Video Reflection- WHAT is design

Bill Moggridge in this video addresses the question of ‘what is design?'. He conveys some examples of good and bad design as well as the process that involve around design. I personally like when he quotes that design is not simply to make a product looks appealing or beautiful but every products are the result of design. Having said that, it means that everyone who produce an products (not only products in our mind, but also the people like IT manager who makes the comoputer system, they are also a designer.

Another points that i agree on him is when he said that the people couldn't recognize good design until he take a look at the bad one as well. He conveys it through the example of bad designed remote controls in which the designer put complicated details which bring confussion for the users.

Human-centered design is again highlighted but this time it is not only interpreted as a design that focuses on the user experience but it is also about the sustainability of it. These days people has become more and more care about environment and thus, we as designers are reminded to think carefully what is the effect of our design on earth.

This video is very important to designers, especially industrial designers, as it shows how advanced technology has become and how design is following the trend by incorporating technology into design. Also, it reminds industrial designers that they need to design products that are useful and accessible (reasonably priced) to the society, which makes lives easier.

Peer Comments- Project 1

Oskar Carabez
http://ocarabezides1031.blogspot.com/

Christine Liang
http://mad-attic.blogspot.com/

Rainbow Tam
http://rainbow-tam.blogspot.com/

Oun Vimolpatranon
http://vimooun.blogspot.com/

Kosuke Fujisawa
http://kosukedesign2011.blogspot.com/

Project 1- Experience Enrichment

RATIONALE:

The aim of this project is to design an everyday hand tool into a more pleasurable one which enriches the user’s experience when using it. There are so many hand tools in the society nowadays and whisk is one of the kitchen utensils that are frequently used in the kitchen.  Balloon whisk is the most common whisk used in the kitchen and my aim is to enrich the experience of whisking using this kind of whisk.

My solution was to come up with a simple design of a balloon whisk with raised base feature which enables the whisk to be placed on the table with its head staying off countertop for surface contaminated whisking. This feature may also allow the whisk to be stored on the kitchen table when it’s not used. Another advantage of this higher base is that it can be used as a hook towards the bowl when it’s rested after whisking. Its sleek design will be aesthetically appealing and therefore the user can use this whisk as the kitchen ornament. I decided to keep the shape of the balloon loop as it does provide the best whisking results as it produces best aeration while whisking. Its curve shape is best suited for mixing in bowls as their curved edges conform to a bowl's concave sides. The stainless steel are used for this whisk because it reacts well with most of the ingredients (eggs, cream, gravies) and therefore produces stable foam, its material is also not easily corroded and resistant to temperature changes. 

The main challenge to this design is to design the handle that will ergonomically suit every hand shape. Finally I made a decision to make a smaller round shape near the whisk and a bigger round shape at the tip of the handle because these features will help transferring the weight and pressure into the user’s palm of their hand and therefore it reduces stress while whisking. I am impressed with this handle design because I have tested it with few people and they agree that this feature makes the experience of whisking more pleasurable. The materials used for the handle is plastic because of its lightness and its soft texture and comfortable grip will also enrich the whisking experience.

  I always wanted to design a product that is simple and yet aesthetically appealing while at the same time allowing it to perform its best essential function. I am confident that my whisk design has achieved this and its features have added a more pleasurable experience as it fulfills physiological, psychological, social, and ideological properties. 

poster of Hero shot

 

Video Reflection: Annie Leonard-The story of stuff

Most of us don't know how the system really works, because no one teaches us about it. All we know is that we're using too much resources, and it's running out. (Although in the past decade we have been taught of recycling).

I absolutely agree with Annie's statement we don't know how much resources we use a day, how many people in this system paid with their future because they're forced to, etc. What's worst is that advertisements tell us that we're "wrong", except that they're the ones who's at fault for only showing us the shopping part, and not the extraction and production parts.

Also the national happiness fact that it has been declining is an interesting one. My father told me before about his childhood, and it sounds VERY different from my childhood. I didn't think about it very much, but now I know the reason why - because we choose stuff over families and friends. Some people think that stuffs can make them happy. May be. But not as happy as those without stuffs, surprisingly. Take the example of poor people, sometimes they look happier than we do. Why? Because those people have strong bonds between themselves.

Moreover, it kind of makes me feel guilty when she says, "... these (industrial) designers are so opened about it. They actually discussed how fast can they make stuff break but still leaves the consumer have enough faith in the product to go buy another one". But I realized that I am not them, so I don't have to feel guilty. And what I need to do is change this "System of Crisis".

Product Sketches

My design Career

I want to be a designer because I love exploring new ideas and thinking of how to create a better life and experience for living. I always passionate to design things, playing around with paper, and other materials since I was little and my parents told me that I am such a creative kid because I can imagine transforming simple materials into something useful and beautiful. As I finished high school, my parents didn’t prefer me to do deign though, being born with the Asian parents they wanted me to do something like engineering or science because they think that it would be easier to get a job in that area so they wanted me to do IT before because I was also good at it. But when I studied IT I really didn’t enjoy it and it was really frustrating because I had to do something that I don’t enjoy. So then I told my parents that I want to be a designer instead, before my parents asked me to think twice and finally they let me. I have chosen to study in UNSW because at first UNSW is very popular in my country (Indonesia) so everyone who comes from Indonesia always wanted to get into this university. I have this pride to be a UNSW student and as I looked through the handbook, I think industrial design is the most suitable design I should do. I always love buying products, and a good product really brings pleasure for the users and that is why I want to be a product designer because I want to bring the new innovation to the society in which may improve their life experience. Looking at past designers who have been successful, it really motivates me to do better from times to times because I want to follow their career and I want to show it to show it my parents that I can have my career in design. I can’t imagine my future for this moment yet, If God’s willing I would love to work as an industrial designer but then I might also learn other design (graphic or web) design and see what opportunities that comes up. Many people told me that an industrial designer would also make a lot of money, it is true in one sense but it is really not what drives me to be an industrial designer. I chose industrial design also because it has varieties of things that we can learn as well such as marketing, how to do research and statistics which will also support my design career and these subjects are the subject I love as well. I hope that I can do my best in this course and pass the course with satisfactory results.

Design Confusion - Hot and Cold tap