Next year is going to be f'ing hard.

Very very lame, I passed Studio. I was so looking forward to having a repeat session with Rina ...

You know, having come out of studio, faced screwing up and then reading a bit of Cradle to Cradle and a few other design books, I've kinda realised that although we're still students and what not, it seems that we are kinda naive and superficial when it comes to design, really only looking at the surface of the problem. Just because we have recyclable materials integrated into our designs, doesn't equate an eco-friendly design. It's kinda pointless if it goes into landfill because you can't separate the recyclables from the non-recyclables.

Yes there are many budding new designers with a more mature mindset and a strong sense of design intent, and being a student allows them to have a certain direction in their creativity not constrained to the extent that experienced designers may have from 'knowing' limitations and what not.

I should probably have a crack at doing more form studies from the Pratt course, as well as a few mini projects and re-projects. I wonder if I should have a crack at Furnitex again, still going to plan a trip down to Melbourne for Design Month. Exhibiting for and entire week was wearisome. Anyone want to come along next year?!

More to blog later once I've finished ruminating.

Because I can't fit this into 4000 character space on the Catei form, it's here instead. Feel free not to take any notice.

Curiously I was discussing CATEI form that we have at university with another lecturer yesterday. From my point of view, they can be a useful source of information, the problem is, whether it's useful or not, whether you can filter out the unbiased information as well as the irrelevant. Uni always either hassles us or gives us incentives to do it, but do we really give back useful info.

For example, do we give feedback such as:
-We would probably be better designers if Design Fundamentals actually taught us Industrial Design – Design Fundamentals instead of the type of course we would go to COFA for.
-With design studio, when trying to resolve the materials, manufacturing, technology, form etc, it's still a mish-mash as opposed to an elegantly resolved product
-Design Studio still feels like a lecture to a student as opposed to a studio, sure you can bounce ideas within a few friends, and possibly a tutor might give you one view, which naturally contradicts with all the other advice you've been given
-When your project/idea is slaughtered, sure you can turn that into positives by taking the critical elements that actually work for you, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if we had a PROPER design process taught to us that we could follow, we'd churn out better design and the whole grade would lift as opposed to having, still, a massive gap between what we do and what's expected
-When you're dropped into the deep end of the ocean, without any support, naturally you're going to grope at a straw, so when you throw us into a brief with no design process as a support, expect us to come up with fabulous design, are disappointed when we don't, and throw us a few ideas, you should realise that we will take those ideas literally, and you will be disappointed the next week when you see that we've done that. Give us the support we need, don't waste our first year. Heck, some courses in England are 3 years and they dive right into it. Don't ease us in with the first year, you're wasting our time, you're not giving us the true fundamentals of design that we need for INDUSTRY because ultimately, that's where we want to be.
-Studio needs more debating, questioning of what design really is and why we want to be designers. People do lose their confidence, and that's the core thing you need when you want to fight for your design. We need to refine what design means to us. Lecturers say we're not as enthusiastic as the previous generation. So if one side isn't, the otherside should lure us, to inspire us into designing, not grabbing a blob and shaping it.
-Oh and industrial design is also about the engineers, this degree loses a lot of good engineers. Just because techies may not be the best form designers doesn't mean they don't hold a place in design. Who do you think translates the engineering to design and vice versa. Sure, for some it might be form before function, or function before form, best of all it should be form and function, for the function you need techies, don't dismiss us.
-From what I've heard, 4th years had their first experience of what form designing is about from a tutor who teaches Advanced Rhino. You don't teach PhD material to Undergraduate, you teach them Undergraduate material. So teach us the real basics, not the COFA basics. If we wanted an art degree, we'd go to COFA.
-Many of us are fresh out of high school, others have had other a few years at Uni, others are mature age students. Teach us the basics, heck hijack, the Form Foundation Studies from Pratt University's ID Degree, at least that would be more help.

Yes we're probably doing something right with the awards we win and the success of our graduates, but if you don't want want only 'a handful of students who aren't “shit designers”' by the time they're in 4th year, start by doing something in the 1st year. A good foundation is the basis of success.

Boards

A fitting end

So over the period of 12 weeks, I've averaged a wholesome number of 30 blog posts. For others it's probably give or take 5 to 10. I've mainly tried to focus on the design thought side, though the odd design rant has occurred. Now in relation to trying to get blogging to be a visual diary of sorts, depending on what you do, it may or may not have succeeded. Hand sketches seem far and few between, notes you take, or concepts you think about have about a day of fame before being resigned to the archive. In terms of achieving a design studio outside the studio, probably not as successful as it could have been. Perhaps the blogs could have been incorporated into a forum of sorts, actually throwing up ideas for all to see? Overall, probably a solid experiment, but in need of some tweaking.

On a different rant, a curious thought occurred in a discussion. Now on one side of the design spectrum, if you know what you want to say, through a material for example, you can push and push it forward until you've realised your design. On the other side, if the lecturer deems that it's not deep enough, and throws your world upside down by offering you more pathways to explore this would probably leave you at a loss, as it did to me. Week after week, your design concepts, even if you've explored them at a relative depth, if they are rejected, you end up making a concept a week. So for the 6 to 7 odd weeks you would have made 5 to 6 roughly finalised concepts. Ok, even if you've made 3 to 4 concepts a week, there's probably one you prefer, and if that one is rejected, you'll be needing to head in a different direction. I suppose what I'm aiming to get across would be, could it be more productive if we had 2 projects in the 7 weeks? I don't think the outside would is as leisurely as Uni.

Mm, oh and studio in the middle of the week is probably not the best plan of action. 1 possibly 2 days to refine an idea, then the weekend without workshop open so you can't test the idea if you don't have access to your own modelling equipment, then another 2 days to churn out the model you should have done during the weekend but couldn't. I don't know, may others think this it totally ridiculous but that's my 2 cents and I don't think many people pay attention anyways.

Speaking of paying attention, apparently during the marking of the latest studio project, some people's drawings/rationales/boards etc were perfectly orientated after marking. Sus?

Reiterating what I said in a prior post, they say that you have to have an optimistic and a positive outlook if you're to design effectively. But with all that anticipation and worrying of "oh is my tutor going to like it?", "oh what am I going to do if they don't?", "oh have I put enough thought into this? [Which probably comes from research because I honestly don't think many of us have that much design experience]" - how are we exactly supposed to do that? Anxiety and stress are either our drivers or our handicaps.

I have a foreboding feeling I'm going to be seeing the inside of class 2b again next year. Who wants to bet that I do? Safest bet in the world.

So ..

.. the design process, indeed most processes are based on lots of little steps, building blocks, foundations that are set down before the rest of journey occurs.

Little trivial question, lots of simple questions, solidifying the basics before going in depth.

High expectations should not be sought after continuously. A quote from Stefan Sagmeister on the things he's learnt in life - "Low expectations are a good strategy"

When you design you've got to be relaxed. Neurons are firing all over the place and the pathways are not linking if you're stressed, hence you can't think straight let alone design.

Focus but be relaxed.

Possibly trival things for many, but a second opinion is always good.

Oh oh oh! Could someone indulge me ...

... in what 'dangerous' design is? Possibly in relation to form? Is it simply trying to push the boundaries of what the form is? Does this have something to do with conceptualisation?

Oh, I've got cake for anyone who can tell me.

Ruminating Design Process

Hmm just curiously contemplating the design process. There's the idea of Think > Draw > Make > Think > Dra... etc and it seems that while I'm doing this, there's not enough of it, especially in the Think part.

In accordance, what was said was that there are lots of little steps which need to be taken, more to the point, a lot more inspiration to drive the process forward. There has to be a core reason behind every design, and the further down the track you are for a design, the less you get your design ripped to shreds.

Ahh that's the other thing, don't clutch at a straw like a drowning man, or run with a bone thrown in your direction. Don't take people's advice literally, it's only there for 'contact points'. In fact, you could eventually not even use it, but the whole point is to open up unseen avenues, or so they say.

Mmm, if there isn't a clear cut path to an answer, is there an optimal way to reaching a correct direction?

/rumination

Lovely Ceramics and the blog of course

Twas surfing the web and came across this blog. Fantastic blog, and looking at the ceramics section, it's filled up with lots of delectable designs, mmmmmmmm.



Could a mug get any more foolproof?

Kitchen Trends - Environmental Variables Affecting Design

Hmm Ok, well it's been a while since I've posted. Anyways, trying to look at the "larger picture", the environment and trends, in this case, of the modern kitchen.

Top 10 Kitchen Trends


The A-Z of Kitchen Design Trends Kitchen Colour, Design & Style


The latest trends in kitchen units and furniture


Kitchen Trends

Points to note in terms of trends
1) Open Plan houses - incorporation of kitchen, dining, entertaining area all into one
2) Minimalism - "Minimalist, square lines, dark veneers and teppanyaki-style benches are some of the latest buzz words in kitchen design"
3) Ergonomics - Much more user centred design especially since DIY Flatpack kitchens are on the rise

Research and Rumination

Well, what happens when one falls, one gets up and tries and tries again.

Anyways, here are some interesting things I've come across while doing some research.

http://gizmodo.com/archives/kppersbusch-honeycomb-cooking-tiles-018006.php
Would you believe I was absolutely enthralled when I saw these. Yes, they're pricey per pop, but it's just so hmm, dare I say beautiful? There's something about geometric patterns that I love, patterns! Funny thing is, you can't read the product page.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/green-ideas/top-home-cooking-trends-for-2008-039523
There's a link for cooking trends of 2008. It seems that the trend for 2008 seems to be centred around the home and being au natural in terms of cooking whether it's the equipment or the benchtop. Seems that earthy tones the new black.

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=deRKF5kv5wwC&pg=PA445&lpg=PA445&dq=camping+cook+stone&source=web&ots=EtljKx65UL&sig=ZKr8i0BqkJT3dcicI-24e_KPrN8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA449,M1
Now I know we live in Australia but just take a look at this. It's about cooking in the natural environment. Using fire, stones, wood, paper, you name it, it's probably used.

Today I was reading an old issue of Inside from last year and I came across an article where Karim Rashid puts across his view of design in the contemporary world. He put across such points as the fact that in today's world, brand loyalty no longer exsists, the fact that businesses will have to 'innovate or die', the fact that 'as children we are all creative, but in the past we have been forced to conform" which definitely struck a chord. I mean personally, after about a decade and a half of stringent and reinforced teachings which have probably been ingrained into the very fibres of my body, it's probably little wonder why I find it so hard to break free. So it's going to be tough. In any case, the last lines were very interesting.

"Today we can design our own lives. The true meaning of human existance is to create"

Let's see if I can be part of that. Let's see if I can create.

And she's over the fence!

The biggest drawback of ceramics that caused most of us to disregard ceramic's wonderful properties was the fact that it was brittle. So, why can they be used in springs?


Courtesy of www.nhkspg.co.jp/eng/corp/appl.html

Another site describing ceramic developments
http://www.dynacer.com/properties.htm

Hard thinking but no breakthrough yet ...

Ceramics

Has anyone realised that like every other material, ceramics are saturated in our environment? If it isn't the semiconductors in our appliances, it's the bricks of our houses, the plates that we eat off?

In history, it was one of the earliest ways of recording history. Every culture had their earthenware whether it was raw or glazed, clay or porcelain, embodying art or storing vegetables, ceramics are very much the foundations of culture.

But really where is that today? Lovely as ceramic sculptures are, many of them are in museums. The plates that we have, beautiful as it is, is probably the same as the neighbour's down the street. In the early 20th century in Africa, every household had a potter (a woman) who made containers for cooking and storing food. Today we're surrounded by injection moulded seats and die pressed cars [not literally, as in the body]. Where's the ceramic?

That, and is there a way to give ceramic a certain dynamicism(sp?). It seems as wear resistant, chemically inert, corrosion resistant, thermally insulated as it is, it's one major fall back, it's brittle. Most ceramic products sit. They stand around, might rotate in a socket or two, but overall they're pretty stable structures. And that's how we perceive them to be, that's how we recognise them, as static structures. Is there a technology that can give them freedom from that one achillies heel that will either make or break them?

Will keep you posted.

I really want to know about the ...

Story of a Design, Design Statement, Design Intent, Philosophy of a Design. All well and good, all bandied around.

Anyone care to elaborate on what it is and how we go about implementing one, let alone developing one?

Ipod who?

Was it Braun, or this man?



He's still not going to get enough to live off his pension.

Ceramics! Yeah I should be excited ...

Hmm, well it seems I shall be doing Ceramics for this new studio project as opposed to copper alloys. To be honest, probably a welcome change since it's probably better to have an actual group to brainstorm/bounce ideas. At that here are some pictures of a few ceramic designs I saw while rummaging through my books.

The first one are the "Stardust Vases" by Setsu & Shinobu Ito. From the original inspiration of leaves in sunlight, they've managed to create designs that interact with each other, a relationship between the positive and negative space of the designs.

The second and thrid designs are by Fernando Brizio, they are part of the "Painting with Giotto" collection. What you can see are felt tip pens bleeding their colours into the porous limestone creating a kaleidoscopic effect. For your information, there's 95 felt tips on first one.

The last design are the 'Spineless lamps" by Studio Frederik Roijé. It utilises porcelain's unique ability of memory. So the porcelain becomes deformed during manufacture and acquires its unique form.

In all of these, they're really trying to harness the material's unique ability in one way or another or create a form that uses the visual language of the material to greatest effect.

Considering the fact that Industrial Design is not just about delivering the technical package but form as well, I think now would be a good time for me to try and nut out my own process of developing form. This is going to be one tough project.

Patent Search

For anyone who's doing Patent search for Lance's Class, here is a useful site I came across while researching for copper.

http://www.copper.org/publications/newsletters/innovations/2004/02/Cu_Ptnts.html

It has a step by step example for copper patent. Hope it can be of use.

Good luck!

VIVID Furnitex Fair Exhibition

Well on the topic of exhibitions, here's one I prepared earlier haha. In the July holidays I went down to Melbourne to exhibit one of my projects in the VIVID section of the Furnitex Design Fair as it was compulsory otherwise you'd be taken off the shortlist (not that I didn't want to go, it was an awesome experience!) Wasn't expecting to win anything, and naturally didn't haha, but I suppose being a Finalist for the VIVID Green Award counts for something *shrugs* In anycase, what I believe was more worthwhile was the experience of actually exhibiting (it was for 4 days from 9 to 5, believe me when I say standing around is really really tiresome ...) and really getting a glimpse of the furniture industry. Definitely learnt a few things (always, always! make your contact details available, have a business card, or have a sheet where they can put down expressions of interest, otherwise exhibiting is pointless) and had a great time. They tell you not to take photos but Uli said we could take a few snaps (sorry for the massive noise in the pictures, was taken with my dying discontinued Canon compact).

Boards and a few pics

Here are my other boards, will need to try out my new laptop by processing these other renders of mine ... Ooh, and these pics have let me practice photoshop, which is always a good thing. Try the adjustment layers, they're ridiculously powerful in terms of on the fly adjustments of pictures.

The AsiaLine picture was a pamphlet I picked up at the Youngblood market. Quite interesting because it had a warmth I was desiring for my product in urban tribes, with it's rich reds and warm browns. The Zen bar photo was cut out of an MX (these things are awesome, the same with Epoch times, I'm poor and can't afford designer mags, though I should invest in them) and it was for me a mixture of the warmth of wood with the modern feel from the slick geometries. Could just be me.

Question - Why do I suck as a designer? A penny for your thoughts.

Process Rant

There are the pictures of my foamies and the final product. It's more of a technical package formed into the form of a photo frame, and although people may argue that the form needed to be more developed let me put this to you. Over the countless eras we've been through, the traditional photo frame form has not changed dramatically, in fact, if you look at today's digital photo frames, they use more modern materials but retain the universally accepted *rectangle*. And whilst you may say, why don't you change it, if you look at the products out there, there has to be a reason why they've made it, that they're actually selling products. The rectangular form works.

If you choose to give it a lovely organic shape, in my view, it detracts from the core purpose of the photo frames, and that is do enhance the display of the photo, not compete for attention.

To the boards, my camera was having a little trouble with the lighting is what I'll say but those are placed on the back of my Piranesi board (that brings back memories) and so that's A1. There's 3 of those boards. That's not including the research and word smithing, mind mapping, feature analysis, personal Q&A about the product that I did. So to all those who think there's not much going on in this little head of mine, there probably isn't, it just happens to be on the paper.

/end Rant

Here is the A4 poster. It's kinda cool, decided to aim it at an emerging niche market, with emerging technologies targeting a hole in the market. Overall comments for the project: lots more detailing is needed, probably need to do more of an analysis for materials with design for assembly and disassembly, tweaking the form more so it's more finished, and a load of other tiny tidbits which eat away at the overall validity of my design.

Such is life

PS, link outside blogger, it has trouble handling colour, process photos will be uploaded later

Mmm, I haven't posted for a long time but I've had some curious thoughts about Design.

Thoughts that have been floating:

Design methodology in the formal aspect provides us will a fall back structure to aid students in their struggle to design, AND IT IS A STRUGGLE! For the amount of lecturers who say we're crap, clearly we're struggling.

We're being asked, or rather thrown in the deep end and made to develop our own approach to designing. This of course is rather hard having very little experience, but I suppose trial and error would be a way to go non? Too bad, you could be trialing and error'ing the whole of first year again and again until you get it right, or decide to move on.

Having said that why don't they have rudimentary FORMAL design methodologies taught in first year. Yes, letting us tiny children loose in the design will yield shit results, obviously this is the case as many of us probably have the potential but lack the structured design approaches that are gained from experience (but what experience?!)

Then again, teaching formal methods could be a total waste of money and resources considering the drop out rate from the culling season for first year, first semester. I wonder if the Japanese could match their whaling rate with the aforementioned culling rate ...

I think I heard something about knowing too much about detailing, engineering, materials and what not and how this restricts us in terms of creative design. And yet, if you think about it, there are two ways this could work. More restrictions could mean a more driven path of design, or it could mean that the designers would have to think out of the box and actually PROBLEM SOLVE.

Mm on another rant, I also heard from a former student that it's not about the marks, it's about the skills and if the skills are there, it will reflect the marks. But, if you don't care for the marks, then what position are the skills in then? It is about the marks, like it or not. The marks are a reflection of the skill level.

Speaking of reflection, how does one separate themselves from their designs and remain unattached. They say, that people criticise the product aspects, and that they're not criticising you. But the product is an innate reflection of your personal style of designing, the way you think, the way you solve the problem, it is YOUR design. It is a reflection of you! How then are we supposed to divorce ourselves of this aspect when we strive so hard to design and make the product work, to put our heart into it and then say, there it is, I'm free from it now. Elaborate.

A curious thought, that each design is a new slate. You've got nothing to lose, you either move towards your goal a little or a lot, there's no moving back since you're starting from scratch. This one needs more ponder time.

Maybe I just think too much. Or in some cases too little. Curious-ne?

Few pointers to learn:
1) Concept boards should be concepts, no need for computer renderings. Hand renderings, exploration of internal thought processes, hand annotations (neat) and exploratory renderings are much more appreciated.
2) If you want to get ahead, on any project, think through every single detail, even if it is only concept stage, that way you'll get the most thorough feedback concerning the viability of your concepts
3) At this point in time, it's all about the process, and a good portion on the finished product and rationale, but mainly the process.

Apple has undoubtedly one of, if not, the best Design teams on EARTH!. As I was waltzing through some E-Paper articles, I came across a video which enlightens us as to the difference between Microsoft and Apple in terms of design.

How Microsoft would redesign Ipod Packaging.

The epitome of excellent marketing.

Now I've been on the search for items that are either storage furniture, or photo displays. On my search I happened to pass by this. Ikea, is selling this piece for $49.



This takes the cake.

Golden Oldies at their Prime

Golden Oldies

At Home and on the Road.

Iconic Pictures - Deeper Meaning

Environment of the Goldies's R&R space

Relaxing at home, as a couple, enjoying the hard earned comforts of life

Exercising, bicycling in the natural environment, shows that they want to get out into the open

A transaction in cash - food

Tech Savvy - They want to share memories, keep memories of themselves and all that is around them

Organising pills and supplements - to maintain their health and general well-being through adequate nutritional supplements


Courtesy of Getty Images.
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