Peer Comments on project 2

Shenea Huang
Wesley Chiang
James Lee
Huan Xie

Wei Qian Wen

Project 2: Upcycling Unwanted

For this project, the first thing I needed to do it to find a type of waste which can be redesigned and will still give an interesting aesthetics. At first, I bought some stove knobs, but after the first lesson, I realize that is not the type of waste we are trying to use as the knobs are still functional if installed onto the stove.

I then chose to use keyboard keys, I got a lot of keyboard keys and started putting them together to see what I kind of shapes or forms can be formed, I came up with two kinds of grouping the keyboard keys after a few days. One way was to put them in a circle with the words facing inwards and hold it together with rubber bands, the other way I came up with was putting keys in a group of 5 to form a cross shape.

After showing the ways that I came up with to the tutors, I got comments on how I should use the keyboard keys so that the keys should have the words facing outwards as then it will be visible and people will know what it’s made from. Also from some tutors, they think that the use of rubber bands is pretty good and I should try testing on using rubber bands to connect the keyboard keys together.

After testing ways of using rubber bands with the cross shaped keys, it didn’t really worked out because when the shapes are being held together with rubber bands, rubber bands actually pulls the cross towards the opposite way of how I wanted it to form.

I decided to try using wires to connect the crosses together, after doing two connected cross in that way, I showed it to the tutors and was told to use a less visible colour wire, so I went to buy a black jewellery wire to connect them together.

I started off doing my final product by rearranging the 30 crosses into different shapes and see which way it will look the most interesting, after some time of thinking, I came up with this kite shape as a fruit plate. .

With the shape decided, I started gluing the keys together to make crosses and removing the double sided tape from before. Afterwards, I start drilling holes on the keys where the crosses meet so that the side keys will not have any holes and will keep its aesthetics. Then I start tying the crosses together with wires. For the base, I used the idea of circles to hold the whole fruit dish up.

Design For Life

A TV show about a group of chosen designers getting a chance to work for Philippe Starck, one of the most famous product designers in the world at the moment in his company for 6 months. Starck gives out challenges to the chosen designers and see how they think and design. And after each challenge, the two designers that Starck thinks is the worst will have to leave.

‘When you design, you don’t think of design, you think about life.’ The first challenge that was given to the designers was to buy two products from a market with 100 Euros. They are to buy two products that show function or ecology or gender. I think this exercise really shows how the designers think, how far they think. From what I see and think. I liked how Nebil explained the products that he bought from the market. He bought a joystick as male for the gender and the multiple sockets as the female. In every designed product, there is a gender in it which makes it look more attractive to a certain gender. I think the reason why Starck thinks that Mabil did the best is because he actually explains how the form of the product itself gives out a female / male feel.

The second challenge task that was given to the designers is to design a product that benefits humanity, without any other information, I think this challenge is really hard as it gives the designer free range in designing whatever they want. Although I think it is really fun to design stuff without any constrain, but because there are no constrain, it is really hard to start off with and it’s really hard to know what Starck expects from them. I think the best way to get ideas are from walking around the street or going to museums to see what people needs, need to know what the target market lives. I think what Nebil did, sitting there just getting ideas out of his brain is not such a good way to create a new product. I also learnt that when presenting your product, everything you do should be well considered like what you wore should not have any conflict with what message your product is showing like what Elsa did.

Going onto the third challenge, they were told to design a product that is ethical, ecological, democratic, for daily use and is non electronic. I think it is important to know everything you needed to know before starting design, like how they all are not sure what the first draft should have and the presentations seems to be really unclear. And I think how Starck thinks that letting them going in a group will normalize the standard for everyone.

I realize it’s really important to know how the target market lives, how they interact with products that you are designing. Like how Mike who is designing a product for blind people, he blind folds himself for the whole day in order to let him feel what it’s like to be blind.

The designers were brought to a branding company and comments are given to their product names and design, the branding of the product is actually really important, it gives information on your product. I think how they did let their target market to choose the logo and name is a good thing to do.

After watching how Ilsa present, I learnt that when presenting, you should make your presentation as straight forward as possible, so that it won’t confuse the client or make him feel bored.

I really liked how the prototype is being made and looked so nice like Ilsa’s product.

When designing a product it is important to make sure that the design can be manufactured. Or else if you get to the manufacture point and you realize it cannot be manufactured or the material is way too expensive, then you’ve failed to design.

No matter how good the product is the advertisement is really important to sell your product.

Project 1 Commenting

James lee

Frankie ho

Hae Lin Kang

Shenea Huang

Monica Lu

Project 1 : Experience Enrichment

For this project, I started off by researching on my target audience, which was a rich success business man was my final target user.

In this project, what I’m trying to archive is to design a cork screw that not only give a good aesthetics but also giving different pleasures to the target user.

I try to archive this by thinking of ways to improve the feeling that gives out to the user when it’s both in use and not in use.

The shape was a big part of the design, in order to make it so that it seems more like the target user’s style, when I design the form, I had to keep looking back to the moodboard in order to make sure I won’t go off track and design a form that doesn’t suit the user’s style. I tried to archive my target by creating a form that will also combine well into the wine bottle when in use.

The handle was also a main part of the design which I focused on a lot, I keep thinking of ideas that will improve the grip but also keeping the style.

For the final design, I think I’ve archived most of the style and pleasure that can be added into the corkscrew for this target user. A form similar to a wine glass flipped upside down with a shape that fits really well together with the wine bottle.

The Objectified

Every object speaks for itself, the moment we look at the product, we make a lot of assumptions about the product, like how heavy it is, how strong it is…etc. A product shows how it’s developed, manufactured. Considering the form, the material, how it connects to you, how you’ll be using it.

The aim of industrial design was to mass produce products. People tend to think a lot of mass produced products that are popular were not designed, like the Post-it notes. But almost everything that is around us is designed. Every object tells a story, I realize the Japanese toothpick was actually thought of and designed before it was being manufactured. How it was designed to actually break the back of the toothpick and use as a rest for the toothpick.

When we were given information about what we need to design, we usually get information about a targeted market, a targeted user. But when designing, what we should know are the extremes of that kind of user, designing the product for the extremes and allowing middle ones to adapt to it. Designing a more pleasurable ergonomic is important. For example, designing a product with a grip, it is better to do analysis on hands at where the grip and the hand come into contact. Using CAD and rapid prototyping to create different prototypes so that designers can actually try and feel if the design gives the pleasurable ergonomic grip needed.

I like how when the Macbook Pro design was being introduced, the designer was saying how some functions should only be there when it’s performing he showed an example on the Macbook, the indicator only appears when it needs to indicate the user. And when it’s not in use it cannot be seen on the product.

When we ask why a certain product is like that instead of something else, this will lead us to think towards improving the product, when we do mind maps, it leads us to a new part of the product that our minds never thought of, and that’s where the new design comes in.

The object should show what it does. Form following function was used to be the way of thinking when designing products and products are usually designed so that when it is made, a person who never used a product like that before will know what it is used for. But now it has slowly changed. Forms and functions don’t always work together.

Task 5 - Design Confusion

The Story of stuff

At the start of the video, we were introduced to how ‘stuff’ moves through linear system: Extraction to Production to Distribution to Consumption to Disposal. This system is doing a lot of damage to our earth.

From the start of this system is extraction, extraction meaning taking out resources from forest, mountains, rivers etc. As there are more and more trees chopped down, a lot of water used up in part of the word, animals wiped out, and resources on earth is decreasing very quickly. As some countries are running out of resources, they decide to take resources out from another part of the world as we call them the third world, a country that is not really developed. Which after some time, the third world is also trashed.

The second part of the system is the production, using the materials that were gathered together with a lot of toxic chemicals manufacturing toxic contaminated products in factories, these toxic products will affect us when we use it, after the watching the video I realize how scary it is to buy stuff that looks perfectly fine now, like the pillow example, it has toxic chemical added into it and we put our heads on it, this might cause cancers or problems towards our brain. The other example was the how the breast milk is contaminated, things that are so basic like the breast milk has already been affected, which means the babies are going to have contaminated stuff put into their body already. Third world people were forced to work in toxic factories even though they know it’s really bad for their health. As there are a lot of pollution produced from factories, countries like US decides to move the factories to the third world, but due to the wind current, it is blowing right back to US.

Distribution, trying to sell the toxic contaminated junk asap, selling them cheap so that people will keep buying and the shelves will always have new products. A lot of products can be sold so cheaply is because a lot of people from each part of the progress have sacrificed some part of their goods in order to make it so cheap.

Consumption, known as the golden arrow which makes the whole system work, I am surprised when I knew only 1% of the consumed products are still in use after 6 months, others were all thrown away. There are two kinds of way that gets us buying all the time, one is called the planned obsolescence which means products that are designed to be throw in the trash as soon as possible so that consumer will get a new one. The other one is perceived obsolescence, persuade us to throw away products that are perfectly new by changing the looks.

The last step of the system is disposal, disposing trash into land fills or burn in incinerators and then dumped into the landfill which releases the toxic chemical that was used in the factory into the air. One of the most powerful toxic was released during this step too.

In order to make the world better, like how the video showed, we should have more people changing each step of the system in order to make it better; turning this system from a linear to a cycle system. I think one of the steps that can really help out the whole system is by designing better and non-toxic, eco friendly products.

Emotional Designs by Donald Norman

In the video ‘Donald Norman on Emotional Design’, Donald Norman started off by telling the audience how his new life is to understand what beauty is about making things neat and fun. He gave an example of stuff he thinks is pretty to look at like the Philippe Starck juicer and a cutting knife that’s made from Japan. The Knife has a really beautiful aesthetics, it feels really good to hold onto and it performs really well when cutting. This example leads to his theory of emotion, which includes three components – Visceral Experience, Behavioral and Reflective.

He explained how the subconscious mind happens with an example on Google’s website, how they show the pages of results with the amount of ‘o’s which makes it looks pleasant but we do not realize. “Pleasant things works better”

He talked about a psychologist who did an experiment on two groups of students, and how one group was just told to solve the problem whereas the other group had a box of candy before the experiment which made them happier and that made them solve the problem. He explained that when a person is happy, they are more susceptible to interruption, which makes the person think outside the box, which means when you’re happy, you are more creative.

Visceral level, you look at the aesthetics of a product, not the function. Like the example Don made in the video, some people buy the water bottle for the bottle, not because of the water. They use it as a decoration which is called a visceral experience.

Behavioral level, when user uses a product, they feel like they are in control of it when using. He gave an example of a teapot which has three steps to use it. Putting it horizontally at first which means the tea is brewing then it’s put slanted which means it is done brewing. And when it is finished, it’s put upright which gives out an emotion, a signal to the waiter for more water.

Reflective level, a little voice in your head that tells you if it’s good or bad, like an environmental friendly car, you buy it because you want to show that you care about it.

Design Excellence

The product I had is called the SentiCare PillStation, It reminds patients to take the right medication at the right time, with trained advisor following up your medication and response to questions with a on touch call up system.

For this poster, I used shapes and curves to make it simple, easy to read and understand and will also suit the product's style more. By adding a green curve around part of the poster just like the curves and the colour on the pillstation. I had a gradient on the green so that the poster won't feel as boring over all. I had cropped out parts of the product in a eclipse shape to prevent having shapes that will have corners and that the eclipse has curves that are just like the pillstation. I tried to make it stand out by adding contact shadow below the shapes and the product.

I've chose a font that I think well suited the product called 'Gulm'. The letters are simple to read and I think it looks really nice with the product and that it won't be too childish that may ruin the poster's appearance.

Human Centred Products

In the online video ‘David Kelley on Human Centred Design’ (http://ides1031-2010.blogspot.com/2010/07/video-david-kelley-on-human-centred.html) the first thing that was introduced was the new products and technologies in a new store, I think the new devices had brought shopping to a more convenient level. The use of RF tags around the whole store allows staffs to easily access the amount of stocks, where it is placed and all data needed on the product. Scanners in the changing room collects data of what cloths are inside the room, I think this is a really useful way to keep track of the products in the store. One thing I especially liked was the use of liquid crystal display in the changing room, as it is so much more convenient for consumers. The ‘magic mirror’ was also one of the products I really liked. I think it is well suited for consumers in the changing room and that the use of camera is very well integrated with the mirror.

I quite like the interactive wall that was built inside the museum; I like how it was built with similar look as the London subway map. With the idea of having the use of the subway system to show messages that people left in the museum and the light going around the tubes looks really nice.

I think the pavilion is quite interesting; I like how the aim was to make it quiet and peaceful, which I think is well suited with the water flowing sound and the use of glass made the whole pavilion feels so calm and peaceful.

Finally, the last product was the Spyfish, I think it’s quite a well designed product, how it seems really user-friendly was one part that I liked the most about this product as it was designed mainly for consumer. I like how the advanced technology in this product allows people to see clearly what’s under the water and can even reach deep water where not much sun light can get. I think this product is a really good design for a lot of people who are not capable of scuba diving. The shape of the product was formed similar to a fish; build with shiny silver metal on the outside.

My Design Career

Since I was small, I’ve been interested in looking at attractive products. A product with good aesthetics or special functions always catches my eye.

I started to enjoy designing products since high school when I first had a chance to do a product design project in the D&T class. I chose to design a salt and pepper container for the project. I had enjoyed every step of designing and manufacturing of the product. As I went through the project, I realize a lot of things that I learnt from my outside school courses like 3D Animation and art lessons had helped me a lot with making my container even better. After the school project, I started the interest in designing products; I would sometimes design a product like teapot and make it out of ceramics during my art lesson. Another thing that motivated me even more are the documentaries in Discovery Channel, videos like ‘How it’s made’ was one of the favorites. It shows the whole manufacturing process of the product. Since then, I had targeted myself to become an industrial designer.

I’ve always wanted to study abroad since high school, as I’ve been researching for Universities, I realized UNSW has a good reputation and that being able to study here allows me to broaden my horizon as every day I am exposed to different cultures. The other reason why I choose to study in UNSW is because the industrial design course gives student a really thorough knowledge in designing a product, theories and all kinds of design thinking that is needed in order to think like a designer so that at the end of this course, we will have the knowledge and the right techniques in order to work in this industry.

As technology is improving quickly, I believe in the future, as an industrial designer, we will be able to design products with less concerns in the limits of materials and mechanisms; materials with only a certain properties will not be used as often since by that time we will all be able to create a material which will best fit our own products. Technologies creating better mechanisms allowing fewer limits in size for products.

Shape of a Scent

First studio, we formed groups of 5 and each group

were given a scent. Discussing in a group the impression,

personality and all the feelings that the scent gives out to

us and drop it onto a mind-map. Using the mind-map,

individually we need to create a sculpt of the scent in

plasticine.

(My mind-map)

With my shape, I tried to have round curves all over,

a peaceful beach was one of the feelings I felt when

I first smelled the scent, so I tried making curves with

a palm tree kind of shape. I tried to smooth out the

whole shape in order to have the calm and peaceful

curve. I tried to make the whole shape quite thick in

order to give out a squishy feel.

(Shape I made of the scent)

(The 5 shapes in my group)