Light Fixture

I spend way too much time on Pinterest, but by doing so, I've come across some pretty awesome light fixtures! This is one of my favorites.

Word Construction and Placement from Project Three

We had quite a few ideas as to how we could create letters to implicate the definition of displace, and decided on our final design as the most successful. We essentially created three-dimensional letters, but one of the sides was missing to each letter. This signifies the word displace because like the definition states, parts of the letters were ‘removed’ and ‘taken out of the usual or proper place’. We also painted the letters purple because our main location was going to be somewhere abundant in KU spirit, therefore the letters would look very displaced, or ‘put out of the usual or proper place’. So, we took a few pictures in different places with Jayhawks and KU apparel. We also took a picture o the word going down a busy stairwell in Budig; the word itself in this location was extremely displaced. This was reinforced by all the odd looks we got from everyone passing by! Another location was inside Strong Hall, where the word was sitting on the floor except the ‘P’, and the ‘P’ was up on the balcony above the letter. Therefore, the ‘P’ was displaced. An additional location we did was in the Watson Library. We scattered the letters down an aisle in the stacks because of the displaced and lost feeling most people get when they try to find a book here- I personally have felt very displaced in the stacks! Overall, we worked hard to incorporate the meaning of our word into every location we chose.

Reflection of Photo Reading

The photo op reading gave me lots of ideas as to how to take the pictures for our group, since that was one of my tasks. It became a good tool to use to make my photos more successful. I took photography classes in high school where I essentially learned these things, but it was nice review. The main aspects of photography I used in my photos were  repetition of color in my photobook, asymmetry in many of the pictures, close ups to define detail, and movement. As for the other article, I’ve learned an ample amount about photography in art history classes I have taken, but nothing in this much detail. It was fascinating to review the background of where it came from and peoples’ views on photography. Documentary photography has always been a particular interest of mine- I actually considered photo-journalism as a potential major. It is exceptionally interesting to me to see how one photo can not only connect to such a tremendous amount of people, but also provoke emotion from these people as well.

Reflection of Project Three

At first, this project seemed a little overwhelming; I couldn’t imagine how every group could possibly have room and time to make 3d three-foot letters and haul them around campus to different locations. However, this project ended up being really fun. The hardest part of the project did not even involve the construction of the letters, but multi-tasking one weekend when we had to finish our individual letter projects and focus on our group projects as well. Cutting the letters was a fast-paced part of the process, but that is what made the whole process intriguing. Scouting out locations with my team was also fun. It gave us a chance to put our creativity together and get to know each other much better. Overall, I really liked the hands-on aspect of this project, and although there wasn’t a tremendous amount of design involved, it was thought-provoking in a design-oriented sense.

Project Three Description

For the group portion of project three, we were assigned a word and were told to design three-foot high cardboard letters that spelled the word. The letters had to somehow reference the definition of the word. When the letters were finally constructed, we were assigned to place the word at different locations on campus and the locations also had to reiterate the meaning of the word. Because we were told to take pictures along the way through this process, our final project was to assemble a photo book that consisted of the process and final outcome of the group portion of the project. 

Group Project

My next group project revolves around the word 'displace'.

Definitions of displace:

1. To compel (a person or persons) to leave home, country, etc.

2. To move or put out of the usual or proper place

3. To take the place of; replace; supplant. Fiction displaces fact.

4. To remove from a position, office or dignity

5. To rid oneself of. Obsolete.

"What Language Looks Like"

For project three, the word I chose was "conquer".


Definitions of conquer:
1. To acquire by force of arms; win in war: to conquer a foreign land.
2. To overcome by force; subdue: to conquer an enemy.
3. To gain, win, or obtain by effort, personal appeal, etc.: conquer the hearts of the audience.
4. To gain a victory over; surmount; master; overcome: to conquer disease and poverty; to conquer fear.


Synonyms of conquer:
1. Vanquish
2. Overpower
3. Overthrow
4. Subjugate
5. Defeat

IDEO Video

This video put a refreshing twist to the typical image of the dull and uninspiring workplace- steady jobs do not have to be boring! This video made me realize that there are so many career options and that I would personally love to work in an environment like this. You could almost feel the positive energy flowing between team members as you were watching the video; ideas bounced off of each other in a nontraditional manner which allowed for greater ideas to be formed. One point that I really liked in this video was that no ideas should be out-ruled, especially the crazy, seemingly unrealistic ones. These ideas are the ones that ultimately allow for deeper thinking and can trigger even more successful ideas in the long run. It was interesting to see the company's process in recreating the shopping cart. It was so refreshing to see informal company dynamics. Everyone communicated as equals, which creates a comfortable environment for the flow of ideas. The prototypes they created were well thought out and each incorporated an element of improvement from the original shopping cart. In the end, a combination of all of these prototypes were used to create their final product, which was in their eyes the most successful. This was a good visual to what our end product in our prototype project is supposed to be. It is also helpful to see the process in action so we know what to expect. As a group, we can now utilize some of the strategies IDEO uses, like group interaction and their thought processes, to create a successful prototype for our object.

Tim's Lecture

9/26/2011

Tim’s lecture truly captured my attention: his background really inspired me and made me excited to think about my future, which is something that normally scares me. I thought it was awesome how he chased his dreams, although that meant ditching his degree for his passion. Even at that point, he kept an open mind and entered a career that focused more on photography than his specific interest in graphic design. However, after he got settled into his job, he was able to incorporate not only graphics, but also a little bit of his architectural background into his work as well. Another thing that inspired me was that although he scored a seemingly awesome job, he felt that it was time to move on and wanted to see what else was out there. He didn’t settle just because he had a good job, which I think is very cool. It reiterated the fact that I should never settle for anything less than I can get, just because it might be the easiest solution.

Writer's Toolbox Reading

MIND MAPS- Help give visual form to ideas. The goal is to create the map quickly, then synthesize possible connections. You can create a mind map using words or images and they can be handwritten or made by a computer program. In the end, the main goal is to consider the patterns and relationships that emerge. Also, you may want to go back and ask yourself if there are new concepts that need to be considered or re-mapped.

CONCEPT MAPS- Similar to mind maps in that they both concentrate on associative relationships using diagrams. However, concept maps allow for further analysis of conceptual relationships and meanings. Words are displayed in hierarchical order linked by propositional statements. They are excellent wayfinding tools, used to help understand and analyze complex information. Overall, they are also points of departure for deeper investigation of an object.

FREEWRITING- The process of allowing your thoughts to flow on paper without judgment or deep consideration- it “brings hidden ideas into the visible world”. It can be used in the preliminary phase or throughout the course of a project. Similar to journal writing, but it focuses on one main idea or question. The unfocused version gives a response to a broad thought whereas in the focused version, you are addressing a specific question. Set a timed period and write without pausing. Then you can use the “looping” technique to go back, pick out your most interesting idea, and write for another period of time starting with that.

BRAINWRITING- The written equivalent of traditional brainstorming by incorporating a collaborative nature. Members of a group use a template designed specifically for their team. Each member spends a certain amount of time writing a concise sentence, then passes it along to the next member who repeats the process. Once the form is completed, discuss among your team.

WORD LISTS- Quick way to use words for idea generation. Lists are concise and the quickness allows a variety of associations to develop in a short time. Start with a central idea and write descriptive words. When the list is completed, circle the words that stand out for one reason or another. Once you determine the most interesting words or ideas, explore these new words with different exercises.

Project One Reflection

When I heard that our first design project revolved around drawing, I was pretty intimidated to say the least. I took an ample amount of art classes in high school, but in none of them did I learn how to draw. So, needless to say, I went into the first class feeling overwhelmed and ultimately wondering what I had gotten myself into. It was not even a week later, however, that I started to relax. After learning several drawing techniques, I began to realize that drawing did not necessarily mean that a perfect replica of the object was required. In many cases, creating the form and body of the object was just as important as the specific details. After I realized that drawing was not completely over my head and actually very do-able, I really enjoyed it. It was fun experimenting with different techniques and using different art supplies that I had never used before. My favorite part, however, was designing the poster at the end. I had never used illustrator before, but it was pretty easy to get the hang of the basics. My biggest issue was deciding which thumbnail to use in the end! I ended up refining two posters and blowing them both up to actual size before I made my decision. One of them was the one that I liked the best and the other was the one that my classmates liked the best in my critique. After asking my roommates and considering which one had the best design features, I chose the one that my classmates liked the best to use for my project because after I reconsidered, I realized that maybe it did have the best design features. On the original thumbnail, my major critiques were that it didn't have enough negative space, that it almost looked too put together and geometrical, and that I should incorporate gray as well, because an all black background made it seem too harsh. Margie also suggested extending the measuring tape borders so it appeared as if they were going off the page. In the end, I corrected all of my critiques and my final poster ended up looking much better! The negative space on the top and bottom of  my poster contrasts the middle section with all of my drawings nicely. I also incorporated more negative space in the middle section by eliminating some of the backgrounds and shifting things over. However, I kept borders on most of the images to give the poster an overall sense of structure and movement. Also, the borders on the images reiterates the black border on the outside of the poster and the tape measure border which ultimately draws the viewer's eye into the drawings. Overall, drawing is not my most comfortable aspect of design, and the fact that I still really liked this project makes me very excited for the projects to come!

Reflection to Reading #1

The concept that stuck out to me the most was the fact that design is everywhere and our lives revolve around design more than we think. Design is more than just an attractive surface; it goes deep enough to the point where lives can be altered by good design. Another discussion that stood out to me was when the author said that design could not be defined. Although there are many designers in the world and many people interested in design, it means something different to each one of them. Since design is highly variable, it sometimes makes it different for people to pinpoint what design actually is. Finally, in the section of the last book in the reading assignment, I really enjoyed how the author splits design into categories to help pinpoint some of the ways design is effective: design as applied creativity, design as problem solving, design as learning, design as evolution, design as a social process, and design as a game. It was interesting to see that although design cannot be well-defined, there are still aspects of it that seem to come before others to different people.

Poster Thumbnails

Although drawing isn't necessarily my thing because I've never had any experience with it, I've really come to enjoy this project. Now that the drawing part is out of the way, we get to design posters for our object, which I've really liked doing. I'm much more comfortable with the designing aspect than drawing! Here's a few of my classmates' favorite thumbnails so far, but they're definitely still a work in progress.

My Five Most Successful Drawings

My classmates chose these drawings to be my strongest and I agree with them for the most part. The first drawing was fun to make: I filled in a picture plane using graphite and erased the background to leave the shape of the tape measure which emphasized positive and negative space. The second drawing also has to do with positive and negative space, but I also combined this with a little bit of value to make the drawing more interesting. I created the third drawing very quickly and with nothing but scribbles, however it turned out to be sort of interesting to look at. It was also fun to do! The fourth drawing is a combination of my sighting drawings. I noticed that they were all relatively the same size and drawn with the same characteristics, so I thought it might look nice to combine the three into one picture plane. The last drawing is my value drawing. I had some issues attempting my value drawings because I've never really drawn before, but was able to come up with something in the end!

Why My Object is Well Designed

The well-designed object I chose was a tape measure. It is functional, durable, and performs its task without giving any false hope of doing something greater; in Dieter Rams’s words, it is “honest”. The tape measure is a very common object, which suggests how effective and reliable its design is. Because of this, it is said to be “understandable”. A significant amount of its design features are internal, but the aesthetics are still not disappointing. It is sleek and pocket-sized to accomplish essentially any task. It is also innovative; one of the features is the tape measure lock, which conveniently locks the tape onto the desired measurement. Ultimately, my tape measure is designed exceptionally well to carry out its given function.

Objectified

8/29/2011

Objectified was essentially a documentary about how designers and their creations affect the world around them and how consumers react to these objects. It expressed the ‘cycle’ of design; as time progresses, things naturally become re-examined and re-designed. It really opened up my eyes to the fact that design actually is very crucial to anybody’s everyday life.  Like the movie said, “nearly everything has been designed in one way or another”, even the simplest of objects that tend to be overlooked as designed. I also like how it focused heavily on the process of design and not just on the final outcome. It made me realize how significant it is to try things from every angle and direction to ensure that the final design is the most efficient it can be. It also made me fully understand the reasoning behind the process notebook that we create for class and why we have to do so many drawings for one project! It is good to know that mistakes do not necessarily mean failure, it is just all part of the process of creating something better. In addition, I liked when the movie stated that the “definition of who you are as a designer comes from the way you look at the world.” It is intriguing to think that each designer is different based on what they think is necessary to improve the world and what their ideas on improving the world really mean. If each designer’s goal was to improve the world for the common good of everyone, this could be one drastically improved world! Something else that stuck out to me was the fact that good design sometimes seems inevitable. It is crazy to think that sometimes the best designs do not get recognition because the objects work so well that nobody even questions it. The last thing that really grabbed my attention was the idea of minimalism usually being the best design. One of the guys said that “if a feature is not indicating something, it shouldn’t be there.” This concept makes sense to me; less is more in the long run and also follows Don Norman’s 10 principles of good design. Overall, I thought that this movie had lots to contribute to my design knowledge.

Don Norman: Three Ways Good Design Makes You Happy

8/29/2011

In this video, Don Norman focuses in on a few things (beauty, fun, pleasure and emotion) to understand what these aspects are all about in relation to design. This was an interesting video because to me, it seemed like it contradicted some of what Dieter Rams said about ‘good’ design. Although aesthetics were important to Rams as well, it seemed like Rams seemed to focus more on functionality. On the other hand, Norman seems to portray the idea that good design does not have to be functional. For instance, Norman describes a fancy juicer that he owns, however, it cannot even produce juice without ruining the object. Yet, Norman seems to think it is a good design because it is fun and pleasing to look at. I do believe, like Norman states, that “good design makes you happy”, however, I do not think that a person could fully be satisfied with an object that does not perform its function. Besides that little bit of confusion about whether or not design should be purely aesthetic or a combination of aesthetics and functionality, I found other points in this video intriguing. He states that “pleasant things work better” because if a person is happy about the object, they tend to be more creative, therefore allowing the object to exceed expectations. He then goes on to explain three types of design: visceral, behavior, and reflective. Visceral is all of the superficiality of design such as fonts and color, behavior is about functionality and the feeling of being in control, and reflective revolves around aesthetics and the feeling of being safe in your image. To me, a combination of these things together is what creates good design.

Dieter Rams: 10 Principles for Good Design

8/23/2011

 This article was refreshing to read for many reasons. First, it recognized the fact that good design cannot necessarily be limited to a list of good design qualities; it merely suggested ten of the most important principles. Also, the way that the article bluntly states the principle followed by a short explanation is a very effective format. He omitted distracting information that could sway the reader away from the main point. Ironically, this concept is actually one of Dieter Rams’s design principles! He states that less is better because it “concentrates on essential aspects.” This strategy definitely worked for him in this article. Lastly, all of his interpretations of good design are easy to follow and are very applicable to my life in design. Nothing that he said seemed intimidating, far-fetched, or confusing in any way.

           

A lot of what Rams said pertains to my well-designed object (tape measure). It is useful, durable, and performs its task without giving any false hope of doing something greater than it actually does. In Rams’s words, it is “honest”. Since the tape measure is designed effectively, it is a very common object. Therefore, it is said to be “understandable”. Most of its noteworthy design features are internal, but the aesthetics are still not disappointing.  It is sleek and pocket-size for essentially any task. It is also innovative; one of the features is the tape measure lock, which conveniently locks the tape onto the desired measurement. This article also relates to my major (interior design) in just about everything Rams says. It was very informative and helpful to me, who has had limited design experience in the past. All ten principles were simple, instructive and easy to remember to ultimately make my future designs more effective.