Future Technologies

I wonder if the world really will be like this... It would be amazing if it was everything so quick and easy to use. Watch the video. What do you think?

I'm Back!

So it's been a while since I blogged on this blog. You may have seen my blog http://olympiclegacyfrederickgent.blogspot.com which I have set up to keep people up-to-date with my final year project. I am going to try and breathe life back into this blog as well too as it seems silly not to. First proper post will be made later today and hopefully I will keep it going this time!

Flip-flop Mouse

This product has been designed by Liu Yi as a design based around the basic flip flop for people with upper body disabilities or difficulties. The design would be worn like a typical flip flop held between the big and second toe and would have a sensor underneath each toe which would register the clicks. This product is well within the capabilities of someone who can write or paint with their toes and could revolutionise the use of computors for people with disabilities. The flip-flop is currently only a concept but could be an ideal solution. 

Sixth Sense

This looks like it is going to be an AMAZING product! A digital computor style product which projects onto any surface in-front of you. With finger pockets sending information to the device, natural movements create the human interaction. Drawing a circle on your wrist projects a watch, whereas creating a picture frame with your fingers makes the system take a photo as well as projecting a telephone onto your hand and allowing you to press ring. All in a device around your neck. The scope for improving and expanding these technologies and ideas is enormous and they may be in the shops within the next 5 years. The prototype only costed £350 and the price would not increase and therefore the product is aiming to rival mobile phones.

It looks incredible and if you want to find out more watch the video on:

http://blog.ted.com/2009/03/sixth_sense_demo.php

Aerogenerator

The new wind turbine designed to help the UK reach their ecological needs. Designed by NOVA the turbine is the conventional design but tipped on it's side out a sea. The design is one of the three projects funded by the government to reach it's ambition targets in eco-energy. The design is built with the mechanics at the base which should therefore reduce the costs of building and maintaining the design. The design looks as if it will be an attractive blip to a horizon and could bring about a lot of mixed feelings, but with the designs being built 30m further out to sea than any current offshore wind power designs the hope is that it will be a design that will bring hope to the UKs ecological ambitions.

Rice Cooker

I used my rice cooker for the first time today and it is AMAZING! If you have not yet got one you really need to. They are quicker at cooking rice than on the hob and it then keeps your rice warm whilst you finish your cooking. It is a very basic machine with only one knob to cook. 

Personally I believe this is an ingenious piece of design with it's slimline and clean with an easy to use system that is ideal for cooking rice. This is a good design due to it's usefulness and perfect results every-time. 

Apple Magic Mouse

I have just received my apple magic mouse and I am so so happy with it. The touch sensitive top and no button smoothness creates a seamless product that fits perfectly with the other Apple products. It is very easy to set up and use. only 2 AA batteries are needed and they last for months.

Digital Radios

I am starting my new project and am currently doing my initial research and am finding it difficult to understand DAB and DAB+! Its all very complicated and technical. I want to understand the basics but everywhere I look its just complex technical jargon. Never mind I guess I am only designing the basic model and do not need to know the exact technical parts.

I have set up a survey if anyone would help by completing it that would be fantastic! Just go to...

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2LDYLDD

I am enjoying the project but am finding it limited, however this may just be because I have not done a lot of research yet. I am looking forward to getting stuck in and involved especially with the model making.

Stuck at the Station

I am currently stuck at St Pancras Station and will be for another 3 hours. Using the experience to educate myself I managed to have a wander around the terminal for Eurostar terminal a little. I am very impressed with the clean lines, smart structure and friendly atmosphere. However, after sitting for a while I realise that the initial reception hides the coldness that is the reality of this new building. The efficiency and speed of the place with the use of trains and high speed travel seems to have left the waiting customers in the cold. Perhaps the architect forgot that passengers may need to wait or may be delayed. However, overall the design is extremely well thought out, simple and quietly beautiful.

My Presentation

Below is the presentation I gave for part of my module, it is about me and my inspirations/aspirations etc. I think it went went very well and shows off my presentation skills. I can feel myself developing as I had no qualms in standing and speaking whereas a year ago I may have been nervous. I believe I am a confident and energetic speaker with a keen eye for marketing and advertising which I was doing within this presentation with the subject of me.

Fuse Project

'Life Brings Stories To Design'

'Stories Bring Design to Life'

'Design Brings Stories To Life'

- YVES BEHAR -

I was browsing the internet a few days ago and came across fuse project. I loved these sayings and think they are perfect. Design to me can be something completely random, however there is always a reason, a story to why they were made, what they are for etc.

Without a story, a design is redundant and useless.

Telling Tales Exhibition

Over the summer I went to an exhibition at the V&A museum which was called 'Telling Tales'. I thought the first section 'Forest Glade' was amazing. Looking at products inspired by a forest, it was inspirational. My particular favourite was the rowing boat bath, but I was extremely impressed with all the fairy tale products. Each item was inspired by the designers own idea of the forest, with some focussing upon things found within a forest such as trees, grass, leaves and logs, whereas others were looking at the fairy tales that often are based within luscious green forests.

Each piece was carefully thought out and created and each represented the designer, they were all quite fun, quirky and all very different to anything I had ever come across before.

Finding a Placement

I have had to start investigating placement opportunities for next year as many companies have their deadlines very soon. I have already sent out feelers to a few smaller designers and have fully applied to  PSA Peugeot Citroen. It took me a very long time to do too. I am determined to get a good placement though.

Although my course sets me up as a designer, I am much more interested in the marketing, management side of a company. I half wish I had taken a course in one of these areas rather than product design, however, design is a passion of mine and I do want to maintain design and the techniques within my career.

I am unsure if this will ever become a reality but I am determined to try and believe that I will be incredibly good at it.

Yesterday I saw the saying;

'She can turn her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans'

Lignia

'one of the most environmentally friendly timbers on the planet' - HEALS

Lignia has the performance and appearance of traditional hardwood and is created from sustainable plantation timber.

A simple Compound is impregnated through Lignia and locked in to add permanent strength and colour.

It can be recycled like any other solid wood but the locking of the compounds is irreversible.

Lignia is eco-friendly. It does not use up slow growing and limited unsustainable hardwoods.

Push and Spin

I have just completed my sharpener project, display board. I required an extension to the deadline due to swine flu. However, I am now fully recovered and although off for 3 weeks I have only fallen 1 week hand-in behind and shall be up-to-date after tomorrow. Anyway, the sharpener project was a good start of the year project, with a basic thought process and mostly sketch work. We were not allowed to use CAD within this project and just had to produce a final design. Mine is fairly basic, called push and spin, due to the action required whilst using it. You need to push in the 'wings' which pushes the blades onto the pencil and then you spin the pencil to sharpen. This is ideal for preventing lead ends getting trapped as well as being very child friendly as they are less likely to slit their fingers if they push them into the hole.

I have enjoyed the project a lot, but am looking forward to starting a more adventurous design idea. The next project is future transportation, which is a small group project. I cannot wait for this to start and really want to get a hard working group which will push me to do better, as well as letting me motivate them. A lot of my best work is produced whilst in a group as I am a good team leader and enjoy taking a leading role, however, I can sit back if I am needed to and take a very hard working team professional attitude. I want my group to be able to communicate effectively, work well together and produce an exciting, conceptual new idea.

Patrick Blanc

Someone that has caught my eye in the world of design is Patrick Blanc. His Vertical Garden is a sensational monument to society and eco-friendly design. A way of introducing plants into a city of concrete and bricks, it is a beautiful structure that is created without soil. It is light-weight and can be implemented both inside or outside and is watered to perfection with a self watering system.

I believe that this type of creation is essential for helping towards our planets eco-friendly future. Whether or not you believe in global warning and possible disaster, it is a designers responsibility to try and help preserve the worlds resources if possible. I love this design purely for it's beauty however, I also believe that it's eco-friendly nature and green footprint creates a whole new and wonderful level for such a creation. Although the work is copy-write to Patrick Blanc I am interested in using such a design ethic in my work.

Paul Smith

Today I have had to do a presentation upon Paul Smith's Company, There is very little information about the company as it seems that he is quite protective about figures and information. I was surprised to find that he owns 250 stores in Japan whereas only another 100 elsewhere internationally. They range from Australia, Saudi Arabia and UK, with an online shopping experience which can rival most high street designer companies and can be transported to almost every country globally. Paul Smith is an international company that is well known specifically for people around middle-aged, with his men's shirts bringing in most of the revenue. 

Phillipe Starck

Phillipe Starck's work is both innovative and modern, however as an example, his Juicy Salif is not a great design. With the juice flowing over the sides and down the legs this produces a wide spread sticky mess that is not appreciated by any user. Although it is a useless lemon squeezer the product is smooth and beautiful, with it's eye-catching and provocative curves producing an organic ornament. The object has often been described as spider like and often being referenced as being inspired by 'The War of the Worlds' alien invasion.

His work is often referred to as 'over-designed' however, many of his more recent works seem to have seen this change. His ethos however, remains the same throughout all his life's work, looking at honesty, integrity and ensuring that a product is not 'a throw-away object'.

I am not particularly a fan of Starck's work. I believe that although his objects are beautiful and creative that without being functional objects they should not be sold with such a name. As an ornament the objects within question would be perfectly adequate, however as functional working objects they are useless designs. Function should not be completely forgotten about to enable form to be experienced. As a designer I work to be influenced by both form and function, as without either a product does not signify anything or work towards anything of any value.

Design and Me

I am a young designer, currently taking a degree in Product Design at Nottingham Trent University. As a creative and innovative designer I am looking into taking a placement year within design and should hopefully be working between July 2010 and September 2011. Although this is dependent upon finding an opportunity within industry.

I am still unsure about what I intend upon doing with this blog, however, I am hoping that perhaps I can create a space in which I can start to figure out myself as a designer and hopefully encourage others to interact and think about design and the world around them.