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.