Peer comments

Charmaine Chen
Stan Darmawan
Jen Jun Zhu
Fiona Lee
Kiran Kashyap

Project three - Upcycling Unwanteds

Pinwheel Cushions



The brief for this project was to find consumer or industrial waste and create a useful product that has a higher perceived value than it’s original purpose.
I came across the council banners being discarded after only a short single use and could not believe what an enormous waste it was. The banners are made from a high quality, weatherproof fabric that is strong and fade resistant.
Whilst developing the idea for the pinwheel cushions I came across discarded bicycle tyre inner tubes. These inner tubes are strong, flexible and attractive but become completely useless for their original purpose after a small puncture.
Combined these two worthless items become the pinwheel cushion. Perfect for outdoor seating, kids seating in libraries and childcare centres, toys, pet bedding and can be stacked to create an ottoman.
These cushions are a weather resistant, bright, colourful and fun way to use discarded materials.

Video Reflection: Seymour Powell - Designing Dream Machines

Designing dream machines was a fascinating look into how an industrial design company actually works. It takes the viewer on a journey of the development of several dream machines. From receiving the brief to brainstorming and insight into the extensive research required for each product.
The key point of this video is that constant communication is required. Not only between fellow designers but all ideas developed must constantly refer back to the clients given brief. This communication is imperative to ensure the client’s needs are the constant focus. The video stresses the need for detailed visual communication, and whilst computer modeling may be used Seymour and Powell greatly prefer drawing by hand.
This video was a detail look into design practices and a must see for any industrial design student.

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Video Reflection: Annie Leonard - The story of stuff

Annie Leonard’s video poses an important message about consumerism. Leonard begins by introducing the “materials economy” or life stages of a product. These stages are: Extraction – Production – Distribution – Consumption – Disposal.
Leonard strives to educate the general population about this 'linear system', its destructive nature and the implications this bares on a planet with finite resources. Leonard’s video points out design practices such as planned or perceived obsolescence that created such consumer demand for the new shiny products.

This video should inspire designers to make more responsible choices with their designs. The video encourages designers to steer away from design practices such as planned and perceived obsolescence. By thinking further into designing a product not only to point of sale but further into the longevity of that product by creating products that can easily be repaired and finally recycled, a more sustainable future can be obtained.

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Project two - Postal Presents

Baby Mobile



In the development of this assignment, Postal Presents, which is a flat packed gift in a C4 envelope suitable for postage, I experimented with different shapes and materials in cut out designs.
The design I developed is a brightly coloured hanging mobile for a new baby. It is easily recognisable in the flat packed state and easy to assemble.
The hanging mobile is made from brightly coloured polypropylene which is a flexible and versatile material that is also recyclable.
The design consists of two cross cut circles cut specifically to extend out, one larger than the other so the smaller can hang inside the large. Hanging from these are coloured stars that are able to be flat packed.
This postal present is a great gift to send to a friend or relative who has recently had a baby but lives interstate or overseas.






Peer Review
Rob Corvetto
Brett Rushbrook
Jason Vergara
Nicholas Walker
Fil Pulido

Video Reflection: Ross Lovegrove - Organic Design

Lovegrove’s love of organic form is inspiring.
His belief that form can “touch people's souls and emotions” is what has driven him to create such inspiring designs. Lovegrove claims that "we lived in caves and I don't think we've lost that coding system… we respond too much to form" he goes on to explain that "We should be developing packaging for ideas which elevate people's perceptions and respect for things that we dig out of the earth." Lovegrove's philosophy of Design Nature Art (DNA) coupled with observation, curiosity and instinct truly explain what he is out to achieve. Lovegrove's real inspiration lies in nature. His fascination with bone and coral is what really brings an amazing extra to his designs. He takes a queue from nature in taking away what isn’t needed and then being able to deliver maximum beauty. This greatly comes across in his bone chair design GO Chair. The skeletal chair encompasses his need for organic lean or “fat free” design.




Lovegrove also has many environmentally aware design ambitions. His wish to get cars off the road and as many people as possible on bicycles made from bamboo should be applauded.



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Task 4 - Bad Design

Confusing Lift Buttons



For task four we were told to identify a bad design and create a solution.
I chose the lifts at my local shopping centre. The entire shopping centre has colour coded levels and signage including in the lift. Until you realise the colour coded lift buttons aren't the lift buttons at all! The real lift buttons are hidden below creating confusion and delays.
In my poster I have created a solution to this problem.

Mood Board and Pleasure Analysis

Mood Board



Pleasure analysis

Physical level: The stubbie mate is comfortable and satisfying to hold through its cushy neoprene hand piece.

Social level: The stubbie mate creates a talking point in social situations and its convenience means it can be shared with others in need of a bottle opener.

Psychological level: The stubbie mate is quick and easy to use. Removing the need to rummage around in the drawer looking for the bottle opener.

Ideological level: Stubbie coolers are quintessentially Australian, a gesture of pulling one of these from your bag and giving to a friend is as much to say you're Australian, you're my mate and I'll protect you during battle. The bottle opener on the bottom portrays the user as a problem solving hero that saves the day.

Peer Comments

Shan Shan Wang

Alissa Sanders

Nina Harcus

Emily Soares

Sam Whipp

Project one - Experience Enrichment - Final Poster

For project one the brief given was to take an everyday object and make using it a more pleasant experience.
The stubbie mate was an idea that took hold of me. It consists of a neoprene sleeve to put your bottle in to keep it cool. It also features a built in bottle opener recessed into the base. This extra convenience make the stubbie mate a joy to use and saves the hassle of rummaging around in the drawer for a bottle opener.

Project one - original concept posters

These are my original concept ideas.

Video Reflection: Yves Behar - Creating objects that tell stories

“Story telling has been a strong influence in my work”

Behar discusses narrative and its role in Design, particularly in relation to value, defined in two different ways: the ethics to attitudes imbued in a certain design process, and the economic value of the finished product. Behar’s talk is about creating value in the work you do. Behar believes that by creating this value you can then change the companies you’re working for and create a different relationship with the world. His strong ideals on designing from inside out contradict what many engineers requests to make things pretty. Not about just making skins for products Behar has started from the inside out with products like the jawbone headset. Removing all the inside parts he could then create jewelry for the face.



Taking all these things into account, however, I would have to ask whether he is really instilling good 'values' into his work. A majority of the designs he discussed were promotional and gimmicky, not something people would genuinely use for a long time. I got the sense he was using 'ethics' and 'values' more as a marketing jargon and less as a genuine attempt to make the world a better place through story telling and design.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGn8F4j6pH8
Image: http://www.dezeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/2b.jpg
Image: http://www.slashgear.com/gallery/data_files/2/7/8/aliph_jawbone_bluetooth_headset_yves_behar_limited_edition_2.jpg

Video Reflection: Don Norman - Emotional Design

In Don Norman’s talk on emotional design, he suggests that, different to the ‘form follows function’ rhetoric left from Modernism, that we are emotionally driven towards and away from objects, and that these sentiments often have very little to do with the function of a particular object. Norman suggests there are three levels of emotional reaction to design.
Norman talks about the visceral level of design, how we physically and immediately respond to colour, typeface, the general appearance and ‘beauty’ of the objects.
The next, subconscious level is the behavioural level, how we react to the object. Is it automatic. The like to feel in control. Finally, reflective is the “super ego”. It’s buying a product to receive attention, either positive or negative from other people.
It is necessary for all designers to consider these aspects when designing products.
I found it interesting to see the instant reactions from the audience when certain products were shown. I particularly like the claw chair by Jake Cress.

The chair has dropped it’s ball and is trying to grab it before any one notices. The chair evokes an emotional response from the viewer. And also interestingly, the audience instantly believes this story.



*Image from http://www.jakecress.com/picture_gallery.htm

Task 2 - Product Sketching

Wind Turbine

O + Side Table - Kent Gration

Warrior Stool - Thinking Ergonomix


Wiggle Chair - Frank Gehry 1972

Task 3 - Good Design

The Good Design task was a challenging way to look into what really makes good design good. Having never used computer programs to create a poster before, I found this task particularly challenging. Being told to concentrate on the design aspects and not the technical specifications allowed me to thoroughly appreciate this design.

David Kelly: Human centred design

David Kelly’s Human centered design video.
The video focused on design that looks at human behaviours and personalities rather than just the product.

The range of the designs in the video were fascinating. From the innovations at Prada including the “magic mirror” that reflects with a three second delay allowing the user to turn and see how they look from behind, alongside the remote control that the user can scan clothing items and then have them displayed on the nearest screen or even footage of the clothing item out on the catwalk displayed. To the work of Dr. Martin Fisher in Kenya with deep well, low cost pumps to enable farmers to grow crops in the off season.
And all the designs inbetween including an attempt at creating the ideal office cubicle complete with hammock and sunflower that wilts when the occupant leaves. Also, the Spyfish, a consumer product, not a research tool, that allows the user to remotely control an underwater camera giving the views usually restricted to a scuba diver, without the need to get wet.

I feel this video is important for designers to view as a reminder to keep human interest in design and not just focus on the product to be designed.

Task 1 - Shape of a Scent

In groups of five we were given a scent and told to discuss our initial emotional responses. We found that our given scent had very bold, feminine but rough qualities to it.

Using these found qualities, we then were asked to create a "vessel" out of plasticine that visually captured the essence of the scent.

Here's a few of my first attempts:






And finally.......



I tried to capture the femininity in the curves as well as the rough bold scent on the wave over the top. I hope I do better next time.