Project2: UPCYCLING

As number of vehicles like bikes and cars being increased, the amount of used tyres also grows dramatically. There are found of millions of waste and unwanted tyres in landfill and they have a strong impact on environment due to improper disposal. Therefore through this project, I decide to transform this trash into a like rubber product – Wine Carrier. Now, this waste is redesigned and used in an environment friendly way with low cost for material purchase.
Firstly, I have considered the properties of tyre inner tube and see what thing that I can make out from this material. Tyre is like rubber, it is durable and moveable. Playing around, we can see that it has high elasticity. Thus, I think it is very good for making product that to hold or store things like bag or storage. Some of my very first ideas are to make clothe rack or food case. However it is not really suitable because of the safety and cleanness issues.
Wine carrier is normally made out of various materials; however one of the most famous materials recently is Neoprene. In general, tyre and neoprene have the same rubber characteristic; also they both are temperature insulating. Thus, choice to make wine carrier out of tyre inner tube is logical, functional and suitable.
I redesign the appearance of a normal Neoprene wine holder, so it would bring pleasure to users. The bag has a weaving structure rather than a normal, flat surface. The basic crossing over one under one is used because it gives a tight layer and clear weaving shape. The opening is one of the most changed of the design, it shows curves which is implied for the movement of wine when pouring or even also implied for the spread for wine smell. It is ended in a circle captures the feeling when first tasting wine. Head is spined around, everything starts to be blurry and in round shape. The handle is also redesigned to so we can hold it easier and more comfortable. There is a folded piece of cardboard is inserted inside the base of tyre wine carrier, so the base becomes stiffer and more stable.
This bag is done by hand sewing and it took for around 3 days. I think we can manufacture both by hand sewing or using machine, however it would save lot of time for mass product by using sewing machine. Before the sewing process, tyre is cleaned several times with water and soap, so it can be clean enough for use.
In conclusion, I think this is a very good choice of upcycling millions of waste tyre inner tube. Its characteristics rubber- like makes sure the long lasting of use without any breaks or damage. Also, its insulation helps to keep the wine being cool all time. Material is available in plenty of numbers and with low cost; simple sewing technique is used. Therefore, this elegant wine carrier is completely suitable for mass product and out in the market.

Design for Life

I have been thinking a lot about Design and also being a Designer after watching this video, Design for Life. Firstly, I can see and understand the twelve students and their pressures for working under Phillip Stark. I feel in the same boat as them right now, projects are due every week and also there are pass and fail, there are complains and complements.
Next, I have wished to work exchanged or internship in another country. And of course thing would be so great as long as I can work under a well known designer, so I can collect my own experiences in design field. Yet I have never thought thing would go so tough and stressful like I have been seen in this video.
Who say being a Designer is easy cos you can thing you love!? Never. I just feel it is such a hard job ever. You are talented; you have your own passion in design aren’t good enough to give you a place in the future design market later. As through the video, we can see Philiip looking for someone who is productive and creative ALL TIME. He believes we are all new generation, we much do something more meaningful and creative in design. But though self experience and also students in the video, I can see the difficulties of a new designer. I feel my mind is blanked and empty , I feel i run out of idea , I feel lost and not being a designer as when I have to work under pressure and then force my brain works unstopped. I just take Mike situation in the video clip. Mike is a good designer who can stay till really inside of the competition, yet he nearly was kicked out in the 2nd task ( may be cos of stress , i guess , so no good design idea cames up) . I mean it is hard for a designer to come up with a good idea always.
Anyway, through this I also have learnt a lot. I know exactly what job a product designer needs to do. Yes it is as always that there is brief, then idea, research, model prototype and presentation of your ideas. When you are given a board brief, you need to narrow it down by given it to a specific situation or experience. Also, I was really impressed by the way those student go research and develop their ideas. Firstly, Nabbi- who is very intelligent and smart in design. I was surprised by the way he dose his 2nd task, everything is come up from his brain, no internet and no newspaper. Later, I was so so so impress by the way Mike goes and experience him of being a blinder, so then he can understand more about his product and his client. Or even the girl who goes and experiences her with elderly people. I feel it is special because I never do that for my design , but from now on i will learn and experience more about my design as the way those student did.
Being a good design is really hard, cos your design needs to reach all of the necessaries in the market. Therefore, through this video, I can see that even I do study hard for design everyday, I also need to go out look around and research more design. So I will collect more experiences for myself and it will be useful for my creativity later.

peer comment on project 1

Patrick Luwia
http://pluwia.blogspot.com/2010/09/project-one-experience-enrichment.html#comments

Chloe Uy
http://chloeanddesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/experience-enrichment.html#comments

Debbie
http://z3333759.blogspot.com/2010/09/experience-enrichment-project.html#comments

Harry
http://z3326626.blogspot.com/2010/09/project-1.html#comments

Frankie Ho
http://frankie-industrial-design.blogspot.com/2010/09/experience-enrichment.html#comments

Experience Enrichment

Design Enrichment – Female replaceable head Toothbrush
We often see different cars, motorbikes or mobile phones are designed with different styles, form and shape, so they can fit into different personal’s taste. I question, how about little toothbrush- an very important thing that start and finish our day? I imagine it is so great as every morning when we wake and see thing that clearly identify who we are, thing is there just for us and belongs to us . So, our day would be more certain and beautiful. So design a “unique” toothbrush is necessary.
My design is different four stylish toothbrushes which fit for my target market. They are young women, who age from 20-35’s. They work and live independently. They are stylish; they want something special out of wide random things t in the market. Everything they use has a strong connection to them coz it identifies themselves. Therefore, my design is to redesign the beauty of toothbrush which fit into four general type of woman: soft classic, modern glamour, energetic youth and strong business.
Soft classical: gentle and traditional. Brown colour is chosen to represent this type of person because it reminds us of the old time and old thing. The colour enhances the characteristics of the person who is growing mature, deep mind thought, soft in words and action. The design is simple and flowed.
Mordern glamour: beautiful and luxurious. Red is for this type of group. She has a high femineity like classical woman however, she also shows modern luxury. Therefore, the design is more complex than classic but still very flowed and soft.
Energetic youth: creative and happy. Blue is to express the fulfilled energy in her. She get her strong but also very soft. She is a modern style that mixed between femininely glamours beauty and strong business. She is just enjoying her self and lives happily. The design is complex with new appearance of little squares instead of circle.
Strong business: high educated and decided. Her style is straight and stiff, completely different from the first two women. The colour that best fitted her is black. The design is simple but shows modern luxury.
All of these is appeared on the female body shape because even they are very different in taste, they both show a strong femininity overall. The female’s body shape toothbrush helps to hold more easily and comfortably.
Through the “The Story of Stuff”, I learnt that new thing should be design for long term lasting; therefore saving environment as it decreases the amount of disposals and also saving our own money. I design my toothbrush with a replaceable head. There are some companies in the world doing this. However, I think my design is better because it is a connection between emotional design and long term function. There is slide clip inserted into the head. And in the sides, there is fastening line to help hold while replacing head easily.


The 4 pleasures:

Target: Female, age from 20 – 35’s, who is independent, mature and wants to own things that have unique style fitting for their own personal’s taste

Physio Pleasure : Different interesting and unique styles are available; enrich a new feeling to user. Appearance of an organic woman body shape is attractive and engaging. Curvy body gives user a new touch to the toothbrush and helps to hold it more comfy

Socio Pleasure: Understanding self identity and characteristic. A talking tool to express self to the world.

Psycho Pleasure : Diferrent stylish toothbrushs identitify different tastes of each type wonman. Worthy for an extremely femininely elegant beauty. Long term use.
Ideo Pleasure: Having a personal taste toothbrush. Environmentally responsible as less toothbrush is thrown away. Saving budget in long term.

Objectified

The film was really impressed and inspired me about what is the design and who is a “real” designer. Through the document, Gay Hustwit gives different designer philosophy and opinions, thus we can learn and understand deeper about what we are doing right now in the course.
Design is not just simply by its meaning creativity of new thing that we make people go “wow” and “ohh”, it is much more than that. A good design requires many things from its designer. The designer must really understand the object they are going do for, they must have a feeling for it. Or in other way, there must be a good communication between the designer and the object. I even really believe that “Every object tells a story if you know how to read it”. As there is a communication, the connection between designer, their design and consumer is just so close because it is understandable.
When the designer starts with their design, doing research for more understand of the objects is necessary. Designer usually searches for what people are thinking of and wanting to have. However, a really good design is often thing that people even have not thought of or in other way they are dreaming to have. I know it is hard to do, but yet it is a job of a designer.
As Hella Jongerius has said that it is better to have a unique product rather than a repetition and mass product of the design in the market. It is complete true. Why? A unique and good designed object make owner feel a connection to it, make them appreciate for its own beauty, so then it would be kept for longer use. It is meaningful to the object as it can last long life, so do environment. There will be less trash to be thrown away as we have awarded through “The Story of Stuffs”.
After researching different perspectives from the market, the designer starts their work. Experiencing different sketches or materials are necessary to lead designer to a better understand of their work. We think this way may work better, but who knows when we experience it, it is the way around. Material is just a secret field that there are so much things we are not known about, research and experience are only ways to help us to achieve a better communication to our design.

Design Confusion

This is my new Samsung Jet Phone. I found it very confused for the first time used. Simply , i think the designer wants to make the display and control more fasionable ... but i dont think so . I found it is abit hard to use cos the way we suppose to do something in the phone is different to other normal phone. To me, it is completely so strange.
The example i put in this poster was my experience with the phone when i first bought. I took me a whole night to figure out how to close the window of calendar. ( godddd!!! And actually i couldnt figure it out till the other morning n asked other friend who is already familiar to samsung touch phone...) Normally , if we wanna close something, we often look for "X" ( like computer or touch phone) or a "quit" or even we press the menu button, so then we get back to the main background. Yes those are all the way we do NORMALLY . This one, it is Dragging the calender back to its own place. Dragging is not the new thing ever, but who knows that we suppose to do it .
So then i just wonder why the designer for this phone what to do like that ... it is way so strange n complicated ... he can design for both function dragging n "x" but it is still fine ... sign , this makes me feel like i am really bad at tech.

Video Reflection :Story of Stuffs

In the last video reflection, Emotional Design, we can see that several of stuffs are made as long as they bring a pleasure to user, ex: the juicer that Donald Norman bought with nice appearance but not able to use. I’m just wondering how much it is linked to this video, The Story of Stuff. Will designer (who like me, who designs cool stuff no matter its function) keep designing more and more new emotional stuffs and client (who like me, who love emotional design and product) also just keep buying? And clearly, through the video, we can see that people do more shopping, means they own more new stuffs in house and room and usually the value of them no last very long then it is chucked away. The video prove 99% of products in U.S are bought and used then TRASHED away in just 6 months. How come this happened?
We can’t ignore the fact that mostly people love using new goods which are fashionable and stylish. 3000 ads each day promote new product and it is like a drug to consumer. So how many in there are the ads for the Story of Stuffs? Not much. Yes, people are known the process of producing of product included extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal. But how many people are informed the detail of each sequence? I just can’t believe that we have already used one third of the earth resource in the past 3 decades or even we are chopping down 2000 trees in a minute. It doesn’t stop there, the process of production also brings thousand tan of toxic and of course, we are the person who are exposing to it. We are the person who keep purchasing and disposing so caused more air pollution. How about the people in the third countries who are innocent but live poorly and work in factory because, the first countries digging all their natural resources? Yet they work and expose to toxic more leads to deaths quickly. What’s an unfair life!
I wish the government doing something about Planned obsolescence ( making stuffs to be useless as quick as possible) and Perceived obsolescence ( purchasing new product to catch up with trends even the old is still good and usable) . I wish designer doing their right job, thinking of the benefits of user and product, caring more about sustainable environment. I wish that we, users, think clearly every time we decide to buy something, make sure we use it for long till the end. So now everyone is doing their jobs, reducing the circle of purchasing and disposing so we again can save the earth again, obviously saving our live future.
To me, through this video, I have learnt something new for my design experience. A design must be not only fulfilled with emotion, bringing pleasure to user but also need to have a long life value of existence. A meaningful design just can’t be there so famous in the market for a while and then being replaced. I want something to last long for saving my own budget as well as the environment.

Power House Museum - Sketches

Recently , im doing some sketches, which are done in the way of an Industrial designer!!! It means that I have to use pen , no eraser , done in short time . I enjoy it much. However, I feel hard to put it in a 3d box and then create a 3D image of an object in that box. Usually, i go straight to sketch the object instead ( thus , sometimes the scale is wrong) Also , It is really hard for me to sketch only one line through the whole object, hence my sketches look messy with many lines on it .
But i will practice more, hope its better. xxxxx.

Donal Norman - Emotional Design

Before, I have thought that Business is the only connection to Art and Design but now I realize there is also a link between Psychology and Design. When we can feel and understand ourselves and people around, we make thing more certain and better. Emotional Design, Donald Norman, is just a so great and highly educated video for designer. It helps me to see the connection between a product, its aesthetic and function.

In general, through the video, I has known more about how the brain working whether its stress or relaxing. It is exactly right that you pay more attention on your work when you are anxious; therefore it also limits your brainstorming. And of course, neat and creative ideas only pop up when you have a fresh mind. I find this explanation fitted to both designers and consumers. A good and creative work is done when the designer feeling free and enjoyable. Or to a consumer, people often choose to go shopping when they are happy because they have a clear mind, they look for more varieties, not only focusing on one thing.

Next, I have learnt that function is not everything of a product. Sometimes, people would come up with something that has good appearance rather than its function. I am an example. I have thought how weird I am because I never put any attention on the function of product that I’m going to buy; I always look for its appearance and design first. And of course, I will rank it high if it shows a better aesthetic. Donald Norman also did the same thing, he bought a juicer but not for making juice. Or the Mini Cooper in New York is still loved even there are many faults in function. Or a lovely, gorgeous watch is sold better than an ugly good functional watch. Why is it like that? It is because those design capture emotion of customer, they make customer like, enjoy and fall for the first sight.

The Japanese knife in the video has both function and beauty, thus it is listed to be a good design. However, it is not easy to balance those two features. The product will be useless if it only has its good outta coat and sucked function or it is too boring with well function and no aesthetics. If there is somehow one choice, I would choose the appearance rather than function. It is because I never buy a thing that I don’t have a feeling with it. When people have a feeling for something, they respect and take care of it for longer. Thus, if I go for a good functional product, I think I will get bored and forget it so soon.

As an Industrial Design who always wish later to make some interior - products which bring happiness for user, I highly appreciate for this video. Through the video, I can see clear how much important the aesthetic of a product is. A good design must bring a cool and special feeling and good impression to customer. Therefore, as a designer, we are never allowed to forget understanding emotion of customer and placing it in our design.

Design Exellence: Linna ARMCHAIR

Linna armchair is a very simple but attractive chair. By looking at its appearance, you are reminded of Classical Design where people found interested in order, balance and harmony. The chair revisits this theme by creating a shape of geometrical symmetry. Furthermore, there is also very fine arms and legs chair, therefore achieving a high balance in design.

Even reflecting the beauty of classical design, its features are still showing modernity. Again, the design of special fine arms and legs chair makes it flowing and lighter than others armchair. The considered scale, height and proportion bring a feeling of comfort and relaxed to client. Moreover, I like the use of original material, wood, instead of many modern ones. Wood gives you a feeling of friendly environment. The brown of wood is warming you up and makes your head and body relaxed. Also the texture shows you endless of time.

Therefore, gather of these details in one – impressed geometrical shape, new form of armchair, right scale and proportion, and also good use of natural material and textured- Linna armchair becomes special and unforgettable.

In the poster, I use a smoking background with 3 main colours: green, brown and blue. Green and brown are to depict the natural beauty of the chair. Blue is like a new revolution where the chair showed its modernity.Moreover, the smoke is to express the feeling of being back to history, to classic design period. Then,I put the chair at right corner of the poster, thus to engage viewer easier. Next to the chair, there are some descriptions about what and how the chair is in general. At the top, I capture some enlarge views and try to make clear about what I think of visual design element in this product.
After all, I just wanna share that I don’t like this chair at first because it is too simple and boring to me. But as long as I get along with it, discover it; learn it, now I like it so much. I like its simpleness and its use of geometrical shape. Yes, I agree that it is a good design.

Video Reflections- David Kelly: HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN

David Kelly on Human Centred Design is a good video for new designer like me even the products were made around 2002. It does not simply show me the products that I have ever known but also clarifies that design is changing. Every product is trending towards humanity. Its behaviour and personality are to bring advancement to human life.

The Cubicle is the most impressed to me. As I have said in my Design Career that I wish to product something meaningful which can make people happy and cosy every time at home. The new Cubicle made it. Cubicle is no more a boring separated wall in offices; it now makes officer feel comfy and homey. How amazing it could be to have a greeting flower every time you are there and wilt when you leave disappointed. Also I feel it is so amazing to have an idea of having built in fishtank for relaxing, punching bag for releasing tension or even a hammock for an evening nap. They are all just so awesome. It is exactly right as what its called Human centred Design, where designer produce a design which reaches the need of user.

Greenwich Watercycle Pavilion inspired me by the interior architecture. By looking through the video I can feel a peaceful atmosphere at this Pavilion. Nature is just so close to human, people feel wild and feel fresh by the surrounding of recycling trees and water. It is again not a boring place as usual; now it is where people can express their feeling with nature as well as relaxing. I like the idea of rotate panel where information is shown and visitors also can look through and see the real process of recycling water.

Retail store of Prada is alright. Of course, I also do “wow” as everyone who firstly see new technologies like liquid crystal door or mirror that displays your back. Having a scanner or touch screen in the fitting room are creative as it makes buyer feel more comfortable for checking info. To me, this is creativity in using new design technology, however I still feel more impressed with the other two above because they really bring a beneficent to human life.

They are the designs that I was inspired after watching the video. It seems like I have seen the Spyfish and the Installation somewhere before, they are not bad but also not much interesting. After all, I have learned that a good design doesn’t only have its appearance but also its function and behaviours must bring meaning to human life.

My Design Career

“Bro, I’m wondering about my future? What kind of job should I get? Come on; please no Business or Eco like you and parents.
Do what you are good at! You like Painting and Building model, dont you?
Yeah, but ... what’s job for that?
Designer...”

I remember so clear that conversation about future career with my Big brother when I was young. That was also my first time of having a thought about the word “Designer”. Then, from the little task in primary which asked to build table and chair out of matches box to doing creative sculptures and paintings in high school were unforgettable to me. Yeah, I always got prizes or awards at the end, thus it stimulates me to love Arts and Design more.

Home is the sweetest place in this world where I receive loads of love from the family. I treasure that luck and happiness and really from my heart, I want to share it to everyone. Therefore, Interior Design and Industrial Design are my choices out of the design job’s list. I think building and decorating a beautiful house is like you bring a wish of happiness to people who living in there. I want more people to have a comfortable and cosy house. I want them to feel the way I’m feeling, “homes” is warm and no sadness.

However, through the HSC exam, I just only got offers for Industrial design instead of my first wish interior design. So, finally I decide to have a try of it, who knows it would fit me anyway. Both universities like USYD, UNSW and UTS have their own reputation in Product and Industrial Design course; however I chose UNSW because this is where goes strong about furniture practices as some of my friends recommended. The teachers in the course are also good and also try to help students.

So far, I like and enjoy this course a lot because through what I have learned, I think of my future career more flexible. A real house is not only beautiful by the interior decoration but also by objects in there. A little spoon, a vase or a dining table all have their own meaningful values which contribute to the beauty of a house.

After graduating, I wish to have chance for travelling around so I can learn more about different aspects of design. Then working as a furniture designer who creates something special which brings the happiness to owner as every time they look or use it. I hope my products also to have high quality and cultural meaning because I always wish my Vietnamese people turning back and using traditional products instead of things from Europe or USA. That is my plan for the future and I will try my best to achieve it.

Shape of a Scent

When I smell it, I don’t like it at first because it is quite strong as like a perfume for old woman or man. But then the smell becomes softer and softer till I just can’t leave my nose off the perfume. We both agree that it is floral and airy. Taylor Swift, an American country song singer, is one of the people who would use this kind of smell. Why? Its simple, single scent reminds us about a wild country girl, who is strong, stylish and also sometimes sweet and gently.
The scent spins me around as sometimes I feel it so strong later I feel it so soft and sweet. It is just so a special smell. Thus I think the shape of the bottle must be somehow a circle. But finally I decide to make a petal of a flower to clarify its smell of floral nature. The curvy of the petal is to show the flow of this perfume. I decide the petal to have 3 sections. Two outer sections have textures on it and the left section is blanked. It just simply means characteristics of a girl. The texture part is to express the strength or independence of a young girl. The blank part is to say that this girl is sometimes very weak, gently and fragile. The texture is in the shape of water cube, because it captures the freshness the smell.
My tutor comments that the design is alright because I have tried successfully to capture and express the characteristics of the scent through the abstract shape and texture. However, the bottle looks quite heavy at the bottom which is not fitted for its image of a petal. Besides, he also reminds me that it is not necessary to keep repeating something for expressing its meanings. ... But overall, it is kinda good.
Finally, I was told that is Estee Lauder beyond Paradise.