Monday, January 31, 2011
Image vs. Identity
Much of Heskett's chapter on Identity focuses on the creation and significance of corporate identity, concluding with this explanation of the difference between two similar concepts, image and identity:
"Image is a projection of how a company would like to be understood by customers; identity is the reality of what a company delivers as experienced by customers. When the two are consonant, it is possible to speak of corporate integrity. If a gulf opens up between the two, however, no amount of money flung at visual redesigns will rebuild customers' confidence. Put another way, image is credible only when supported by a good product or service."
When thinking of companies with discordant images and identities, I immediately thought of the fast food industry, especially the industry creator and leader, McDonald's. The average experience of eating McDonald's is nothing like what their advertisements would have you believe. Plus it's no secret that fake food is used in fast food advertisements. Yet despite the huge disparity between their image and their identity, they are able to maintain huge profits, demonstrating that if you spend enough on advertising then you can spend a lot less on the food and your employees.
So while a mom-n-pop hamburger shop may have better food and service, McDonald's can out-advertise them any day of the week. It's a shame that such chain restaurants can thrive on overblown images. Yet I suppose that because fast food has become such a ubiquitous institution, for those looking for cheap, quick eats, healthier (and non-addictive) alternatives may be less obvious.
"Image is a projection of how a company would like to be understood by customers; identity is the reality of what a company delivers as experienced by customers. When the two are consonant, it is possible to speak of corporate integrity. If a gulf opens up between the two, however, no amount of money flung at visual redesigns will rebuild customers' confidence. Put another way, image is credible only when supported by a good product or service."
When thinking of companies with discordant images and identities, I immediately thought of the fast food industry, especially the industry creator and leader, McDonald's. The average experience of eating McDonald's is nothing like what their advertisements would have you believe. Plus it's no secret that fake food is used in fast food advertisements. Yet despite the huge disparity between their image and their identity, they are able to maintain huge profits, demonstrating that if you spend enough on advertising then you can spend a lot less on the food and your employees.
So while a mom-n-pop hamburger shop may have better food and service, McDonald's can out-advertise them any day of the week. It's a shame that such chain restaurants can thrive on overblown images. Yet I suppose that because fast food has become such a ubiquitous institution, for those looking for cheap, quick eats, healthier (and non-addictive) alternatives may be less obvious.
The Tyranny of Objects
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, and penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together."
Although ol' Ben Kenobi was talking about a fictional metaphysical power, if you minus the talk of Jedis and energy fields, this quote shows design to be a fitting real-world analogue for "the Force". For design not only shapes our physical lives, what we do and how we do it; it can also shape how we think and how we view the world.
And just like the force, design can be used for good or evil.
I started along this line of thought during our class discussion on "Designing for Accessibility". I began thinking about the consequences of a world designed without accessibility in mind. By creating a world where the handicapped are restricted in their movements and interactions, they are marginalized, with design's narrative voice telling them that their needs are less important than those who are not handicapped.
Retrofitting and designing special alternatives for the handicapped is not much better. While many of the physical barriers may be lifted, allowing the handicapped to function better in our world; the mental walls are still firmly in place, cordoning off the handicapped into a group of second-class citizens. The need for special design colors the handicapped as a nuisance, for most will be more concerned about the inconvenience of building a new ramp rather than the social good of providing for the handicapped.
It seems to me that the best solution is universal design. By harmoniously combining the needs of all people into one design, all can feel equal and none will be stigmatized. If humankind's intelligence can serve any good end (because lord knows it has already served many evil ones), I think it should serve to help reduce the power of Fortuna's cruel wheel. And allowing those who are handicapped to live better, fuller lives is one way to do that.
And helping these kids rise above the cycle of crime and violence that pervades lower-class communities is another.
This is design used for good. When these guys are creating their own bikes, they are also in a sense creating their own identity, perhaps allowing them to avoid gangs that prey on the identity-less youth.
Although ol' Ben Kenobi was talking about a fictional metaphysical power, if you minus the talk of Jedis and energy fields, this quote shows design to be a fitting real-world analogue for "the Force". For design not only shapes our physical lives, what we do and how we do it; it can also shape how we think and how we view the world.
And just like the force, design can be used for good or evil.
I started along this line of thought during our class discussion on "Designing for Accessibility". I began thinking about the consequences of a world designed without accessibility in mind. By creating a world where the handicapped are restricted in their movements and interactions, they are marginalized, with design's narrative voice telling them that their needs are less important than those who are not handicapped.
Retrofitting and designing special alternatives for the handicapped is not much better. While many of the physical barriers may be lifted, allowing the handicapped to function better in our world; the mental walls are still firmly in place, cordoning off the handicapped into a group of second-class citizens. The need for special design colors the handicapped as a nuisance, for most will be more concerned about the inconvenience of building a new ramp rather than the social good of providing for the handicapped.
It seems to me that the best solution is universal design. By harmoniously combining the needs of all people into one design, all can feel equal and none will be stigmatized. If humankind's intelligence can serve any good end (because lord knows it has already served many evil ones), I think it should serve to help reduce the power of Fortuna's cruel wheel. And allowing those who are handicapped to live better, fuller lives is one way to do that.
And helping these kids rise above the cycle of crime and violence that pervades lower-class communities is another.
This is design used for good. When these guys are creating their own bikes, they are also in a sense creating their own identity, perhaps allowing them to avoid gangs that prey on the identity-less youth.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Survey Says....
since everyone knows the news is all lies and fabrications, I talked to the people to see what is REALLY going on with the issues that affect us most...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Deep Dive
Although the first few minutes of "The Deep Dive" stirred up memories of a previous viewing (how could I forget Ted Koppel's wavy coif and Basset Hound jowls?), considering I couldn't really remember when, where, or why I watched it, my memory of the content of this episode was also lacking. So Wednesday's viewing was a nice refresher of IDEO's modus operandi. From all appearances, IDEO seems like a unique consultancy firm full of extremely creative and intelligent people, and I find their open-ended approach to the design process extremely appealing.
Their original take on design is evident just from seeing their unusual office, adorned with everything from a basketball hoop to a DC-3 wing. Their playful environment is significant because, as Heskett notes, "...environments are frameworks for activities, significantly affecting patterns of use, behavior, and expectations in home life, work, leisure, and a range of commercial ventures." It's not surprising that the ideas flow freely through IDEO's walls when they are covered in such a quirky miscellany. Their collection of toys offers some hope for the would-be designer, for it is heartening to see that for every brilliant idea they have, they probably come up with hundreds of turds (like Monster Shoes).
The environment at IDEO allows for a very open forum for new ideas, as all ideas are welcomed, even those odd, silly, and borderline stupid. All these ideas are coming from a team filled with people coming from very different backgrounds of study. This allows for new designs to be seen many different multiple perspectives, so all aspects of the user's interaction with the object is considered. The result of this loose design process is a very tight final product; well planned and smartly designed.
What I liked most about IDEO's design process is that it represents the viability of office structures alternative to the common corporate business structure (which I hear can be quite soul-crushing and evil). Although when I see the employees' contraption for hanging bikes, I have to wonder if they are perhaps overindulging in their freedom a bit. Can they not just install bike racks and lock them outside? That seems to be a much simpler solution and a less arduous process than carrying them inside and hanging them from ropes.
Their original take on design is evident just from seeing their unusual office, adorned with everything from a basketball hoop to a DC-3 wing. Their playful environment is significant because, as Heskett notes, "...environments are frameworks for activities, significantly affecting patterns of use, behavior, and expectations in home life, work, leisure, and a range of commercial ventures." It's not surprising that the ideas flow freely through IDEO's walls when they are covered in such a quirky miscellany. Their collection of toys offers some hope for the would-be designer, for it is heartening to see that for every brilliant idea they have, they probably come up with hundreds of turds (like Monster Shoes).
The environment at IDEO allows for a very open forum for new ideas, as all ideas are welcomed, even those odd, silly, and borderline stupid. All these ideas are coming from a team filled with people coming from very different backgrounds of study. This allows for new designs to be seen many different multiple perspectives, so all aspects of the user's interaction with the object is considered. The result of this loose design process is a very tight final product; well planned and smartly designed.
What I liked most about IDEO's design process is that it represents the viability of office structures alternative to the common corporate business structure (which I hear can be quite soul-crushing and evil). Although when I see the employees' contraption for hanging bikes, I have to wonder if they are perhaps overindulging in their freedom a bit. Can they not just install bike racks and lock them outside? That seems to be a much simpler solution and a less arduous process than carrying them inside and hanging them from ropes.
Dieter Rams
- Studied architecture at the the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden for one year, then left in 1947 to learn carpentry.
- He eventually returned to school and finished his degree in 1953, after which he worked for Otto Appel's architecture firm.
- In 1955, Dieter began working for Braun as an architect and interior designer, applying his architecture background to design exhibition sets and offices
- But he became increasingly interested in designing products, the first product he worked on being the SK4 radio and record player. Abandoning the traditional wooden case, Rams and Hans Gugelot worked together to design a more industrial metal case with a plastic lid
- After several more successful designs, Rams became the head of the product design and development division at Braun in 1962, a position in which he strove to create products that were not only easy, but also enjoyable to use.
- Rams set many industry standards, including his deconstruction of the stereo system. Rams took the standard stereo system with integrated speakers, and separated the speakers into individual units, in order to make the receiver unit more compact.
- The development of new transistor technologies in the 1960's made large radio tubes obsolete, and allowed Rams to design more compact, functional products.
- By the mid-60's Rams' work was considered the apex of modernity and his products were much sought-after by fashionable consumers
- Rams' approach to design is summed up by his "10 Principles of Good Design"
- Good design is innovative.
- Good design makes a product useful.
- Good design is aesthetic.
- Good design makes a product understandable.
- Good design is unobtrusive.
- Good design is honest.
- Good design is long-lasting.
- Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
- Good design is environmentally friendly.
- Good design is as little design as possible.
- According to Rams himself, Apple is the only company currently designing products according to his principles.
Sources:
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/rams.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams
http://designmuseum.org/design/dieter-rams
S. Neil Fujita
- Trained in painting at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, CA
- After graduating, he worked for the Philadelphia ad agency N. W. Ayer & Son, the first ad agency in America, established in 1869
- During his time at N. W. Ayer & Son, he developed his modernist style, which has been described as: "a kind of synthesis of Bauhaus principles and Japanese sensibility".
- In 1954, Columbia records recruited Fujita to the in-house design team that they were assembling to sustain the label's graphic legacy created by Alex Steinweiss
- At Columbia, he moved away from Steinweiss's illustrative style and created more modern designs, featuring photography and the work of Abstract Impressionists. He felt the rhythm and energy of progressive jazz would be best complemented by the stylized abstractions of modern painting.
- With this approach, he created some of the most striking album covers of the mid-20th century.
- In 1960, Fujita left Columbia to start his own design firm.
- Fujita collaborated with the public relations firm Ruder & Finn in 1963 to create a design division called Ruder, Finn & Fujita, which later became Fujita Design.
- Many of Fujita's clients were publishers and Fujita designed the covers for several notable books
- Fujita is also responsible for the NBC's Today Show logo, which has been in use for over 30 years.
Sources
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/books-obituaries/8093733/Neil-Fujita.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/arts/design/27fujita.html
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/waxing-chromatic-an-interview-with-s-neil-fujita
Charley Harper
A red teardrop with sunburst wings and a triangle tail, a flock of multi-colored rounded polygons passing through a cerulean backdrop, a swarm of polka dotted polka dots scuttling over crumbling brown ellipses; these are the stylized fauna that inhabit the vibrant, visual ecology seen through the eyes of Charley Harper.
For when Harper looks at nature he doesn't see the feathers of a bird or the scales of a fish, rather, as he puts it: "I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures". Harper's blissful marriage of simple forms and complex arrangements produced lively illustrations that, along with the work of many other mid-Century Modernists, blurred the lines between design and art.
Charley Harper was born on August 4, 1922 in Frenchton, West Virginia and was raised on his family's farm. This rural environment imbued within Harper an appreciation for the natural world that would drive the rest of his life's work. Harper eventually left his native habitat to study as a realist painter at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. However his plans were soon delayed as he was drafted into the military shortly after beginning his studies.
Harper's next three years were spent serving Army Intelligence during WWII. He continued sketching during his service, and experience that also influenced his work (considering his illustrations are of cute lil' woodland creatures rather than blood-thirsty Nazis and horribly disfigured soldiers crying for Momma, it's clear that the war influenced the form of his work, rather than the content). As Harper himself notes, the chaotic nature of war was an environment that forced him to learn how to “grasp the important elements of a scene quickly and put them down with minimum detail.”
After his time in the Army, Harper returned to Cincinnati and finished his studies. He was awarded the first Stephen H. Wilder Traveling Scholarship, which allowed Charley and his wife Edie to explore the American south and west and experience the biomes of those regions and the variety of wildlife that inhabit each ecological community.
Upon his return, Harper began to tutor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and also began work in a commercial studio. Here Harper began to grow frustrated with the limitations of perspective and shading and realized the lack of commercial demand for realism. He began experimenting with new styles until he developed the iconic style he is now know for.
The synthesis of Harper's experiences was a style he called "minimal realism", through which he strove to depict nature using the fewest possible visual elements, often in the form of basic colorful shapes garnished with more complex details and textures. His style is the expression of his unique perspective of nature, seen by an ever-reducing mind. “I don’t try to put everything in, I try to leave everything out. I never count the feathers in the wings; I just count the wings.” Harper's minimalist style is the product of a diverse array of influences. He was not only inspired by art movements like Cubism and Minimalism, but also some not so obvious sources, such as Einsteinian Physics (non-Euclidean Geometry) and architecture.
As a sauce is reduced to concentrate flavors, Harper's reduction of the natural world to basic shapes and bold colors creates a piquant ecosystem, whose simplicity serves as stark contrast to the complex world created by "intelligent" humans. When I look at Harper's illustrations, I am visited by my recurrent pining for the idyllic simplicity of life as an animal; find food, eat, rest, mate, die. (WARNING: prolonged viewing of Harper's work my lead to our world to appear more and more like a futuristic sci-fi reality, in which an ugly industrialized hellhole is inhabited by mindless lemmings programmed for destruction by skewed social and power structures, all to serve the desires of corrupt political overlords.) And despite the complexities of many of his compositions, a pervading sense of balance remains, providing the same calming effect as a walk through the woods.
Due his work's focus on wildlife, many of Harper's work can be found on posters and other promotional materials for nature-based organizations, such as the National Park Service, Everglades National Park, Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati Nature Center, Hamilton County Park District, the Michigan Audubon Society and the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Much of Harper's work stems from his 34 year long collaboration with "Ford Times", the travel magazine published by Ford Motor Company. Ford first commissioned Harper to illustrate the recipe section in the December 1948 issue. He continued to do more work with them and because his illustrations were so popular with readers, the magazine began sell prints of his work.
The recognition he gained from his work at "Ford Times" attracted many different clients and allowed him to enjoy commercial success throughout the 50's and 60's. Throughout this time Harper's work spanned from illustrating a Betty Crocker Cookbook, to designing posters for the National Park Service, to creating a tile mosaic mural on the walls of the Cincinnati Federal Building.
Harper also dabbled in writing, and has released compilations of his work that include poems to accompany each illustration.
Whitecoat
Welcome to the world, little whitecoat, baby harp seal with tearful eyes. Warm and cuddly in your immaculate pelt, you are helpless and defenseless on the arctic ice; you cannot swim, you can scarcely crawl. And you are so trusting. We think you are beautiful. We love you. We hear your cries of pain and terror under the hunter's club. But we would wear you. Goodbye, little whitecoat, from the endangering species – those friendly folks who bring you to extinction.
Harper's view of nature is now being introduced to a new generation, as his work has recently taken new forms. In 2008, Old Navy released a line of children's product bearing his work. And proving that an 83 year old man can still be in touch with youth culture, he collaborated with the Dayton-based, nature-themed skateboard company Habitat Skateboards in 2005 to produce a line of skateboard decks. Productive into his late years, Charley Harper created a extensive portfolio of work, and although he died on June 10, 2007 of complications related to pneumonia, he has left behind an extensive portfolio and an enduring legacy, ensuring that futures generations will see cardinals, flocks of birds, and ladybugs in a whole new light.
Add these two enterprising artists to the list of those inspired by Charley Harper. When I look at their simple, avian adornments, I can't help but be reminded of his work.
Sources:
http://castorandpollux.co.uk/2010/07/charley-harper-essay-from-delicious-industries/
http://www.rtpi.org/component/option,com_jevents/Itemid,19/catids,77|78|79/day,25/evid,427/month,08/task,icalrepeat.detail/uid,7894420461b604070a85c82d5471bf28/year,2010/
http://charleyharper.blogspot.com/2009/07/charley-harper-and-habitat-skateboards.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Euclidean_geometry
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1575193
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Harper
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/Birdscope/Spring2006/world_birds.html
http://www.viget.com/inspire/charley-harper/
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Finally a Voice for the White Upper Class
Although reading about "objects" seems about as mundane as reading about "stuff", or even "things", Heskett manages to make it pretty interesting. For me, Heskett's most thought-provoking idea came at the very beginning: "Objects are a crucial expression of ideas of how we could or should live, put into tangible form."
It really made me look at the objects in my life from a new perspective, and made me realize how much the objects in our lives shape the ways in which we live, how they define what we are able to do and how we do it. Not only that, but the objects in our lives also can express much about us; our interests, our beliefs, our social class, etc.
Keeping that in mind, I was a bit peeved to learn about the "Juicy Salif". After reading about Phillipe Starck's distinguished "lemon squeezer", I did a bit of research on him, and while many of his other designs appear to be both functional and aesthetically-pleasing, this particular design rubs me in all the wrong ways. While it is indeed pretty cool looking, it seems like it exists more to stroke the egos of all those involved (the designer, the manufacturer, and the consumers), rather than to actually juice lemons.
Despite my rather utilitarian viewpoints towards consumer products, I am no Gradgrind; I can appreciate art and understand the importance of aesthetics, but it seems a bit disingenuous to sell a $96 conversation piece as a lemon squeezer. And considering the previously noted communicative powers of objects, this particular object communicates a few ideas that I find irritating, namely "appearance is more important than function or utility", and in regards to the owner: less " I have a lemon tree in my backyard and I like to make fresh lemonade on hot days" and more "I have lots of money and good taste and I like to laugh watching my personal chef try to figure out how to use this thing to extract the juice needed for the beurre blanc that goes with my dinner party's sous-vide organic squab entrée".
Given that I have already written more about a lemon squeezer than I ever thought possible, I'll close with what Amazon.com customer Harris Elleberg of Astoria NY had to say about the Juicy Salif:
"What I like best about this juicer is how streamlined and, well, basically perfect it is. There is no distinction between form and function in this stunning piece: What makes it work is what makes it beautiful. I like to bring it out on the piazza when I brunch, so that the early sun sparkles on the chrome while I squeeze just a few drops of blood orange juice into a flute of champagne. There's nothing better than sitting around a table laden with delicacies with a group of friends who admire the beauty of simple objects like this juicer.
In addition to being visually stunning, this juicer is also a tremendous time saver. When guests see it in my kitchen, it saves me a lot of time that might otherwise be spent explaining that I am a gigantic, pretentious douche."
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Found Patterns
Cool, spiral-y pattern on a piece of paper that wrapped a pair of shoes I bought. I have a whole box of stuff under my bed filled with random things that caught my eye. I have no idea what I'm saving them for, but they'll be there when I need them.
Same story as above, shoe paper that caught my eye and I saved. I also like it cause it reminds you where the paper came from.
Old board found in a warehouse that my roommate, John rents a room in to practice with his band. Attraction: the romance of decay, to compare/contrast with the fake wood grain above.
From a Jackson Pollock print in my roommate Kaleb's room. Although many are critical of his work, I can stare at it for hours.
A mounted butterfly hung on Kaleb's wall (He has a lot of cool stuff in his room). I've always thought that some of the coolest and most beautiful patterns in nature can be found on the wings of butterflies.
This one's a two-fer. The pattern on the mask and the pattern on the wings of the moth. Chosen for the amazing coincidence it represents: this wall is covered in African masks and mounted bugs, and this moth just happened to fly into the mouth of one of the masks and die in there. I guess he just wanted to become part of the collection.
As someone who works a job with a lot of free time, I spend a lot of time staring at grids such as this. I make the hours go by faster by doing a few crossword puzzles and Sudokus every day.
Soap bubbles in my sink. Bubbles will always meet at an angle of 120 degrees. And I think that is just neat.
Lamp we have at our house. I like it cause it reminds me of the double helix.
Not This Guy
I really enjoyed the video on Paul Rand that we watched in class on Wednesday. Although I had heard the name before, I wasn't really familiar with him or his work. He seemed like a really smart and interesting guy. I really liked his work that they showed in the movie, it was really simple and colorful. I was really interested in his comments about the painter using the terms "fine art" and "design". As Mr. Rand expressed, I also feel that it is often hard to draw the lines between different labels. Although they are necessary for human communication, I feel that labels often serve to constrict how we think about things.
I Think Therefore I Design
What is design?
Is it knowing what color palette can take your living room from casual to classic?
Is it something an intelligent entity did a few thousand years ago?
Is it Herve Villechaize pointing out that you are about to walk into the women's restroom?
Or is it, as John Heskett argues in "Design: A Very Short Introduction", "one of the basic characteristics of what it is to be human"?
As appealing as the touch of luxury and sophistication brought about by a black and white interior is, I'd have to agree with John. Although HGTV and other popular media coverage would have you believe that design is on house arrest (limited to the house and backyard only, with supervised visits to Bed, Bath, and Beyond), any way that humans manipulate and shape the world falls into the spectrum of design. Our ability to design, our ability to shape the world to fit our own needs and desires is what separates us from the animals. For example, a chimpanzee might be able to use a stick to fish for a snack from a termite mound, but a human could design a super awesome termite killing stick that traps the termite, kills it, blends it into a delicious Termite Acai berry smoothie, AND does your taxes (All for 3 easy payments of $29.99!). The process of designing this EZ Termitizer Xpress (Call Now!!) for certain functions is the physical manifestation of human's ability for abstract thought. I think therefore I design.
When thinking of a design for something, one of the first essential questions is "What form should it take?" This question is often answered with the popular dictum: "form follows function". American architect Louis Sullivan, under the influence of Darwin's theory of evolution, first expressed this idea in a 1896 essay. Just as the stripes of a zebra help it survive, so shouldn't the form of our furniture help it function? If that's the case, than how do you explain this?
Is a chair more comfortable when it looks like it might walk away with you in it? To explain this, Heskett divides function into two concepts: utility and significance. Utility is concerned with the usefulness of things, the degree to which designs are able to serve their purpose. Significance is concerned with the ways in which designs can express meaning, usually in cultural contexts. While utility is more objective, significance is very subjective, and can change with time and location.
While Heskett uses the totally boring example of toothpicks it illustrate these concepts, I'll use an example more suited to my sense of humor: the potty. In America, we have the standard, boring old porcelain bowl with a lever to flush, with little need or desire for anything more. However, in Japan, the toilets are quite a bit more involved (God bless Wikipedia, they have an article about this). The average Japanese toilet looks like this:
The utility of this toilet is that it can get you really clean after a #2. The significance of this toilet is evident when comparing American and Japanese toilets. While toilets with buttons and dials are virtually unheard of in America, 72% of Japanese households have these high-tech toilets. These toilets are a reflection of the high value placed on cleanliness in Japanese culture. It also seems that the Japanese are less sensitive about their b-holes, as a common "game" in Japan is Kancho. I use the word game lightly, as the only rule is that you stick your fingers up someone else's butt and scream "KANCHO!" (Yes, there is a Wikipedia article about this too).
Is it knowing what color palette can take your living room from casual to classic?
Is it something an intelligent entity did a few thousand years ago?
Is it Herve Villechaize pointing out that you are about to walk into the women's restroom?
Or is it, as John Heskett argues in "Design: A Very Short Introduction", "one of the basic characteristics of what it is to be human"?
As appealing as the touch of luxury and sophistication brought about by a black and white interior is, I'd have to agree with John. Although HGTV and other popular media coverage would have you believe that design is on house arrest (limited to the house and backyard only, with supervised visits to Bed, Bath, and Beyond), any way that humans manipulate and shape the world falls into the spectrum of design. Our ability to design, our ability to shape the world to fit our own needs and desires is what separates us from the animals. For example, a chimpanzee might be able to use a stick to fish for a snack from a termite mound, but a human could design a super awesome termite killing stick that traps the termite, kills it, blends it into a delicious Termite Acai berry smoothie, AND does your taxes (All for 3 easy payments of $29.99!). The process of designing this EZ Termitizer Xpress (Call Now!!) for certain functions is the physical manifestation of human's ability for abstract thought. I think therefore I design.
When thinking of a design for something, one of the first essential questions is "What form should it take?" This question is often answered with the popular dictum: "form follows function". American architect Louis Sullivan, under the influence of Darwin's theory of evolution, first expressed this idea in a 1896 essay. Just as the stripes of a zebra help it survive, so shouldn't the form of our furniture help it function? If that's the case, than how do you explain this?
Is a chair more comfortable when it looks like it might walk away with you in it? To explain this, Heskett divides function into two concepts: utility and significance. Utility is concerned with the usefulness of things, the degree to which designs are able to serve their purpose. Significance is concerned with the ways in which designs can express meaning, usually in cultural contexts. While utility is more objective, significance is very subjective, and can change with time and location.
While Heskett uses the totally boring example of toothpicks it illustrate these concepts, I'll use an example more suited to my sense of humor: the potty. In America, we have the standard, boring old porcelain bowl with a lever to flush, with little need or desire for anything more. However, in Japan, the toilets are quite a bit more involved (God bless Wikipedia, they have an article about this). The average Japanese toilet looks like this:
The utility of this toilet is that it can get you really clean after a #2. The significance of this toilet is evident when comparing American and Japanese toilets. While toilets with buttons and dials are virtually unheard of in America, 72% of Japanese households have these high-tech toilets. These toilets are a reflection of the high value placed on cleanliness in Japanese culture. It also seems that the Japanese are less sensitive about their b-holes, as a common "game" in Japan is Kancho. I use the word game lightly, as the only rule is that you stick your fingers up someone else's butt and scream "KANCHO!" (Yes, there is a Wikipedia article about this too).
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Reading Response #1
THE VICE A TO Z OF DESIGN
This article, a caustic list that was originally published in the Dec. 2004 issue of Vice Magazine, provides a satirical look into the world of design, as seen by a experienced designer. Although some might find the humor a bit off-color (both design concepts and sexual organs inhabit this A to Z), it is still worth a read, as it provides both a short (okay, extremely short) introduction to some significant design concepts, as well as insight into some of downfalls of the design profession.
Being a fan of Vice Magazine's brand of humor, I really enjoyed this list. Although the list is mainly intended to entertain rather than to inform, I felt it served as an important reminder that being a designer is more than just "black turtlenecks and designer glasses" (as Tim Brown put it). The author shone light onto some of the cons of being designer, such as the lack of creative freedom necessitated by the need to satisfy both clients and their intended audiences. The list at the beginning of the article served as interesting fodder for Wikipedia searches, allowing me to learn a bit about historically significant designers. I was also was interested to learn about the origins of the word "stereotype".
This article, a caustic list that was originally published in the Dec. 2004 issue of Vice Magazine, provides a satirical look into the world of design, as seen by a experienced designer. Although some might find the humor a bit off-color (both design concepts and sexual organs inhabit this A to Z), it is still worth a read, as it provides both a short (okay, extremely short) introduction to some significant design concepts, as well as insight into some of downfalls of the design profession.
Being a fan of Vice Magazine's brand of humor, I really enjoyed this list. Although the list is mainly intended to entertain rather than to inform, I felt it served as an important reminder that being a designer is more than just "black turtlenecks and designer glasses" (as Tim Brown put it). The author shone light onto some of the cons of being designer, such as the lack of creative freedom necessitated by the need to satisfy both clients and their intended audiences. The list at the beginning of the article served as interesting fodder for Wikipedia searches, allowing me to learn a bit about historically significant designers. I was also was interested to learn about the origins of the word "stereotype".
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Introduction
Hi.
I am a 22-year old male living in Columbus, Ohio. My life began in 1988, in Nashville, Tennesse, as the third child of a first generation Japanese immigrant and a woman from Wisconsin. I was preceded by two girls, my older sisters. From Tennessee, to California, to Japan, to California again, to Michigan, and finally to Ohio, I have lived many places in my life so far. I have many interests, but my most prominent pursuits are cooking, riding bicycles, and riding skateboards.
The most recent event of note in my life has been my graduation from OSU. I graduated in May of 2010 with a B.A. in English but without any planned careers or even a memory of why I chose the major in the first place. Luckily, I was able to get a job at OSU, which allows me to pursue a new degree at very little cost.
Being able to get a fresh start at college is extremely exciting for me. It will be refreshing to study a topic that I am actually very interested in and excited to learn about. Also, as I was still doing quite a bit of growing up during my first four years at college, I hope to begin school again as a (somewhat) more responsible person.
The process of creation, especially purposeful and useful creation, has always enthused me. One of my fondest high school memories (as far as classroom memories go) involves a Physics project. It was the popular egg drop challenge, but with a twist: our egg containers could only be made out of toothpicks and glue. We were supposed to work in groups of two, but since we had an odd number of students, I gladly volunteered to work alone. (I have never been much a fan of group work.) While I was normally not the type to commit my full efforts to school assignments, I stayed after school multiple times to finish my wooden egg vehicle. The extra work payed off; my design was the only one to protect its fragile cargo and I remember feeling quite proud about my solo success.
This class is the first class I have taken since my graduation, and I hope it is the beginning of a path that will end with a degree in Industrial Design. I hope to be able to earn living creating things that are useful, things that have purpose, and things that are (hopefully) pretty to look at as well.
I am a 22-year old male living in Columbus, Ohio. My life began in 1988, in Nashville, Tennesse, as the third child of a first generation Japanese immigrant and a woman from Wisconsin. I was preceded by two girls, my older sisters. From Tennessee, to California, to Japan, to California again, to Michigan, and finally to Ohio, I have lived many places in my life so far. I have many interests, but my most prominent pursuits are cooking, riding bicycles, and riding skateboards.
The most recent event of note in my life has been my graduation from OSU. I graduated in May of 2010 with a B.A. in English but without any planned careers or even a memory of why I chose the major in the first place. Luckily, I was able to get a job at OSU, which allows me to pursue a new degree at very little cost.
Being able to get a fresh start at college is extremely exciting for me. It will be refreshing to study a topic that I am actually very interested in and excited to learn about. Also, as I was still doing quite a bit of growing up during my first four years at college, I hope to begin school again as a (somewhat) more responsible person.
The process of creation, especially purposeful and useful creation, has always enthused me. One of my fondest high school memories (as far as classroom memories go) involves a Physics project. It was the popular egg drop challenge, but with a twist: our egg containers could only be made out of toothpicks and glue. We were supposed to work in groups of two, but since we had an odd number of students, I gladly volunteered to work alone. (I have never been much a fan of group work.) While I was normally not the type to commit my full efforts to school assignments, I stayed after school multiple times to finish my wooden egg vehicle. The extra work payed off; my design was the only one to protect its fragile cargo and I remember feeling quite proud about my solo success.
This class is the first class I have taken since my graduation, and I hope it is the beginning of a path that will end with a degree in Industrial Design. I hope to be able to earn living creating things that are useful, things that have purpose, and things that are (hopefully) pretty to look at as well.
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