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.

Task 5: The story of stuff - Annie Leonard

The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard
This video really explains the process our products go through, highlighting problem areas over and irresponsible consumption and the resultant social and environmental impacts. A lot of of the information in the media about our over the condition of planet works more of a scare tactic. This information can often be overwhelming and distressing. Annie Leonard focuses more on the origin of the problem rather than the resultant effects. By breaking down the line of production and highlighting the areas of weakness and possible places of intervention it makes the problem seem far more manageable.

and knowledge.As designers we should have knowledge of the entire product development and try to intervene as much as possible. After all this problem of over consumption and planned and perceived obsolescence was a problem created by humans. Designers need to develop a new approach to design reducing the amount of resources consumed during extraction, production and distribution. We need to find to revolutionise consumption, things should be upgradeable, reusable and built to last. It should be fashionable to consume these redeveloped products, giving people satisfaction from buying these products. The choice to consume these products should be seen as a responsible decision as they reflect better design and consumption values. It is time as designer that we develop a new design philosophy from that of the 1950's.

Task 5: creating objects that tell stories - Yves Behar

Creating Objects that Tell Stories - Yves Behar
I cannot say I am completely convinced by the title of this video. I have failed to recognise a strong theme of "stories" in Yves Behar's presentation. I felt this video was more about the values that we can incorporate into our designs and the ways in which these can be passed on to companies and consumers. Designs can have messages in them whether it be about environmentalism, minimalism, functionality, health, equality etc.

I find this notion to be very inspirational, it is encouraging to see the influential power of industrial designers demonstrated on such large scales as the NYC condom or laptop initiative. Throught the relationships we devleop between or work and world it is possible to match the human need. the humanistic quality can become iconic with the right combination of branding, marketing, function and aesthetics. It is possible to design the entire experience of a product, it is this way that new ideas and values can be generated and shared.

Behar has successfully demonstrated that design is no longer about placing "skins" on new products and techologies presented to us. As industrial designers we can develop our designs from "inside out", creating a new experienced influenced by our own values whihc can then be passed on to companies and consumers.

Task 5: Ross Lovegrove - organic design

Ross Lovegrove - Organic Design

I found this video fascinating, the work and philosophies are inspirational to me as a student. I find that to many designs are over complicated and decked out with features that unnecessary. Lovegrove demonstrates the ways in which organic inspired designs can minimise this occurrence.

Nature is minimalist producing and consuming the bare essentials for survival. Lovegrove mention that biologically he believes that this is still "programmed" into us, as a student I would like to further explore and challenge this concept in my designs.

These organic designs seem more sophisticated and intellectual and thier source of inspiration is a complex structure that has been developing over thousands of years. As designers we should try to capture these forms systems and structures and they have been developed, tested and refined for extended periods of time. This seems like a more instinctive approach to design, to observe what fills our environments.

By mimicing nature we are able to adopt the minimalist approach to material consumption, this is a drastic action required in present times as many of our major resources are non-renewable. This should be an approach taken on by all industrial designers as we have so much power to change the way people consumer and interact with their environments. Why do we choose to create such superficial and artificial methods of design?

Upcycle

PEER COMMENTS:
Gleb Labazine
Jill Darbey
Maria EunJi Park
Nick Walker
Shan Shan Wang
Vivian Shao

Peer Comments

Charmaine Chen
Fiona Lee
Stephen Mesa
Chelcie Nielsen
Brett Rushbrook
Jason Vergara

Postal Presents

My product has been designed with a strong focus on the practicality and context of use of a purse. Purses and handbags have become increasingly bigger with progressing fashions. I wanted to create a petite and elegant design that was more than the existing “sacks” that hang from your wrist. This design attempts to be elegant and intriguing accessory while acting as a conversational piece.

This product is pleasantly surprising on a number of levels. It is unique in its structure, using geometry and rigid felt to support the form when retracted. As the purse draws up around your belongings they are encased in a shell or gem like structure, as if to nurture and protect them. This is an important feature in a purse, as you want to know to that contents are not going to come loose. Items are secured due to the internal threading up the sides of each arm, the handles are pulled the components are drawn up and secured together.

The internal adornments highlight the geometry of the purse, a technique that is rarely used. Many purses and accessories are designed with majority of the adornments on the exterior. Consumers can feel this is their own secret, a novelty that is not on display to the public. The ability of this design to completely flatten out prevents items being lost in pockets or deep corners. The purse can be opened up entirely to present the whole contents without having to completely empty the purse. For this reason this design would be practical in various sizes but due the design brief I was limited to smaller scales.This product is simple to use and has a practical application with a number of surprising components.