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!

Experience enrichment stage 2: sketch model

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.

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.

Sydney design Sketches

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.

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.