Group Members:
Leah Choi http://dsgn200ljc.blogspot.com/
Ben Hickey http://boournsb.tumblr.com/
Kara Knight http://lovelaughdesign.blogspot.com/
Aaron Pack http://get-big-get-big.tumblr.com/
Allison Hoderle http://alh18.blogspot.com/

J08 http://zoller3.blogspot.com/2011/02/group-project.html
J09 http://zoller3.blogspot.com/2011/03/fridge.html

Last Sunday night our group finished our project. We presented on Monday and I think it went pretty well. I think our group had some really good ideas and overall a good product. However, a lot of the other groups did a better job at portraying their project through certain computer programs that digitalized their final product. I know our product was just hand drawn but I hope students didn't hold that against us and were able to appreciate it for it's concept and not it's looks. Overall our group worked great together. Leah was our team mom and kept us organized. She helped schedule where and when we would meet outside of class. She also helped keep us organize and on track. Leah also designed the floor plan of the kiosk. Kara did a great job at putting the PowerPoint together and drawing what the actual kiosk would look like. Ben was responsible for drawing the final product. He did a nice job at drawing the outside and inside of it and figuring out all of the dimensions. Aaron did a lot of research in our group and helped us figure out was possible, efficient and practical. He was also really good at drawing bears and singing Mario songs. Allison was in charge of drawing the packaging and what it would say on it the different sides of the boxes. I didn't have a specific task to do but I did come up with the original idea of the fridge. I did sketches in the beginning of what I thought it would like. And I helped present our product by doing the first few opening slides. I felt my role in this group could have been stronger if I had better drawing skills. I'm not bs-ing when I say this, I really liked working with all of my group members and would work with them on another project in a second. We all had different ideas and talents and were able to work together collaboratively. The project itself was a lot of fun. To start with nothing and two weeks later finish with a pretty sweet idea, research, and an actual design was an accomplishing feeling. I liked the creative thinking freedom it gave us.

Quarter in Review

I remember the first day of design class. I walked in, sat down and looked around. I remember looking at people and thinking I didn't belong. When I think of people in design, I think of artsy or hipster looking students. I remember seeing a lot of these type of people in class and realizing that wasn't me. As class went on, my stereotype had nothing to do with the class or what we were learning. As more weeks went on, I felt that I fit in more and more. I liked learning about the information we covered but I wish I would of realized that I didn't need to take notes. I was always rushing trying to copy down the notes. Once I realized that we wouldn't be tested on it, I stopped copying the notes and listening to Gabe more. One of my favorite topics we covered was color. I also liked the assignments we had that forced us to go outside of class and take pictures of our surroundings. These assignments, like the faces and letters, helped open my eyes and really start to notice little details around me. I didn't like the Haskett book we read. I thought it boring and too generic. I liked the recycled book better but at times it lost my interest too, but that is probably because I hate reading. Working in groups created a better environment for class. I had the opportunity to actually get to knows my classmates instead of just sitting there in silence for ten weeks. Working in groups also helped me think outside of the box because I was able to see other people's ideas. This class was very interesting and I'm almost 80% sure that I'm going to apply to the visual communication design program next year. Thanks for a great quarter Gabe!

THE Fridge

So in this past week we changed our ideas quite a bit. At first we were directing our product to be used as an indoor and outdoor good. After talking to Gabe on Monday, he wanted us to focus more on the indoor part of it. We decided to stick with our idea of a removable freezer but we changed it to a fridge instead of freezer. Kara had a breakthrough question for us when she asked us what we would do with the stuff in the freezer that we didn't want to be portable. We then realized our design wasn't as conveniet as we thought. We decided to put the freezer on the top instead of the bottom and still have french doors to the fridge. The bottom, removable section would an extension of the fridge and serve as a cooler that could be transported throughout the house or outside if desired. Ben resketched this new product. After figuring out the new dimensions of the fridge, Allison and Aaron worked on packaging together. Leah and Kara worked on the design and layout of the kiosk. I modified the Coleman logo to incorporate the home goods part of it. Outside of class, we met twice. We all scanned our notes and sketches to Leah and Kara. We met up Sunday night and worked on the powerpoint together. We also did a rough run through of what we would say for our presentation. Overall, I think our group worked really well together. Leah was definitely our group leader that kept us organized and on top of everything. But everyone else also had their own input and contributed equally. We all had different ideas to offer and by the end of the project, I think our design was definitely a collaborative one. Thinking back on it, it's weird to think that two weeks ago we started off with nothing and now we have this finished final product. I can't imagine what we would have with more resources and time. Watch out GE, Maytag, LG, and Kenmore!

Group Project

Group Members:
Leah Choi http://dsgn200ljc.blogspot.com/
Ben Hickey http://boournsb.tumblr.com/
Kara Knight http://lovelaughdesign.blogspot.com/
Aaron Pack http://get-big-get-big.tumblr.com/
Allison Hoderle http://alh18.blogspot.com/

In the beginning of class on Monday our group had a lot of ideas that we thought of. Some of these ideas included a coat tree, toilet, fridge, bedding, canopy and children's beds. We decided that our product would be a refrigerator. Since Coleman sells outdoors equipment, we knew our customers would include fisherman, campers and hunters. Because these customers would be on the go a lot, we thought it would be best to have a removable freezer. On top of having a removable freezer, we wanted to make this fridge the most space efficient since we figured the customers would have a lot of meat or fish to store. From this point, our ideas continued to snow ball and by Wednesday we had specific ideas and details that we want to incorporate. I think our group gets along great. We're able to bounce ideas off of eachother without feeling hurt if the idea is shot down. Because of this, we were able to go through a lot of ideas throughout Monday and Wednesday. Everyone has contributed great ideas and a good work ethic. This past weekend we were all responsible for sketching what the product will look like. Leah wanted everyone to do a sketch which I thought was a good idea since we all have different talents and visions. Overall I'm pretty happy with the group that I'm in and I can't wait to see the final presentation. Below are some notes and pictures from the first day of class:

What's Next?

The last chapter of this book got me to start thinking about design and the future. Design really has changed a lot over the years and I wonder what will happen next. The main thing that concerns me is our technology. Technology has evolved so rapidly, especially within the past decade, that I can't help but wonder if there will be a need for designers soon. Once certain machines, computers, or programs are built and trained to do what designers do, then what? Will companies need to hier someone that specializes in typography or will a computer be able to do that soon without any assistance. The art of design is to help others and think outside the box. I just hope that we will never see the day where technology trumps creativity. The ironic thing about that possible situation is that it took a creative mind to design that technology. Only time will tell..............

Scavenger Hunt

Outdoor Recreation Products
1.Coleman http://www.coleman.com/
2. Field and Stream http://www.fieldandstream.com/gear
3. Eureka http://www.eurekatent.com/
4. Eddie Bauer http://www.eddiebauer.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?sectionId=608
5. Bass Pro Shop http://www.basspro.com/camping.html?affcode_c=17kw916707&SST=7ddc0bd5-6407-8569-233d-0000041e4745

Indoor Home Goods Products
1. Crate & Barrel http://www.crateandbarrel.com/default.aspx
2. Ikea http://www.ikea.com/
3. Home Goods http://www.homegoods.com/index.asp
4. Lowes http://www.lowes.com/?cm_mmc=search_google-_-Brand%20Core-_-Core%20Terms%20Exact-_-lowes
5. Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/

Indoor Home Good: A home good is any product that contributes to the home itself.

Cradle to Cradle

The overall message I got after reading this book was to respect nature. Nature was here before humans and the industrial revolution and therefore we can learn a lot from nature. Before reading this book, I used to just listen to my ipod and look down as I was walking to my classes. Now I am definitely more aware of my surroundings and try to pay attention to certain natural details. We really are wasteful when it comes to creating products and most of these products are hazardous. I know it isn't something that can happen over night but I really wish we could change how we design things and copycat nature. I love the book's analogy of the cherry tree. That process is what our products need to resemble unless we want to end up in a world like Wall-e did.

Marshmallows

It was interesting on Monday when we were able to hear what actual design graduates had to say about the program. At first, when they started showing us samples of their projects, I was thinking, "There's no way I'll ever be able to do that." But when they continued to talk, I could tell that, that amount of work was nothing to them because they loved it. That's what I want for myself and I hope I am able to find it in the visual communication design major. Also, when we did the marshmallow challenge, I became a little bit frustrated at the end. When I looked up at the front of class and I saw how those guys thought outside the box, I was disappointed in myself. Everyone wants to have the best idea and our group had a pretty good one, but it's not always the best idea that succeeds. Their design was simple and we never considered that option because we were all so caught up trying to create a strong structure. I'm glad that they did what they did because it helped me realize even more how vital it is to think outside the box.

ABC'S

Coloring Book

For this assignment I chose to research more in depth about color and design. When we learned in class that the color blue makes people less hungry, it got me thinking what other effects certain colors have on people. In design, this correlation could be pretty significant. If McDonald's had blue arches, would they still be as big as they are today? I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I never really paid attention to the different color pallets that businesses use. I'm interested in finding more information on the effects of certain colors and then seeing what correlation there is in the real world.

1. Baker-Miller Pink
http://www.colormatters.com/body_pink.html
This article talks about how Baker-Miller Pink (similar to bubble gum pink) is used to calm down upset prisoners. Dr. Alexander Schauss was the first to do research on this effect and he found that even if prisoners tried to be aggressive in a Baker-Miller Pink room, they couldn't. The pink trumped their emotions and calmed them down. Schauss even found that putting angry color blind prisoners in these rooms calmed them down too. This phenomenon must be a hit because Iowa and Colorado State used to paint the visitor's football locker rooms this color, hoping that it would make the other team less aggressive. Because of this, there is now a rule that the home and visitor locker rooms have to be painted the same color. I wonder if this is why Pepto Bismal products are a similar pink......no one wants to be angry when they're having diarrhea.

2. Red and Blue
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/02/05/color-can-affect-how-people-think-and-act
In this article, a study of about 700 students was conducted to see the effects that color plays. The participants had to complete detail-oriented and creative tasks on either a red, blue or white computer screen background. Those students who had a blue background did better with the creative tasks. And those students who had a red background did better on the detail-oriented tasks which consisted of proofreading or memory tasks. Researches support this data with the theory that when we see red, we think of ambulances, fire and emergencies which makes us attentive. On the other hand, when we see blue, we think of the sky and water which keeps us calm and allows us to be more creative.

3. Color Psychology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_psychology
On this page, the color of placebo pills is discussed. Research shows that "hot-colored" placebo pills are more suited for stimulants and "cool" colored pills are better for depressants. It also talks about how in 2000 blue street lights were installed throughout different neighborhoods and it was found that the amount of crime reduced. In general color plays a big role on people's moods but for the most part, people tend to prefer hues in the blue range the most.

4.  Yellow
http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/color_yellow.htm
My favorite color is yellow so I decided to research the psychological effect of this color. According to this website, yellow is bright and cheery. However, yellow fatigues the eye the most due to the amount of light reflected. Yellow can also cause people to become agitated and frustrated. Babies tend to cry more in a room that is painted yellow. Don't paint your nursery yellow! Yellow can also increase metabolism and is the most attention-getting color because it is so bright.

5. Color Matters
http://www.ehow.com/about_5273168_color-affect-mood.html
Like the other articles, this one covers a broad amount of material focusing on the effects that colors play. Something interesting I found was that certain color can cause mistakes. There was a study done where people had to perform tasks under green, blue, white, orange and red lights. Those performing under the blue and green lights did much worse. Another study was done where participants were given a green colored juice that was actually cherry or strawberry juice. The participants could not identify the odor of the drink because the color didn't match. Maybe next time I should have my mom paint the fish she cooks before I eat it so I can't identify what it is.

Copy Cat

I feel like I should get a patent or copyright on what I am about to say. I had no clue how big of a stick some people have up their butts. Watching Rip!: A Remix Manifesto really opened my eyes on how careful we have to be whenever we do anything that involves patents or copyrights. I understand why we have copyrights and patents but some of these rules are a little rediculous to me. When Girl Talk was talking about how people can't explore further into certain concepts like how to cure cancer because others have patents on these ideas, that blows my mind. Patents exist for too long for someone to potentially have a cure for cancer and not be doing anything with it. In order to get past this obstacle, I think that if someone has a patent for an idea and does not put that idea into effect after two years, I think they should have to pay a yearly fee for that patent. If they choose not to pay the fee, then the idea is up for grabs again and hopefully someone can actually put that idea into play.

"Stop, in the name of plastic"

After reading the first few chapters of this book, I think I want to go live in the middle of a forrest and hide from all of this harm. The sad thing is if I did live in a forrest, I would probably have to relocate in a few years because someone would probably cut down the trees surrounding me to make paper. I never realized how much we're destroying the environment and everything around us. I also didn't realize that recycling isn't even that much more helpful either. I feel guilty that our society is doing this to the environment and I also feel guilty that I was so oblivious to all of this. Are we too deep in this mess to fix it? Or can we change in time to help protect the environment? If we do change, how long will it take to fix everything? After reading about how many products have harmful chemicals in them, no wonder so many people have cancer or rare diseases every year. We're shooting ourselves in the foot everyday and I bet there are a lot more people just like me who don't realize how much better it could be if we are willing to take a step in the right direction.

This is NOT a tree. . .

After reading the introduction, my wrists are sprained from holding up such a heavy book, just kidding. But I really do like the material that the book is made out of. I think it's cool to think that if I wanted to read this book in a pool that I could. I thought the first opening pages were a little intense. I guess I really never thought about all of the objects around us that are harmful. It does make sense to produce things that are better for the environment and I guess I don't understand why we don't do that. Is it easier and cheaper to make things that are bad for the environment? Or are people just that oblivious to the harm that these products are creating? If we continue to make harmful products, how long before it creates serious problems on earth?

Lifesaver

On Wednesday we watched four videos and only one of those really caught my attention. The guy who invented the lifesaver was my favorite video. His idea is genius and has the potential to save millions of lives and stop spreading diseases. It's sad to think that something as simple as water is one of the leading threats in the world. The Lifesaver is such a simple fiix but yet it took this long to come up with this. It also saves on water bottles which is another benefit to the environment. I know he said they only cost $25 but I was curious if the government is actually issuing these to other countries instead of shipping over water. I was also curious and how they decide who gets them. Do people in other countries only get access to these when a natural disaster occurs? Because their water is dirty all year round. I'm interested to know if there's a fund to donate to in order to help give everyone access to this amazing problem solver.

50 Thing-a-majigs

I'm not really sure if I did this assignment correct but I tried to imagine myself as an alien and pretend that I didn't know what anything was. I took my alien self and walked to the union. My roommate had to get something there so I wrote down objects on my way there and while I was inside the union. Here's what I found to be unusual to an alien. . .
1.Short light post
2. Sewer cover
3. Fancy garbage can outside dorms
4. Empty bike rack
5. Buck-id swiper
6. Dumpster
7. Parking cement bumper
8. Fire hydrant
9. Bench
10. Stop sign (stop for what?)
11. Handicap door button
12. Fancy recycling can
13. Orange traffic barrel
14. Red construction dumpster
15. Plant pot
16. Little red flags stuck randomly in the grass
17. Outlet
18. Stool
19. Vacuum cleaner
20. Balloon (not inflated)
21. Floor lamp
22. Securitty camera on ceiling
23. Heat/AC control panel on wall
24. TV when turned off
25. Fire alarm
26. Paper cutter
27. Large printer
28. Empty shelves
29. Pencil sharpener
30. Stapler
31. Rubberband
32. Closed umbrella
33. Fire extinguisher
34. Fireplace
35. Rocking chair
36. Computer
37. Bowling pin
38. Bobblehead
39. Mailbox
40. Door stopper
41. Walky talky
42. Coffee/tea dispenser
43. ATM machine
44. Brutus statue
45. Hand sanitizer dispenser on wall
46. Cash register
47. Utensil dispenser
48. Bus stop shelter
49. Credit card
50. Elevator

Look What I Found...

Karyn Pernia http://karynperniauise.blogspot.com/

 

For our project, we both took pictures of each other at each clue. I researched clue 3,4,5 and the chair I sat in for clue 2. Karyn researched clue 1 and clue 2.

Clue 1: The name of this chair is the Barcelona chair. We sat in the one at the fine arts library. Mies van der Rohe designed this chair. Karyn said she thinks its pretty comfortable, she likes it and that if she had one she would probably spend her free time in it.

Clue 2: Karyn was sitting in a chair designed by Philippe Starck called the "bubble club chair." She thought it was fancy and cute. The name of the magazine she was reading was called Designed Within Reach. The chair I was sitting in is called the UP1 Armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce. This chair was designed in Italy in 1970. The magazine I was reading while sitting in this "black blob" was called Design Within Reach.

Clue 3: The Wexner Center was Peter Eisenman's first major public building design.The OSU street grids are mismatched by about 12.25 degrees and Eisenman designed the Wexner Center to follow these grids. It reopened in 2005 after a three year renovation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wexner_Center_for_the_Arts

Clue 4: The Math Tower was designed in 1992. Philip Johnson used the Wexner Center as inspiration when designing this building. Johnson used bricks to help the building blend in with campus but layered them to add a little bit of flare. He also used materials that were respctful to the environment. http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/ohiomath/index.htm

Clue 5: The Thompson Library was a 27 month project that costed about $108 million. During renovation, the ceiling of the grand reading room was restored to it's original state. In order to do this, the 1960's mezzanine layer had to be craefully removed first. A whole new structure support system had to be put in since the one below was being removed. This presented quite a challenge for the crew. http://www.reeveswriting.com/portfolio/0110/OSU_Library_Renovation.pdf

Strange Faces in Random Places