Posts tagged with ‘design’

Check out this very cool technology being developed by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University.

It will be very cool when the components get smaller and quality refined! Imagine this tech embedded in helmets, goggles, car roof/headrest, etc. It will open the possibility to interact with information and our environment in new ways, and allow us to push design in new directions. 

The Story of Electronics…

I would love to see more responsibility on the electronics industry!!!

Good design

How good is a good design?

Today I was reading a post at the core77 forum from someone asking if innovation was a requirement for a good design. Innovation topic aside, it is first worth defining what makes a design to be good.

One of the main differences between Art and Design is that Design should solve a set of problems. Traditional marketing and design research can be used to discover existing and latent problems that are most of the time not clear or fuzzy.

Once problems are summarized and opportunities found, it is also possible to weight and prioritize problems/solutions based not only on users opinions but also taking into consideration the needs from all the stakeholders involved.

For example: maybe users need feature X and wish feature Y. The distribution channel requests feature Z and the manufacturer can only do X and Z to get the product at the right market price, keep the cost under control (the shareholders happy with the right profit margin) and deliver the product on time before Christmas season.

The role of the designer will be to balance these priorities and find solutions to complex problems that have many different angles. The designer will need to keep in mind not only a good usability but also the business and marketing objectives of the project and understand what is the role of the project on the product/service ecosystem of the client. Good design must be done with a strategic approach. 

A good design will address the most important problems under a specific context and so, it can be measured. If the design increases sales and client satisfaction it can be measured. If it reduces manufacturing times, cost, pollution, increases flexibility, etc, etc, etc, it can be measured.

Art is self expression, is timeless and subjective. Design is contextual and solves specified problems. Design can be measured depending on the degree in which it reaches the project’s objectives. An average design should reach the goals, a good design will reach objectives in a more efficient way.

To put it more clear: Good design = effectiveness and efficiency.

Thanks again to my friend Anton for sharing this interesting video in which we can appreciate some very interesting insights about the Chinese market. 

It is fascinating to see the contradictions on the market and some of the aspects in which western countries are totally opposite.

Peter Skillman on the importance of failing and learning. Great video!

(Thanks Anton for sharing!)

This is another of those ideas that come up but I never find time to explore.  The Knitter Speaker is a concept for an audio product in which the user can decide the look and feel by knitting the cover. When finished knitting, the needles can be used as antennas for the radio. This involvement of the user aims to create a more emotional relation between the user and the product. As an additional benefit, this alternative cover allows to reduce pollution by avoiding the use of paint on the manufacturing process. Since the knitting cover can be replaced, the product life cycle can be extended and the device personality adapted to different seasons or environments. The front pocket provides storage for the connector cable and can hold the connected device in place. Why not also use it to keep some candy in your desk? :)

This is another of those ideas that come up but I never find time to explore. 

The Knitter Speaker is a concept for an audio product in which the user can decide the look and feel by knitting the cover. When finished knitting, the needles can be used as antennas for the radio.

This involvement of the user aims to create a more emotional relation between the user and the product. As an additional benefit, this alternative cover allows to reduce pollution by avoiding the use of paint on the manufacturing process.

Since the knitting cover can be replaced, the product life cycle can be extended and the device personality adapted to different seasons or environments.

The front pocket provides storage for the connector cable and can hold the connected device in place. Why not also use it to keep some candy in your desk? :)

I’m happy to include this new Android Phone in my online portfolio.

I recently bought one to experience my own design and learn from it. 

Find out more @ http://bit.ly/android_phone

The Reader

Google reader is an OUTSTANDING tool to keep track of many websites. You can organize your feeds (blog subscriptions) in cathegories, share articles, send articles by email, send to facebook, twitter, etc.

Not many people know about reader and it seems more complicated than it really is. Maybe a problem is de UI design that looks so…”google” (beta).

It is the google app that I use most (besides gmail) and also have an app for my ipod (MobileRSS) that allows me to have access on the go and keep the articles synchronized across plattforms.

Today I subscribed to many blogs about UX (User Experience Design) and Design Thinking.

Give it a try! www.google.com/reader

How to give and receive design feedback

Thanks to my friend Angel Fausto for sharing this article.

The points are all good and valid but these are my favorites:

Start by clarifying the objective

Be respectful

Be specific

Provide justification

Find the original article here

I just found this very ice video from Design Continuum explaining their approach to Design Strategy. 

I can’t get enough!

What is Design?

Design is a creative activity that determines structural and functional relationships of the human environment, converting systems into coherent unities for both the user and producer.

Based on Tomás Maldonado’s definition of Industrial Design for the ICSID.

Flickr: The Dieter Rams pool

Very nice Flickr Group of products designed by the legendary Dieter Rams.

Found via Swissmiss.

I didn’t get to ask because he was too busy on the phone, but I’m almost certain he is an engineer! :P

I didn’t get to ask because he was too busy on the phone, but I’m almost certain he is an engineer! :P