Upcycling Unwanted - Cycle Seat

Transformation Process:

Product Poster:

Rationale:

Right from the beginning I not only wanted to upcycle trash into a product but I also wanted to ensure I didn’t leave any sort of environmental footprint. My plan was to design and build this product using nothing more than what I could find within everyday garbage.

Being a cyclist myself, I have experienced the variety and quantity of waste surrounding the bicycling industry. During my research, it became apparent that the largest source of this waste was a result of punctured tyres and damaged wheels. The main reason for these damaged wheels being the planned obsolescence built into the low-end bicycles.

Initially my concepts focused on using the old bicycle parts as a form of decoration however this progressed towards satisfying the need for a more functional product. My aim was to utilise the highest percentage of the materials I received at the beginning with while still giving each part a function.

In a typical bicycle, the wheels provide the structural support, which holds the bike above the road surface. For this reason, I used the trashed wheels, as a means of support for the stool. Originally I had planned to bind them together using the spokes from a broken wheel however the spokes lacked the necessary flexibility. Instead I opted for galvanised steel wire (which I regretfully had to purchase), which both fits in aesthetically and works perfectly. Of the wheels I received one still had the spokes and hub intact. I saw this as an opportunity to provide structure and support for the seat base. By removing half of the spokes, a flat surface was created that could be adjusted by tightening or loosening the spoke nipples around the wheels edges. Similarly to the wheels, the inner tubes are used to provide an air cushion and therefore add comfort during use during use. For this reason, I constructed the seat cushion using woven inner tubes, which are both comfortable and in my opinion have a certain upcycled charm to them in their current state.

I see potential for the Cycle Seat to be used within small, trendy coffee stores or around the house if you just need a place to sit in the sun and read a book. As bicycles are made to resist the negative effects of the weather such as corrosion, the Cycle Seat could last years exposed to the elements with a limited amount of upkeep.

Overall I’m very happy with how this stool has turned out. Apart from the material choices, it’s nothing like my original concepts, however I feel this way it better suits the brief and truly represents an elegant upcycling solution.

Peer Comments:

Greg Shar

Rob Cervetto

Julian Chow
Lucinda Waters
Valerie El Khouri

Finished Product:

 

Richard Seymour and Dick Powell: Designing dream machines

This video featuring Dick Powell and Richard Seymour opens the doors on the on the processes and methods of design which we as budding industrial designers will be exposed to in our future careers whatever they may be. The video highlights the variety of areas throughout the design and manufacturing process where the designer plays a major role.
Some of the issues highlighted within this video focus on the ways a designer can satisfy not only the people they work with such as the engineers but also their target market and the consumer. 
In my opinion this video is important for us as industrial designers as it highlights the limitations we will have within our work and how we can truly work with others to perfect our final piece of work.

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Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

The figures shown within this video by Annie Leonard are so absurd that I’m almost tempted to call her bluff. But then again, so what if some of them are a little exaggerated in order to enhance shock value? It really does seem that our world has got to the point where change can only take place after we’re scared into it by someone else. Annie’s The Story of Stuff is very reminiscent of Al Gores, An Inconvenient Truth however it only focuses solely on the production of todays consumer products and the affects they have on our world and us.

The linear system of production in the way it’s shown by the textbooks seems to work perfectly with no downsides but unfortunately this isn’t the truth. You “cannot run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely” because the system hits limits such as societies and the people forming those societies.

Since the introduction of the mass consumerism explained by Annie, a power shift has shown the corporations take control of the governments while the people with nothing have absolutely no say in what is going in. You now cannot possess power or importance unless you buy or own mass quantities. As usual money is key, and it’s money, which have led to the depletion of resources and quality of life for humans around the world. Everyone mentioned within the video is driven by the need for more cash which can be seen not only with the government giving in to the corporations but also the 200000 people per day around the world who are forced to leave their homes and move to cities in search for work no matter how terrible the working conditions are.

It’s obvious that Industrial design has played a major role in pushing the world to its current position. And in order to get out of this ditch we’ve ended up in, the world and it’s societies will have to work together to reverse the damage and work together for a more sustainable future in which the world can prosper without its resources (and civilisations) running dry. 

For industrial designers, the moral question now exists as to whether we should abandon planned and perceived obsolescence and risk our future jobs, or keep it going and risk out future lives. In my opinion it’s an easy choice. Why ruin the world for generations to come simply to put ourselves and our own needs ahead? If the building in of obsolescence is to continue then it should at least be with materials which can be completely upcycled or those which can be disposed of without doing any further damage to anyone on this beautiful planet of ours.

Video: http://storyofstuff.com/

Image: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/05/11/education/11stuff4.inline.jpg

Postal Presents - Curve Organiser

Instruction Sheet:

Cutting Diagram:

Exploded View:

 Isometric Drawing:

Rationale:

This project began with the identification of the need for a pencil and pen organiser, which could bring pleasure and comfort to its user. Unlike similar products, I was looking to design something, which would not be an intrusive eyesore on the desktop. Sent as a gift, such an object could provide enjoyment in many forms both due to its functional and aesthetic qualities.

It’s this balance of function and aesthetics, which sets the Curve Organiser apart from the other common desktop organisers. The Curve is designed to organise stationery horizontally rather than vertically. This allows for ease of use when searching for certain objects. This also gives the user the ability to store their stationery in a variety of positions such as a North-South orientation or even East-West.

A variety of different design solutions were tested through both models and sketches. The array of ideas compiled allowed for experimentation and research, which in turn helped decide on the target markets favourite design. In the end, this specific design was chosen for its balance and simplicity. The smooth curved form of the organiser makes it inviting and pleasant. The user is enticed into using it and wants to have it around for others to see. It’s a gift that the receiver can be proud to show off.

The pleasure experienced during the construction of the Curve comes from the fact that the receiver of the gift sees the product take shape a little more with each and every piece. Over time the 22 pieces come together to form one unified product. Even once constructed, the Curve Organiser continues to be pleasurable as it can be used day after day after day.

The Curve is constructed using laser cut acrylic perspex and extruded perspex rod. The 6mm thick Perspex allows the main body of the Curve to fit within a C4 envelope in its 2D form. This material also provides for a sturdy construction, which is more than strong enough for the specified task. Laser cutting was chosen as the process to make this model as it’s very accurate and suits the design perfectly. By submitting a .DXF file produced in AutoCAD I was able to receive the results quickly and with a far greater level of precision than I would have been able to produce myself.

The Curve Organiser is a great example of putting a two-dimensional sheet material to use, in order to form a smooth, free flowing three-dimensional product, which can be enjoyed every single day.

Peer Comment:
Kiran Kashyap
Emily Soares
Nicholas Walker
Stanley Wong
Alfred Boyadgis

Finished Product:

 

Ross Lovegrove: The Power and Beauty of Organic Design

To be honest, I got really tired of listening to the self-professed “Captain Organic” talking about himself and his work and his studio. He may be good at what he does, but I can think of many better ways to spend my time. I do however admire his ambition and his method of instinctive design. He stated that “instinct plays a huge role in design” and I couldn’t agree more. In some cases, our instinct will tell us what’s best and in my opinion, maybe some times we should leave it at that and move on. Sometimes, adding thought to an idea can only lessen its aesthetic appeal and functional properties.

Of the products displayed within the video, Ross Lovegroves water bottle had to be my favourite. When first seeing his “representation of water” I laughed a little and couldn’t help but wonder where he was taking me. “What could these squiggly lines on a page possibly lead to?” The journey however, was fascinating. Seeing that shape come to life and to eventually form the final product was incredible. His bottle really does manage to capture water in its most beautiful, organic state. 

Nature designs with necessity in mind. It liberates form and strips it to the bare essentials. Lovegroves scientific approach to design and its form was enlightening. He can take something like a molecular structure and use it as the basis for a piece of furniture, which fits necessity first and foremost. There are no added extras or decorations. It’s just the bare essentials, as if it were created through millions of years of evolution like the dinosaurs. “I make organic things, which are essential.”

For industrial designers, this video provides an insight into the direction we should be heading in terms of design and material choices as resource levels dip to new lows. Organic design has the ability to leave a smaller environmental footprint than other methods of design while still producing designs which are the same, if not more beautiful. It’s great to see these pioneers such as Ross who are looking into Biopolymers and even foodstuffs and forcing them upon multinational corporations (even if they ignore him).

“Could we be manufacturing from food stuffs in the future?” My fingers are crossed and I’m hoping the answer is “Yes”. We’ll have a delicious future on our hands (and faces) if Captain Organic has his way.

Image: http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/lovegrove/dbportrait.jpg

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWqkKYwvTNw

Bad Design

The NOKIA 6500 Slide phone was chosen for the bad design task due to an improperly labeled and badly position power button. To the inexperienced (and experienced) mobile phone user, the power button appears to not exist as it lacks the design features to draw attention. Many users would expect to see a power button along the top ridge of the phone, however the only button to be found there removes the rear cover. The actual power button, in fact is combined with the end call button, however no design effort was made to show this. 

My proposed change involves simply placing a separate power button on the top of the phone. The issue of it not standing out amongst other buttons would be solved by printing a power logo on the button in red to grab the users attention.

Experience Enrichment - Finger Mug

Mood Board:


Product Poster:


Technical Drawings:


Rationale:
The finger mug is something new. It’s a coffee mug designed to improve both the emotional and physical connection between the product and its user, all the while looking stylish and well suited for an office environment. This product is a transformation of an everyday object into something, which gives a more pleasurable experience and creates a personalised relationship with its user.

A product such as this is targeted towards Males between the ages of 30 and 50 years. The ones who leave home 5 days a week to work in a 9 - 5 office job. It’s this time away from home combined with early mornings late nights and long commutes, which can lead to a boring, lonely lifestyle. This product, although similar to a regular coffee mug, has the ability to make positive changes in its users day-to-day life without drastic aesthetic alterations.

While keeping to the standard dimensions of a coffee mug, a small change in the overall shape of the finger mug allows for a more dynamic shape. One, which seems to belong on the desk of a dynamic businessman. It’s this dynamicity, which makes the mug such a great attention grabber and talking point.

The main difference in texture between the smooth, glossy finger mug and a conventional coffee mug is the fingerprints, which allow for an improved emotion and physical connection while also enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the mug.

In order to fit in with its formal business surrounding the mug is coloured entirely white and is made using ceramics like traditional coffee mugs. The colour choice allows for it to blend in with ordinary mugs, however the shadows cast by the fingerprints catch the attention of any onlookers. The use of ceramics is common in coffee mugs as they provide insulation from the hot drink within. To aid this insulation the finger mug has double the wall thickness of a normal coffee mug to better protect the hands of the user. A question I often receive is “how will you drink from a mug if there is no handle and it’s too hot to hold?” My response to that is that “if it’s too hot to hold then would you really want to put it in your mouth?”

The product is designed to please the user physically by being solid and weighted while still minimal in order to suit an office setting while still allowing the emotional connection of holding a weighted object, which doesn’t feel as though it can be easily crushed.

Socially the product is designed to be a stylish talking point. This is aided both by the dynamic lines of the mug and the new styling, which I believe to be a big leap from traditional mugs.

To please the target market psychologically, the mug is simple and easy to use while still being exciting and enticing. The fingerprints give the users (or a bystander) the need to reach out and feel the mug. To experience the connection it offers.

In an ideological sense, the user is happy with the product as it looks modern with its sleek design while still keeping with current design trends and not being too radical. This allows this everyday object to be a centrepiece within the modern office without having the same huge visual affect experienced by a painting or sculpture.

The finger mug not only enriches the experience of drinking coffee through improving emotional and physical connections, but it allows for a coffee mug to be something different. It’s something more than just a mug on a desk beside your keyboard. It’s a talking point and a way of getting a little more attention around the office while you’re missing home.

Peer Comments:
Danielle Taouk
Stephen Mesa
Shan Shan Wang
Jonathan Biet
Nina Harcus

Presentation:

Yves Behar: Creating Objects that tell stories

“Storytelling has been a really strong influence in my work”. - Yves Behar.

After leaving design school Behar began questioning what was truly necessary. A good example of this being the presence of the num lock key on today’s keyboards despite the fact that many people have no idea what its purpose is. He noticed that the guys in Silicon Valley we’re not interested in changing what’s on the inside and more rather wanted to make changes to the outside. They only wanted to create beauty on the outside of the box. This lead Behar to move off on his own. His interest was to design the entire human experience in to a product and not just the exterior. He aimed to make technology humble in an attempt to help the user interact with the product.

The Y water bottle was definitely a stand out favourite for me. I could not see a single thing wrong with it. The fact that this healthy alternative to soft drink can be served in this creative packaging, then after use become a collectible toy is something that I love. If this product had been around during my childhood, I’m sure my drinking habits would have been far healthier. I know that if I got my hands on one or two of those bottles and saw the potential I’d just want to keep collecting and creating.

The shape shifting light fixture really helped me to see the closing gap between technology and its user. It’s incredible that simple by touching a small screen and creating a personalised shape, the light would rearrange itself to fit the users preference.

In my opinion, it’s important for designers to see this video, as they need to understand that design isn’t simply making something look better. Design is the glue which beings a variety of values together in order to form the products overall value. The Jawbone bluetooth headset for example was designed from the ground up. It had to not only work well but in order to appeal to a more stylish market, it had to look like it belonged on the side of your face. This video highlights design not only from an aesthetic aspect but also from technical aspect. It helps us understand all the work that needs to go into a product during the design process.

Image: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/519394574_1bce663eb2_o.jpg

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGn8F4j6pH8

Don Norman: Emotional Design

Don Norman speaks of a change that he has made and maybe one that needs to be embraced by more designers. He's no longer focusing on designs being purely functional. It's not all that matters. His new life is beauty.

After seeing Philippe Starcks gold plated juicer, I’ve realized that a design doesn't even have to work or perform its usual function to be successful. The juicer for example gives instruction specifically to make sure the user does not make juice with it. Therefore making this particular piece of design more of a centerpiece than anything else. It's more of a conversation starter at a dinner table. And you know what. I love it. I've always just expected that designs need to work but after seeing the work of Philippe Starck I disagree. Who says something has to perform to its expectations? In the world of design a little surprise can be a good thing.

As humans, the customers and users of products connect with the emotional aspects as shown with the Jake Cress chair, which has lost its ball. We all see it as a chair however we can easily being ourselves to believe this story about how the chair has lost its ball and is trying to get it back.

The reason I believe Don Normans video should be viewed by Industrial designers may be oblivious to beauty as Don mentioned he was. With this video he is speaking of his change in perspective and the importance of style and beauty within a design.

Image: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/publications/reporterarchive/images/photos/0068/dnormanp2.jpg

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlQEoJaLQRA

Good Design

Waterproof Digital Movie Camera

The Good Design task involved analysing a product from the Australian International Design Awards (http://www.designawards.com.au/) without mentioning any technical specifications. I originally thought this sounded rather simple but was proven wrong early on. Every sentence I began would mention some function belonging to the camera when I was meant to be speaking in terms of the elements and principles of design. In the end I steered clear of specifications except to add in a brief overview of what the product actually does.

Having never used photoshop before, I was a little skeptical as to how the final poster would turn out but I must say that I'm more than pleased with what I have achieved. Turns out online tutorial videos can teach you quite a lot about photoshop in one afternoon.

The product itself, although stylish and full of promises for great applications, I would not like to own. Upon reading further into the camera I unfortunately noticed that the camera does not perform nearly as well as advertised. However if I were making the purchase based entirely on aesthetic qualities the SANYo Xacti waterproof digital movie camera would be a product I'd love to have around.

Product Sketching

I Do Table Lamp by Keith Melbourne
Eat Green Design

Unlike other modern lamp designs this one by Keith Melbourne, is simply about filling a spot with light. It's this simple design which appealed to me so much as it was featured amongst far more complex products in the exhibition.


Warrior Stool by Thinking Ergonomix
Australian International Design Awards

The warrior stool immediately struck me as my favourite within the exhibiton due to its material use and apparent simplicity. The fact that it was constructed without adhesives, can support 300kgs of weight and then be completely recycled amazed me.


Santamonica Chair by Denis Santachiara
Form Function Fabulous

Personally I was not a fan of the Form Funtion Fabulous exhibit. It felt as though I had entered a room full of Lego. As I continued to walk around the room I did however come across this one chair which did appeal to me. The curves are just so fluid. The smooth curves really made the Santamonica appear comfier than any of the other chairs within the exhibit.


Embryo Chair by Marc Newsom
Inspired!

The embryo chair was chosen as to me it was clearly the best design within the inspired gallery. Among all other designs, it's fluid curvilinear shape and bright colour stood out to become almost a centerpiece to me.


No. 42 Lounge Chair by Andrew Simpson and Hugh Worthington
Workshopped

From all the exhibitions visited, the No. 42 lounge chair was a clear personal favourite. I'm a big fan of geometric form within design and this chair is a perfect example. I love that something based on these geometric shapes can have such an affect on an audience.


Burlap Chair by Julie Paterson
Sustain Me: Contemporary Design

The Burlap chair stool out to me as a favourite due to its use of found and recycled materials. I'd heard of chairs made with recycled materials such as the coffee sacks used in this instance, but to even use a chair found on the street was something new to me. The choice of colour had a great affect on drawing me in for a closer look.

David Kelley: Human centred design

As human needs change, so does design in order to accommodate for this. Over the past few decades the focus of design has shifted from having fun and experimenting with new technological products and objects. Human centered design is now becoming commonplace among design firms in that they are designing personality and behavioural characteristics into their products. Compared to the past when prototypes would be produced in order to assess the aesthetics, designers are now creating experience prototypes as a way of communicating a product through showing its intended use and how it will work.

The New York Prada store and its custom technology really aim to make the shopping experience more convenient and therefore more enjoyable. The inclusion of gadgetry such as the liquid crystal glass in the changing room and the magic mirror make the visit to the store something special. The Prada store is revolutionary in that it’s not your average store. It’s actually an experience which can be enjoyed by all.

Similarly the installation at the London Science Museum is extremely entertaining as I discovered watching this video. More than any other section in the video I had to watch this part over and over again as I found my attention being drawn from the spoken words and towards the gigantic visual adventure confronting me. I can only imagine how a person would react when standing in front of such a creation. I find it remarkable that something as simple as some moving white lines can be this entertaining.

I’m all for the movement towards human centered design but I do believe that the spyfish has crossed a line. In my opinion if a human wants to experience that type of environment, they should dive in the water and explore for themselves. I completely understand the use of similar technology in deep sea diving but as a means of replacing scuba diving, surely watching a television screen cannot compare. The spyfish seems to be yet another toy for the rich and that is fine by me, just as long as it doesn’t creep its way into our everyday lives. Who knows what that could lead to? Maybe the next step for human centered design would be to remotely control a car through a foreign city right from the comfort of our own lounge room. Where's the adventure in that?

Approtec in my opinion is the most human centered design featured within this video. It already has changed the lives of thousands of people and has the possibility to change thousands more. I find it fascinating in that Approtec is different from the other featured designs as they are completely not for profit. They're simply working together and combining their efforts to make day to day life easier for less fortunate people within our world. All this is done by supplying a few simple tools such as a water pump.

This video is important to industrial designers as it shows how this movement has affected the current design world and how it will continue to have this affect. The future of design will play a big role in the future of humans. Everyone has their needs and as designers it is our job to cater to those.

Image: http://www.ted.com/speakers/david_kelley.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXndL3TNCmo