and copper bells in numbers.” He later proudly proclaimed, “I have at last personally trod the bottom of the Cenote.” (Sabloff 34-47)

Dredging Under the Mexicans

In 1961, William Folan, a field director for the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH), helped launch another expedition into the cenote. Some of their notable discoveries included an inscribed, gold-sheathed bone, a large chert knife with a gold-sheathed wooden handle, and wooden ear flares with jade and turquoise mosaic.

In 1967, Román Piña Chán led another expedition. He tried two new methods that many people had suggested for a long time: emptying the water out of the cenote and clarifying the water. Both of these methods were only partially successful. Only about 4 meters of water could be removed, and the water was only clarified for a short amount of time. (Sabloff 34-47)

IV. Naming the Cenote

While commonly known as the “Sacred Cenote,” there are several other names used. It has been referred to as “The Well of Sacrifices” and “Chen Ku.” Chen Ku is the original name that the Mayans used for the cenote. Chen is the ancient Mayan word meaning “well” or “pool,” and “ku” is a word that means relating to or in the possession of God. Thus, Chen Ku literally means “The well of God.” (Coggins 9-29)

V. References

Coggins, Clemency. Artifacts from the Cenote of Sacrifice . 1st ed. 10. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992. 9-29. Print.

Sabloff, Jeremy. Maya Treasures of an Ancient Civilization . 1st ed. New York City, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994. 34-47. Print.

Shane III, Orrin. Cenote of Sacrifice: Maya Treasures from the Sacred Well at Chichén Itzá . Austin, TX: The Whitley Company, 1984. 13-29. Print.

Sharer, Robert, and Loa Traxler. The Ancient Maya. 6th ed. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2006. Print.

Willard, T.A. The City of the Sacred Well . New York City, NY: The Century Co. , 1926. 97-118. Print.

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Cenote

Retail Analysis

Retail Analysis

1. I chose to observe the World Market. This store offers a large variety of international products ranging from food to furniture to clothing. They market to people of all ages and backgrounds because basically anybody with an interest in other cultures can find something to buy at the store.

2. Observations –

a. The store looks very simple on the outside. “World Market” is written in massive, red letters on the front of the store and the wall is white. There are automatic sliding doors at the entranced placed in the middle of the front.

b. The store had the radio on a very low volume setting. From what I could grasp, it was a local station. There were also the voices of the customers and workers.

c. The presentation of the merchandise depended on the type of merchandise. Clothes were all hung on hangers placed on racks. Little trinkets such as small baskets, hand instruments such as tambourines, and other such miniature objects were placed in baskets. Food is organized by type of food and placed on shelves. There are many wines from around the world for sale too. These wines are organized by type and country and placed in large wooden crates.

d. The floor was made of tile except for the few places where furniture was placed on a rug. These rugs were being advertised too though.

e. There are no big signs hanging from the ceiling like the ones at Meijers. Unfortunately, customers might have to look around for a bit until they can find what they want. The countries from which the products originate are clearly labeled too.

f. The cashier area is found at the front of the store where one would expect it to be. There are two registers, but the line never grew very long. As in most stores, candies and other little snacks are placed at the counter.

3. The World Market seems to try to project an image of independence. It is a very interesting store in that most of the products being sold are more expensive than their counterparts at other stores like Meijers. People are drawn to the store because of its cultural appeal. Thus, the store is designed in a way that leads people to want to walk around and look at everything. It makes sense that no large signs are hanging from the ceiling because the designers want customers to amble through aisles looking at everything. There are so many products that can interest anybody simply because they are from another country. There are some parts of the store, particularly the food area, that may seem a bit cramped but this gives a feeling of being surrounded by the countries. In the clothing area, a customer can pick up a scarf made in France and then turn around and look at traditional African clothing. Most people find this to be a very nice feeling, and the World Market really is designed to address this.

4. Customers seem to be a bit quieter because most of them are just intrigued by all the different products for sale. They never show any frustration of not being able to find something because of lack of signs. People enjoy getting lost in the store and happening across interesting products.

5. I found it interesting that the store really does bring out an international feel. A good variety of products from different countries are well displayed to attract customers. Large African animal woodcarvings can be seen next to the Persian rugs that just happen to be near the wines of the world. The store is crowded, but for once this doesn’t seem to matter in a store.

Egg Container Response

For this project, we were supposed to build a container that would protect an egg from a fall from the second floor of a building. My partner, Anne Fletcher, and I started off brainstorming ideas. We knew that we needed to create a buffer zone so that the box into which the egg was to be placed would not be the first thing to hit the ground. Thus, we started off with a fairly decent sized cardboard box and wrapped it in bubble wrap. On the very bottom of the box, half of an egg carton was attached to act as a buffer. The intent of this buffer was to absorb most of the initial force upon impact. More egg carton was taped onto the sides of the box to provide buffer for when the box hit the ground and possibly fell over. The egg itself was wrapped inside a standard grocery bag and placed inside of a cut open pop can. This can was then suspended in the middle of the box by placing supports on the inside of the box. More grocery bags and Styrofoam were placed around the can to provide more buffer for the egg. The testing stage exposed many flaws in the design of the container. In short, the design failed. As the box fell through the air, it flipped upside down and landed on the top where no buffer had been placed. Neither Anne nor I suspected that this would happen. We should have placed a little more weight at the bottom to ensure that the box fell in the direction we wanted. Unfortunately, we cannot determine whether or not the buffer would have worked because it wasn’t really tested.

My partner Anne’s thoughts and analysis of our egg container can be found at her blog - http://aafletch.blogspot.com/

"The Science of Shopping" by Malcolm Gladwell

1. In this article, Gladwell stresses the importance of paying attention to the layout of things in a store in respect to the consumer. He opens up by saying that people walk on the right side of a walkway generally because of habits formed from driving. Ergo, when a person enters a store, it is important to have things such as carts and big information on the right side. With men, things need to be much more direct. They don’t like wandering through shops like women do, so everything a man needs to buy should be in one place. For example, ties should be placed right next to the suits. Men also don’t care to look at women’s clothes, while women do enjoy perusing men’s clothes. Therefore, men’s clothing should be placed at the entrance of a store as opposed to the back. Gladwell is trying to show how stores need to be laid out in ways that almost manipulate the consumer.

2. When I go shopping, I like to be able to find what I need within the first ten minutes of entering the store. I don’t like having to walk around aimlessly looking at all the signs, and then having to guess whether or not what I need qualifies as a certain category of food. Oftentimes, if I can’t find what I need, I just forget it and leave the store. In clothing stores, I am just like what Gladwell describes. I am not the girl in that I like to create my own sense of style. I want everything that I might need to be in one area, so the suits, ties, black socks, et cetera should all be in one area. If this isn’t the case, I get slightly frustrated.

3. Retail Store Analysis Checklist – by no means is this list meant to be exhaustive

a. Are sale items and shopping carts in the front of the store and slightly to the right of when walks in?

b. Are men’s clothes in the front and women’s in the back?

c. Are all men’s clothing types grouped accordingly? For example, all types of clothing needed for a business setting should be in one area.

d. Are women’s clothing near the changing room?

e. Are the signs easy to follow?

f. Are prices of items clearly marked either on the product or on the shelves?

g. Are toys and other products little kids would want easy for them to see/touch?

"Isn't it Iconic?" by Stacey King Gordon

1. When consumers go to the store, the first thing they see about a product is how it is packaged. While the mantra taught from kindergarten is “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the human psyche usually overcomes this. People get their first impression of a product based on the packaging. If the packaging is poorly done and looks cheap, it is likely that the person will not make the purchase. Ergo, packaging is extremely important in marketing a product. Packages need to clearly indicate the product that is found inside. Gordon discusses the main features of an iconic package in her article. Packages need to be simple, have a good color scheme, daring to be different, and changed only when necessary. As soon as a good package is made, consumers will always remember and associate a product with the package. Everybody knows what the classic Heinz ketchup and Coca Cola glass bottles look like. In my experience of shopping, there have been certain packages that have led me to make a purchase and many more that have led me to not make a purchase. For example, when I was in Inner Mongolia, I wanted to buy a bottle of traditional Mongolian horse milk. There was one bottle that was just a standard glass bottle with a label on it. However, I found another bottle that was in a leather pouch with a picture of Genghis Khan on it and the name of the drink written in Chinese and Mongolian. Naturally, I bought the latter because it was a much more interesting, unique bottle.

2. Aside from the products listed in the article as having iconic packaging, many other products have gained this status as well. Apple has surely become an iconic part of the technological culture today. The white apple, often on a black background, is pretty much recognized by all. IPods are sold in hard cases to protect the device with a clear covering so that the consumer can see what is inside, and the contents of the package are clearly labeled. Apple computers are sold in boxes that are simple to interpret and have a nice color scheme. Usually, the box is white and there is a picture of the computer on the front along with some of the featured applications. Other products include Campbell’s soup cans, Kraft macaroni and cheese, and pretty much all name-brand cereals.

3. While the packaging of a product is meant to help catch the eyes of the consumer, it is necessary that the packaging satisfy certain conditions in regards to usability. Firstly and most importantly, the package needs to protect whatever is being kept inside of it. Water should not be able to get to the product, the package should be able to withstand a fall, etc. Nobody wants to buy something that is broken when they open the package. Packages should also be easy to open. Consumers should not have to struggle to open the package because not only is it extremely frustrating but also it could potentially damage the product. Packages also need to clearly indicate what the product is. There shouldn’t be any confusion as to what is being sold. From past experience, I know how frustrating it can be when packages are too difficult to open. Oftentimes, electronics are sold in the heavy-strength plastic that requires scissors to open. It only gets worse when one cuts the package because the plastic is quite sharp and can hurt. In terms of usability, this is an extremely annoying package to have to open.

"Know it All" by Stacy Schiff

1. In this article, Stacy Schiff, talks about how Wikipedia came about as an online Encyclopedia, how it works, and where it might go in the future. Many people, especially those in the academic field, are critical of Wikipedia, and they oftentimes cite examples of ridiculous information provided by the website. However, this article makes a case for how Wikipedia functions almost as an anarchic community of information lovers. The website was designed by Wales in an attempt to provide free, easily accessible information to anybody that wants it. As the project grew, thousands of people began to help by adding, editing, and monitoring articles and information on the website. While this is from where much of the criticism is drawn, it is what allows the encyclopedia to provide such a breadth and depth of information. There is quite an organized system of monitoring the information on Wikipedia too. A cadre of people has been formed to ensure the quality of the articles. Overall, the article is written in support of Wikipedia and the groundbreaking type of encyclopedia that it is.

2. Passage

Wikipedians have evolved a distinctive vocabulary, of which “revert,” meaning “reinstate”—as in “I reverted the edit, but the user has simply rereverted it”—may be the most commonly used word. Other terms include WikiGnome (a user who keeps a low profile, fixing typos, poor grammar, and broken links) and its antithesis, WikiTroll (a user who persistently violates the site’s guidelines or otherwise engages in disruptive behavior). There are Aspergian Wikipedians (seventy-two), bipolar Wikipedians, vegetarian Wikipedians, antivegetarian Wikipedians, existential Wikipedians, pro-Luxembourg Wikipedians, and Wikipedians who don’t like to be categorized. According to a page on the site, an avid interest in Wikipedia has been known to afflict “computer programmers, academics, graduate students, game-show contestants, news junkies, the unemployed, the soon-to-be unemployed and, in general, people with multiple interests and good memories.” You may travel in more exalted circles, but this covers pretty much everyone I know.

This excerpt from Schiff’s article really shows how much of a culture Wikipedia has become. A lexicon could even be created. All the different words above such as WikiGnome and WikiTroll prove how information is monitored on the encyclopedia to ensure quality, which was one of the points emphasized in the article. As opposed to simply saying that information on Wikipedia is monitored, Schiff chooses a far more example by warranting her claims. She provides proof of the culture of Wikipedians.

3. The Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia both provide an extensive amount of information, but naturally their designs are extremely different given that one is electronic and the other is not. In terms of visceral design, a nice book set of the Encyclopedia Britannica is simply a beautiful sight. The books are all nicely bound and the pages are painted gold along the edges. Wikipedia on the other hand does not really have that initial appeal. The main page is simply a lot of grey/black on a white background. The price tag on the Encyclopedia Britannica will really give the potential buyer a visceral reaction too. It is far (nearing a thousand dollars) from the freeness that is Wikipedia. In terms of behavioral design, Wikipedia is far more functional. It provides much more information about many more topics than Encyclopedia Britannica. Navigation of Wikipedia is also a lot easier than Britannica. It takes far less time to get on the computer and type in a topic than look it up in a book. Wikipedia also provides links to other information regarding a certain topic whereas Britannica does not. In terms of reflective design, Britannica is a lot more respectable. While Wikipedia is a very useful resource, it is generally not accepted as a legitimate source in academia. Britannica on the other hand is a respected, more credible source. Simply having a set of beautiful books like Britannica can really make somebody proud too. People would be more proud saying that they learned about something when reading the Encyclopedia Britannica as opposed to Wikipedia.