Interaction Design Studio Profile: Ideo, Inc.
In a society that has slowly shifted toward constant innovation, product performance has become an expectation. Consumer demand can be largely based on a product’s design, practicality, and efficiency. To plan the implementation of innovation, many firms will turn to an interaction design studio to aid in their objective. Ideo, Inc. (known as Ideo) is widely known as a jack-of-all trades within the industry of change and design management. Between the company’s extensive service offerings and extremely knowledgeable staff, Ideo has been in BusinessWeek’s 25 most innovative companies.
Ideo was founded in 1991, and was formed through the merger of three smaller design firms. Continually growing with their diverse portfolio of services, Ideo began making a name for itself through the design and development of many familiar and well-known products, including Apple, Inc’s first Mouse for the Macintosh Computer. Design expert Tim Brown leads current executive management as the firm’s CEO. Additionally, Tim Brown has gained substantial recognition for his two books published on design thinking, as well as the numerous blogs, seminars and lectures he conducts. Mr. Brown has been responsible for leading the company to large gains and significant profitability.
Ideo is such a unique company because they really vary on what kinds of design consulting they offer. Their services include but are not limited to product design, interactive products and interfaces as well as corporate structure and strategic planning frameworks (which falls under management consulting). For the purpose of this assignment, I will focus on their contracted project for PNC Bank. This project was created in partnership with Ideo to implement the popular “Virtual Wallet” Banking Experience. PNC Bank wanted to expand and grow with a specific focus on “Generation Y”. With technology constantly evolving and younger Americans growing up with these products, online banking has been identified as a cultural norm. Ideo performed extensive market research to help identify the current and potentially future trends of the target market. With social networking and constant “connectivity” becoming more and more acceptable, Ideo knew that Generation-Y would have a need for “integration through embedded technology”. This kind of technology provides seamless and constant access to relevant financial information. Additional features include a mobile phone application (to allow anytime access), as well as a budgeting feature that allows an accountholder to place a certain amount of money in a restricted sub-account that will help those not good at budgeting become more fiscally responsible.
By helping PNC create a visually pleasing, market-specific online interface, Ideo was able to expand traditional banking into the competitive interactive market. Ideo changes the general perception of “design”. The company believes that every project they work on requires extensive numerical, statistical, and verified data that will help structure the product. Each project needs a focus and design objectives that will help the design team create an effective platform. All of Ideo’s design concepts are rigorously tested and challenged, which is another reason why the company is one of the industry’s leaders.
Works Cited
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/95/design-strategy.html
http://www.hoovers.com
http://www.ideo.com/
http://www.ideo.com/work/item/virtual-wallet-interactive-banking-experience/
http://www.ted.com/speakers/tim_brown.html
Thursday, May 13, 2010
102b paper
Funny Garbage Design Studio
Upon receiving the requirements for this assignment, I researched all four firms to see what company would be the most interesting to write about. After reading about all of the firms’ growth and success, Funny Garbage stuck out the most. Their website was bright and not overwhelming, with informal and almost “warm” friendly blurbs about their processes and their values. The pictures for the employees are light, casual, and modern. Established over 15 years ago, Funny Garbage has created a very positive reputation surrounding their product and service offerings.
The company has four main sectors that they are involved in: Entertainment, Websites, Applications, and Digital Business. All of these divisions are different, however fundamentally are very similar. Funny Garbage is a multiple-award winning firm, and it is because of their strategic approach at creating a project. Unlike traditional web design firms, Funny Garbage focuses on market demand as well as the psychology of perception and aesthetics. Their management style is also quite unique, because their design team is able to create and implement concepts without being stifled. This combination of an expert team and a new approach to design concepts has produced groundbreaking platforms. The company’s about us states it best:
‘Although Funny Garbage is best known in the industry for its award-winning graphic design, we have a world-class technology department that has been instrumental in establishing the company’s reputation. Design and technology are inseparable processes at Funny Garbage. We design for functionality, economy and scalability first, and then make a site look compelling and feel engaging.”
One project that stood out to me was their collaboration with Japanese Company Dentsu. The website Willing-to-try.com was created in 1999, and has won numerous awards (Flash Film Festival 2000 Award, ID Magazine Interactive Media Design Awards 2000, and New Media Invision 1999 Award (Best of Show). The website looks simplistic, with the flat linear drawings. At first glance, I didn’t notice anything particularly innovative. However after playing around on the site for almost half an hour, I was intrigued by the ease of use and the sophisticated interactive system the website has.
Dentsu wanted to create a program that would be captivating, simplistic, and educationally stimulating. Funny Garbage provided all of the research and concepts surrounding the project, presenting a new way to incorporate active learning into everyday life. The platform of the website involves user interaction; the visitor chooses certain words that most associates with the simple abstract shapes shown on the screen. These words then change the image to produce a different abstract scenario. The concept behind this simple website truly is innovative and groundbreaking, especially because this came out in 1999! The Internet has evolved and morphed so drastically over the past ten years, that a website like Willing-to-try.com is well beyond the technology at the time. Funny Garbage has continued to create groundbreaking media and graphic design, and has continued to use a very methodical and logical approach towards their concepts. This unique business model has and will continue to ensure success for Funny Garbage in the years to come.
Works Cited
www.funnygarbage.com
www.willing-to-try.com
www.hoovers.com
Upon receiving the requirements for this assignment, I researched all four firms to see what company would be the most interesting to write about. After reading about all of the firms’ growth and success, Funny Garbage stuck out the most. Their website was bright and not overwhelming, with informal and almost “warm” friendly blurbs about their processes and their values. The pictures for the employees are light, casual, and modern. Established over 15 years ago, Funny Garbage has created a very positive reputation surrounding their product and service offerings.
The company has four main sectors that they are involved in: Entertainment, Websites, Applications, and Digital Business. All of these divisions are different, however fundamentally are very similar. Funny Garbage is a multiple-award winning firm, and it is because of their strategic approach at creating a project. Unlike traditional web design firms, Funny Garbage focuses on market demand as well as the psychology of perception and aesthetics. Their management style is also quite unique, because their design team is able to create and implement concepts without being stifled. This combination of an expert team and a new approach to design concepts has produced groundbreaking platforms. The company’s about us states it best:
‘Although Funny Garbage is best known in the industry for its award-winning graphic design, we have a world-class technology department that has been instrumental in establishing the company’s reputation. Design and technology are inseparable processes at Funny Garbage. We design for functionality, economy and scalability first, and then make a site look compelling and feel engaging.”
One project that stood out to me was their collaboration with Japanese Company Dentsu. The website Willing-to-try.com was created in 1999, and has won numerous awards (Flash Film Festival 2000 Award, ID Magazine Interactive Media Design Awards 2000, and New Media Invision 1999 Award (Best of Show). The website looks simplistic, with the flat linear drawings. At first glance, I didn’t notice anything particularly innovative. However after playing around on the site for almost half an hour, I was intrigued by the ease of use and the sophisticated interactive system the website has.
Dentsu wanted to create a program that would be captivating, simplistic, and educationally stimulating. Funny Garbage provided all of the research and concepts surrounding the project, presenting a new way to incorporate active learning into everyday life. The platform of the website involves user interaction; the visitor chooses certain words that most associates with the simple abstract shapes shown on the screen. These words then change the image to produce a different abstract scenario. The concept behind this simple website truly is innovative and groundbreaking, especially because this came out in 1999! The Internet has evolved and morphed so drastically over the past ten years, that a website like Willing-to-try.com is well beyond the technology at the time. Funny Garbage has continued to create groundbreaking media and graphic design, and has continued to use a very methodical and logical approach towards their concepts. This unique business model has and will continue to ensure success for Funny Garbage in the years to come.
Works Cited
www.funnygarbage.com
www.willing-to-try.com
www.hoovers.com
cool animation
our aspirations for our next animation:
http://koikoikoi.com/2010/02/davidopes-mesmerizing-animations/
"What does the client do (and can they say it concisely)?
What doesn't the client do, or do well (especially in respect to competitors)?
What differentiates the client from their competitors?
You need a client to sell you on their product, but you also need to identify their shortcomings, which are key for seeing how to position a client. For example, finding out that your client has higher prices and more fragile products, but better warranties and customer service, might lead to different design decisions. Looking at what they don't do also focuses the brainstorming work later on."
What doesn't the client do, or do well (especially in respect to competitors)?
What differentiates the client from their competitors?
You need a client to sell you on their product, but you also need to identify their shortcomings, which are key for seeing how to position a client. For example, finding out that your client has higher prices and more fragile products, but better warranties and customer service, might lead to different design decisions. Looking at what they don't do also focuses the brainstorming work later on."
Shin Paper
Instead of forcing myself not to write about the most obvious and popular choice of typefaces, I realized I was too conscious of it as an option. I decided to figure out my own opinion on the love/hate relationship of the most avant-garde font: Helvetica. Introduced now 53 years ago by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger, the letters have affected font lovers everywhere and the consensus seems: you either love it or you hate it.
In New York, Helvetica first erupted on the scene in the subways, where it was imperative for fast motion signs to be easily readable. The hooks and curves that caused the eye more work in serif fonts simply were impractical. From there, Standard typeface was used for a while in the subway stations. It was subtle differences in letters such as the J, C, 2, and 3 that caused designers to feel Helvetica was the subways best visual choice. For the next 20 years its popularity quickly rose as typography became a vital partner to visual information. “Fonts are image, and image is modern America.” [Yaffa]
In the busy, bustling large city residents, face pace is inevitable; legibility almost as important as the gaps between the train and platform. In the stressful atmosphere, the newly designed typeface possessed efficiency and was almost soothingly simple. “You are going to get to your destination on time; your plane will not crash; your money is safe in our vault; we will not break the package; the paperwork has been filled in; everything is going to be OK.” [http://www.nikibrown.com/designoblog/2009/01/23/do-you-hate-helvetica/#ixzz0nmheiQ7s]
According to a New York Times article, the new font depicts modern art with its impulse toward innovation, simplicity and abstraction. “Its versatility is showcased in shots of storefronts, street signs, public transportation systems, government forms, advertisements and newspaper vending boxes.” Is it used too often though? Many would argue yes. Massimo Vignelli has said: it is a face that truly tells you how to set it if you will listen. “Some praise it as a conceptual breakthrough; others blast it as a lowest-common-denominator typeface whose use both reflects and perpetuates conformity.”
Many Helvetiva “haters” are developed solely through the overuse and misuse of the actually very smart typeface. It is aesthetically relaxing.
It is aesthetically relaxing. When we read text, our minds should not have to think of anything but the ideas on the page, or sign, or poster, or T-shirt. We shouldn’t waste processing time, and that ultimately is what successful design is about. It is beauty is simplicity – appreciating how the design of each typed letter is actually affecting your perspective of an idea. Some blogs truly had some picky opponents. “I find the wavy character of the descending stroke on the capital “R” and the entire shape of the lowercase “e” to be infuriating in a completely irrational way.” So many graphic designers rage at the monotonous "corporate chic" of this ruling type. Thought even as “vehicle for social conformity through consumerism, shifting product with a great big steam-roller of neutrality.” Is Helvetica really just an annoying trend? As designers, should we disregard the font as overused and cliché?
Personally, I think the font is for the most part very rational, almost too much what you would expect, much like other forms of the most current contemporary art ideas. It seems as though those who appreciate Readymade, Conceptual, and Neo Pop art are most likely Helvetica fans. It is the crisp, simple, easy to interpret visually yet impossible to dissect its meaning. All these characteristics are seen in modernism, and has about as much as a hate club as a fan club.
With Helvetica, however, it is difficult to find a font as lasting. It has made such progress and created such ease, almost unable to be perfected. Could it be the “perfect” font (If perfect meant the same as irreplaceable)? Can one really argue where Helvetica should and should not be used?
One article expressed the anger typeface designers felt when noticing a typographical inaccuracy in the background of a movie set years before the birth of Helvetica. Hollywood features that spend millions on period production design and it is unbelievable that such high educated candidates are hired whom overlook such an important factor (especially if their only job is background DESIGN). Among a probably very small segment of the audience, that is an outrage.
MUJI, AGFA, SAAB, IBM, Oral B, BMW, Staples, Kawasaki and Panasonic are just some companies proudly advocating the typeface. The film Helvetica showed how many were arguing how content should speak for itself rather than the message being driven by and imposed through the design. Helvetica does exactly this with its minimalism. Because of its controversy and misjudgments, designers who choose Helvetica today do so for very different reasons than its more practical reasons in the ‘60s. Is it the same stream of consciousness, however, while choosing it as a paper topic?
In New York, Helvetica first erupted on the scene in the subways, where it was imperative for fast motion signs to be easily readable. The hooks and curves that caused the eye more work in serif fonts simply were impractical. From there, Standard typeface was used for a while in the subway stations. It was subtle differences in letters such as the J, C, 2, and 3 that caused designers to feel Helvetica was the subways best visual choice. For the next 20 years its popularity quickly rose as typography became a vital partner to visual information. “Fonts are image, and image is modern America.” [Yaffa]
In the busy, bustling large city residents, face pace is inevitable; legibility almost as important as the gaps between the train and platform. In the stressful atmosphere, the newly designed typeface possessed efficiency and was almost soothingly simple. “You are going to get to your destination on time; your plane will not crash; your money is safe in our vault; we will not break the package; the paperwork has been filled in; everything is going to be OK.” [http://www.nikibrown.com/designoblog/2009/01/23/do-you-hate-helvetica/#ixzz0nmheiQ7s]
According to a New York Times article, the new font depicts modern art with its impulse toward innovation, simplicity and abstraction. “Its versatility is showcased in shots of storefronts, street signs, public transportation systems, government forms, advertisements and newspaper vending boxes.” Is it used too often though? Many would argue yes. Massimo Vignelli has said: it is a face that truly tells you how to set it if you will listen. “Some praise it as a conceptual breakthrough; others blast it as a lowest-common-denominator typeface whose use both reflects and perpetuates conformity.”
Many Helvetiva “haters” are developed solely through the overuse and misuse of the actually very smart typeface. It is aesthetically relaxing.
It is aesthetically relaxing. When we read text, our minds should not have to think of anything but the ideas on the page, or sign, or poster, or T-shirt. We shouldn’t waste processing time, and that ultimately is what successful design is about. It is beauty is simplicity – appreciating how the design of each typed letter is actually affecting your perspective of an idea. Some blogs truly had some picky opponents. “I find the wavy character of the descending stroke on the capital “R” and the entire shape of the lowercase “e” to be infuriating in a completely irrational way.” So many graphic designers rage at the monotonous "corporate chic" of this ruling type. Thought even as “vehicle for social conformity through consumerism, shifting product with a great big steam-roller of neutrality.” Is Helvetica really just an annoying trend? As designers, should we disregard the font as overused and cliché?
Personally, I think the font is for the most part very rational, almost too much what you would expect, much like other forms of the most current contemporary art ideas. It seems as though those who appreciate Readymade, Conceptual, and Neo Pop art are most likely Helvetica fans. It is the crisp, simple, easy to interpret visually yet impossible to dissect its meaning. All these characteristics are seen in modernism, and has about as much as a hate club as a fan club.
With Helvetica, however, it is difficult to find a font as lasting. It has made such progress and created such ease, almost unable to be perfected. Could it be the “perfect” font (If perfect meant the same as irreplaceable)? Can one really argue where Helvetica should and should not be used?
One article expressed the anger typeface designers felt when noticing a typographical inaccuracy in the background of a movie set years before the birth of Helvetica. Hollywood features that spend millions on period production design and it is unbelievable that such high educated candidates are hired whom overlook such an important factor (especially if their only job is background DESIGN). Among a probably very small segment of the audience, that is an outrage.
MUJI, AGFA, SAAB, IBM, Oral B, BMW, Staples, Kawasaki and Panasonic are just some companies proudly advocating the typeface. The film Helvetica showed how many were arguing how content should speak for itself rather than the message being driven by and imposed through the design. Helvetica does exactly this with its minimalism. Because of its controversy and misjudgments, designers who choose Helvetica today do so for very different reasons than its more practical reasons in the ‘60s. Is it the same stream of consciousness, however, while choosing it as a paper topic?
I have many friends that are either chef's themselves or work in the restaurant business and one thing i have noticed most is that they all seem to have many useful tools for the kitchen that each of them think are the best. After reviewing the core77 website, I noticed a travel bag that three Carnegie Mellon ID students had created to allow chef's to pack pretty much all their kitchen tools in and go anywhere with. The bag has many different compartments and facilitates different sized and sharp tool. It also is very simple and makes organization very easy. I believe this would help many chef's with the problem of moving their cooking tools from one place to another and i believe it has a very pleasant look to it. It does not bulge or look awkward at all.
Teen Engineering has created a new product called the OP-1 Synthesizer and Controller. This product serves as multipurpose musical device. It can be used as a controller when you connect it to your computer. It can be used synthesizer on its own and finally it could be used as a recorder, f.m. player, and possibly a mp3 player. It also picks up different motions and vibrations, which could effect each sound created. Not only is this product very useful, but it is esthetically pleasing. The product is sleek and thin, with a white glossy finish. It also has nicely sized buttons with the same finish and for some with a color designated to an action. Over all I found this item to be extremely useful to anyone beginning their music career. I also think this product is pleasing because of its looks and size of it, it is very similar to the look of apple products, which we all have noticed has become a big trend today.
As a New Yorker, I have seen the city change over the years. Some areas for the better and some for the worse, but one thing is for sure, it keeps changing. After reading the article entitled The Lower East Side, Before It Boomed from the new york times, I have come to notice that I am not the only one that has seen the life and culture of New York City change over the years. Over time the lower east side of Manhattan has become a spot for young active life, but at one time it was a place for artists, visionaries, druggies, gangs, and the homeless. A man named Clayton Patterson has documented these changes for more than 30 years and now is releasing art galleries, books, videos, and soon a movie about the lower east side and its changes over the years. From now until November 8Th, Patterson has an exhibition entitled “Clayton Patterson: L.E.S. Captured.” He also has a book called “Captured: A Film/Video History of the Lower East Side” and a new book soon to release entitled "Jews: A People’s History of the Lower East Side.” Patterson believes that the culture and life of the Lower East Side has slowly vanished and it is because it has become a more expensive and developed area. With the lower class came culture, art, and things that many other people would never see in their lives.
fter skimming through the core77 website I came across a new interior airplane design from an inventor named Emil Jacob. He has created a design that gives each person a much more private and more comfortable flight, only carry on luggage, and increase passenger and luggage capacity. It has been a very long time since we have seen a change in passenger planes for a reasonable price. This design is created to help both the business and coach class have a pleasant trip. I believe after a lot of testing and redesigns, we may see this idea used in the future. Jacob has called this product the Flex-Seat and has already done extensive research intro its capabilities and saftey.
As a mac user I feel like I have the same computer as every other person at my school. Many of the dells and sonys sold today have an option to customize the look of the computer. Well now there is an option to do the same with your mac, but it is not brought to us by apple. A company called Engrave Your Tech has come up with a way to laser engrave different products including many apple products. I believe this is a nice aesthetic addition to the macbook and other products, it create somewhat of a individualism for everyone rather than having the same product as the person next to you.
As a graphic design student, I take my laptop with me everywhere. After using my laptop for awhile I decide it was getting too hot, so I went out and bought a laptop stand with fans built in. This is great for when I used my laptop at home, but doesn't help at all when I take it out of my home. The AviiQ portable aluminum stand is perfect for someone like me. It folds down to a small flat panel and when you want to use it, you simply fold it out and place your laptop on top of it.
http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2009/11/0aviiq.jpg
leeanas senior project
i did the flash animation for leeanas drawings viewable at:
www.leeanabenson.com
www.leeanabenson.com
samsung vs apple
After reading Samsung Beats Apple in the IDEA/BusinessWeek Design Awards Posted by: Bruce Nussbaum on August 01, I was amazed to find out that samsung has made such advancements in the electronic era. As a apple user and lover, it was very surprising to me that samsung had done so well. I was under the impression that Apple's recent releases of the iphone and new intel based computers would boost their productivity way above the competitors, but after reading this article I found that samsungs approach to marketing and design was similar to apples, but much more intensive. The idea of sending high end employees to the U.S. to study design and it's trends is very complex. The company has to stay up with trends and at most times, predict new ones and samsung has found the perfect way to do so, combining business and design into one.
Recently my friend had gotten the new iPhone, when I asked him how he liked it he said "it is a great toy, but a terrible phone." Later he explained that at&t has bad service and although the phone is fun, it does not serve its true function. After reading the article entitled High Definition by Seth Godin, I had realized that, this has become a problem with most of our new technology. Although we are creating many new advancements in technology, we are also forgetting about the essentials, like the quality of a product. Years ago quality was a huge concern of most companies, but with recent advancements all concern has turned to size and weight. It is time we look to the past and concentrate on what is really important, the quality of a product.
As a young adult I am always interested in the new advancements in electronics and automobiles. The article entitled The End of Driving: Mike and Maaike introduce the Autonomobile posted by core jr, had addressed many of these interested. The article speculated on many different possible advancements to automobiles in both the near and far future. Many of the ideas seemed very over the top, but all had a reason for them. The car named "ATNMBL" would be capable of driving itself, parking itself, and do pick ups for us. This car also would have a bar in the back and would decrease fatality and accidents greatly due to no human drivers. Although much of this is far fetched, these are all realistic goals for the future. Our society is based on convenience and creating more us time. By creating a automobile that does all the work for you. We can get work done and no have to deal with the stresses of road rage.
With recent activity around the world, many of us have wondered, what will replace oil as the new main source of energy. With many forms of alternative power sources, being created and mastered everyday, our reliance on oil looks grimmer and grimmer. As stated in sustainable energy it is only a matter of time until that wind, solar, biomass, wave, geothermal, hydrogen, fuell cell, bodyheat, body movement, or piezoelectric surfaces surpasses the others for the race to the new dominant power source. It is only as our economy gets worse, that our need for a new power source will increase. It will help with the economy as well as the atmosphere.
As a graphic design student and a person who has grown up around images and art. I find that the art in the article A World Springs to Life on an Urban Wall to be unique, but has roots that go back to the 60's and 70's. As I looked at the art even closer I had noticed that it reminded me of the art work in many of The Beatle's movies. I personally enjoy art like this, I feel it is left to interpretation and filled with many colors to brighten up the grim and dark world that we seem to put ourselves in. Although I do not believe the art work is unique, I believe the message that it is getting across is a well needed reminder to the public. A reminder that our world has a lot to offer other than war, money, and turmoil. It reminds us to look at what is around us and enjoy what we have. In our mainstream and fast moving society, this piece of art teaches us to step back and take time to understand what it is really about and to truly enjoy what possibilities it creates in each of our minds.
The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj camera is a new wave of cameras and what I believe to be mini projectors. The Coolpix S100pj is capable of taking pictures with its 12.1 mega pixel camera and comes with a 2.7" lcd for you to view the pictures. If you want to see them a bit bigger, this camera has a 40" capable projector built into it! This is not only a great way for people to show their beautiful pictures to a group of people, but it could be used for presentations to clients as well.
With current economic activity there has been more and more talk about the huge V shaped curve we have had this year. The stock market just recently hit over 9,000 in months and investments are beginning to rise. After reading Are We Seeing A V-Shaped Economic Recovery? And What Will A GenY Economy Look Like? by Bruce Nussbaum, I had realized he had a great point, the baby boomer generation was a simple generation to figure out as far as consumption, but who has figured out what is known as the Y generation's interests? The next generation is interested in more electronics and pocket sized media. It is only a matter of time until the Y generations consumption is figured out, but as Nussbaum discuses, the American consumer does not have the funds to boost the economy. So who will make up for the American consumer? Also will this new high consumption country become the new world superpower?
Holograms have been around for awhile, but is only recently that we have figured out how to almost master it. On the core77 website the article entitled Holograms you can feel showed the new advancements to holograms. A new technology has been created where the hologram can notice an object in front of it and use it within the hologram. For example a ball would bounce off someones hand. This hologram not only could notice object, but it could also let you feel these objects, as in a ball or rain dropping on your hand.
Portable computers, phones, and media devices have become a huge part of our society. Fujitsu has beat the other companies to the race of the next medical computer. The Esprimo MA Tablet PC, launched late last year, and has won an iF Product Design Award. This computer is a fast processing system, that is portable and easy to clean, so that germs are not transferred. This tablet also comes with a dock that makes it easy to use and charge.
After reading the article entitled Designing all the way to the bank I have come to realized, that selling a idea or product like a bank today is much harder than in the past. Before banks were good places to keep money, but now what makes one bank better than another? Well IGN has come up with a new way to attract and keep new consumers. The creation of a banking lounge, offers a bank with a coffee shop, free, wifi, and of course the option to do your banking there. The design on the bank is also very pleasant compared to the rushed cubical that most current banks have. The bank lounge has tellers in a middle circle, and then many ATM machines dispersed around the bank.
We have all learned the scientific method at sometime in our lives, but do we use it to its full potential in our everyday lives? Seth Godin talks about the importance of the scientific method in the article entitled The scientific method. After reading his application of the scientific method in our everyday lives, I have come to realize that if more people thought as he did, our economy would have a giant boost. Although many people aspire to be great things when they grow up, how many of us actually sit down and figure out how we will become such great people? How many people either believe they should just become famous luckily or even worse how many people are content with living check to check? If society thought with a scientific method mind set there would be many more Donald Trumps in the world.
After skimming through the core77 website I found a futuristic bathroom and plate design that looks amazing in concept. The bathroom had a toilet that looked like a hamper almost, but when you are ready to sit, a flap opens for you to sit. Then when you are done the flap closes again and has ultraviolet and heat lamps to disinfect the toilet. The next item that I saw was a futuristic plate that kept the food on it cool and could also chill a bottle of champagne.
After reading a new york times article on the artist named Burton Morris, I have come to see that 60's art is still popular. This art was like a form of comic book and 60's art. 35 Pieces of art are on exhibition at the Hofstra University Museum. The art works have vibrant colors in them and simplistic art, but there is much more to them. Many of Morris's art has a series of the same image with different backgrounds. Some of them also appear 3Demensional.
The iPhone or ipod have become very popular amongst our society. A major problem with not only the iPhone but any electronic is water. Well after browsing the core77 website for a bit I came across the Sanwa's Waterproof bag for iPhone/iPod. Although I do not see myself ever needing one of these giant waterproof protectors, I could understand where it could come in handy. If I spent my day on a boat or by a pool I would definitely get one of these, could save me a lot of money.
Now a days most of our products are made out of carbon fiber or some kind of metal. Almost all bicycles you can think of are made of these products as well. The first wooden bicycle I have seen came from the core77 website in an article entitles Sean Denham and Renovo's hi-tech Wood Frame Bicycles. Sean Denham has created different models of his "Panda Bikes." All these bikes have similar frames and are made out of certain types of wood. You are able to ride these bicycles and they are fashionable too. For more on these wooden bicycles check out Renovo Wooden Bicycles.
QUEENS
I have lived in Queens, N.Y. all my life and have travelled to Manhattan just as long. Over the last twenty years there have been major changes to New York, especially New York City. Thirteen galleries this summer have posted pieces from a New York City dedicated exhibition called "New York Photographs", showing different parts of New York in different conditions and times. Ranging from the 1940's to most recent times. The pictures show gloomy times in the city and prosperous times. Showing the development of the city and the people living in it. The pictures also range from black and white to color, fittingly with the change in the cities prosperity.
versitile fridge
After all the years of most homes having at least one refrigerator, there is a new design for them coming out, a design similar to many video game systems now a days. A refrigerator that could stand up in two different way, vertical or horizontal. Although it is not released yet, Samsung has announced that it is in the makings. This refrigerator uses no coils to cool it and can its shelves can change to fit both horizontal or vertical use. This could change homes drastically, making a refrigerator not only an electronic but a piece of furniture.
As technology moves on, so does the technology of kitchenware. Many of us have already seen the sensor faucet or toilets, but how about touchscreen faucets? Although it is a bit ridiculous, there is a faucet made by iHome that has a touchscreen in which you could check your email, calendar, weather, etc. This faucet also notice your hands and puts it to your preferred temperature. Although many of us are not in need of a touchscreen faucet to check our emails and such, it is a bit nice not to have to find that nice temperature anymore and may shave a few seconds off washing your hands every time. If that is too high-tech there is the Wing faucet which has a very sleek and clean look. It is made of all metal and although it is simple it has a futuristic look to it.
Although there is not a lot of information on it right now. Devon Motorworks have created a new super car called the Devon GTX. This super car costs $500,000 base price and is made in California. Although there is not much more on this car, it is supposed to be the new super car on the road and will definitely be noticed if its passing any of us.
Seth Godin wrote a new blog entitled The long tale, although it is not quite clear what he is getting to at first, by the end he has a great point. That point is that many of us do not look at the quick sales pitch anymore, but the long time stats of a company or a person. With the economy changing people want to stay with the safest investments and do their research before they invest. Technology has only made this easier, by making more information available to almost every home every before. If a company or an individual wants to be prosperous in our current society, he/she has to be not only consistent, but excel over the rest. By doing so a company/person will catch the attention of the public and create more attraction and good p.r. overall for themselves.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sleek Clock Design
Clocks are apart of all of our lives. Rafael Morgan has created a simple design for a clock that is simple, yet sleek. It is a simple white clock with small numbers around it. At the end of each hand is a magnifying glass that shows the number perfectly.
Records of Today
Although many of us do not listen to records today. I still found this to be an interesting idea. GGRP Sound has come out with a new design for a record sleeve. This design includes a needle that can be put against the record and played through the sleeve.
Industrial Furniture Design
Most of us have simple lamps or light fixtures in our homes. Studio Job has come out with new designs for lamps in the home. These designs are based on the industry and at this time include a wrecking ball and a crane.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
modern web and motion design
http://www.creatiu.com/
Staying up to date: web design is an extremely accurate, restricted form of design. Rules to keep in mind...
Staying up to date: web design is an extremely accurate, restricted form of design. Rules to keep in mind...
CSS info
"CSS sprites save HTTP requests by using CSS positioning to selectively display composite background images. To maximize accessibility and usability, CSS sprites are best used for icons or decorative effects."
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets -it is a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents. I looked it up because I still don't fully understand it.
According to Wikipedia: CSS can be used locally by the readers of web pages to define colors, fonts, layout, and other aspects of document presentation. It is designed primarily to enable the separation of document content (written in HTML or a similar markup language) from document presentation (written in CSS). This separation can improve content accessibility, provide more flexibility and control in the specification of presentation characteristics, and reduce complexity and repetition in the structural content (such as by allowing for tableless web design). CSS can also allow the same markup page to be presented in different styles for different rendering methods, such as on-screen, in print, by voice (when read out by a speech-based browser or screen reader) and on Braille-based, tactile devices. CSS specifies a priority scheme to determine which style rules apply if more than one rule matches against a particular element. In this so-called cascade, priorities or weights are calculated and assigned to rules, so that the results are predictable.
http://www.noupe.com/design/101-css-techniques-of-all-time-part-1.html
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets -it is a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents. I looked it up because I still don't fully understand it.
According to Wikipedia: CSS can be used locally by the readers of web pages to define colors, fonts, layout, and other aspects of document presentation. It is designed primarily to enable the separation of document content (written in HTML or a similar markup language) from document presentation (written in CSS). This separation can improve content accessibility, provide more flexibility and control in the specification of presentation characteristics, and reduce complexity and repetition in the structural content (such as by allowing for tableless web design). CSS can also allow the same markup page to be presented in different styles for different rendering methods, such as on-screen, in print, by voice (when read out by a speech-based browser or screen reader) and on Braille-based, tactile devices. CSS specifies a priority scheme to determine which style rules apply if more than one rule matches against a particular element. In this so-called cascade, priorities or weights are calculated and assigned to rules, so that the results are predictable.
http://www.noupe.com/design/101-css-techniques-of-all-time-part-1.html
WHY AESTHETICS?
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/indefenseofeyecandy/
"aesthetics is concerned with anything that appeals to the senses—not just what we see, but what we hear, smell, taste, and feel. In short, how we perceive and interpret the world. As user experience professionals, we must consider every stimulus that might influence interactions."
“...emotion is not a luxury: it is an expression of basic mechanisms of life regulation developed in evolution, and is indispensable for survival. It plays a critical role in virtually all aspects of learning, reasoning, and creativity. Somewhat surprisingly, it may play a role in the construction of consciousness.”
Design is about appeal and trust. Beauty and truth. Simplicity.
"aesthetics is concerned with anything that appeals to the senses—not just what we see, but what we hear, smell, taste, and feel. In short, how we perceive and interpret the world. As user experience professionals, we must consider every stimulus that might influence interactions."
“...emotion is not a luxury: it is an expression of basic mechanisms of life regulation developed in evolution, and is indispensable for survival. It plays a critical role in virtually all aspects of learning, reasoning, and creativity. Somewhat surprisingly, it may play a role in the construction of consciousness.”
Design is about appeal and trust. Beauty and truth. Simplicity.
Web design Quote
"Creativity breathes life into successful websites. However, creative ideas and solutions can sometimes seem like guesswork—and guessing is risky business. So what can designers do to show clients they’re using a solid strategy and have the best intentions? The following exercises are a great way to start discussing and documenting aspects of design to help clients shed their fear of creativity and encourage them to join the design process."
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taking-the-guesswork-out-of-design/
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taking-the-guesswork-out-of-design/
On the website core77.com they have one hour challenges. The article I read was about the Design a sneaker for cycling. The reason I wanted to read this article is because I usually get stumped and it takes me days before starting a project. I wanted to read and find out how these people are able to think of an idea and complete it in one hour. The one that I really liked was the yellow Nike livestrong one. I like that you can see the inspiration of the bike helmet in the design of the shoe.
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