Paul Bennett: Design is in the details

I think the major take home message from Paul Bennett’s talk is how to bring together what the consumer wants and what the organization/ system wants. He suggests the best way to do this is by bringing the consumer into the process of creating things, involving them from the beginning.
I know its so true that good ideas are often so close to you that you often miss them, sometimes reflection and looking at things in perhaps a different shade of light is the best way to unearth these ideas. I have also noticed that the best ideas are usually the simplest.
I thought the of filming the hospital ceiling was a very simple yet effective way of immersing yourself in the your subjects environment to better understand to problem. It wasn’t until the hospital reps saw the video that they realised how boring and unamusing it would be to be a patient. Bennett calls this “a revelation”, which to the hospital reps it surely would have been. Imagine realising that the biggest change/improvement you can make is also very simple.
I like that he mentioned ‘Its not about massive changes it is about tiny things that can make huge differences’ because as a young designer, you want to make a difference, but consequently you normally think to broadly with you head in the clouds, hoping for a grand idea. It is encouraging to know the design process for an experienced designer such as Bennett starts with the basics, the little things.
I thought it was interesting how much positive difference could be made by changing the flooring material from the hallway to the patients room, signifying that this was there ‘personal’ space. From my own experience I know that this actually works, the change of something simple (and relatively cheap) like flooring from room to room creates boundaries and personal sanctuarys.
In the example of the nurses mini-computer, its interesting that, a tiny human gesture (the holding of the patients hand) dictated the design. It wasn’t about how is it going to look and what colours to use. They focused on what was most important (in this case the ability of the nurse to hold the patients hand during the procedure) which in turn, resulted in a successful design of the product.
To me what I take away from this is the importance to put yourself in the position of the consumer to better understand the situation, and then using that insight you have gained to fuel the solution.

Yves Behar video

Yves behar is a fascinating guy. He really places a huge importance on the relevance of what you are designing, ‘does that need to be there?’ he questions what is necessary and what is not. To me this makes a lot of sense, whether you are re-designing something, or designing a new product why include anything that is unessecery, this baggage has no use. Let alone can be confusing.
He talks about how objects tell stories, and it is the challenge of the designer to predict and anticipate the story your product will tell. I thought it was interesting that he felt trapped in his workplace, so he decided to start a business of his own. not satisfied to just design skins. With a desire to do more than design skins he wanted to work on the entire human experience. He realised that to match the human need it would be necessary to be involved in the complete package
Until now I had never heard of his leaf light. I am defiantly surprised at how long it took to develop, four years seems an eternity. I think the reasounding message in Yves’ video, is that design is more than just making things look pretty, its about doing the complete design from the inside out.

Ross Lovegrove: Organic Design

Wow Lovegrove seems to think pretty highly of himself. I found it interesting to hear how much money/time had been spent on various product developments, but could'nt help but wonder if either were well spent. Lovegrove's emphasis on a "fat-free" design really comes across as his essence. i dont necesarily agree with his predictions that, in the future we will be using predominately organic materials, however,i think it is interesting that he is trying to make it work. he really values impressionism and simplicity. He is very instict driven, so much so that he comes across as having his head in the clouds, but perhaps that is whats so great about him, he is'nt limited or constrained by what has been done before. Its like in his design process he says, "heres my idea- now lets make it work", instead of, heres are the constraint,s now what can we do within these limitatins.

Task 3: Product Sketching

david kelley video

I thought the video was interesting, particularily how designers are becoming incresingly more integrated into the entire business process, as a result of being more trusted. I totally agree that the future of design is moving more and more towards human centered design. In the future we must'nt just focus on traditional design objectives but also on giving the product a personality. I think sucessful design is about making products more human, more of a total experience.

Task 2: Good Design

Air Jordan 23

Designer: Tinker Hatfield/ Michael Jordan

Manufacturer: Brand Jordan

Air jordan sneakers have consistently been the most sought after athletic louxury basketball shoes for over twenty years. the 23rd installment the "Jordan 23" has been called the "Greatest Basketball Shoe Ever" (for those who dont know, 23 is signifigant because it is the number Michael Jordan wore). This shoe was designed from the ground up, which meant new machines were created just to make this shoe, such as a patent-pending stitching machine which stitched the upper in 3-D form, (which has not been done before). Other advancements were that almost no adhesives were used, as the designers wanted to get away from as many chemicals as possible, instead opting in favour of recycled materials. By creating a completely ‘green’ sneaker, the Air Jordan 23 has done everything possible to create less waste and toxic materials without sacrificing performance.

Unique design features

The construction of the shoe emphasizes the use of environmentally preferred materials.

Internal dual density slow recovery foam around the heel conforms to foot shapes to create a more custom fit.

Carbon fiber/acrylic weave shank plate adds structure and support in key areas.

One of the lowest midsole profile thickness made for a basketball shoe allowing for players to be as close to the ground as possible and feel the court.

An imprint of Michael Jordan’s finger print traction pattern on outsole.

Michael Jordan signature on toe cap.

Michael Jordan thumbprint on back of tongue lining.

Handcrafted MJ stitch pattern offers beautiful detailing and function.

LINE: sleek, aggressive, menacing, a predator. Created by dominating dark rich colours.

BALANCE: there is a balance between equisite detail and bold colours, which when put together complement eachother.

CONTRAST: depending on the model. the majority are dark (black) jaxtaposed next to a vibrant or rich colour.

FORM: the form is fairly specific as a shoe essentially fits around the foot. Having said that shoe huggs the foot tightly asif moulded to the foot.

COLOUR: black with varying amounts of intricate stitching detail, the midsection and toestrap sections come is a wide variety of colours.

TEXTURE: a combinating of smooth patent leather, gripy rubber sole, deliate fine stitched tongue, breatable tongue, corogated oval shaped laces.

PROPORTION: dark colours dominate overall feel.

Further information about the AirJordan 23 can be found on these websites:

http://www.nitrolicious.com/blog/2008/01/08/air-jordan-xx3-unveiled-officially/

http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/home/index.html

http://www.innovateforabetterworld.net/considered/features/jordan_XX3.html

www.jumpman23.com