task 6: what is design?

as its title shows, Hewitt is stating what design has been like in so many terms, and also how design from right now should be.
first of all, i found that he focused on 'people' as the core part of design process. for example, he suggests integrating a great deal of features into one smart-phone service so that more convenience and some 'pleasure to use' could be brought about to its 'users'. through the sample video about the service on the phone about Chinese person, the phone is not only the device to communicate with others but also the thing which absolutely satisfies its user. This is because user should be considered prior to product itself. that was what I caught from this short video.
Then Hewitt moves on to the 'bad design definition stage'. in Japan, i-mode used to be so innovative service which was pretty nostalgic staff to me, but the thing like side effect of technology was so obvious as well. a lady was taking so much effort for even more than 30 minutes to get ONE CAN DRINK. this occurred due to using purchasing system on i-mode service. so here, the user was so much confused and behind the technology which should exist to support and improve users' lifestyle though. that was what Hewitt wants to talk, i guess. so in this case people have to catch up the development of product itself and this was an example of bad design.

in the next place Hewitt introduced the design process called Design Harnesses Tacit Knowledge, or Learning by Doing. In short, design is playing am important role by integrating several messy, twisted processes into one process. This makes sense in terms of matching with my thought that design always has to be solution of problems. and through this video, I was reminded how design has to be for everyone. Although I knew I should define the term 'design' was about creating solution for problem related to anything not only about generally defined design thing as stated above, Hewitt's introduction of his ideas made my brain clearer.

He also mentions about design for different people. So here people are categorized into many groups depend on their age mainly. and design thus should be things to adopt to each group of people by observing them. this process was now that very familiar to me like I already experienced looking at some different group of people and considering how the design for them should be.

Overall, I found new or again so many things I have to keep in mind all the time. All of us are having a long holiday, however, I would like to utilize these upcoming time to tidy up brain and prepare so many things before another year and semesters begin. This is obviously delayed blogging for this video but I really like the messages Hewitt gave us for our future thinking.

peer comment

Clement
http://clementyoongides1031.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycled-utility.html?showComment=1319001345394#c2970925063143610269

Felicia
http://feliciaides1122.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycled-utility.html#comments

Jimmy
http://ides1031-z3332715.blogspot.com/2011/10/hero-shot.html#comments

Dennis
http://dennisdolee.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycling-utility-zen-light.html#comments

Dong Wook
http://dongkim926.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-2-upcycled-utility.html#comments

project 2 upcycled utility

The lamp I would like present is a spiral shaped unique lamp. The form was inspired from a spiral shell in the or besides the ocean. The main reason why I took this shape for the final is because I mostly focused on spending time at night in a good mood. Therefore, this lamp has the purpose to bring about the laxury, elegance and relaxation to your room. Firstly, such a round and organic shape, of course because it came from a natural life, will create easy, comfortable feeling to user. In terms of function, the lamp cover whole part of bulb so it helps avoid people, children in particular, touching and burn themselves accidentally. So it can be said that security of using this product is well considered as well.
Assembly is easy-thought. It is just about bend and stick each piece with tags and slits. Those tags strongly hold each other so that the lamp will not be separate by itself. Also, the lamp holds the light bulb.
About the waste issue, this product could be made maximum 12 of those from 1 sheet of poster sized 1800 x 1200. As cutting diagram shows, waste of the paper is pretty less, sized 120 x 1200. This is only about 6% of waste from whole sheet of the poster.
Overall, I tried to achieve making the product with simplicity of assembly process but also the strong evolution of the material into much better appearance and use through this project.

project 1 experience enrichment

Project 1 Experiment Enrichment Rationale – Round Peeler
3322963 Kosuke Fujisawa

The product I would like to present this time is a simple peeler that is ultra comfortable to use. The most important focus about this product is, it fits your hand perfectly. In other words, the blade, handle is all in one, different from other ordinary peelers that are in the existing market. The visual shape is inspired by the Apple mouse which has a divine smooth surface and a shape that could easily fit in our hands. The blade is designed “hidden” underneath its cover instead of being exposed outside and therefore; this peeler could be placed anywhere in the kitchen (even as a decoration). This kind of blade design also suits the household open-styled kitchen with young children to avoid accidental cut.
Given the aim of this design is to create a new simple peeler that is comfortable to use, I have put most of my effort in optimizing the touch feeling on its surface and finding its optimal shape to fit into our hands. It began with drawing many sketches to come up what it eventually should look. After a lot of trials and errors, I came to current round, smooth shaped peeler. As well as exploring ideas in 2D drawings, I also started to make 3D experiments using the blue foam. This helped me a lot in terms of easier making and correcting within a short time frame. I did not notice that I should make it more dome-shaped rather than just almost flat one until I practically tried model making. So I did progress through the cycle of processes including drawing sketches, shaping foam, asking some people to feel it, and getting advices from tutors.
About the enrichment, I created the situation that when you touch the product it is nicely smooth to feel. Also, you can also experience your hand fits the peeler so that you like to peel your potato rather than doing it just as a process of cooking. In terms of visual achievement, I applied apple-like red on the surface of the peeler as the color such as red, orange, yellow; remind us of fruit and vegetables. Additionally, red color has a quite vivid visual impact to be found easily.

peer comments

Here is the list of URLs my comments were posted.


http://2011jj.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-one-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1315931924680#c6967656754221627360

http://seon-tae.blogspot.com/2011/09/projet-1-experience-enrichment.html#comments

http://clementyoongides1031.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-one-experience-enrichment.html#comments

http://ides1031-z3332715.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-design-career.html#comments

http://thesolidstate.blogspot.com/2011/08/design-confusion-poster.html#comments

video refection: the story of stuff

This video is giving so many messages to us. First of all, the whole cycle of production is harmful not only to human but also to all the natural livings.
I strongly felt that such our current addiction about mass production is very horrible. As a daily process, we buy products and throw them away, in an amazingly very quick cycle, compared to the pace half a century ago. Most of us, however, do not know how such our wasting action affects badly to the environment, because we think or have been made think that the cycle is normal by media.

The United States, according to the teller, has owned huge natural resources of the whole planet and making those polluted or no use anymore. It is not just the problem the country has in fact but all of us, in particular in those developed countries fulfilled with the people totally got used to the quick mass production process.
It is quite important to consider those points affecting the environment in design in the future as an industrial designer, because we must think of the material, how long our products last to use, how eco-friendly or harmful they are and so on. The natural resources on the earth are limited of course but we currently never stop using those precious belongings with such quick cycle. We will then end up with nothing left to use.

I went to Japan Design Talk a few weeks ago to listen to the current design projects in Japan, and there were so many tips about how we can, or strongly, we should use materials in a better way in terms of the environmentally friendly method. For example, some designers there imitate the traditional style in which we keep using one thing until it is all gone nothing to use. In terms of that, one of the designers introduced a patterned cloth, but it can be used for eco shopping bag by folding itself, table clothes and becomes a wiping clothes in the end. So, the message that the designer wants users to utilize it until it is for not useful anymore.

Through the video and those presentations, I reminded of how significant the current situation is. I want to become a toy designer but I have to think of how to use materials for the production. Nowadays, most of toys have been made of plastics but those plastics are from petroleum. Plastic bags in the markets, packaging and so many other things are coming with plastic but I will have to start with the point of how to solve using limited resources like that.
Also, for the all products we will design in the future, we cannot think separately about the environment, safety, etc..

Task 2 Product sketching

Here below are 5 sketches from exhibitions individually.

Task 4 My Design Career

Simply, this is my essay below.


My Design Career
Kosuke Fujisawa


Since my childhood, playing and toys have been big part of my life. Even now, I sometimes go to buy some toys or just do online shopping related to my favorite TV shows. That is because it is one of my hobbies and, most simply, it makes me enjoy. They are not just for children in terms of having visual impact and interesting functions even adults could be attracted. Although this is because the companies have to attract parents, the attempt has been succeeded and everyone can enjoy with these toys nowadays.

Therefore, I would want to become a toy designer. Such an aim has been in my head since a few years ago. Once I found I like playing with toys, I also started to think of making toys, which can give small children the chance to learn or develop their ability of imagination through “playing”. This is because I think playing is one of the fundamental factors in human activity. Also, learning something by enjoying is even better for children. Both of my parents are teacher in primary school but they have preceded a lot of programs of teaching children with fun, because they know it is much better than just making children sit down and read books. Physical experience sometimes has more meaningfulness than ordinary study style. So, I want to design something interesting to play but useful for the development of children as well.

The reason why I chose Industrial design at UNSW is, first of all, it would be the best to study this category of design, the nearest field, for such my future career where I would be required to make products. Also, in order to catch as many customers as possible, I would have to keep getting unique ideas, that children and their parents feel like getting my products. I must have a variety of knowledge and ability, and this time right now studying at university is the best period to have a look at many things to broaden my eyesight, perspective and range of my idea for imagination. I want to get a job in a toy company as I mentioned at first to make many kinds of toys for children but also for the fun for myself, to be honest. I believe I can give children many opportunities to learn something from my side in terms of providing problem solutions, the most suitable definition of how designer should be.

In the last part, I want to mention about how I would like to spend the rest of my university life. Although I wrote I like to play, I sometimes become too serious for my given assignments and exams and feel frustrated. So, I would like to try enjoying that study as much as possible so that I can come up with better way to process if there is anything like that. Also, I have found that time management is quite important for everything around me such as university, work, and private time. So I think I should keep that in mind in every moment.

Task 3 Design Confusion

just about use of cooking tongue. it was so confusing locking itself or not, so I came up with some solutions to make it clear. I like its function, and think it is just a problem with its visual communication. Therefore I did not have to fix the whole function and just did add a few things to help visualizing. From this task, I learnt that there are much more complex products than I expected and I still have so many chances to solve those problems. this is because I was partly believing that things existing in the market have already been designed professionally and I cannot help improving those products. However, it was wrong to say so and I want to look at every single product more carefully and also keep thinking how I can change or improve them If I have chance to do.

design excellence

my product is Grundig Trio Touch, simply iPhone speaker.
However, beside its connecting function, there are heaps of other attractive, fun and pleasurable functions by itself.
here is my poster.

In terms of visual approach and communication, it has various kinds of advantageous points but all in simple appearance, rather than the other ordinary speakers have.
To sum up, I would like to have one if I got iPhone. It looks professional (should work professionally too!!)

David Kelley: Human-Centered Design (Task 1b)

We normally focus on products and objects in terms of technological involvement. Human-centred design is the approach to the design involving behaviors, personalities and products. Therefore it makes us more enjoyable when we encounter those products.
Kelly showed some videos concerning products, services and the environment. At PRADA New York, scanner has an important role to communicate with customers. For instance, if customer gets interested in a product, the scanner shows how she could fit with other items. Also, in dressing room, more information will　be provided by touching the screen, so that customer can check what to fit as well.

In the next video, there is one interesting device at London Science Museum. Active games on the big screen are placed on the table for multiple players. Also, huge screen fulfilled with lines displays the feedback from visitors. Such line design is based on London subway system. In the last video, funny room is showing up. It has the cubes all around involving various kinds of elements such as flower base and fish tank. All the things in the room are creative and eye-catchy.

I liked a product named spy fish, which is a small camera-built hovercraft seeking under the water as well as what scuba divers do. You can watch the video by its camera on live. Also, it is attached with a remote controller up to your desire where to go.

During the video, all he mentioned was the design with fun, enjoyment and pleasure. One of his known designers did manufacturing business in Kenya for the local people and the sales on the product are non-profit in fact. So in this point, it is obvious that Kelley focuses on human, people, living etc. to connect to design rather than business markets. This could be because he knows or believes that the design with such features would be more trust-worthy for consumers.

I think the idea of human-centered design is quite important as Kelley mentioned. It is because we design products for people. I want to see people feel pleasure and happiness. We have just started project of design product having more pleasure to use but the video refreshed my mind what is primary to consider. I need to refine my idea more and more for the best human-centered design.

Don Norman: Emotional Design (Task 1a)

This post is about the first Video Blog task of Emotional Design by Don Norman. During his speech, Norman mentions about the new view of what the beauty and the emotions are. He says that the design, (or could be anything) should be that people can be positive by touching and feeling those.

He had an impression to the Japanese knife in terms of its shape (saying "beautiful"), balance (feels good) and function (excellent sharpness).
His passion is all towards the fun. For example, he defines brain-storming as the method of making us happy. Thus when the problem in our head is solved, that is the moment we feel happy. That should be emotional satisfaction of us. In addition, he explained about such satisfaction by raising the example of a car up. He seems pretty happy about the well-designed appearance of inside the car. All the components are round and organized. Therefore, how those are placed is also the key point of feeling happy, I guess.

In our case as designer, we can achieve that people (clients) feel happy about our design by our emotionally successful ideas. We can feel happy as well because we figure the solution about the best idea out.

Therefore, it is important for us to be creative not only about how functional, or any physical excellence our designs are, but also about how emotionally we can communicate with people so that they can feel good to use it. That is the wonderful part of the design.

In my thought, good design should come with a good appearance first, however if we have only that point, it is never enough to achieve the emotional satisfaction. We need everything. Those are like function, balance, etc.. So I can say that Norman points the quite important issue out. All I need to do first is maybe having fun. This is because if I did not design with fun, enjoyment or something similar, my products will surely not be interesting in terms of not satisfying you.

In order to enjoy my design, I think I need the vital spec with me such as the general skills about design. So I must be fine with technical drawings, marker sketching, model making etc.. And then I can start enjoying my design. Therefore, I feel the time is never enough to build up myself. Design is fun and I want to enjoy more. I will never forget this “emotion”.

studio IDES 1031

this is the beginning of the studio 2011.
I am currently excited, motivated but also anxious a bit.

All I will do is doing my best with the biggest effort and well-organized time management.
Work most efficiently.


Kosuke Fujisawa

TED talks and By Design radio

In the last part of my design passport topic, i found one TED Talk link from other student's blog. The title is 'Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine'. He mentioned how technological development changes the life of people, especially focusing on the developing countries. I was very impressed by the idea that time-consuming house jobs are in such a lot of population in a day and if the introducing new technology is brought to the situation, people can save energy and get some time for their own hobbies or something like that.

Also, By design recognized me the new point of view about design. I actually listened some of radio but most of them said about technology, the opposite side of opinion of TED talk above in fact. For example, technological advance took place of human physical advance, natural resources, and so on. It is partly related to the garbage issue which was mentioned in the lecture of around week 9, in terms of too much production and consumption.

I had a chance to reflect those two opposite ideas but what I feel is that our developed countries still have necessity of decreasing today's such a great number of production. and do design about green, sustainable, something. I cannot say well but living with the nature, the environment is he primary idea for making something. I currently work at restaurant but have seen lots of garbage are thrown away thus sometimes feel scared. That is part of the reason I want to reduce the garbage which is directly linked to the damage, harm to our planet. Therefore, I want to learn and make something achievable that idea through rest of my uni life. I have been given one exam in 2 weeks time, so now is the time to be back to study on the desk with textbooks for a while. Hope everyone will have good but also some meaningful holiday...

Passport issue

Here is continued topic about my design passport. I got a really good chance to look at not only new design and its idea but also how my thought is and what I want to do, have to do as well.


I have visited COFA Library for such many times for referencing my works. I get ideas, inspirations, and motivation. However, similarly, I sometimes feel really depressed when I come there, because I see lots of good works and I am normally likely to compare my own designs with them. I know almost all of designs in books are surely excellent to be sited. So, I will keep the motivation to achieve the good design listed in books during next semester as well.
Reading magazines, journals were done in main library. I liked one of the series, called AXIS. this one is written both in English and Japanese. Therefore, it is much closer to me to catch the author's thoughts by reading both languages. As one of the most interesting article, I want to raise about relationship between design and cartoon. It is that cartoon drawer has lots of, or even infinite 'drawers' of ideas so that they can keep drawing such world of fantasy. So the point is that designers should follow or imitate those idea creation because sometimes they tend to think about reality. But if the idea of unusual world comes with them, they can keep wondering "what IF that kind of thing exists??", which is important thinking way of getting idea about something new.

Also, I sometimes find good works on other students blog. I am not close to most of guys for having not many same classes but I feel their works are nice. It should be good opportunity to talk to them and discuss about what inside the brain of each, so I maybe try it next semester. But, looking through their blog was really good refreshment to my designer mind anyway.

Semester almost finished...

I'd like to post some part of my design passport as I am done and submitted it today.

Through the process of making this passport, I got a chance to RE-take a look at my design view and thought and also some new of it. In order to achieve the passport, I went to art gallery, museums, exhibition, libraries, visited several websites, etc..

Firstly, I visited Henry Hoke exhibition in the day of our first lecture. It was a good choice to go there then otherwise I could not have time to take ferry to the kind of far point. At the place, I had a look at a large number of tools which are now that base of current daily handy tools. Those products include manual chainsaws, giant wind up key, leg pulls, etc.. One impressive product was Random Excuse Generator. I actually could not get the main point of it but how people manage it was fun.
Similarly, my notes about Hoke says "A restless curiosity that lead to a brilliant insight", probably referenced from his background information. Hoke is the hidden pioneer of today's basic models, that is my conclusion after seeing the exhibition.

In the next part of the passport, my destination was the museum of contemporary art. I was sort of rush because I had pulled going there off for not having time.. This time, I saw the exhibition of Michael Stevenson. This was his first exhibition and there were different style of design works with the ones I had seen before in other places. The main feature of his work, named "The Gift" was a ship, or even better to be say yacht. It reminded me the thrill of adventure to the unknown area.

Through visiting those exhibition, I felt something like industrial, handy, humanity, anything about life. Everywhere life including animals, plants etc. exists, and we are also part of them. I would like to design the thing which is related not only to ourselves (human) but also to the environment so that I can represent we are all together.

Assignment 2 Hidden Story

Here is an essay written about the chair named the Chaise Longue by Charlotte Perriand

Chairs are one of the fundamental products around people, and thus there are plenty of those in the market, referred to by Garner (1980, p.9), and there is a distinctive person who broadened such chair design. Charlotte Perriand (1903-99) has been known as a designer of ‘Iconic Modernist’-categorized interiors and furniture, according to Ellis (2000, p. 25). Also, Abercrombie (2004, p. 238) states about Perriand as saying that  “We know Perriand best, of course, as Le Corbusier's associate and collaborator in furniture design”. As one of her masterpieces, The B306 Chaise Longue, which was made on 1928 in Paris, has attracted not only designers but also the public over nearly the century. Since the chair seems to have a lot of points to explore, this essay will focus on the real story including its design, production and use.

 During the Modernist movement, the characteristic of design was defined as a self-conscious functionalism with a strong emphasis of new materials, described by Garner (1980, p.9). Abercrombie (2004, p. 38) mentions that Perriand made efforts on the design by following such Modernism with simplicity and vivid description through her life. Iovine (1999, p. 30) regards Perriand’s design works as excellence by her writing “though her tenure (1927-37) in Le Corbusier's studio was formative, her talent and clear modernist sensibilities were evident from her first installation”. It is additionally stated by Ledes (1998, p. 112) that Perriand became known with one of her work named “Bar sous le toit”, translated as ‘Bar Under the Roof’, in 1927, and such an event caused her to encounter Le Corbusier. Since that year till 1937, Perriand dealt with interior design with him. During the period of her working in Paris, Perriand developed three outstanding chairs with the collaboration with Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. The B306 Chaise Lounge is therefore one of those products, according to Ledes (1998, p. 112). Here is a visual reference of the work.

http://designmuseum.org/__entry/4678?style=design_image_popup

Through her work achievements with Corbusier, Perriand presented following phrase. ‘Metal plays the same part in furniture as cement has done in architecture. IT IS A REVOLUTION. If we use metal in conjunction with leather of chairs… we get a range of wonderful combinations and new aesthetic effects.’ This statement is supported by Garner (1980, p.113).

 It is stated by Iovine (1999, p. 30) that Perriand had her focus towards the human with machine, equipment for living. The work “B306 Chaise Longue” is not excluded as an example of such an idea as well. On a website, it is also described that a steel tubular chair which is a symbol of the machine age. This chair was designed for the 1925 exhibition, and it includes adjustable chrome or matte black cradle and a matte black base, according to Ledes (1998, p.112). He also mentions that a black leather headrest, together with leather, pony skin, was utilized for the upholstery part. Benton (1998, p. 34) states that designing of this chair widened the mass-production idea in industrial processes. Also, through designing it, Perriand hit on ideas about using some more new materials, which has been used in current products making. For example, according to Benton (1998, p.34-35), she began to use some traditional materials such as bamboo.

 

http://www.dailytonic.com/milan-2011-tokyo-chaise-longue-by-charlotte-perriand-for-the-firsttime-in-production-by-cassina-it/

 This product above, named ‘Tokyo’ (modeled by Italian manufacturer Cassina), is made with several types of wood such as bamboo, teak and beech. This fact is seen by a website. Those woods, especially bamboo has been said to be the material that Perriand encountered when she was engaging in craft works in Japan around 1940s. Additionally, it is possible to view that the chair could have a good combination with Japanese ordinary furniture (website). Therefore, it can be said that the B306 Chaise Longue has still had a lot of popularity with the public, stated by Ellis (2000, p. 25). Today, it has been released with the different materials to the original. Moreover, there are several effects that Perriand have caused in the chair design but also in some other product design. In the first place, Perriand’s challenge of using new materials triggered the development of Japanese craft production in later times. The theory was mentioned by Benton (1998, p. 32).

 In conclusion, Charlotte Perriand is one of the most remarkable designers as a pioneer of industrial, interior design. And in particular, her work the 306 Chaise Longue has been the symbol of Modernist movement achievement and has affected current chair but also whole design industry as well. There is significance in terms of having great deal of followers, including manufacturers, designers and most importantly consumers who use the chair, such a simple and functional style.


I feel that just saying about "making chair" is easy to process, but is much more difficult to do the production.
My view about designs became extended by doing lots of research about this assignment, and also found that I do need to consider deeply and deeply in order to design good products in every single moment so that my clients and consumers would satisfy

random work

Last weekend, I suddenly felt like making something with small wood bars, which can be found at Hot Dollar or at any other discount shops.

I guess this is a tower with wind power

poster mash up

Here are final poster for assignment 1: Poster Mash Up and two of other ideas.
First, I began with making the poster of people having tea with modern coffee maker. So, my initial idea was that if there was coffee maker in old time, how their tea time as one of routine of a day.

Those two images below were my first choices. First one is named A Family of three at Tea (Richard Collins, 1727) with Bosch coffee maker. The second one is Drinking Tea (Aleksei Naumov,1896) with Packman Presover (by Martin Necas)

Now I will upload the final one.



As it can be seen, Napoleon Crossing the Alps (by Jacques-Louis David, 1800) was taken as its base image. I then came up with adding Dyson vacuum cleaners. My point of this poster is emphasis of dominance and revolution by combining two strong power among people (citizens of France and users of vacuum cleaner)

However, what tutor commented to my work was that:

-to change the position of larger vacuum as if Napoleon is carrying or hanging it over his shoulder and eventually to remove handy vacuum

-to choose any French designed famous vacuum or other products so that poster could have more meanings

By being advised, I myself found many points for refinement. and at least I needed some more research about both drawing and products so that I could find some other common characters between them. Poster should have, according to some article, strong catchy impression to viewers. Even though I tried to do so, I still feel I have to go further for it. 

firtst posting

The new term has come.

In this year, one of the most important aims of mine is to manage time and myself as well, 

so that i can have much more time to do my design works.

I think If I make huge efforts on things, all of those gonna be fun, so I need to put some energy and pressure on my work and myself, so everything around me WILL be enjoyable.

In my head, there are so many ideas i want to objectify, not only for assignments but also for my random daily hobbies.

Well, let's get back to process my assignments now...