Task 5: Design Confusion

Video Response: The Secret Life of Things

This video really captured the essence of most modern consumer products, and how they have been ‘poorly designed’ so as to become obsolete and useless. The video uses an animated approach to emphasise the idea of the importance of sustainability and the growing number of consumer products that become outdated after initial use. The video uses an example of a mobile telephone manufactured by Ericson. After 1 year of its purchase and use, the phone begins to feel withdrawal as it comes to terms of its obsolescence, as it has been replaced by a more moderns mobile, with added features such as a new sleek design and camera. It was interesting to gain an insight into the different materials a phones components can be made form, as well as their geographic location. It is puzzling that all the minerals have to be first extracted then shipped off to another country for the creation and assembly of the phone, which I guess in its truest sense, is the definition of globalisation. But most importantly the video really highlights the extremely short life span of products, especially mobile phones. In this fast paced modern world, we all strive to have the better technology, for ease of use and to help promote our social status. These are the main reasons that technology such as phones have a very short life span, and of not designed to become sustainable or reused, can be detrimental to the environment. The phones can end up in landfill, which can hurt the environment as the phone slowly degrades; however the phone can also be locked away in a drawer, never to be used again, just forgotten about and unseen. The video does show however, the more responsible ways of combating the planed obsolescence of the mobile phone, by suggesting alternative design options during the manufacturing and production stages. The ‘doctor’ suggests that the manufacturers should have looked into the process of ‘design for disassembly’ which enables reusable components and materials to be recovered with ease. Another alternative given was the option to be upgraded over time, so as to have up-to-date software, similar to that of today’s iPods. The final alternative given was to design for longevity, such as having materials that are of a higher quality and last longer, are compatible to be upgraded in the future and that have no planned obsolesce. All in all this video helped give a better understanding of what choices I have to make as a designer. It really accentuates the product life cycle, from gathering the minerals for materials all the way to its use once it is no longer needed.

Video Response: Emotional Design

Don Norman’s discussion on emotional design was really intriguing, as he expressed a new way to look at objects, especially their aesthetics and functions. He highlights how people now, especially himself are becoming increasingly more intrigued by and objects aesthetics and pleasing nature compared to their function, stating that “My new life is trying to understand what beauty is about”. As an example to his comments he talks about his Philippe Starck juicer, produced by Alessi. He goes on to say that “It’s so much fun I have it in my house, but I have it in the entryway, I use it to make juice”. In this instance, I believe Norman is trying to convey the philosophy that objects or designs don’t necessarily have to be functional to become consumer items, so long as they are aesthetically pleasing. He continues to talk about his juicer stating that the manufacturer’s instructions were “Don’t use this juicer to make juice, the acid will ruin the gold plating” In essence Norman is trying to convey that items are so technologically advances, that at times functionality can become obsolete, or at least seem unimportant compared to aesthetics, or the feel and pleasure a product brings.

Norman also talks about the Global cutting knife made in Japan, highlighting its pleasing aesthetics, ergonomics and functionality. He emphasises that the complete harmony between these three aspects make the product work, and induces a sense of enjoyment, building a positive emotional relationship between the consumer and the product, going as far to state that “it’s beautiful and it’s functional”. However what began to intrigue me was how he perceived these positive aspects to become interrelated, hence creating a reflective state of mind that would induce the consumer to look back on the past and tell stories, such as how the bought the knife, or their first impressions of its functionality.

Another aspect of Norman’s talk that engaged me was his notion of fun, and how it can subconsciously affect our perceptions of a product. He gives the example of a ping pong table with a projector over it, showing fish swimming. As the ball lands the fish swim away. He clearly expresses that this is not the most functional way to use the objects, but he does reassure us that it’s fun and playful, which is what attracts us as humans, it engages us enough to want more and experience the situation further. Throughout the video he points out objects that have functionality faults, but highlights their aesthetics and how ‘fun’ they are, which is what drives consumers to purchase them, even though they may not be the most functional product on the market i.e. the Mini Cooper.

In today’s world it seems that most objects’ functionality has been perfected or is close to perfection. It highlights the need for new avenues to pitch ideas to consumers. The notion of fun and emotional design is an aspect that is becoming increasingly popular today. As long as it makes you happy, people will buy it.

Task 4: Design Excellence:

Video Response: Human Centred Design

David Kelley’s video on Human Centred Design had some very interesting aspects into the relationship between designers and consumers. He emphasised from the beginning a shift in design philosophies over the years, stating that they “were focused on products, or objects, certainly technological objects”  but in recent times, designers have been focusing on “human centred design” which involves designing behaviours and personality into products. It seems that this shift has helped to promote products ergonomics and is helping to create a new interaction between the user and their chosen product.

For example the video showed the work Kelley and his associates were doing with the high end fashion store Prada, creating a unique interface for both the employees and consumers to use. It is this new technology that makes its easier for both employers and consumers to choose or suggest the relevant items to purchase while also saving time. He specifically talked about the RF tags that were attached to items in store, hence allowing scanners to display information about the selected item, such as the sizes available, colours and predetermined suggestions on how it may be effectively worn. This new technology is greatly beneficial to the customer as they can make informed decisions on the items they are able to purchase, but it is also beneficial for the employee, as they are able to have a greater understanding of their customer’s needs and wants.

Kelley stresses the importance of considering human behaviour, such as personality in a product, as it promotes a unique interaction with the consumer. It shows the large amount of research and development that takes place to create a link between the human centred design and the product. It seems as though the new way of designing is to make products and item more interactive with humans, thus creating a more user friendly and fun relationship between the user and their product. This can be seen as a competitive edge over rival companies, as most people would tend to choose a product that is easy and enjoyable to use. The example given in the video is the interactive wall in the London Science Museum that is “based on the London subway system…the goal is to bring some of the feed back that people who had gone to the museum are giving for everybody to see”.

In today’s rapidly changing world, designers need to find new and unique ways to set themselves apart from their rivals. Focusing on human centred design helps to achieve such an outcome by personalising and creating a unique interaction between the user and their product.

Task 2: My Design Career

As a young child I was always interested in building objects and exploring my creativity, whether it was playing with Lego, painting or drawing. I was a very curious child, always questioning the motives behind objects and their purpose. I would constantly destroy birthday and Christmas presents, just to see what was going on the inside of the toys, much to the dissatisfaction of my parents. As time passed and I grew older, that love never really changed, the only difference was that I was able to find new endeavours to promote my abilities. High school was a major contributor to the decisions that ultimately influenced my choice to undertake Industrial Design.

Through years 7 and 8 we were required to take woodwork, which I grew very fond of as it allowed me to physically create objects, combining technical precision with creative flair. This practical based design was different to what I had experienced before in primary school, it took patience, ingenuity, technical know how to fully create an object that one could be proud of designing. However it was in year 9 and 10 that I began to discover the wonderful world of CAD and its infinite possibilities. I was drawn to its versatility in being able to create three dimensional representations of objects on the computer, then being able to bring them to life through renderings. My fondness of CAD led me to choose Industrial Technology Graphics as a HSC subject. Through my HSC course I experimented with more complex CAD programs that once mastered allowed me to create realistic objects. Many of my teachers would comment on the time I spent on my HSC major work, saying that if I spent as much time on other subjects as I did in Graphics, my results could have been outstanding. But it was the puzzle like complexity, methodical thinking and realisation that when I was finished, I could be proud of my design, that spurred me on to spend what some would say a ridiculous amount of time focusing on one subject. It was at this stage during my senior years that I decided to pursue a career that involved me using and expanding my knowledge of CAD programs.

In the end undertaking a Bachelor of Industrial Design at UNSW was the most logical choice for me to reach my career goals. I was interested in the Faculty of Built Environment as a whole, and I was particularly drawn to its Architecture and Landscape programs, but ultimately it was Industrial Design that I believed to be a better fit, and that would allow me to explore and expand my current knowledge. However it must be said that my career ambitions have slightly changed. Recently I’ve been more interested in the product development stage and marketing techniques involved in selling a product, so if it seems that becoming an industrial designer is not for me, I would still like to participate in a similar field such as marketing or product development.

Task 1: Shape of a Scent

For Task 1 we were put into groups and given a smell to analyse. After smelling the scent, we had to brainstorm our initial emotional response, such as the feelings and thoughts that were associated with the scent. Our smell was very fragrant and floral, thus giving the group an indication that it may have been used by women. For myself, it brought back moments of nostalgia, suggesting it was worn by elderly people. The smell itself was quite sharp to begin with, but then slowly died away as it did not linger to tantalise our senses. 
We quickly brainstormed what we thought the scent's shape, line, colour and texture would be if we were to represent it in a plasticine bottle. My final idea of the bottle was to look like a cylinder that had been sliced diagonally in half. the top pointy end was to represent the initial sharp smell that we first experience, with the slope signifying the dying down of the scent after our initial exposure to it's fragrance. The other purple plasticince side was to replicate the same features of the cut cylinder, emphasising the sharp smell and its gradual decline.
However once we finally saw the results of our scent, we were shocked to see that it was actually marketed for men. This completely threw the whole group off guard, as we were all adamant that the scent was intended for women.