design sketches

Bill Moggridge – What is Design.

Design is many things, it is mercurial and outrageous, witty and charming and all too often, sad and uninspiring. Everything that is made by human hands, is, for better or for worse, designed.

This fact is why design and especially design that make lives better or is very rational and pragmatic and is ultimately the goal of the thoughtful designer. It is easy to fall into the trappings of just aiming for high design no matter the cost or conversely all function and poor form. This is rapidly becoming an outmoded way of thinking. It is blindingly apparent that Resources are finite, the environment will suffer as a result of our quest for the ideal product and the attitude of companies that the importance of ever increasing profit in this area is paramount.

The argument proposed, is that designer must put themselves into the mindset of the end user. Evaluation whether the design works well in terms of usability, ease and pleasurability of use. When a designer does this, they can the sort through problems and inconsistencies in their designs and these factors will push the designs to become

Good ideas can be hindered by poor decisions in the design phase and the resultant decisions that are made influence the outcome and success of a product. An example is the Internet mobile service that allows mobile phone users to purchase goods and services using the device as a digital wallet. Which is in and of itself a visionary idea, but if the implementation is too difficult to resolve for the end user, then the design will be unsuccessful and not received well.

Minimal material usage and re-usage is playing an ever more important and increasingly prevalent role in the jobs we as designers are required to perform which although it introduces a greater level of complexity to an already difficult and problem filled task it also allows a greater sense of satisfaction that the designs being generated are worthwhile and properly thought out.

When we as designers see an issue that needs resolution we require the ability to think laterally and too tease out all areas and factors of a problem whether or not they confront and challenge our ideals. I see a future for design that is implemented in a similar way that scientists work, being that we must start to rely on evidence to justify the decisions that we make regarding the design of things. Evidence based design. 

Human Centred design _ David Kelley.

David Kelley is attempting to generate a shift in thinking towards how we interact with the designed goods that flood through every avenue of our lives. He sees that in order for design to be successful it must be thought about in terms of how the actual user of the device will interact with it. A “man - machine relationship” and how those relationships are developed. He supports the notion that the successfully designed product is less about the hardware and much more so how the user responds and reacts to it. The company IDEO of which David Kelley is part of wished to commence testing how user experiences shape peoples notions regarding various products they represent for their clients. One area where they discovered areas for improvement were through personalized or customized technologies that were purposely design for the end user. For instance clothing in the Prada store in New York has Radio Frequency Identification tags embedded into their clothing range so that consumers can collect goods from around the store and then access more information regarding the products they have chosen before actually purchasing the items. Another example in the same store was a “magic mirror” which, in-fact is actually a large display and camera that is on a three second delay. This is done so that you can actually see the clothes that you’re intending to purchase from behind.

His ideas are not squarely pigeon holed into one area of product design. His company, IDEO, have also attempted to re-invigorate service and things that generally would overlooked as being not cost effective enough but it’s this attention to detail with in the design of everyday things and utilities that adds a level of richness and narrative to thing that most designers would be attempting to hide away. Behaviors and personalities are being included into products now to achieve the results desired by human – centered design and resultantly becoming more anthropomorphic. The design of user interfaces is a prime example of some thing based in technicality and expectation that the end user must spend a good deal of time attempting to work out how to use the the interface of their gadget, TV remote, phone, etc. This will in time become to be seen as a time of immaturity in design as eventually technology and hardware become increasingly more powerful. But what good can come of it if it is unable to be harnessed by the end user.

My Design Career – Jesiah Davis

I really enjoy designing, more accurately I love a good puzzle and design, to me, seems to be the most fascinating collection of puzzles short of studying science

Being a mature age student in my early thirties and embarking upon change of career change and self-discovery.  I am willing to consider all options and constantly re-assess the direction in which I am heading. As such the aspirations I hold for my career are diverse. Upon leaving my old career behind I realized a few home truths about myself, I knew that: I enjoy learning new things and like to try to think critically about them and that I wanted to learn how to draw!

I am quite inquisitive by nature and it is this part of me that has propelled me towards the Design industry. So far through my education in design which started from doing a 1 yr Design course at Enmore design centre and then two years in a 2yr Diploma of Architectural drafting and now a year of university in Industrial design. I have found that Industrial Design satisfies me most in terms of it allowing me the greatest latitude for opportunities to develop artistically and technically across a broad range of disciplines. Industrial design and other related fields within the built environment me to utilize my skills and technical knowledge acquired from a decade of working as an electronics technician throughout my twenties.

I feel there is a tectonic shift occurring in the way we conduct ourselves in the world and I wish to be part of the new wave of thinkers that will strategize and plan for a more equitable and sustainable future. Or more simply pursue a career that leaves behind marks of quality and work to be proud of. In a more direct sense I think I am gravitating towards mostly wanting to be involved in 3 main fields of interest and they are; Designing Bicycles, Buildings and Digital Media. My reasoning for this is as follows, I have always loved bicycles from the very first ride as a small child and have been fascinated by them ever since. I would love to spend part of my career involved some how with the design and production of bicycles. Secondly I see Digital Media as holding a place within my career, as I am, for all intents and purposes, a digital native and digital media plays an important role in my lifestyle. The scope of possibilities for communication that is held by digital media formats is wide open and only in its infancy. I feel fortunate that I am old enough to have witnessed and to have been shaped as a person by the phenomenally rapid rise of technology over the past 30 yrs. Finally, Buildings. Buildings ignite a fire within my deepest depths. Nothing quite comes close to the amazement I get from well designed buildings. The buildings we inhabit are integral to the shaping of our lives. I see this as a probably being later on in my career through design and also see it as probably being the pinnacle of my career. Architecture and the considerations that lie within the designs of building are perhaps savored better a more mature mind.

Annie Leonard. - The story of stuff:

Annie Leonard presents the story of stuff as a wholistic approach. She outlines the way things are made and consumed and shows the hidden story behind the manufacture of products and the way products we use affect our lives. Detailed in her presentation are many of the hidden processes required to create stuff and how people, resources and the environment, the world over are exploited in order to create this cheap stuff that many people in western civilizations take for granted and worse still actually feel entitled to. This cannot continue, too many toxic chemicals are employed in the manufacture of goods, many of which are neuro-toxic and systemic poisons that have endured no, or very little testing, on humans. The environment is under extreme stress and bio-systems are on the verge of collapse due to the nature of the one-way system  of production of stuff that is currently the standard mode of operation and the endemic mindset that is popular with manufacturing industries.

Leonard elaborates further, showing how the current model of consumer culture and planned obsolescence of the products that we use day to day has shaped our lives into one of servitude. This has happened as a result of working progressively harder year on year in order to get more money in which to buy more stuff, an endless cycle that is manifesting as wide spread dissatisfaction with our lives because of the pursuit of things that don’t necessarily make our lives any better and in many cases may actually cause us harm, in lieu of the things that do actually make our lives better, such as time spent with family and friends. In short more time for leisure and reflection and considered thought that can free us from the shackles of modern life.

Leonard proposes solutions that present us with a more realistic and sustainable model that involves closed loop production, this is a method of production where by the systems employed in manufacturing are mindful of the processes and how they impact on the people and environments in which they are produced. This is achieved through considering the total life of a product from “cradle to cradle’ and how the can dis-assembled broken apart and re used again and again.  These changes will end up being reflected in the price of the goods at the final point of sale where the user will get to understand the true cost of stuff. 

Peer Comments

http://robertvlahovic.blogspot.com/2011/10/light-design-paper-study-models.html?showComment=1318946775567#c5956793650908113076

http://patrickdunnindustrialdesign.blogspot.com/2011/10/normal_5359.html?showComment=1318947290678#c3941923519275997843

http://reza-sazesh.blogspot.com/2011/10/light-design-hero-shot.html?showComment=1318947646351#c1136131975276961318

http://ghinaali.blogspot.com/2011/10/hero-shot.html?showComment=1318948400528#c3673926271745315964

http://z3377160yvonneshaides1031.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcycled-usability.html?showComment=1318948892095#c7988557431991841311

Up-cycling Unwanted materials - Lamp

Experience Enrichment Peer Comments

http://patrickdunnindustrialdesign.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post.html?showComment=1316703024801#c6546197505859463316

http://pamablang.blogspot.com/2011/09/presentation-day.html?showComment=1316703525464#c5995030928787438761

http://darkblender.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment-product.html?showComment=1316703814702#c7428242000860041391

http://robertvlahovic.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheese-grater-has-always-been-rather.html?showComment=1316704154946#c2720955006650276130

http://designingantheasworld.blogspot.com/2011/09/assignment-stuff.html?showComment=1316704793318#c1959517450622014472

Experience Enrichment

I felt a lack of direction on this project with regards to the finalised solution. Many of my ideas for the re-design of a hand tools was rejected by my tutor, so I ended up having to settle on this design and consequently rushing but what student ever is 100% organised...? My product that I settled on is an handheld adaptation of an industrial technology known as an Air Knife. These are only seen in the consumer market currently in the Dyson range of hand dryers and cooling fans.

Rationale:

“M4K” The air knife is a hand tool used for removing particles (liquid or solid) from other surfaces using a precisely controlled pressurized stream of air. The technology adapted for the “M4K” hand tool is adapted from larger industrial applications where Air Knives are currently in common use. The end user would likely find their experience enriched by having access to this technology in a handheld form and would likely result in novel uses being developed in the field

Air Knives are used for cleaning, rapid drying, rapid cooling, static removal and as a general purpose blow off tools.

The preparation of surfaces is vitally important to achieve high quality finishes on products.  Air Knives can be used to sweep and blast trapped debris and dust particles off a surface prior to finer grades of finishing, with reduced potential for damage from cleaning methods that requires physical contact like brushing or wiping.

When creating products and objects it is often necessary to wash and dry them after production. In order to avoid damage to delicate or intricately shaped products, air knives can be used to scrape the water or cleaning fluids away from the object, leaving surfaces free of potentially damaging residues. Usability as a drying tool is extended to the rapid drying of modern paints and coverings that use fewer solvents for environmental protection reasons and resultantly take longer to cure.

Air Knives are often used as an alternative to liquids when cooling down of heated materials after hot processes.

Static build up on plastics, glass, rubber and some textiles creates conditions where in can become difficult to work with these items by causing them to stick together, attract dust and deliver static electric shocks and arcing as the static potential attempts to find earth. Air Knives fitted with a negative ion generating bar can generate a sheet of ions that causes static build up to be dissipated.

The form of the “M4K” was arrived at as a result of many hours of thought and concept development

The “M4K” concept if manufactured, the body and nozzle would be constructed from cast aluminium with natural finish timber handle pieces to lend an element of charm and truth to the materials of this sweeping form 

Design Confusion Poster

Design Excellence Poster

Reflection on Emotional Design talk by Don Norman

Norman suggests through his TED presentation that people react to designs and more over the world, in three ways. Viscerally, behaviourally and emotionally, furthermore he supposes that often the responses are in conflict with each other. Norman is of the opinion that pleasant things, that is, things people find aesthetically pleasing are perceived to work better by the same people whom received joy by observing the objects of they found pleasing. Norman puts forward the example of the redesigned Mini Cooper, in which he proffers the notion that you buy it, not because it is faultless, but because it is enjoyable to be in and drive.
Visceral responses, says Norman, are the ones defined subconsciously about things such as the symmetry of faces or the brightness of colours, or negatively, such events as bitter tastes and loud noises, for which our responses are as a result of our evolution as a species and as such seem to be pre determined.  It is these subconscious responses that give us our fight or flight instincts and what it is that suggests in our own minds whether we find something to be appealing or displeasing. This has implications over other factors, like our ability to get things done, or brainstorm for fresh ideas. When anxious we tend to focus on getting singular tasks completed better because of a process known as "Depth first problem solving" which activates our focus on the tasks to hand and leads to a reduction in the possibilities to be distracted. Where as conversely, when we are happy and have moved to a state of "Breadth first problem solving" we can be more easily distracted but also increase our abilities for abstract thought.
Behavioural responses, according to Norman, also originates subconsciously but is responsible for the actions we take, the example presented is that of skilled behaviours like walking and other carefully controlled activities. In relation to design this response is what makes people enjoy using designed objects, "The feelings of control which includes usability, understanding and also the feel and heft" - Don Norman.
Reflective responses are that of the superego, the part of the brain that has no control over what we do and sense. This response is not unlike an overseer that passes on feedback related to what is experienced Norman suggests it is this that is the seat of consciousness in our minds.
Whether designers ought to see this video or not is entirely subjective and often designers will be intrinsically utilising much or all of the material covered by Norman during his talk, whether realised or not. A stimulating talk that furthers thought on the matter.

IDES1031

Studio 1 begins 19-07-2011

Design Passport

product tree

Environs Project. Postcards.

environs project.

The results of this project were rushed, compiled with a lacklustre group submission that in the end just came across a feeling a little dull. Although maybe not a complete train wreck, I learned a few things from this project. Time management skills are crucial to producing a high standard of work and communicating well in teams really helps to achieve better results. I spent some time there and tried to get the feeling of the place and the impression I got I tried to carry into the work by giving the hard edged kind gritty feeling of black and white photography mixed with the burgeoning new brand of the place due to its new purpose of being a series of artistic performance spaces. I also  got a bit of technical practice in with the usual suspects of Illustrator, Photoshop and an interesting online tool called Wordle to that generates a word cloud with font size that varies in response to how regularly a word appears in a body of text amongst several other controls. moving on!

The Atomic!

The "Atomic" Stove top Coffee Maker.

Although it is a small domestic item of kitchenware, the ‘Atomic’ stove top coffee maker  has nevertheless come to signify the quintessence of postwar Italian design and of the Organic Design movement that emerged from the end of  World War Two. The 'atomic' has attained iconic status. It has survived disputes concerning distribution and intellectual property rights [1] and advances in coffee making technology to remain an enduring contribution to design in the modern era.

Truly an icon, the ‘Atomic’ stove top coffee maker is the embodiment of the Atomic Age and post-war Italian Design. In its halcyon days, this was truly an era of unrivalled expression of natural forms and self expression by industrial designers - the very era that spawned such iconic Italian designs as the Vespa and Lambretta motor scooters, the Arco lamp by Achille Castiglioni and the Fiat 500.[2] 

Patents registered in the United Kingdom and United States of America [3] indicate the ‘Atomic’ stove top coffee maker to have been designed and manufactured by Giordano Robbiati in Milan, Italy from the late 1940’s through to the 1990’s. For its time, the ‘Atomic’ was constructed

primarily of the modern material of aluminium alloy. Italy, Having considerable Bauxite reserves, [4] the primary mineral concerned in the manufacture of aluminium and being one of the countries to pioneer the global use of nuclear energy [5], the abundant energy that is required for the smelting and production of Aluminium was afforded by nuclear power took advantage and created a thriving industry based around this lightweight metal. As discussed in Schnapp’s 2001 essay regarding the romance of aluminium and caffeine, the Italian designers of the day were issued a call to consider the use of Aluminium in new products [6]. The machine has come to symbolise the Atomic Age, a period of design during the 20th Century, born of war, bloodshed and calamitous social experimentation. Shaped by massive exponential advances in science, technology and mass-production, Modern Art and Design during this time appears to have made a significant shift towards more sensuous, naturally occurring form. “Just as hard edged, machine-like imagery had characterised the Inter-war (WW1-WW2)period, softer forms and undulating lines with organic or biological sources defined the most innovative and “modern” art forms of the post war period” [7]. This, perhaps, is a natural response to the omnipresent fear of mutually assured destruction through nuclear holocaust felt by society at that time in history, as a way of feeling comforted and being transported, emotionally at least, to more innocent times.

The Atomic is a design feat that has crafted an object which is at once modern and organic. The design of the ‘Atomic’ is pure modernity with its materials of the industrial machine age, shiny, hard and smooth. It appears to be fashioned from a block of aluminium along with the artful use of bakelite to make touching and using this device a tactile sensation.  This is not just technological ingenuity but a  singular piece of industrial sculpture. It evokes the sinuous flowing lines of Italian marble. It also happens to make coffee, the preferred drink of trendy, socially mobile, ambitious middle classes. Being ergonomic, sculptural and state-of-the-art, the ‘Atomic’ embodies the traditions of Organic Design proponents such as Ettore Sottsass, Ray and Charles Eames and Jorn Utzon [8].

In the kitchens of the trend makers, it was the piece de mileau. Elegant, compact, practical, an object of desire adorning the pages of high end interior fashion magazines and advertising for nearly half a century, the ‘Atomic’ has been synonymous with style and good design sensibilities. No less than a score of iterations and several disputes regarding distribution rights exist surrounding this perky little coffee pot. This despite the fact that the atomic has not been universally regarded for its fine coffee [9].

Post-war industrial designers were looking for ways to bring modern convenience to the home. Although domestic coffee appliances were available at the time, the ‘Atomic’ was able to bring cafe-style coffee to the home, with design sophistication. The elegant single-piece curved design solves several design problems in one: water is heated for percolation and to create steam for milk texturing, whilst also keeping the brewed coffee warm, and facilitates easier cleaning compared with the more common percolator design. The real advance was not that the ‘Atomic’ was a superior method, but that it offered a previously unavailable combination of design features - the trifecta of percolation, steam wand, and good looks in the one device. If not for this combination of design features, the ‘Atomic’ may have languished, regarded as just another percolator.

It is a tribute to the beautiful design that despite these clever features, the ‘Atomic’ is purported to make (by today’s standards) a mediocre cup of coffee [9]. A recent homage to the original design by Otto Espresso Australia, has refined the internal design by incorporating superior pressure at the group-head and reduced heat exposure to the brewed coffee[10]. This redesign along with ongoing original reproductions, validates that there are relatively few modern domestic coffee machines that are so sculpturaly beautiful, uncomplicated and robust.

In summary, the ‘Atomic’ epitomises post-war Italian design and the Organic Design movement with its elegant compound curved shape and sleek appearance. It is a tribute to its sophisticated combination of design features that it is still in production today.

[1] Trade Marks Act (1995) Decision of a Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks With Reasons - Re: Opposition by Irene Notaras to registration of trade mark application 1222669(21) - LA SORRENTINA ATOMIC COFFEE MACHINE - filed in the name of Jack Grieve.

http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/pdfs/trademarks/hearings/1222669_decision.pdf

[Accessed 11.10am 02-05-2011]

[2]Atomic Style and Distinction - 30-06-2008.

http://www.bestcafes.com.au/tag/atomic-coffee-maker

[Accessed 9.36pm 30-04-2011] 

[3]Google Patents (1947) Design for a Coffee Maker or Similar Article - Giordano Robbiati et al 

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=Sq1wAAAAEBAJ&dq=giordano+robbiati

[Accessed 11.27am 02-05-2011]

[4] Collier, James E. 1946 Economic Geography-The Aluminium Industry of Europe

Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.1946) Clark University, Boston.

[5]International Atomic Energy Association 2006 2.1.  Historical Development and current nuclear power organizational structure

http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/cnpp2009/countryprofiles/Italy/Italy2006.htm

[Accessed 10.15pm 30-04-2011]

[6] Schnapp, Jeffrey T 2001, ‘The Romance of Caffeine and Aluminum’, Critical Inquiry, Vol. 28, No. 1, Autumn, pp. 244-269

[7] Rapaport, Brooke K & Stayton, Kevin L 2001, Vital forms- American Art and Design in the Atomic Age 1940-1960, Harry N Abrams Inc, New York

[8] http://www.atomic.org.nz/design.html 

[Accessed 10.55pm 30-04-2011]

[9] http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1274336931/26 

[Acessed 12.52am 03-05-2011]

[10]Holroyd, Jane, January 26, 2010 Brewing up a business idea

http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/startup/brewing-up-a-business-idea-20100126-mvc1.

[Accessed 1.59am 03-05-2011]

Prisoners of Piranesi!

The objective of this project was to develop our drawing skills. As aspiring Industrial designers the ability to draw is a skill that will pay dividends in our careers and this was a crash course in penmanship. Initially I was terrified of this assignment but actually (once underway) it was quite enjoyable. I spent approximately 60 hrs with pen in hand etching away at this project and whilst the quality of some of my peers work was substantially higher, I felt the result was quite pleasing.

The Deep

Poster Mashup

This is my submitted entry for the IDES1122 poster mashup assignment. I credit, as a key  influence for this work, the UK based street artist "Banksy", whose street art pieces are, I find, highly satirical in their presentation. It was from a more satirical standpoint that I tried to approach this project so that I would end up with an image that was perhaps a little deeper than just a new product in an old picture.

The evocative original painting is by 19th Century Australian artist Frederick McCubbin and is titled "Down on his luck", over-layed  subtly with the logo wrapper of a Nestle Milo tin onto the swagmans cooking pot / billy and in the background a sign signifying this desolate nondescript parcel of the Australian landscape is not to be used for overnight camping. Seeming only to be placed as deterrent for displaced peoples such as himself. The homeless man down on his luck seems to be staring vacantly, full of broken thoughts, at the empty can and fire infront of him. The use of a milo can seemed to me to be more poignant than just as a piece of twentieth century design for a few reasons. 

1. Milo is an Australian icon, as were swagmen but represent ideas dealing with life in this country that could not be further apart or more disparate in the Australian psyche (Energy drinks associated with sporting activities and The homeless). 

2. The size of the can indicates this was a family sized product and perhaps this reminds the man of a lost or troubling past, in which he may have once felt more promise with a family or better tidings and which are now gone, lost to the world. 

3. The unpredictable nature of the way things get used, re-used or disposed of, once they have served their purpose. (how many uses for an empty Milo can? storage container full of nuts & bolts in sheds all around the country, play-things for kids, as a cooking pot in this case etc.)

The sign, I feel, plays to Australia's current populist attitudes towards the unfortunate and downtrodden. I considered adjusting the sign to read F#@K OFF WE'RE FULL to really drive home the stupidity of the attitudes of a large percentage of the miserable, arrogant, overly nationalistic voices that are so loud at times in this country, in the end though I thought this would detract from the subtlety of the piece and I thought best to leave the sign as a simple piece of bureaucratic nonsense typical of Australia. 

Whew, got to the end of that ramble...! 'til next time. Jes 

One of my favorite aspects of modern art and design is motion graphics. The level of quality in some of the clips that are being created around the world is just sublime. An excellent example reposted from www.motiongraphics.it (the site is italian language but the visuals are universal!!!) - brilliant.
Jes.

Rockband Beatles - Intro (Passion Pictures) from Guillaume Cassuto on Vimeo.

I luurve this, just fabulous. we've come along way from Spokey Dokies...! except maybe for the fixie fashion of putting cards in spokes when you have never been on a poker run or alley cat race or even know what these events are...! cynical old me

The Cyclotrope from tim Wheatley on Vimeo.

Introduction - The rant begins!

Design is a process, a way of life. Every object, however large or small, made by human hands and minds, has been designed by someone with the capacity to influence that object. That said, some design becomes so ubiquitous, so totally ingrained within the fabric of society that it loses the connection in the public psyche with the hands and minds that created it. In a way seeming as though it was never purposefully designed and was always that way. In some sense the design is the progeny of the designer and as such must be released into the world to play out it's own life.  

My name is Jesiah Davis and I intend to use this space to document my progress through-out my degree in Industrial Design at the University of New South Wales. 

Beyond the simple satisfaction of the requirements of IDES1122 Industrial Design: Past, Present & Future.  I intend to explore, critically analyse and share my thoughts about design through this medium.

Jes.