Kang, Hae Lin
http://liah90.blogspot.com/
Bailey, Mitchell
http://mbailey3255374.blogspot.com/
Chiang, Wesley
http://thatssoeames.blogspot.com/
De Graaf, Simon
http://www.z3337777.blogspot.com/
Gu, Yuliang
http://guyuliang1990.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 25, 2010
UPCYCLING
For this project, I used magazine as my material. Magazines are easy to obtain, and once you have finished reading the magazines, they usually become rubbish. This is why I think magazine is a very suitable material for this project. Almost all household have magazines inside their houses, and once in a while, they would just pile them up together and throw them in a recycle bin. I think that this is such a waste, as magazine can be quite useful even after being read.
In order to manipulate the material, I've decided to cut them, fold them and roll them up. The original methods is to roll them with pencil. But I decided to measure them correctly and cut them, to get the consistency in thickness. I also roll them into a solid form, with no gaps in each roll, so that it's more sturdy, although it does make it heavier. Then I compile them together using PVA glue into the shape that I desired.
I decided to make them in different diameters, so that it gives pattern to the product. It also helps giving forms so that it's not symmetrical, and the small pieces helps fill in the gaps to make it stronger. The different colour on every roll, I believe is the beauty of the material, and it enriches the aesthetic value of the design.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Design For Life
In this series of evocative videos, Phillipe Starck exposes his philosophies on his designs. Stark talks about usefulness and sustainability in designs, and how design should help to have a better life. Disguised as a reality show, participants engaged in such a manner to expose Stark's ideals. During the video, Starck keeps implying to the contestant how design should be sustainable. However, at the same time, design has also got to be beneficial to the society.
I find it very interesting how Stark kicked out designers, because they were just trying to please Stark, even though their designs are good. I think this is a very important lesson for us, uni student, to think about why we chose to design. We do not design to please our tutors.
Blunt with lots of criticism, Starck's evaluation of useless products were illustrated by ipod cases and their irrelevance to real world issues stirred the contestants. Harsh as it might sound. But it's a harsh truth of the industrial designer and mass production in this world.
But what I think is the important thing in this video was to realise the story behind the product. Finding out about why it was made and the story behind it. Another part of it was also to find out the ending of the story. By understanding these things in designing products, thus we can design for life, knowing where the product will go in the end.
Last but not least, I have to say that this video reminds me of my own studio life here in UNSW.
I find it very interesting how Stark kicked out designers, because they were just trying to please Stark, even though their designs are good. I think this is a very important lesson for us, uni student, to think about why we chose to design. We do not design to please our tutors.
Blunt with lots of criticism, Starck's evaluation of useless products were illustrated by ipod cases and their irrelevance to real world issues stirred the contestants. Harsh as it might sound. But it's a harsh truth of the industrial designer and mass production in this world.
But what I think is the important thing in this video was to realise the story behind the product. Finding out about why it was made and the story behind it. Another part of it was also to find out the ending of the story. By understanding these things in designing products, thus we can design for life, knowing where the product will go in the end.
Last but not least, I have to say that this video reminds me of my own studio life here in UNSW.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Peer Comments
Leo Chan:
http://leoriginalchan.blogspot.com
Xenon Zoltaszek
http://zen-industrialdesign.blogspot.com/
Chloe Uy
http://chloeanddesign.blogspot.com/
Adara Taista
http://adarataista.blogspot.com/
Jock Sinclair
http://idesweblog.blogspot.com/
http://leoriginalchan.blogspot.com
Xenon Zoltaszek
http://zen-industrialdesign.blogspot.com/
Chloe Uy
http://chloeanddesign.blogspot.com/
Adara Taista
http://adarataista.blogspot.com/
Jock Sinclair
http://idesweblog.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 20, 2010
Gary Hustwit: Objectified
After watching this video, I was very surprised by the complicated process of a design. Design is so much more than what I used to thought. I never realized how much thoughts are put into a product by a designer. The philosophy behind it, the connection of a product to its market, and so on. It's not only about the function and aesthetic.
When we design, we have to think about what the market wants. How they're going to interact with it, and the message has to be clear, what and how to use the product. This video shows that when a product clear and easier to understand, people react to it more positively. And when a design is confusing, we have proven in class how annoying it can be.
Sometimes we are oblivious of products around us. We never realized how complicated the process of a design. We never put in thought the consideration designers put into a product. Design isn't just about solving problems. Designs reacts to the user and creates connection with the users.
This video has open my eyes as how exactly the process of a good design is. It is so much more complicated than just a sketch and research.
When we design, we have to think about what the market wants. How they're going to interact with it, and the message has to be clear, what and how to use the product. This video shows that when a product clear and easier to understand, people react to it more positively. And when a design is confusing, we have proven in class how annoying it can be.
Sometimes we are oblivious of products around us. We never realized how complicated the process of a design. We never put in thought the consideration designers put into a product. Design isn't just about solving problems. Designs reacts to the user and creates connection with the users.
This video has open my eyes as how exactly the process of a good design is. It is so much more complicated than just a sketch and research.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Story of Stuff
In this video, we as the viewers are forced to see the reality behind the process of stuff. It might be quite cynical in perhaps an extreme level, but what Leonard was trying to say is the ironic truth of it.
Leonard mentioned first, that the system consists of extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal, which are known as the material economy. I've known and understand these processes, however, what came next was what surprised me. The cycle doesn't end just there. There are many other explanations in between, and they are not really pleasant.
In the extraction phase, Leonard nicknamed it as "natural resource exploitation", and it's basically "trashing the planet". I agree with Leonard that the world has been damaging the planet too much, by chopping down the trees, extracting metals, bottled water and wiping the animals. And I believe that the problem Leonard mentioned about the US isn't happening only in the US, but everywhere in the world. And the abuse of the third world countries resources is unreasonable. It is the resource which belongs to other countries and the US isn't entitled to it.
In the production phase, Leonard emphasized how chemical substance are used, resulting in a toxic in and toxic out. I do know that chemical substance are used in production system, but I don't think that they are all as bad as Leonard said it. Some materials can't be processed without chemical substance, and that is why corporate tested those chemical substance for their side effect and safeties. They are not necessarily bad. But we do need to do something about the pollution caused by production process.
In the distribution phase, Leonard talked about the hidden cost within a product. She mentioned how she bought a radio for $4.99 and how ridiculously cheap it was. She claimed that the she didn't pay for the radio. It was the third world countries who paid for it by their natural resources, and their underaged employees. I don't fully agree with her arguments, though it is very ironic how children has to work for such small amount of money, and how cheap things are in other third world countries. However, by mass producing a product, the cost of it will be reduced. Especially when the production uses machines, which saves time and labour cost.
Leonard called consumption as the heart of the system, and how desperate both the government and the corporations thrive to protect it. Leonard was perhaps most cynical in explaining this phase. She mentioned that consumerity in the world were designed after WWII, to help boost the economy. Computers are changing so fast, people throw away computers in the same speed. However, she overlooked the fact that more advanced technology are designed to be more sustainable. It uses less energy, parts that can be recycled and so on. And you can't really say that consumerity is bad. Imagine if people stop buying products, what would happen to the employees? Maybe the resources can be preserved more, but what about those people in the third world countries who struggle to earn money.
And that brings us to the last phase, disposal. As mentioned before, corporation have been researching for years about sustainability. By using material which can be recycled, we can reduce the waste.
I think Leonard explained things very well in this video. It was very simple and easy to understand with the help of graphics, a bit cynical though. But don't be fooled by the cuteness of the graphics. Hear the ironic truth about the underside of production and consumption patterns.
Leonard mentioned first, that the system consists of extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal, which are known as the material economy. I've known and understand these processes, however, what came next was what surprised me. The cycle doesn't end just there. There are many other explanations in between, and they are not really pleasant.
In the extraction phase, Leonard nicknamed it as "natural resource exploitation", and it's basically "trashing the planet". I agree with Leonard that the world has been damaging the planet too much, by chopping down the trees, extracting metals, bottled water and wiping the animals. And I believe that the problem Leonard mentioned about the US isn't happening only in the US, but everywhere in the world. And the abuse of the third world countries resources is unreasonable. It is the resource which belongs to other countries and the US isn't entitled to it.
In the production phase, Leonard emphasized how chemical substance are used, resulting in a toxic in and toxic out. I do know that chemical substance are used in production system, but I don't think that they are all as bad as Leonard said it. Some materials can't be processed without chemical substance, and that is why corporate tested those chemical substance for their side effect and safeties. They are not necessarily bad. But we do need to do something about the pollution caused by production process.
In the distribution phase, Leonard talked about the hidden cost within a product. She mentioned how she bought a radio for $4.99 and how ridiculously cheap it was. She claimed that the she didn't pay for the radio. It was the third world countries who paid for it by their natural resources, and their underaged employees. I don't fully agree with her arguments, though it is very ironic how children has to work for such small amount of money, and how cheap things are in other third world countries. However, by mass producing a product, the cost of it will be reduced. Especially when the production uses machines, which saves time and labour cost.
Leonard called consumption as the heart of the system, and how desperate both the government and the corporations thrive to protect it. Leonard was perhaps most cynical in explaining this phase. She mentioned that consumerity in the world were designed after WWII, to help boost the economy. Computers are changing so fast, people throw away computers in the same speed. However, she overlooked the fact that more advanced technology are designed to be more sustainable. It uses less energy, parts that can be recycled and so on. And you can't really say that consumerity is bad. Imagine if people stop buying products, what would happen to the employees? Maybe the resources can be preserved more, but what about those people in the third world countries who struggle to earn money.
And that brings us to the last phase, disposal. As mentioned before, corporation have been researching for years about sustainability. By using material which can be recycled, we can reduce the waste.
I think Leonard explained things very well in this video. It was very simple and easy to understand with the help of graphics, a bit cynical though. But don't be fooled by the cuteness of the graphics. Hear the ironic truth about the underside of production and consumption patterns.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Design Excellence: ORWell Fluid Collection and Disposal System
This product was made to ease surgical fluid waste collection and disposal. It utilizes a single-use disposal container, which makes it convenient and sterile. It prevents the fluid waste from spilling and exposure, which is commonly found in other fluid waste products. The design itself is quite simple, easy to handle and it boasts a third of weight compared to other fluid waste system. The upside of this product I found is the portability which makes it effectively used in hospital.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Don Norman: Emotional Design
In this video, David Norman discusses the emotional response people have when they interact with products. The responses can be categorized into three levels, visceral, behavioral and reflective. Visceral response is basically the impression we have related to the product's aesthetic values. Behavioral response is how people feel about the product's utility and usability. And reflective response, which relates to our personal identity, how we think a product will fit in for us.
Alessi is a very good example for this subject. Alessi creates household products we can easily find in stores such as Target or Kmart, but they brought it up to the next level by making it pleasant looking as if it's a piece of art. The Phillipe Starck gold lemon juicer noted in the video wasn't a juicer at all. It even comes with a warning that it's not meant to be used. But Norman highlighted how pleasant it was to have the juicer, even thought it's not functioning, just sitting there in his house.
The mini cooper car is very popular. It's fun, playful, colourful, cute, stands out, to put it in two words, aesthetically pleasant. I've ridden on a mini cooper, and truthfully speaking, it's not comfortable at all. It's cramped, it's hard to get into the back seat, it doesn't have much storage area, yet I still forgive it just because it's a mini cooper.
I was very entertained by the video, and I completely agree with Norman's view on aesthetically good design. One of the reasons why I chose to study Industrial Design and not Engineering is because I care more about the aesthetic feature rather than the functional feature. I do believe that functional features are important, but the first impression I have on a product is always the aesthetic value. Even if a product has a very advanced technology and usability, I wouldn't buy it if I don't see it as a piece of design, rather a functional junk.
I believe that it is our job as a designer to create a functional product and enjoyable at the same time. Or as in Philippe Starck gold juicer case, it might as well be only aesthetically enjoyable but not functional. By making a product more enjoyable, the users can interact more with it, and develop perhaps a bond with the product. We might be having trouble at work, but when we come home and see a product we really like sitting on the table, we develop a smile and think of how fun it is to use the product. This kind of experience should be something we consider when we design a product, the pleasantness of the product.
Remember, we're designers, not scientists.
Alessi is a very good example for this subject. Alessi creates household products we can easily find in stores such as Target or Kmart, but they brought it up to the next level by making it pleasant looking as if it's a piece of art. The Phillipe Starck gold lemon juicer noted in the video wasn't a juicer at all. It even comes with a warning that it's not meant to be used. But Norman highlighted how pleasant it was to have the juicer, even thought it's not functioning, just sitting there in his house.
The mini cooper car is very popular. It's fun, playful, colourful, cute, stands out, to put it in two words, aesthetically pleasant. I've ridden on a mini cooper, and truthfully speaking, it's not comfortable at all. It's cramped, it's hard to get into the back seat, it doesn't have much storage area, yet I still forgive it just because it's a mini cooper.
I was very entertained by the video, and I completely agree with Norman's view on aesthetically good design. One of the reasons why I chose to study Industrial Design and not Engineering is because I care more about the aesthetic feature rather than the functional feature. I do believe that functional features are important, but the first impression I have on a product is always the aesthetic value. Even if a product has a very advanced technology and usability, I wouldn't buy it if I don't see it as a piece of design, rather a functional junk.
I believe that it is our job as a designer to create a functional product and enjoyable at the same time. Or as in Philippe Starck gold juicer case, it might as well be only aesthetically enjoyable but not functional. By making a product more enjoyable, the users can interact more with it, and develop perhaps a bond with the product. We might be having trouble at work, but when we come home and see a product we really like sitting on the table, we develop a smile and think of how fun it is to use the product. This kind of experience should be something we consider when we design a product, the pleasantness of the product.
Remember, we're designers, not scientists.
Monday, August 2, 2010
David Kelley on Human-Centered Design
It's actually really hard to believe that this video was made in 2002, seeing how innovative and futuristic those designs were. All the designs were each heavily influenced by humanity, all of the designs were meant to ease human in their activities. Kelley has proven that designs are quite human centered in a sense, and that the presentation of the product itself is very important.
Prada - Liquid Crystal
I was very impressed by the changing room idea, and I believe that it will become a pioneer in the fashion world. By using the scanner and posting the information of the item on screen, it will help customers knowing the item. It's also great that they implemented the scanner inside the changing room, with a touch screen option. And along with that, the idea of having the liquid crystal mirror was truly creative. That way, customers can actually know every detail of what is it that they're buying.
Museum - Screen
The moving screen inside the museum was a fairly simple idea, but I believe that it adds enjoyments for visitors for the museum to see other people's thoughts, and also speaking their own thoughts.
Cubicle
This was another project I found very interesting. When I saw the cubicle what came to my mind was that it was going to make working more fun. And I believe that a person's mood very much affect the way they work. So having a happy worker is much better then a grumpy worker. And the withering flowers are just icing on the cake.
Spyfish
I don't like diving, but I love the beauty of nature. And when I saw the spyfish, i feel like now I don't have to watch discovery channel so much anymore. I think it is a great design for people like me, who would like to see the life inside the water, without having to dive. It also gives a new option for people to enjoy life underwater without having to disturb or pollute the actual ecosystem.
It is very refreshing to see a designer such as Kelly who, not only has a great sense of humour, but also cares for the environment. Design not only needs to be aesthetically well made, but it also has to function well for humanity, and I think that Kelley has set an example of how to make good working designs. And it opens our eyes to the many possibilities that can be made into designs by linking the designs to the changing and different needs for people from different places and times.
Prada - Liquid Crystal
I was very impressed by the changing room idea, and I believe that it will become a pioneer in the fashion world. By using the scanner and posting the information of the item on screen, it will help customers knowing the item. It's also great that they implemented the scanner inside the changing room, with a touch screen option. And along with that, the idea of having the liquid crystal mirror was truly creative. That way, customers can actually know every detail of what is it that they're buying.
Museum - Screen
The moving screen inside the museum was a fairly simple idea, but I believe that it adds enjoyments for visitors for the museum to see other people's thoughts, and also speaking their own thoughts.
Cubicle
This was another project I found very interesting. When I saw the cubicle what came to my mind was that it was going to make working more fun. And I believe that a person's mood very much affect the way they work. So having a happy worker is much better then a grumpy worker. And the withering flowers are just icing on the cake.
Spyfish
I don't like diving, but I love the beauty of nature. And when I saw the spyfish, i feel like now I don't have to watch discovery channel so much anymore. I think it is a great design for people like me, who would like to see the life inside the water, without having to dive. It also gives a new option for people to enjoy life underwater without having to disturb or pollute the actual ecosystem.
It is very refreshing to see a designer such as Kelly who, not only has a great sense of humour, but also cares for the environment. Design not only needs to be aesthetically well made, but it also has to function well for humanity, and I think that Kelley has set an example of how to make good working designs. And it opens our eyes to the many possibilities that can be made into designs by linking the designs to the changing and different needs for people from different places and times.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
My Design Career
Ever since I could remember, I had always been passionate with art, specifically music and design. My mother enrolled in music and art course since I was in kindergarten and it has become a big part in my life. I do enjoy other school subjects like science and maths, but I just couldn't bring myself to imagine having a future (career) in those area. As art isn't very respected in my home country, when I entered year 11, I begged my parents to send me overseas to pursue my art, but they told me that I was too young and that I should wait until I finish high school. However, when I finished high school, I suddenly got cold feet and the thought of being overseas by myself scared me. Instead, I enrolled in a university in my home town and studied politics. But after undergoing politics for a year, I had enough. My art passion resurfaced and again, I begged my parents to let me go overseas. Luckily, my parents were very supportive and they said that they knew I wouldn't have succeeded in politics anyway.
So I began searching for schools through education agents all around. And I finally decided to go to Australia. I was offered a few universities by my agent, and one of them was UNSW. I read through the booklet, and found out that UNSW has a few design course. The reason I chose Industrial Design was because not only it has design class, but also commerce and ergonomics. And it also consists of hand-drawn designs, model making and computing designs. And I believe that those features will help me in my future life as a designer. And I chose UNSW because it is very well known for its quality of university, teachers and student.
I have seen my parents' friends who are involved in a design career, and I have to say that I would prefer working in a small firm rather a massive mass producing companies. Because I can see them interacting with their clients and producing a design piece that matters to the clients, and not just economically valued designs in thousands of quantities. I would like to be able to connect my designs to my clients and it will be a piece created not just by me, but also by my client.
So I began searching for schools through education agents all around. And I finally decided to go to Australia. I was offered a few universities by my agent, and one of them was UNSW. I read through the booklet, and found out that UNSW has a few design course. The reason I chose Industrial Design was because not only it has design class, but also commerce and ergonomics. And it also consists of hand-drawn designs, model making and computing designs. And I believe that those features will help me in my future life as a designer. And I chose UNSW because it is very well known for its quality of university, teachers and student.
I have seen my parents' friends who are involved in a design career, and I have to say that I would prefer working in a small firm rather a massive mass producing companies. Because I can see them interacting with their clients and producing a design piece that matters to the clients, and not just economically valued designs in thousands of quantities. I would like to be able to connect my designs to my clients and it will be a piece created not just by me, but also by my client.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Shape of Scent
My bottle of perfume. The perfume was fresh scented and one of the words we put down from our brain storm was morning. So I used the idea of a morning dew. And another word we put down was trees, and dew is commonly found on leaf , so I joined the two together. But instead of having the dew on top of the leaf, I put it the other way around as if the leaf is protecting the dew (also for another word warm from our list). And I was thinking that the leaf also serves as the button for the perfume. So you press down the leaf and the perfume will come out of the hole (tiny dot on the second picture). The colour of the leaf would be dark green, as the perfume is quite strong, and the dew would a gradation of orange with the strongest colour on top like a sunshine.P.S. the perfume was Versace for woman
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)