RR04

It has always been common belief to me that a companies success largely depended on public perception of them, through the quality of their product or service and above all, their identity. What I found most surprising from this reading is a quote from the end of the chapter "A good product or service, however, does not necessarily require an expensively contrived image," which seems like common sense, but is often trumped by the social norm that society has placed on the business world. Though an image is just that, and a company cannot think to survive based on it, the power of a graphic is astounding, if lacks a compliance to the identity of the product or the company, it's contradiction can have adverse effects on the company's success much like British Airlines' multi cultural tail fin graphics. On the note of Britain I found how revamping an image is not always the best course of action, as tradition or precedent can go stand as a staple in a society, seen in the telephone kiosks replaced at the expense of public support and national image. Identity is a complicated essence though, as it not only about the product or a fancy logo, it can come down to how a company is run from it's dress code to efficiency in design of space/environment to the box in which it comes in, but is solely dependent on the company as each requires something different in order to continue success and expansion (IBM v Macintosh). I found the chapter on systems a bit confusing, mostly because of it's lack of definition and broad scale that it can be found. From the overall design of road way signs (multi colored, and using a universal code to create a simplistic set of guidelines) and metros or the Underground's map designs to the utilization of modular design to create many different variants of a single product that can be completed simply upon demand by the consumer, built when bought and quickly turned out and delivered. On a side note, I found the Japanese metro station design to be very interesting, making it completely accessible to all, as it created the easiest possible guidance from route to route as well as to the blind using braille as well as special floor tiles to guide those without sight even to the closest kiosk to buy a ticket for the train. It seems though, that design in systems is meant to decrease costs at all costs, with modularity or interchangeable parts first seen from the innovation by Eli Whitney, companies can make the same product cheap from the beginning or make themselves globally accessible by create changes at the last possible moment adjusting for regional differences as seen by Hewlett Packard. Designing to user specifications and creating something with interchangeable parts seems to be the most efficient way in which to make a product as versatile and widely accepted as possible.

CR04

The last lecture was actually why I looked into (bio medical engineering) Industrial Design, wanting to help the disabled to live more fulfilling lives. It began when I went to Obama's Presidential Inauguration, where I attended a conference of Young Leaders. One of our key note speakers was Eric Weihenmayer, the first blind man to scale Mt. Everest. With his determination he made his way up the mountain, this determination has carried throughout his life as he'd wrestled and rock climbed in high school. After this grandiose achievement he devoted much of his time to creating camps for the disabled to enjoy extreme sports, as well as putting together some engineering projects, such as one in which he a head mounted camera goes through a computer, and relays the image to a sensor that is placed on the wearers tongue, taking another sensory object and giving it two senses. It was projects like these and other prosthetics that looked outside of the box which fascinate me about this section of the field. Surprising though, I hadn't thought about the other physical disabilities. I mean I typically see ramps and handicapped parking spaces, but to make websites that are accessible to the color blind or even making things more accessible for those with ADD and Dyslexia hadn't occurred to me as disabilities or really needing attention to design. Overall this portion of the field excites me, and I hope that I can get into the program so that I can be making a difference in this manner one day.

Friendly (faces) by design

Just your average light socket always looking surprised just for you!

Sometimes they look sad. 

I always thought martini olives would be a bit happier.  

Making up for all of the disgruntled workers in the cold, this road department sign smiles to brighten your day while you sit in traffic. 

It's a wall. With two eyes and a bulbed nose, looks more like a badger than a person though.

I could make a runny nose joke here, but I'll spare you this time. 

The hook on the inside of the stall door in my bathroom. I feel like I'm being watched. 

Survey

I took a pole from a set of 12 completely unrelated questions to find out the preferences of people and to find consistent behavior amongst the problems of college students of OSU (the cold, comforts/freedoms or traditional/change, the lesser of two evils inconvenience/irritation and to see how curious they really are).
The questions were:

1.  If your feet were impervious would you prefer bare feet or shoes? 
2. Would you prefer to have perfect vision but could only see in grayscale or be able to see the most vivid colors but they be blurry?
3. Would you rather have all knowledge or the ability to learn?
4. Living conditions aside, would you rather bounce around on the dark side of the moon or swim in the sun?
5. Would you rather have your own life soundtrack or be able to hear others?
6. If planes and boats travelled at the same speeds which would you rather take?
7. Which do you appreciate more, music or writing?
8. Would you rather always have sticky or itchy hands?
9. Would you rather have one soul mate or many loves?
10. Would you rather live in an ice castle or sand castle?
11. Which would you rather have melt over your head, ice cream or chocolate?
12. Would you rather be the sole speaker of a language or the only one who doesn't understand it?

Insistently Curious

Funny how students going to college would prefer to learn something, rather than just know it all. Also people would prefer to find out more about others being able to listen to others life soundtracks opposed to one of their own.

Tradition or Change

It seems that those polled are less interested in what they have and more of what the possibilities could be. 

Heat

Enough said, it's below freezing and most of who was polled were just getting in from it, warm fuzzy feelings tend to trump.

Inconvenient or irritating

When it comes down to it, these questions had varying answers due to varying preferences to the specific questions. Some people despised stickiness others just didn't like the idea of being cold or isolated. Overall though, inconvenience was a winner. 

CR03

I found the process of design to be very similar to that of writing a paper. You can brain storm in all directions as in Branching, you can pick a topic and revise as you go as in cyclical or just take a straight shot through (much like last minute papers). Though I realize that it is widely used I still can't help but feel that it is overly simplified and the process is a little more complicated, but then again I have yet to try it, and I suppose I can't dock it until I've at least given it a go. I do like that you must analyze all of the constraints and limitations before proceeding with a design though. It ensures that only the best product, space design will be developed, instead of haphazard pieces thrown together. Like I said though, it does seem fairly simple, if not too simple a process, but it also seems tedious especially in the research and conceptualizing stages.

RR03

I found how cultural differences must go in account to space design. Interior designers attempt to make it the most efficient with space limitations and cultural standards such as bath and overall room size such as the Japanese bathroom in comparison to the American. I especially found the work of smart cards to be interesting as 20 years ago it was cutting edge and less seen, but now is ubiquitous and one is even in my pocket at this moment. Lastly I found the standardization of companies especially services (food or hospitality) to be off putting but brilliant, as it creates a familiarity through basic standard rules in space design and architecture, no matter where you find yourself. Whether you're in Columbus or Tokyo, if you seen one Hilton Hotel or MacDonalds you've seen them all. I wasn’t very fond of the Visual Communication chapter, as it seemed to drone on about the different firms and their achievements, it was less about what they did. I did find that the church of latter day saints had a staff of over 60 V-C designers to be interesting, as they do a lot of genealogical work and missionary work, that I suppose call for extensive public support, and this acts as a type of advertisement. I did find in the Environment chapter, the part about Nike Town and how it was more of a research field rather than a store was fascinating. Though they do sell shoes there, it’s more about the release and reaction of prospective costumers which can go to keep their profit margins in the green from behind the scenes. Lastly, I’ve always been around IKEA’s but I never thought about the sheer genius of their stores’ design and way of doing business. With the build at home style they reduce their costs as well as the customers, but they have to, and succeed in, designing the furniture to be simply assembled by the layman. It is truly brilliant to allowing them to not only reduce all of their costs but also on an economic level build these products in Sweden helping their economy all the more.  

Alessandro Mendini: Innovazione in stare sederendo

In all of the designers I've both heard of and looked up in this project, there is no one who so successfully blurs the many very defined lines between art and design, and architecture and interior design. Alessandro Mendini, in his   
80 years has revolutionized the concept of design in chairs and architecture usually taking on rounded feminine shapes which Mendini believes simulates a sense of comfort especially in a house setting. The editor for three major Italian design magazines, Casabella, Domus and lastly Modo which he founded, he brought their focuses on neo avante garde concepts. 
Among his greatest accomplishments are his architectural designs which he created throughout his lifetime, the most famous being the Groningen Museum in Holland (seen below), the Teatro di Arrezo, Civic Tower in Sicily, Casino in Arosa, the forum at Omegna, and his collaboration to the Paradise Tower in Hiroshima, Japan. 

  He is most acknowledged for his creative, colorful and sometimes merely bizarre chair concepts. Mendini believed that a chair's design fell under the category of architecture, making each of his designs his next "artistic" masterpiece, designed to enlighten an individual or as he said "reawaken the [viewers] consciousness." His most notable concepts are the Proust (seen below) and Vassilij Armchair, Kandissi Divan, and the Dorifora and La Scala 

(seen below) armchairs. It was said that he took and incorporated the designs of the Bauhaus and Thonet, eventually creating his own school, the Global Tools Design school. As the innovator he was he was at the forefront, a driving force in the Nuovo Design or Neomodernismo movement classified by creating functionality alongside aesthetics in design.

In his many years in design he has gone through it all, designing products, teaching in Vienna, developing architectural concepts, writing and editing, working under many firms and starting many as well. As for his industrial/product design background he designed the geo coffee maker, Alessandro and Anna G. corkscrews (seen below), metroscape and cosmesis watches.

Of the firms he's worked with, he's worked for (mainly in his career) Aleesi, Cappellini, Cassina, Kundalini, Acme, Artemide, Zabro, Zanotta, Swatch (where he served as Art Director) and going into business with his brother, developing the architectural firm Atelier Mendini.
As legacies go, he has permanent exhibits at the Gilmar Paper Co., MOMA in New York City, the University of Parma, and the Aleesi Museum, as well as a commemoration at the Groningen Museum for designing the building. He has also received the prestigious Compasso d'Oro award for his work in and developing of Modo magazine. 



Alessandro Mendini. 2. Milan, Italy: Giancarlo Politi, 1989. 14;27;193. Print.


"Alessandro Mendini." Utility. Utility Retail, 2009. Web. 23 Jan 2011. <http://www.utilitydesign.co.uk/mall/infopageviewer.cfm/UtilityDesign/AlessandroMendini>.


"Alessandro Mendini." Alessi. Alessi, n.d. Web. 23 Jan 2011. <http://www.alessi.com/en/1/89/alessandro-mendini>.


"Alessandro Mendini." D-Side. D-Side, 2001. Web. 23 Jan 2011. <http://home.scarlet.be/d.side/pag43_074.htm>.


"Mendini Proust Chair." Great Interior Design. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://www.greatinteriordesign.com/search/design+blue+chairs>.


"La Scala Armchair." Retro Sofas. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://www.retrosofas.co.uk/products_view.php?prodpost=6&submit.x=66&submit.y=70>.


"Groninger Museum." Basvanderhorst. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://www.basvanderhorst.nl/school.php?page=profileschool&option=pro04>.


"Anna G. Corscrew." Herware. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://www.herware.com/>.

Karim Rashid: It's a white and pink thing

Probably considered the most well known designer in America, Karim Rashid, has some huge advances in design from product to interior. He is known for the designs of the Oh Chair, as well as the Garbo waste receptacle, and was a collaborator for the design of the Dirt Devil prototype. For excellence in interior design, he has designed the interior of the Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia and has won European wide awards for his design of the Semiramus Hotel in Athens, Greece. His works can be found around the world in popular art venues such as MOMA in NYC, SFMOMA, The Townhouse Gallery in his birthplace of Cairo as well as even the Wexner Center here at OSU. He is also the founder of Karim Rashid Inc. a highly successful design firm based in New York City. He is a repeated winner of the prestigious Red Dot Award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award (where some of his pieces reside), the Industrial Design Excellence Award as well as many more. For 10 years he also stood in as an Associate Professor for Industrial Design but mainly does lectures for aspiring students. 


"Karim Rashid Inc.." Architecture Page. Architecture Page, 24 Jan 2007. Web. 22 Jan 2011. <http://www.architecture-page.com/go/people/profiles/karim-rashid-inc__all>.


"Karim Rashid Biography." Biomega. Biomega, 2011. Web. 22 Jan 2011. <http://www.biomega.dk/biomega.aspx>.


"Karim Rashid Biography." Karim Rashid Official Website. N.p., 2011. Web. 22 Jan 2011. <http://www.karimrashid.com/biography_fr.html>.

Michael Bierut: Projections of Communication

Michael Bierut is a son of Ohio, an internationally recognized name in design and is a leading innovator in the field of Visual Communication. Amongst his greatest achievements: He began his illustrious career at big time firm Vignelli Associates. Following huge success there he moved on to the firm Pentagram where he is a partner. In his time there he's worked for big names such as United Airlines, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Walt Disney. He was president of the New York Chapter of AIGA for 2 years and head of the national association for 3 years. His work can be found at MOMA and the National Design Museum in New York, SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), Library of Congress as well as numerous other locations both in the US and even 2 abroad in Germany and Switzerland. He assisted with the film Helvetica, commemorative of the print face's 50th anniversary. He likes to spread his theory that design can be analogous to entertaining aspects like "baseball, movies or a piece of music." This withdraws the detachment some can get from many abstract design ideas. He is the founder of the online design journal/magazine Design Observer. He also is a member of the Architectural League of New York and New Yorkers for Parks as he designed many signs downtown NYC for directing tourists. Finally his top awards for design are an induction into the Art Directors Hall of Fame and into he Alliance Graphique Internationale.


Walker, Alissa. "Medalist-Michael Bierut." AIGA. AIGA The Professional Association for Design, 2011. Web. 22 Jan 2011. <http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/medalist-michaelbierut>.


Scher, Paula. "2003 Hall of Fame." Art Directors Club. Art Directors Club, 2010. Web. 22 Jan 2011. <http://www.adcglobal.org/archive/hof/2003/?id=197>.

RR02

While reading John Haskett's Design: A Short Introduction I liked his interpretation of design as being an evolution of invention or nature, layering improvement in efficiency or aesthetics from each generation. The coolest concept was his idea of the origins of design and it's accidental adaptation, as man's hand served as the ultimate tool, it was bettered, made jobs once done by them easier and more efficient. I find this interesting as almost all work done by man both in past as well as present is somehow derived from adaptations and designs built off the hand, such as using this computer: it is a replacement of typewriters, which succeeded handwriting, wall paintings all the way to the first time someone drew a symbol in the dirt with their finger. It is from this basis and idolization of the hand's design that we even strive to make things such as the growing field of robotics to be as anthropomorphic as possible. I also found how designs' perceptions change over time such as the VW Beatle being a Nazi Germany Propaganda machine to the lovable and popular selling Bug of modern day. Likewise I found how people adapt ideas and concepts into different functions (a product was made to do blank, but after experimenting with it, it becomes more versatile) over time. It had never occurred to me but the implications of differing cultures also has a lot to do with design and function; such as the japanese toothpick and it removable end to allow it's tip to not touch a table, this is due to the cultural standards/precedent with chopsticks. Another interesting aspect of design is how it can be regionally influenced, such as Coca-Cola having to change it's name in China to avoid a poor translation. This reminds me of the refrigerator brand talked about in class that attempted to sell their brand across all of europe, but ended up having over 120 designs due to the many different dietary habits of each region and country.

CR02

In the last few classes we looked back at the origins and history of design, and how it, like the field itself built upon itself and evolved from more basic forms. Despite most peoples views on history, I enjoyed learning about the dilemmas that a new industrial age brought in and how ordinary things such as the design of a toilet were of utmost importance. I especially liked seeing the evolution of the chair, and how they can at times defy the creed "form follows function" in order to solely give attention to the aesthetics of the chair instead of designing one of comfort and going in later to make it more presentable.

From the Wednesday class I found the descriptions of the different disciplines offered by OSU to be very helpful, even so to help me remove one (Visual Communication) as a potential specialty. As an industrial designer I have a broad range of potential career paths in product design ranging from shoes to toasters to MRI machines. I also am interested in interior design based on this presentation, as I like the idea of deciding the color of the walls but also how to maximize efficiency and safety for others in these spaces. I also found the practice of visual synthesis very interesting as I found that subtlety is an art in it's own.  

J02

I began this project looking high and low for what most would consider your typical pattern, repeating elements, similar colors and symmetrical images, looking in what I considered the obvious places. It was just walking around these areas that helped me to find the many unknown but often seen patterns that surround us on this campus.

Above is a picture of a friend's rug which displays a simple pattern of repeating colors, but also contains an order about it, deceptive by it's chaotic and wild appearance. I found it one night while sleeping on it, I mean it's kind of hard to miss such a rug which is why it made the top 10. 

 Walking back from the RPAC I couldn't help but notice these umbrella covered tables outside of the Thompson. The first three (left to right) displayed against the tones of the library, are exactly identical in spacing from one another as well as how they are turned. The odd one out (as can be seen by the angle of the umbrella) is turned differently, as well as shot with nature in the background.

Surrounded by flood drains one would see them as banal through their ubiquitousness, but this one found outside of the RPAC caught my eye on a rainy day. Its repetition, both vertically and horizontally, creates an interesting almost flowing water appearance, but it is the levels of repetition that really attracted me. The foreground flowing bars, middle ground connectors and the background black space.

This is the adornment of the outer wall of Lazenby Hall found across from the Thompson Library at Neil Ave. I wasn't even out searching for patterns, but the fact that I looked up is pretty amazing. I particularly like the contrasting likeness of flowing waves of the top part to that of the blocky bricks which stick out below. It also is an ever continuous pattern, a constant repeating wave. 

After going up to the 10th floor of the Thompson Library in search of a play the other day, I noticed this  repetitive and mesmerizing pattern on the walls of the library's elevator. I liked this due to its meticulousness in comparison to other patterns I'd seen. While others were bulky this contained hundreds of small interwoven metal loops, which together collectively reflect light to create an interesting image/pattern. 

While exploring downtown Columbus Friday night on our way to Contra dancing, my friends' and my eyes fell upon this church's rose window. I'm a sucker for ornate architecture as is, and there is plenty downtown, but this pattern follows all of the specifications (symmetry, repetition, etc) and even breaks from the rest, being circular instead of linear, not to mention that it also has many layers to its design and pattern. Also the flower petal shape is a nice contrast to the color and the physical rigidness of the stone.

Making my way between floors of the Thompson via stairs I found this simple repetition. These water main valves from first glance are identical, a nice thing for a pattern, but it is also how looking up from the bottom you can see them evolve from left to right. The top sign seems to fold up as it moves across and the valves' pressure gauges are increasing as well. Really the fact that something so subtle and not built for aesthetics can be so beautiful when seen from the right angle. 

Actually last night as I finished playing ping pong with a few friends in my dorm I spilled some water on my racquet. Shaking it to get the water it ended up creating something less intricate, but still spider web like, on the face. Not only do the water lines branching outward and intertwining with one another create somewhat of a pattern but the paddle's face also has the honeycomb shape of the pips in rubber. I rather liked this pattern as it could only be seen at a certain degree to a light source, making it even rarer as well as both repeatable (in process) but not in pattern design. 

The Thompson Library at night truly shows it's supreme symmetry and beautiful repetitions. From the pillars of the lower picture, to the windows' crosshatchings, the statues that overhang the space between the doors and even to the brick work, it is one full of patterns and excessive, almost gaudy outer design. This is the west entrance to the Library and as seen here can be extremely beautiful on a clear night. 

Finally, this is the gate which separates the streets to the courtyard of Siebert, Morrison, Canfield, etc halls. I actually found this pattern at the beginning of the school year even utilizing it's design for a little game that my friends and I invented called patio ball. If you look closely you can see a repetition of the bars positions which fit together like puzzle pieces. I've always liked it's cold looking appeal as well as it's good use of blank space in between the bars leaving it still effective as a gate while adding a little aesthetics to it. 

Reading Reflection 01

I read the article Volunteers Recycle 7000 Plastic Bottles into a Colorful Shingled Roof.
http://inhabitat.com/fizzy-bottle-roof-made-from-7000-plastic-bottles/
Known as the Fizzy Bottle Project, residents in Merton Abbey, London, England decided to collect soda and water bottles, crush them, essentially creating shingles to cover a hut made from 383 yards of  pvc piping and 60 recycled sign posts. Not only does this project create an environmentally friendly structure (through the exemplary use of recycling) but also served to bring a community of about 180 people together, involving everyone of them through the hut's 5 step building process. This project was recognized  in 2010 for many educational and environmental awards, both locally and city wide in London, and is only one of many installments in designer Louisa Loakes' Growing Gardens Project. 
I found this particular project interesting due to it's simplicity, environmentally geared efforts and socially/communal tying aspect. Though it's easily repeatable and did not really push the limits of modern design, the fact that it is the collective efforts of volunteers and donations from local businesses (tool hiring company lent the project a 2 ton Steamroller to crush the bottles) making this a nearly zero cost project. It not only stands as a piece of art and an environmental statement but is also economical, and go to set standards for decorative structures as well as other buildings as worldwide we move toward going "green", and to save a buck in times of global dismay. 

Journal 01 & Course Reflection 01

Howdy, my name is Chris Poche, I'm a freshman at The Ohio State University. I've lived my entire life in Lagrange, Ky (about 30 mins outside of Louisville and an hour south of Cincy) but have made up for this with many travels around the US and the world. I'm an avid music listener, (having a taste in nearly everything but Country) and can rarely be seen without my earphones being far off. As of late I've been listening to a lot of The Shins, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, The Beatles, Regina Spektor and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I am both an athlete and sports fan, playing mainly tennis, soccer, and basketball, and cheering for more or less every Chicago-land team (not the Cubs), as well as Chelsea Football Club. On the opposite spectrum though, I was highly active in my Theatre Department in high school and hope to continue to stay with acting despite not being a theatre major in undergrad. I'm a fairly easy person to get along with and like to believe I've got a pretty good sense of humor. I generally like to take my time in life, or as much as one can on a college campus, so if you see someone walking slow admiring everyone in a hurry on the oval, stop by and say hi. I like to read the things most dread (Classic novels and Shakespeare) and I'm obsessed with films (Kubrick, Tarantino and Wes Anderson are a handful of favorite directors)  and am always looking for new suggestions to watch. Lastly, I'm an adventurer, amateur of course, but I look forward to getting lost, or just seeing where a situation is bound to take me, it breaks the monotony of life and I usually aim to have 1 or 2 a week. If you have any other questions about me, just introduce yourself to me or tag along, I'm always looking to meet new people.
I'm currently Undecided, but I'm looking at going into the Industrial Design on account to my interests in engineering, design and marketing. Design 200 is really for me to test the waters, learn what it is to be a designer, to think like one, and to hopefully to be successful as one, one day. I am fascinated by the inner workings of most things, and ponder about them, from things as simple as watches to the LHC. I began to consider this field after my success as a Production Editor (graphic and layout designer) of my high school's state award winning paper, and am hoping that, that visual communication experience can carry over to industrial design. More so I would like to understand exactly what design is, as opposed to the preconceived stereotype which has been imposed on me. So now it's time to reboot, learn and see if I have what it takes to be a designer.