blog comments

Patrick Dunn
http://patrickdunnindustrialdesign.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-post.html?showComment=1318902128251#c4513413471997554237

Rowena Goodall
http://rowenagoodall.blogspot.com/2011/10/studio-one-light-assignment.html?showComment=1318902414426#c7455064720404115121

Max Glanville
http://maxglanvillez3333044.blogspot.com/2011/10/up-cycling-poster_17.html?showComment=1318902619501#c4150538005540822909

Jacquiline Bui
http://jacquelinebui3377777.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycle-rationale.html?showComment=1318902812591#c4750601879788557302

Luke Messina
http://idesluke.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycled-recycling.html?showComment=1318902967232#c7661904049763448388

LIGHT

This project was aimed at up cycling instead of recycling. Recycling is good for the environment, as we can re-use materials and make them into other materials and use them again. Up cycling refers to using materials that would normally be recycled, into objects of a similar use or greater value, such as a light. 

My light encompasses this objective, it is made out of nearly 100percent discarded JCDecaux poster material, and uses a very small amount per 150 x 150 mm sheet. This means that multiple lights can be made out of just one sheet. 

The only other materials used apart from the JCDeaux poster material was the light bulb, holder, and electrical cord (which one would use for any light). 

The light was originally inspired by an Aboriginal style pattern, which is where the perforated holes come from in the design. When this was practiced on paper, a light bulb seemed the illuminate the holes well, so the idea was continued. The shape was originally a simple cylindrical shape, however for the sake of this assignment, it was challenged into a more creative an alternate shape which I think still conveys a theme of originality. 

The light was also intended to be hanging at first, the 3D effect of the holes seemed to match with the idea of hanging. However after changing the design multiple times, it was decided that the light would become a 'wall light', which I think encompasses it's design very well. The main reason for the change in light position was to do with the problem of how to connect the light bulb to the light using minimal materials. A wall lights allows minimal materials and the most innovative solution. 

The light can be easily assembled at easily flatpacked, as seen in the visual cutting diagram. There are instruction photos on how to connect the light together, it is very simple and straight forward. 

I believe that this light could be used in a sophisticated elegant way, its leaf like structure adds elements of simplicity, naturality, and sophistication all in one. The light illuminates both through the perforated holes and through the top and bottom of the light, allowing the perfect balance of light. 

Bill Moggridge: What is design?

Bill Moggridge's speech on 'What is Design', was daunting at first to hear from such a well spoken and experienced man. He had a lot of good ideas and insights that I took into account when forming my opinion and summary of this lecture.

His first point to make about good design was to point out that you have to know what bad design is. This is incredibly logical, however I see design as an extremely subjective area. You can have confusing designs, less communicated designs, but does that make it a bad design..? Moggridge seemed to think that when you had people (desirability), technology (feasibility), and business (viability) you would have a good design. He then went on to talk about how important the design process was, and how it changed depending on each and every person and the current situation.
He described the process as

1. Constraints
2. synthesis
3. framing
4. ideation
5. envisioning
6. uncertainty
7. selection
8. visualisation
9. prototyping
10. education

He said to not approach this process in a step by step way, but in a pragmatic way. He expressed views that the most important part in coming up with a good design was to fully understand who and what you are designing for, and the only way to do that was to actually put yourself in the customers shoes. He used the example of the Japanese cell phone network 'iMode' to present this idea. iMode had created a way you could theoretically buy things from vending machines from your cell phone. He showed a video in which a woman attempted this however it took her 35 minutes in the end to buy 1 can of soft drink using the iMode device. This seems silly considering it takes less than a minute to buy a drink from a vending machine using physical money, however the idea is smart and practical if you need a drink and have no cash on you. 

What Moggridge said was that iMode had not explored the needs of the customers enough and had not gone all the way through the design process, they had skipped parts. 

This then linked into how he expressed how important prototyping is. You can only communicate your ideas well with prototyping, and communication is key into getting your design out there and making improvements on it. Clearly iMode did not prototype enough. 

Moggridge goes on to talk about different types of prototyping and how you can get your ideas out there through different types of media i.e films, computer software (photoshop, illustrator). What he said which I liked was that sketching was still a major involvement in communicating your design. Sketching is the rawest the idea comes out of someones head, therefore to me it is most important, it is the stem to the design. The lecture talked about when communicating your prototype you should have a combination of medias including sketches, and only invest in expensive prototyping once you are at your very very last stages of designing. 

The last point Moggridge made about What is Design is how design is changing. He put design into a 3 step layer, people, social then environmental. Just as a side note, this layer may have to soon change due to the state of our environment and loss of materials etc. Anyway, on a personal level, products now think our health and well being. On a social level, products now think about where we live and what resources are available to us. On an environmental level, products now think about global sustainability and he used an example of insulating containers using fungus from mushrooms. 

Products are becoming more and more important in our lives as the world advances technologically. We have to use whats available to us instead of what we desire. We have to take that one step further into designing a product that is going to help us instead of just looking pretty. 

This all contrasts with an earlier point Moggridge made about the mind. He said that most of what we do is subconscious, our likes and dislikes, our emotions, what we say and do and how we cant explain it. Our conscious mind is only a small part of our thinking, however its what we allow everyone else to see. 

Design harnesses those attributes in the process. Good design is emotion. Good design is more. Good design is less. Good design is people. Good design is everywhere! In my opinion, good design is what you think is good design. 

PEER COMMENTS

http://pings19.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1.html?showComment=1317803383381#c8596419762029774261


http://rowenagoodall.blogspot.com/2011/09/usage-storyboard-garlic-crusher.html?showComment=1317803668696#c3464154820518095597


http://ides1031alexanderjackson.blogspot.com/2011/09/product-hero-shot_20.html#comments


http://camillekordek.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-one-hero-shot.html?showComment=1317804194073#c2638637706452934323


http://z3377160yvonneshaides1031.blogspot.com/2011/09/product-redesign.html?showComment=1317804438276#c1643922712338623161

FINAL DESIGN

SCULPT RATIONALE

Sculpt is a new and innovative hand held corkscrew bottle-opener, aimed at enriching the experience of its use. The unique organic shape fits right into the palm of your hand. It is both practical and pleasurable in its use as it evokes the natural sense to ‘twist’ when you see it, simultaneously conforming to your hand shape. The sleek metal surface is both smooth to touch, and due to the lightweight steel, easy to pick up.

In Designing Pleasurable Products, Dr Patrick Jordan presented Lionel Tiger’s 1992 framework proposing that a pleasurable object needs to interact with a person in 4 different ways; physically, socially, psychologically and ideologically. The sculpt adheres to all four of these criteria. Physically the feel of a smooth curvaceous metal against one skin is satisfying,. This is also reflected in its function of twisting, Sculpt has 2 points allowing a change in hand direction. Socially, Sculpt easily gains attributes to a positive relationship with people. It fits into our hands, performs us a function, and the sleekness of the metal will fit right into any kitchen. Sculpt also performs a multifunction, due to its hollow inside it can be stored on a hook after use. Psychologically Sculpt generates positive emotions due it its innate shape, material and use. It also has positive links in the conversational ideas it provokes. It could be viewed as somewhat of a ‘helmet’ for a wine or champagne bottle. Other than looking like one, after you have corked the bottle, Sculpt can act as a stopper, disallowing foreign material to enter the bottle. It could also be viewed as a shell shape. Shells are a very organic and natural object. Thus again showing the delicacy and neutrality of this product. Both of these ideas lead to one end, that the bottle opener becomes part of the bottle. The two objects fit together.

Sculpt clearly exceeds the use of a pleasurable object for ones use. It delivers an idea of intimacy, delicacy, and neutrality whilst using a modern industrial material.

DESIGN CAREER + EXHIBITION PHOTOS

Product Sketching 

I absolutley loved the lace exhibition. It really inspired me. I loved Rina and Kellys work too! 

My Design Career

At a young age I always loved colours and painting and making patterns. In high school I continued on with this with photography and design, however I discovered that design was alot harder than Id expected. I didn't like how how I had to physicaly make things and how everything had to be so neatly cut and placed (ie with structural models). Maybe it was just that project but that persuaded me to change subjects to commerce, and from then on I continued to stufy maths, economics and the sciences. My first year at university was Medical Science at Sydney, but once I did that for a year I saw that it was not want I wanted to do for a living. 

Throughout that year I always loved the practicals I had to do that involved creativity and problem solving, it made me think back to when I used to do design. I spoke to a few people who did design at uni already and it sounded like something I would enjoy. 

I am enjoying this course, however I am still not sure if it the right design course for me. So far I have enjoyed all projects that have not involved wood work or using autocad. I love being creative in sketching, patterns and colours. I think maybe I will transfer into a more versatile design degree, not just product design. I would love to design house exteriors, fabrics, lights, and play with the personalities you can make these things into.