IDEO

This video was extremely appealing to me because i did not know the extent of how long it takes to create a new product that is not only functional, but convenient, visually appealing, and realistic. IDEO also uses the strategy of a team, which is a great way to collaborate ideas, even if they are outlandish or ridiculous because you feed off of those crazy ideas to make genius ones. It also helped our group in vision how to work in a group for this $5 design project by dividing up the tasks to the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and coming together to help mesh them together. The IDEO video also showed the idea that any product can be redesigned into something better or more creative, such as the shopping cart, or the ice scrapper our group chose. Another interesting point the video made was that pretty much everything you see from day to day was thought up in the long thought process of recreating or creating the design of the product. Another thing i liked about this video was that even though it was labor intensive and a long process recreating the shopping cart, the whole team seemed to enjoy themselves, no matter how weird the next persons idea was everyone took it into consideration and played off of them. No one seemed to be shut down, or have a limit to their creativity on how elaborate the idea was. Our teams goal on our project with the ice scrapper is to bounce ideas around from each person and pick our the best ones, just like they did in the video. The IDEO video also showed me that you can take pieces and parts of each persons idea to create different aspects of our product, and that we don't just have to have one great idea of one object, but we can mix and match

Better Design for $5

Successful Object Drawings

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This series of drawing i chose as one of my five most successful because i think have very interesting view points, as well as a nice light and dark contrast which makes it intriguing to the viewer. Although the drawing in the bottom right corner is not as well done as the other contours, it gives the whole page a fascinating composition.

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This is one of my most favorite pages because all of the picture planes are different and there is a variety of different drawings. i particularly think that the drawing on the top left is the most successful because even though it is a scribble drawing it still gives the object shape and form through the contrast of lighter and darker scribble lines. The drawings on the bottom are very interestingly layer out on the picture plane which is why i think the whole page in its entirety is successful rather than just each individual drawing.

This scribble drawing is quite similar the the one above, and i liked the way the one  above came out so i decided to try a new one on a lager scale. I consider this drawing successful because it takes up most of the picture plane and really focuses on the light and dark points and the scribble technique gives it character. it also starts to show the form of all the curves on the shaft of the key.

This drawing is fairly different from the other four above because it doesn't fill a whole page and there isn't complete definition of shade on the top. It is simply just a mix between contour and cross contour and i think the simplicity of it is successful in  defining what the object really is and its shape. I also think this drawing is successful because the top is just a simple contour and there is no shading which allows the bottom to show emphasis of all the curves and detail. 

Good Design Key

Good Design Key

Many of our most valuable, meaningful, and precious things remain safely untouched behind closed doors by one small, effortless tool: a key. Though some are more aesthetic to the eye by intricate design than others, many of the most useful products are kept simple. I own one of the most fascinating keys, and though it may seem obsolete because it is an antique, it has endured many years of use, which is why I think it is so well designed. It holds a special place in my heart, as well as the lock in our grandmother’s china cabinet.

Dieter Ram's article on ten principle for good design states that to make a product useful it has to be functional and appealing to the eye as well. This key is nothing short of an aesthetic antique because of its lavish curves and sleek finish. Many old fashioned designs attract people at first, until it is not functional and just for show, which makes this key so special because even though it is decades old it still works just as well as when it was made. This object is easy to handle, simple, and beautiful. Its design does not overpower the simplicity of its beauty, and it does not take on a name bigger than its own. It is honest, and it is not so dramatically designed that the object isn't able to let the user put their personal touches on it. So many products are overwhelming with too much detail and too many lines, but going back to Dieter Ram's ten commandments; simple is one of the most essential necessities of a well-designed product.

Our most sacred objects instill memories we have in various ways, and if it isn't long lasting how can we ensure that we will have it years from now? The lines of age and worn patches of silver though out the years give my key its own personality and show the physical proof of a long lasting design. The ten principles for good design really helped me evaluate what it means to have a well-designed product. It is not just appealing to the eye, or just simply useful, or even just a simple and handy tool. It is a combination of all these things. In the words of Dieter Rams, good design is as little as possible.