Paul Bennett addresses in this video the notion of designing from the point of view of the user; which is kind of like putting yourself into someone else's shoes to create a product or design. The first thing shown was excepts from a 6 minute video from the point of view of a hospital patient. This video was to show how seemingly dull and lifeless it is lying in a bed all day. Paul then describes the notion of 'small being the new big' and how the smallest things can have massive impacts on the lives of others. In the case of the hospital this meant putting mirrors on the wheelchairs so the patient could have a conversation with the nurses face to face; and giving each patient their own wall in their room where guests could write get well messages. Although very minor things, they have big impacts on the consciousness of the patient and serve to give them a more enjoyable experience.
Looking towards the edges was also new concept that was raised in this video. This is basically looking for the things that people would often discard as being unimportant for a design. Such as a nurse holding a patients hand while in an operation, or having the natural human instinct of placing rubbish in a place where someone else already has. By using these little things we can create objects that talk to the user better and in a more meaningful way; instead of just simply looking nice. This also ties back to the 'little things, big impact' notion.
The overall message in this video is to design with the user in mind first and foremost as apposed to making the design look nice and function to its best. If we consider the user and how they think and act, the design achieves more in the eye of the user than something that does not. He also shows how to create things with huge impact by simply deriving it from small areas of a users day to day life such as emotion and spacial awareness; in essence telling us that 'small is the new big'.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Task 3: Product Sketching
"Flaik" CMD Product Design and Innovation (2008)
Flaik combines a personal tracking device with a GPS system to create a device that an enthusiastic skier or snowboarder should be without. The way that this device fits snuggly into a carry case that straps to the users upper arm is the best thing about the design, as it ensures that it cannot get in the way while participating in winter sports. The case also increases the durability of the product; essential if the user is prone to hit the snow once in a while.
Expo '67 "Talking Chair" Grant and Mary Featherstone (1967)the talking chair was devised in 1967 for use in Expo 67 Montreal as a way of showcasing Australia to the world. Speakers in the headrest played a pre-recorded tape when a switch was flicked by applying pressure onto the sitting area. The chair has the distinct curvature of a modernism piece, while its singular form also marks it as a Grant Featherstone piece. The chair is very cleverly designed, as users in the 60's would not have been expecting a chair that 'talks' to them, adding to the futuristic appeal that the design already has.
"Coffee Pot" Frank Bauer (1987)
This modern angular coffee pot designed by Frank Bauer is mix of pure form and function, with the sloping main section allowing for plenty of coffee to be stored in the pot, while the curved-yet-straight handle allows easy wielding of the bulky pot while still fitting into the overall design. Something like this would gain some strange looks if designed in todays era, as its something that doesn't fit with todays image of a pristine kitchen. Nevertheless it is a clever piece of design-cum-art that would still make an interesting object to have on ones mantle piece.
Colgate Toothbrush (unknown date)
The idea that a toothbrush be reusable a multitude of times is not a new one; how to best implement it however is another question and Colgate have devised a fairly clever and efficient way of solving this. By creating a toothbrush with a detachable bristle section, it allows the handle to be used hundreds of times more than the bristles could ever be. This is something so remarkably simple that its a wonder no one ever thought of it earlier. The actual handle retains the ergonomic, flowing grip seen with many Colgate brushes down the years, and it shows Colgate are obviously sticking to a tried and successful design while still evolving the design in other ways.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Task 5: Video Reflections (Yves Behar)
Yves Behar closes with the remark that "we should all be keeping in mind the values of the work that we do". It's this philosophy that drives him to create his works and to continue designing. A good example of this is when he was asked to contribute to the XO laptop; he didn't initially want to work on it as he'd had enough of computers due to a previous job, but the fact that these laptops were going to be distributed in places like Zimbabwe, Uruguay and Mongolia to kids meant that he changed his mind. Yves wants us to think about why a product is designed and who for as apposed to what it's going to look like in the end.
Designing from the inside-out is another thing that Yves brings up in his work on the Jawbone headset. With the designers working simultaneously on all parts of the overall design, they were able to discard the 'techy/nerdy' bits that they felt the user didn't really need (the Caps key on the XO laptop also comes to mind). Using this approach, designers can readily mass-produce something that looks good and functions to its maximum potential without branching into other areas that it doesn't necessarily need to. The watch designed for Mini Cooper has a horizontal/vertical flipping display allowing the user to tell the time without movement of the arm. Apart from that, the watch has no other functionality; it does it's primary function but it does it better than most watches.
Whereas there would be opposition to this way of thinking in the design business, many of Yves' points regarding the values of the work we do should not be ignored, as it allows a more personable approach to the way people think about design as a whole.
Designing from the inside-out is another thing that Yves brings up in his work on the Jawbone headset. With the designers working simultaneously on all parts of the overall design, they were able to discard the 'techy/nerdy' bits that they felt the user didn't really need (the Caps key on the XO laptop also comes to mind). Using this approach, designers can readily mass-produce something that looks good and functions to its maximum potential without branching into other areas that it doesn't necessarily need to. The watch designed for Mini Cooper has a horizontal/vertical flipping display allowing the user to tell the time without movement of the arm. Apart from that, the watch has no other functionality; it does it's primary function but it does it better than most watches.
Whereas there would be opposition to this way of thinking in the design business, many of Yves' points regarding the values of the work we do should not be ignored, as it allows a more personable approach to the way people think about design as a whole.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Task 5: Video Reflections (Ross Lovegrove)
Dealing with the organic form is not something that is massively new in the design world. However Ross Lovegrove has taken this concept down to the molecular level in his designs; creating chairs from images of membranes and the like. He argues that form is everything, and that form is what touches the human body, mind and spirit in the way it is used.
Directions aren't meant to be followed. This is something that isn't said directly but is greatly implied in his words. He doesn't care if Sony, a multi-billion dollar corporation, didn't understand him; instead he argues that 'he provided a service' in suggesting new ways to rival Apple. This is something that can be taken away from this video, as designing without restraint allows for more varied and exciting projects. He also goes to great lengths to explain how nature 'strips the fat' from their form to leave only the most aesthetically pleasing and functional aspects. He uses this principle in his design, creating chairs and designs for futuristic cars made from just 300 parts by cutting out anything that isn't needed. It isn't something that can be said has been done often, but it is certainly a vastly different way of thinking about how an object looks and functions.
Lovegrove successfully introduces the viewer to a way of thinking that stands out without looking garish or unnecessarily ugly. He is constantly thinking outside the box with his designs and much of what has been said in this video in relation to nature and its forms can be translated into objects that combine both form and function in a manner that is deceptively simple.
Directions aren't meant to be followed. This is something that isn't said directly but is greatly implied in his words. He doesn't care if Sony, a multi-billion dollar corporation, didn't understand him; instead he argues that 'he provided a service' in suggesting new ways to rival Apple. This is something that can be taken away from this video, as designing without restraint allows for more varied and exciting projects. He also goes to great lengths to explain how nature 'strips the fat' from their form to leave only the most aesthetically pleasing and functional aspects. He uses this principle in his design, creating chairs and designs for futuristic cars made from just 300 parts by cutting out anything that isn't needed. It isn't something that can be said has been done often, but it is certainly a vastly different way of thinking about how an object looks and functions.
Lovegrove successfully introduces the viewer to a way of thinking that stands out without looking garish or unnecessarily ugly. He is constantly thinking outside the box with his designs and much of what has been said in this video in relation to nature and its forms can be translated into objects that combine both form and function in a manner that is deceptively simple.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Task 5: Video Reflections (David Kelly)
In this video David Kelly seeks to address the way design has shifted towards a more 'human centered' focus over the last few years. Whereas designers would create something with human interaction in mind; they did not necessarily work with people to understand what they really wanted or needed. As such, designers have now realised that if they reach out to their target market before a new design is unleashed, the public my respond in a more responsive manner.
Not only this however; as designs are also becoming more 'user-friendly' (in a rudimentary sense) in that designers are putting out items and objects that can be easily and efficiently interacted with. Designers have realised that as the world is becoming more modern and tech-savvy, people are starting to take things like a manual for granted, instead they want objects that need little to no instructions and are inherently easy to use. They also want objects and designs that interact with them on a more personal level (the Dilbert office cubicle being a prime example) so that they don't feel detached from the object they are interacting with. This is a far cry from the 'aesthetically pleasing' way of thinking that used to be the norm, where the designers automatically assumed that if the product looked good, then it would fly off the shelves.
Whether this video has changed my way of thinking is questionable, as design (in my mind) has always been about the way a human interacts with an object. If the consumer does not inherently feel something when purchasing a product, why then would the product be bought? If a design can continue giving the same feeling or emotion every time it is used or looked at, it becomes something more valuable in the eyes of the user.
Not only this however; as designs are also becoming more 'user-friendly' (in a rudimentary sense) in that designers are putting out items and objects that can be easily and efficiently interacted with. Designers have realised that as the world is becoming more modern and tech-savvy, people are starting to take things like a manual for granted, instead they want objects that need little to no instructions and are inherently easy to use. They also want objects and designs that interact with them on a more personal level (the Dilbert office cubicle being a prime example) so that they don't feel detached from the object they are interacting with. This is a far cry from the 'aesthetically pleasing' way of thinking that used to be the norm, where the designers automatically assumed that if the product looked good, then it would fly off the shelves.
Whether this video has changed my way of thinking is questionable, as design (in my mind) has always been about the way a human interacts with an object. If the consumer does not inherently feel something when purchasing a product, why then would the product be bought? If a design can continue giving the same feeling or emotion every time it is used or looked at, it becomes something more valuable in the eyes of the user.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Task 2: Good Design
ARTENGO ROLLNET
Designer: DECATHLON (FRA)
Manufacturer: Decathlon
Silver, Industrial Design Excellence Awards 2008
The rollnet was devised as a means for people to play the game of table tennis on any surface they felt like; as well as to create a net that could be easily adapted to a proper table tennis table quickly and easily. The net easily rolls out and clamps on the base of each side section allow it to be attached to any surface with a lip. It is provided with a lightweight plastic case allowing for easy transportation between areas without damage
The rollnet is small and lightweight enough for just about anyone to use and the form of each handle fits snuggly into the human hand. The plastic casing means that the rollnet cannot rust, and its rounded surface allows for minimal handling injuries. White is used as the chief colour, giving it a strong shelf presence and a playful personality, and other colours contrast well with it. The choice of 9 different colours also allows it to match whatever intended suface you have in mind for it. These design choices means it fits well with a youthful target audience, however young adults could also have a lot of fun with something that can be easily set up for use at work or university.
LINE: Minimal curving lines create different areas of colour
LINE: Rounded overall shape gives it a friendly, playful appearance
BALANCE: Completely symmetrical; necessary for this type of product
CONTRAST: Two colours contrasting against the white of the main areas
CONTRAST: Looks completely different to any other table tennis net on the market
FORM: Smooth, fun, rounded
FORM: Brings a new fun look to an otherwise dull table tennis table
FORM: Size comfortably fits in most all hand shapes
FORM: Fits well within a modern environment
COLOUR: Bright, vibrant colours to enhance the ‘fun’ look of the product
COLOUR: Nine different choices available to suit all tastes
TEXTURE: Smooth plastic for sturdiness and minimal handling injuries. Also means the product will not rust.
PROPORTION: Stark white draws attention to the overall form and shape of the product
Further information:
http://www.icsid.org/feature/galleria/galleria82.htm
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/07/0717_idea_winners/122.htm
Monday, August 4, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
