Group Porject 2

I was very privileged and satisfied to have such opportunities to work with my group (Charmaine, Fanru and Julia), dealing with a large group of four can be somehow difficult because each one of us are individuals, and we can occasionally have different believes and opinions. We have learnt to communicate with each other during group meetings by giving personal suggestions and feedbacks.
This was my first time in Industrial Design that has to deal with major group project. It was a very remarkable experience for me, and I believe this experience will be very useful for me in the future, because it guides me in learning how to deal with team works. I consider this is very critical to all young designers, because once we step into the real design world; we will surely be facing all kinds of different scenarios in cooperating with team projects and etc.

Our very original concept was designing a baby stroller system, however the three tutors didn’t approve our ideas, therefore during our group meeting we have decided to switch from ‘Mobility’ to ‘Food’. We felt that was a big jump for us, and we had to gather and research brand new information. However our concept got turned down but our motivations didn’t. I was very proud of my group that we have been very enthusiastic for this project and most importantly rather than complain about the pressure; we always give each other a positive attitude. Our workloads was spread out evenly, that each one of us has made significant contributions.

After the group project I have learnt the processes of creating a new system, and in order to achieve our goal, a matter of creativity is not enough, behind a good system relates with intensive research. Also after designing our kid’s recycling bins I have learnt a good design is not necessarily needs to be fancy and complicated. Sometimes simplicity of a design can achieve the maximum benefit for us and has its advantages in reducing cost and level of materials.

Design for life

I have had a very enjoyable time watching the video ‘Design for life’, during his video he has made me laughed a few times. Talking about Philippe Starck those most memorable products from him is his ghost chair and the orange juicer. Not only I have gained many significant design aspects after the video, I have also found Philippe Starck defiantly has a very hilarious and wild personality.

Watching him working with the UK students, I very much envy those students who get to have the opportunity to let Philippe Starck to critique about their work. It is very useful in the way because thought his criticism I tend to digest it in and refer it back to my design.

My interpretation to this video is, He think designer should produce product as less as possible in another words only design if it is necessary, thus less wastage less energy use less using of our limited resources less garbage dumping into our land filed every year. I question myself is designing new product really a route of evil? Or can this dilemma be solved? It is impossible to stop the fast moving technology in twenty first century; thousands of new products have been introduced to us every year. The products are out there to satisfy the consumer’s need and desire states, company ended up making big profit, designers gets high pay salary. Everyone seems happy in the end, but what about our earth? Is there a solution to solve this serious issue? Since it is already impossible to STOP DESIGN, I think as a good designer we should always have a’ green’ philosophy in mind, when we design we should always reconsider about the impact after the product’s life span. To achieve that, we need an intensive knowledge about selecting materials, making sure it is good for the environment and try to increase the product’s utility, so instead of buying three different products consumer only needs to buy one.

As a design student I think it is good to observe those important concepts before I step into the real design world. I have learnt to not just design products that can make consumer attracted to buy it, as Philippe Starck has mentioned it in the video. He has not only stressed role and responsibility of a designer. But also as a consumer I think in the future when making any purchase, it is appropriate to reconsider ‘do I really need it?’ obtusely we can expect every designer around the world to be Eco friendly, say no to unnecessary product is one way to rescue our earth.

11th hour

Human are selfish that we take everything for granted by wasting out nature resources cutting downing trees, and never consider of the serious consequences behind it. The recourses that we have on earth are very limited, if we waste it all then have we ever thought about what going to be left over for our future generations?

Many of us are familiar with the term ‘global warming’ but how many of us really understand the serious impact behind it when increase average temperature of air leads to the melting of ice in North Pole. Can we picture ourselves living under ice water? Many of us choose to avoid this question because they don’t know how close this are is heading towards us. The documentary video suggest many species has extinct in the world due to the inconsiderable human behavior, however if we still continue our way of treating earth humans will be facing distinctions as well. Because we are not the special case, when comes punishment by the nature no one is escapable.

I was very glad to see many designers are very much aware of the global warming issues. Looking around my house I can see solar power has been introduce, eco friendly bag, and natural gas car is another invention. All of those invention help to extend the life of earth but it’s barely enough.

Designers should be under a lot of pressured in protecting the earth. Designer should only design superior products that dose the minimum damage to the environment. When product designing always double question the product come comes, whether is eco friendly? Recyclable? Have I pushed to extend the life span as much as I could? ect, an irresponsible design is when a product waste more materials than it should, short usage and this is another way to increase a level of pollutions.

We are very lucky that we got the concept of ‘sustainability’ nailed in to our brain. I believe every one of us should understand the philosophy indeed and use every knowledge we learnt in university and embraces it to our future product.

Design for Disaster peers comments

1. Alfred Boyadgis http://alfredboyadgis.blogspot.com/2011/04/designing-for-disasters.html?showComment=1302938297427#c7500580823271298574 2. Julian Chow http://julianides.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post.html?showComment=1302937123314#c3090063688206972876 3. Wang FanRu http://fanruwang.blogspot.com/2011/04/project-one-lifebuoy.html?showComment=1302937667415#c6435994241378460674 4. Gleb Labazine http://gleblabazine.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post.html?showComment=1302939651116#c928242410860428738 5. Marco Tallarida http://marcotallarida.blogspot.com/2011/04/windheat-turbine.html?showComment=1302938927770#c8011685056680152041

Design for Blizzard China

Stuff: Bottled Water + Cosmetics

After watching two short videos of ‘story of cosmetics’ and ‘story of bottled water’ has educated me in acknowledging a different aspect in the product industries such as consumer’s behavior, manufacturing demand, the power of advertising, the broken legal system and so on. Every Single year by releasing hundreds tons of plastic bottles into underground, and Daily cosmetic products contains toxic chemicals, all of our human behavior are constantly damaging and affecting our earth and trashing our own body health system.

As a 3rd year industrial design student I think it’s particularly important to cover the awareness of what is happening around the world and around us. Good designers should take the responsibility in inserting green and healthy philosophy into products. By doing this the fundamental key is to understand the situation and then turn problems into sustainable solutions. I was very angered against the bottle company, not only because of their actions of false and misleading advertising to increase their manufacturing demand, but what causes it has lead to a disaster of environment life cycle. I believe designer have the power in improving and reducing the level of pollutions that has been done. By mass producing bottled water is certainly not the most efficient way in satisfying the consumer’s need. Instead of relying on manufacturing plastic bottles, we can avoid these by introducing product for example clean water filter for each households or eco-fountain for the outdoors.

Story of cosmetics highlights the broken system of the cosmetic industries. Talking about selfish and irresponsible products, down on the marketing side they do make profit but question, do we really want to put toxic chemicals onto our skin and into our body? Video shows an average America women uses 12 bottle of chemical products per day, as my daily cosmetic products excides over 17. As Annie Leonard have motioned those ingredients because many harmful symptom even cancer and most importantly our new born baby can even get pre-polluted. All of the above facts encourage designers to gain more considerations in human health impact in selecting their materials. Therefore we need to understand the true meaning behind the words ‘natural’ and ‘organic’, By research and experiment on materials and ingredients that brings minimum side effects to consumers, because not only saving them we are also saving our planet and our next generation.

Video Reflection: Recycling

Everyone would like to make a sustainable earth, but how many of us took the action of recycling seriously? Although many companies are starting to gain more awareness of the ecological impact of the environment but is it enough to save our planet against great amount of wastage of 750kg per human every year? This is a very considerable question that we should input in our mind before designing products, to make a sustainable design.

The video ‘Giving Packaging a New Life’ has gained me great insight in the demonstration of recycling. The basic definition of ‘Recycling’ is reducing the level of pollution, energy usage and human resource by turning already used material into something new. I think it’s a brilliant concept of giving a product life a second chance and also lowering the demand of dumping more rubbish into our landfills.

We are very lucky as we are all highly influenced by the education system in Australia about ‘Recycling’. Studying Industrial Design at university we already have the ‘recycling issue’ in our mind, every one of us are desire to come up with the most eco-porduct, but how can we achieve this? The key term to its concept is firstly fully understand about the product lifecycle, even though recycling makes a huge contribution, but can we extend the product lifespan as long as it can?

A solution to a purely ‘green’ product is not only the definitions of using ecological material, what makes it green is process of a product’s life after death. Moving with the fast paste moving society, nowadays we can witness the improvement of the reclining progress. Designers tend to reducing recycling effort by using less different materials for one product, for example instead of have three different types of plastics, now we only uses one. Many packaging has replaced using paper sticker with a simple print on, this achieves the purity of material and also reduced energy usage by separating the sticky paper away from its material.

However I believe keeping a sustainable earth is not only a designer’s job. The media should also conduct propaganda about cycling knowledge as much as it can to the public, because many people are not aware of the significance of the issue. Everyone should play an important role in protecting our planet. So why not start recycling today?

My Ecological Footprint

After taking the 'My Ecological Footprint' quizzes. I was fairly shocked at the results i received, and didn't realize how much negative impact that was caused by me to our only earth. I personally think the website uses a very clever idea by using numbers of earth to gain people's responsiveness. Ecological Footprint has made me gain the awareness of the importance of training our daliy habits of saving resoutces. For example i can start with cutting down my shower time or reduces using private transport. I honestly hope not everyone's result is as bad as mine. :(

eco

video reflection

After watching Seymour and Powell抯 video I have gained some very important knowledge about my career as an industrial designer in the future. This short video has highlighted many significant facts about the reality of what design industries is really about. This has draws my realizations of in order to became successful in the future, be innovative and original is not enough, which we are not there to impress ourselves but the client. Before we move onto the processes of designing a product we must first get a clear concept of what the client is really after, keep in contact with client is always a useful way in order to stratified them.Thought out the short video has reviewed many down side of designer once step in the work force, this has provide some exportations and ideas to many industrial design student of what the real design world in like in the upcoming feature, however it also shared few tips, for example always research before designing and gain constant feedback during the design process can be extremely useful too. I抦 glad that I have watched this video it will help me prepare for the future.

Porject 3-peer commens x5

Nina Harcus
Chen, Charmaine
Cori Eom
Jasonvergara
Chelcie Nielsen

Project three - Upcycling Unwanteds

Recycling unwanted materials into a new purpose are extremely beneficial for the environment. According to the large amount of waste in the world today, it’s amazing to witness much recourse that we can save for the world just by a simple concept.

My aim for this assignment is looking into plastic object to challenge creativity, because plastics are the most unrecyclable materials in the industry. As I am familiar with the characteristics of plastic, which they are strong in a liner shape, easy to clean and has water resistance. My chosen materials are plastic tubes, plastic matt and old tyre. Turing these waste into a couch was the first thing that came up my mind.

My couch is staked my 45plastic tubes with a plastic matt covered on top, so why designing this way? The answer is it’s fixable that you can adjust the couch into the shape you want, because everyone has different seating posture. I also think it is a great idea because it’s easy to store it and you can even use it out door.
The old tyre are cut in pieces and wrap on each end of the tube to stabilize the tube in shape, I think the many holes on the side of my couch are the highlight of my design it almost look like a shape of a honey comb, so you can slot newspapers or any sorts of readings into the comb, this is a additional function, great huh?! My couch makes seating, lying and reading more fun than ever at home!!

About my final result I’m in a satisfactory stage, as my design is fixable and adjustable I think my concept is good but the final product still need to be improved, for example I will take in the considerations of reducing the use of materials, I think I have used way too much tubes as I have expected. Overall I’m really happy to keep this honey comb couch in my TV room!!

Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff video is very interesting and inspiring, the short twenty minutes video reflects many significant issues for example global warming, sustainability, politics and how it has made large impact in our society today. The video is well presented with illustrations, thus made extremely easy and clear for the viewer to understand her frustrations towards the evil America consumerism. As an industrial designer, we should take in the considerations of designing environmentally friendly product and thinking about minimize the use of our human resources in the future, maybe research more about the best material first before taking the manufacturing processes in order to increase the product’s lifespan, therefore will be less waste product and damage for the world.

Peer comments

Kate Barclay
Susana Li
Shan Shan Wang
Glenaldy Janto
Jason Vergara

Ross Lovegrove: Organic design

Ross Lovegrove strongly reflects how he transform the modern technology into industrial designs products of how he change everyday object into a very natural from. Thus he has emphasized the concept of DNA design nature and art. Thru watching the video I have discovered that organic design is a style of design that demonstrate the respect to earth and the already existing form.


The water bottle that created by Ross Lovegrove is rather interesting, it capture the form of water and it’s amazing how the water bottle reflects a feeling of putting a skin on top of the water. The organic shape not only looking ascetically pleasing but also satisfies its functionality, the shape of the water bottle not only just fits no adult’s hand, due to its organic shape it can also fit on a children’s hand.


It’s evidenced in his design, Ross Lovegrove basically used a lot of nature element and combining them together in order to from organic design, as we can see in many of his design pieces involves with human bone structure, blood cells or even shapes of humans DNA.The stare case in his studio really fascinates me has, he has surly suggested his theory of ‘fat free’ and ‘healthy design’ his design. Therefore it reflects simplicity and fluidity, he sees the natural appearance and adapt them into the design process.

Peer comments

hyperlinked list of my peer comments:

http://ides-lucyzhang.blogspot.com/2009/09/project-one-experience-enrichment.html
http://emilysoares.blogspot.com/2009/08/project-one-experience-enrichment.html
http://charmainechenpy.blogspot.com/2009/08/project-one-experience-enrichment.html
http://danielletaouk-ides1031-2009.blogspot.com/2009/09/project-01-experience-enrichment.html#comments
http://katebarclay.blogspot.com/2009/08/project-one-final-poster.html

BAD DESIGN : MAPED Stapler

Good Design: JUICER

This is a mini juicer; it is smaller than the original classic juicer. The juicer has two components, orange holder and the stirrer.
My juicer is different from the classic juicer, because mini juicer has provide user an innovative way of making juice by transforming the traditional way of pressing and squeezing to simply just string in two opposite directions. The shape of my design is almost like a full orange, finger prints functions easer to grab on and also generates a comfortable feeling. This new product are designed for the theory of having more control by grabbing onto it by the palm of your hand rather than the old technique of making juice by pressing force on the table.

The juicer both hands working together, one grabbing on the juicer another doing the back and forth motion therefore the user are more under control and requires less energy.

The interesting handle is fun and playful it’s almost like playing a video game. The orange holder can be separated into two parts, its disposable therefore easy for cleaning. Inside each orange holder contains 15 spikes; the spikes are designed for stabilizing the half cut orange when making the juice. As the juicing process begins, filter on the bottom of the juicer runs down into containers.

Yves Behar: Creating objects that tell stories

Designers are like artists, stylists, we make beautiful modern objects, but design is simply not just about the look of the surface of objects. Objects tell story from inside out. The surface of an object gives us the first impression, the inside of the objects control the functionality. And it is the aspect that brings the most value to the users. When we design, we have to consider about many aspects, such as the cost, the look, the function, the market, or whether it is sustainable. I think the role of the designer here is to glue every aspect and brings everything together. We have to bring all the design aspects in to one package. Therefore we can only focus on the surface of design. The look of a design is rather important, but this is only one aspect of consideration. Design helps to define the whole process from inside out.