Project 2: Upcycling Utility - ZEN Light

I originally wanted to make my lamp as simple as it could get as I always thought simple looks the best. In order to get the right lampshade, I have tried various different shapes and techniques. However, as there were quite a few limitations that the project had; including reducing wastage, flat packing, I tried scoring a lot like many other students in order to achieve a variety in shapes. I think having strips lets the lamp to be more organic and active. But strips could make a model to look like a paper structure rather than a lamp; so I wanted to keep the essence of lamp but having strips.

As I have continued to experiment, I wanted to have more variety in my lampshade. So, I thought of using two different techniques in one model. For example, I could have a structure with strips and another structure with totally different technique to make the model less boring and interesting. So, as final lamp model, I have come up with a lamp with two structures; one which is colourful and has a unique shape with strips and another one with white colour that has rather simple shape and structure.

Originally, since the lamp is supposed to be environmentally friendly throughout the entire process from ‘manufacture’ to ‘flat packed’ and lastly ‘deliver’ to users, I wanted to set the concept of the lamp to be natural as well like a lotus. So, for the final lamp, at first attempt, the model was consisted of 4 wide strips but being 4 made the model look quite boxy and boring. Consequently, I have made it to be 6 wide strips which are easy to assemble with total 11 canoe clips and 11 short steel wires. The flat packed model is consisted of 4 wide strips (1000mm x 200mm) and 2 narrower strips (1000mm x 170mm) so that it makes the shape to have more variety within the actual strip structure.

Ultimately, the final lamp has both active, organic structure inside and relaxed and calming structure outside. I liked how the scored strips flow with forming unique volumes when they are hooked with wires. So I named the lampshade after Japanese Zen style as the flow of the lines reminded me of the style a lot.

The inner structure of the lamp is basically all strips so they tend to spread out the light even which may seem quite boring. However, the 3 outer white wing-like units on top of the inner structure block the light to go all over the place but lets it illuminate its white background (including letters and colours on the back). It eventually forms interesting illumination like a star as shown in the product poster. 

 

Review: Video: What is Design?

The video ‘What is Design?’ presented by Bill Moggridge is indeed a good introductory video for those who are unsure what design is. It speaks about every single part of design from architecture to all sorts of design, demonstrating that everything is basically all designed. Moggridge shows how design impacts our life from day to day. It makes myself as an industrial design student to consider 'design' in broader perspective.

Moggridge introduces ‘Design’ as a human thought up concept which can be communicated with various techniques such as by physical means, through digital-media, software or just acting out. In that process-making and thinking, designers want to communicate to understand the people such as our individuality, relationships, surroundings, environment and livelihood. Then, Moggridge talked about Shinichi Takemura, Japanese designer and anthropologist who use his globe design to communicate his understanding, ideas and values to suit all people.

While illustrating all steps of design, Moggridge mentioned about good and bad designs. Successful design is well considered to understand not only 'people' but also personal social and environmental issues. This straightforwardly means that today’s designers are becoming more human-centered. Human-centered design includes human focus design but also includes all the surroundings aspects like mentioned earlier. I think it is why sustainable design which is about saving the environment is critical as it helps caring the environment that human live in.  

To sum up, design itself is such a broad topic and is part of every day of our life. It is vital to understand what design is as it simply makes influence at local, national and global scales like shown in the video. Also, the video clearly demonstrates the design process, so designers need to aware every step of design process in order to improve our daily life and surroundings.

Peer comments on Project 1: Experience Enrichment

1. http://toishanchung.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1316054328830#c262439454994054858

2. http://kirstiecocokiost.blogspot.com/2011/09/experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1316053197751#c4098342265249906174

3. http://patanedesign.blogspot.com/2011/09/product-redesign-screwdriver.html?showComment=1316051772116#c5303727921988343932

4. http://kevinpeng3373311.blogspot.com/2011/09/potato-peeler.html?showComment=1316051007587#c8828722174803857258

5. http://kosukedesign2011.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-1-experience-enrichment.html?showComment=1316050250767#c2835732042182249025

Experience Enrichment: Vigo Cheese

“Vigo Cheese” is designed for those who have wished to decorate their kitchen with a functional, yet eye-pleasing kitchen tool. It is structured with colour-coated aluminium for overall body and stainless steel for the grating surface. Aluminium is used for its special properties such as corrosive resistant, reflectivity and ductility which would be useful for the product that requires good protection and conservation. It is an excellent object to exhibit on the table or in the kitchen, but at the same time it boasts a precise, state-of the-art functional performance that simply transforms into playful gestural expressiveness one of the most boring and least qualifying culinary operations.

Generally, cheese graters have not been recognised as visually pleasing among kitchen utensils due to ‘rough image of grate surface’ and ‘boring overall shape’. Apart from several particular cheese graters such as Alessi’s cheese graters, there is not much variety in shape and design of today’s cheese graters regardless of the fact that there are currently about 4 different types of cheese graters now.

Personally, until now, cheese graters are mostly designed more on functionality than its look. For example, they are comparably more designed on the basis of ergonomics and comfort. However, we must not forget the core of Don Norman’s emotional design that aesthetically pleasing products appear to be more effective to users. Even the boring grating operation can be a joy to consumers with improving pleasurability in design.

The motive of “Vigo Cheese” is to achieve both functionality and pleasurability. To illustrate, the grater has both organic and geometric lines and shapes as opposed to cheese graters in today’s market. Due to the addition of organic form to a composition dominated by geometric forms, the cheese grater looks balanced well. Ultimately, the design will give ‘energy’ and ‘natural and friendly image’ towards the users. 

In terms of functionality, “Vigo Cheese” has its special slightly curved grate surface which enable ‘rhythmic’ grating operation to consumers. It will undoubtedly make consumers to be pleasureful from its shape to practical operation. Also, the grate surface enables the cheese to come out outside so that the cheese will not get clogged in the grater. Furthermore, since the grip of the grater is placed where the centre of gravity of the cheese grater is at, it will enable users to grip much easier on the table or even in the air preventing tilting or dropping the object. So, Vigo Cheese will be not only a functional but also an eye-pleasing product in your kitchen.

Review - Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Nowadays, people are judged and determined by what they own, have and wear rather than themselves on the inside. Stuffs that we own have been increasingly important to us as we shop almost all the time. “The Story of Stuff” is a short film by Annie Leonard that shows the underlying truth of the entire process of consumer products from extraction to production to distribution to consumption and to disposal. The five categories has many flaws that eventually make the system linear and ultimately ruins the planet.

The major problem within the system is that government and large corporations are only looking at the money that comes out of consumer products and are always searching for the cheapest way to exploit these steps from all of the process. As Annie in the video mentioned, the government is there to protect and support its people. However, if the government only looks for a change for money, it will ultimately destroy the people or even the country due to depletion of resources.

Obviously, they are not taking into account the interactions that the manufacturing processes have with people, cultures, economies and most importantly environments. As the world keeps on being extremely fast to exploit the resources and exceedingly produce consumer goods more than what we all need, the outcomes will not be good including ourselves.

I have found that buying and owning a lot of stuff will not increase our happiness but just leave more rubbish and ruin the planet. Therefore, as stuffs are all for human in the first place, we should take into account and try making the manufacturing systems united and cycled so that there will be no linear system which will leave negative impacts to the society.

Product sketches from 5 exhibitions

Golden Circle Chilled Juice Bottle by Outerspace Design and Heinz from Australian International Design awards 

The ergonomic shape makes the product easier to lift and improve comfort when pouring. The streamline design makes it even look better.

Genie Tea Pot by Stefan Lie from Workshopped 

This tea pot shows the flow of liquid effectively from its Genie-like sculptural form which is very unique and fun to use.

The Red Chair (do not know name) from Au.thentic

The red chair shows its vivid colour with the ergonomic shape which is quite interesting to sit on or even have a look. I also like that it is made of one piece which is interesting and looks very original.

Let there be light by Stephanie Howe from Sparkies, Foodies, Fashionistas Exhibition

It is interesting how paper is used in lighting design and emphasizes the specialties of the material which I think are thinness and sharpness within the design. Overall, I think the geometric shape of the lighting is very original and intriguing.

Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi from Japanese Design Exhibition 

The Butterfly stool shows European shapes with the technique developed by Charles and Ray Eames of shaping plywood. The gently curved silhouette is reminiscent of the wings of a butterfly.

My Design Career

Ever since I was a boy, I have always been interested in art and drawing. I haven’t particularly been told that I am good, but I have enjoyed drawing and making with whatever I had. In high school, I did enjoy subjects like English and science, but I especially enjoyed working on my artworks for art subject. On other side of my mind, I have had passion to study design because I have seen many friends studying industrial design, interior design, fine art or even architecture. That, I think, is the motivation of choosing Industrial design as my major

I was quite influenced by my friends to apply for industrial design as I have heard and thought that there can be a variety of opportunities and directions in future after studying industrial design as major. Also, at the time when I had to apply for universities, I finalized myself that I am more into design rather than art because I wanted to study design and leave art as one of my hobbies. Frankly, it is quite difficult to particularly separate design and art but that was what I thought at that time.

Among other universities, I chose UNSW as the university is well-renowned for its exceptional quality of education and campus environment. More importantly, industrial design program at UNSW is comprised of a diverse range of design activities such as model making and computing design. That is another vital reason why I chose UNSW as the high reputation of UNSW would support me well to study the significant features of Industrial design.

For my future in design, I would like to travel and broaden my sight in terms of design and develop myself as design will be my career. As I have learnt that design is not only about producing products, but also expressing emotions and personal ideas. Therefore, as I am aware that I am predominantly lack of that now, I want to develop myself by travelling before getting a job or anything.