Design Confusion

Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

The consumer life, why is it so important for the society of our world. Once watching this video my insight to products and consumer behavior has changed drastically. We live in a society run by consumer products and planned obsolescence, this needs to change in the very near future. Knowing now what the majority of corporations are doing to our environment and how little we have left of our natural environment is shocking. Consumers need to understand and know what the production process and environmental impacts their products have on the environment especially the citizens from the USA. Industrial designers in our day and age need to be more wary of the impacts their products have on the world around them. As industrial designers we need to change the way society interacts with products making them want to cherish every item until it breaks. Not just make them want something because it’s the newest thing on the market and does something cool.

I understand why the US is an unhappy nation. They feed off consumer products. The products are more important to the people then their way of life. Having the newest iPod or computer is more important than experiencing the friendship, family and life. Also for this reason as industrial designers we need to be more wary of the experience of our designs. Making products that allow an interaction between people and environments creating an experience is more important just designing new things for the function, aesthetics and acceptance of society. We need to teach society to feel for a product. For example as a bodyboarder my bodyboard is my most prized product because of the experience that is given to me, I feel disgusted when my board is damaged in any way knowing that it will never be the same as when it was first used. The friendship with one of my best friends has been created though the years of using this product and the countless experiences we have had together is better than any other product I have used in my life. When I go bodyboarding it is more about the experience rather than the usage, the interactions I have with my mates and the ocean are more important that the function and aesthetic look of the board. Although function and aesthetics are important in design the experience is most important.

So as industrial designers we need to understand the connection between consumers, products and society when designing allowing our designs to have a positive impact on our world and society today rather than creating products that damage the environment and follow the consumer cycle.

Don Narman: Emotional Design

Emotional design is more important in today’s world as ever before. People don’t just buy a product because its function. Consumers now look for an experience with a product how it makes them feel while using it and what emotions are portrayed. Don Norman explains the use of emotional design through certain designs of today. The Philippe Starck’s juicer that is show is a great example of this emotional design. The juicer purpose is not to be used as a juicer which is indicated by a piece of paper when you have bought the product. The juicer is used more to spark emotion because of its shape and aesthetic qualities.

Don shows us the new global cutting knife produced in Japan. He explains that it has its function but also certain other qualities that make it an emotional design. The shape of the knife gives it nice aesthetic s, the knife is balances feeling comfortable in the hand making it a pleasure to use and finally its sharp cutting well making it a pleasurable to use. Don goes on to explain that the knife can also be reflective because how it is used and from this we have a theory of emotional design and how and why we use certain products.

The use of emotional design is used also because it creates a fun atmosphere in the use while using a product or while solving a problem. Don gives us the example of Alice Isen the psychologist whose experiment gives a vivid example that with a little fun people improve their thinking towards a task. This is implied to emotional design because when a consumer is using or viewing a product it creates a positive feeling and conversation can be sparked or the activity being performed if more enjoyable.

Don goes on the break down the process of design into three stages- 1. Visceral 2. Behavioral 3. Reflective. The visceral part of design is all about the attraction to certain elements of a design such as colour and shape. Behavioral design is the feeling of in control of a product and its usability and understanding of a design. The reflective part of design is the state of consciousness that is involved with design whether a consumer feels good or bad while using a product.
Emotional design shows us why people create connections to some product and not to others because of certain elements to a design and why people choose certain products over others.

Sketches

Workshopped
20 Years of Industrial design
20 Years of Industrial Design
Re-Loved
The 80's are Back

Design Excellence

David Kelly: Human Centered Design

Human centered design focuses more on the interaction between people and the product. From the video David Kelly mentions that at the first TED there was more of a focus on “products or objects”. As the years progressed design has evolved to focus more on the inclusion of behaviors and personalities in product that are designed. Before 3D modeling and rendering were primarily used to show consumers how the product looks and functions. Although now we see that there needs to be a different way to communicate these ideas. Using short videos David explains how human centered designs work with the consumer rather than just showing a product and its functions. This develops a more man-machine relationship giving a broader definition of design within products, services and environments.

Through the short promotional videos we see how products are being designed to allow the consumer to interact with the products. In the design of Prada’s new store there is a cultural role played by the store itself. Whereas the consumer also sees the Prada store as playing a retail role. This is achieve through the development of custom technology around the store such as screens displaying information of colours, sizes and appearance on different clothing item in the change rooms after the electronic tags have been scanned.

The spyfish underwater camera is a human centered design giving the feeling of being underwater to the consumer. The consumer interacts with the screen remote and sounds to provide the feeling of being underwater. Although similar to a research tool the spyfish is not intended for that use but it still has the capability of diving 500 feet which is abnormal to actually accomplish while scuba diving. The video says that you can “completely loose yourself underwater”. Although this product I believe would, yes give you the same feeling of being underwater but it certainly would not provide the whole experience of weightlessness and the interaction you have with nature around you. For this reason I believe that the design was made to provide the feeling of being immersed through human centered design despite the fact you are not achieving the full experience of diving.

Watching this video it is clear human centered design in our modern world today is important in the progress of design. It can bring the world of consumers closer to nature and products they buy and use day to day. Through human centered design we can also reach out to the less fortunate in our world and help improve their living condition. We still need to consider though the actual experience of some activities and not let products take over the actual human involvement that is needed for a full experience however keep human centered design as a focus for designs in the future.

My Design Career

The start of my design career began mid way through my high school years at St Peter’s Catholic College. My interest in design grew in year 11 and 12 through my involvement in Design and Technology. This subject allowed me to combine my passion for bodyboarding into the design world. The major design project allowed me to work with one of the industry’s top professional bodyboard shaper/designer which intrigued me further to be involved in the design world.

Upon completing high school I needed to make a decision of what next to do with my life. I knew that I a job in design was suitable for me and design and Technology was my first preference after finishing school. Once the ATAR scores were released and my option for a career choice became broader the next decision was to choose a course to do at university. I had seen Industrial Design being offered at UTS and after researching the course it seemed perfect for me. Although the ATAR score required to be accepted was too high and Newcastle University my first choice of university not offering the course it seemed like I was not able to do the course. After receiving a letter in the mail granting me four extra ATAR point if I selected a course at UNSW I began to search design course available here. Once I saw UNSW offered Industrial Design and with the extra ATAR point I had the required mark to be accepted I placed it as my first preference on my UAC application.

I wish to become a designer because I am interested in designing new innovations and technologies within the sport of bodyboarding. I aspire to enter the bodyboarding industry because for the past 10 years the sport has been my passion and I believe in the future I will have the skill, knowledge, and potential to produce high quality products and innovations to the bodyboarding world. Through designing new innovations and technologies in the bodyboarding industry I could help develop the sport to become main stream and seen as a major world sport equal to surfing. This could result in more people around the world experiencing bodyboarding and others can have the same excitement and adventure that I have experienced through this sport.

My future in design will hopefully be beneficial to the broader community and help improve people’s lives through the enjoyment of bodyboarding. Whilst growing up bodyboarding played a major part in my life being in the water almost every weekend I was able to spend most my time away from the busy nature of life and stress of everyday life. This helped me to be more calm and collected in my process of thinking and when things get a little too busy and stressful the ocean is always there to escape to and forget the stresses of life. Hopefully through design others can have the similar adventures and excitement that I have experience through my many years of bodyboarding.