Reading Reflection 04

I really enjoyed how Haskett concluded his book with Chapter 9 and Chapter 10. Chapter 9 "Contexts" focused on three main contexts: professional organization, business, and government policy. He also touched on public opinion at the end of the chapter as a fourth context. Professional organization is defined as how designers see themselves,allowing designers much free will and little structure that is associated with most professions. I find it very interesting how once a large company makes a mark and people start to recognize their products that you tend to begin to see other smaller companies coming out with similar products. I never realized how much the government uses design in other countries and the benefits that they have reaped from having these design councils.  I think that the United States would greatly benefit from incorporating a design team and would perhaps enhance their strategies and outlooks for the country. I thought this chapter was very interesting. It emphasized how design was affected by these contexts, but were not dependent on it like other professions.  It further shows readers how design differs from other jobs, but how it is essential in the way we live and evolve as humans. It's subjective nature sets it apart from professions that are primarily objective. Chapter 10 "Futures" describes how design has evolved throughout history. I am amazed in the technology that has been developed in the past couple of years, so I can only imagine being old enough to have seen the rapid evolution of the computer. The technologies that have been adapted and the advanced computers have made a significant contribution to the evolution of design. What designers are able to develop on computers now is incredible so I can only imagine what designers will be creating in the next ten or fifteen years. Design has began to focus on third world countries and impoverished communities. I think that this is opening a whole new realm of possibility. I like that designers has not just trying to develop the coolest, new gadgets, but also are making a conscience effort to better the world that we all live in. As time goes on, in evidently, more problems will arise in the world ( diseases, death, genetics, global warming, etc.). It will be interesting to see how designers respond to these changes and are able to adapt their concepts and ideas to target these new issues. It makes you wonder if there will ever be a time when technology and design catch up to what is happening in the world or if nature will always be one step ahead of us.

Journal 09: Coleman Project- Personal Documentation

Project as a Whole
I worked in a group with Becky Beaulieu, Erica Loughry, and Jonathan Thomas. The first day we were introduced to the project our group mainly focused on throwing out as many ideas as possible. We defined who Coleman is as a company. We believe that Coleman is a family-friendly company who pride themselves on the quality of their products. We tried to figure out what Coleman would want to be portrayed in their home products. Since Coleman emphasizes the environment we wanted to focus on environmental friendliness, as well as continuing to supply quality, reliable, and affordable products. After bouncing ideas back and forth, from wireless charging mats to our final product of solar shades. Our customers would be people who are looking to save money and redecorating their home. The shades would use to sun's energy to power a wireless outlet. At first Gabe was hesitate about the technology that would be required to make our product work. After doing some research, we figured out the it was feasible from then on everything fell into place. Jonathan had to most experience working with modeling programs and Google Sketch-up. He was the one who primarily designed the kiosk. Becky came up with some great packaging and logo ideas, so she focused on designing those. Erica worked with me on the Prezi as well as made the wireless outlet in Google Sketch-up.

Individual Contributions
My main contribution to the group was researching all of the technology and making sure that our product design was actually feasible. It was pretty difficult to find information about what we were specifically looking for. However, after reading a bunch of articles and finding a diagram that could not only explain to our group exactly what would happen in the process but also in an easy way for the audience. I also collaborated with Erica on the Prezi. We wanted to make sure that we used as little words as possible in the presentation and made it mostly visual. Since our product may have been out of the realm of peoples' believability we wanted to make sure that we showed a step by step orientation of how the product would work and how we came to those conclusions. I also designed and created the models that we passed around during our presentation. I felt like those were an important element to our presentation and it gave the audience an up close look at our product.

Our Prezi Presentation: Prezi

Section of Research



Overall, I really enjoyed working on this project. I also think that group projects are useful in helping students adapt to the workplace. It is important to draw on each members strengths and create the best product based upon that. I feel like we all brought different skills to the table but also meshed very well. I think our product turned out well. If given more time and more experience I would be interested to see where we could have gone with our design.

Journal 10: Final Thoughts on the Course

I enjoyed Design 200 even more than I had initially anticipated. I have never taken a class that is based solely on participation, group work, and reflection. Instead of cramming for exams I actually was required to look at what I had learned or worked on and analyze it. I felt like I not only learned how to become a constructive critic of others work but also of my own. This is a very hard skill to acquire in my mind. Gabe encouraged us to be honest and that what we put in is what we will get out. This is an invaluable skill that I may never have be challenged with if I had taken Design 200 with Gabe. I definitely enjoyed reading the book by McDonough more than Haskett, however I definitely see the value and importance of Haskett. For students just starting their journey in design, it is important to understand the history and concepts of design. My favorite part of the quarter was the Coleman for the Home project. It allowed us to work together and incorporate all of the information and skills that we built throughout the whole quarter. It enabled me to see how much I have grown as a "designer" and how much more there is for me to learn. I am excited to continue to venture down this path and unravel even more things that I have yet to learn. Although I am only pursuing a minor in design, I believe that the basic skills that design requires will enable me to be a more creative and successful person in whatever I pursue in my future. Thank you Gabe for an amazing quarter. You definitely have a unique way of teaching, but I think it may be more effective than most teaching methods and your passion for design is apparent which only encourages students further.

Course Reflection 05

On the first day of presentations 6 groups presented their products. The idea was to create a home good for Coleman and target specific users, while also designing the product, the packaging, and the display kiosk. Group 2 introduced the HotTop which is a collapsible grill with a refrigerator underneath. I thought their product was cool because they tried to incorporate Coleman outdoor products into a home good design. I did however think that there kiosk design was kind of confusing. I wasn't sure what the purpose of the side shelving was. Group 3 came up with the idea of a revolutionary desk. I was very impressed by the group's product, packaging, and kiosk sketches. It added a different perspective since our was done completely on the computer. Group 5 presented an idea on a twin bed under a canopy that has drawers underneath. I wasn't sure how big the packaging was expected to be however, since the bottom wood part was quite large. Also I thought that they could have done more with the packaging, instead of just a suitcase looking thing. They had good ideas but the did not address the client nearly enough. I think that is one of the most important things. If the clients needs are not addressed and they don't see anything that directly benefits them, they are not even going to sponsor the product for sale. Group 6 introduced a hammock that turned into a table. I like how their kiosk idea was half indoor and half outdoor. That way when long term Coleman users so the kiosk they have an easy transition into the home good section of Coleman. I also thought that their packaging was really interesting and unique. Group 7 presented the idea of collapsible bowls. When they first introduced the product I immediately thought that the product already existed and could not get that out of the back of my mind. Also I thought they could have added something to the display kiosk to make their product stand out and grab attention, it was a little too simple. Group 8 presented the idea of EcoStat, which is an app for smartphones, itouch, and ipads. It is used to show how much energy savings they have accumulated. I thought that their graphics were really well done and it looked like they spent a lot of time of them. I also liked their kiosk because it reminded me of a revised Apple Store, very simple and sleek. Group 9 created a white board lamp that they named Elements. It had magnetic shelves that are detachable from the lamp. I liked their packaging idea with the sleeve so that the box is reusable. I felt like their kiosk really didn't add anything to enhance their product however. The Nature Treadmill was created by group 10. I thought that the idea was really unique and interesting. They had a very clear explanation of the product and why the user/client would be interested in the treadmill. I think that they spent a little too much time on the Wii product instead of promoting the treadmill. The Jacks designed Ustemsils which are detachable utensils. They used the fold-able cutting board that is also used for packaging. I thought this was a unique way to incorporate reusable materials. The Queens designed The Green Light. I was kind of confused about what the product actually was. They didn't have many pictures or sketches of their product. I think that would have helped instead of having a PowerPoint full of text. I really liked the idea that the Kings had for their Coleman for the Home product. They called it the Space Saving Cooktop and Table. I thought they did an amazing job showing their graphics and explaining exactly how the product would work in a way that people who do not know much about science could understand. It was a good idea that it is easily fold-able and that it does not need to be plugged in to receive power. The final group was the Aces. The did a product called the Deluminator. It was essentially an expandable rod that can be used to take a light bulb out or screw it back into place. The top it also detachable and it comes with a paint roller accessory. I think I have seen a product like this before but it was cool how they made it so that accessories could be taken on and off and used for different tasks. Overall, I really enjoyed hearing about all of the groups ideas. I always find it interesting the vast range of creativity that comes from different groups of people. I think I learned a lot by hearing everyone talk about their designs.

Course Reflection 04

The past four classes we have been working on Assignment 05, which is Coleman for the Home. Our job as a group was to create a product that Coleman could use as a home good. After the first day my job was off to a great start with coming up with ideas. We started with one idea and just kept feeding off of it until the final product evolved. I think that brainstorming out loud and bouncing ideas off of all of the group members really helped to incorporate all of our creativity into the best possibly product. From there we started to figure out the logistics of our product and had to make sure that technology was up to date with our idea, which is was. After that everything just seemed to fall into place. We are presenting tomorrow and hopefully everyone will be as excited about our idea as we are. Everyone in the group worked really hard and had different talents to add to the group. This made it easy to split up the work to produce the best presentation possible. I really enjoyed working on this project. I think it was a great way to end the quarter or Design 200 and really put design as a minor into perspective. Needless to say, I am very excited about what more the program has to offer.

Journal 08: Media Reviews

Design & Color

1) How Color Influences Consumer Behavior

//www.colourlovers.com/blog/2009/03/25/how-color-influences-consumer-behavior

2) Seeing Through the Eyes of the Color-Blind Shopper: Developing Dialogues for Understanding

http://www.colormatters.com/kaufman.html

3) How Color Affects Your Marketing

http://evyw.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/how-color-affects-your-marketing/

4) Infographic: How Color Affects Our Purchasing Habits

http://www.good.is/post/infographic-how-color-affects-our-purchasing-habits/

5) Study Hints at How Colors Affect Human Behavior

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/147888/Study-hints-at-how-colors-affect-human-behavior

6) How Does Color Affect Learning?

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4570805_color-affect-learning.html

I have always found color to be very intriguing. It has an unexplainable way of completely changing the mood of something. Brightness and vibrancy usually indicate excitement and fun, while cool, dark colors tend to show solemness, sadness, or calmness. Based on the articles that I have read and the research that has been done on color I feel like there is a strong correlation between color and the way people respond to products. In class we briefly discussed the color wheel and why color is essential in design, including communication of information, psychology of color, and color in branding and marketing. Many companies use colors so that consumers can associate certain information with special brands. I was specifically interested in this topic because I am a marketing major and learning about color can really help with my future career. Also, there are many suggestions of how certain colors convey different moods in humans. I found all of these correlations in class to be very interesting and made me want to explore color in more depth. 

How Color Affects Consumer Behavior

According to this source, color is one of the most influential factors on websites, mail, and packaging. It states that red and orange are the two colors which are most likely used to encourage consumers to  buy the product. Blue and green indicate safety, which is mostly used by banks and shows the user the seller can be trusted. There are several examples in this article of websites and how they use colors to encourage what they provide. 

Seeing Through the Eyes of the Color-Blind Shopper: Developing Dialogues for Understanding

I found this article to be particularly interesting because it incorporates color and the issue of accessibility as well. The article brings up a very interesting and valid point about product marketing. Companies use bright colors to catch consumers attention, but single out the color-blind population from their branding. It addresses the concern that since color-blind people process color information differently, distortions affect how consumers select products and their ability to operate effectively in shopping environments. People think that warning labels should be printed with universal labels and in colors that are not prone to color distortion (i.e. red or green).

How Color Affects Your Marketing

Color has a non-verbal communication associated when consumers view products. Sometimes colors induce a physical response, such as a raise of blood pressure with red, and sometimes it has a cultural meaning. This source briefly introduces the color wheel so the audience can follow along with their thought process. Black= power and authority. Often used in fashion to make people look thinner. Also used to make other colors pop. White is worn by doctors to imply sterility and by brides to show purity. They bring up that colors can mean different things in different cultures (Eastern=mourning/funeral). They go on to describe many other colors and the associate connected with each. This source would be important for someone to look at if they are trying to induce a specific emotion.

Infographic: How Color Affects Our Purchasing Habits

This article introduces an infographic by KISSmetrics to show readers how colors affects their purchasing decisions. 93% of shoppers indicate visual appearance as the most important factor when shopping and that color in the primary reason they purchase a specific product. Specific colors are then introduced and are explained which kind of shopper it targets. For example, yellow grabs the attention of window shoppers. They also go through the colors that attract compulsive buyers (i.e. red and orange in fast food, outlet stores, and clearance sale venues), shoppers on a budget, and traditional buyers. 

Study Hints at How Colors Affect Human Behavior

A new study in documented in this articles that describes how the brain reacts to colors. Red improves attention to detail and blue triggers creativity. The study was performed on college students through cognitive tests on a computer. Since red means danger the researchers believe that people take more time to process information and read warning labels. This study is the first to associate blue with creativity, so if evidence proves it to be true there could be a big change in the future. However, the articles emphasizes that this is a subconscious reaction to color and sometimes it can have an adverse effect. For instance, they realized that if red was flashed in front of someone it deterred from their performance, possibly causing people to think of red pen marks of teachers which equals failures or mistakes. 

How Does Color Affect Learning?

It is proven that children retain information longer when color is used while learning. Visual learning is a very large component of learning and color stimulates visual senses. Red, orange, and yellow increase brain activity, while blue, green and purple induce relaxation. Teachers can use these colors in the classroom while teaching and may be able to alter certain things based on possible learning disorders such as ADHD which would benefit from relaxing colors. According to this article, babies who grow up with a colorful room have an increased rate of intelligence, then those who do not. Color encourages creativity and increases the attention span of a child as well. Color also affects adults. College classrooms should be colorful to increase learning. Place of entertainment should be colorful to encourage a fun experience. 

Reading Reflection 03

Diving into the rest of Cradle to Cradle was quite eyeopening. The first chapter goes into brief detail about the Industrial Revolution and its effects. I was shocked by the statistics that the authors gave stating that 90% of all the products we use turn straight into waste. They go on to talk about how being less bad is no good. They disagree that it is inevitable that damage will be done to the environment and think that we need to work towards eliminating the damage altogether. They really bring to light the amount of toxins and chemicals that are in products that we use daily and never stop to think how and what the products are made from and how they could not only affect us and our health but the environment. The authors made a very interesting point that by using recycling bins and other eco-efficient initiatives we are not stopping the harm to the Earth we are just slowing down the deterioration slightly. I had never thought about it that way to be honest. I never realized that it was possible that the things they were using to make these environmental friendly products might actually be causing damage itself. Chapter 3 really put things into perspective for me because while I was reading the beginning of the book I kept thinking that they had a great point and idea but how would they actually implement it. Their solution of "eco-effectiveness" makes a ton of sense. Instead of spending time reducing, we should be spending our time and energy coming up with a completely new game plan to eliminate future damage. The fact that they portrayed their idea through the actual presentation of the book makes the idea real. I really learned a lot when reading about how biological and technical nutrients work within nature. Biological nutrients are products that can be returned to the Earth and that we have to capability to design the majority of products as these nutrients. The ones that cannot be biological nutrients are technical nutrients which can be reused to make new products. Having known this information I do not understand why designers would ever implement "unmarketables" into their products which are hard to recycle and are considered hazardous. After having my eyes opened to this I cannot understand why humans would ever begin to make products which could not safely be returned into the soil. Clearly nature has never had a problem producing what it needs and reusing it, so humans should have the same capabilities and there is no excuse to ruin the environment for it. I think it was clever to start the book using Ford and then ending it with the same company. The book talks about how Ford has implemented eco-effective ideas into their factories. Ford should be used as a model for companies all over the world as to what needs to take place in order to turn our environmental damage around. This book made me think about the future a lot. I know there are an abundance of concerns already involving the condition of the Earth and how we are treating it. If we do not start making drastic changes to the way we think and live the futures of our children and grandchildren could be troubled. I think this is a great book not only as a member of society but as a possible future designer. Everyone should be aware of what is happening and needs to happen. However, as designers we are the forefront of the future. It is our job to take the information and make the changes necessary so people can still have quality products but products that are environmentally safe as well.