1.) http://dongkim926.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycled-utility.html?showComment=1318912556964#c4396010327875733850
2.) http://ides1031alexanderjackson.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycled-light-design.html?showComment=1318913164847#c693451420055350314
3.) http://ryan-go.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycling-unwanteds-jellyfish-light.html?showComment=1318912334314#c1766933893381598733
4.) http://ides1031alexanderjackson.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycled-light-design.html?showComment=1318913164847#c693451420055350314
5.) http://cf-indesign.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycled-utility.html?showComment=1318912751278#c4733835511768981926
Monday 17 October 2011
Project 2 : upcycled Utility
Paru-paru lamp is designed to embrace and make use of the natural physical properties that polypropylene can achieve. Paru-paru is made up of two separated rectangular sheets; one for the inner structure and the other for the outer structure. The inner structure of the lamp resembles a human lung which is called paru-paru in Malay and the outer structure is the body to protect the ‘lungs’. The aim of this project is to make an awareness of effects of smoking towards one’s health.
Both sheets have the same pattern of cut out perpendicular lines pointing outwards when the sheets are lying flat. The bigger sheet has a variation of widths of each strip which increases in size. This gives a different kind of texture, depth and pattern of the sheet especially when it is being curled. The overall shape of the lamp looks different when it is viewed from side to side. The front view has a curved shape bulging out in size starting from the ‘neck’ of the lamp. The arrangement of the pointy corners of the strips followed the flow of the folded sheet which curled outwards and then slightly inwards at the end. From the side view, the back of the lamp resembles the shape of a human’s backbone. On the other hand, the strips of the smaller sheet have the same width. This would help to contrast the overall pattern of both outer and inner structure of the lamp. The smaller sheet is folded in a different way compare to the bigger sheet. The two corners of the sheet are lapped on each other and locked onto the center of the edge to create a cylindrical space for the light bulb to fit in. The remaining edges are kept unclosed along the cylindrical shape for better ventilation and also helped to resemble the overall shape of a human lung. As a result, the arrangement of strips has a pleasing rhythmic flow which curves diagonally. This has also harmonised the overall visual elements of the lamp as the strips are agreeable with each other. However, some strips of the inner structure would overlap each other which give the sign that the lung is starting to deteriorating during smoking. The outer structure flopped downwards slightly as the top edges of the inner structure can be seen once hanged. This means that the smoker’s health will weaken during smoking.
Both sheets have different coloured but consistent printings. The outer structure has a colourful printing whereas the colours of the outer structure are a bit duller. Contrast of strength of light and colours are shown as the inner structure is white and outer structure is coloured on the outside. This feature actually shows that the smoker’s body feels alert but relaxed during smoking. When the lamp is switched on, the light is able to flow and shine throughout the inner area of the body. This indicates how fast the chemicals from the cigarette can be spread to all parts of the body. There is no wastage of material within the sheet as every part of the sheet will be used for the pendant lamp. Amount of clips and length of wire used is kept as minimal as possible so that the natural properties of the material itself can shine through without needing fasteners and wires to achieve the desired shape of the lamp.
Saturday 24 September 2011
Bill Moggridge - What is Design?
I think this video would be a good introduction to everyone what is design is all about and how the future of design would be like globally. Design will definitely go far as design is related to almost everything. As industrial designers, other than designing products and being innovative to think of new concepts, we also need to know more or less about marketing, engineering, manufacturing, photography, interior design, graphic design, psychology, science, and many more. On the other hand, engineers, businessmen/women, chefs etc are also designers themselves because in whatever profession that we are doing, we would most likely undergo design processes to make something into reality.
I do find that the Intel VMPC is pretty interesting as different kind of applications can be used at once and the visual design elements are incorporated quite well. What made it stand out is because of the application and the software provided to make the product more engaging and fun to use.
The remote control which is shown in the video is a very common example of bad design and it is always better to make the product simpler without adding unnecessary functions. This has also reminded me that it is important to design products that are understandable and would encourage users to express themselves subconsciously in the way how they want to interact with the product but at the same time, the product itself is unobtrusive. I also thought that sometimes people are
After listening to Moggridge's explanation of design process, design process is something that everyone will go through which I've said it earlier. We learn by analysing information, researching and discovering new ideas. We try by asking people's opinions and observing people's daily activities. Other than thinking of new ideas, we also tend take inspiration from something that we admire. Then, we would experiment it to turn a vision into a reality. Thus, we can say that design process is a like a big cycle and we have the flexibility to reverse a step back to correct our mistakes.
Besides that, designers today are becoming more human-centered as human focus is always the number one criteria that we have to meet. In my opinion, human-centered design is not just about comfort of using a particular product and engaging the user, it also about the surrounding environment that humans are working hard to protect and also how the product would help people to socially interact with each other in a healthy way. Example, Sustainability is a very important topic because sustainable products are not just helping to take a good care of the environment, they are also encouraging us to be aware of the importance of living in a sustainability environment.
The tangible earth is the highlight of this video and all credit to Shinichi Takemura. I like his approach and effort to truly understand the connections and relationships of people with the natural environment, living and non-living things. His earth globe design helped him to deliver his message effectively to everyone to learn and appreciate our earth. I noticed that the earth globe comes with a standing ipad-like device and it will definitely engage the user to understand how day and night works, ocean currents, pollutants, latitude, longitude, etc.
Overall, design is always a global topic and how design can greatly affect us individually and our surroundings. Design process is helpful to understand ourselves better and the natural environment. It is always evolving as new ideas or discoveries will be achieved to solve newer challenges.
I do find that the Intel VMPC is pretty interesting as different kind of applications can be used at once and the visual design elements are incorporated quite well. What made it stand out is because of the application and the software provided to make the product more engaging and fun to use.
The remote control which is shown in the video is a very common example of bad design and it is always better to make the product simpler without adding unnecessary functions. This has also reminded me that it is important to design products that are understandable and would encourage users to express themselves subconsciously in the way how they want to interact with the product but at the same time, the product itself is unobtrusive. I also thought that sometimes people are
After listening to Moggridge's explanation of design process, design process is something that everyone will go through which I've said it earlier. We learn by analysing information, researching and discovering new ideas. We try by asking people's opinions and observing people's daily activities. Other than thinking of new ideas, we also tend take inspiration from something that we admire. Then, we would experiment it to turn a vision into a reality. Thus, we can say that design process is a like a big cycle and we have the flexibility to reverse a step back to correct our mistakes.
Besides that, designers today are becoming more human-centered as human focus is always the number one criteria that we have to meet. In my opinion, human-centered design is not just about comfort of using a particular product and engaging the user, it also about the surrounding environment that humans are working hard to protect and also how the product would help people to socially interact with each other in a healthy way. Example, Sustainability is a very important topic because sustainable products are not just helping to take a good care of the environment, they are also encouraging us to be aware of the importance of living in a sustainability environment.
The tangible earth is the highlight of this video and all credit to Shinichi Takemura. I like his approach and effort to truly understand the connections and relationships of people with the natural environment, living and non-living things. His earth globe design helped him to deliver his message effectively to everyone to learn and appreciate our earth. I noticed that the earth globe comes with a standing ipad-like device and it will definitely engage the user to understand how day and night works, ocean currents, pollutants, latitude, longitude, etc.
Overall, design is always a global topic and how design can greatly affect us individually and our surroundings. Design process is helpful to understand ourselves better and the natural environment. It is always evolving as new ideas or discoveries will be achieved to solve newer challenges.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Peer comments on Project one
Peer comments on my talented fellow friends:
1.) http://janraymondgerardino.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment-pen-with.html?showComment=1315913690389#c1186304813029209721
2.) http://musaides1031.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-one-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1315914237966#c6747643728130007028
3.) http://sunprit.blogspot.com/2011/09/e-xperience-e-nrichment-rationale-i.html?showComment=1315913080935#c5465582097764032281
4.) http://mfredrick.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment-kitchen-tongs.html?showComment=1315912147275#c8651220320119147969
5.) http://ocarabezides1031.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1.html?showComment=1315911564740#c8733314684491735268
6.) http://toishanchung.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1316001301142#c7630118922237697933
7.) http://lovedbyee.blogspot.com/2011/09
/rationale.html?showComment=1316000460366#c1306052618288127913
8.) http://studio1-bee.blogspot.com/2011/09/emotional-design-hand-tool.html?showComment=1315999820890#c1809095732843973641
1.) http://janraymondgerardino.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment-pen-with.html?showComment=1315913690389#c1186304813029209721
2.) http://musaides1031.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-one-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1315914237966#c6747643728130007028
3.) http://sunprit.blogspot.com/2011/09/e-xperience-e-nrichment-rationale-i.html?showComment=1315913080935#c5465582097764032281
4.) http://mfredrick.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment-kitchen-tongs.html?showComment=1315912147275#c8651220320119147969
5.) http://ocarabezides1031.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1.html?showComment=1315911564740#c8733314684491735268
6.) http://toishanchung.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1316001301142#c7630118922237697933
7.) http://lovedbyee.blogspot.com/2011/09
/rationale.html?showComment=1316000460366#c1306052618288127913
8.) http://studio1-bee.blogspot.com/2011/09/emotional-design-hand-tool.html?showComment=1315999820890#c1809095732843973641
Project one: Experience Enrichment - Mortar and Pestle
Rationale
The streamlined shape and the organic, free-flowing lines that make up the structure of the mortar and pestle have their own purposes in terms of beauty and function. The design of the mortar and pestle is unique and distinctive because it encourages the user to use the pestle to pound the spices sideways onto a pounding area that is also facing diagonally towards the direction of the pestle head. This pounding technique is more controlled, faster and requires less strength to pound the spices. By holding the pestle sideways, the handle of the pestle weight is resting on the user’s palm which would make it feel easier and lighter to hold.
The pestle has a bulbous shape with a flat surface at the top and a rounded edge at the side which acts as a thumb cushion and for better comfort. Besides that, the structure indicates the handle of the product to differentiate with the round head at the other end of the pestle.
The outer shape design of the mortar also helps the user to hold the head of the mortar comfortably and more stable without the mortar moving around while pounding. As a result, both application of forces of pounding and holding the mortar are balanced and can be controlled easily as two forces are acting directly against each other. The mortar comes with a pouring spout which fits the pestle nicely for resting. The inner area of the pounding surface is slanted downwards and curved at the end indicates the direction and welcomes the pestle to pound the spices.
The space provided by the inner walls and the slanted surface would help to keep the spices to stay at one place so that it can be pounded at one go without worrying of the fact that the spices would ‘run’ away from the pounding motion of the pestle head. The both top edges of the walls of the mortar are sloped down so that it will not obstruct the movement of the hand holding the pestle while pounding. Both edges of the walls are also structured to rest the pestle after pounding.
Both mortar and pestle are made up of bamboo because the material used is environmentally-friendly, cheaper and has higher hardness rating than most hardwoods such as maple and red oak. Bamboo is moisture-resistant and stain-resistant. The colour of bamboo is kept light to show its natural colour and not carbonised to a darker colour as carbonisation process would soften the material.
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Product Sktches from Exhibitions
The streamlined design of this bottle features a central handle for easier pouring. The ergonomic shape and the position of the handle makes it easier to lift and improves comfort when pouring.The shape and position of the handle make it distinctive from other competing products on the supermarket shelf. The handle which situated directly above the brand name or sticker label gives that strong and confident personality.
Sunday 14 August 2011
My Design Career
I wanted to become a designer because design empowers me to be the person that I want to be and to become better at what I am doing. Design would help me to always have a positive attitude because I can only be creative if I am a positive thinker. Creative energy is a positive energy and it can only come from people who are happy in what they are doing. I also think that design can help me to become more of a well-rounded person because after all, design is related to almost everything which includes engineering, business, science, psychology, culture, history and the list goes on. Having a designer’s mind is always helpful in whatever we are doing.
It is because that design is so versatile; design has the power to cause the trend of the society and industry to change. At the same time, the society, environment and the technology that are booming year by year will also affect the design itself in return. That is how universal design, ecological design and digital design have born to help, care, understand, appreciate and improve people’s lives and their surroundings. I find that industrial design is a noble and humble career that does not seek popularity but instead innovatively improving everyone’s lives in a good and honest way.
The future will always be defined by creativity and innovation as many innovative countries such as Japan, US and the Scandinavian countries have highly skilled labour forces that excel in creating and innovating because these countries always favour innovation.
I believe that industrial design has a lot to offer in the coming years. However, many people out there are still not aware what industrial design is all about and it is often misunderstood. There are also some people who have never heard of it before. A lot of people are much more familiar with fashion design, interior design and architecture. In reality, industrial design is everywhere around us but sometimes people don’t even realize it that they are subconsciously interacting with the products that they are using. This really gives me that extra determination to change the perception of the society towards the importance and how influential industrial design could be.
Through design, I would have the opportunity to rediscover my own identity which covers my personal, cultural and of course, my country’s identity, which is Malaysia. The country’s multicultural diversity distinguishes Malaysia’s brand identity from the rest of the world, and this is something that Malaysians can use this type of strength to express themselves through design.
I have chosen UNSW to study industrial design because it emphasizes on manufacturing, engineering and business aspect of design. I heard that industrial design students will get the chance to mix with the business students and the marketing courses are offered by Australian School of Business and UNSW is well known for these courses. Courses that are related to Mathematics and Science are also included for better understanding in scientific and technical challenges as well as manufacturing processes. The design environment in UNSW is socially healthy and promotes good relationships among students and lecturers through discussions, individual and group works.
I hope that my design career in the future will be a steady and stable growth. I think it is important to work from scratch and do my best to understand how the design trend and the world would change in the coming years. I will give more effort to travel to other countries to understand their very own unique design, culture and people. I think I would be interested in learning new languages or even learn to cook new cuisines that are relatively alien to me. In this way, I can fully appreciate and understand their living habits and the way how they design things in every day’s life. Other than that, I always wanted to design products that people need and not what they want for their own self-satisfaction. Products that could help under-resourced groups of people and people who are physically challenged, suffering poverty and ecological crisis are things that I would highlight it as a top priority. I also planned to go back to my home country and work for the local companies to further improve their products and help the local designers to be part of the team to form an organization to promote design as a whole.
Tuesday 9 August 2011
Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff
It's really nice to know all the behind the scenes of 'making' a product. I call it a hidden world of product design; how ugly it can be, the bad and embarrassing story that even designers themselves and consumers do not know about it. It has reminded designers again that it hard to find a product that is designed with the environment in mind and it is always important to think about the environment when designing a product. Enough said about all the causes and effects of the pollution, bad-for health-chemicals produced, deforestation and so on. I think many people have heard enough of these. Let's think and find some solutions on how to solve this problem.
Using renewable energy source is one of the best ways to manufacture sustainable products. I think it's a good way to truly appreciate our god given natural resources by using them and unleash the potential of renewable energy. We can use solar energy cells for producing products such as calculators, watches, mobile phones, vehicles, etc to save energy. Bio fuel is also useful for 'recharging' vehicles and wave power can save electricity but so far, we humans haven't realised their true potential yet. I think it might not be easy to use alternative energy to fully replaced what we are using right now, but i'm sure it will worth every penny.
Besides using renewable energy sources, we should always try to use less materials because it can save cost and uses less energy. Use less materials to design or manufacture a product in a smart way, and at the same time, it will still retain its effective function, beauty and pleasurable to use. It is also important to know whether the user will benefit or not by using the product with the material that we've selected. Products that can multifunction could be very helpful too, in this way we don't have to buy two products instead of one.
After watching the video, I know that it can be impossible to stop everyone in the world to stop throwing their unwanted products away and always have a habit to buy the products that they truly need, not products that they want for self-satisfaction. Therefore, it is wise to use materials that are safe to be disposed and will not release toxic. We need to work hard and do research to find chemicals that are almost toxic free to replace the existing ones and still producing the same kind of performance or function. However, to find a material or chemicals that has the same capability to produce the same functions as the existing one will be a huge mountain to climb. I don't think we have a proper record to list down all the safe chemicals that we could find at the moment. This education is till relatively new to us. We need to make an effort to learn how materials are being harvested, what kind of manufacturing techniques are involved and how resources can be sustainable managed in a complete cycle.
This is definitely easy to say but difficult to practice it. Like what Annie Leonard said, let's not design something that could harm people and the environment.We need to recognize good and bad materials, what's good and what's not, and how it could affect the product itself and the surroundings.
Using renewable energy source is one of the best ways to manufacture sustainable products. I think it's a good way to truly appreciate our god given natural resources by using them and unleash the potential of renewable energy. We can use solar energy cells for producing products such as calculators, watches, mobile phones, vehicles, etc to save energy. Bio fuel is also useful for 'recharging' vehicles and wave power can save electricity but so far, we humans haven't realised their true potential yet. I think it might not be easy to use alternative energy to fully replaced what we are using right now, but i'm sure it will worth every penny.
Besides using renewable energy sources, we should always try to use less materials because it can save cost and uses less energy. Use less materials to design or manufacture a product in a smart way, and at the same time, it will still retain its effective function, beauty and pleasurable to use. It is also important to know whether the user will benefit or not by using the product with the material that we've selected. Products that can multifunction could be very helpful too, in this way we don't have to buy two products instead of one.
After watching the video, I know that it can be impossible to stop everyone in the world to stop throwing their unwanted products away and always have a habit to buy the products that they truly need, not products that they want for self-satisfaction. Therefore, it is wise to use materials that are safe to be disposed and will not release toxic. We need to work hard and do research to find chemicals that are almost toxic free to replace the existing ones and still producing the same kind of performance or function. However, to find a material or chemicals that has the same capability to produce the same functions as the existing one will be a huge mountain to climb. I don't think we have a proper record to list down all the safe chemicals that we could find at the moment. This education is till relatively new to us. We need to make an effort to learn how materials are being harvested, what kind of manufacturing techniques are involved and how resources can be sustainable managed in a complete cycle.
This is definitely easy to say but difficult to practice it. Like what Annie Leonard said, let's not design something that could harm people and the environment.We need to recognize good and bad materials, what's good and what's not, and how it could affect the product itself and the surroundings.
Design Confusion
This is one of the doors that I can find in my apartment in UNSW Village. The key card device system is confusing because the colour applied onto the product is just plain black all over it and the overall shape is pretty simple so it doesn't really attracts the user to look or observe the device system first. I find that the LED lamp is quite small and transparent, so it's difficult for the user to recognize it as a signal. I got really confused at first on how am I gonna unlock the the door by using my student ID card, so as my room mates. Ive made some modifications and made the shape looks more attractive. It has a shape of a card and the colour of it is gold, which resembles the student ID card. This will cause the user to think that he or she needs to use the swipe card and place it directly onto the device system.
Saturday 6 August 2011
Project 1: Mortar and Pestle drawings
This is a mortar and pestle that I'm going to design for project 1. I try to gather all the negatives or hardships of using a mortar and a pestle that most people would be unsatisfied about it.
1.) The spices/herbs would fly out and stick on the walls of the mortar and the spices/herbs would move away from the pestle while hitting on it. As a result, the user need to 'chase' after the spices/herbs. Due to the bulbous shape of the pestle head, it can be quite tricky to push all the herbs/spices down onto the grinding surface of the mortar so that it can be bashed all together at once.
I've made some modifications and changed the shape/structure of the pestle. In my opinion, the three most important ways of grinding the spices/herbs are scraping, rubbing/muddling and bashing.
The 'sharp' edges around the pestle head is made to scrape and organize the herbs/spices so that they can be place at a particular area in the mortar to make the bashing job easier. The surface area of the pestle head is the same as the inner surface area of the mortar, so that it could make a good contact with the herbs/spices and can be rubbed in a circular motion.The handle is much bigger and wider at the rear of the pestle and it slims down from the rear to the body, which acts as a thumb cushion and better grip/comfort respectively.
2.) A lot of mortars nowadays are uncomfortable to hold while grinding or pouring the herbs/spices. Therefore, the diameter of the top half of the outer mortar is wider than the lower half of the outer mortar so that it is comfortable to make a good grip around the mortar.
I am planning to increase the thickness of the 'mouth' of the mortar and make surface of the mouth slightly wider; so I am going to modify my drawing of the mortar, where the picture below shows that the mouth of the mortar appears to be not thick.
A pestle is provided to rest the pestle with all the herbs/spices sticking on its head and this is to prevent messiness while carrying the mortar to pour out the spices/herbs onto another plate/bowl. The mouth of the mortar is dented for easier pouring.
3.) The picture above shows that a bamboo board is provided to avoid any damages of the kitchen table and to prevent the mortar to 'move' by itself on the counter while bashing up the herbs/spices. The board can also be use to slice/chop herbs by turning the board over. The chopping surface is dented. A slot at the side of the board is made to keep the herb chopper. The handle of the herb chopper is also made up of bamboo and the blade is stainless steel.
Moreover, three white silicone rubbers are made on each side of the board to make the board non-slip. It also raises the board so that it leaves the benches clean and keeping the surfaces hygienic.
That's all for now. Still, the design is not perfect and not the best yet. I'll keep working on it definitely.
1.) The spices/herbs would fly out and stick on the walls of the mortar and the spices/herbs would move away from the pestle while hitting on it. As a result, the user need to 'chase' after the spices/herbs. Due to the bulbous shape of the pestle head, it can be quite tricky to push all the herbs/spices down onto the grinding surface of the mortar so that it can be bashed all together at once.
I've made some modifications and changed the shape/structure of the pestle. In my opinion, the three most important ways of grinding the spices/herbs are scraping, rubbing/muddling and bashing.
The 'sharp' edges around the pestle head is made to scrape and organize the herbs/spices so that they can be place at a particular area in the mortar to make the bashing job easier. The surface area of the pestle head is the same as the inner surface area of the mortar, so that it could make a good contact with the herbs/spices and can be rubbed in a circular motion.The handle is much bigger and wider at the rear of the pestle and it slims down from the rear to the body, which acts as a thumb cushion and better grip/comfort respectively.
2.) A lot of mortars nowadays are uncomfortable to hold while grinding or pouring the herbs/spices. Therefore, the diameter of the top half of the outer mortar is wider than the lower half of the outer mortar so that it is comfortable to make a good grip around the mortar.
I am planning to increase the thickness of the 'mouth' of the mortar and make surface of the mouth slightly wider; so I am going to modify my drawing of the mortar, where the picture below shows that the mouth of the mortar appears to be not thick.
A pestle is provided to rest the pestle with all the herbs/spices sticking on its head and this is to prevent messiness while carrying the mortar to pour out the spices/herbs onto another plate/bowl. The mouth of the mortar is dented for easier pouring.
Moreover, three white silicone rubbers are made on each side of the board to make the board non-slip. It also raises the board so that it leaves the benches clean and keeping the surfaces hygienic.
That's all for now. Still, the design is not perfect and not the best yet. I'll keep working on it definitely.
Tuesday 2 August 2011
My reflections on my task 2 (Design Excellence): Dyson Digital Slim
To be honest, I am not really fascinated with vacuum cleaners because it's considered a boring and troublesome cleaning machine that everybody hates to use it: it's heavy, needs a big space to store it, most of the time it loses suction power while vacuuming, extending the cables, clearing up the dusts and so on. But there's one vacuum cleaner that has definitely changed my perception towards these cleaning machines, which is none other than the Dyson Digital Slim.
It is a type of a vacuum cleaner that it is suitable for those people who lives in small apartments or cleaning up small messes within a short period of time. The vacuum cleaner could last about 15minutes on regular mode and 6 minutes on MAX or full power. A lot of people might think that "only 15 minutes? Is that enough?" The answers is YES because the main feature of this machine is that it will never losses its suction power as we vacuum because it uses patented Radix Cyclone™ technology. It also spins up to 3 times faster than other normal motors on the market, and creates the most power-efficient cordless vacuum cleaner. With it's lightweight detachable long-reach wand, there is no need to bend your body down to clean narrow gaps and it sucks dust and dirt like there is no tomorrow (according to many customers and reviews from websites). I also like the fact that we can recharge it's battery and clicks into the docking station for storage at the same time. I have also watched a few videos on how to use Dyson Digital Slim and many people are satisfied that it is very easy to attach and detach it's parts. However, at the same time, quite a lot of people have complained that they need to keep on pressing the trigger to vacuum so it could strain their hand and would be quite tiring while operating the machine. Although this method could save some battery life, they do wished that the machine is equipped with a toggle so that they don't have to keep pressing it. Another thing is that this vacuum cleaner is pretty expensive but still, i think all of the customers has recommended friends and families to get one because it's really worth it.
I have learned so much why is it important to look at the product in terms of visual design elements and principles. Not only the operational-technical functions that would bring the product to 'life', but it is also vital to know how elements like line, shape, colour, texture, rhythm, harmony and etc could make the product even more useful and pleasurable to use. In my opinion, not many people would think that they do appreciate these kind of elements consciously, in fact, they do appreciate it subconsciously. These elements may sound simple and easy to describe, but in reality, we should not underestimate these principles. There is so much more to learn to fully understand these elements so that we can make use of it to create products that could give a good and lasting impression.
Thursday 28 July 2011
David Kelley: The Future of Design is Human Centred
To be honest, I'm quite surprised that David Kelley haven't talked much on the importance human centred design and why the future of design will depend on us, humans. Yes, I have watched all of the videos that he has shown and I can see that some of the products shown are made to satisfy humans, but I'm just surprised that he lets the audiences to watch all the videos throughout the talk and he just introduced some of the products and their features. Is that all? Don't get me wrong, I like his way of conveying the message so maybe it's just another way to make people to understand the future of human centred design. Before watching this video, I thought he would be like Don Norman trying to explain to us from the start to finish what is design is all about, definition wise, the importance of it, how is it possible to achieve such design, what kind of future will we get, etc.
Putting that aside, the videos are definitely interesting and an eye opener to me. From the videos that he has shown to us, I do understand now why design is always about the user experience and it's vital to deliver a memorable and good learning experience to the users. The Prada store in New York is a good example. The staff device is particularly useful for both staff and customers to know more about the clothes/products offered in the store. Through the device, we would know how the clothes would appear on a person, price, history of purchases, colour and size availability, etc. Also, with this device, the communication between a staff and a customer will be much easier, effective and smooth flowing, the staff people will be much more organized, etc. The changing room, however, is a very cool design and high tech but I don't think it's necessary and might be too costly. I really like the staff device but not so much on the changing room and magic mirror.
The interactive wall in a museum in London is built to let the visitors of the museum know the feedback by the people who have been to the museum. The visitors would know what other people are thinking about or causes that people are fighting for. It must be one of the highlights of the museum.
The cubicle room is also another creative idea and it would definitely be useful for office workers to cheer them up to work more efficiently and happily. The features on the wall would add more 'life' in the room so it would be a great motivation to give that extra energy or perhaps creativity to the working adults. In particular, the living flower feature is created so that when a person leaves the room, the flower will wilt and if the person enters the room, the flower will be alive again! I think this feature would encourage the person to come back to the office room again to do more work. It's a physiological feature I would say. However, there's a high possibility that people could get too distracted by the features on the wall.
The Greenwich Watercycle pavilion is one of those ways that could help to educate people about the importance of reusing and recycling water. I like the fact that once people enter the pavilion it would turn out to be a quite environment which brings a sort of interest for the people to take some time to appreciate the research that has been done by scientist to recycle water and to admire the interior design of the pavilion as well.
I thought the Spyfish would be helpful to boost up the tourism sector and will be a very good learning experience for those people who wanted to experience life in underwater.
Lastly, what Dr. Martin Fisher has done has been magnificent because he has helped the Kenyan people to get more job opportunities by helping them to design low cost pumps to get the chance to grow crops everyday, including off seasons.
Overall, product design have the ability to satisfy humans in two different ways. Example, this person wants to have this product because he or she wants it for self satisfaction but that person wants to have that product instead because he or she needs it as a necessity. In my opinion, I would categorize the Approtec's products as a necessity whereas other products are just for self satisfaction. I think the watercycle pavilion would be 50% self satisfaction and 50% necessity for the people.
So the main question is, it is our job as industrial designers to design products that the people needs them or wants them? Is this what human centred design is all about to create products to please them, satisfy their needs, make them happy, to educate them, etc.? I think it depends on what kind of sector we're working on and what type of industrial designer we want to become.
Putting that aside, the videos are definitely interesting and an eye opener to me. From the videos that he has shown to us, I do understand now why design is always about the user experience and it's vital to deliver a memorable and good learning experience to the users. The Prada store in New York is a good example. The staff device is particularly useful for both staff and customers to know more about the clothes/products offered in the store. Through the device, we would know how the clothes would appear on a person, price, history of purchases, colour and size availability, etc. Also, with this device, the communication between a staff and a customer will be much easier, effective and smooth flowing, the staff people will be much more organized, etc. The changing room, however, is a very cool design and high tech but I don't think it's necessary and might be too costly. I really like the staff device but not so much on the changing room and magic mirror.
The interactive wall in a museum in London is built to let the visitors of the museum know the feedback by the people who have been to the museum. The visitors would know what other people are thinking about or causes that people are fighting for. It must be one of the highlights of the museum.
The cubicle room is also another creative idea and it would definitely be useful for office workers to cheer them up to work more efficiently and happily. The features on the wall would add more 'life' in the room so it would be a great motivation to give that extra energy or perhaps creativity to the working adults. In particular, the living flower feature is created so that when a person leaves the room, the flower will wilt and if the person enters the room, the flower will be alive again! I think this feature would encourage the person to come back to the office room again to do more work. It's a physiological feature I would say. However, there's a high possibility that people could get too distracted by the features on the wall.
The Greenwich Watercycle pavilion is one of those ways that could help to educate people about the importance of reusing and recycling water. I like the fact that once people enter the pavilion it would turn out to be a quite environment which brings a sort of interest for the people to take some time to appreciate the research that has been done by scientist to recycle water and to admire the interior design of the pavilion as well.
I thought the Spyfish would be helpful to boost up the tourism sector and will be a very good learning experience for those people who wanted to experience life in underwater.
Lastly, what Dr. Martin Fisher has done has been magnificent because he has helped the Kenyan people to get more job opportunities by helping them to design low cost pumps to get the chance to grow crops everyday, including off seasons.
Overall, product design have the ability to satisfy humans in two different ways. Example, this person wants to have this product because he or she wants it for self satisfaction but that person wants to have that product instead because he or she needs it as a necessity. In my opinion, I would categorize the Approtec's products as a necessity whereas other products are just for self satisfaction. I think the watercycle pavilion would be 50% self satisfaction and 50% necessity for the people.
So the main question is, it is our job as industrial designers to design products that the people needs them or wants them? Is this what human centred design is all about to create products to please them, satisfy their needs, make them happy, to educate them, etc.? I think it depends on what kind of sector we're working on and what type of industrial designer we want to become.
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Don Norman: Emotional Design
13 minutes has just gone so quickly and I wished I could listen to him more about his views on design. I find him very engaging and it's such a pleasure to listen to his talk. His video is about what beauty of a particular design is all about and how it is connected to everyone's emotions.
Logically, a product with a beautiful appearance would definitely attract people to admire it's beauty. But what makes the product beautiful which will make us happy? It is because of it's interesting shape, vibrant colours, nice and smooth texture, clean surface and etc? All those features that are mentioned above have one thing in common, that is visceral. We can determine the product's physical characteristics very easily just by observing it for a few seconds. But if it is not by quick observation, maybe we should stare at the product and analyze it carefully. Is the product beautiful because it has affected our own emotions and personality?
Here comes the other two emotions, which are behaviour and reflective. Other than the functionality of a product, some people might buy this particular product because of it's playfulness and it suits their personality. Some people might buy that particular product because it reminded them of something important which would give them a lasting memory that they would love to cherish. Some people would buy this product instead because it is eco-friendly because they want to have a sustainable environment and keep it clean and green.
Therefore, there are a lot of reasons why products are made for a reason and why a certain group of people would like the product. A product that is made beautifully with good design and function has a reason to be beautiful and makes someone satisfied but that product is not everyone's cup of tea. Yes, that product is pretty to look at and functional for some people but it is also useless for other group of people. Is it because the product is not the type they are looking for, didn't really understand the reason of existence of the product, will they use the product again and etc? These are some of the thoughts that I've gone through after watching the video. The more I think about it, the more I understand how product design can actually make people happy or frown.
For example, the ping pong table with the fish and ripple features are creative and some people might like it because it is fun and enjoyable to play. However, some people might not like it because the images of the ripple and fish could be a distraction or annoying and it is not a type of a ping pong table that professional ping pong players would want to use to train their skills. On the other hand, I find that the knife which was made in Japan is very interesting. It has the beauty. It's sharp, the design is good and functional. It's a complete package. I think this a sort of an item that everyone would love to use for cooking.
From the video, Don Norman has reminded me that if we are happy, have a calm and carefree mind with a bit of stress or anxiety which is important to give you the excitement to have that extra focus, motivation and energy to do something, everything will go smoothly. There is one time my mom and a master sifu from a Chinese temple (where I would visit every Chinese New Year) told me that whatever job or work that we have received, it is important to accept it happily and do things in moderation. So by having a 'balanced' way of thinking to handle things is important because if we are too relaxed and happy, things might not go well and we will never get it done correctly. But if we are too anxious, too scared to fail and too worried, then this not a positive mindset that we should set for ourselves before working on something. So, well said by Don Norman.
Also, I find that the idea of the teapot is very clever and the designer of the teapot is very thoughtful. I like the fact that if the teapot stands upright, it means that the pot needs to be refilled and when the tea is ready to consume, the teapot is tilted so that the teabag will not be completely submerged in the water. It's a smart way to show the teapot's emotions and how it behaves. It's a very good product. I think this teapot has the power to make people to react in three different emotions in a good way, viscerally, behaviourally and reflectively. The teapot looks simple and nice, functional and if I own this teapot, I will definitely use it again. I could instantly feel my love or attachment towards this teapot, even though I do not own this teapot. I feel very impressed, satisfied and happy. i would love to use it again because it feels comfortable and I feel I am in full control to use this product effectively without any stress and trouble. Is this what we call good design?
Logically, a product with a beautiful appearance would definitely attract people to admire it's beauty. But what makes the product beautiful which will make us happy? It is because of it's interesting shape, vibrant colours, nice and smooth texture, clean surface and etc? All those features that are mentioned above have one thing in common, that is visceral. We can determine the product's physical characteristics very easily just by observing it for a few seconds. But if it is not by quick observation, maybe we should stare at the product and analyze it carefully. Is the product beautiful because it has affected our own emotions and personality?
Here comes the other two emotions, which are behaviour and reflective. Other than the functionality of a product, some people might buy this particular product because of it's playfulness and it suits their personality. Some people might buy that particular product because it reminded them of something important which would give them a lasting memory that they would love to cherish. Some people would buy this product instead because it is eco-friendly because they want to have a sustainable environment and keep it clean and green.
Therefore, there are a lot of reasons why products are made for a reason and why a certain group of people would like the product. A product that is made beautifully with good design and function has a reason to be beautiful and makes someone satisfied but that product is not everyone's cup of tea. Yes, that product is pretty to look at and functional for some people but it is also useless for other group of people. Is it because the product is not the type they are looking for, didn't really understand the reason of existence of the product, will they use the product again and etc? These are some of the thoughts that I've gone through after watching the video. The more I think about it, the more I understand how product design can actually make people happy or frown.
For example, the ping pong table with the fish and ripple features are creative and some people might like it because it is fun and enjoyable to play. However, some people might not like it because the images of the ripple and fish could be a distraction or annoying and it is not a type of a ping pong table that professional ping pong players would want to use to train their skills. On the other hand, I find that the knife which was made in Japan is very interesting. It has the beauty. It's sharp, the design is good and functional. It's a complete package. I think this a sort of an item that everyone would love to use for cooking.
From the video, Don Norman has reminded me that if we are happy, have a calm and carefree mind with a bit of stress or anxiety which is important to give you the excitement to have that extra focus, motivation and energy to do something, everything will go smoothly. There is one time my mom and a master sifu from a Chinese temple (where I would visit every Chinese New Year) told me that whatever job or work that we have received, it is important to accept it happily and do things in moderation. So by having a 'balanced' way of thinking to handle things is important because if we are too relaxed and happy, things might not go well and we will never get it done correctly. But if we are too anxious, too scared to fail and too worried, then this not a positive mindset that we should set for ourselves before working on something. So, well said by Don Norman.
Also, I find that the idea of the teapot is very clever and the designer of the teapot is very thoughtful. I like the fact that if the teapot stands upright, it means that the pot needs to be refilled and when the tea is ready to consume, the teapot is tilted so that the teabag will not be completely submerged in the water. It's a smart way to show the teapot's emotions and how it behaves. It's a very good product. I think this teapot has the power to make people to react in three different emotions in a good way, viscerally, behaviourally and reflectively. The teapot looks simple and nice, functional and if I own this teapot, I will definitely use it again. I could instantly feel my love or attachment towards this teapot, even though I do not own this teapot. I feel very impressed, satisfied and happy. i would love to use it again because it feels comfortable and I feel I am in full control to use this product effectively without any stress and trouble. Is this what we call good design?
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