Experience Enrichment; The Ahoi Juicer

This functional and pleasurable “Ahoi Juicer” is one of a kind, used for both children and mothers in the kitchen although can be more pleasurable for the children. The shape of the product is like a boat, stimulating the idea of both the ocean which children love and helping in the kitchen with their mums. My mood board aims to present a single mother with three children
§ Coping on an average income
§ Living in a small apartment
§ Loves spending time with her children although works 5 days a week
§ Loves when her children help in the kitchen hence why I’ve made a pleasurable boat looking juicer/toy for the kids to enjoy. Therefore allows the children to cooperate
This boat looking juicer can be used both in the kitchen and as a children’s toy when the lid of the juicer detaches. When used in the kitchen it can encourage a healthy lifestyle for the children, allowing them to want to juice away fruit or lemon when mum is cooking in the kitchen.

Once the lid is detached off the boat container the children can drink from either end of the juicer making it pleasurable for the children once they’ve finished juicing. Because the lid is detachable children can clean the juicer once finished from the kitchen and can be used as a toy making it pleasurable even when the children need something to play with in the bath as an alternative.
If this “Ahoi Juicer” was to be manufactured it would be made of a plastic mould, making it easier for the mother to clean up in the kitchen, able to store away without being an unreasonable size and fun for the children however they choose to use it.
As children love having different choices I’ve allowed for the juicer to be used as both a functional and pleasurable item. This light yellow colour was chosen as it is associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy which is definitely a colour which relates to children. It gives a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness and generates muscle energy.

Yves Behar: Designing Objects That Tell Stories

Yves Behar, an inspirational Industrial Designer has given advice to young designers, a quote by him which I found interesting, taking it into consideration as I study design. This being, “Develop you own direction: design is one of the very few fields where differences are celebrated, so find your own route.” He describes his style as the fusing of storytelling and fluidity, where the potential for technology, poetry, commerce and culture merge with the physical world; hence his successful products designed and selling well on the market.

Reflecting upon the video I watched on ‘Designing objects which tell stories’, I discovered that designing from the inside out, products will be more personal, customised and unique. Rather than applying a style or visual signature to everything we touch and rather than selling a specific idea of what beauty if or is not.

For some designers story telling is a strong influence in their work and I established through the video that Yves Behar’s childhood memories led him to design unusual products which helped in begin his career in the design industry. Through attending a Design School, he established a passion for design, leading his way to work as a design consultant. Through this he opened my thoughts about design by designing the “skin” of an object therefore working on important things such as the entire human experience. Were technology, functionality and matching humble human needs are identified in objects.

An example I found interesting was the digital watch which rotates from reading the time horizontally or even vertically without bending your elbow. The connection between these two gave me a further understanding about the importance of designing objects that tell stories and the human experience.

Another interesting object which I discovered was interesting is the ‘Bending Leaf Lamp’, this being a popular design well known by most designers. The lamp gave a “new experience” to the user, were the shade of light could alternate from a warm to a bright work light giving the mix of colouration a humanistic sense.

As a learning and developing designer, Yves Behar mentioned something very important which I found quite appealing. Being as designers we create a relationship between products we use everyday, adding and bringing value to objects functionality and beauty. Yves Behar believes that taking out the “nerdy” and technical features in a product brings out the beauty of an object, allowing the user to appreciate the product a lot more.

I found that designing from inside out as mentioned above, sketching and putting the product in full 3D view pushes the boundaries as a designer, at the same time being able to continue to attach the user in many ways with the product. Thinking out loud, as often as I do, also helped Yves Behar discover different objects which told stories, not only from his childhood but also growing as an adult and developing into a successful designer.

A connection between objects and humans which tells stories is the “Why” Water Bottle. He found it interesting and amusing how the most common object used in our everyday lives connected to the most common question most children ask, “why?” or “why not?”. The passion, communication, advertising and marketing drive as a designer leads designers to design unusual products and projects like the “Why” Water Bottle.

In conclusion, design creates a conversation, breaking the ice between reality, human experience and problem solving. It allows people to connect and communicate a breaking point of what they use everyday, conversing casually with others about products they find interesting as a design.

Don Norman: Emotional Design

Don Norman is an author who writes about the relationship between technology and people. In addition to this he facilitates in the need to make products that appeal to the emotions as well as to reasons. He believes that pleasant things work better.

Beauty and emotion are two of the important things that Don Norman is trying to understand whilst at the same time figuring out how the product works. I found that this video opened up my mind to what some products are all about, for example the Phillipe Stark Juicer. This is made so that its neat and fun but can not be used to the clash in materials used for the product and acid. To capture the beauty of this product Don Norman has put his Phillipe Stark Juicer in the foyer of his house.

Another example I found which related to beauty and emotion very well was the knife. This knife was beautifully designed and of course was very functional as it apparently cut very well.

Most of us have subconscious minds, as we see clever products without noticing its significance. Intense fear paralyses our thoughts and effects the way our brain works. At the same time anxiety helps us to focus and changes the way we think. Something else I found very interesting is that you got to be a little anxious to get your work done and at the same time trying to set your self a dead line. Brainstorming is another way to configure ideas, although this tends to be a more neater and fun way to think without any criticism.

Three levels Don Norman believes to be important are Visceral, Behavioural and Reflective. Both Visceral and Behavioural tend to be subconscious thinking, being unaware of your surroundings and sometimes in control. A good example I found of VISCERAL is red is for hot and exciting.

BEHAVIOURAL allows you to mainly be in control of your surroundings, eg. when driving around a demanding corner in an extremely fast car. I learnt that behavioural is about emotion and acting subconsciously, using your muscles to relax yourself.

REFLECTIVE has no control of what your doing, having no sense or state of consciousness for example, Hummers attract more attention on the roads than thought of before buying the product.

Good Design

BLACK AND DECKER DUSTBUSTER 18v
This 2009 Award winning Design is a cordless 2 speed, 18 volt hand vacuum with 10-position pivot nozzle; rotating 200 degrees. The dust buster is used for cleaning mess in small to large spaces, ideally for the home.

Product Sketching; Sydney Design 09

Burlap Chair 2009
Julie Paterson Clothfabric

Santamonica
Denis Santachiara

Metal Petal
Kristian Aus

Nest highchair by Sally Dominguez
Sydney 2002-2004

Chest of Drawers by Droog Design
Netherlands 1991-2006

O + Side Table
Kent Gration

Warrior Stool
Thinking Ergonomix

David Kelley: Human Centred Design

David Kelley a well known philosopher likes to see every university student add design to their thinking or to his or her skill set. As a result to this he says “It’s like a religion. It’s the disease I’m trying to infect everyone with”. A well known fact to life as design is portrayed in many aspects in everyday life. Briefly researching David Kelley before I watched the video “Human Centred Design” gave me a better understanding of who he is and what he really does.

As the years go by, technological objects are becoming more popular and more useful as we interact with new things in our day to day life. Although to have successful technological objects out on the market, prototypes are needed to support the material, detail and understanding of the product done by many designers now-a-days. Without prototypes I think there would be a different approach to the product and people may perceive the product in different ways.

Many products take a while to create as the end product relies on the prototype to be a similar mock up of what the real thing is going to be like. Although in general products are becoming more focused on humans, bringing in aspects such as behaviours and personalities and adding this approach into many designs. Therefore making jobs more enjoyable as they can relate to it a lot more, and interpret products in there own way.

Communication on the other hand is a very important key in design and is always incorporated in every design process. It embeds not just the environment but also services to products. 3D models and renderings are also apart of communication, especially through products. It helps the audience to visualise and put forth a statement about what the message is.
Through high technology, Prada is attempting to become bigger and better at what it sells and is trying to achieve not only a retail role but also a cultural role. The custom technology brought out is a major challenge for Prada, so there is no need to have every product on the shelves in store. Alternatively they have “RF” tags which I think are a clever and intelligent way to inform clients, customers and staff about various other products, such as colour and sizes.

The change rooms are another clever and bright idea, showing another way of communication between the client and the staff. It all gets put up on a screen and the information is brought up as you try the garment on. The liquid crystal glass of the change room becomes opaque and then becomes transparent, allowing for others to review the outfit at the same time. The magic mirror acts as another communication base, with a 3 second delay allowing you to have a glimpse of the way the fabric flows in motion in different angles.

Digital and Biomedical issues have been addressed in London through something similar to their Subway System already running. This technology which interacts around humans expands information when plugged into the computer and runs through “stations”. This source used by both adults and children when visited helps give an understanding of how technology is beginning to incorporate humans more and more.

Something which I found very entertaining was the flower which wilted in disappointed when somebody left the room. As a result shows us the relations and extent to which technology is being used and incorporated in our daily life.

The “Spyfish” was another great innovation which I thought was intellectual as it was a piece of technology where you could scuba dive without getting wet. Immersing you into the experience of the under water life which is equip with a powerful light to acknowledge and take for granted what we don’t see very often. This technology as a result took seven to eight years to put together although is definitely a great way to show how humans are being integrated in past, present and future technology.