Paul Bennett: Design is in the Details

Bennett manages to pull back the blinkered conventions of eager designers by highlighting empathetic understanding as the basis to good design. From here we can relate people and their "human interaction" more closely to their design problem and all of a sudden we have a successful utility to solve problems. By "being the consumer" a broader spectrum of glaringly obvious denial of the consumers experience are exposed.

Practical in his theory, Bennett cannot deny that beautiful form is usually the popular forefront of design theology, but argues that a more important goal lies within a primal satisfaction of need. Knowing this "real need" has successfully translated into problem solving techniques evident within the work. From allowing design to include a simple gesture of hand holding to completely understanding the relevance of a design solution to its consumer in the KickStart water pump, Bennett demonstrates the big impact a small solution is able to create.

Epitomized within the KickStart water pump is Bennett's satisfying of the needs of corporation as well as the inevitable needs of the consumer, where Kenyan societies are able to become entrepreneurs, and even the youth of the nation can exploit such a basic solution. There is a communication between the design and the human curiosity and value structure that determines the success.

Essentially, an importance of understanding that humans are, in themselves unwitting designers, allows a "small act" in design to pay a much larger dividend. In a world where humans design their own experience, we are able to understand this large palate of design clues to create simple yet effective details and better still, simple yet effective pleasure.

Yves Behar: Get Some

A quirky look into the mind of a dynamic visualizer. Behar follows the road on an uncompromising journey in design, allowing us to understand the didactic philosophy that allows well thought out objects to "tell their stories." A passion for design has promoted a different approach to the ever present design problems, where creating the "skins" or the "pretty stuff" is no longer allowed to restrain an outcome.



To be extracted from this is the applicability of allowing for a project to thoroughly satisfy the "entire human experience" based on deeply implanted values. Highlighting the impact of values on design, Behar realizes that a simple skin will no longer suffice for the intuitive market and sets about creating new experiences, within products, by allowing for hardware to be as easily moulded as a shell. In essence everything must be designed.



This holistic approach defines the personality and connection so evident within each project. Physically applicable within each design, from the Xo Laptop to the New York City Condom, we ascertain the relevance of "defining the experience" through a product's tangibles and explore how this connection of values allows a product to touch the user. Here a computer is able to capture the imagination of the world's youth and a condom dispenser is able to communicate its purpose by being sculpted under the predominant factor of values.


From an understanding of the endless nature of design, Behar has communicated that designers are not just stylists, but purposeful creators of the entire human experience; the reason why consumers will love the product. Design creates conversation. It breaks the ice. Design tells us its story.

Sketches

A compliment of sketches based on designed products featured at DESIGN2008 hosted by the Powerhouse Museum.

Ross Lovegrove: Design Nature Art

Observing the interaction of organic form has developed such an applicable stance for an approach to a design problem. Demonstrating how natural form is beautiful, Lovegrove inspires for an alternative means to an end. Functional and "funky" have been foreseen to be infinitely available through a reiteration of this form, where an outside approach "not interested in Blobbism,"or "set out to make funky" forces upon us this intuitive system of thoughts and processes.

Tangibly, Lovegrove highlights his "fluid studies" in efforts including the Ty Nant water and "single surface" projects, of which encapsulate this underscoring message of design nature and art. Considerably notable is the water bottle application, where he successfully negates the problem of shaping water, a formless entity into a visually enticing piece.

This desire of reinterpretation is partial to current design situations, of which tend to require a more efficient and "fat free" design theology to allow for more interaction with human emotion and tendencies, a proven prerequisite to successful design solutions.

Conversely, this emphatic urge to create such shapes and form negates against what is already being perceived as beautiful. As Lovegrove argues against the "ten thousand part car" in want for a more simple solution, there is already a solid fan base who's ideal is elsewhere and who's viewpoint has become associated with a certain style. Who knows? Maybe he is a genius,humanity will not realize until long after he's dead.

Lovegrove iterates the impact of form and exploits its ability to impact people's soul and emotion. From this we can extract the applicability of the natural to any form in the modern world where nature's fluidity and liberation of form can be interpreted in not only beautiful, but functional design.

David Kelley: Human Centred Design

An intuitive insight into human centred design that is surprisingly coherent with current issues within the design world. Kelley exposes how the importance of human/machine interaction is relative to good design by exploring various projects undertaken with the design team at TedDesign. From a new look at the retail industry with a redesign of the human interface system in the NY Prada store, to the reworking of the humble office cubicle, Kelley is able to highlight the importance of "including behaviours and personalities" in every approach to design.


Of interest to me are the stunning displays the design firm has been able to create in terms of applying this "human centred" focus toward the more aesthetic face of creativity. Within the recycled waterworks a sensual display of revolving squares overshadowed by a clean water feature shows the design team grasping at every possible design cue in order to relate the issue back to the human.

Delving further into this interfacing is the exquisite weaving of "emotions" within the London Museum, exploring how design is able to turn something so electronic, so mechanical into a thought provoking system of lights and beams.

By putting forward this ideology of human centred design, Kelley has demonstrated a key aspect that must be addressed in virtually every design situation. More interesting still, is the ability of this very same process to be successful both within the early period of 2002 and the present day, further underscoring the relevance of his talk. Let's face it, one year is a long time in the design world, let alone six!

Good Design: CombiCarrier II

CombiCarrier II

Designer: Morphix Design

Manufacturer: Hartwell Medical

Silver, Industrial Design Excellence Awards 2008

Product Description

The CombiCarrierII is a rewrite of the standard "stretcher" system used within the Paramedic field. Previously, due to the conventional systems of either the metal scoop system or the standard plastic stretcher, victims of potential spinal or skeletal injuries may have been further put at risk with such basic systems. Here, the CombiCarrierII system is able to apply the rugged usability of the plastic with the safety of the metal scoop in a scissor like design to "scoop" the patient from underneath. This removes the hazardous process of moving the patient onto the stretcher and makes the process more efficient; a valuable objective specially when emergency situations are concerned.

Visual Analysis

The CombiCarrier follows the distinct lines and colouring options normally subjective to most medical products. All corners and edges have a generous radius applied to them imposing the feel of safety and a ruggedness so essential in the medical field. The colour scheme opted for complies to both passive tones and a more active green in coherence with the emergency application for the stretcher.

BALANCE asymmetric design following practical application

LINE curvilinear, structured lines evocative of the medical field

LINE generous radius for all edges and corners

CONTRAST contrasting logo design

FORM safe, smooth and proportioned tailored for paramedic purpose

TEXTURE rugged moulded plastic surface

COLOUR active green envelopes surface and gives distinction to safety

PROPORTION even with the practical limitations repetition is used within handles and voids to give a visually balanced product

For more information about the CombiCarrier visit:

• http://medgadget.com/archives/2008/07/combicarrier_ii_wins_silver_for_good_design.html
  
• http://www.idsa.org/IDEA_Awards/gallery/2008/award_details.asp?ID=75

Shape of a Scent

Lime
Cedar
Mandarin
Neroli
Water Lily
Violet
Musk
Amber

The following is a personal interpretation of a possible shape for Calvin Klein's CK1 Electric, a unisex perfume, modeled out of plasticine. In hopes to evoke such an aroma the curvilinear lines within the model that end in an acute leaf like tip reiterate the floral yet acidic undertones to the fragrance, whilst the stack of three are coherent with the dynamic natured, multi-layered effect imposed by the scent. Organic, uninterrupted lines are juxtaposed with this multi layering highlighting the earthy tones of musk, mandarin, cedar and amber. The overall composition, as per these considerations, hopes to encapsulate the theology behind the essence all inclusive of the traits of this particular medium.