Tuesday, November 11, 2008

task 5: designig dream machines

the main thing that this video is showing is the design process.
i think that there were 4 points that stood out to me as important.
number one is the importance of the developement of ideas. trying out new concepts and not just getting stuck on one thing.
what especially suprised me with that, was the amount of hand drawn concepts. hardly andthing was dont on a rendering program until the hand drawn concepts were figured out.
the second thing that really struck me was that when the designer showed his perfected idea to the company they just shut him down and he had to let go of his idea and start again, this really reiterated anikas spider web concept of not getting too attached.
this also leads me to the third and fourth things that stuck out to me as important and that is communication with the company and the target market.
if there is a lack of communication then the designer cannot possibly come up come up with a design that satisfies the needs of the company or the target market.
this video really brought home the importance of the design process

Friday, October 24, 2008

Project 3 rational

the reason behind my product was that i wanted to make the person using my product take a step back and refelct on their lives.
during a persons life they will change not just physically but all personality wise and the way they live. these changes often happen slowly and subtly. and after a while you realise you may be a completley different person to who you used to be.
sometimes these change are positive, while other times negative but be cause they happen so slowly we dont notice these changes taking place.
my product was meant to make the user take a step back and refelct on their lives and think about whether these changes were good or bad, whether their lives were panning out in a positive or negative way.
the idea of the mirror was that it was a double sided mirror like when being interegated by the police where you can see through one side but the other side is a mirror.
for this to work the room that you are in must be darker then the room you looking into, therefore it would make the abiltliy to see thorugh it when picking up the mirror random which i thought was important as i didnt want them to refeclt everyday but rather every so often, so by needing the light to be right it make it harder to occur and much more random.
the idea of the mirror is that everyday you pick up the mirror (this product was aimed at women) and look in it to do your make up or just have a look at you face, except one day you look though and instead of looking at you face you look staight through and wonder why it is that you cant see yourself, maybe it is cause you arent yourself anymore, and by looking though it its like look into your life from a different and unexpected perspective.
i made the shape of the handle and the mirror very traidtional looking in the actualy shape which gave it an heirloom type of feel, because i wanted it to feel like something that has been passed down in generatinos, and so passing down that wisdom.
the oval shape of the mirror is very tradtional but i placed it so that it was one half an oval rather than a full oval making it alittle bit more straight edged and modern.
the handle i made in the typical shape that is found in most antique hand held mirror but, in antique mirrors the handle are generally solid, while i made mine more like the contours of the shape making it again look alittle more modern looking.
the reason for a white handle is that often antique handles were made of bone and had that white colour i wanted to capture that but make it out of plastic rather then bone which isnt particualrly animal friendly.


(putting up cad drawing in the morning so you can see what it was meant to look like cause model wasnt too good and the mirror was cut the wrong size)

Monday, October 6, 2008

Task 4: Bad design. Lenovo laptop

Lenovo laptop Y510 (lenovo think pad)

Before:



on this lap top the power button is placed directly below the button that wipes the C drive, and the button that wipes the C drive, this means that the user is highly likely to press the wrong button.



Also on top of this the button that wipes the computer is not marked clearly enough just "novo" so the person may press it not knowing what it does and accidently wiping the C- drive
and while the power button has a light and a shape of the "power on" symbol on it, while the computer is turned off the back light is off meaning that you cannot see the power button, leading to further miss understanding of which button to press.



(photo of black light off comming up asap)


photo of someone making a mistake of pressing the wrong button as the mistake is so easily made: (all you need to do it aim wrong or not think about it and go for the wrong button)



After:

the new button will be located on the front part of the laptop well away from the power button.
it will not be a button you press but rather a hole which you have to stick a pin into similar to sticking a pin in the hole that is found on the part you insert a cd in when the cd gets stuck inside.
this will have a cover which will fill the hole so that it is not pressed in accidently, this cover will be made of rubber and will be slitghtly larger on the outside then the hole itself. it will be attached to the computer so that a person has to pick one side off for it to open but will still be stuck to the computer from the other side and therefore will not be lost.
underneath this hole will be labelled in white clear yet small writting "wipe C-drive"
this means that the button will not be pressed accidently and if you want to wipe the C-drive which is not something you commonly want to do, you have to look for it so there are no accidnets of pressing the wrong buttons.
I made it a process that was alittle harder to achieve so that the person trying to wipe their computer has to go through afew steps meaning that they know why they are removing a rubber part and sticking a pin in, you cant accidently pick out a rubber piece and stick a pin into a hole, that must be done on purpose. so no accidents can happen.



Friday, September 26, 2008

project 2: postal presents.

for my project 2 i designed a herb garden container.i wanted to make something that the user could build themselves but also have a daily interaction with the object.i looked around at containers and pot plant containers that were available and most of them were quite boring, generally square shaped and brown or otherwise a round pot which again was brown.i decided that i wanted my container to be used indoors for herbs so that the person could have a herb garden real close to where they were cooking and so would be able to enjoy the fresh taste of fresh herbs.also the act of growing a plant is often very satisfying to people as they can watch it grow due to their nurture.i looked around at my kitchen and other kitchens that had children and working parents living in them and i found that there was not very much space for people to place a herb garden inside as most peoples benches were crammed with machines and paper and dirty dishes etc etc.
so i decided to make a herb garden that could be hung on the wall, that way the person cooking can enjoy a herb garden without actually taking up space in their kitchen, also in this way if hung near a window sill there will be plenty of sunlight.
the reason for the choice of green was because the colour green (also brown but it doesnt look as nice) reduces the growth of algea.
the actual container is made up of 2 parts.
part one is on the inside and is where the herbs are placed, that is the seeds and cotton wool (soil if thats what the user wants to use but the kit comes with cotton wool, seeds and nutritients). this inside compatment has a perferated bottom so that water that is unnecissary can drip out and be caught by the second outer compatment when the water in the out compartment gets to high it starts to drip through the wholes at the back where the eyelets (that hold the 4 containers together) are placed. this means that the nutrients that has dripped out will not be wasted and be dripped into the contanier underneath working alittle bit like a hydroponic system.
except for the bottom most container which has no holes so water will not drip onto the floor.



Thursday, September 18, 2008

task 5: annie leonard: the story of stuff

i think that the take home message that annie leonard is trying to convey is that:
the current system that is used for consumerism is flawed
not only does it destroy nature and humans but it doing so at a pace which means that we will soon not have any planet at all and if everyone in the world consumed at the pace americca does we would need 4 planet earths.
she claims that the linear system we have at the moment of getting resrources which is destorying water land and trees and in turn animals, and the the manufactoring of goods by mixing toxic chemicals into natural resources most of which are not tested and which are very harmful to factory workers, then the products being sold from a shop which doesntpay its workers properly and doesnt cover their healthcare, which is then sold at a low price to consumers so they buy lots of the product, which is then not used as only 1% of stuff bought by consumers is used, is then sent to the dump or incinerators which create real harmful gasses such as dioxin, is wrong.
she says that a more round type of thinking needs to happen where things that come out of the earth get returned in a positive way and that toxins not be used but mostly that consumerism needs to change.
she says that the whole reason why what we consume since the 1950s has doubled has been intentional and planned by the governemnt, they designed products that break easily enough that you need to buy them on a regular basis but last long enough for the product to be trusted by the consumer. this way more money goes into the economy and countires become richer.
also by introducing things like fashion the consurmer thinks that they need to buy new stuff because it looks better and is in with the trend and fashion and because people are now judged by what they have, they find a need to buy this new stuff so they can be socially accepted.
this makes governments richer but it does no good for the environemnt. and in the end what anni leonard is really trying to say is that we need to change our thinking about consumerism so as to preserve our planet.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

project 1 rational

the rational



the idea behind this project was to help a parent keep their child healthy in a playfull way.

there is an increase in child obesety due to fast food in our society while a decrese in social interaction between children due to televisions, computers and other gadgets like nintendos.

my design aimed to address both these issues.

the first is the lunch box which has both measurments on the inside so that food can be measured as its put in but also a box that is portion controlled in size, this is a tool for the parent to give their child a healthy balanced diet without the hassle of wondering how much exactly should the child get.

the second issue of decrease in social interaction i have solved by making the lunch box that look like lego, this means that the child can interact by himself with the lunchbox but not watching a screen, but more importantly the lunch box blocksare a tool in encouraging interaction between children as there is more than one piece meanig that children can play with them together.

the actual material of the luncbox would be plastic which is easy to clean and naturally has rounded corners rather then sharp corners which is safer for children







Ideo pleasure for the
concened with nutrition
and health, as
lunch box sizdes are
portion controlled







Thursday, August 28, 2008

Task 5: Paul Bennett: Designing Details

I think that the take home message from Paul Bennetts "Designing Details" is that to have a product that satisfies the need of the target market the designer himself must fully and completely understand and see from the target markets point of view.

what he is trying to say is that you cannot design a product for what you think the target market wants, or what your idea of what would look good for the target market is.
this is shown in the example of the nurses and the device they use during surgery. the original idea may have been to have a sexy machine that looks really slick and shiny, but when they actually looked at the interaction that occurs during surgery they discovered that infact the nurse used one of her hands to comfort the patient and this infact was much much much more important then a sexy machine. They then designed around this concept.

He also points out that sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones that are right infont of us but we dont see them because we are concentrating so hard on designing cool things, but if you "unlearn" something and try to look at it afresh, relearn something you do all the time, a better solution will probably occur to you, a simpler one thatwas there all along.

i think paul bennett is trying to say that when designing a product "small is the new big", look at the true needs of the target market, observe the surrounding and design for them.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Task 3: Product sketching

POWER HOUSE MUSEUM

i think this design is a good design because the chair though simple looks very inviting and has a very familiar homely feel despite never having seen it before


i think this is a good design as many people choose to not use ear protection due to the lack of the communication, this product gives the user the option of communicating while protecting the ears. it also has a comfortable shape for the ear phones that can fit all shapes and sizes of ears.


i liked this design as i like the idea of having a waste disposing unit tht does not destroy nature and can return some waste to the land in a positive way, while also feeding nature.

i like the wriggle chair as it is so intriguing in its design it is both functional yet looks more like a sculpture or art piece rather then a chair and could be place in a room just to look good but can also be used meaning that there need be no other art forms in the room


Thursday, August 21, 2008

task 5: Yves Behar: designing objects that tell stories

the take home message from behar is that a product cannot be just a skin, just the way it looks.
the product needs to tell a whole story.

He belives that for a product to be successful the designers values and the target markets values must go into the product.

the product must feel right for the audience, it cannot do this with a simple skin but rather a deeper sense of its values and meanings

this gives the audience a story that makes them feel attached to the product.
he also mentions that the work that goes into the product never ends, as it is not just designing the prodcut itself but also the packaging and the marketing such as websites, this gives the audience more interest as the initial intrigue with the product does not wear off as there are websites and other maketing strategies that make the product a "whole story", an object with value.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Task 5: Ross Lovegrove: organic design

i think that the take home message from this video is that the way of the future of design is using materials that are recycable biodegradable and generally better for the environment.

even think about designing objects with more then one purpose so as to use less materials, such as the car/ street lamp that was shown on the video, which was also powered by the sun.

i think that another point that ross was trying to make is that design can come from the most natural basic thing and turn out to look very good or "funky".
that as designers we dont always have to go for a look that is totally new and different but rather rivert back to nature and find inspiration there.
he belives in "fat free" design, stripping an object of everything it does not need and just leaving the basics.
he likes the idea of stripping designs down to their basics yet creating something different and exciting

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Task 5: David Kelley: human centred design

in david kelleys "human centred design" the take home message that he repeats numerous times, appears to be quite a simple idea yet one that is hard to achieve.

he talks about how in the past the designing process was purely the design of a functional object that generally looked good. And though the focus is still on the product it has a more human focus.

meaning that there has been a shift in the way these products are viewed.
today to have a successful design and product the designer must give the product "human features" they must design behaviours and personalities into the product themselves.

part of doing that is to show how the human experience fits in with the products through the presentation of the product with a human e.g in a clip. It must show the "man- Machine" relationship.

the take home message of "human centred design" is that design is more human centred now and therefore the products should reflect human behaviour and personality, not just functionality.

Task 2: good design

Task 2: Good design

The O2 Cocoon


Designer:
syntes studio

manufactured:
pantech exclusive for O2

Description:
The O2 is a sophisitcated version of a common mobile phone.
the phone is music focused and has a clamshell design that is clean and tactile on the outside and technologically advanced on the inside.
this phone is experience focused aiming to give the client the best experience possible.
it features 2 MegaPixel camera with auto focus, flash and 4 times digital zoom, 2GB internal memory +
memory card slot , FM radio with RDS , Hidden LED display and Intuitive music interface easily sync with
Windows Media Player.
The phone only comes in white outter shell and black inner.

Visual design analysis:


line:
No straight lines or bold lines on the outter cover, instead there are smooth subtle curvacious lines making the phone seem, futuristic yet sophisticated.
despite this the inner phone is alot more bold with its lines. they seem more deliberate. for example the straight white line which contrasts to the black shows that the line is not an acciednt but a bold statement yet it is not a thick line, its still subtle.

shape:
The shape of the phone is much like a clam shell. it is sleek and smooth round curves give it a level of sophisitcation.

colour:
the O2 cocoon only comes in the one colour scheme.
the colour on the outter shell is white while the inner is black these two complete opposing colours attract the eye.
simple basic colours make it look more classy and modern

texture:
the phone is made of plastic which is smooth. This fits well with the sleek smooth look that the designer was trying to create.
pattern:
The O2 cocoon is delibratley pattern less but rather has a very plain simple look to it so that while the phones technicality may be complex the phone itself looks simple yet sophisticated, a very modern look.

balance:
the phone is perfectly symetrical in every direction both on the inside and out, this simplisity contiues to add to the high level of sophistication.
This also means that the phone is able to lie on its front or back while horizontal
proportions:
the O2 cocoon is 94mm high by 49mm wide by 21mm deep & the total weigh is 92 gram including the battery. The white colour of the outter shell dominates the eyes focus.
Conrast
the only contrast that occurs with this product is the obvious contrast between the outter white shell and the inner black.
the blue LED display also contrasts quite well with the white drawing full attention to the lights.

Reference:

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Task 1: Shape of a scent

The scent: youth dew estee lauder



crazy and attention seeking, centre of attention loud

first 3 model attempts










































final product



Friday, January 11, 2008

Task 5: Designing dream machines

the main thing that this video is showing is the design process.
i think that there were 4 points that stood out to me as important.
numer 1 is the importance of the developement of ideas, trying different things not getting too stuck on one idea. what especially suprised me with that, was the amount of hand drawnconcepts. hardly anything was done on a rendering program until the hand drawn concepts were figured out.
the second thing that really struck me was was that when the designer showed his perfected concept to the company . they just shut him down and he had to let go of the concept and start again. this really Reiterated anikas spider web concept.
this also leads me to the third and 4th things that stuck out to me as important and that is communication with the company and the target market.
if there is a lack of communications then the designer cannot possible come up with a design that will fullfill the needs of the company or the target market.
a really interesting movie that really brought home the process of design.