In-class work session- 9/26

Notes and Sketches from In-class work session.

 
 

 

Pitcher Design Interviews

PHOTOS FROM MY INTERVIEWS:

MY INTERVIEW NOTES:

Mind Mapping Exercise

The Group worked together to create mind maps of potential object. Even though we started with several we narrowed it down to the pitcher. Some crazy things were put up on these mind maps but some interesting thought processes and design ideas surfaced as well.

Better Design for $5

This Pitcher is our group's object. We plan to redesign it and make it more ergonomic, compact, and aesthetically pleasing. 

Project Response

This project broadened my understanding of design as a whole. I learned from the repeated process of drawing and refining that iteration is key. Looking at an object or a problem from multiple vantage points and approaches can help me as a designer discern better solutions and understandings.

I found the variety of techniques we covered to be helpful but occasionally tedious and lacking purpose. Overall I think I did gain some useful new skillsets pertaining to both drawing and thinking like a designer. The critiques in class were unfortunately a little lacking at times. We never went very in depth but some insightful things were occasionally said. I just hope that the other students open up a bit more and share their thoughts about the works being critiqued.

Using Adobe Illustrator was frustrating but educational. I’m looking forward to becoming more adept at using this software. The posters were a fun activity mostly because I enjoyed seeing what other students were working on.

Although difficult at first I think my final poster ended up being pretty successful. I believe it captures everything about these headphones in a very simplistic but interesting way. I think that the variety of technique and the general layout, scale, and composition helps draw the eye to the important elements. I also believe that the dark textured background helps make everything pop and that it nicely contrasts the white in the upper left hand corner where the photograph is displayed. This separation of photographic reality and the illustrated depictions of the headphones is also a successful effect.  

Defining Design

Response to Reading 1

This reading was made up of a series of introductions from different design books. Each section had a slightly different goal but all seemed to be trying to accomplish the same goal: defining design.

The first introduction attempts to define the goal of design itself. The first author describes the story of a specific civil rights demonstration and he calls it good design. The point that he makes is that design is everywhere in our world and it is part of the human condition. It was very interesting to hear all the ways design can be applied to the world around us. Design doesn’t just apply to objects but also systems and ways of life.

I think the second author makes some really great points about how humans are naturally compelled to make the world better and that we do not just survive, we also strive to improve the quality of out existence. The good points, however, are buried in a lot of supercilious and puffed up fluff. The author gets a little preachy and high on design. He over emphasizes it and makes it out to be a little more than it is. This seems to be what the first author was alluding to in his first paragraph when he spoke of people who think design is everything.

The rest of this reading was made up of several design essays from a third book. These essays focused on several different aspects of design. I really enjoyed these articles because of their simple and definitive explanations that were full of excellent points. I agree that problem solving is a massive part of design and that it goes hand in hand with learning. Iteration is key to good design and it is often overlooked. You’re first design is barely every your best. I also found the information about design being a social activity very valuable. I agree that the social aspect of design is extremely important. An important part of the creative process is collaboration. Ideas grow exponentially when they are able to bounce from designer to designer and grow from the shared creative input.

Well Designed

Response to the 

Don Norman video and Dieter Rams 10 ways to Good Design 

After reviewing Don Norman’s video and Dieter Rams’ article it is clear that design is about a blend between function and beauty. Rams stated ten principles that he believes make up the tenants of good design. I agree with him for the most part but I don’t think an object must posses all ten qualities in order to be well designed. It is the combination of these ten elements that make objects well designed, not necessarily the summation of them.

Norman brought up some interesting points concerning the relationship between an object and its user. He talked about the importance of understanding the human brain. People’s brains interact with these objects so in order for the object to produce the desired effect, designers must keep the human brain in mind. I liked the way he defined and talked about design as bringing art and aesthetics to function. Norman seems to have a newly aquired taste that according to him he lacked before. This taste for good design is important and it should be shared by both designers and consumers.

These headphones possess several aspects of good design. They are aesthetically pleasing. The sleek plastic is shaped with attractive curves mixed with lines and sharp edges. Designs are printed onto the plastic and the padded band across the top. These designs depict the Skullcandy logo as well as a clean cut but grunge style design. These elements combined together create a visually attractive piece.

In addition to this objects visual appeal it serves its intended function quite well. These headphones are excellent and have superb sound quality. This blend between a successful aesthetic and a functional product make this object well designed indeed.

The headphones are very honest in their design. They are what they appear and when a person looks at them they immediately understand their purpose. Although they are not particularly innovative, these headphones are a good adaptation, if not an improvement, of the classic headphone design. These headphones, while aesthetic, are not obtrusive or overly style oriented. The designs are complex but they do not visually accost the viewer or appear fashionable in a way that could quickly go out of style.

Design Object Project

 Tonal and negative space drawings:

I thought these two drawings (left) were successful because of their range of values and portrayal of lighting. I also liked how the drawings were kind of opposites. The first focused a lot on darkening the negative space and the second on darkening the positive so having the two opposites next to each other creates an interesting effect.



I liked these graphite drawings (right) because of the angles I chose. I thought they showed a little bit more variety than many of my other drawings and I loved the range of values I was able to get out of my graphite stick and blending tool. You can suggest a lot about an object by using a wide range of value and showing the way the light hits it.

I believe this negative space drawing was successful due to the crisp quality of the micron pen and the high contrast it makes with the paper. I also liked the splatter paint pattern I used to draw in the negative space.


Before this project I had never used a graphite stick or a blending  stump. Now I think I will be using them for some of my own project.

Objectified Response

   The documentary Objectified touched on many interesting and insightful points about design and the different approaches taken to complete a finished object. This film showed many different designers from different cultures and design backgrounds, but all of these designers shared several common goals. These goals included innovation, simplicity, beauty, and function.
   The film largely focused on the relationship between people and the objects they interact with everyday. Due to the fact that I am an illustration major and not a industrial design student, I was more focused on the processes of the designers rather than the objects and their relationships with people.
   At first some of the information presented seemed irrelevant, especially when the designers were elaborating on their backgrounds and personal details, but then I realized the important point that the film makers were trying to get across. They were trying to illustrate the many different approaches there are to design. Although many of these approaches share similar structures everyone has their own way of thinking and their own way of creating their final product. The trick is finding your process and methods and then fine tuning them to fit your needs and the needs of the project. I see that that is what I am going to have to do in order to be a successful design student and a successful illustrator.