Project two peer comments

http://lizgrayburnsblog.blogspot.com/
http://z3332715.blogspot.com/
http://monicayllu.blogspot.com/
http://z3330189.blogspot.com/
http://3332091.blogspot.com/

Project two: Upcycling

Rationale
This product was made firstly as a hammock although major implications processed it to be made into a room divider/ screen door. The product is especially made from old vhs tape film. This tape was plaited together to give the main strands and allow other lengths of tape to be weaved to combine the screen. By making this product less waste goes to land fill because of the lengths f tape used. Although the casings of the tapes are discarded they can be easily recycled into newer products. To be mass produced the room divider/ screen door would need long hours of plaiting down so either by hand or machine. If the room divider/ screen door were completed by a machine the screen would be always evenly weaved and quite quick to be made. Made by hand the screen would be a little more uneven and take much longer to make. The tape could also be used to make other similar hanging product like a hammock, and shower screen. the rolls from the inside of the vhs tapes gives a reference to the user of where this material has come from if that is not known. The vhs tape has been played many times over the years but has not been played in the sense of a product because the room divider/ screen door creates a bit of irony between the product and the user. This is because vhs tapes are normally meant to be watched not prohibit someone’s view or block sight from something. There is further irony because vhs tapes could have been films something worth watching and pleasant to view but now as a door there is no sense of watching or attraction to watch it more prevents from watching and enjoying. Vhs tapes would be widely available from any movie rental outlet; because most people are converting to dvd or bluray vhs tapes will be phased out and not used anymore.

Philippe Starck: Design for Life

Philippe Starck what a legend. This man is one of the most talented designers in the world but has humbleness when working on a new concept. This series gave a great insight into his way of approaching design and the design process. After watching my insight to the world of design has broadened. Starck describes his team of designers as a “tribe” he says “without the energy of the tribe we are nothing, I am nothing” Stark seems to embrace collaborative design by using tribe to describe his team. This is what I think is very fundamental in design and the process of design.

Creating a new product is a long and hard process; there are a lot of factors that need to be considered. This is very well expressed in the series and it teaches designers what they need to do to achieve a successful design. The series illustrated to me that how much thought actually goes into just one design and how much it changes. I have always thought that the design should feed of one original design but designers can take a large influence from different elements of the world finding inspiration from the littlest of things. This can help designers to expresses these certain elements of the world through their designs.

Design for Life also gives a vision of how designs are critiqued and judged by others in the profession. Philippe seems to be critiquing all the designs harshly although it expresses that in the real world of design all designs will be critiqued in the same manner. Many designers take this criticism very personally where as in Design for Life many of the contestants seem not to take this criticism personally it’s just their design being critiqued. This can help designer that think this criticism is personal to view this criticism as good criticism because for me it expresses certain aspects to be improved in a design not what the design has done wrong.

To work with Philippe Starck would be an honor. Not knowing much about him starting this year after reading books with him and his designs in it and after watching Design for Life he has made a real impact on me. The way he goes about his work is what intrigues me the most I think. He seems so relaxed and at home with his work, yes at times I do believe he does get stressed and angry but who doesn’t. Overall he seems to be a well thought out designer and understands where design is heading and how it can influence the world.

Peer Comments

http://3332091.blogspot.com/
http://linst90.blogspot.com/
http://mbailey3255374.blogspot.com/
http://zen-industrialdesign.blogspot.com/
http://z3334292.blogspot.com/

Experience Enrichment

Product Rationale
Wave wax comb
The wax comb has help surfers for many years to get in the water and experience the waves. There are many different designs of wax comb all completing the same task. Although most wax combs are very masculine with hard dark colours and features bottle openers, and there are mostly male dominated brands such as Mr Zog Sex Wax Combs there is no product in the market for girls. This design is different; it takes into account the female surfing community. The design helps girls to have a personal piece of equipment in their surfing inventory. This personalization is with the jewellery attachment which can be altered to fit the likes of the user. The curved back of the wax comb fits nicely in the hand making the stroking movement of waxing a surfboard a more comfortable experience.
The overall aesthetics of the Wave Wax Comb is important as it sparks interest in what it is and does. This product is not to just leave in your board shorts and taken out when needed like most wax combs around. This is meant to be seen, meant to be shown off. Most girls enjoy show the new and latest thing available for them to their friends and when it’s personalized they feel a connection between the product and themselves making the experience or using it better.
The Wave Wax Comb can help the female surfing community to develop into a larger force. With an introduction of this product it could encourage more girls to hit the water and go surfing. This increase of the female surfing community could make them equal to that of the males growing the sport more globally.
While waxing your surfboard with the Wave Wax Comb it makes the surfer amped on getting in the water and because of its ease of use there is less time spent waxing and more surfing. this makes the product not only and enriching experience but shortens the time spent on the beach and more in the ocean enjoying one of the best sports around.

Gary Hutstwit: Objectified

In our everyday life we use objects that have a subconscious connection with us. We do not realize this connection because the object we are using is design is a specific way to make us use these objects without realizing. These objects where made the way they are because the designer has considered the form, shape, texture, and colour, and size to fit the particular object. The designer is creating a communication through these subconscious connections between people and objects allowing a personal interaction. This personal interaction is only noticed when there is a bad design. The design seems unpractical for its purpose and therefore discarding any interaction a person can have with the object.

Design now is more concern with the environment not just an object. When industrial design was first practiced the designers used any material without thinking of the consequences. Although now the vision of the world has changed and objects are designed to be more environmentally friendly and have a lower consider materials and processes that will have a lower environmental impact. These consideration restrict designer but in a way makes the designs better not only for the environment but how unique the object or products is.

Society always wants the new things, the newest car, newest iPod, and newest skateboard. This however can never be achieved. Once a design is processed and made it becomes out date, why? Because once that new product or object is made there will be another product or object similar to the new one being made. Thus making the newly made and finished product out dated therefore there is this ever revolving cycle of products always being design. This is all brought upon society by the corporations. Designer don’t personally fund their project (well the more famous ones do), corporations hand designers a check and ask for a new product line or to design an existing product.

As designers we need to broaden our understanding of why a product is made, what is its intentions and why we need it. This can help designers to understand whether their design is making an impact on society and whether or not they are creating change because of the usage of their product. This can be judged on whether a design is good or bad. Designers need to be wary of the consequences of a design whether it has a positive impact or negative impact on society.

Design Confusion

Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

The consumer life, why is it so important for the society of our world. Once watching this video my insight to products and consumer behavior has changed drastically. We live in a society run by consumer products and planned obsolescence, this needs to change in the very near future. Knowing now what the majority of corporations are doing to our environment and how little we have left of our natural environment is shocking. Consumers need to understand and know what the production process and environmental impacts their products have on the environment especially the citizens from the USA. Industrial designers in our day and age need to be more wary of the impacts their products have on the world around them. As industrial designers we need to change the way society interacts with products making them want to cherish every item until it breaks. Not just make them want something because it’s the newest thing on the market and does something cool.

I understand why the US is an unhappy nation. They feed off consumer products. The products are more important to the people then their way of life. Having the newest iPod or computer is more important than experiencing the friendship, family and life. Also for this reason as industrial designers we need to be more wary of the experience of our designs. Making products that allow an interaction between people and environments creating an experience is more important just designing new things for the function, aesthetics and acceptance of society. We need to teach society to feel for a product. For example as a bodyboarder my bodyboard is my most prized product because of the experience that is given to me, I feel disgusted when my board is damaged in any way knowing that it will never be the same as when it was first used. The friendship with one of my best friends has been created though the years of using this product and the countless experiences we have had together is better than any other product I have used in my life. When I go bodyboarding it is more about the experience rather than the usage, the interactions I have with my mates and the ocean are more important that the function and aesthetic look of the board. Although function and aesthetics are important in design the experience is most important.

So as industrial designers we need to understand the connection between consumers, products and society when designing allowing our designs to have a positive impact on our world and society today rather than creating products that damage the environment and follow the consumer cycle.

Don Narman: Emotional Design

Emotional design is more important in today’s world as ever before. People don’t just buy a product because its function. Consumers now look for an experience with a product how it makes them feel while using it and what emotions are portrayed. Don Norman explains the use of emotional design through certain designs of today. The Philippe Starck’s juicer that is show is a great example of this emotional design. The juicer purpose is not to be used as a juicer which is indicated by a piece of paper when you have bought the product. The juicer is used more to spark emotion because of its shape and aesthetic qualities.

Don shows us the new global cutting knife produced in Japan. He explains that it has its function but also certain other qualities that make it an emotional design. The shape of the knife gives it nice aesthetic s, the knife is balances feeling comfortable in the hand making it a pleasure to use and finally its sharp cutting well making it a pleasurable to use. Don goes on to explain that the knife can also be reflective because how it is used and from this we have a theory of emotional design and how and why we use certain products.

The use of emotional design is used also because it creates a fun atmosphere in the use while using a product or while solving a problem. Don gives us the example of Alice Isen the psychologist whose experiment gives a vivid example that with a little fun people improve their thinking towards a task. This is implied to emotional design because when a consumer is using or viewing a product it creates a positive feeling and conversation can be sparked or the activity being performed if more enjoyable.

Don goes on the break down the process of design into three stages- 1. Visceral 2. Behavioral 3. Reflective. The visceral part of design is all about the attraction to certain elements of a design such as colour and shape. Behavioral design is the feeling of in control of a product and its usability and understanding of a design. The reflective part of design is the state of consciousness that is involved with design whether a consumer feels good or bad while using a product.
Emotional design shows us why people create connections to some product and not to others because of certain elements to a design and why people choose certain products over others.

Sketches

Workshopped
20 Years of Industrial design
20 Years of Industrial Design
Re-Loved
The 80's are Back

Design Excellence

David Kelly: Human Centered Design

Human centered design focuses more on the interaction between people and the product. From the video David Kelly mentions that at the first TED there was more of a focus on “products or objects”. As the years progressed design has evolved to focus more on the inclusion of behaviors and personalities in product that are designed. Before 3D modeling and rendering were primarily used to show consumers how the product looks and functions. Although now we see that there needs to be a different way to communicate these ideas. Using short videos David explains how human centered designs work with the consumer rather than just showing a product and its functions. This develops a more man-machine relationship giving a broader definition of design within products, services and environments.

Through the short promotional videos we see how products are being designed to allow the consumer to interact with the products. In the design of Prada’s new store there is a cultural role played by the store itself. Whereas the consumer also sees the Prada store as playing a retail role. This is achieve through the development of custom technology around the store such as screens displaying information of colours, sizes and appearance on different clothing item in the change rooms after the electronic tags have been scanned.

The spyfish underwater camera is a human centered design giving the feeling of being underwater to the consumer. The consumer interacts with the screen remote and sounds to provide the feeling of being underwater. Although similar to a research tool the spyfish is not intended for that use but it still has the capability of diving 500 feet which is abnormal to actually accomplish while scuba diving. The video says that you can “completely loose yourself underwater”. Although this product I believe would, yes give you the same feeling of being underwater but it certainly would not provide the whole experience of weightlessness and the interaction you have with nature around you. For this reason I believe that the design was made to provide the feeling of being immersed through human centered design despite the fact you are not achieving the full experience of diving.

Watching this video it is clear human centered design in our modern world today is important in the progress of design. It can bring the world of consumers closer to nature and products they buy and use day to day. Through human centered design we can also reach out to the less fortunate in our world and help improve their living condition. We still need to consider though the actual experience of some activities and not let products take over the actual human involvement that is needed for a full experience however keep human centered design as a focus for designs in the future.

My Design Career

The start of my design career began mid way through my high school years at St Peter’s Catholic College. My interest in design grew in year 11 and 12 through my involvement in Design and Technology. This subject allowed me to combine my passion for bodyboarding into the design world. The major design project allowed me to work with one of the industry’s top professional bodyboard shaper/designer which intrigued me further to be involved in the design world.

Upon completing high school I needed to make a decision of what next to do with my life. I knew that I a job in design was suitable for me and design and Technology was my first preference after finishing school. Once the ATAR scores were released and my option for a career choice became broader the next decision was to choose a course to do at university. I had seen Industrial Design being offered at UTS and after researching the course it seemed perfect for me. Although the ATAR score required to be accepted was too high and Newcastle University my first choice of university not offering the course it seemed like I was not able to do the course. After receiving a letter in the mail granting me four extra ATAR point if I selected a course at UNSW I began to search design course available here. Once I saw UNSW offered Industrial Design and with the extra ATAR point I had the required mark to be accepted I placed it as my first preference on my UAC application.

I wish to become a designer because I am interested in designing new innovations and technologies within the sport of bodyboarding. I aspire to enter the bodyboarding industry because for the past 10 years the sport has been my passion and I believe in the future I will have the skill, knowledge, and potential to produce high quality products and innovations to the bodyboarding world. Through designing new innovations and technologies in the bodyboarding industry I could help develop the sport to become main stream and seen as a major world sport equal to surfing. This could result in more people around the world experiencing bodyboarding and others can have the same excitement and adventure that I have experienced through this sport.

My future in design will hopefully be beneficial to the broader community and help improve people’s lives through the enjoyment of bodyboarding. Whilst growing up bodyboarding played a major part in my life being in the water almost every weekend I was able to spend most my time away from the busy nature of life and stress of everyday life. This helped me to be more calm and collected in my process of thinking and when things get a little too busy and stressful the ocean is always there to escape to and forget the stresses of life. Hopefully through design others can have the similar adventures and excitement that I have experience through my many years of bodyboarding.