Think and Make: Reading One

A design is a personalized opinion of how a particular designer interprets what they believe makes a good design.  A designer has the ability, or even responsibility, to continue creating and improving their product to better themselves, the consumer, and the general community in an effort to raise the standard of the world.  Everything needs to be designed.  Not everything needs to be engineered.  The designs of everything around us have a greater affect than any of us realize.

With the belief that designers shape and drive how we see our world, the collaboration of designers and their designs can only further how far and innovative we, as designers, can be.  Every person is different.  Which means every person has their own ways of looking into how the solution is obtained.  Maybe my particular way of viewing a project produces a set number of solutions.  If we combine our viewpoints of the situation... the amount of solutions are limitless.  And just maybe when we reach and cross the realm of reality, that designer next to you will say, "No way in hell is that possible!"  Then we can dial it down a bit till we're ready for the next breakthrough.

My Reflections on a Color Lecture

I think I've always realized there was a lot to the selection and placement of color.  But I had no idea that there were so many classifications of what a color could be!  Hue, color balance, color unity, chroma, value, analogous colors, contrast, and the transition of color.  Really?!  Thats a lot of different aspects of color to think about and apply to the decision of what colors to use and how.

Now that I have been observing different advertisements and methods of design, all these categories appear to be necessary.  Though I'm still trying to get a more firm grasp on how these different classes for color are used, I have a much better understanding of why these are needed.

The first time around the lecture seemed a little hard for me to understand and follow since it was the first time I had heard about almost all of these topics, I'm sure the more I reread the lecture notes and powerpoint, I will continue to improve with their use.

Demolishing the beauty of Paris for an easier commute

Today in Modern Art History we discussed the "haussmannization" of Paris. 

The design of Paris was flawed for an ever growing and modern city.  The streets were so narrow that a single horse cart or carriage would not be able to pass through certain areas.  To combat this issue, Haussmann was commissioned by Napoleon III to renovate Paris.  By demolishing the buildings closest to the streets and widening the roadways, Haussmann effectively redesigned Paris for the modern age.  Though some people thought the change was ugly or destroyed the heart and soul of what is Paris, the renovation allowed a better flow of traffic and water/sewage.  As disease was at an all-time high, standing water and sewage in the street was killing the citizens of Paris.

I think this is a tough decision.  Destroy your history in lieu of growing your city and lowering the disease rate?  Its one of those things that is going to make some of the people angry.  A decision was made to better the city and its population.  I think they made the correct choice.

Better than a "Good Design"

The Dieter Rams 10 Principles of "Good Design"

In class we discussed the concepts that make up a good design.  Innovation, usefulness, aesthetics, understandability, unobtrusiveness, honesty, long-lasting, down to the last detail, environmentally friendly, and possible.

By converging all of these concepts in a design, the company LifeProof has designed a case for the iPhone that protects the phone from liquid, scratches, dirt and resistant to impacts.  Regardless of the fact that the case is completely sealed, the resonance chamber for the microphone and ear piece allows for the user to talk and listen while the phone is protected.  There is a door at the bottom of the case that allows the user to charge their phone without removing the case (though it is not sealed from the elements during this process.  For those that enjoy listening to music while they workout, there is a removable plug at the top of the case that allows for a earphone jack to be inserted and with the provided adaption will maintain the integrity of the water seal, allowing the phone to be carried and operated in such environments as a swimming pool.
Strong, a pleasing design that offers a multitude of color options, and adaptations that allow the use of phone functions while providing the most protection possible make up a case for the iPhone that hardly takes up more space than the phone itself.

Good/Bad Colors and Design

When Kellogg's designed the "Froot Loops" box they used poor color choice.  The differing colors hinder the viewers visual flow by not allowing the eye to move through the image smoothly.  

The colors on the "Lucky Charms" box connect each word grouping into one thought and the shapes of the images allow a smooth and even transition throughout the entire work.