Task 5: designing dream machines - Richard Seymour and Dick Powell

Designing Dream Machines highlights the importance of the process and the success to a really good design is in the initial brainstorming. It is important for designers to really understand their design briefs and what they are trying to achieve. To achieve this, designers need to research their target market and really understand the needs of the consumer, demonstrated by the trip to India. The differences in design styles and culture requirements were clearly evident, something that may not have been completely understood had it not been experienced first hand.

Designers should know their product thoroughly, having hands on experiences with existing products. This enables designers to analysis the products finding shortfalls within them and possible solutions that could be applied to their own designs. These ideas should always be recorded; the large amount of sketching and hand rendering that occurred during Designing Dream Machines really emphasised this.

It is also crucial to have constant communication with our clients, as it is very easy to become side tracked or take a project in a direction different to the vision of the client as shown in the video. Designers need to be prepared for their designs to be rejected and scrutinised when working for a client, and should have alternative ideas and products on hand. Through constant communication designs can be easily altered rather than having to scrap and restart the project.
Richard Seymour and Dick Powell made it clear the importance of the design process to the final a product, by really exploring and researching our brief clients and consumers designers are able to refine their designs and be at the forefront of innovation.