In chapters 1 - 8 Heskett sets out to explain, in brief, the history of design. Then goes on to explain the different applications to which design is utilized. In chapter 9 Heskett explains the context to which design is used. He breaks down the three contexts in this order. Design as an organization, design as a business practice and design as it is used in governmental bodies.
The problem, Heskett explains, with design organizations is the diverse roles in the design field. Design is such a broad term and industry it is difficult to create an organization that would embody all aspects of design. There are, however, organizations that focus on the singular aspects in design. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), for example is an organization devoted to design in the field of graphics.
Another problem in talking about design organizations is the level at which design functions in our society. In some cases design is a separate function in a company or can be part of the core process. Heskett uses IBM as an example of a company that has, for years, maintained direct control over the design of their products. In contrast the Japanese company Matsushita gives this control to specific divisions within the company.
Heskett next turns his attention to companies using several examples of how companies utilize design. Mercedes sets long term design goals, in that, all their cars should maintain a universal look to be recognizable from generation to generation, where as, companies such as Chrysler continuously redesigns their automobiles based on market trends.
Heskett gives two good examples of different roles design has played in companies. Using Sony and Chrysler he explains how the former has always maintained a standard in the design of their products and how the latter only utilized design as a response to a crisis. In the 1990's Chrysler turned to It's Vice-President for design, Tom Gale and thus brought the role of design into the decision making process, which helped turn the company around.
In the role of design in government Heskett talks about how systems in government can benefit from the design process. He talks about mercantilism, which is the act of promoting exports from a country and restricting imports. In doing so a country can bring in more capital than it spends. The problem though is now countries are in direct competition with each other. Design again can be utilized to promote an advantage over other countries. Heskett uses France, which is the leader in luxury products, as an example of this promotion.
Many countries have developed a design policy or organization to help in decision making. In the UK after World War II, the government developed the Design Council as a way to promote exports. Heskett explains, however, this was a complete failure, in that, two decades later the UK went into deficit in regards to trade. In other countries similar organizations have been successful. In the Netherlands the Design Institute has, as Heskett says, "has become one of the most dynamic focal points anywhere for the debate and initiatives about the role of design in modern society."
One interesting point Heskett makes in chapter 9 is how the United States doesn't have, nor, see any value in such design organizations. Heskett says, "The reasons for this situation are complex, but in part lie in an economic mindset that regards design as something superficial." After World War II, however, Japan utilized such design organizations during its reconstruction, proving the value such organizations have in policy making.
In chapter 10 Heskett talks about the future of design. One of the overall themes of our Design 200 class has been about the role of design, not as a trade but as a process. Heskett talks about this very idea in Chapter 10. With the role of design becoming more vital to rethinking how systems are set up, the role of the designer is changing. There will always be a need for a designer to produce tangible products or communications but, the process used by designers can be used to design better schools for poor communities. These processes are being used today in third world countries where designers are coming up with new and innovative ways to solve basic problems, and thus making health care, education and basic needs more accessible
Heskett finishes out chapter 10 by posing a question and says, "In considering the role of design in the future, therefore, a major question requiring an answer is whether designers will be merely technocrats, devoting their skills to the highest commercial bidder without consideration of the ends they serve. Or is there instead a dimension of social and environmental purpose requiring acknowledgement in their work." This is the real question. What role will design play in the future?
I think, overall, this book was a great way to open up the discussion of what design is. It makes a very good argument as to why design is so misunderstood in our society, the role that design takes and the role that design should play. I really enjoyed reading this book and can see why it was assigned to us.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
J09 - Process Documentation
For the Coleman for the Home assignment our group, which was comprised of Sarah H., Mike F. and Ricardo R. developed the induction cooktop and table. Our team worked really well with each other. We listened to each others feedback and came up with great ideas. There was no ego to contend with and we all contributed to all parts of the project. During the brainstorming phase we developed the basic idea for the table. It was interesting to see the different ideas for the table take shape and the decisions we made regarding the table. We originally had the idea to make the cooktop just flip over but, we had concerns about how the wiring would work so in the end we chose to have a storage compartment for it. We researched the different materials Coleman uses in their products and tried to stick closely to those materials.
Mike Freeze spearheaded the research for the different cooktops and the safety issues and concerns involved with each, Sarah came up with the table idea as a whole and she and Mike built the presentation. Ricardo worked on the kiosk which I think was a great design and concept. We all sketched ideas for the table and it quickly took shape. We met outside of class to give us extra time to work on the project which shows how excited we were about our product. I was greatly impresses by how fluidly we worked as a group and how the project seemed to fall into place. I think, overall, our group, product and presentation were very professionally put together and am happy I had the chance to work with Sarah, Mike and Ricardo.
Personal Contribution
For my personal contributions I worked on the visuals. Having experience using Photoshop and Illustrator I felt my strength in the group would be in that aspect of the project. As we developed our ideas I would make visuals to convey what we wanted to show in our product. We wanted to build a product that would be convenient but, something that people would actually buy. So for my part I wanted our visuals to reflect the product in use. For the logo I wanted to keep some parts of the Coleman logo but decided that since the logo wouldn't, necessarily, appear on the product like the original Coleman logo and products, it could be more elegant and fitting of a home product.
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| Early Concepts for the logo using the original Coleman logo. |
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| The logo develops along with the new name. |
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| early and later sketches. Notice how we went through several possible shapes before | settleing on this one |
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| once the shape and concept were settled on our table really took shape. |
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| Package visuals showing the table in use. We wanted to show a products people would want to buy. |
CR05
The last two classes in Design 200 we have been presenting our "Coleman for the Home" final projects. On Monday groups 2 through 7 presented. The products from these groups were interesting. I especially liked the camp bed idea and more specifically the package design for it. The groups presented well and really kept us interested. On Wednesday groups 8 through A presented, which was the day my group presented. Outside of repeatedly going over my portion of our presentation in my head, I thought these groups presentations were good as well. The Coleman for the Home project was a fun way to get a sense of working in a group and the presentations were a great way to see how others interpreted the scope of the project.
I think, in all, the assignment was successful. Everyone seemed to dig in and appeared to be energetic about the project. I am also glad we had the chance to grade our peers. When working in our groups, I'm sure we all felt our product was the best, this peer evaluation was a good way to get and give feedback on our products.
The Coleman for the Home assignment was a great way to finish the quarter. After learning about design processes, legal issues and the different disciplines of design all quarter, this assignment was a great way for us to show how well we paid attention. Giving the presentations in the last two classes was a very fulfilling way to end this class and see how far we've come from that first class where we had to introduce each other. That seems so long ago.
I think, in all, the assignment was successful. Everyone seemed to dig in and appeared to be energetic about the project. I am also glad we had the chance to grade our peers. When working in our groups, I'm sure we all felt our product was the best, this peer evaluation was a good way to get and give feedback on our products.
The Coleman for the Home assignment was a great way to finish the quarter. After learning about design processes, legal issues and the different disciplines of design all quarter, this assignment was a great way for us to show how well we paid attention. Giving the presentations in the last two classes was a very fulfilling way to end this class and see how far we've come from that first class where we had to introduce each other. That seems so long ago.
J10 Final Thoughts
My thoughts on D200
My personal experiences in design 200 were really helpful to me as I start the design program. First, it was kind of a refresher course to help me remember things I've learned in the past. Touching on design history, design processes and the different disciplines of design, design 200 helped me get a sense of what to expect in further design classes. Second, design 200 gave me the opportunity to get a feel for working in groups. And third, this class gave me the reassurance that visual communications is what I want to major in.
One of the greatest aspects of this class was the hands on way it was taught. Where most lecture classes can become uninteresting after a while, design 200 kept me interested. I learned much more from this class because I was allowed to interpret things on my own instead of sit and take notes which I would then be tested on. The blog, which we all set up at the beginning of class in March, was a great way to reflect on what we learned throughout the quarter plus, gave us the opportunity to see what our classmates were getting from the class.
The message I take away from d200 and the point, I think, of this class as a whole is to not think of design in the sense of creating aesthetically pleasing products or environments but, to think of design as a way to solve problems. In one of our first lectures we were introduced to the concept of design thinking, a way of looking at a problem and solving it using the same process as when designing. Of course design is about making products, visuals and environments but, to apply the design process to other problems, we can start to make possible what was once impossible.
My personal experiences in design 200 were really helpful to me as I start the design program. First, it was kind of a refresher course to help me remember things I've learned in the past. Touching on design history, design processes and the different disciplines of design, design 200 helped me get a sense of what to expect in further design classes. Second, design 200 gave me the opportunity to get a feel for working in groups. And third, this class gave me the reassurance that visual communications is what I want to major in.
One of the greatest aspects of this class was the hands on way it was taught. Where most lecture classes can become uninteresting after a while, design 200 kept me interested. I learned much more from this class because I was allowed to interpret things on my own instead of sit and take notes which I would then be tested on. The blog, which we all set up at the beginning of class in March, was a great way to reflect on what we learned throughout the quarter plus, gave us the opportunity to see what our classmates were getting from the class.
The message I take away from d200 and the point, I think, of this class as a whole is to not think of design in the sense of creating aesthetically pleasing products or environments but, to think of design as a way to solve problems. In one of our first lectures we were introduced to the concept of design thinking, a way of looking at a problem and solving it using the same process as when designing. Of course design is about making products, visuals and environments but, to apply the design process to other problems, we can start to make possible what was once impossible.
Monday, May 23, 2011
CR04
In class 13 we were given our final assignment for the quarter. The Colman for the home assignment is a group design project. The mission is to design a hypothetical product for Coleman, a company whose sole focus is outdoor and camping products. Our job is to design a product that helps Coleman break into the home goods market. The product must be something inspired by Coleman's style. Along with the product the groups also have to design packaging for the product and a kiosk for either in-store display or trade shows.
Our group started the process by listing everything we thought could describe Coleman. We listed their products and who their target consumer is. After that we started a list of Coleman products that could easily be translated into home products and how to convert them.
The next three classes were work sessions for the Coleman project. Our group's project started focusing on a bed/storage unit for college kids. Through our research we determined Coleman was known for products that were space saving. When outdoors or camping people need to pack light and compact. Coleman designs products that compact well but remain light and easy to carry. With this in mind we thought of problems people in the home have and how a Coleman product could help this.
In our next work session we had a break through and scrapped our previous product. The new product that we've been developing in the subsequent class has all the elements of a Coleman product but designed for in home use.
All in all the last four classes have been really beneficial for the design majors. We have had the opportunity to dig in and get a sense of how to work in a group on a project. From brainstorming to bouncing Ideas off one another I think our group has built a great rapport with each other. We look forward to presenting our product which I think we are all proud of.
Our group started the process by listing everything we thought could describe Coleman. We listed their products and who their target consumer is. After that we started a list of Coleman products that could easily be translated into home products and how to convert them.
The next three classes were work sessions for the Coleman project. Our group's project started focusing on a bed/storage unit for college kids. Through our research we determined Coleman was known for products that were space saving. When outdoors or camping people need to pack light and compact. Coleman designs products that compact well but remain light and easy to carry. With this in mind we thought of problems people in the home have and how a Coleman product could help this.
In our next work session we had a break through and scrapped our previous product. The new product that we've been developing in the subsequent class has all the elements of a Coleman product but designed for in home use.
All in all the last four classes have been really beneficial for the design majors. We have had the opportunity to dig in and get a sense of how to work in a group on a project. From brainstorming to bouncing Ideas off one another I think our group has built a great rapport with each other. We look forward to presenting our product which I think we are all proud of.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
J08 Media Reviews
Design Like You Give A Damn
Design like you give a damn is a subject I think more people should become interested in. What got me excited about this subject were two videos we watched in class. In both a designer developed a product that could be made cheaply and solves a specific problem. In the first the designer developed a water bottle/filter that can filter impurities and make even rainwater drinkable. The second the designer developed a cheap way to keep premature babies, with no access to incubators, warm. Giving the babies a fighting chance to survive. Both of these videos show an unselfish way to look at the problems in our world and say how can I help. With natural disasters happening almost daily and people being displaced from their homes, there has never been a greater need for designers to solve some important problems in this world. It's not just with natural disasters though. The processes used in design thinking can be applied to just about everything. From education to simple needs for the poor, designers have an opportunity to show they are not only about making things esthetically pleasing and functional but also about solving real problems. Design like you give a damn is a call to action to stop ignoring the problems in our world and think about ways to fix them.
When the graffiti artist TEMPT was stricken with ALS a once energetic young kid became paralyzed from head to toe. The only function left to him was the ability to blink. The disease ALS, commonly known as "locked in" disease, takes all function from the person leaving them trapped in their body only to sit there and watch as the world goes on without them. Mick Ebeling had an Idea, which started from a problem. The problem was no cheap and accessible means of communication between TEMPT and his family. Ebeling gathered programmers, hackers and designers together and created a device that, not only gave TEMPT the ability to speak but let him draw again.
Many of the problems in our world begin with a lack of education. In third world countries, many children don't have access to education but want to learn. In the United States however, children have access to education but don't want to learn. So what is the problem? Is it our teachers or should we blame the parents? The answer may be neither. Our children are so over stimulated from the moment they open their eyes. Teachers are competing with video games, mp3 players, computers and television for our children's attention. Ali Carr-Chellman discusses the problems of education in regards to boys who are more stimulated with video games than girls. Education in our country is a huge problem and although not tangible, re-thinking broken systems can be another way to show we give a damn.
Many problems that could use design solutions begin with disasters. Tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes have become an all too common reality for many in this world. When disasters take away everything there comes an immediate need for food, water and shelter. In 2004 a tsunami hit south eastern India and in an instance wiped away almost everything for small villagers. An India born, American trained architect saw an opportunity to make a difference. Purnima McCutcheon left her life and career in the United States and moved to India to help villagers rebuild their village. As shown in the PBS series Frontline, McCutcheon not only helped rebuild the village but also helped the village pick up and start again. You can read more about Purnima McCutcheon and her time in India by clicking on either link in the paragraph.
In 1999 architect Cameron Sinclair had an Idea to develop cheap housing for returning refugees in Kosavo. He and Kate Stohr started Architecture for Humanity and put out a call for innovative designs for the housing. To their surprise they received hundreds of designs. Since then Architecture for Humanity has worked in thirty six countries on projects including housing for victims of the earthquakes in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina. In 2006 they published a book titled Design Like You Give a Damn Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crisis. The book highlights projects from all over the world that use innovative solutions to improve living conditions. Their website: Architecture for Humanity is a great resource for learning about these innovative projects.
The opening paragraph in the "about" section of the Curry Stone Design Prize website sums up perfectly the subject of design like you give a damn. It says, "The Curry Stone Design Prize was created in the belief that designers can be an instrumental force for improving people’s lives and the state of the world." The Curry Stone Design Prize was developed to recognize the talents of designers that use their skills to better the lives of people. Their website shows videos of current and past recipients of the award and their projects. http://currystonedesignprize.com/
There are many problems in the world that need attention. We shouldn't ignore these problems because they don't happen in our backyard. Someday we may be in need of help. Design Like You Give a Damn is a great motto it cuts right to the point. We need to design like we care.
Design like you give a damn is a subject I think more people should become interested in. What got me excited about this subject were two videos we watched in class. In both a designer developed a product that could be made cheaply and solves a specific problem. In the first the designer developed a water bottle/filter that can filter impurities and make even rainwater drinkable. The second the designer developed a cheap way to keep premature babies, with no access to incubators, warm. Giving the babies a fighting chance to survive. Both of these videos show an unselfish way to look at the problems in our world and say how can I help. With natural disasters happening almost daily and people being displaced from their homes, there has never been a greater need for designers to solve some important problems in this world. It's not just with natural disasters though. The processes used in design thinking can be applied to just about everything. From education to simple needs for the poor, designers have an opportunity to show they are not only about making things esthetically pleasing and functional but also about solving real problems. Design like you give a damn is a call to action to stop ignoring the problems in our world and think about ways to fix them.
No Problem Too Small
When the graffiti artist TEMPT was stricken with ALS a once energetic young kid became paralyzed from head to toe. The only function left to him was the ability to blink. The disease ALS, commonly known as "locked in" disease, takes all function from the person leaving them trapped in their body only to sit there and watch as the world goes on without them. Mick Ebeling had an Idea, which started from a problem. The problem was no cheap and accessible means of communication between TEMPT and his family. Ebeling gathered programmers, hackers and designers together and created a device that, not only gave TEMPT the ability to speak but let him draw again.
No Problem Too Big
Many of the problems in our world begin with a lack of education. In third world countries, many children don't have access to education but want to learn. In the United States however, children have access to education but don't want to learn. So what is the problem? Is it our teachers or should we blame the parents? The answer may be neither. Our children are so over stimulated from the moment they open their eyes. Teachers are competing with video games, mp3 players, computers and television for our children's attention. Ali Carr-Chellman discusses the problems of education in regards to boys who are more stimulated with video games than girls. Education in our country is a huge problem and although not tangible, re-thinking broken systems can be another way to show we give a damn.
No Problem Too Far Away
Many problems that could use design solutions begin with disasters. Tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes have become an all too common reality for many in this world. When disasters take away everything there comes an immediate need for food, water and shelter. In 2004 a tsunami hit south eastern India and in an instance wiped away almost everything for small villagers. An India born, American trained architect saw an opportunity to make a difference. Purnima McCutcheon left her life and career in the United States and moved to India to help villagers rebuild their village. As shown in the PBS series Frontline, McCutcheon not only helped rebuild the village but also helped the village pick up and start again. You can read more about Purnima McCutcheon and her time in India by clicking on either link in the paragraph.
Where It All Began
In 1999 architect Cameron Sinclair had an Idea to develop cheap housing for returning refugees in Kosavo. He and Kate Stohr started Architecture for Humanity and put out a call for innovative designs for the housing. To their surprise they received hundreds of designs. Since then Architecture for Humanity has worked in thirty six countries on projects including housing for victims of the earthquakes in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina. In 2006 they published a book titled Design Like You Give a Damn Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crisis. The book highlights projects from all over the world that use innovative solutions to improve living conditions. Their website: Architecture for Humanity is a great resource for learning about these innovative projects.
Where It Is Going
The opening paragraph in the "about" section of the Curry Stone Design Prize website sums up perfectly the subject of design like you give a damn. It says, "The Curry Stone Design Prize was created in the belief that designers can be an instrumental force for improving people’s lives and the state of the world." The Curry Stone Design Prize was developed to recognize the talents of designers that use their skills to better the lives of people. Their website shows videos of current and past recipients of the award and their projects. http://currystonedesignprize.com/
There are many problems in the world that need attention. We shouldn't ignore these problems because they don't happen in our backyard. Someday we may be in need of help. Design Like You Give a Damn is a great motto it cuts right to the point. We need to design like we care.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
RR03 - Cradle to Cradle
The ideas William McDonough and Michael Braungart pose in Cradle to Cradle are revolutionary to say the least. The book is kind of a layout for a whole new way of thinking about human interaction with nature and the carbon footprint we leave. Using nature as the blueprint, McDonough and Braungart observe how insects, animals and plants have been living together in harmony since the beginning of time. Humans on the other hand have been rapidly depleting our resources, poisoning our land and water and destroying our environment all in the name of advancement and consumerism. The book sets out to explain how we can learn to live in harmony with our surroundings, taking our cradle to grave mentality and turning it into a cradle to cradle mentality.
Chapter one focuses on how we've come to our cradle to grave way of thinking. The chapter starts by explaining how the Industrial Revolution would look if someone were to design it today. It talks about how that design would include all the waste the Industrial revolution has produced and how that may look on paper. It goes on to explain that the people responsible for the Industrial Revolution didn't have these intentions in mind but that all the waste was an unfortunate by product. Chapter one also explains how we are considered consumers but how we don't actually consume things. Humans use products and then throw them in a fake "away". The chapter explains that we as humans don't actually throw thing away because there is no away. Trash goes somewhere. "Away" is usually a landfill which continually get bigger and bigger until there is a need for a new landfill. "Away" can also be an incinerator which pollutes the air with toxic chemicals. Some things are so toxic they can't be incinerated or thrown in a landfill so they have to be buried, basically locked away, so as not to harm people. one of the most interesting subjects in chapter one is the idea of how we rip out native vegetation and replace it with vegetation that is not native which then needs to be fertilized in order to grow. The problem is these fertilizers run off into our water supplies, wetlands, lakes and streams. The reason I found this interesting is, I worked for a landscaping company whose work consisted, mainly of new built subdivisions. It always amazed me that companies were tearing down trees, woodlands or farmlands to pop up these cookie cutter homes and then we would come in and replace the vegetation. Frank Lloyd Wright, who was a major environmentalist, said when asked why he chose to build a house into a hill as opposed to on it, that if he build the home on the hill you loose the hill. This kind of thinking draws many parallels with the ideas in Cradle to Cradle. With a little thinking we can build in a way where we don't have to strip away.
Chapter two deals with the idea of how being less bad, is not a solution. two really interesting points in chapter two deals with our over consumption. The first was from a 1973 book by Fritz Schumacher titled Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. In it Schumacher states, "The idea of unlimited economic growth, more and more until everybody is saturated with wealth, needs to be seriously questioned. The problem with unlimited growth is there are limited resources so the idea of unlimited growth is a fantasy. The second point is how recycling is just a band-aid to the problems of over consumption. This is the main theme of chapter two. Recycling is more popular that ever but the problem is that recycling doesn't actually recycle as much as it downcycles. Not all recycled products can be reused as the product if came from. Steel from car frames, for instance, when melted down cannot be used to make new car frames. The reason is because in order to melt down the steel other metals from the car are getting melted down as well. The Steel becomes weaker so now the metal has to be used for something else. eventually the steel will become unusable. The same goes with plastics and paper. There are only so many cycles these materials can go through before just ending up in the land fill. Even though recycling is not a bad idea, there needs to be better ideas of how to cut back on consumption and waste. One question chapter two made me think of when discussing the subject of commerce and companies that pollute. In the book they talk about monstrous hybrids. Companies are forced to comply to regulations to control pollution but these regulations are a one size fits all way of dealing with the problem. The question I pose is could this be one reason companies move factories to third world countries? Out side of the benefit of cheap labor, moving these companies to small countries gets the pollution off our shores and then companies don't have to deal with the regulations.
Eco-effectiveness is the subject of chapter three and they return to the subject of the book and the materials and design incorporated in it. In the introduction, the authors explain that the book is not a tree. The book was designed in a way so it can be completely recycled instead of downcycled. First the book is made from a non-toxic plastic which is sturdy enough to be reused as a book. The ink is a non-toxic in that can be removed with a non-toxic washing process. The glue holding the pages together is like wise, non-toxic. the book is also waterproof which would be doubly beneficial if you wanted to read the book at the beach. The book is a good example of eco
Chapter four deals with the problems of waste and how we can return our wastes into the earth as opposed to discarding them. The chapter explains we have had to develop synthesized fertilizers in order to grow crops. these fertilizers become runoff and pollute our waters. Our products are designed to be replaced. In our consumer culture companies depend on people continually buying products. For this reason products are designed to last just long enough for consumers to want a new one. The old products get discarded and become waste. The chapter talks about a products life cycle and how we can rethink the designs so the materials can be reused. I found this chapter interesting for two reasons one, the idea that we continually buy products only to replace them is one I find hard to understand. Even though I'm guilty of this I find it ridiculous. I'm an Apple fan but, every time Apple introduces a new ipod, people feel they need it, even though they may already have one. My current ipod is a second generation ipod. It still has a scroll wheel, a black and white screen and is big. It works, and so I don't feel I need to buy a new fancy touch screen one. Consumers do feel they have to replace it though and we throw the others away.
Chapter five starts with a great point about tearing down our natural surroundings only to be replaced with things that were never meant to be there. It goes on to discuss how we have to learn to live with all the diverse species surrounding us. This chapter reminded me of the bio-mimicry video we watched. In that video it is explained that species can live in harmony, even thrive off of each other, and we should use that as a blueprint in living in harmony with our surroundings. This chapter also revisited the problem of removing native vegetation only to be replaced with vegetation that was never meant to grow there so we artificially fertilize it, forcing it to grow. Once it does grow however, we then cut and prune it back essentially hindering the growth it has been forced to do.
The book finishes by explaining how to put eco-effectiveness into practice. One of the examples they use was when designing a factory for Herman-Miller William McDonough wanted to give the factory a feeling of being outdoors. They designed it with trees in the interior and skylights that would light the factory up like being outdoors. The employees in the factory were much happier and job performance reflected that. The chapter explains the five steps to eco-effectiveness. 1. get "free of" known culprits. Explaining that getting rid of harmful chemicals is the first step in becoming more eco-effective. 2. Follow informed personal preferences. The authors explained about how William sent lists to manufacturers whose products they were considering, wanting them to list everything that was used in the production of the product. Then making informed decisions based on the materials and processes involved in making them. 3. Creating a "passive positive" list. Now that the materials and processes have been categorized they could start to determine what materials would be toxic or contain toxic chemicals that could off gas into the air. 4. Activate the positive list. They explain this is where the idea of being less bad turns into being good, by using materials that are non-toxic, non polluting and can be completely recycled. Finally step 5. Reinvent. Using what they now know the designers can rethink the design in a way to be truly eco-effective.
The overall theme of Cradle to Cradle, is one of learning how to coexists with our environment. Humans for centuries have used up our resources without regenerating them. This book is a good first step into rethinking how we live, work, consume, dispose and regenerate our resources. William McDonough & Michael Braungart have given people a blueprint on how to be eco-effective. In our society of over consumption and waste, it is about time we start using it.
Chapter one focuses on how we've come to our cradle to grave way of thinking. The chapter starts by explaining how the Industrial Revolution would look if someone were to design it today. It talks about how that design would include all the waste the Industrial revolution has produced and how that may look on paper. It goes on to explain that the people responsible for the Industrial Revolution didn't have these intentions in mind but that all the waste was an unfortunate by product. Chapter one also explains how we are considered consumers but how we don't actually consume things. Humans use products and then throw them in a fake "away". The chapter explains that we as humans don't actually throw thing away because there is no away. Trash goes somewhere. "Away" is usually a landfill which continually get bigger and bigger until there is a need for a new landfill. "Away" can also be an incinerator which pollutes the air with toxic chemicals. Some things are so toxic they can't be incinerated or thrown in a landfill so they have to be buried, basically locked away, so as not to harm people. one of the most interesting subjects in chapter one is the idea of how we rip out native vegetation and replace it with vegetation that is not native which then needs to be fertilized in order to grow. The problem is these fertilizers run off into our water supplies, wetlands, lakes and streams. The reason I found this interesting is, I worked for a landscaping company whose work consisted, mainly of new built subdivisions. It always amazed me that companies were tearing down trees, woodlands or farmlands to pop up these cookie cutter homes and then we would come in and replace the vegetation. Frank Lloyd Wright, who was a major environmentalist, said when asked why he chose to build a house into a hill as opposed to on it, that if he build the home on the hill you loose the hill. This kind of thinking draws many parallels with the ideas in Cradle to Cradle. With a little thinking we can build in a way where we don't have to strip away.
Chapter two deals with the idea of how being less bad, is not a solution. two really interesting points in chapter two deals with our over consumption. The first was from a 1973 book by Fritz Schumacher titled Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. In it Schumacher states, "The idea of unlimited economic growth, more and more until everybody is saturated with wealth, needs to be seriously questioned. The problem with unlimited growth is there are limited resources so the idea of unlimited growth is a fantasy. The second point is how recycling is just a band-aid to the problems of over consumption. This is the main theme of chapter two. Recycling is more popular that ever but the problem is that recycling doesn't actually recycle as much as it downcycles. Not all recycled products can be reused as the product if came from. Steel from car frames, for instance, when melted down cannot be used to make new car frames. The reason is because in order to melt down the steel other metals from the car are getting melted down as well. The Steel becomes weaker so now the metal has to be used for something else. eventually the steel will become unusable. The same goes with plastics and paper. There are only so many cycles these materials can go through before just ending up in the land fill. Even though recycling is not a bad idea, there needs to be better ideas of how to cut back on consumption and waste. One question chapter two made me think of when discussing the subject of commerce and companies that pollute. In the book they talk about monstrous hybrids. Companies are forced to comply to regulations to control pollution but these regulations are a one size fits all way of dealing with the problem. The question I pose is could this be one reason companies move factories to third world countries? Out side of the benefit of cheap labor, moving these companies to small countries gets the pollution off our shores and then companies don't have to deal with the regulations.
Eco-effectiveness is the subject of chapter three and they return to the subject of the book and the materials and design incorporated in it. In the introduction, the authors explain that the book is not a tree. The book was designed in a way so it can be completely recycled instead of downcycled. First the book is made from a non-toxic plastic which is sturdy enough to be reused as a book. The ink is a non-toxic in that can be removed with a non-toxic washing process. The glue holding the pages together is like wise, non-toxic. the book is also waterproof which would be doubly beneficial if you wanted to read the book at the beach. The book is a good example of eco
Chapter four deals with the problems of waste and how we can return our wastes into the earth as opposed to discarding them. The chapter explains we have had to develop synthesized fertilizers in order to grow crops. these fertilizers become runoff and pollute our waters. Our products are designed to be replaced. In our consumer culture companies depend on people continually buying products. For this reason products are designed to last just long enough for consumers to want a new one. The old products get discarded and become waste. The chapter talks about a products life cycle and how we can rethink the designs so the materials can be reused. I found this chapter interesting for two reasons one, the idea that we continually buy products only to replace them is one I find hard to understand. Even though I'm guilty of this I find it ridiculous. I'm an Apple fan but, every time Apple introduces a new ipod, people feel they need it, even though they may already have one. My current ipod is a second generation ipod. It still has a scroll wheel, a black and white screen and is big. It works, and so I don't feel I need to buy a new fancy touch screen one. Consumers do feel they have to replace it though and we throw the others away.
Chapter five starts with a great point about tearing down our natural surroundings only to be replaced with things that were never meant to be there. It goes on to discuss how we have to learn to live with all the diverse species surrounding us. This chapter reminded me of the bio-mimicry video we watched. In that video it is explained that species can live in harmony, even thrive off of each other, and we should use that as a blueprint in living in harmony with our surroundings. This chapter also revisited the problem of removing native vegetation only to be replaced with vegetation that was never meant to grow there so we artificially fertilize it, forcing it to grow. Once it does grow however, we then cut and prune it back essentially hindering the growth it has been forced to do.
The book finishes by explaining how to put eco-effectiveness into practice. One of the examples they use was when designing a factory for Herman-Miller William McDonough wanted to give the factory a feeling of being outdoors. They designed it with trees in the interior and skylights that would light the factory up like being outdoors. The employees in the factory were much happier and job performance reflected that. The chapter explains the five steps to eco-effectiveness. 1. get "free of" known culprits. Explaining that getting rid of harmful chemicals is the first step in becoming more eco-effective. 2. Follow informed personal preferences. The authors explained about how William sent lists to manufacturers whose products they were considering, wanting them to list everything that was used in the production of the product. Then making informed decisions based on the materials and processes involved in making them. 3. Creating a "passive positive" list. Now that the materials and processes have been categorized they could start to determine what materials would be toxic or contain toxic chemicals that could off gas into the air. 4. Activate the positive list. They explain this is where the idea of being less bad turns into being good, by using materials that are non-toxic, non polluting and can be completely recycled. Finally step 5. Reinvent. Using what they now know the designers can rethink the design in a way to be truly eco-effective.
The overall theme of Cradle to Cradle, is one of learning how to coexists with our environment. Humans for centuries have used up our resources without regenerating them. This book is a good first step into rethinking how we live, work, consume, dispose and regenerate our resources. William McDonough & Michael Braungart have given people a blueprint on how to be eco-effective. In our society of over consumption and waste, it is about time we start using it.
Friday, May 13, 2011
J07 Peer Dialogue 03
I thought David G's letterforms were really good, but what I like about them the most were the descriptions. If you haven't seen them you can find them here:
http://djgdesign200.blogspot.com/2011/05/a04.html
I also thought Shaama's letters were really good and I thought she had a good point when deciding not to identify her letters.
http://shaamasdesign.blogspot.com/2011/05/alphabet-hunt.html
In Mike Freeze's course reflection he talks about education and he makes two good points. The first, "I watched throughout my education as so many of my friends were medicated just so that they would sit down and "learn." That is learn to think in a way that is against their very patterns of thinking." I grew up in the generation just prior to this and can only think of one person who we knew to be medicated. Back then it was taboo to be on medication for say Attention Deficit Disorder. I don't even think it was called that back then. We referred to it as Hyper activity. In any case one can really draw parallels to the emergence of A.D.D. and the popularity of video games, Internet, DVDs and cell phones. The second point Mike makes that I agree with is, "My mother lives under the paradigm, "do what you love and success will follow." I believe in this too but my problem lies in educational systems telling people that they need to follow a very specific path, and now more than ever (thanks to technlogy) we are expected to do more than ever so we have no time to find what we really love."
Ricardo's letters were really good especially the lowercase "i" check them out here:
http://rar44331-design200.blogspot.com/2011/05/assignment-04-letterform.html
I also agree with Ricardo's course reflection about the guest speakers, I too found their visits to be beneficial to me. check that out here:
http://rar44331-design200.blogspot.com/2011/05/course-reflection-03.html
In Sarah Howard's reading reflection of the intro to Cradle to Cradle she tells about a recent trip to Bolivia and how her experience there reminded her of William McDonough's experiences in Japan. I really like the point she makes when she says, "This really made me think about how careless I was with my time, my resources, and my diet because of the so readily available products always in front of me. As a society we have used design in a way that has made us in a lot of respects really lazy."
I agree that we as American's take many things for granted including, clean drinking water, readily available food supplies and our time. I think one of the overall themes in Design 200 has been to use design thinking as a way to solve problems. One of the greatest handicaps we have in the states is we are not faced with many of the problems other countries face. Not that we don't have our share of tragedy and a need for good solutions to new problems. It's just a good example of going out and seeing the world and to experience life in someone else shoes. Then we can truly stop taking things for granted.
http://djgdesign200.blogspot.com/2011/05/a04.html
I also thought Shaama's letters were really good and I thought she had a good point when deciding not to identify her letters.
http://shaamasdesign.blogspot.com/2011/05/alphabet-hunt.html
In Mike Freeze's course reflection he talks about education and he makes two good points. The first, "I watched throughout my education as so many of my friends were medicated just so that they would sit down and "learn." That is learn to think in a way that is against their very patterns of thinking." I grew up in the generation just prior to this and can only think of one person who we knew to be medicated. Back then it was taboo to be on medication for say Attention Deficit Disorder. I don't even think it was called that back then. We referred to it as Hyper activity. In any case one can really draw parallels to the emergence of A.D.D. and the popularity of video games, Internet, DVDs and cell phones. The second point Mike makes that I agree with is, "My mother lives under the paradigm, "do what you love and success will follow." I believe in this too but my problem lies in educational systems telling people that they need to follow a very specific path, and now more than ever (thanks to technlogy) we are expected to do more than ever so we have no time to find what we really love."
Ricardo's letters were really good especially the lowercase "i" check them out here:
http://rar44331-design200.blogspot.com/2011/05/assignment-04-letterform.html
I also agree with Ricardo's course reflection about the guest speakers, I too found their visits to be beneficial to me. check that out here:
http://rar44331-design200.blogspot.com/2011/05/course-reflection-03.html
In Sarah Howard's reading reflection of the intro to Cradle to Cradle she tells about a recent trip to Bolivia and how her experience there reminded her of William McDonough's experiences in Japan. I really like the point she makes when she says, "This really made me think about how careless I was with my time, my resources, and my diet because of the so readily available products always in front of me. As a society we have used design in a way that has made us in a lot of respects really lazy."
I agree that we as American's take many things for granted including, clean drinking water, readily available food supplies and our time. I think one of the overall themes in Design 200 has been to use design thinking as a way to solve problems. One of the greatest handicaps we have in the states is we are not faced with many of the problems other countries face. Not that we don't have our share of tragedy and a need for good solutions to new problems. It's just a good example of going out and seeing the world and to experience life in someone else shoes. Then we can truly stop taking things for granted.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
J06 - Online Scavenger Hunt
Links to five websites of manufacturers or retailers of outdoor camping or recreation products:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.
http://www.thenorthface.com/
http://www.cabelas.com/
http://www.coleman.com/
http://www.gandermountain.com/
http://www.dickssportinggoods.
http://www.thenorthface.com/
http://www.cabelas.com/
http://www.coleman.com/
http://www.gandermountain.com/
Links to five websites of manufacturers or retailers of indoor home goods:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/
http://www.anolon.com/cs/
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.
http://www.williams-sonoma.
http://www.cb2.com/
http://www.anolon.com/cs/
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.
http://www.williams-sonoma.
http://www.cb2.com/
A working definition of an indoor home good would be:
Any product inside the home designed to make household tasks easier and manageable.
Three examples:
CR03
In class 9 we had a short lecture covering two subjects. Color and Communication was the first. This was a great discussion and touched on many of the things I'm learning in design 310. The subject of color in design in an interesting one because of how many roles color plays. Color can set a mood, it can help dictate how something is viewed, it can create hierarchy and it can be used to help communicate.
The subject of color has been studied extensively by people such as Josef Albers and Johannes Itten, both of whom I've had the opportunity to study. Both Albers and Itten were interested in the psychological aspects of color. They were also interested in how the eye and the mind perceive color. In his color study called Homage to the Square Josef Albers studied the effects color had on the eye. His squares, which he painted using pure non tinted paint, would show how our perception of pure color can change when placed on different colors.
Our color discussion also covered branding and how companies use color for recognition and to convey a message. BP for instance wants people to think they are environmentally conscious so not only is their logo a flower but a green and yellow flower. McDonald's uses yellow and red in their logo, not only because, these colors are recognizable but they also invoke a strong appetite.
After our color discussion we covered legal issues as they pertain to designers. From writing contracts to getting patents the legal side of design can be a daunting subject. Having a legally binding contract is necessary to keep either party from getting cheated. In the discussion we talked about the five main parts of a contract: The Deliverables - what exactly is being produced, The Persons involved - how many people will be working on the project, Time - how long the project will take to complete, Budget - how much the project will cost and Exclusions - what the designer won't deliver. One good point in the discussion on contracts was stating exactly what work will be done in order to avoid being asked to complete extra or unnecessary work.
Moving on to patents we discusses the two types of patents, utility patents which cover mechanical, chemical and biological innovations and design patents. Utility patents are good for 20 years and design patents are good for 14. We discussed the argument of should you patents and the reasons for or against it. For instance a lot of time and money is involved in writing a patent.
We next discusses trademarks and copyrights. Trademarks protects a name, word, symbol or device. They must be registered and are good as long as the company uses it. Copyrights protect documents such as music, art, photos or film from being used by others without consent. In our digital age copyrights are hard to enforce and with newer media and file sharing programs it is becoming harder.
After the lecture we watched a movie called Rip!: A Remix Manifesto, which we finished in class 10. I think this movie was a perfect way to continue the discussion of copyrights. In the movie a musician named Girl Talk uses digital sampling of other artists music to create new songs and the movie discusses his legal rights to do so. It also covers the history of copyright in the United States. I found this movie interesting because of the arguments for allowing musicians, such as Girl Talk, to sample songs to create new songs. I especially like the argument of how Walt Disney borrowed or completely stole ideas from others when creating his first movies and then after he died the Disney corporation helped change copyright laws so no one else could do the same thing. One could argue that we get new ideas from what has been done before but if we are not allowed to borrow those past ideas how can we create new.
Getting back to the subject of sampling or downloading music, most of us remember Napster and what happened to it, but what I find hard to understand is why a band would want to sue over intellectual property when distributing it to more people could be beneficial. I think it was Rob Zombie who said he didn't care if people were downloading his songs for free if it meant more people would become fans and in turn come to his shows.
In classes 11 and 12 we had guest speakersfrom Design Circle, who gave us a background on their activities and information about the design program at OSU. The second was from Cobego. They gave us a short background on work they have done and talked about their experiences at OSU. I think both classes were beneficial in getting students prepared for what to expect next in the design program.
The subject of color has been studied extensively by people such as Josef Albers and Johannes Itten, both of whom I've had the opportunity to study. Both Albers and Itten were interested in the psychological aspects of color. They were also interested in how the eye and the mind perceive color. In his color study called Homage to the Square Josef Albers studied the effects color had on the eye. His squares, which he painted using pure non tinted paint, would show how our perception of pure color can change when placed on different colors.
Our color discussion also covered branding and how companies use color for recognition and to convey a message. BP for instance wants people to think they are environmentally conscious so not only is their logo a flower but a green and yellow flower. McDonald's uses yellow and red in their logo, not only because, these colors are recognizable but they also invoke a strong appetite.
After our color discussion we covered legal issues as they pertain to designers. From writing contracts to getting patents the legal side of design can be a daunting subject. Having a legally binding contract is necessary to keep either party from getting cheated. In the discussion we talked about the five main parts of a contract: The Deliverables - what exactly is being produced, The Persons involved - how many people will be working on the project, Time - how long the project will take to complete, Budget - how much the project will cost and Exclusions - what the designer won't deliver. One good point in the discussion on contracts was stating exactly what work will be done in order to avoid being asked to complete extra or unnecessary work.
Moving on to patents we discusses the two types of patents, utility patents which cover mechanical, chemical and biological innovations and design patents. Utility patents are good for 20 years and design patents are good for 14. We discussed the argument of should you patents and the reasons for or against it. For instance a lot of time and money is involved in writing a patent.
We next discusses trademarks and copyrights. Trademarks protects a name, word, symbol or device. They must be registered and are good as long as the company uses it. Copyrights protect documents such as music, art, photos or film from being used by others without consent. In our digital age copyrights are hard to enforce and with newer media and file sharing programs it is becoming harder.
After the lecture we watched a movie called Rip!: A Remix Manifesto, which we finished in class 10. I think this movie was a perfect way to continue the discussion of copyrights. In the movie a musician named Girl Talk uses digital sampling of other artists music to create new songs and the movie discusses his legal rights to do so. It also covers the history of copyright in the United States. I found this movie interesting because of the arguments for allowing musicians, such as Girl Talk, to sample songs to create new songs. I especially like the argument of how Walt Disney borrowed or completely stole ideas from others when creating his first movies and then after he died the Disney corporation helped change copyright laws so no one else could do the same thing. One could argue that we get new ideas from what has been done before but if we are not allowed to borrow those past ideas how can we create new.
Getting back to the subject of sampling or downloading music, most of us remember Napster and what happened to it, but what I find hard to understand is why a band would want to sue over intellectual property when distributing it to more people could be beneficial. I think it was Rob Zombie who said he didn't care if people were downloading his songs for free if it meant more people would become fans and in turn come to his shows.
In classes 11 and 12 we had guest speakersfrom Design Circle, who gave us a background on their activities and information about the design program at OSU. The second was from Cobego. They gave us a short background on work they have done and talked about their experiences at OSU. I think both classes were beneficial in getting students prepared for what to expect next in the design program.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
RR02
In chapter 7 of Design A Very Short Introduction, John Heskett talks about design relating to Identities. Heskett defines identity as such, "a deliberate attempt by individuals and organizations, even nations, to create a particular image and meaning intended to shape, even pre-empt, what others perceive and understand." He goes on to talk about the various identities and the people or groups that use them. Starting with individuals Heskett explains how people have a perceived identity of themselves and an identity they want to project towards others. As an example he talks about how advertising plays into this concept by helping people develop an image of themselves they think they should have and thus exploiting those Identities. This is an excellent point as most clothing manufacturers use this idea of lifestyle to sell their products. In our consumer based society the best way to sell people another pair of pants or another shirt is not to talk about the item but to show people the lifestyle they could have wearing the item. The same could be said for alcoholic beverages. In advertisements for these beverages most companies show people the lifestyle they could have consuming a particular companies beverage over another. All of these examples are exploiting the fact that we as individuals have a personal perception of ourselves.
Heskett next discusses identities of countries. The most obvious aspect of this identity is the use of flags to add a sense of identity and pride to a country. There are other examples though of identity not related to a countries standards. One example Heskett uses is the story of when the United Kingdom replaced the iconic red telephone booths that were part of the British landscape since 1936. British people were outraged because the red booths were part of that countries identity. Another example could be the design of the clothing worn by athletes in the Olympics. Countries try to distinguish themselves by creating a unique identity in the uniforms. This helps the athletes feel part of a team and gives them pride to want to do their best.
But the biggest example of identity, one could argue, is corporate identity. Heskett explains that when companies started off small there was no need for an identity but, as companies grew and expanded to new markets and locations the need arose to have an identifier that employees and customers could relate to. Examples of this can be seen everywhere we look today. Companies spend millions of dollars on the design of corporate identities so people will, one, have an easy way to identify the company, two, give a perception of the company and three make it easily recognizable. Heskett makes a good point when he discusses the difference between identity and image. Heskett uses FedEx and their logo redesign as an example and says the logo is the identity but the image the company wants to convey is one of speedy reliable service. If the company can't provide this then the identity is, in a way, useless.
This chapter really helped me see the importance of design to identity but also taught me that a good identity must be backed up with reliable service and dependability. If it is not then it's just a good design.
Chapter 8 talks about systems. When discussing design we all can see the tangible things, advertisements, products and spaces to name a few. But another form of design can be found in the design of systems. This aspect of design is becoming more popular with the introduction of information systems. Heskett's point on the spread of technical infrastructure systems and the electric supply in California in 2000 is an interesting one. The Idea that these systems are not, typically designed with future use in mind is amazing to me and a good example of how we should apply design thinking to future infrastructure and power system designs. Take the roadways of Columbus for example, more specifically the old I-70/I-71 split. When first designed the roadway could handle the traffic load but as time went on and more and more people were commuting to work from the suburbs the roadway started to become congested to the point of being ineffective. Future design of these systems should take into consideration growth.
Another point along those same lines was in dealing with public transportation systems and how to navigate them. This part was interesting to me because I ride the bus. The system used by Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) to help navigate the bus lines, I feel, is not a good system. With maps that are confusing and schedules that don't make much sense, at first glance, it is easy to see why people may be uncomfortable using public transportation in Columbus. As a way to rethink the design, COTA should keep in mind the design should be easily understandable to everyone to the point of being intuitive.
Cradle to Cradle - Introduction
In the introduction of Cradle to Cradle William McDonough paints an all too real and very scary picture of a typical family sitting around their house enjoying activities of several kinds. This family may consider themselves to be environmentally conscious but as McDonough explains may be surrounded by very toxic materials that can be damaging to the environment and to their health as well. This introduction is a great way to grab our attention and prepare us for the subjects ahead. The ideas and problems McDonough discusses in the introduction are mind blowing, for instance how a chromium factory in Europe only employs people over 50 years of age because the chemicals the plant uses take up to 20 years to cause cancer and the workers would be retired by then.
Both William McDonough and co author Michael BraungartMcDonough is an architect while Braungart is a chemist. Both have strong feelings toward the environment, McDonough grew up in Japan and their environmentally minded culture and Braungart was a member of the Green Party in Germany.
I think this book will be interesting as the whole subject of the environment and being environmentally conscious is becoming more important. I look forward to reading the ideas of McDonough and Braungart and learning more about solutions to environmental problems.
Heskett next discusses identities of countries. The most obvious aspect of this identity is the use of flags to add a sense of identity and pride to a country. There are other examples though of identity not related to a countries standards. One example Heskett uses is the story of when the United Kingdom replaced the iconic red telephone booths that were part of the British landscape since 1936. British people were outraged because the red booths were part of that countries identity. Another example could be the design of the clothing worn by athletes in the Olympics. Countries try to distinguish themselves by creating a unique identity in the uniforms. This helps the athletes feel part of a team and gives them pride to want to do their best.
But the biggest example of identity, one could argue, is corporate identity. Heskett explains that when companies started off small there was no need for an identity but, as companies grew and expanded to new markets and locations the need arose to have an identifier that employees and customers could relate to. Examples of this can be seen everywhere we look today. Companies spend millions of dollars on the design of corporate identities so people will, one, have an easy way to identify the company, two, give a perception of the company and three make it easily recognizable. Heskett makes a good point when he discusses the difference between identity and image. Heskett uses FedEx and their logo redesign as an example and says the logo is the identity but the image the company wants to convey is one of speedy reliable service. If the company can't provide this then the identity is, in a way, useless.
This chapter really helped me see the importance of design to identity but also taught me that a good identity must be backed up with reliable service and dependability. If it is not then it's just a good design.
Chapter 8 talks about systems. When discussing design we all can see the tangible things, advertisements, products and spaces to name a few. But another form of design can be found in the design of systems. This aspect of design is becoming more popular with the introduction of information systems. Heskett's point on the spread of technical infrastructure systems and the electric supply in California in 2000 is an interesting one. The Idea that these systems are not, typically designed with future use in mind is amazing to me and a good example of how we should apply design thinking to future infrastructure and power system designs. Take the roadways of Columbus for example, more specifically the old I-70/I-71 split. When first designed the roadway could handle the traffic load but as time went on and more and more people were commuting to work from the suburbs the roadway started to become congested to the point of being ineffective. Future design of these systems should take into consideration growth.
Another point along those same lines was in dealing with public transportation systems and how to navigate them. This part was interesting to me because I ride the bus. The system used by Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) to help navigate the bus lines, I feel, is not a good system. With maps that are confusing and schedules that don't make much sense, at first glance, it is easy to see why people may be uncomfortable using public transportation in Columbus. As a way to rethink the design, COTA should keep in mind the design should be easily understandable to everyone to the point of being intuitive.
Cradle to Cradle - Introduction
In the introduction of Cradle to Cradle William McDonough paints an all too real and very scary picture of a typical family sitting around their house enjoying activities of several kinds. This family may consider themselves to be environmentally conscious but as McDonough explains may be surrounded by very toxic materials that can be damaging to the environment and to their health as well. This introduction is a great way to grab our attention and prepare us for the subjects ahead. The ideas and problems McDonough discusses in the introduction are mind blowing, for instance how a chromium factory in Europe only employs people over 50 years of age because the chemicals the plant uses take up to 20 years to cause cancer and the workers would be retired by then.
Both William McDonough and co author Michael BraungartMcDonough is an architect while Braungart is a chemist. Both have strong feelings toward the environment, McDonough grew up in Japan and their environmentally minded culture and Braungart was a member of the Green Party in Germany.
I think this book will be interesting as the whole subject of the environment and being environmentally conscious is becoming more important. I look forward to reading the ideas of McDonough and Braungart and learning more about solutions to environmental problems.
Friday, April 29, 2011
J05 Peer Dialogue 2
I spent the afternoon reading through many of the blogs from class, something I really haven't done yet. The last time I pretty much stuck to the Kings club which I'm sure I will do for this assignment as well. I am glad I took the time to look over some of these blogs because I'm finding some interesting stuff about my classmates.
The first blog I wanted to mention was Zack_S' blog. I love the idea of giving your postings different song titles. Reading all these blogs can be sort of monotonous. Not because there is nothing interesting in them but because we are all blogging about the same things. I think adding the song titles not only makes Zack's blog unique but also breaks up some of the monotony. One suggestion may be, don't tell us the artist and maybe we can guess in our peer dialogue posts. If you haven't read his blog and you do read mine you should check it out:
http://dsgn200spof2011.blogspot.com/
The next blog I found was Shannon Catron's. First of all it's called Chewbacca's Corner which is, quite possibly the BEST title for a blog ever! Second, Shannon is looking to major in Visual Communications which is my major. Right there are two reasons to like this blog, a potential VC major who is a star wars fan. But the thing that really sold me was the Fresh Prince-esq introduction. Again if you haven't seen this blog check it out, good stuff.
http://getzeegroveon.blogspot.com/2011/04/ay-getting-to-know-shamwow.html
Oh and one more thing... really cool found face
On to the Kings!
I like Sarah Howard's course reflection post, especially her interest of the impact of design on the environment. She said, "If as a whole society we focused more energy and efforts innovating and problem solving issues of serious importance than designing pointless items that don’t really do much but look nice I wonder how much different life would be." I like this point because I think this has been the overall theme of the class, using design thinking to change the way we do things for the better and not repeating the mistakes of the past. She ends this post with another really good observation, "Most importantly it will take the efforts of the masses and successful intervention and innovation will require the participation of all."
In Ricardo's first peer dialogue he says, "I like to travel and I think we all should travel to different places and just broaden ourselves and be open to different cultures." I love this point and am glad he said it. I too think everyone should broaden their view of the world. When speaking to one of the design professors on campus I asked him what a person should do to help develop their skills as a designer, to which he replied, "learn a new language, go to that country and see how they do it differently than we do." This conversation has always stuck with me. If we truly want to expand ourselves we need to experience, first hand, how other cultures live, act, work etc.
In Mike Freeze's blog he talks about the lecture on the design process and says of it, "I was a little surprised by the way it was described because I always imagined it to be a much more fluid and free process. But I then discovered that – like many things – the process is unique to each person, company, etc." I too was surprised by the process IDEO uses to develop a design solution. It seemed to me like organized chaos. It's almost as if IDEO throws everything they know about a product or system into the mix and what they do is filter out the most important aspects of it.
Finally some of my favorite found faces:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChsjGGGx0ayiAX6Ykj2xslQwaKQBKL6u7ZLOZjfF6C2VgVWn0AUIQ19-wRoXcS7WoGvcfY6-V1B4DnHQIy5Y449b4GaBeVtfdZ17shQWnwZmzPzf7FZSxoKaUarV9qQRgYN_YeKNWrfI/s1600/mms_picture+%25287%2529.jpg - like this one because I too own a mazda 3.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxBNQ0BSLRBlC0ekOcaLroNn6tzMOxTyXCS3ytRGRbXW65u1pZ8Ee3JILKAlh-WQLyU2dTg-w5AV8dQ6lBScNaV6Adwi4Ha9-1oXY6Ho7o7toxIggO7uoKsfA0ieSe4Jf1la0UcAyxdQ/s1600/DSC01806.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_FrTRD8RvxrRXGbma4i-UpE899m4i1JVK1XJbV6rY2UGUV2qrqhhslD05hw9-52W9qq9ayWqwCSLCGt9pqWWuvy83h1E0EqgQiyZmpjh8n_AnZ59BValJJtG1uwfJ9W17h1L24crOmbd/s1600/CIMG1889.JPG - this one almost looks like a character from the simpsons.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg59ZHmmM0_cMAD3G6ZXnMo7IfWZ1U76QyEw8qn23Qw-ezi0kTxrDz28ruAI2eGr5VNFZVjOr8GRyGsrIHu30qhtggxCwgMstsv1LvdGGMOFoJnFJiVffVoYpnS2lEMSI3dw_KVIqCNg8/s1600/042111095245.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zLzDpUJL1uB_uRlBITXHBeYWR8Do5SR-yOm5b5VNHVOmNYuphYOojCvyi4CHOCGT135a5oSaHnzDAMw6gQfgis3PguMUMQK1VYb8XvG_yPwOJCXTM6F8P4J_-8chQXVKmH_V5cZIxw/s1600/garage+door+opener.jpg
The first blog I wanted to mention was Zack_S' blog. I love the idea of giving your postings different song titles. Reading all these blogs can be sort of monotonous. Not because there is nothing interesting in them but because we are all blogging about the same things. I think adding the song titles not only makes Zack's blog unique but also breaks up some of the monotony. One suggestion may be, don't tell us the artist and maybe we can guess in our peer dialogue posts. If you haven't read his blog and you do read mine you should check it out:
http://dsgn200spof2011.blogspot.com/
The next blog I found was Shannon Catron's. First of all it's called Chewbacca's Corner which is, quite possibly the BEST title for a blog ever! Second, Shannon is looking to major in Visual Communications which is my major. Right there are two reasons to like this blog, a potential VC major who is a star wars fan. But the thing that really sold me was the Fresh Prince-esq introduction. Again if you haven't seen this blog check it out, good stuff.
http://getzeegroveon.blogspot.com/2011/04/ay-getting-to-know-shamwow.html
Oh and one more thing... really cool found face
On to the Kings!
I like Sarah Howard's course reflection post, especially her interest of the impact of design on the environment. She said, "If as a whole society we focused more energy and efforts innovating and problem solving issues of serious importance than designing pointless items that don’t really do much but look nice I wonder how much different life would be." I like this point because I think this has been the overall theme of the class, using design thinking to change the way we do things for the better and not repeating the mistakes of the past. She ends this post with another really good observation, "Most importantly it will take the efforts of the masses and successful intervention and innovation will require the participation of all."
In Ricardo's first peer dialogue he says, "I like to travel and I think we all should travel to different places and just broaden ourselves and be open to different cultures." I love this point and am glad he said it. I too think everyone should broaden their view of the world. When speaking to one of the design professors on campus I asked him what a person should do to help develop their skills as a designer, to which he replied, "learn a new language, go to that country and see how they do it differently than we do." This conversation has always stuck with me. If we truly want to expand ourselves we need to experience, first hand, how other cultures live, act, work etc.
In Mike Freeze's blog he talks about the lecture on the design process and says of it, "I was a little surprised by the way it was described because I always imagined it to be a much more fluid and free process. But I then discovered that – like many things – the process is unique to each person, company, etc." I too was surprised by the process IDEO uses to develop a design solution. It seemed to me like organized chaos. It's almost as if IDEO throws everything they know about a product or system into the mix and what they do is filter out the most important aspects of it.
Finally some of my favorite found faces:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChsjGGGx0ayiAX6Ykj2xslQwaKQBKL6u7ZLOZjfF6C2VgVWn0AUIQ19-wRoXcS7WoGvcfY6-V1B4DnHQIy5Y449b4GaBeVtfdZ17shQWnwZmzPzf7FZSxoKaUarV9qQRgYN_YeKNWrfI/s1600/mms_picture+%25287%2529.jpg - like this one because I too own a mazda 3.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxBNQ0BSLRBlC0ekOcaLroNn6tzMOxTyXCS3ytRGRbXW65u1pZ8Ee3JILKAlh-WQLyU2dTg-w5AV8dQ6lBScNaV6Adwi4Ha9-1oXY6Ho7o7toxIggO7uoKsfA0ieSe4Jf1la0UcAyxdQ/s1600/DSC01806.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_FrTRD8RvxrRXGbma4i-UpE899m4i1JVK1XJbV6rY2UGUV2qrqhhslD05hw9-52W9qq9ayWqwCSLCGt9pqWWuvy83h1E0EqgQiyZmpjh8n_AnZ59BValJJtG1uwfJ9W17h1L24crOmbd/s1600/CIMG1889.JPG - this one almost looks like a character from the simpsons.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg59ZHmmM0_cMAD3G6ZXnMo7IfWZ1U76QyEw8qn23Qw-ezi0kTxrDz28ruAI2eGr5VNFZVjOr8GRyGsrIHu30qhtggxCwgMstsv1LvdGGMOFoJnFJiVffVoYpnS2lEMSI3dw_KVIqCNg8/s1600/042111095245.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zLzDpUJL1uB_uRlBITXHBeYWR8Do5SR-yOm5b5VNHVOmNYuphYOojCvyi4CHOCGT135a5oSaHnzDAMw6gQfgis3PguMUMQK1VYb8XvG_yPwOJCXTM6F8P4J_-8chQXVKmH_V5cZIxw/s1600/garage+door+opener.jpg
Monday, April 25, 2011
A03 - Hunting down design
For this assignment Mike Freeze, Ricardo Roberson and I researched the questions together. After answering the initial questions we walked around campus and took pictures of the locations and items we needed. I found the project interesting and a good chance to get to know the other members of the kings club.
1. The Barcelona Chair - Mies van der Rohe - 1929
The Barcelona Chair was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exposition. Mies designed the chair for the Spanish Royalty to sit in during the opening ceremonies for the exposition, and based the design on Roman folding chairs.
2. The Eames Rocker - 1948
The Eames Rocker was designed by Charles and Ray Eames. It was molded out of a single piece of fiberglass re-enforced plastic with metal legs and maple rockers. The chair is sold by Herman Miller. The magazine Mike is reading is an Italian Architectural Magazine called Urbanistica.
3. The Wexner Center
The Wexner Center for the arts was designed by Peter Eisenman and opened in 1989. The building was the first ever commercial project by Eisenman. The building's angles are a reflection of the differences in layout of the city streets of Columbus compared to the layout of the streets on campus which are different by 12.25 degrees. Parts of the movie Little Man Tate staring Jodi Foster were filmed at the Wexner Center.
4. The Math Tower
The Math Tower was one of two buildings designed by Philip Johnson and opened in 1993. An interesting aspect of this building is Johnson's use of huge curving arches in the design. But even more interesting is the doorway (pictured above) and the Juxtaposition of the triangular arrow next to the curving arch.
5. The William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library
The Main Library on Campus was renovated in 2006 and reopened in 2009. The renovation of which Acock & Associates worked on, cost $109 million dollars. Upgrades included technical upgrades. According a Columbus Dispatch article dated August 3, 2009 some librarians wanted to do away with the book stack towers but then president Karen Holbrook decided to save them for symbolic value.
CR02 Classes 5-8
Monday April 11th, 2011 - Class 5
In Class 5 we discusses the design process which included methodology and the different types of processes used. The basic overview of the design process can be broken down into five steps: 1. Define the problem, 2. Research the problem, 3. Design cycle, 4. Production, 5. Evaluation.
Define the problem: means to simply state the problem that is in need of a solution. This can include, scope of the project, budget, intended users. The point of this step is to discuss and understand every aspect of the project, this way the designer will not have to make changes down the road for aspects of the job that were not realized.
Research: In this step the designer will research to develop an understanding of the market, codes and legal issues, the client and the user. This step is necessary so the designer knows everything they need to complete the project.
Design cycle: This is the step in the process where the designer will develop concepts and refine them, usually working closely with the client. The Client may offer feedback on the design, tell the designer what they like or dislike or may tell the client to start over. Once the designer and client agree on the design the designer will revise or refine it until they have a final prototype to present to the client.
Production: Once the project enters the production stage the designer will work closely with the manufacturer, printer or builder to make sure what is produced is exactly what the client wants.
Evaluation: Now that the product or space has been produced or built the designer evaluates the design and gets feedback in order to understand if the project was successful. Did the product solve the problem it intended to, are there parts that can be improved or did it create new problems.
The Deep Dive. We finished the lecture with a short film on the company IDEO and their design process. In the film IDEO is given the grueling task of designing a shopping cart that solves the problems of the standard shopping cart, is cheaper to build and friendlier to use by a larger demographic. They are given a 5 day timeline to do this. It was amazing to see the process which IDEO used to, first, identifying the problem and then throwing out different ideas for solutions which IDEO refers to as The Deep Dive. One of the most amazing aspects of the film was how a group as large as the one IDEO had working on the shopping cart project could work together without egos getting in the way. It was a great film to show so the class could better understand the design process.
Wednesday April 13th, 2011 - class 6
In class 6 we discusses designing for accessibility. With more and more people becoming disabled today the idea that everyone no matter the disability should be granted access is becoming more important. The range of disabilities is so great that many new ideas of how to access is also necessary. With visual impairments, audio impairments and mobility issues, designers need to include these people in the discussion when developing a design. This, not only, includes access to buildings but also products and visual designs as well.
The discussion covered ADA which is the Americans with Disabilities Act which states a person should be granted easy access to buildings no matter what the disability. By using ramps to gain entry or door knobs that don't require the dexterity of working hands designers can solve these problems and allow disabled people to enter and use buildings more effectively.
We discusses designing products for universal usage. The concept of Universal Design is to develop products or spaces that can be easily accessed by everyone, no matter the disability.
We finished this lecture with a short film on the development of a smart wheel chair called Hot Wheels. The designer behind the Segway developed an incredible wheel chair which will help the user walk up stairs, or raise to standing height to pick things off of a high shelf. The wheel chair was also designed to be mobile on surfaces standard wheel chairs aren't, like sand and stones. I liked this film because it was a great way to show how design and design thinking can be used to solve problems in our society.
Monday April 18th, 2011 - Class 7
In class 7 we were paired up into our face value groups and sent on a scavenger hunt around campus. My group consisted of Mike Freeze and Ricardo Roberson. We were given five clues which we had to answer and then had to walk around campus and take pictures of the answers to those clues. I liked this assignment because it gave us a chance to work as a team and use problem solving skills but also gave us a chance to get to know the campus as well.
Wednesday April 20th, 2011 - Class 8
We discusses environmental and green design issues in class 8. This was one of my favorite lectures. What I like about this lecture is that it brings us back to the ideas of using design thinking to solve problems and how design is becoming big again. These ideas were briefly touched upon in our first class and I wanted to discuss them further.
By using design thinking we are starting to develop solutions that can benefit people in third world countries. In our country, most of us take for granted our access to health care, clean drinking water and food. In many small countries people are not that lucky but, by utilizing the design process we can develop cheap solutions to help third world countries gain access to the things we take for granted.
We were also introduced to William McDonough one of the authors behind the book Cradle to Cradle which we will be reading in class. His TED talk was amazing especially his ideas of how to rethink the building of cities. His talk coupled with the discussion by Janine Benyus on Biomimicry was a great example of how we can stop wasting our resources and use design to build sustainable products and cities. The Idea in Biomimicry was that animals and insects have been living with their environment and not living in their environment for ages so, we could take examples from nature on how to utilize our resources in a way to live with our environment.
We finished the lecture with two short films highlighting two products developed to solve two important problems in third world countries. Both products were cheap to develop, extremely mobile and solved their specific problem. The first was a water bottle that can filter out even the smallest bacteria to give people clean drinking water where they may not have access to it. The other was a wrap designed to keep premature babies warm so they have the chance to develop, designed for people who may not have access to expensive incubators.
In Class 5 we discusses the design process which included methodology and the different types of processes used. The basic overview of the design process can be broken down into five steps: 1. Define the problem, 2. Research the problem, 3. Design cycle, 4. Production, 5. Evaluation.
Define the problem: means to simply state the problem that is in need of a solution. This can include, scope of the project, budget, intended users. The point of this step is to discuss and understand every aspect of the project, this way the designer will not have to make changes down the road for aspects of the job that were not realized.
Research: In this step the designer will research to develop an understanding of the market, codes and legal issues, the client and the user. This step is necessary so the designer knows everything they need to complete the project.
Design cycle: This is the step in the process where the designer will develop concepts and refine them, usually working closely with the client. The Client may offer feedback on the design, tell the designer what they like or dislike or may tell the client to start over. Once the designer and client agree on the design the designer will revise or refine it until they have a final prototype to present to the client.
Production: Once the project enters the production stage the designer will work closely with the manufacturer, printer or builder to make sure what is produced is exactly what the client wants.
Evaluation: Now that the product or space has been produced or built the designer evaluates the design and gets feedback in order to understand if the project was successful. Did the product solve the problem it intended to, are there parts that can be improved or did it create new problems.
The Deep Dive. We finished the lecture with a short film on the company IDEO and their design process. In the film IDEO is given the grueling task of designing a shopping cart that solves the problems of the standard shopping cart, is cheaper to build and friendlier to use by a larger demographic. They are given a 5 day timeline to do this. It was amazing to see the process which IDEO used to, first, identifying the problem and then throwing out different ideas for solutions which IDEO refers to as The Deep Dive. One of the most amazing aspects of the film was how a group as large as the one IDEO had working on the shopping cart project could work together without egos getting in the way. It was a great film to show so the class could better understand the design process.
Wednesday April 13th, 2011 - class 6
In class 6 we discusses designing for accessibility. With more and more people becoming disabled today the idea that everyone no matter the disability should be granted access is becoming more important. The range of disabilities is so great that many new ideas of how to access is also necessary. With visual impairments, audio impairments and mobility issues, designers need to include these people in the discussion when developing a design. This, not only, includes access to buildings but also products and visual designs as well.
The discussion covered ADA which is the Americans with Disabilities Act which states a person should be granted easy access to buildings no matter what the disability. By using ramps to gain entry or door knobs that don't require the dexterity of working hands designers can solve these problems and allow disabled people to enter and use buildings more effectively.
We discusses designing products for universal usage. The concept of Universal Design is to develop products or spaces that can be easily accessed by everyone, no matter the disability.
We finished this lecture with a short film on the development of a smart wheel chair called Hot Wheels. The designer behind the Segway developed an incredible wheel chair which will help the user walk up stairs, or raise to standing height to pick things off of a high shelf. The wheel chair was also designed to be mobile on surfaces standard wheel chairs aren't, like sand and stones. I liked this film because it was a great way to show how design and design thinking can be used to solve problems in our society.
Monday April 18th, 2011 - Class 7
In class 7 we were paired up into our face value groups and sent on a scavenger hunt around campus. My group consisted of Mike Freeze and Ricardo Roberson. We were given five clues which we had to answer and then had to walk around campus and take pictures of the answers to those clues. I liked this assignment because it gave us a chance to work as a team and use problem solving skills but also gave us a chance to get to know the campus as well.
Wednesday April 20th, 2011 - Class 8
We discusses environmental and green design issues in class 8. This was one of my favorite lectures. What I like about this lecture is that it brings us back to the ideas of using design thinking to solve problems and how design is becoming big again. These ideas were briefly touched upon in our first class and I wanted to discuss them further.
By using design thinking we are starting to develop solutions that can benefit people in third world countries. In our country, most of us take for granted our access to health care, clean drinking water and food. In many small countries people are not that lucky but, by utilizing the design process we can develop cheap solutions to help third world countries gain access to the things we take for granted.
We were also introduced to William McDonough one of the authors behind the book Cradle to Cradle which we will be reading in class. His TED talk was amazing especially his ideas of how to rethink the building of cities. His talk coupled with the discussion by Janine Benyus on Biomimicry was a great example of how we can stop wasting our resources and use design to build sustainable products and cities. The Idea in Biomimicry was that animals and insects have been living with their environment and not living in their environment for ages so, we could take examples from nature on how to utilize our resources in a way to live with our environment.
We finished the lecture with two short films highlighting two products developed to solve two important problems in third world countries. Both products were cheap to develop, extremely mobile and solved their specific problem. The first was a water bottle that can filter out even the smallest bacteria to give people clean drinking water where they may not have access to it. The other was a wrap designed to keep premature babies warm so they have the chance to develop, designed for people who may not have access to expensive incubators.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
J04 Found Faces
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| 1. My Car. |
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| 2. Door Knob. I can almost see it start to talk like a Disney character |
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| 3. Space Heater. Happy to keep me warm. |
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| 4. Outlet. The first and most obvious face (and most popular in all the blogs) |
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| 5. Stapler Strike Plate |
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| 6. Antique Stereo and my favorite face |
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| 7. The Sad Toilet |
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| 8. Tub Faucet. |
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| 9. Scary USB face. |
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| 10. Ceiling at work. |
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