Introducing Design and other stuff

[introtodesign]

just random workings for a assignment

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[introtodesign]

I just realised.. I have a large mindmap / notes to upload about the lectures...

And Yes I know we where told not to take notes, but I find this helps me rember things better and understand what been said more (been a visual person..)

Hows that for last minute Ideas...

[introtodesign]

Ok, just noticed I didn't have a blog post for the 3rd and 4th days so this from what I can remember... The third day of tutorial week was fairly relaxed, we meet up for a hour or so just to centralise brainstorming. This meant we were mostly on the same page and had roughed out some thoughts on what to brainstorm about before the next morning.

The fourth day was once again that amazing energy of creation, although having to make a film seemed to change the dynamics of the day. More time had to be spent on making that forcing us to move quickly during the design stage, even tho we had it finished way early (makes me wonder if it was too rushed…) But it was fun take ideas now and see how far it could be blown out, what could happen, what if this happens, I enjoyed that a lot…

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Day two desgin pages selection.. There where a few with only one picture drawn roughly in the middle...

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Peer Review – Project 2 Group 7

This video is not as well done as the previous groups; the dialogue doesn’t seem to have any real direction or real idea. While the first Idea is quite unique and very interesting it could have been looked into more; was the population willing? What happened to the over walkers who won? What are these sentinels? Did the shrinking have other effects on people? And so on. On top of this the two images used don’t seem to add much to the presentation, just two random pictures to go with the chatter (might be a bit harsh, did just watch an amazing one..)

Overall I think I have to be mean to this group and give it a high 3 (Low Pass), I just cannot follow the story. It has no real climax or beginning point, rather it’s just people simply discussing day to day life but only small…

  NOTE: cannot put video in the blog - http://megaswf.com/file/2327242

[introtodesign]

Peer Review – Project 2 Group 22

This video, is amazingly well done, even the copied footage serves a purpose relating the idea to things that have happened in the past. The video very clearly portrays the groups point, with some amazing images used to highlight points. Another part of its strength is the delivery, not seeing the presenter makes the whole thing seem that much more believable, one could almost believe it was a underground documentary made against the governments / Corporations wishes. One of the few little niggles I have with it is some of the cut in videos could have been done better with more artwork, this along with the title “Corruption” takes away from the otherwise amazing video.

Overall I would give this a medium to high 6 (distinction) because despite the few little things it very clearly delivers the intended message.

[introtodesign]

Ok, kinda doing some catch up now...

Here are a selection of the pages from the first day of activies, The audio to go with it is under the correct day ( I got that up on time :/ )

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Lightness - Group 30

Here I was thinking, this is kind of fun let’s do another! I am not sure what to think of this design; while I see where they are going with the design it feels more like strength to me (I am deciding that first impression is the way to go for these review things...).  Then just off the top of my head I can’t think of another way to do it so I guess I shouldn’t be to hash (guess that’s what happens when you do this after a late night), and I can see how they have tried to take the idea and take it further than just a feather in a creative manner.

On top of that the poster seems well designed and very presentable, it covers all of the information in a clean looking manner. The title also grabs the attention, even tho it’s  a little misleading (at least to me) due to the play on words but then that’s what art is about! (Making you think differently not misleading people)

On the whole despite the fact I struggle with the design I would give this a strong 6, because of that feel of strength rather than weightlessness.

[introtodesign]

Lightness  -group 19

Second review! Feeling a little better about the whole thing now, highly likely pre-emptive but whatever…

Ok this time I (randomly) picked group 19’s poster and even the basic poster strikes me as not a well-defined. It is an interesting idea of weightlessness but as one of the tutors pointed out to me… 'try to extract the idea from the inspiration, what makes it seem weightless', this doesn’t look like it was extrapolated far at all.  While I like the base idea this could have gone so much future try to suspend rings of clay, made an inverted triangle, I guess I am just struggling with the divergent phase of the design here. The material as well seem like odd choices for how they are used, Natural rock makes sense but is not amazing and clay could have had so much more done with it. The poster also somehow feels cluttered but empty, with pictures jammed into the corner and large sections of white space left.

Despite my complaints they did full fill the basic design restraints, and took a different seeming approach to the idea of weightlessness. I just feel that so much more could have been done here to break it down to the core elements of the idea. Decision time again, this poster I would give a solid 5, even tho it has me seriously questioning what we did on our poster ( don’t you hate those moments of self-doubt!). Also in retrospect I would bump the other groups up one… if that’s allowed.

[introtodesign]

Peer review – Design project 1

Lightness - Group 34

Ok let’s be honest, (because I haven’t said that before in this blog…) I have never done this type of peer review before, so it’s a different feeling for me (I might even have to reflect on its effects!).

This group took lightness down a very different path to the one we followed, taking lightness down the path of weight before taking it to the floating grass. However overall I don’t feel that the design is an amazing take on the idea of weightlessness, with the reference to leaves your first impression is a fairly basic one its only later that you see some of the more abstract theory that went on behind. The design seems well resolved; it makes good use of the materials however once again it doesn’t seem like an amazing use of materials. It would have been nice to see something more creative then woven reeds representing leaves, however off the top of my head I cannot think of something to replace this with.

Overall I would give this a high 5 or low 6 (added on the end because I feel I have to reach a conclusion, considering I am reviewing it!)

[introtodesign]

Tutoral Day 2

Ok, no audio logs this time, you get some part of me in a video in the next few days...

However today was amazing, the way the group worked together was efficient and effective. Once we started with the ideas we had in the morning we had some real divergence throughout the whole day, and as a whole the group seems to be able to change direction and design very quickly while still maintaining the usefulness of work already done. Also just listening to different ideas from group members, following there chain of though helped you look at an idea or concept from a very different point of view. If this is the energy and processes that go on around design I think I could very much enjoy a career in industry.

[introtodesign]

My Pig!

This was a fun activity to do, even if its a wee bit silly...

So what does my pig say about me?

Its in the middle of the page so I am a reaslist, its facing the front (I think...) so I enjoy arguing with others and creating drama, it has four legs meaning I a secure and stubborn. The rest are a bit harder to define whats what, I think it has many deatails (compared to some) meaning I am more likley cautious and do not trust others easily. It has kinda small ears meaning I am not a good listener and a meduim tail... meaning I have a meduim sex life?!

The othere thing that the pig does is give you somthing to compare to, a lot like my sister and her dresses, she asks which one you like to help renforce her postion (even if its just to say, no I don't feel like that one... I don't get it...) What thats trying to say is you can go, well thats just not me, and even then its helped you understand who you are.

p.s. Pictures are easer to do then audio...

[introtodesign]

Visit Original Link

Day 1 of tutorials

I am sorry for audio volume, I hope it is loud enough.

In case its not here are the notes I ended up needed for it...

Another new experience…

First day of intensive tutorials

Interesting day…

About trying to get us thinking outside the box, yet addressing the core element of the idea

 Not looking at material things, the idea and emotions behind it

Things like drawing violence and the ideas on a page

Taking a idea and looking at other ideas around it

Also about what else makes a space

Guided around with eyes closed still could work out the space

 Looking at textures

Then also about learning who you are in the world, what you are good at

[introtodesign]

The Bubble Chair  - also designed by Aarnio Eero

Much the same design as the ball chair below, however this chair looks and has a different feel due to two simple changes. These are the clear walls and the fact it is floating, this makes the symbolic side more evident. The name its self makes the chair a symbol, making it look like bubbles floating in your mind’s eye. The clear plastic outside helps this image while also allowing more light to flow thorough it changing the feel of the chair in such a simple manner.

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The Ball Chair - designed by Aarnio Eero

There would be few people who had not seen the ball chair at some point in their life. It has done amazingly well for such a simple design, but then that’s the magic of design.

This chair for me has a lot of focus on the aesthetic side of design then symbolic or physical, the simple shape makes it "feel" clean. When sitting inside the seat it gives a feeling of seclusion and safety due to the enclosed space, it’s this playing on the senses with such a simple looking shape that makes the chair interesting. The chair epitomizes the K.I.S.S. principles, but still is a more interesting chair then what I am currently sitting in.

[introtodesign]

The reason for that quote below...

While it seems odd that I posted a quote that I got from my lecturer I have good reason (I hope…). The other day I was looking through my lecture notes trying to write a blog post and I had one of those ‘Oh that’s why he keeps showing that’ moments. The reason design is often viewed as been method less is designers who know what they are doing can take the rules, and bend them to fit their own style of work and the situation at hand. Yet they will all still follow the same basic method, like all buildings still have the same basic foundations, the trick is knowing the foundations well enough to avoid breaking them.