Peer Comments

Ginny Kwok
http://ginnykwok.blogspot.com/2011/10/glamour-hanging-light-upcycled.html?showComment=1318997941178#c7463280980224048570

Kirstie Cocokios 
http://kirstiecocokiost.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycling-lamps.html?showComment=1318998399765#c198816181961469595


Christine Liang
http://mad-attic.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycling-project-2.html?showComment=1318998891995#c62199356271705760977

Kevin Peng
http://kevinpeng3373311.blogspot.com/2011/10/blossom-light-shade.html?showComment=1318999427165#c5428660031953611552

Vivian Ngo
http://vindustriald.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-rationale.html?showComment=1318999885736#c4340621861972959565

Rationale

‘Upcycled Utility’, the aim of my design for this project is to express how recycled material can be used to create sophisticated and elegant pendant mood lighting. I wanted to accentuate both the fluidity and the rigidness of the material (polypropylene) and by creating this lighting design, it allows me to playfully produce a somewhat literate form of a beehive, which paradoxes how something (the material)that’s so artificially man made can depict to the notion of nature. Originally I wanted to re create the conventional design of the lamp shade, this form intrigued me and by trialling with various folding techniques with the polypropylene I was able to construct the conventional ‘lamp shade’. With the intense foldings they create depth and form , I was intending to create a tower however felt that too much material was being used and was uncertain about how the connections of each shade would. Although I liked that Idea, I continued to expand and delve deeper on the shape and folds applied. Before hand the material I was testing with was more rigid and hard, making the forms more rigid, however in the final role of polypropylene softer/thinner thus creating the more fluid form.Eventually over trial and error I was able to create a more elegant and simplistic form, which was more environmentally efficient as it used less material, and thus capable to make numerous lights out of one single sheet.

Instructions

Project 2 Upcycled Utility

Bill Moggridge: What is design?

Bill Moggridge: What is Design?

Bill Moggrigde’s “What is Design” establishes the broad spectrum of what ‘design’ can be. Throughout his talk, Moggridge describes the variety of ways design can be explored through prototyping, social networking and innovation. Through the process of creating ideas, we are able to construct versatile innovations , and re invent previous creations to adapt to modern society.

Human interaction is a key element to the designing process, we learn by doing and most of what we do is subconscious. We use this for design to harness our attributes and through various methods, learning and analysing are able to provide thoughtful design.

Moggridge states that design is no longer just about creating a product, but now days more about thinking how design creates a feeling of what it is. We explore three significant elements consisting of context, personal and social environment. Rather than just design things today, it has now expanded to health and well being too. We are continually making design more accessible to society, making everything we do more interactive and beneficial.

Social networking, technology allows us to have a greater intertwined connection such as the Tangible Earth Demonstration that communicates using media. The flexi glass earth, is computerised and moves through hand movement gives a whole new dimension of design.

By making design more accessible, such as the social innovation of getting water, they’ve  applied a sustainable book on how to achieve cleaner water. So the design process now has delved to a much deeper level and significant focused on a social impact. Moggridge describes how we continually have sustainable design and yes we should choose materials that save the environment , but we should also look into the greater aspects of renewable energy. Such as the organic insulation made from mycelium which is much more beneficial and made entirely from organic materials.

Design is no longer about just creating new products to be aesthetically appealing, but rather to be explored at a greater aspect on how it can be beneficial socially and environmentally as well.

Peer Comments

Cherrie Fellisia http://cf-indesign.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1-studio-2011-mortar-pestle.html?showComment=1316004069470#c4961784719409898365

Patrick Dunn http://patrickdunnindustrialdesign.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post_8876.html?showComment=1316005737132#c6612689373728188394

Kirstie Cocokios http://kirstiecocokiost.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1316006200259#c8611949832659546661

Oun Vimolpatranon http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6561537982608082039&postID=2757288373634078349&isPopup=true

Kevin Peng http://kevinpeng3373311.blogspot.com/2011/09/potato-peeler.html#comments

Product Poster Usage Storyboard and Hero Shot

Rationale

Rationale

The appearance of an Ice Cream Scoop does not always initiate the feeling and presumption that it is wanted to be picked up and placed in our hand to be used. My redesign of this universally used tool is to create a more pleasurable experience whilst using this typical household instrument. The focus of my design is to initiate our senses both sensually and visually to create a tool that will trigger a feeling of delight and pleasure. Conventionally, ice cream scoops tend to appear like a giant spoon that is chunky and not aesthetically appealing to hold. My intentions for this redesign of an ice cream scoop was to achieve a product unique and unconventional, yet still appealing to the consumer market. I wanted to create an ice cream scoop that initiated a connection and produce the thoughts of what it feels like to have ice cream. I decided to create a cone shape ice cream scoop to illustrate and present a playful connotation of what the utensil would be used for. The simplistic cone structure is made from one sheet of metal (for the appearance model I have used Aluminium) which is then hammered which then forms into a cone structural.  Ergonomically the cone structure can be comfortably and easily held in either hand. Unlike conventional ice cream scoops, the opening mouth of the cone allows easy scooping of the ice cream, even through hard ice cream with ease.  The product would be made of stainless steel as it would achieve and maintain a flawless elegance to it all. Being created from a single template that is then bent and moulded around a cone form, it is much easier for manufacturing as it only consists of a few steps in producing  the product. The Conical Ice Cream Scoop is an unconventional creation of the classic ice cream scoops,  the cone shaped scoop not only is individual but also is playful and appealing to the consumer market.

Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard really delves into a deeper insight of how humans are the main source of initiating all these problems associated around the world. Over time it is in our nature as human to feel the need to continually buy more stuff. There are many continual domino effects starting off with Material Economy which is created by the Government and Cooperation. This then leads to extraction, natural exportation and trashing of the earth. Leonard explains and provides a greater picture on how our earth is rapidly running out of resources, and we are undermining the ability to live here on this earth.

Our modern day society socially accepts that when something breaks too easily it is much better off to by a new one rather than repair it. Our over consumption of products has reduced to a ridiculous amount of waste that is stored or incinerated. When developed countries have used all their room for storing and ‘removing’ waste we ship it off to third world countries. In the long term this does not do any benefits to the earth at all. Either way, the energy used to remove our waste produces heavy amounts of toxic chemicals with synthetic toxics creating toxins out. 80% of the earth’s original forestry has gone, and toxic chemicals are building up through our food chain. The constant loss of local areas, people living in these areas from third world countries are forced to move into society’s large cities and to find jobs working with harsh chemicals.  These chemicals can cause significant damage to the body externally and internally and effect our environment.

Our planet produces way too much pollution, consisting of over four billion pounds of toxic chemicals/year, with this continual outcome, and continual growth of the world’s population are planet may soon longer have not enough resources.

We are a nation of consumers. In the 1950’s, it was designed to ramp up the economy with consumer goods that were ‘planned obsolescence’ ---> designed for the dump. Stuff was cheap so that it would break easily, making us instead of repairing it (because it would be more expensive) we would buy what seemed to be a newer and better improved product. It has become part of our human nature to shop continually, wanting more, getting the latest trends so that we will be valued and accepted into present society. Through studies and research it seems that the more stuff we have the less happy we are. Although we do try to maintain and improve our environment through recycling, not even that is enough. The waste coming out is only the beginning of our problems, the tip of the ice berg. Our system is in crisis, it’s changing our climate and the earth we once had is rapidly disappearing.  Leonard explains it’s time for us to change are initiative, we need labour rights, reclaim, transfer, renew, provide sustainability, equity and green chemistry.

So being an industrial designer, isn’t just about creating something that is aesthetically appealing but we must look at the greater picture as well and remember how what we design and create can be beneficial and sustainable as well.

As Leonard said, “ Old ways don’t happen, people create it. So let’s change it.”

My Design Career and Product Sketching

My Design Career

As a kid, I enjoyed drawing and making arts and crafts. It‘s amazing what you can do with just a few pencils and a piece of paper. Throughout high school one of my favourite subjects was doing visual art. I enjoyed the creative aspect of it, letting our imagination go beyond the usual parameters, there was no right or wrong.  Though at times it seemed that it would take forever to think of a brilliant idea for a project, however once it was done you could would feel content. Most of the times I enjoyed the process of creating works, even though they would be time consuming, seeing the effort and work applied on it was such a good feeling. To design something can be a fun and growing experience. The process is a journey where there are changes and additional/removals of ideas, and the end result may not be as planned, sometimes even better.

After the HSC I still wasn’t certain want I really wanted to do at uni, I even considered doing a science degree but I was always interested in the design/art area. In both areas, they are challenging in their own way. So I decided to take on the degree that required a lot creative thinking.  I chose to do Industrial Design at UNSW because I heard of its more practical approach and here there is greater sense of a ‘uni atmosphere’ (compared UTS...). Hearing about Industrial Design, I was interested in the variety and broad options an Industrial Designer could lead to. The ability to create something to be aesthetically appealing and have a functionality towards the object is what drew me to do this course.  Having gone through first semester, I’ve learned how design is very subjective and initiating an ideas can be a tiring process and that that there will be endless sleepless nights to come

Even though I’m only at the beginning chapter of becoming a designer, the first semester has really broadened my eyes on how significantly important designers can be towards society. I’ve come to notice, practically everything we have around the house or in the street, has gone through the hands of a product designer. Even though sometimes we hardly notice the ergonomics and appearances of the product, I’ve learnt that to become a designer we must go through an extensive process to create something beneficial yet beautiful as well. Whether we’re creating a piece of furniture, or an automotive vehicle, being a designer means to continually improve our products, both  in functionality and aesthetical appeal.

Exhbit Product Sketches

Design Confusion Poster

David Kelly- Human Centred Design

Video Reflection

From what I’ve learned from David Kelly’s ‘Human centred design’ is that product design has gradually evolved to become much less about the hardware but rather about the user experience. Human centred design is an approach to design that involves designing behaviours and personality into products. The creation and process of making the product becomes thoroughly more enjoyable, thus making the job more enjoyable as well.

Kelly describes how time has expanded or knowledge on technology, giving a greater opportunity for designers to expand and delve deeper to in the creation process to allow more sensual pleasures from these products. He describes how technology has furthered the relationship and interaction applied with technology. Through the interaction of video, as the viewer we our able to observe how human centred design can be aesthetically appealing and approachable.

The Prada product, was especially interesting to watch the process of interaction found with retail consumerism and technology. Through use of custom technology, the store became unique, from being just retail one to become one with a cultural role. The RF tags broadens the consumers choices in selection of colour, size and how it would appear on a model. This presentation becomes appealing through interaction and enjoyable.  Through technology advances the process of changing/trying/showing becomes more simpler through liquid crystal displays in the change room. It gets customers questioning ‘is it possible to get changed here?’ but pressing the button we are able to see the instant approval as the panels go from clear to dark. Whilst the ‘Magic Mirror’ that has a 3 second delay, allowing the customer to observe their backside.

Making these products is not just about its purpose but also to appear appealing and enjoyable to part of the experience. Technology initiates interaction as shown this Scuba diving, called 'Spyfish' which provides the beneficials of scuba diving without getting wet. This product is about the experience and the feeling created through this journey. There were two aims in this project, to create a consumer product but not a research tool. By including personalities, behaviours designing through technology and interaction enables consumers to forgot the hardware and appreciate the aesthetics and experience of what the product can bring.

Design Excellence Poster - Golden Circle Chilled Juice Bottle

Reflection

The Golden Circle Chilled bottle trully is an innovative and unique design. Its unconventional aesthetics makes it distinctive from other products marketed. From doing this design poster project I have learned that there is so much depth behind the appearence of the design. The designer especially looks at how a consumer may find the product both appealing and pleasing to feel and touch.

Video Blog- Don Norman: Emotional Design

Don Norman's talk on emotional design has really broadened my perception of  how the aesthetics of design can alter the human mind and 'persuade' us into buying these products. He has emphasised how designer goods can be ironic as he initially stated with Philippe Stark's infamous ‘Juicy Salif’ lemon squeezer. It has become an icon of industrial design, Norman even mentioned that he bought the gold plated edition, though evidently the squeezer could not be used as the citric acid would corrode the gold plating yet the appeal for the product is always there.

Sometimes the presentation can be deceiving and lead the consumer to achieve an emotional attachment towards products, due to its appealing aesthetics and supposed functions. Emotional design makes us as consumers want to buy more, mostly due to its’ appearance, although with the addition of functionality towards the product we begin to value and appreciate the product more.

Norman emphasises we tend to have more appeal towards an object when it becomes ‘neat and fun’. He also implies how emotional design is everywhere, such as the subliminal emotional design created  by the presentation of ‘Google Pages’. The simplicity of the design is subconscious and clever.

Pleasant things seem to work better. By interaction and the appearance of being fun, as Norman referenced that although the New York Times said the mini cooper had lots of faults, buy it anyway. It is because of its appearance that makes it appealing to the buyer, not because of its mechanics.We tend to buy objects not for its content, eg a water bottle for water but rather we buy it because we want the bottle instead, I’ve learnt that this is said to be a visceral experience.

Norman describes how in everyday life, we assert to have a ‘behavourial subconsciousness’ without even knowing it. Behavioural design is about control and his description of the Global Knives emphasised how because of its beautiful sleek appearance and the quality of the blade it has created a ‘sensual feeling’ towards it. Another example was the tilting teapot found at the Four Season's in Chicago, by being able to watch the process of making tea through movement of slowly tilting to an  upright position, we began to appreciate its aesthetics and make tea drinking a thouroughly playful and more pleasurable experience.

The talk by Don Norman has made me released the significance of what emotional design brings. When we’re happy, we tend to work much better and become more creative and thoroughly enjoy the ‘playful’ experience we can have with design.