My Cycle

Story of Cap and Trade

This informative presentation essentially presents the problems of the carbon trading scheme world wide and informs the viewer of the greatness of the problem that carbon trading is 'trying' to fix. It is with this sentiment that i believe as designers we should do our utmost to design produst that have the smallest carbon and evironmental footprint whether that involves produing locally to reduce transport pollution or building longer lasting, recyclable or products that have an end of life use we are directly helping the reduction of carbon dioxide in our planet and leave less for those in power to determine what is acceptable or not because at the end of the day none of it is.

Design for Life

This reality TV show shines a light on design practice and show the difficulties chanllenges and realities of successful product design. I think there are some key things to take away from this program and that is the way in which Phillipe Starck interacts with the designers and tips that he gives them along the way. Firstly Starck gives the opportuinity for the designers to express their views and then proceeds to comment on their work, he does not work with people who are lazy and that is another important statement that even though a product may be redesigned only a lazy designer would conform to aesthetic of the former product and its language along with that. Starck can also admit to making mistakes and finally starck associates intelligence with elegance as opposed to aesthetics with intelligence.

Designing For Disaster "Purify" Water Filtration System

Rationale

The reasoning for the “Purify” water filtration system is to provide a filter and filtration system that the user can understand the sources from which it is made and lastly estimated that if the current situation of lack of sanitation and clean drinking water continue in the majority of the world between 34 and 76 million people will perish from water related diseases by 2020.

The World Health Organisation have stipulated that the main types of water related diseases effecting the 3d world are: Waterborne diseases: caused by the ingestion of water contaminated by human or animal faeces or urine containing pathogenic bacteria or viruses; include cholera, typhoid, amoebic and bacillary dysentery and other diarrheal diseases. Water-washed diseases: caused by poor personal hygiene and skin or eye contact with contaminated water; include scabies, trachoma and flea, lice and tick-borne diseases. Water-based diseases: caused by parasites found in intermediate organisms living in contaminated water; include dracunculiasis, schistosomiasis, and other helminths.

The ‘Purify’ water filtration system is unique in the way in which it operates and the support it gives entire communities. Firstly the purify filter is made on site by trained locals with the supervision by village elders. The filters are then sold to locals, and the way in which locals earn money is by collecting the resources to make the filters. For example the resources required are: Terracotta Clay, Organic leaf material such as used coffee pods and tealeaves, manure and dirty water required. So the system creates a second source of income for members of the community while also reducing the incidence of water related diseases allowing community members to live with less sickness to live more normal lives.

Originally the “home made” ceramic filter was developed by Dr. Fernando Mazareigos, a Guatemalan chemist, the Ceramic Water Filter combines the filtration capability of ceramic material with the anti-bacteriological qualities of colloidal silver. The only problem with this system is getting access to colloidal silver and therefore this system is not very sustainable in the sense that it is not self-perpetuating and requires constant monitoring and resources to maintain. And in 2005 Tony Flynn of Australian National University developed the filter that the ‘purify’ water filtration system is based and requires no chemical or physical additives so it allows a sustainable system by which once the knowledge is emparted and the means by which these filters can be created communities require little to no support to maintain a clean water source. Tests with the deadly E-coli bacterium have seen the filters remove 96.4 to 99.8 per cent of the pathogens in the water, which will drastically reduce disease its spread and its threat on lives.

Once the filters have been used they can be recycled by being crushed sieved into various levels of coarseness from small stones to fine sand and then in series can be reused as a particulate filter.

Reflection

This project I felt was very fulfilling as it was the first time we designed for other people to live, survive and rebuild during and after disasters. Also the needs that we were addressing are absolutely vital to their lives and so it was no longer just designing aesthetically pleasing products but products that could enhance the users quality of life to one more acceptable as we are all of one human race and no person should have all of there basic human rights denied due to the situation and context in which they live.

The ‘Purify’ water filtration system was a very satisfying project to undertake as I have been in contact with some communities you most filter there water before drinking and the reaction that the users have and the appreciation the have for such a basic right is incredible, something that we here in Australia take for grant billions of people world wide are denied everyday and if the ‘purify’ filter could just impact on one community I would feel the product was a success. I found this project to be the one that I was most motivated to do as the purpose of it was more important than to make an aesthetic object. To impact on the lives of people in a positive way on a daily basis is something that I aspire to achieve as a designer.

The 11th Hour

The eleventh hour is urging the viewer that the time for action is now and that such an opportunity may never reoccur the world is in our hands yet it still controls us it’s the environment that sustains our life not the other way around, and so if we don’t act it may be a legacy generations from now will recognise as the last straw a time when we had a chance and instead decided selfishly to put ourselves before our planet. You don’t need to be an environmentalist to appreciate this film or to act in your daily lives. Each person can make a difference and this difference maybe the most important democratic decision we make in our lifetimes. After all ‘we did not inherit this world from our parents, we are borrowing it from our children’.

‘Global warming is not only the number one environmental challenge we face today, but one of the most important issues facing all of humanity ... We all have to do our part to raise awareness about global warming and the problems we as a people face in promoting a sustainable environmental future for our planet.’ Once again global warming can be a fight that can unite humankind in brotherhood because lets face it we are classifiable by one thing and that is belonging to the human race.

Being a designer I feel that my products should not only be environmentally sound but the must try to increase awareness about environmental issues wether it be packaging or my blog/personal website this issue is one that cannot be swept under the rug it can no longer be used as a political lever and action must be taken by every strata of society to take small daily steps to change our world.

Design Charette

Mindmapping

Physio-Attachment

The increased sitting angle relieves stress that is applied onto the legs and allows the user to sit into a chair rather than onto it.

The Cushioned seat cover is designed to remove the stresses placed on the back/shoulders and increase the angle at which you sit once again making you more comfortable.

This chair modification is once again created to make the seat more comfortable through better support for the users back which means they can sit for a longer period of time without stressing themselves.

Psycho/Socio Attachment

The user can feel at ease with the waterproof vinyls they help the chair stay clean and allow them to personalise it and repersonalise it at there own leisure.

The IVAN+FAMILY is trying to make what is essentially a temporary product into something long lasting. Through attaching its initial users a young couple to reuse it as a cot for there first born as a sign of humble beginnings that were happy none the less in there lives. This psychological attachment maybe profound once those children have grown and possibly even left the home.

Final Design

Our groups final design was aimed at creating an almost "secret" compartment below the base of the seat For use at special occaisions or for things that are needed in the situational setting of the chair. for instance if it was to be at the dinner table it could be used for placemat storage or for candles for use at a special occaisions. Or even storage for the book your currently reading or homework u have to catch up on.

There is a seat backrest and base that help the chairs comfortablity and the have a plywood base with memory foam for comfort and a plywood floor set in so that you can put in heavier objects too.

The stimulus to modify are for those people who enjoy a little bit of DIY and are trying to cope after a move with space and new surroundings.

This task has really challenged the way I think making the product resonate with the user on an emotional level so that they are more likely to keep it and use it for its entire life rather than simply using it until the feel the need to replace it with a "new" "shiney" one. So if you create a product that has the ability to last physically and create enough attachment to foster its use for its enitre life then your job as a designer is complete.

I feel designing beyond the original product is create! Its very interesting because you have a "blank canvas" its dimensions are set now its only a matter of your creativity to bring out another use or emphasize its emotional attachment to the users.

The collaborative problem solving activity was good but would have been better with slightly smaller group numbers (about 4-5).  It is easier to commuinicate your ideas with less people more thoroughly so that each team member can understand the intent of the others and allow them to collaborate on each others ideas.

If i was to design a peice of furniture from scratch firstly i wouldn't like to design things to be replaced in a few years i think they should live there entire lives out in the home until they are or are near useless.

My Design Philosophy
- Design ethically (from manucature to disassembly, from environment to working conditions)
- Design to create emotional ties between product and user.
- Design Quality (products that not only "do the job" but do it well)

Objectified

“My Philosophy is fundamentally non disposable to offer products you want to keep and will stand the test of time.”

Marc Newson

 “A lot of what we seem to be doing in a product like the iphone is getting design out of the way and I think when forms develop with that sort of reason and they’re not just arbitrary shapes it feels almost undesigned. Of course its that way why would it be any other way”

Jonathan Ive

“Good Design is as little design as possible”

Dieter Rams

This film sheds a lot of light on the importance of design on the world its impacts on individuals and the ideals of some designers. Marc Newson’s philosophy is very interesting in a the context of today and the reality that millions of tons of working products are throw to be replaced by “newer and shinier” replacements and that if we can make products last and create a bond between them and the user we will save our planet in the process. Jonathan Ive’s Description of the iphone is incredibly interesting and also fits right into Dieter Rams final design ethos and today more than ever “arbitrary design” is out dated and unethical. Products function and the interaction with the user should be the first priority in design rather to make something that is good to look at with little or no use because if beauty is coupled with use the end product will be cherished by the user which will also postpone its disposal. The emotional connection that connects the three ideas above is simple design something that will last. Something that can not only physically stand the test of time but also hit home emotionally so much that the user may keep it or pass it on to a second or third user and so this leads into the idea of designing something that gets better with age for example a leather jacket or and antique watch these are items that still have a primary use but have infinitely more value to the user emotionally and psychologically.