Treasuring TIme

I was aiming to capture short moments in time that don't last very long, such as free falling and parachuting. These moments are so short lived, yet people value that time in the air because of that excitement and adrenaline rush. I have designed a different way of capturing a memory from this activity. As the target market are probably outgoing people, they could want a fun way of capturing these moments, besides photographs.

The target market of this product is people who sky dive. It is clamped to the user's parachute strap, near to their shoulder, after their parachute has expanded and they are floating down to earth. And then the trigger is pressed with one hand, which then releases squirts of paint that would project onto the top of the roof of the parachute. After a jump, a pattern of paint patterns, (maybe similar to the style of Jackson Pollock) would be left. It allows the user to create an art work without having any art experience necessary, only maybe some sky diving lessons would be useful. As parachutes eventually need to be replaced, instead of disposing of the remains of the parachute, it could possibly be framed, or a portion of the parachute could be framed, allowing the user to look back on the art piece to be brought back memories of each jump.

Task 4: Bad Design, Navman GPS

When pressing a letter, sometimes it'll select another letter on the screen. For example, if I press on H, sometimes it will show that I pressed G instead. This could be because the letters on the screen are too small, or my fingers are too fat, or simply because the touch screen navigation is not accurate enough.

This holds the computer to the front screen and is adjustable. The A in the first image is slotted into the A in the second image. Same for B. It supplies the batteries to the device. The problem with the design is that when trying to remove the device from its stand, alot of force is used, which results in the user applying so much force that the device hits the glass window or fingers are crushed against the glass. This is dangerous and could damage the product.

My suggestion for the first problem is to implement a surface acoustic wave for the touchscreen monitor if not already chosen for the touch screen navigation system. It works by having transducers and reflectorsat the x and y axis of the screen, and when there is a touch at the glass, waves are absobed, causing a touch to be detected. This would allow a high touch resolution and also allow the highest clarity for the images behind the glass. I thought about introducing a stylus but that would easily be lost, or would cause to be too time consuming and fiddly to take out and store, considering if someone is on the road, they would want navigations fast.

For the second problem, of removing the device from it's stand, I would suggest, instead of removing the device upwards, it should be pulled out towards the user. I changed the port and the slot in piece, labelled A and B in the above images, so that they are horizontal, and so the wire comes out from the back of the device instead of from the bottom. I kept these lower to the stand, so as not to change up the inside of the device too much. This way, when removing the device from its stand, the user can push against the stand, in order for the device to slip away from the stand easier. Also, they can use two hand to do this, allowing more control.

Task 5: Video Reflections, Designing Dream Machines

The video demonstrated the whole process of how products are introduced into the market, from when the client gives the design firm the brief to when the product is available to the consumer.

The video shows that we cannot just design what and how we want to if we are working for someone else, but that the client must always be kept in mind and referred back to, such as the new Phantom bike, and that it has to have a similar style to BSA’s previous designs, and “be true” to the original design. When they presented the renderings to their client, they had in mind what design they preferred, but the clients had a totally different say of which bikes they preferred and what was suitable to their market, shocking the designers. They believe one of the designs is “too modern”, almost overly sophisticated. This proves the important of having many designs, so that the client has many alternative options to choose from. It shows why some designers don’t work for other design firms because they can’t always design how they want to, but are restricted to the brief, the target market and what the client thinks is best, even if there is a disagreement, they are still forced to go along with the client’s decision.

When the designer’s presented their food processor and kettle to the client and their reaction towards the products seemed as if they did not really like it, it was so dis-heartening, as the design group’s whole journey of creating the products spanned over 4 months, and they demonstrated all their hard work, only to be let down by the client. It is similar to how we work on our assignments for 3/4 weeks and present it for a couple minutes. I guess it’s better for us, because we get feedback every week in order for us to keep improving our designs, so that we are not completely shut down when we present our designs. For the guys designing the new Phantom (Bantem?), however, their client didn’t show up to review their clay model. This caused them to lose time because the sooner they can get their client to approve it, the sooner they can get a new client. They just had to continue on with creating the final product, which was risky, seeing as the client may want some final adjustments still.

The video emphasises the importance of research in a project, as demonstrated with the scooter design for customers in India. I like how they have gone all the way to India to observe and record the use of the scooter, to find that they are used differently in India, and are of great importance in people’s lives. They discovery that the scooters must be able to hold a family, with the mother and child on the scooter as well and an area for long objects to be placed, forced them to take this into consideration when designing. Also, they found that instead of design leading towards more and more curvilinear and organic shapes like in the states and Australia for example, in India, the more fashionable bikes were the ones that had sharp rigid edges, which surprised me. This could be because India has not been as exposed to design elsewhere, and vice versa. The video was made a while ago, so maybe it has changed, as people are more aware of the environment and nature.

I was surprised how fast and easy it was for them to come up with ideas on what to design when they were brainstorming on home appliances for T-File. I guess working in a group and brainstorming like this allows them to feed off each other, as one idea leads to another. Through the problems they recognised, they designed things that would solve these problems. Compared to the designing of the bike, it seemed like they had more freedom to design it how they wanted to, not having to stick to so many restrictions or to have a broader brief on what to do. This could have been because less money was involved in releasing these 2 products, or simply because the video didn’t show us that part of the design process.

Postal Presents - Jazzle! - The Toothbrush Rack

The above images were presented as a back-to-front folded A4 page to be put in the receiver’s C4 envelope.

Function

The main function is to act as a toothbrush stand that separates each toothbrush and allows water to drip off the toothbrushes through the stand. It is flat-packed to be used for travelling families, is lightweight and does not take up much room. It could be sent as a Bon-Voyage gift to a family.

 

Target audience

The target audience of the product is young children because it’s kind of like a puzzle. Hence the round parts of the pieces, when in flat form are similar to that of puzzle pieces. It could act as an interactive product between young children when having sleepovers. The product consists of a highly interactive set-up for the child, as they can have fun with it. It allows individuality as they can choose what colours to use and how many pieces they want to use, depending on how many people there are. It can also be used for other objects such as stationary, as shown in the image.

 

Reason for chosen colours, form, and sheet material

Polypropylene was used in the design because it is waterproof, and is flexible enough to be bent in this loop shape and is durable, hence having a long lifespan. It’s also very light to be sent to someone, hence saving money for the user. Translucent material is used so that the light in the morning can shine through it, and partially show part of the object standing inside it.

 

Research

There aren’t many flat-pack toothbrush stands on the market, but the one I found, designed for Colgate, requires the bristles to lean on the stand to be held up. This would mean that the brush would take longer to dry because part of the contact with the plastic. Also, the plastic used is a bit too thick to be mailed in an envelope easily. 

Task 5: Video Reflections, Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Major take home messages from the video would be that the money from the products that are sold, do not pay for everything that went into the process of making it, such as people who manufacture the goods are not getting paid enough in some countries. Although all we see is the buying and selling of goods, there is so much more to the process of getting a product to the buyer. 

As the video is not so much about industrial design, but more the bigger picture, it suggests that our products that we design should strive towards being more environmentally friendly and avoid designing objects that are planned for obsolescence. We should influence the consumers to steer away from this want for products that are to be bought then disposed of, even if it is perfectly useful, by designing things that are timeless, and would be appreciated in many years to come. An example of bad design towards the environment are those juice packs mentioned in the video and how they are made of inseparable materials such as foil and paper or something all merged together, making it impossible to recycle. The part about obsolescence, both planned and perceived is also warning the viewer against consumerism, and constantly buying things unnecessarily.

My opinion about design has changed by giving me an insight into the bigger picture, and how the design of a product affects the world, and this linear cycle that we must develop to become a cyclic cycle. The problem with the cycle is that we are using up all our resources and destroying our planet. It shows why the whole design world is becoming more environmentally friendly. 

Experience Enrichment: Toothpaste Squeezer

My product’s function is to squeeze every last drop of toothpaste out of the tube easily with one hand, as the toothpaste is being applied onto the toothbrush with the other hand. The symmetry of the form allows the user to be able to use it with their right or left hand, and the slit forces the toothpaste tube to be positioned so that a thick or thin finger can use it and also someone who has long nails. It is small enough to be held and quite a dainty sized product in order to attract a female to it, as opposed to something that is overly bulky. Through research, the widest toothpaste tube that I came across was McCleans’s tube which is 55mm wide, so I made the slit 57mm wide.

The blue rubber grip would be made of thermoplastic elastomer so that when the user’s hand is wet the tactile material allows the finger to grip on to it. The rest of the body would be made of polypropylene because it is light and cheap and possibly inexpensive to manufacture by injection moulding. Off white was chosen as the main colour in the design because it is to be used in the bathroom, and off white would allow it to be of a similar colour to its environment. The light blue was chosen because it is a calming colour and best represents the water element.

One of my very first ideas was this huge round thing where the knob is turned to squeeze the toothpaste out. I researched similar products on the market but they either had to be controlled with both hands or if they were controlled with one hand, there were complicated mechanisms that would cost more to manufacture and produce for this target market. I figured, since it is an easy motion of squeezing toothpaste, there should not be an over complicated product to achieve it. I explored ways of solving the problem of getting the toothpaste out with one hand, and ended up simplifying the initial design completely to what is shown now.

Task 3: Product Sketches

Time Capsule - Beautiful on the Inside

Environmental Chandelier by Keith Melbourne
2008

I was attracted to this design because of how delicate and beautiful it looks, and how it is an unusual concept of using test tubes in a chandelier, but the viewer can only tell they are test tubes by reading the blurb or looking really closely. It demonstrates a changing world that is open to new possibilities by commenting on environmental issues. By using a compact fluorescent tube, this is saving energy, and the designer has made it into something beautiful.


Workshopped 08 - Design Matters

Twist Bench by Kenan Wang

This design caught my attention because of the way Wang took a traditional bench and changed it by twisting it to create a completely different bench that is so much more interesting, giving the bench more movement.

Modern Times: Modernism in Australia

Espresso Machine by Bo-Ema

Alexandria, Sydney 1967

This design appealed to me because of the classic look of it with the numerous knobs and long handles all positioned to balance the form out. Similar designs started an 'espresso craze' during the 1950s, and the impact of the design is shown today as some cafe's still have classic looking espresso machines for it's design and appearance.

Australian International Design Awards

Lightway Window & Lighting by Damian Savio

2008

If this window were to be installed in everyone's home, alot of electricity could be saved. The way that it absorbs energy from the sun and uses this energy as a light source in the night time is genius.

Inspired! Design Across Time

Ribs by Stefan Lie

Sydney, 1997

I liked this design because of the use of repetition of the long pieces and the way these were joined together to create this roundish bench shape. The interesting shadows under the bench that the pieces also added to the bench, as these would constantly change if the bench were outside. After a while, I realised that the ribs were movable, as it said in the blurb, that it was flexible.

EcoLogic: Creating a Sustainable Future

Toothbrush with a replaceable head by Colgate

This is a good concept of having to just replace the bristles as opposed to the entire toothbrush as we would be saving alot of materials and money, especially if everyone started to do this.

Task 5: Video Reflections, Paul Bennett: Designing Details

Take home messages from the video would be that we can get inspiration and ideas by looking at how everything around us works; things that normally wouldn’t be noticed usually or taken into consideration. This is demonstrated when they “become the patient”. Everyone knows that patients get bored easily because they are always staring at the ceiling, but designs have hardly been based around this aspect of hospitals. Bennet’s team however, took this experience and used it to inspire designs based on how to improve one’s experience in a hospital. The concept that I liked was the changing of flooring which would make the patient feel as if they were in their own personal space when entering their room. This shows how such a small change can make a huge difference.

As designer’s we would mostly be designing for other people, and a wide variety of target markets, so we should be putting ourselves in their shoes and seeing how everything works. From this, we can get ideas to improve their experience. As designer’s An example of this is how Bennet’s team, RDL were designing a water pump to be used in Kenya. Their initial thoughts were to improve in the way it looked in order to make it a more pleasant experience. However, when they visited their target market in Kenya, they found that the form is the least important aspect of the design, as they had to take into consideration the manufacturing methods and the use of indigenous materials first. This gave them a greater insight into their target market, which caused them to redesign completely. I have also learnt that we must constantly question our designs and constantly question the things that we do in order to further push our designs.

Task 5: Video Reflections, Yves Behar: Designing objects that tell stories

One of the major take home messages from this video is that sometimes designers have to break away from what other people want them to do, in order to take the design process further. An example being that the design firm Behar was with wanted him to basically only change the outer appearance of a product, as opposed to all aspects of the product, which made him leave the firm and create all these other products, becoming way more involved in his design practice.

The extent to which the user interacts with the product totally influences the product. For example, in the Swarovski Chandelier, where the person uses their finger to trace the desired shape onto a tablet, in turn causing the chandelier to change shape, makes the user more involved with the product, as it is entertaining and people would notice it more throughout the products lifespan. It is also a great talking point as it is so interesting and unique that other people would not have seen before. Another example of this is the Y-water, and how it allows the user to get more out of it. When part of the product is gone (the water), the life span of the product can be extended, as it can be used for other purposes. ie. A toy.

We as designer’s have to become passionate about the project, in order to make it push the idea to its fullest potential, as shown in the $100 laptop project. The people involved with this product were so passionate about it, that they fought with the suppliers and manufacturers, until the end of the design process. You could tell they were emotionally attached to the product, and making sure that it would be affordable to heaps of children, like in Nigeria, or else it would be pointless, as creating affordable laptops was one of their initial goals. They took into consideration the environment in which a child  may be using the laptop, such as being able to read the screen in sunlight, and coating the laptop in rubber to protect it from the environment.

This video has caused me to realize that designer’s have a responsibility of improving people’s lives. Through the products we design, we can affect the way in which people perceive something, through the values that we add to the design. For example, if designers make their products environmentally friendly, then this could in turn influence users.

Task 5: Video Reflections, Ross Lovegrove: Organic Design

Ross Lovegrove demonstrates the importance of form, and the emotional connection between the user and the designer. His passion for nature, and how he transforms what he sees or his impression of certain aspects of nature is so creative and inspiring. The concept of “mass-individualism” of a single product, as Lovegrove described with his water bottle design would give an edge to the product as it is so personal to the consumer, being able to fit to the shape of one’s hand. This would cause the user to feel like the bottle belongs there.  

The video suggests that for our growth as industrial designers, more and more options will become available to us, as can be seen in his Diatomic structure furniture. Before, it was not possible to see this blown up version, but now that it is possible, he has replicated a similar concept into his designs. The use of new materials in his design, shows how a design changes dramatically when made out of something else. It would be interesting to see him apply his idea of making a product out of foodstuff, as it would change the entire concept of a product, as opposed to it being made out of plastic. It would also shorten the lifespan of the product, adding meaning to the design.  The video also shows that with creativity, basically anything can be used as inspiration for a design; even his furniture and how he connects pieces as if they were bones is amazing.

Task 5: Video Reflections, David Kelley: Human centred design

The most prominent messages that I received from this video is that designers have to take into consideration that they are designing for the interaction between human and the products function, as opposed to the human and the product, as demonstrated in Spyfish, where there was a stronger concentration on mimicking nature. Also, designers have to think up ways to push themselves creatively, putting themselves in the users position, and be able to “experience” the design.

The possibilities that the video suggests for my growth as an industrial designer are endless, demonstrating the continuous developments in technology, with examples of designs that incorporate them. I have learnt how a design team would work together, and extend themselves creatively, putting themselves in the position of the user, as demonstrated in the creation of Dilbert’s ideal office cubicle. The way they put themselves in the workers positions are so interesting, especially, the people as walls, as they close in on Dilbert and have a group hug. Basically, they created a work space that they believe would allow people to work better, by giving them positive, creative inspiration in their surroundings, that is more personal and friendly, as opposed to a traditional, clinical, cubicle that is usually boring to be in. They invented creative techniques of interacting with their office environment, as they said “Life would be sweet in a cubicle like this”. 

As innovative and creative as technology has allowed designers to be, I believe that if we are not careful, designers could take the technological advancements too far, as demonstrated in the Spyfish. The concept of the product is very creative and strong, being able to control the device and navigate around what the user sees on the interface, however, the video hardly showed the actual user interface that the user would be seeing everything on, which would simply be a screen. This would lessen the experience, and even though the speaker says that you would “completely lose yourself under water”, it is impossible to mimic nature with technology, and the experience of actually immersing oneself in water to interact with the sea life. After a while, people will settle for this, but getting so distracted by the awesome design and technology, as opposed to the full experience of interacting with life under water.

I think that as a designer, we would have to be up to date with technological advancements in society, to be able to take advantage of them, as can be seen with these designs. Also, we would always have to be aware of the consumers when designing. 

Task 2: Good Design

Task 2: Good Design

 

EVA SOLO BIN

Designer: Tools Design (Denmark)

Manufacturer: Eva Solo

 

Designpreis 2008 – Nominee Germany

Baden-Württemberg International Award 2007


Red Dot best of the best 2007


DesignPlus 2007
IF Design Award 2007


Formland Design Award 2006[1]

  

The Eva Solo Bin was created to be more aesthetically pleasing than your average rubbish bin, hiding the liner inside and allowing the consumer to open the lid from any angle. It opens by lifting the lid from any side, where it balances on the rim of the bin and is pushed back down to close. As the lid is detachable, it can be used as a tray to collect rubbish. Inside the bin is a rubberized metal ring that the top of the bin liner folds over, hence eliminating the appearance of the liner from the outside. The bin comes in three different sizes to be able to be used for various rooms, from kitchens to bathrooms. As it is made of stainless steel, the price is high, and it would be assumed that the consumer would purchase the product because of its unique concept.

  

FORM – It is simple, sophisticated, formal

LINE – The form mostly has straight lines causing it to look formal.

SHAPE – The positive space of the shape is vertical, solid and simple.  It consists of the cylindrical base of the body, which starts narrow and the base widens in size towards the top.

DIRECTION – The overall shape of the product is vertical making it look well balanced and stable.

TEXTURE – The stainless steel body has a matte silver finish with a matte grey cover for the lid.

COLOUR – The product is colourless, only using the grey and silver tones for the top and the main body. The only colour it would show would be slight reflections from its surrounding environment.

TONE – The stainless steel body is silver and the top is grey.

BALANCE– It is well balanced due to the symmetry of the shape, whether viewed from any side of the bin or from the top.

GRADATION – The body is lighter than the top, but there is no gradation of tone or colour in each component, causing it to appear static.

PROPORTION – The matte silver body of the bin dominates the entire form.

The Eva Solo Bin

More information on the Eva Solo Bin:

http://www.fokal.com/designfile/hotproduct/eva-solo-Waste-Bin

http://www.fokal.com/designfile/hotproduct/eva-solo-Waste-Bin

 

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[1] Hot Product – eva solo Waste Bin – FOKal.com, Date of Publification: 6/11/07 [Date accessed: 5/8/08]  http://www.fokal.com/designfile/hotproduct/eva-solo-Waste-Bin

Task 1: Shape of a Scent

Task 1: Shape of a Scent

 Initial sketches

The Container

My initial thoughts when smelling the scent was that it belonged to a sophisticated young woman in her 20s, as the scent was floral, sweet and strong. As I got more used to the smell, it started to change, hence my idea of the scent and its owner changed, as it became more acidic and mature, possibly belonging to a woman in her 30s-40s. I interpreted this change through the dynamic line that runs through the container. The container appears different from every angle that it is viewed from, demonstrating the constant change in smell that was experienced. The shape of the form is organic and curvy to reflect the mature woman that wears the scent.

After creating the container, we found that the actual scent was "G: Calvin Klein CK One Electric (2006)", which is a unisex scent, and not as mature and womanly as we thought. This demonstrates the power of marketing.