Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Course Reflection 5
The last two classes dedicated to the design presentations went by very quickly. It was interesting to see each group's approach to creating a new line of indoor home products for Coleman. I found the presentation on the energy usage application and the solar curtains most interesting. They were both very well organized and thoroughly researched. Another one that I found interesting was the cooking table. I personally enjoy cooking and entertaining very much and think that the idea is very marketable. The cooking table is also a great "transitional" product for Coleman. Overall, I enjoyed both classes but as I mentioned in my course review, I wish we had some choices on the companies that we designed for. It would make the presentations and design ideas more diverse and interesting.
Reading Reflection 4
Haskett Chapter 9-10
Context for design is a topic that is very interesting due to the flexible nature of design and the design process. Design as explained by Haskett takes many different forms and roles in our lives; however, most often this makes design vague and hard to recognize for users. This invisible or unrecognized nature of design makes it difficult for designers to define their role and the necessity of their work in many cases. Therefore, there is a lack of defined and recognized context for design. As Haskett explains, the need for design and designers is better recognized in large companies and countries that have dedicated resources to the excellence of design but the context is still lost on a smaller scale. It is important to not only recognize and understand design as designers but also to promote its necessity and importance to the public (or users). Professional associations specific to some design fields have already contributed to this goal but I think as designers, we should recognize this goal as a necessity and help to create "context" for our professions.
The last chapter of Haskett focuses on the future of design. Haskett elaborates on the examination of all elements involved in the design process including technology, demographics, markets, contextual changes, and the role of the designer as a whole. As explained in the chapter, the future of design rests on the choices that we as designers make. Whether we design for mass consumption or for the betterment of every day living conditions and life necessities is a choice that must be made by each designer and is a choice that will affect the future of design. Again, Haskett clarifies that the role of design in the future is dependent on the success of the designers in delivering the message of importance and necessity to the users and decision makers.
Context for design is a topic that is very interesting due to the flexible nature of design and the design process. Design as explained by Haskett takes many different forms and roles in our lives; however, most often this makes design vague and hard to recognize for users. This invisible or unrecognized nature of design makes it difficult for designers to define their role and the necessity of their work in many cases. Therefore, there is a lack of defined and recognized context for design. As Haskett explains, the need for design and designers is better recognized in large companies and countries that have dedicated resources to the excellence of design but the context is still lost on a smaller scale. It is important to not only recognize and understand design as designers but also to promote its necessity and importance to the public (or users). Professional associations specific to some design fields have already contributed to this goal but I think as designers, we should recognize this goal as a necessity and help to create "context" for our professions.
The last chapter of Haskett focuses on the future of design. Haskett elaborates on the examination of all elements involved in the design process including technology, demographics, markets, contextual changes, and the role of the designer as a whole. As explained in the chapter, the future of design rests on the choices that we as designers make. Whether we design for mass consumption or for the betterment of every day living conditions and life necessities is a choice that must be made by each designer and is a choice that will affect the future of design. Again, Haskett clarifies that the role of design in the future is dependent on the success of the designers in delivering the message of importance and necessity to the users and decision makers.
Journal 10
Overall Course Reflection
This quarter has been a busy and interesting one for me since it's my first quarter back in school since graduation in 2009. I took Design 200 in the hopes that I could have a good basic review of design concepts and I think the course lectures helped with that. I found that the class is very well organized. The assignments were consistent in nature and easily understood; however, I believe that the difficulty level for the assignments could have been higher. I personally prefer that the reading reflections be discussed in class rather than be posted on a blog. It is more involving to hear what other people think of the information they have read rather than write your own opinion of this information (it's the discussion about the differences in interpretation of the same information that I find interesting and helpful.) I would suggest also to have participation points granted for these class discussions to encourage student participation. This would also allow more time outside of class to focus on some more involved or difficult assignments.
My favorite part of this class was the final project. I think it was a good opportunity to get to know my group members and be involved in the design process. However, since the client (Coleman) was the same for all groups, the presentations became a bit repetitive on a few topics like company ethics and his story. I think it would be a good idea to have a list of different companies that the teams can choose from to make it more challenging and interesting.
Thanks you, Design 200 was enjoyable.
This quarter has been a busy and interesting one for me since it's my first quarter back in school since graduation in 2009. I took Design 200 in the hopes that I could have a good basic review of design concepts and I think the course lectures helped with that. I found that the class is very well organized. The assignments were consistent in nature and easily understood; however, I believe that the difficulty level for the assignments could have been higher. I personally prefer that the reading reflections be discussed in class rather than be posted on a blog. It is more involving to hear what other people think of the information they have read rather than write your own opinion of this information (it's the discussion about the differences in interpretation of the same information that I find interesting and helpful.) I would suggest also to have participation points granted for these class discussions to encourage student participation. This would also allow more time outside of class to focus on some more involved or difficult assignments.
My favorite part of this class was the final project. I think it was a good opportunity to get to know my group members and be involved in the design process. However, since the client (Coleman) was the same for all groups, the presentations became a bit repetitive on a few topics like company ethics and his story. I think it would be a good idea to have a list of different companies that the teams can choose from to make it more challenging and interesting.
Thanks you, Design 200 was enjoyable.
Journal 09
Project Reflection
We began the design process by a brainstorming session where we talked about Coleman's current products and a possible link to a new indoor home goods product. During our discussion in the first class we decided to design a "transitional" product that could potentially be used outside but is mainly geared towards those who move often but will use the product indoors. The HoTToP idea built on Coleman's current expertise on product development and allowed for the sale of a new product alongside other more conventional Coleman products (they could be combined with the HoTToP's storage unit.) By taking advantage of each team member's strong points, we were able to work collaboratively and finish the project successfully.
We took advantage of the various expertise available in the group. Jocef's ability to sketch/draw well allowed us to bring our idea to life through a detailed drawing. My ability to do 3D modeling helped to show our packaging and kiosk design ideas while Miriah's contribution to the design and organization of the PowerPoint made the idea clear to our audience. Lastly, Kris was able to use his background in literature to clearly write and explain our design idea to the class. Overall, we were able to work together to resolve design issues and bring the final design together very well.
Personal Contribution
We all attended every group meeting both in and out of class. During the brainstorming session I contributed to the design process by researching some of the existing Coleman products and discussing any issues that my arise with our design. Also, with the help of Jocef, we did some preliminary sketches that were later turned into 3D models by me (sketches are posted in the PowerPoint but I don't have a copy to post here). The following renderings for the product, packaging, and POS display were developed by the group and produced and rendered by me:
We began the design process by a brainstorming session where we talked about Coleman's current products and a possible link to a new indoor home goods product. During our discussion in the first class we decided to design a "transitional" product that could potentially be used outside but is mainly geared towards those who move often but will use the product indoors. The HoTToP idea built on Coleman's current expertise on product development and allowed for the sale of a new product alongside other more conventional Coleman products (they could be combined with the HoTToP's storage unit.) By taking advantage of each team member's strong points, we were able to work collaboratively and finish the project successfully.
We took advantage of the various expertise available in the group. Jocef's ability to sketch/draw well allowed us to bring our idea to life through a detailed drawing. My ability to do 3D modeling helped to show our packaging and kiosk design ideas while Miriah's contribution to the design and organization of the PowerPoint made the idea clear to our audience. Lastly, Kris was able to use his background in literature to clearly write and explain our design idea to the class. Overall, we were able to work together to resolve design issues and bring the final design together very well.
Personal Contribution
We all attended every group meeting both in and out of class. During the brainstorming session I contributed to the design process by researching some of the existing Coleman products and discussing any issues that my arise with our design. Also, with the help of Jocef, we did some preliminary sketches that were later turned into 3D models by me (sketches are posted in the PowerPoint but I don't have a copy to post here). The following renderings for the product, packaging, and POS display were developed by the group and produced and rendered by me:
Design Group
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