Project Three - Treasuring time

For this assingment i decided to design a height measuring product.

i chose this, as i thought it was a reflection of change and development of children.

It would be a nice sculptural peice to look at, while at the same time have a depth and meaning for the parent.

The target market for the product was parents, with a disposable income.

I wanted to have a sophisticated product, which also had a fun element, so that the child would be able to look forward to the half yearly measuring time.
The base would be made out of a nice wood, or a coloured metal.
the spiral would be made out of stiff metal tubing.

The reason for the spiral was for a more accurate measurement, and a fun element, so that the child could spin the spiral around , if he./her height did not reach the spiral.

At the top of the spiral, there would be height adjusters, which could be spun down the spiral

and adjusted at the height of the child. The acrylic circles would be matte enough to be written on.

Task Five: Video Reflections - Seymour Powell - 'Designing Dream Machines'

I think the main message of this video was to show the reality of being a designer and the means of working for a client. It made me realise, that when employed, i would not be only designing things that i wanted to, but had to always keep in mind the client brief, and the requirements that they needed.

The video shows the daily life of a designer and shows the steps of making a finalized product, such as recieving the brief, through to the brainstorming, and the crucial steps to getting the product such as the scooter and the Phantom Bike manufactured to the stage which the client wanted.

I especially learnt that good design is not only something that is functional and nice to look at but it must meet the brief, and we will continually be designing and redesigning to get what the client has asked for. I found the brain storming sessions shown on the video interesting as it showed how intense the design process is. I found it very interesting how the conceptual stages were virtually just ideas, and the end of the process, the product and all the marketing is contrived from just ideas being brainstormed by designers.

Bad Design : XBOX

When i recieved this little project, i knew exactly which product i could review. The badly designed product i reviewed is the XBOX console. As shown on the pictures, there are only two buttons on the console yet they cause alot of confusion. These two buttons need urgent redesigning. The 'eject' button and the 'on/off' button are extremely close to eachother, and cause a great amount of confusion. To my suprise, the bigger button which also lights up when turned on, is actually the 'eject' button, and the smaller one is the 'on/off' power button which does not even light up when turned on (shown in pictures). In addition to this problecm, the symbols for each button do not stand out and are just engraved on, which adds to the confusion, as it is hard to see. There have been many a times where i have mixed up the two buttons, which ejects my dvd or turns it off when i am watching.

It is normal for the bigger object or the lit up object to catch the eye of an individual first, and mostly the first eye contact button is percieved to be the 'on/off' switch for most.









The above shows the newly designed xbox. I have kept consistant with the shape and colour scheme of the xbox. However, i have changed around the button layout so that it is less confusing and leaves less room for human error.
The symbols on the buttons are now coloured in green, to reduce human error and stand out to indicate what each button does. In addition, the 'on/off' button is now the biggest button on the console and stands out more.
The 'eject' button is placed closer to the CD slot so that it is almost impossible to get confused as to which button is which.

Project Two: Postal Presents

Skeleton Ribbed Transparent Purse

The target market for my purse was anyone from primary school year five and up. This is due to the fact that it does require some motor skills and can be challenging. It is meant to be functional and at the same time a fun activity to do.

Although the end product is a conventional purse shape, it is made interesting with the skeleton like ribs on the side, and the ribbon to ensure that coins do not fall out. Also, it is interesting as it is see through.

The material is a thin polypropylene so that it is easy to fold in the gaps and so that the material is not too sharp and can fit nicely in the pocket. Also it is not too brittle to snap.

Task Five: Video Reflections - Annie Leonard - The story of Stuff

I found this video very captivating as the images really helped to emphasis the message being conveyed. This video really made me look at the big picture. What the products we design are being used for, where we get our materials from, and where it ends up. It made me realize that the products we design and the products we will be designing are just a small figment in the processes which make up the world.

It shocked me just how much consumerism was ruining the natural resources of the world, and how many people it was affecting. I learnt many things from watching the video and it made me realize many things which i had to overcome as a designer.

After watching this video, i realized that i should design products that were sustainable and environmentally responsible as so much of the world was being trashed due to the consumerism show which we are all a part of.

The video also made me look at the big picture, not just about the products which i would be designing, but got me thinking about where these products would come from, who they affect, and what it would do in the long run.

The product I designed was extra large barbecue tongs with a beer opener at the end of the handle which could double as a hook to hang the tongs. The Product was designed with user comfort and ergonomics in mind. The handle has a slight curve for the hand to rest comfortably, and a grip for the thumb to rest on. There were no obvious groves so that the tongs would be used for males of all hand size.

The target market I had in mind when I designed these tongs, were: males in their early 30’s with a steady income from a mediocre job with a recent family. I envisioned the target market to be quite bored during the weekends, so that the weekend bbq with friends would be one thing that they would really look forward to. The product for them would be a form of control, a manly element. With this in mind, I made the product very structured and did not add in too many free flowing lines. I took the inspiration for the handle from a car. As this was something I envisioned the target market to be interested in still as they were still young although they had a family. The lining and detailing shows give the feeling of precision and speed that enforces the car image.

The pleasure analysis would be as follows:

Physio:

- good serving utensil
- multi functional as it doubles as a beer opener
- Ergonomic
- Robust
- Interesting design

Socio:

- Serving tool for others
- Good talking point

Psycho

- Fun to use
- Sense of Familiarity
- Feeling of control

Ideo

- Environmentally responsible
- Safe to use
- Hygenic

Task Five: Video Reflections - 'Paul Bennett - Designing Details'

I found this presentation to be extremely interesting as it taught me the importance of observing human interactions. It was interesting how Paul pointed out that we humans design things without realizing it. The one i found most interesting was how we wrap the tea bag string around the handle of a cup. I found this detail interesting as i had never thought of these everyday things to be a design in themselves.

I agreed with Paul's thoughts on becoming the consumer and putting yourself in their shoes to understand exactly what they need and want. I thought that the major take home message of the video was to remind the viewer that although making a design 'pretty' was relevant, the main purpose of design is the function and the convenience of the product itself. This idea can be seen in Paul's work at the hospital. The mirrors installed on wheelchairs for better interaction showed that even the simplest of designs can be the best ones.

I believe that as designers we must design with our hearts and truly have a look at the world around us, to gain the outside picture and look outside the box.