Baroni, Nicholas
Cervetto, Robin
Vergara, Jason
Kim, Danny
Kashyap, Kiran
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Echidna Pack Rational
In the upcycling unwanted assignement I decided to make a bag made out of bike inner tubing. These are the tubings that are inflated on the inside of tyres so they are able to be used. The reason why I decided to use this material was becuase in waste bins there was an abundance of these tubings. These were there becuase they were rendered useless becasue they had either been puncutured or they had been worn down and reached the end of thier life cycle.
The other materials that I decided to use were cable ties, old foam that habe been used in plush toys and a rubber material that is used for light waterproofing.
The outer layer of the bag is made entirely from the inner tubing, small squares that were tied together using the cable ties. This is what gave the idea of calling it the echidna pack, the cable ties gave the same kind of effect to the spines on an echidnas back. The back rest area was made out of a larger tyre that had been taken from a small car tyre. I decided to do this because it would be much more comfortable to have less but much larger pieces than to have many smaller pieces touching the back constantly. The straps that were used are just inner tubing that wasnt cut up but left in its initial state.
Once the outer layers of the rubber had been put together I then decided to sew together a inner bag that would be able to hold the things that are placed inside the bag. This was also where the padding was put into the back rest to make it more comfortable for the user to wear.
The other materials that I decided to use were cable ties, old foam that habe been used in plush toys and a rubber material that is used for light waterproofing.
The outer layer of the bag is made entirely from the inner tubing, small squares that were tied together using the cable ties. This is what gave the idea of calling it the echidna pack, the cable ties gave the same kind of effect to the spines on an echidnas back. The back rest area was made out of a larger tyre that had been taken from a small car tyre. I decided to do this because it would be much more comfortable to have less but much larger pieces than to have many smaller pieces touching the back constantly. The straps that were used are just inner tubing that wasnt cut up but left in its initial state.
Once the outer layers of the rubber had been put together I then decided to sew together a inner bag that would be able to hold the things that are placed inside the bag. This was also where the padding was put into the back rest to make it more comfortable for the user to wear.
Monday, October 26, 2009
SEYMOUR POWELL: DESIGNING DREAM MACHINES
Richard Seymour and Dick Powell discuss the entire design process from conception of the implementation of an idea and design. It also looks at the involvement a designer has during the various stages of the process of development.
Challenges are always faced by designers and there are many skills and tecniques that they can employ to faces these challenges. In the conceptual stage the research is undertaken while a broad spectrum of thinking must be kept to allow for inventiveness. Brianstorming in creative groups facilitates for creative thought and fro designers to go beyond their individual limitations. Computers can be then employed to allow for 2D and 3D modelling and rendering, but the two speakers still make sure that people understand that drawing with a pencil in hand is an invaluable tool for designers to record ideas and thoughts.
Challenges are always faced by designers and there are many skills and tecniques that they can employ to faces these challenges. In the conceptual stage the research is undertaken while a broad spectrum of thinking must be kept to allow for inventiveness. Brianstorming in creative groups facilitates for creative thought and fro designers to go beyond their individual limitations. Computers can be then employed to allow for 2D and 3D modelling and rendering, but the two speakers still make sure that people understand that drawing with a pencil in hand is an invaluable tool for designers to record ideas and thoughts.
Throughout the design process, it is important for the designer to constantly refer back to the client and address the target market rather than designing to please one's own needs. The culture of the user should be researched so that the designer can understand who exactly they are designing a particular product for, while the client's parameters should also be kept in mind.
this video is very important in the showing of the steps that must be undertaken for a designer to have his/her designs realised. This follow a chronological proces that helps to make a designer successful.
this video is very important in the showing of the steps that must be undertaken for a designer to have his/her designs realised. This follow a chronological proces that helps to make a designer successful.
Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff
Annie Leonard talks to us about how in history humanities way of manufacturing products has always been in the linear fashion. She talks about how this system of manufacturing is flawed and cannot continue into the future if we are planning to look after our environment and to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. The figures that she shows us the viewers are showing us how there are patterns evident in the development of products and how this is interconnected with the health of the environment of the planet as well at the social ramifications of it.
In many of the cultures of the world, especially in the western world the throughput of materials is too high. 99% of materials used are thrown into trash after a very limited use. This is to have the main goal of economic benefit of high product development. The process should be of cyclical development with high material recovery. By doing this humanity would alleviate the stress that it places uppon the envirmonment
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Postage Present Rational
I wanted to create something that people use every day, not something that is put on a mantel piece and is used once a year at Christmas. I randomly came up with the idea of doing the wallet within 5 minutes of the last class we had to work on this assignment. The initial idea was to make it very simple with the user able to just fold a couple of lines and then have a wallet, not have to use glue or staples or anything of the sort.
My original idea was to create the product out of polypropylene plastic, to score the edges which would be folded, but the problem I encountered was that every time I tried to make the bends, one of the scored lines would crack end I would have to discard the whole thing. I realised I needed to get a different material that would be able to take the strains of bending, but also have strength to hold itself together. I toyed with other plastics and ideas of using layers but all turned up to be dead ends. Then I remembered Andrew saying something about how he likes d the idea of using magazines in creating new products. This gave me the idea of layering several pages of magazines together to make the material of which it would be made.
In the using of magazines for the making of the material for the product I found that it was a very good way to recycle something that would usually be thrown out after it was needed or finished being read or used. The second thing that I found about fixing several of the pages together was that after a while they became more like plastic than paper in the sense that the material had become quite hard to rip and it held its shape well. The third thing that I found was that the material bent really well and was able to have a very tight fold which was great for the overall size of the wallet not making it bulky and heavy in the pocket.
Andrew said I should think about adding more folds to the net of the product so I could have more little pockets and such. I tried doing that but I found that not only was it going to take a lot more material than was allowed for use but it also became much too bulky when holding and it caused a lot of the folds to not fold properly and then I was faced with the problem of a very think product and on that was unnecessarily thick.
Yes I think there is still room for my idea to be developed in different ways, but I am happy with the simple design and material that I have been able to come up with. Although the material I wanted to use has been deviated away from quite a lot I still like the feel and the qualities of the magazine pages.
I think I have been able to complete my goal in trying to design something that is used every day and is not just left on a desk, mantle piece or in the cupboard. The wallet although when thought about without seeing is a hard thing to imagine, a magazine wallet, it is very sturdy, strong and surprisingly durable compared to its pre-recycled state.
My original idea was to create the product out of polypropylene plastic, to score the edges which would be folded, but the problem I encountered was that every time I tried to make the bends, one of the scored lines would crack end I would have to discard the whole thing. I realised I needed to get a different material that would be able to take the strains of bending, but also have strength to hold itself together. I toyed with other plastics and ideas of using layers but all turned up to be dead ends. Then I remembered Andrew saying something about how he likes d the idea of using magazines in creating new products. This gave me the idea of layering several pages of magazines together to make the material of which it would be made.
In the using of magazines for the making of the material for the product I found that it was a very good way to recycle something that would usually be thrown out after it was needed or finished being read or used. The second thing that I found about fixing several of the pages together was that after a while they became more like plastic than paper in the sense that the material had become quite hard to rip and it held its shape well. The third thing that I found was that the material bent really well and was able to have a very tight fold which was great for the overall size of the wallet not making it bulky and heavy in the pocket.
Andrew said I should think about adding more folds to the net of the product so I could have more little pockets and such. I tried doing that but I found that not only was it going to take a lot more material than was allowed for use but it also became much too bulky when holding and it caused a lot of the folds to not fold properly and then I was faced with the problem of a very think product and on that was unnecessarily thick.
Yes I think there is still room for my idea to be developed in different ways, but I am happy with the simple design and material that I have been able to come up with. Although the material I wanted to use has been deviated away from quite a lot I still like the feel and the qualities of the magazine pages.
I think I have been able to complete my goal in trying to design something that is used every day and is not just left on a desk, mantle piece or in the cupboard. The wallet although when thought about without seeing is a hard thing to imagine, a magazine wallet, it is very sturdy, strong and surprisingly durable compared to its pre-recycled state.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Ross Lovegrove: The power and beauty of organic design: www.TED.com
Ross Lovegrove is a man of ambition, instinct and is the self imposed Captain Organic. To be honest at points his self infatuation was a little tiresome but once we got passed that we were able to see some amazing things that he has been able to design. I was really intrigued with him saying “instinct plays a huge role in design”. It was very interesting to hear about how we are inspired from some very strange things that we may not always think about.
His water bottle and the way he thought about the image of water with just the squiggly lines on a page. The most interesting thing for me was how he was able to go from a simple line drawing to a beautifully formed bottle that had a inspiring organic feel to it.
I did like it how he talked about how organic design is just for the bare essentials, just for what is important for survival. I did like his approach to trying to mimic this idea in his designs, nothing for decoration but everything just for form and the bare essentials the design needed. By doing this he is able to get a truly wonderful feel to all his designs that makes him very interesting and in the end his designs look much better than if he had added the unessential decorations.
He sends a very important message about designing to mimic nature, using less and more sustainable materials and we, humans, make larger and larger impacts on the environment and we continually reduce the resources we have. By doing this he is also able to be involved in the new and futuristic development of materials that we will all be using in the future.
As designers we have the responsibility to help humanity lead in a direction of sustainability, we have the influence through our designs to do this which gives us the responsibility to do so.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Rational
My design is aimed at as Mar so eloquently puts it "Yuppies". I have designed a special type of bottle that is used not only to drink from but also to store and hold keys, coins and cards while exercising in the gym. I have decided to do this because it is always a hassle of having to take a bag to place the very small amount of things that you carry to the gym, and then if you don't have a locker, you have to leave it out in the open for anyone to gain access to.
This bottle saves the user the hassle of having to constantly worry about how his/her belongings are. With the new compartment down in the bottom of the bottle the user can always just carry those belongings around the gym with easy and comfort both in body and in mind.
I always tried to keep the bottle the same size as most other types and not be over the top in size thus increasing the ease of usage as the users hand is very easily able to wrap around the bottle and grip it comfortably.
The use of aluminum in the design as the material used it to reflect the life style of my target market, they live a very fast and extravagant lifestyle and this bottle is able to reflect that with its simplicity and elegant design. I have also decided that by creating it out of aluminum it will also encourage the user to hold onto it for longer than just a ordinary plastic bottle.
This bottle saves the user the hassle of having to constantly worry about how his/her belongings are. With the new compartment down in the bottom of the bottle the user can always just carry those belongings around the gym with easy and comfort both in body and in mind.
I always tried to keep the bottle the same size as most other types and not be over the top in size thus increasing the ease of usage as the users hand is very easily able to wrap around the bottle and grip it comfortably.
The use of aluminum in the design as the material used it to reflect the life style of my target market, they live a very fast and extravagant lifestyle and this bottle is able to reflect that with its simplicity and elegant design. I have also decided that by creating it out of aluminum it will also encourage the user to hold onto it for longer than just a ordinary plastic bottle.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Yves Bahar: Creating Objects that Tell Stories: www.TED.com
Yves begins his speech by talking about how when he started out in design he was initially instructed to design form the outside only, just tocreate ugly objects into good looking ones. But he says that he did not want to do this, just be a stylist. He started out in another direction by creating his own work, and designing for the human experience and not just to stylise objects.
He explores the design and production of products that are basded on the human experience and values. He sends the message that as designers we need to design for a more positive relationship between humans, products, work, and everything around us. The production of objects that are based on values can be to do with sustainability, environmental issues, low power consumption, function and perhapse beauty.
Yves goes into quite a lot of detail about one of his product designs which is the jawbone, the jawbone is a bluetooth headset thats is designed with beauty in mind. He says that humans put countless of hours and lots of money into how the products that go near their face look, they have to be beautiful, one example he gives of this is the sunglasses that people wear. He then says why do bluetooth headsets have to be ugly, where the design is just to hide the interior. The jawbone is designed to be many things, aesthetically pleasing and tecghnologically sound. The technology inside is able to detect when the user is talking by feeling thier skin move, and when this happens the headset is able to cut outside sound out of the ear piece. But at the sma time one of the big needs is for the overall product to look good, so designers and engineers worked side by side constantly changing designs so that everything worked.
He also talkes about one endevour that is very interesting, it is theOne Laptop Per Child (OLPC) scheme where Yves was directly involved in the designing of the computer. This was a design directed at the value that all should be open to have an education, and itodays society computers aren one of the main tools for eductation. The computers were given to children in third world countries in africa and mos notably Nigeria and Mongolia (asia). It was designed for kids but was not to be used as a toy. The Design was from the inside out not just slapping on an exterior. He also talkes about how hard it was to try to get the computers manufactured and not have others try and change the design, they stayed to the original designs.
Yves finishes with saying if companies can work with values, then if everyone works together then maybe we can change the world.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Don Norman: Emotional Design. www.TED.com
Don Norman talkes about the idea and concept of emotional design, he says it is the was design reflects how we think about, feel about and perceive a product. He says that the saying 'I don't know what it does, but i want it' is something that comes about because the design is 'beautiful and fun'. Without taking into consideration of a products specifications and faults consumers will want things because of and emotional level of excitement experienced which has derived from the design of the product.
Norman gives the example of the Alessi juicer. As a special edition the juicer was released in a gold plated model and was specifically said not to be used in juicing. The desire to have something that is fun and attractive is an emotional feeling that consumers have and it plays a very large role in the way we purchase things. this video has shown people how alike everyone is in terms of how we all are slaves to our emotional feelings towards products and this is just because we are more attracted to products that look better than others and thus we believe that they will work better. It is the same with negative emotional effects, we are less likely to be drawn to something if it causes anxiety towards us.He also describes how there are three different levels of emotional design
Visceral - this is the way our responsive system reacts to a design. Our biological design is supposed to be attracted to bright colours, and react to the eg cold=blue or red=hot.Behavioural - our behavioral level is our subconscious and it does all the work for us. it is the automatic skills and behaviours, eg the ability to breath without having to think about it. in design this area is the experience and pleasure that consumer feels when they are using the product. Also usability and the understanding of the product come into play on the perception of a product.
Reflective -or the 'super ego', this is where we have no control over the brain or muscles. It is our inner voice that is telling us if a product or design is good or bad. this level of reflectiveness shows the interaction and connection between the product and the consumer/user, this includes attracting attention, concerns for the environment and the ability or want to impress other people.
I think all people should watch this video no matter what they do for a living or who they are. the video gives us an insight into how alike we all are in terms of how we see and percieve different products and designs, whether we like them or not, if it makes us excited to just makes us want to put it away. We can better understand our thought processes much better after watching this video, because it gives us a very basic study of ourselves and our minds and see how basic yet complex our thought processes are in terms of how we interact with products and designs.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Product Sketches
In order left to right
Row 1: Worrior Stool, Thinking Ergonomix, Design Awards
Wiggle Chair, Frank Gehry, Inspired
'No. 42', Andrew Simpson & Hugh Worthington, Workshopped
Row 2: Korzina, Karim Rashid, Formfunctionfabulous
Transient, Lisa Gasparotto, Sustain me
Mushroom Floor lamp, Simon Duff, Eat green design
Worrior Stool, Thinking Ergonomix, Design Awards
I chose this stool primarily because of the capabilities that it had in just being made out of foam. But at the same time I liked its fresh but slightly quirky look. The stool doesnt look completely right and i liked that about it.
Wiggle Chair, Frank Gehry, Inspired
I chose the chair simply because I really like the flowing form of the cair right down to the ground. I also really like the way it is made out of cardboard.
'No. 42', Andrew Simpson & Hugh Worthington, Workshopped
I really liked the solid, concrete blockyness of the form. Very strong and solid looking, but the seat looked comfortable. I also really liked the random angles of the arm rests.
Korzina, Karim Rashid, Formfunctionfabulous
I very much liked the form of the piece, the colour and the material used. The piece looked much more finished than the other pieces there and better manufactured.
Transient, Lisa Gasparotto, Sustain me
The randomness and simplicity of just twining wires and connecting lights to it was extremely eye catching and I thought it was very interesting to see how the wires and the lights interacted and how they changed each other.
Mushroom Floor lamp, Simon Duff, Eat green design
I really liked the idea of having a lamp on the floor, and when the light was comming from the underside of the top it gave it a very weird look to it. I thought it looked great and was extremely strikingg amongst the other products
Monday, August 3, 2009
David Kelley: Human Centred Design. www.TED.com
The talk by David Kelley on human centred design gave me a very simple and important message, design is moving away from designing a product and just unveiling it to the world and expecting everyone to use and love it. The talk gave new and current designers a message that humans are becoming the centre of design, how does the product work? How does it interact with the user? How well does it work with the user? Is it user friendly?
Designers and design companies are having to really start to not only design their products but to also create the behaviours and personalities of the products. Designers used to only build 3D models and computer generated images of thier prototypes, but at times develop we are having to spend more and more time on getting their products in working stages as a way of showing the public how the product will be used and what it actually does. Kelley says that internal video production groups have been established to produce 'experience prototypes' that show what the designer wants in terms of how humans interact with the product.
In his talk he then goes on to show some of the work his company IDEO has been involved in over the past year of the talk. All of the examples that he presents are based around human interaction with the product or space that they have produced. One very interesting example is the cubical that they designed to be more human and better for human interaction that the old cubicles in offices that dont provide much in terms of user product interaction or relationship. It is designed to be a space that is much better for humans to work in, and the detail is staggering from fish tanks in the wall, to orange lights that follow the angle of the sun to even a flower that whilts when the worker leaves the cubicle and becomes straight again when they enter again.
Designers and students of design should all listen and take in the points put forward by Kelley as he is explaing to us the way in which design is developing in terms of how machines and products interact with humans and vice versa. It is extremely interesting and his point has really struck home in terms of showing me of how much extra thought and process must be put into the design and production of a product before it is really ready of human interaction. Our design is becoming very human cetred, designers have and must realise now and for the future that the design of a product must work for and around humans and not humans for and around the product.
LINK TO TED WEBSITE
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/david_kelley_on_human_centered_design.html
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Task 1, 28th July: Shape Of A Scent
The shape of a scent task was a very interesting and I though enjoyable process of taking the smell of a perfume and then trying to produce the shape of a bottle that represented and reflected that smell, then to take that design and be able to articulate the reasons for your ideas and choices.
When we were first given the scent I was immediately hit by its potency and the very strong feminine and lingering factors of its smell. One of my very first thoughts about it was that it smelt somewhat similar to a pear, which was later reflected in the overall shape of my design. But after further investigation of smelling the scent I was to discover that it had two distinct levels that were obvious to me. The first was a very strong over powering smell one that lingered in the air not evaporating but staying low to the ground and spreading very slowly, to me the shape of it was very bottom heavy, wider at the bottom and very slender at the top. The second of the scents that I was able to smell was one of an underlying and very faint spice, one that tingled the nostrils and was quite hard to recognise as it was very well hidden by the much stronger curtain.
We attributed some ideas to the smell, they being sophisticated, comforting, mature, elegant and relaxing. These were what I tried to base my design on and I think I was able to accomplish this by designing a vessel that had a textured sphere protected by three posts that wrapped around the sphere. I did this to represent and reflect the scents protected spice by the much stronger smell that stayed in the air as the delicate inner scent disappeared.
All in all I thought the exercise was a very productive and interesting one and really pushed us to try and unerstand something that we could not see, hear or touch but only smell, and then to take what we understood and discovered about the scent and to make a vessel that we would put forward as a product. I also found the articulating of my ideas reaaly gave me a confidence boost in terms of speaking about my ideas and taking a strong stance on what I wanted to achieve and produce.
The first three attempts in getting the design right for the vessel.
The final design that was presented to Mar.
When we were first given the scent I was immediately hit by its potency and the very strong feminine and lingering factors of its smell. One of my very first thoughts about it was that it smelt somewhat similar to a pear, which was later reflected in the overall shape of my design. But after further investigation of smelling the scent I was to discover that it had two distinct levels that were obvious to me. The first was a very strong over powering smell one that lingered in the air not evaporating but staying low to the ground and spreading very slowly, to me the shape of it was very bottom heavy, wider at the bottom and very slender at the top. The second of the scents that I was able to smell was one of an underlying and very faint spice, one that tingled the nostrils and was quite hard to recognise as it was very well hidden by the much stronger curtain.
We attributed some ideas to the smell, they being sophisticated, comforting, mature, elegant and relaxing. These were what I tried to base my design on and I think I was able to accomplish this by designing a vessel that had a textured sphere protected by three posts that wrapped around the sphere. I did this to represent and reflect the scents protected spice by the much stronger smell that stayed in the air as the delicate inner scent disappeared.
All in all I thought the exercise was a very productive and interesting one and really pushed us to try and unerstand something that we could not see, hear or touch but only smell, and then to take what we understood and discovered about the scent and to make a vessel that we would put forward as a product. I also found the articulating of my ideas reaaly gave me a confidence boost in terms of speaking about my ideas and taking a strong stance on what I wanted to achieve and produce.
The first three attempts in getting the design right for the vessel.
The final design that was presented to Mar.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)