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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