Project 1:
1.Benjamin Chan -http://bjcyc.blogspot.com/
2.Yiwen Chen -http://snailmina.blogspot.com/
3.Patrick Luwia -http://pluwia.blogspot.com/
4.Huan Xie -http://z3326626.blogspot.com/
5.Henry Treloar -http://henrysdblog.blogspot.com/
Project 2:
1.Benjamin Chan -http://bjcyc.blogspot.com/
2.Henry Treloar -http://henrysdblog.blogspot.com/
3.Zenon Zoltaszek -http://zen-industrialdesign.blogspot.com/
4.Chloe Uy -http://chloeanddesign.blogspot.com/
5.Ke Zhang -http://cocodesignforever.blogspot.com/
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Upcycling unwanteds
Rationale
For this project I have chosen to upcycle used wine or champagne corks as I found possibility in using it to create interesting and upmarket products. I was also amazed by the amount of disposed cork the councils collection drop offs manage to get on a yearly basis. From statistics, 13million wine corks are distributed throughout the world and are only used once and disposed of afterwards. Some restaurants collect them however most still send them off the landfills. So by diverting large quantities of used cork from the landfills to up marketed products I thought it would be nice to keep the natural wood like appearance of the cork and make a design which reflects its natural form. Its natural given cushioning characteristics also dictates its usage which is also later emphasised by its form and size; limiting it to its specific designed usage.
I chose an accessories or coin plate as the final product to make. From experiences of others as well as my own; we realise as we get home the first thing one would do is empty their pockets (especially males however it’s not limited to males) . Drop the mobile, empty the excess coins, keys and many more. These items often become misplaced and we can find them. This could be defined as a habitual problem more than anything else. So what if a product can change our habits?
I centred the idea about a hive, the essence of it really is to become a nest; a place where everything returns. Its appearance is also designed to reflect a hive of sort, following organic shapes and natural tessellations I believe would fulfil its meaning as well as save the cork from being rubbish. The rounded off outside defines the shape more as a resolution to define its shape also helps emphasis the more interesting pattern of the inside. The honeycombed and contour like inside doesn’t make the bowl hard to use, its purpose is to hold coins, mobiles and others, the levels actually make it easier for one to grab coins and sit a mobile up like a stand as opposed to the conventional smooth wooden bowls which make everything slide awkwardly into the centre.
The location of this product is also important, by its form and usage the Hive is limited to table tops of either; at your front door entrance or the living room where one would most likely unload our pocket or baggage items.
To manufacture would take a few processes. Today we have the aid of computer CNCs, mills and laser cutting technologies. The cork would be sorted by their size so they can later be cut into a standard piece to fit the complete puzzle like pattern. Howewer this was difficult through making the actual product as the knife blades did not follow the straightness through the whole way which caused awkward angles. The design problem could possible be resolved by having set tools and machinery (ie CNC mills or tool cutters) which can create stradardised piece. However due to the variations in sizes some larger piece would be cut off to become very small just to be standardised also loosing some natrual irregular geometric patterns. Each piece is then assembled together with resin/glue. No other materials are required to make this product.
For this project I have chosen to upcycle used wine or champagne corks as I found possibility in using it to create interesting and upmarket products. I was also amazed by the amount of disposed cork the councils collection drop offs manage to get on a yearly basis. From statistics, 13million wine corks are distributed throughout the world and are only used once and disposed of afterwards. Some restaurants collect them however most still send them off the landfills. So by diverting large quantities of used cork from the landfills to up marketed products I thought it would be nice to keep the natural wood like appearance of the cork and make a design which reflects its natural form. Its natural given cushioning characteristics also dictates its usage which is also later emphasised by its form and size; limiting it to its specific designed usage.
I chose an accessories or coin plate as the final product to make. From experiences of others as well as my own; we realise as we get home the first thing one would do is empty their pockets (especially males however it’s not limited to males) . Drop the mobile, empty the excess coins, keys and many more. These items often become misplaced and we can find them. This could be defined as a habitual problem more than anything else. So what if a product can change our habits?
I centred the idea about a hive, the essence of it really is to become a nest; a place where everything returns. Its appearance is also designed to reflect a hive of sort, following organic shapes and natural tessellations I believe would fulfil its meaning as well as save the cork from being rubbish. The rounded off outside defines the shape more as a resolution to define its shape also helps emphasis the more interesting pattern of the inside. The honeycombed and contour like inside doesn’t make the bowl hard to use, its purpose is to hold coins, mobiles and others, the levels actually make it easier for one to grab coins and sit a mobile up like a stand as opposed to the conventional smooth wooden bowls which make everything slide awkwardly into the centre.
The location of this product is also important, by its form and usage the Hive is limited to table tops of either; at your front door entrance or the living room where one would most likely unload our pocket or baggage items.
To manufacture would take a few processes. Today we have the aid of computer CNCs, mills and laser cutting technologies. The cork would be sorted by their size so they can later be cut into a standard piece to fit the complete puzzle like pattern. Howewer this was difficult through making the actual product as the knife blades did not follow the straightness through the whole way which caused awkward angles. The design problem could possible be resolved by having set tools and machinery (ie CNC mills or tool cutters) which can create stradardised piece. However due to the variations in sizes some larger piece would be cut off to become very small just to be standardised also loosing some natrual irregular geometric patterns. Each piece is then assembled together with resin/glue. No other materials are required to make this product.
Sunday 10 October 2010
Video reflection 5: Design for life
Plausibly the most encouraging series which defines a lifestyle I should learn to be used to. I wouldn’t say design for life is the complete definition of industrial design as there is no finite answer in this subjective and creative area but it really puts me in place in answering some experiences in my short first year in university. Students in there are constantly challenged; a journey which seems can only get worse. Not only do I find some reflection of my experiences in the video I’ve conceived the philosophy of one of the world’s most renown designer Philippe Starck and how he developed what he revolves around.
The emphasis on; democratic, for everyone, sustainable, ecological and enjoyable sounds like the entirety of design. But I learn that it is the vibe, the point which separates us from artists. We as designers don’t create our own logic but in fact pivot our minds about the logic which benefits society. Starck mentioned that designers possess the power to make change through everything which surrounds one. Indeed e a very dewy definition of power but does just the tick to motivate me and my choice to be here.
Democratic design would be to prevent slavery or its equivalent, as designers have responsibility to not harm any lives by its process, was far thinking for me but make sense as part of our “helping” part of design. Ecological, the given fact to be neither wasteful nor harmful; to me is no news but is a challenge to be reminded. To be used by everyone also celebrates democracy and successful design as doing more with less can prevent ones which Starck believes shouldn’t exist. I very much agreed with the IPod casing example; why not design the iPod so it doesn’t require a case? Many more passionate beliefs construct clarity of good design from this series, setting a rarely seen criterion for design.
With no discouragement of all the put downs and criticism all design students go through, I hope I can keep these key ideas which have been proven to improve our society with me in every decision I make in the years to come. I also hope to grasp the desires of consumers who don’t yet know what they truly want; this I hope animates and adds more life to a world which was materialistic and function driven.
The emphasis on; democratic, for everyone, sustainable, ecological and enjoyable sounds like the entirety of design. But I learn that it is the vibe, the point which separates us from artists. We as designers don’t create our own logic but in fact pivot our minds about the logic which benefits society. Starck mentioned that designers possess the power to make change through everything which surrounds one. Indeed e a very dewy definition of power but does just the tick to motivate me and my choice to be here.
Democratic design would be to prevent slavery or its equivalent, as designers have responsibility to not harm any lives by its process, was far thinking for me but make sense as part of our “helping” part of design. Ecological, the given fact to be neither wasteful nor harmful; to me is no news but is a challenge to be reminded. To be used by everyone also celebrates democracy and successful design as doing more with less can prevent ones which Starck believes shouldn’t exist. I very much agreed with the IPod casing example; why not design the iPod so it doesn’t require a case? Many more passionate beliefs construct clarity of good design from this series, setting a rarely seen criterion for design.
With no discouragement of all the put downs and criticism all design students go through, I hope I can keep these key ideas which have been proven to improve our society with me in every decision I make in the years to come. I also hope to grasp the desires of consumers who don’t yet know what they truly want; this I hope animates and adds more life to a world which was materialistic and function driven.
Monday 20 September 2010
Experience enrichment
M'whix
The M’whix is a designed to break away from the drab impressions of a kitchen utensil which one would only care when needed. The design evolved through various stages of research and experiment clearly identifying the problems and purpose of a whisk. M’whix is no revolutionary design in terms of how to use but it is in fact a simple innovative step which adds personality and pleasure in usage in various aspects.
The target market is for young to middle aged females who enjoy decorative craft work as well as making delicate deserts and food crafts as a hobby. The vibe of this product is to capture a certain feminine elegance in form which ultimately attracts its target.
Given their fondness to decoration a simplistic aesthetic whisk would be a suitable and inevitable piece which fits well into a kitchen environment not only being a tool (in terms of usages on food craft), the whisk is to give the kitchen a sense of completeness without being just another coiled up metallic wire sitting on the bench. The form of the whisk follows a very organic flow with subtle floral references without being too literal. Its curve not only makes the whisk more ergonomic but also embraces the usage of line and direction; with an unexaggerated bulge as the handle end balances the product without being too heavily weighed on the head. This also semantically hints the user where your hand goes. The extension of the handle also allows users to easily hold the whisk for close and precise mixing jobs.
The M’whix differs from ordinary whisks for the existence of a collar; the collar holds each strand of wire giving the roots of the wires rigidness. The collar eliminates difficulty in cleaning as per normal whisks all wires centre to one pivotal point where sticky liquid may be trapped (not to mention it is an unused area of the whisk). With rigid foundations the whisk can have independent flexible wires. The wires are bent to mimic a tulip; this not only differentiates from normal balloon whisks it also increases affectivity in air aiding, this idea was taken from the Matcha bamboo whisk which is specific and precise however the idea is now simplified and more versatile in terms of use (not only for tea). All wires curve inward to a centre point, its flexibility allows one to reach in for easy cleaning, the flexibility of the steel wires maintain its original shape. The overall curves of the wires still follow the shape of a bowl and vary from top to bottom to maximise used areas being used.
The whisk has two materials, the handle made from moulded polypropylene and the wires made from flexible steel rod shaped by CNC to give it the variations as mentioned above.
The M’whix is a designed to break away from the drab impressions of a kitchen utensil which one would only care when needed. The design evolved through various stages of research and experiment clearly identifying the problems and purpose of a whisk. M’whix is no revolutionary design in terms of how to use but it is in fact a simple innovative step which adds personality and pleasure in usage in various aspects.
The target market is for young to middle aged females who enjoy decorative craft work as well as making delicate deserts and food crafts as a hobby. The vibe of this product is to capture a certain feminine elegance in form which ultimately attracts its target.
Given their fondness to decoration a simplistic aesthetic whisk would be a suitable and inevitable piece which fits well into a kitchen environment not only being a tool (in terms of usages on food craft), the whisk is to give the kitchen a sense of completeness without being just another coiled up metallic wire sitting on the bench. The form of the whisk follows a very organic flow with subtle floral references without being too literal. Its curve not only makes the whisk more ergonomic but also embraces the usage of line and direction; with an unexaggerated bulge as the handle end balances the product without being too heavily weighed on the head. This also semantically hints the user where your hand goes. The extension of the handle also allows users to easily hold the whisk for close and precise mixing jobs.
The M’whix differs from ordinary whisks for the existence of a collar; the collar holds each strand of wire giving the roots of the wires rigidness. The collar eliminates difficulty in cleaning as per normal whisks all wires centre to one pivotal point where sticky liquid may be trapped (not to mention it is an unused area of the whisk). With rigid foundations the whisk can have independent flexible wires. The wires are bent to mimic a tulip; this not only differentiates from normal balloon whisks it also increases affectivity in air aiding, this idea was taken from the Matcha bamboo whisk which is specific and precise however the idea is now simplified and more versatile in terms of use (not only for tea). All wires curve inward to a centre point, its flexibility allows one to reach in for easy cleaning, the flexibility of the steel wires maintain its original shape. The overall curves of the wires still follow the shape of a bowl and vary from top to bottom to maximise used areas being used.
The whisk has two materials, the handle made from moulded polypropylene and the wires made from flexible steel rod shaped by CNC to give it the variations as mentioned above.
Monday 13 September 2010
Video reflection4: objectified
This featured film, explains the various steps or to me layers of being a designer. It showed example of why we as designers do this and that, and what we really design for. The film takes me around these various aspects of being a design and good design telling me about what many people define as good design also what the next step there is to design. Amongst the myriad of important design information I found the above two points most useful in terms of giving direction to my design career.
First lesson for me was from Alice Rawsthron and Jonathon Ive, the interesting fact that good design should look as if it hasn’t been designed. Confusing concept to grasp however through explanation with plastic containers it makes sense. Good design should also be taken for granted and unnoticed, this I define as being able to let users experience ease and simplicity when using the product. It essentially emphasises the need for simplicity, which ultimately makes mass production happen. Jonathon’s talk also touches another important aspect to good design. I often over complicate or over engineer a design. It’s sometimes hard to think of simple ideas without feeling drabness and incompleteness. But from the Apple examples good design really should be simple. This caused me to realise the less there is to do there less space for error or in this case difficulty to use.
From Smart designs and other speakers of this feature film, I was informed of the demands of companies as well as how these designs are comparatively made available to consumers but the dominant take home messages yet remains to be simplicity. Davin stowell demonstrated simple solutions with the peeler example, the fact that their solution was really taken from a problem which has been solved by another area of use. The bicycle handles; designed for comfort in long durations. This not only tells me the effective and simple approaches to good design (off the shelf innovation) but also makes links to standardisation. “If a design is targeted for the extremes the middle will take care of itself” quoted in the video, essentially stating the importance of standardisation; designing products which anyone can use. Dieter Rams further adds to the emphasis of good design being simple, simple by means of user reaction.
In conclusion good design should be for the masses and must be understandable, easy to use and agrees with one’s logic. These factors influence our decisions in design but also the consumers. It’s a feedback system which can only be perfected slowly by eliminating unnecessary discomfort or unease with simple solutions.
First lesson for me was from Alice Rawsthron and Jonathon Ive, the interesting fact that good design should look as if it hasn’t been designed. Confusing concept to grasp however through explanation with plastic containers it makes sense. Good design should also be taken for granted and unnoticed, this I define as being able to let users experience ease and simplicity when using the product. It essentially emphasises the need for simplicity, which ultimately makes mass production happen. Jonathon’s talk also touches another important aspect to good design. I often over complicate or over engineer a design. It’s sometimes hard to think of simple ideas without feeling drabness and incompleteness. But from the Apple examples good design really should be simple. This caused me to realise the less there is to do there less space for error or in this case difficulty to use.
From Smart designs and other speakers of this feature film, I was informed of the demands of companies as well as how these designs are comparatively made available to consumers but the dominant take home messages yet remains to be simplicity. Davin stowell demonstrated simple solutions with the peeler example, the fact that their solution was really taken from a problem which has been solved by another area of use. The bicycle handles; designed for comfort in long durations. This not only tells me the effective and simple approaches to good design (off the shelf innovation) but also makes links to standardisation. “If a design is targeted for the extremes the middle will take care of itself” quoted in the video, essentially stating the importance of standardisation; designing products which anyone can use. Dieter Rams further adds to the emphasis of good design being simple, simple by means of user reaction.
In conclusion good design should be for the masses and must be understandable, easy to use and agrees with one’s logic. These factors influence our decisions in design but also the consumers. It’s a feedback system which can only be perfected slowly by eliminating unnecessary discomfort or unease with simple solutions.
Sunday 29 August 2010
Task 5: Design confusion
For this task I chose my mini handheld vaccum cleaner as it really confused me at my first attempt to use it. As mentioned in the poster the design is simply going against the usual logic, well in my terms at least. The catcher, bag or collecter is actually catching dusts using its convex part or bottom which is also a pain when emptying the cleaner as all the dust spills out when I try. I really suspected the design so I tired loading the catcher the assumed way and of coruse it failed. I also realised that while I'm carrying the cleaner around bits of dust manange to pollute my clothes which really confused me. I later realised this occurs as the direction of the plastic rim of the bag create gaps which lead straight to the gap where the front detachable part meets the end half.
So in order to solve or prvent this enigma for users I have decided to simply reverse this irrational design making it clear which direction it operates. I also decided to add an additional handle to the product which makes it clear which way to unload as well as making it easier to unload not having to fumble with your fingers trying to pick the plastic edge to be rid of the catcher. To solve the dust slipping out I also encorporated a plastic or rubber rim around the bag so no dust manages to exit due to the direction of suction. I hope this succesfully solves the problem!
Monday 23 August 2010
Video reflection 3: The story of stuff
The story of stuff at first reminds me an important part of our everyday behaviours. Simply to raise our attentions to the environment sounds simple as described in the video however hard to achieve. With US as an example, it clearly shows what has been told and warned isn’t enough to change our attitudes on everyday consumptions.
From the beginning of the video I thought this was just another greenie production to point out the obvious as it began by retelling the basic assumed processes and stages of a product which eventually ends up as waste. However the story builds as further emphasis and elaborations have been included about who is causing this inefficient and unsustainable cycle. To just an individual making a difference doesn’t seem to have one slightest chance, especially as mentioned throughout the video; the major causer or players to this wastage system are the government and the corporations with the power. But it reminds us that if each and one of us all think as such there will be no change as we as a world play part to the change.
As the video continues it gives more in-depth definition to this production and consumer cycle however the result is always the same. It concludes to say no matter the power spend to extract resources, the workers labour and the money spent by consumers it all ends up being trash within 6months. This made me think closer about the product than our behaviour. Ultimately I realised design does have a major impact on how the user will treat it mentally and eventually determine how he/she will use it and throw it away. As mentioned in the video this doesn’t count the disposable items such as paper cups and plastic bags, it was bigger products like electronics and other large material demanding products. If a person treats the product depending on its value then it is possible to design things to make people treat it better.
In essence the biggest heads up from this video is to relate this known sustainability problem to our design career not just our daily lives. To be aware of our impact and ability to change a person’s judgment on a product can most definitely affect his/her options on treating a product well and the desire to keep it for longer. This might be a first thought for us against planned obsolesces.
From the beginning of the video I thought this was just another greenie production to point out the obvious as it began by retelling the basic assumed processes and stages of a product which eventually ends up as waste. However the story builds as further emphasis and elaborations have been included about who is causing this inefficient and unsustainable cycle. To just an individual making a difference doesn’t seem to have one slightest chance, especially as mentioned throughout the video; the major causer or players to this wastage system are the government and the corporations with the power. But it reminds us that if each and one of us all think as such there will be no change as we as a world play part to the change.
As the video continues it gives more in-depth definition to this production and consumer cycle however the result is always the same. It concludes to say no matter the power spend to extract resources, the workers labour and the money spent by consumers it all ends up being trash within 6months. This made me think closer about the product than our behaviour. Ultimately I realised design does have a major impact on how the user will treat it mentally and eventually determine how he/she will use it and throw it away. As mentioned in the video this doesn’t count the disposable items such as paper cups and plastic bags, it was bigger products like electronics and other large material demanding products. If a person treats the product depending on its value then it is possible to design things to make people treat it better.
In essence the biggest heads up from this video is to relate this known sustainability problem to our design career not just our daily lives. To be aware of our impact and ability to change a person’s judgment on a product can most definitely affect his/her options on treating a product well and the desire to keep it for longer. This might be a first thought for us against planned obsolesces.
Sunday 15 August 2010
Video reflection2: Emotional design
Don Norman makes the message clear to me that design isn’t totally about function anymore. For something to work is already taken for granted in this day and age so the new idea now is to look at the spaces for work there are in functional products. Throw his speech he gives a great many examples of products which don’t necessarily work one hundred percent efficiently but simply pleases people whilst they interact or visualise it.
Fun and beautiful in essence, is purpose of emotional design. Don Norman mentions the famous lemon juicer by Philippe Starck; it doesn’t work too well and he clearly stated that he doesn’t have it in the kitchen but instead at the front door. To why people would even want to buy it may be simply the fact that it’s different to other lemon juicers. Don explains that it’s simply good to look at, putting beauty at first makes people have an emotional response that the product is fun or pleasant to have due to the fact that we’ve never had one as such. Similar explanation was given to the Hummers which remind me the importance of how a design can stand out amongst the experiences of each person with past products.
Don mentions behavioural responses created by design is what makes people enjoy using it as they feel in control and quite frankly people become satisfied or pleased when we feel we are in control of things. But in my opinion an even greater pleasure is being fun by being aesthetically pleasing; if two of the same products do the same job except one is ugly and one is not, the answer is obvious that the aesthetically pleasing one would be more popular. It is very natural that our minds react in such a way; always hoping to enjoy what we do so if our minds tell us the item in hand is special and stands out of those usual impressions we should enjoy using it (depending on whether it actually is pleasing to look at or interact with).
This Ted talk has raised my attention to every possible reaction a product has to us when we look around. I hope to be able to use these experiences and apply them into my future design practices to attempt to join the pleasurable design hype which I believe to be the vibe of modern product designs.
Fun and beautiful in essence, is purpose of emotional design. Don Norman mentions the famous lemon juicer by Philippe Starck; it doesn’t work too well and he clearly stated that he doesn’t have it in the kitchen but instead at the front door. To why people would even want to buy it may be simply the fact that it’s different to other lemon juicers. Don explains that it’s simply good to look at, putting beauty at first makes people have an emotional response that the product is fun or pleasant to have due to the fact that we’ve never had one as such. Similar explanation was given to the Hummers which remind me the importance of how a design can stand out amongst the experiences of each person with past products.
Don mentions behavioural responses created by design is what makes people enjoy using it as they feel in control and quite frankly people become satisfied or pleased when we feel we are in control of things. But in my opinion an even greater pleasure is being fun by being aesthetically pleasing; if two of the same products do the same job except one is ugly and one is not, the answer is obvious that the aesthetically pleasing one would be more popular. It is very natural that our minds react in such a way; always hoping to enjoy what we do so if our minds tell us the item in hand is special and stands out of those usual impressions we should enjoy using it (depending on whether it actually is pleasing to look at or interact with).
This Ted talk has raised my attention to every possible reaction a product has to us when we look around. I hope to be able to use these experiences and apply them into my future design practices to attempt to join the pleasurable design hype which I believe to be the vibe of modern product designs.
Thursday 12 August 2010
Task 4: design exellence
I was assigned the Syreen syringe pack by Cambridge Consultants. This is a green medical design which utilises more recycable plastics as well as reduces material demand by shrinking the size. Its aesthetic also takes away the original sharp, needle impressions, essentially easing the fears and turning the product into a friendly and safe to use medical equipment. This I believe is a great example of successfully intergrating fucntionality and practicality with aesthetic factors.
The poster design was simple, I consdered the factors of a clear poster, within a medical context i thought a clean white background would be apprepriate. This also allows the hero shot of the product to be clear along with the annotations made aside. The decorative tubes as a background fills the side working as a guidance to prevent blankness also emphasising areas where information is listed in order (in this case the bubbles showing close shots). I also hoped this would balance the poster in terms of proximity.
I found this task challenging to some extent as the poster has to reflect the product and stay within relevance. The biggest challenge was also to produce high quality posteres with limited sources of the product. I could have improved the poster by alternating the enlarged shots (which is quite uniform with the hero shot right now). Cambridge consultants did provide me the images later unfortunatly after the due date, so I will acknowledge them of their generosity.
Wednesday 4 August 2010
2010 Workshopped Exhibition
Just wanted to post my favourite design displayed at the Chifley PLaza 2010!, This is bowl is called "Trinity" by Adam Cornish. The design in brief is beautiful, elegant, has a hollow or ether like appearence. Full of movement, its lines carried my eyes with its twist. How he did it was puzzling at first, but with explaianation its in fact all simple and clever; from largest to smallest, the same shape was placed at different degrees to form the shape. Indeed very interesting, great food for thought about simple but effective design.
Monday 2 August 2010
Video reflection1: Human centred design
This TED talk gave clear definition and examples to the differences between a function centred product and a human centred product. Sometimes when looking at our surroundings numerous products don’t seem to blend or belong there, in many instances I may find some products aren’t there for us at times of need. In contrary this video gives examples emphasising products specially designed for the user.
These human centred designs are possible in almost any environment as demonstrated in the public space, Prada shop and individual cubical. The Prada shop essentially shows a world making shopping easier and more interactive to both the customers and shop staff. Be it the barcodes making every single process possible with simply one scan or the liquid crystal changing rooms; making life easier so one doesn’t need to walk in and out to be approved of the items tried on. These designs are strongly tied to the user making a multitude of complex processes simpler and more interesting. Having demo screens within the environment allows customers to quickly expand their understanding on a product of interest, which may in fact determine their decision to buying it.
Another point of interest was the individual office space. A cubical when I think of it is just an independent space made for some working privacy. The video without doubt changed my thought about the cubical having saw the juxtaposition of the human centred one and our usual impression. The design has shown how an attempt to lesser a stressful environment could be done. Regardless of the general aesthetics of the walls some heart touching decorations and gadgets were incorporated. The punching bag for example; might just be the break a work tired business man needs. The resting flowers as one exits and welcomes you in a new day. Even just the tinniest bit of playfulness makes a dull working space more comfortable to be within.
From David Kelley’s presentations I have gained a clearer understanding of methods to making a design more human. Human centred design to me in essence is the vibe of all product designs; we as designers must understand how to make a product enjoyable and helpful to the users satisfying their expectations and needs of a product. I interpret human design to be designs which not only does its job, but also interacts and influences the users emotions or daily life habits, that’s is what I believe to be important in the contemporary world.
These human centred designs are possible in almost any environment as demonstrated in the public space, Prada shop and individual cubical. The Prada shop essentially shows a world making shopping easier and more interactive to both the customers and shop staff. Be it the barcodes making every single process possible with simply one scan or the liquid crystal changing rooms; making life easier so one doesn’t need to walk in and out to be approved of the items tried on. These designs are strongly tied to the user making a multitude of complex processes simpler and more interesting. Having demo screens within the environment allows customers to quickly expand their understanding on a product of interest, which may in fact determine their decision to buying it.
Another point of interest was the individual office space. A cubical when I think of it is just an independent space made for some working privacy. The video without doubt changed my thought about the cubical having saw the juxtaposition of the human centred one and our usual impression. The design has shown how an attempt to lesser a stressful environment could be done. Regardless of the general aesthetics of the walls some heart touching decorations and gadgets were incorporated. The punching bag for example; might just be the break a work tired business man needs. The resting flowers as one exits and welcomes you in a new day. Even just the tinniest bit of playfulness makes a dull working space more comfortable to be within.
From David Kelley’s presentations I have gained a clearer understanding of methods to making a design more human. Human centred design to me in essence is the vibe of all product designs; we as designers must understand how to make a product enjoyable and helpful to the users satisfying their expectations and needs of a product. I interpret human design to be designs which not only does its job, but also interacts and influences the users emotions or daily life habits, that’s is what I believe to be important in the contemporary world.
My design career
Amongst the many things during my childhood I could only remember drawing to be the most enjoyed. I cannot recall when my passion for drawing began but it is what I still call today my best skill and has always been my personal pride. Despite my love for drawing I also disliked particular ways of drawing, especially copying, recreating something on paper while starring at the object which already exists. Essentially creativity was the vibe to my drawings, through the years all my works be it scenes or objects are all made up; the only copies of existing objects are only done when I am forced to (i.e. at school). This naturally kept my interest away from art classes even thought I later found artistic relevance and value when applied in design.
My decision of future career initiated during my late middle school years.
Obviously a drawing chance in subjects namely maths and sciences were minimal. Naturally I chose the options of graphics and technology design simply for the sake of maximising the opportunity to draw within an academic environment. I never regretted such options, not much of the “design” factor was actually marked; more often the key procedures within a design practice. I enjoyed it nonetheless, having the freedom to use creativity and personal hobby in a school subject made me decide; this shall be my future. Naturally most my effort is put to these subjects; I was satisfied by the rewards I gained (not only academically), which arguably became part of the signature of my decision. Subsequent to this decision the passion for drawing has now evolved to designing as I now enjoy not simply creating a compilation of random but also the whole process; how it gives a reason and defines why I did such. The term for me is now “design”.
The actual designing side during my high school days were in fact very functionalist, I found myself good at following a set process and meeting a brief. Making sure the product works occupied the majority of my explanations however the aesthetics of the actual product was always a side term, barely reasoned and always strongly tide to the function. I saw this to be an issue and tried to overcome it, putting thought into the actual beauty of a product and not just making it look like that because its “cool”; that I believe would make me more a consumer than a designer. Doing so however proved me the difficulty of describing a good design, giving a reason for its looks. I carried this thought to my first year in uni and hope to enter a more serious phase of my designer development. Again I found myself to be in the right place at UNSW. It was just the break I have been looking for; lessons on how to reason a good looking design. It’s an extremely demanding course but it’s also the first time I felt welcomed to real life design, excitement and passion continues to grow.
My decision of future career initiated during my late middle school years.
Obviously a drawing chance in subjects namely maths and sciences were minimal. Naturally I chose the options of graphics and technology design simply for the sake of maximising the opportunity to draw within an academic environment. I never regretted such options, not much of the “design” factor was actually marked; more often the key procedures within a design practice. I enjoyed it nonetheless, having the freedom to use creativity and personal hobby in a school subject made me decide; this shall be my future. Naturally most my effort is put to these subjects; I was satisfied by the rewards I gained (not only academically), which arguably became part of the signature of my decision. Subsequent to this decision the passion for drawing has now evolved to designing as I now enjoy not simply creating a compilation of random but also the whole process; how it gives a reason and defines why I did such. The term for me is now “design”.
The actual designing side during my high school days were in fact very functionalist, I found myself good at following a set process and meeting a brief. Making sure the product works occupied the majority of my explanations however the aesthetics of the actual product was always a side term, barely reasoned and always strongly tide to the function. I saw this to be an issue and tried to overcome it, putting thought into the actual beauty of a product and not just making it look like that because its “cool”; that I believe would make me more a consumer than a designer. Doing so however proved me the difficulty of describing a good design, giving a reason for its looks. I carried this thought to my first year in uni and hope to enter a more serious phase of my designer development. Again I found myself to be in the right place at UNSW. It was just the break I have been looking for; lessons on how to reason a good looking design. It’s an extremely demanding course but it’s also the first time I felt welcomed to real life design, excitement and passion continues to grow.
Saturday 31 July 2010
Shape of a scent
The fist studio class of Semester 2, As a group of five we were to snif out the shape of an assinged scent (a perfume). Without any idea which scent it was we came up with a plasticine model of our scent vessel. I found the scent extremely strong, an initial shock and remains within your nose; it was an extremely floral smell, was perpetuously blowing out from its centre. Through mind mapping in considertion to aspects such as texture, line, shape form etc followed by some rough conceptions i came up with if not a very literal depiction; a floral shape. The flower as a vesel, slightly rounded off and shortened to look more like a bottle, with the centre showing holes where this concentrated scent emmits. The bottle was agreable in terms of representing the scent. Through feedback and self realisation I've learn I could have made the design more abstract and unpredictable.
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