Bill Moggridge - What is design?

What is design? Bill Moggridge, a design consultant discusses in his 'What is design?' presentation at the Smithsonian Design Institute the principals and successes in design. He starts of his talk by making the statement that in order to accept successful designs, one must accept and discover the bad ones. This is supported through his examples where the users changed the appearance/purpose of the designs in order to make them work better. This leads on to Moggridge discussing the design process where he separates the process into two categories: understanding people and prototyping. Both these forms rely on the interaction the product has with the intended market. Moggridge shows the importance of these fields as detrimental to the success of a design overall. If the design is to be successful, the designer needs to understand the nature of the market and the people that they are designing for. Designing a product aimed for the aging market, then styling or marketing it to youth is an example of a designers lack of understanding both towards the design process and the people they are designing for. Prototyping is another great way designers can gain a greater understanding of their products impact on the market, looking both at the aesthetic implications and the functional attributes. As the product is intended to perform a purpose, the functionality of the design is important, this can gauged by producing movies, models, rough mock-ups and realistic 3D models. Some examples Moggridge presented involved intricate movies displaying the intended use of the product. This is used to gauge whether the product will perform its intended purpose, while also selling the idea the designer had to the respected individuals supporting/commissioning the designer. Some examples Bill Moggridge presented were introducing new uses for technology into the market. Some were futuristic in the concept and design, while others can be utilized in the current market. Overall, the presentation by Bill Moggridge showed the importance of the design process within context. The importance of prototyping and understanding the products intended market make or break the design and it's success. I believe his talks informed the audience how one can only judge good benign when bad design is mad obvious. This in turn allows the viewer to make an educated assertion about a design.

Blog Comments - Upcycle Lighting Project

Oskar Carabez 

Hey Oscar. I really like how you have pushed the use of paper strips to change the reflection of the light. By adding the the folds in the strips the light is taken from a 2D form into a 3D all-round experience. One suggestion with your assembly instructions, maybe raring your images in a more ergonomic way. We typically read from left to right, so maybe it would be easier to arrange your images in a similar manner. Otherwise i really like your idea. Great work. : )

Ghina Ali

Hey ghina!!! I loved your lamp!!!!! I loved how it used such simple techniques to create an intricate and interesting design. I loved how when the light was turned on the colours came through and took the light to another level. One suggestion with your instruction manuel, introduce some steps to allow people to easily assemble your great light. Great work Ghina!! : )

Doug Cusack

Doug, I love your light!! I like how your light brings natural elements into the home. The light is brought alive but the colour of the poster coming through when its lit up. I don't know whether this would be possible, but trying to control the darker shadows where the light bulb is could change the overall appearance of the design. Other than that very small suggestion, it is a great light and could easily be mass manufactured today. Good work. : )

Camille Kordek

Heyy Cam!!! I love your light!! I love how much effort you went into to find the right light bulb for your design. I love how resolved and complete your design looks; your time and effort come through greatly in your design. Finding a suggestion is hard. Maybe could you try to reduce the space between the upper rows to make the light fitting less visible? Then again the light fitting isn't a bad feature so its hard to make a valid suggestion! GREAT WORK!!! : )

Jackson Walker

Hey Jack!! I love your light!! It is highly sophisticated using confident lines and shadowing to make a great light. Your time spent in making this light, trying to get the measurements and pint point accuracy of your structure come through in the final design. One suggestion that I had to scour over your work to find was maybe taking the extra step to make the graphics on the underside of your light have some fluidity to it. A small suggestion on a GREAT light. : )

Product Poster - Upcycle Lighting Project

Instruction Manual - Upcycle Lighting Project

Cutting Diagram - Upcycle Lighting Project

Rationale - Upcycle Lighting Project

During my initial investigation into various lighting areas I discovered a whole range of designs. Many of the more contemporary designs focused on the sustainable consumption of its materials and pushing the boundaries of traditional materials. A classic and renowned piece of lighting design is the chandelier. This light typically seen in traditional, classical houses evokes within the viewer a sense of regality and luxuriousness. I wanted to push the boundaries in the archaic use and interaction of the chandelier by turning it from a symbol of luxury and wealth into a customisable, personable centrepiece that is both sustainable and nice to look at. 

In building the light I attempted to use techniques that had little to no waste involved. I tried to explore avenues that allowed for creative opportunities to push the boundaries in my chosen field. I created my lamp by using a single poster, which has been sliced without removing any parts from the overall piece. This was a difficult challenge as i needed to utilise both folding and cutting the paper. This involved slicing over 1000 strips to allow the light to pass through and for the lamp to have an alternate shape. The structure is held together by metal rings that are slotted into the paper. the 2D form of the paper into a third dimension was tough and was a struggle to find something new and innovative, while keeping the flat-pack-able feature that came with the brief. 

Overall, I think this design allows its user to customise and enjoy a new form while experiencing the feeling of a classic centre piece. 

Mitchell Harris

Blog Comments

Here are the blog I have commented on:

1. Camille Kordek: Project One, Hero Shot
2. Kirstie Cocokios: Experience Enrichment
3. Ping Song: Project 1
4. Luke Messina: Project 1, Experience Enrichment: The Water Wiper
5. Jackson Walker: Experience Enrichment, Storyboard

Technical Drawings - incognito

Rationale

Rationale

The ‘incognito’ is a ceramic grater intended to grate horseradish, ginger and/or other root vegetables. It can be used as a presentation centerpiece or on the bench top of any household kitchen. The design was inspired by the Japanese culture with its beautifully manicured 'Zen gardens' where a feeling of tranquility and calm fill the atmosphere. This sense of ease is what I attempted to recreate through the grater; through texture, colour and proportion the user feels a sense of peace and calm when using the tool.

My piece attempts to push the boundaries of how one interacts and views the grater in their everyday. ‘Incognito’ presents itself as though a piece of art, a sculptural item not intended for functional use. This idea encourages discussion and thoughts about what it does and its purpose. In turn, this forces the users to pick it up, feel the smoothness of the wood, the texture of the pebbles contours, run their hand over the ripples on the plinth and experience the coolness of the ceramic grater on its base. This curiosity and desire to learn makes for an enjoyable product.  Once its true purpose is discovered, a sense of accomplishment and understanding is gratifying for the user.

The ergonomic pebble shape, made from Yakka wood, makes the user feel comfortable as its smoothing texture enriches the user experience and enables them to pick up their root vegetable of choice and grate it. With its shape comfortably fitting the users hands, ensuring fingers are kept away from the grater, makes using this grater a pleasurable experience. The wooden plinth is made from Black Wood, a highly intricate and textural wood that further emphasizes the Japanese ‘Zen garden’ feel. Carved into the surface of the plinth are ripples radiating in the shape of the ceramic grater on the underside of the pebble. This tactile feature is a physical and emotional link to the Japanese garden theme while also adding an alternate dimension to a flat surface. Similarly, in Japanese design history, designers have used the cold rigidity of ceramic with the warmth and natural beauty in wood to make evocative and highly personal hand tools. This is an ideology that I believe makes the experience of using hand tools enriching in peoples lives. The ceramic grater comprises of small sharp triangular pyramids that when rubbed against the vegetable cause it to break apart into smaller pieces. Ceramic as a cooking material is food safe and easy to clean. Also, with the advancements in ceramic manufacturing technologies the blades rarely become blunt. This is a user benefit, as the grater would not need to be replaced for a long time., thus reducing waste and encouraging families to keep heirlooms. 

Product Poster storyboard

This is my storyboard... Hopefully it is clear how my grater works!

Hero Shot

Here is my hero shot for my 'incognito' grater. 

Video Reflection - Story of cosmetics, bottled water and electronics

The following videos, ‘The story of cosmetics’, ‘The story of bottled water’ and ‘The story of Electronics’ talk of a system in crisis. We live in a word focused on the consumption of ‘stuff’. This involves our daily lives where we are constantly purchasing items that we have been coerced and coned into buying through corporations’ use of advertising and the development of social trends that society has adopted in conjunction with what becomes available to us.

The Story of Cosmetics

The current cosmetics industry has adopted a 1950s mentality where the previously unknown chemicals and toxins used in cosmetics are still being used in today’s products. This shows that these companies still have other agendas when designing and producing these products. Previously they had little knowledge on the harm these toxins have on our body; but now they continue to produce product that are harmful instead of substituting proven beneficial alternatives that are both better for humans and the environment. When toxins are put into something they will no doubt end up in the system of the user – ‘Toxins in, Toxins out’. A new attitude to producing these products is needed. The video suggests the precautionary principle where if there is doubt to the harm a toxin can have on someone or something, it is better not used.

The story of Bottled Water

What lead to the mass consumption of bottled water was the trickery and misleading advertising of 1970 producers, conning people into believing that tap water was unsafe and in some cases ‘carcinogenic’. This method was used to drive profits of companies producing bottled water after they realised that their profits could only reach a certain level, and would flatten out. One of the issues with bottled water is the waste. Most bottles at this point are being discarded in landfills, and/or shipped over seas to countries where infrastructure is not as strong and disposed of there. The video suggests that the bottles be down-cycled to produce another viable product. Another issue is health of people and the cost it incurs to use bottled water. Bottled water, in the US, is not regulated to the same standard that tap water is plus the cost is over 500 times the price of tap water, which is practically free for the average person.

The Story of Electronics

Electronics have become a major part of our everyday living when rather than designed to last forever are being  ‘designed for the dump’. This means their in-built obsolescence (or the designers choices) dictate how long a product is to last and operate in a person’s home. Existing products, in some instances are being shipped to eastern countries where they are then dismantled, its valuable parts sold and the rest either put into landfill or burned. This is a major health risk and environmental disadvantage as the toxins that have been built into these products are then emitted in harsher forms after the products life. The video suggests new ways of minimising waste and harm on human during the products use. Firstly, initiating ‘product take back’ to ensure that companies design responsibly and ethically, as they will be the ones who dispose of the waste. Secondly, make electronics modular and allow parts to be changed rather than the entire product. Finally, it is even more important for the products to be designed to last, that way they can perform an alternate task in the family home; a piece of remembrance, a memento in a families history to be passed down for generations to come.

By Mitchell Harris 

My Design Career

Here are just some thoughts on the following questions... 

Why do you want to have a career in the design industry?

• The design industry is a dynamic and vibrant community of creative minds that want to try and make the world a better place. This is achieved through the systems, products, architectural environments that encourage creative thinking and inspiration to people who come in contact with them.
• Having the ability to be apart of a person’s everyday life by changing how they do things and interact with their surrounding environment.
• With our world changing as much as it is, there is a greater need for efficient and effective design to make the impact of the human race as positive as possible.

Why have you chosen to study Industrial design at UNSW?

• I originally entered into the Industrial Design program at UNSW as a way to get into University. After completing my HSC I wanted to go into Architecture, either at UNSW or Sydney Uni, but with my ATAR being lower than desired I accepted my offer at UNSW in Industrial design.
• Before starting this program I saw it simply as a stepping-stone into Architecture. But now that I have started, I see this course more and more as a career that I could pursue.
•  Then again, after completing Fundamental in semester 1 I saw the creative process, rather than the design process, as an avenue that I would be more interested in. Focusing more on the ‘art pieces’ in design rather than the mass produced and ‘consumer’ based products.
• I accept that in order to get to the level of creating ‘one off pieces’ understanding the industry and the processes behind it is important

Who has inspired you to pursue a career in Design?

• Like many other young Australian design students, Marc Newson has achieved a level of recognition that is an ambition for many. Coming from an average Australian family living in Sydney, seeing his transformation from an everyday person to a household name is a great achievement.
• The architectural pieces of Zaha Hadid have also inspired me to pursue a career in design. The fluidity achieved in her buildings through using such rigid and contrasting materials is inspiring. Her alien like designs push boundaries of engineering and styles for her period.

What do you think the future of design will be?

• I think the future of the design profession will become more and more important as new ways of completing everyday tasks is needed. With the environment and cultural diversity of the planet become our main focus designers will be required to make broader and a diverse range of products to cater for larger number of people.
• The concepts and ideals behind design, I believe, will become integrated into everyday thinking allowing people to explore creative ways of doing the simple things in life. This conceptual way of thinking allows for a greater understanding of ideas and empowers people to think outside the box. 

Product Sketching from Sydney Design 2011

Here are my sketches from Sydney Design 2011...

This is a lamp from 'Built: Is old new again?' at the Artereal Gallery in Rozelle.

This evocative lace work from 'Love Lace' at the Powerhouse Museum. 

This is a paper sculpture from 'Sparkies, foodies, fashionistas' at Sydney TAFE. 

The 'Flipbike' from the Australian Design Awards at the Powerhouse Museum.

From the 'Change 11' exhibit at the Coca-Cola building in North Sydney, a model of a proposed community centre in Summer Hill.

Design Confusion

Design Excellence - FlipBike by FlipBike.

Human-centered Design with David Kelley

With the vast array of products now available on the market, defining factors which will influence the strength and appeal of these products are becoming increasingly important. People are looking for intuitive design. Intuitive design is a design style that allows any one person to interact and use a product without training. It bases its foundations on the back of human kinds ability to deduct reasoning, push boundaries and seek pleasure from using the product. This design style can be seen in the designs put forward by David Kelley in 2002 during his talk 'Human-Centred Design'. Kelley believes that there is a need to make products personified; 1) to make them easier to use and more accessible to a greater audience and 2) to make the products we use in our everyday more personalised - taking them from inanimate objects into pieces of technology/design with emotions.

The first example given by Kelley is the Prada store in New York city. This interactive shopping experience allows the purchaser to get involved and informed about the items they are purchasing. This is an example of intuitive design where the technology is able to communicate with the user (both the retail assistant and the consumer) on different levels. For the retail assistant, the device communicates on a business platform communicating to them the price of the piece and quantity available. While in terms of the consumer, the device displays the garments fabric, specifications, styling and images of the potential look. This is the future of consumer spending - an interactive experience where everyone involved has control over what they see and experience throughout the process.

Similarly, David Kelley talks of the Greenwich Watercycle Pavilion in London. This architectural piece immerses it's audience in the process of water recycling. This is primarily seen in water encasing the building. This water shield gives the minimalist glass box emotion, a sense of movement and tranquillity. This peaceful environment contrasts the materials of the building, which mainly consists of steel and glass. The moving information panels again add another emotive element to the design, forcing the audience to become accustomed to the changing environment - much like life.

This video has had some resonance with me. With the ever increasing number of products being produced and humanities increased dependancy upon them it's is becoming important for people to have positive relationships with designs. This involves improving the 'man machine relationship' by 'designing behaviours and personalities into products'.

Don Norman - Video Reflection

Don Norman in his talk 'Emotional Design' discusses the implications that good design has on our emotional state and the physiological effects it has on our brains. The daily interaction people have with design makes it an important part of our daily life, which is how Norman interprets the success of the designs he discusses. Does the design allow it's users to feel a certain emotion when interacting with them? Does the design fulfill an edge and desire to discover something new? These are just some of the questions he brings up throughout his talk.

Norman describes the beauty of a design as allowing the user to experience something unique and fun. His new philosophy delves into the idea that each experience should be unique and enjoyable to each individual. What continues this pleasurable experience is the integration of the designs aesthetic features as well as the functional qualities that make the product enjoyable to use. This pleasure that comes from using these products gives us the understanding that things work better when they have that combination of aesthetics and functionality.   

The four characteristics; behavioral, visceral, emotional and reflective that Norman referred to in his talk all play an important part in the understanding and the interaction a design has with its user. Behavioral refers to the subconscious, automatic actions taken by an individual in response to a design. This involves the user feeling in control of their interaction having a sense of understanding and respect. Normans example of a visceral response is the reuse of a water bottle as a vase. This highlights that it is not in fact the water that makes the bottle great, but the design taken to make the bottle inspiring to utilise as a case. The emotional response one has with a design is linked to the global response and overall criticism to a design. This is a influential factor/deciding factor to a design within the greater community. Finally the reflective response allows the user to contemplate the success and overall achievement the designer has had. It is a reassuring part of the human psyche that allows them to confidently assess the overall interpretation of the design. 

Overall I believe this talk by Don Norman has shed some light on the interpretation of design within the community. He has shown the involvement of the human brain in the understanding of design and how people respond to its form and function.  

Concept Boards

Handtool Inspiration