progress

Our group spent last week mainly brainstorming ideas for our project. We started with the idea of a storage locker that would be able to deodorize its contents, which would be useful for both outdoor gear and other products, such as clothing, pet care products, etc... After some research and discussion, however, we decided to switch and focus instead on a product that would help keep houses warm during winter. This product would essentially be an improvement upon current heating solutions, specifically plastic sheeting used typically to cover windows in older houses, preventing cold air from coming and warm air from leaking out. We realized that there haven't really been any advances made in this type of home heating for some time, so we feel that this idea is worth exploring. So far we've been working pretty well together, aside from some minor disputes about what our focus should be and which of the ideas we've brainstormed are worth dedicating a significant amount of time and effort to develop. On Monday, we briefly discussed who would be focusing on which aspects of the project. I'm more interested in visual design, so I have been and will be contributing more to the packaging and overall appearance of the product and exhibition booth. I've been doing some work on making a new logo (see sketches below), but I think maybe I could be contributing more to the development of the product itself. I've also set up a dropbox location for us to use, which ought to facilitate collaboration quite a bit. At this point, I think we just need to divide the workload and focus on our respective contributions and, later in the week, put everything together for next week. Overall, I'm feeling good about this project and I think we can produce something really great.

Ideation notes and logo sketches

links to teammates' blogs:

adam 
carl 
stuart 
telina 

very short intro, ch 9-10

The last two chapters of this book brought up some very interesting points. The bit about small and medium enterprises was especially interesting to me. I think it's strange that big companies can get away with selling lots of poorly designed products, but smaller companies can do just as well selling fewer well-designed products and services. It makes sense in the reading, but I had never really thought about why that is before. I was also really interested in the role of design in government. I was unaware that a relationship existed between governments and design, let alone that these relationships have such a long history. I have to say, I'm not all that surprised that the US doesn't have the same type of government promotion of design as other countries. The final chapter was interesting as well. I definitely agree with the statement that drawing is an irreplaceable skill for designers, no matter how much computers advance in the future. All in all, I found this book very informative, but I must say, not all that exciting of a read.

week 7

The marshmallow challenge... really? I know I'm biased because, as I said in class, it's the third time I've had to do it in the past year, but I feel like the marshmallow challenge is old news. Aside from that, the Cobego presentation was pretty interesting. I always like to see how people in design fields operate in the real world. The projects they showed us were all pretty cool and I've looked at coroflot a few times since and seen some nice projects on there too. The Eames videos were also pretty interesting. It never ceases to amaze me how productive those two were.

cradle to cradle III

After this week, I can certainly say that this is one of the most interesting and informative books I have read in quite a while. There were a few parts of this reading that were of particular interest to me. The idea of biological and technical material flows bought up a good point. I used to think that if every product could be made out of biodegradable materials, it would solve the problems associated with many products. The idea of technical nutrients, however, points out that it's not really about what products are made of, but rather how many times they can be reused that determines their environmental impact. As a side note, I recently found out some interesting eco facts while doing research for another class, which relate to the idea of technical nutrients. First, I found out that asphalt is actually a pretty great material ecologically, as it can be recycled countless times without using value, and it can be recycled on site or off of site. I also found out that Ohio is actually one of the best states when it comes to recycling asphalt; 90% of our new roads and road repairs are made of recycled asphalt. The concept of products of service was also very interesting to me. I think it might be difficult to implement, however, as it would force a lot of people to change their ideas about what products fundamentally are. I was surprised that LEED certification was not mentioned in chapter 5. I know that a lot of forward thinking architects and landscape architects take issue with LEED. I, for one, am not a big fan of the LEED program, as it has historically been exploited by construction managers as a way to earn tax breaks. The results may or may not actually be more eco-friendly and, more often than not, have little or nothing to do with aesthetic sensibilities. I was also pleased to learn in chapter 6 that Nike is pursuing more eco-minded production methods, as I just bought my first pair of Nike's ever a few months ago. Chapter 6 also brought up the issue of genetically modified produce. I just saw a documentary called The Future of Food which brought up similarly disturbing information about GM plants (i.e. the fact that they are probably not 100% safe for human consumption, but they are very good at competing with non-GM plants). Overall, I really liked this book and found it both inspiring, and a little bit scary.

outdoor/indoor

(5) outdoor products
backcountry 
slumberjack 
coleman 
REI 
campmor 

(3) outdoor tradeshows

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/midres/5044307.jpg

Columbia trade show

http://www.chums.com/images/chums/homepage/Slide_OR.jpg

(5) indoor products

hpii 

rubbermaid 

robinson 

homegoods 

realgoods 

(3) indoor tradeshows

http://pgsgrow.com/2009-trade-show/images/tradeshow19.jpg

http://www.trendedit.com/resources/images/blog/dsc01187.jpg

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/img_dir/2010/09/09/2010090901070_0.jpg

(3) specific indoor products

Air Purifier: http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/airpodinnursery.jpg

Blender: http://www.2blowhards.com/archives/kitchen_aid_blender.jpg

Alarm Clock: http://contemporaryclocks.org/wp-content/uploads/modern-alarm-clock.jpg

so what exactly is a home good?

I was unable to find an exact definition of the term, so I'll keep it simple: a home good is any product designed to make life easier, specifically intended for use inside of the home.

letters

 A

 C

 E

G

H

 i

O

 P

S

T

 U

X

Y

don't mind the fine print

I'm not gonna lie, legal issues bore me. Nonetheless, it is crucial to understand them. I've always been interested in freelance work, but before this week, I felt like I didn't have enough of an understanding of how not to get ripped off. I'd still like to know more, but Monday's lecture was definitely helpful. My dad used to be a lawyer, so through him I've learned a lot about the law, but not so much about contracts and copyrights as they apply to intellectual property. The movie we watched was also pretty interesting. As one of my classmates pointed out, it was kind of one-sided, but it made some valid points nonetheless. I have mixed feelings about Girl Talk as an artist. On one hand, I don't think his music has as much value as original (or so-called original) compositions, but I don't really think that what he's doing is wrong. His songs are definitely different than the samples (I don't like AC/DC as much when it's not in one of his songs) and what he's doing is certainly creative, but I can see why people might be pissed at him. Either way, it's pretty ridiculous to see the lengths to which corporations will go to protect creative work, as well as scientific work. I think it would be nice if copyrights didn't exist, but at the same time, I'm sure that there are people out there who would blatantly abuse the system and just rip other people off for profit. Overall, it's a slippery slope, but I think it's pretty easy to judge the difference between an original work and an outright rip-off.

cradle to cradle II

As I said last week, I'm very excited about this book, and it has yet to disappoint. I'm still amazed at how deep the authors' understanding of environmental issues is. So far, this book is both uplifting and depressing. The fact that the Exxon Valdez spill boosted Alaska's GDP was very surprising and pretty scary. It reminded me of an article we read for studio last quarter about H.T. Odum's concept of "emergy" and "emdollars." The idea is that when a consumer buys something, they see not only the amount of currency it costs, they also see the associated costs of energy and environmental affects that went into its production, quantified as a value of currency. In this system, Alaska's GDP would certainly not have gone up. It's an interesting concept, but it seems like it would be too easy for people to just ignore it. I think this concept fits in with much of the book's content, in that it wouldn't make people do less bad, but rather more good. If, for example, someone buys a product or pays for a service that benefits the environment, they will see a positive value of emdollars, despite the fact that they are in fact losing money at the moment in exchange for the product. At any rate, I thinks it's an interesting idea. The ideas of "less bad is no good" and "eco-effectiveness" are also very interesting to me. In the past, I have tried to do less bad and I have put a high value on efficiency, but these chapters made a strong argument against that mentality. I really think that more people should be aware of the ideas in this book, as well as their implications for the future.

design + environment

In recent years, environmental issues have become much more prevalent in design fields than they were in the past. It is the role of contemporary designers to develop products, places, and services that serve not only the individual, but the environment as well. Form and function are no longer enough and ecological concerns are of much higher importance now than they have ever been. Below are 5 examples of environment oriented design.

Square Coke Bottles
Andrew Kim's new design for coke bottles has the potential to make a significant impact on the beverage industry. Utilizing a square shape, rather than the traditional round bottle, allows for more bottles to fit into each shipping container (meaning less need for fossil-fueled shipping) and the ease with which the empty bottles crumple up makes them take up less space in a recycling container.


square coke bottle


Scioto Mile
Right in our own back yard (downtown that is), the new Scioto Mile park sets a great precedent for eco-friendly landscape design. Replacing the old floodwall with a massive bioswale allows for 10 city blocks worth of stormwater runoff to be filtered before entering the river. Stormwater causes a great deal of pollution to enter the river, but slowing it and filtering it through plants significantly cuts down on the damage done.

scioto mile

Clever Little Bag
Like the coke bottle, this design illustrates how making a rather small change to a design can have a big impact. Replacing the typical cardboard box with a part cardboard and part bag package means less cardboard is used, as well as less plastic. Also, like the coke bottles, these take up less space when shipping.

clever little bag 

Wind Power
Wind power is nothing new. Atelier DNA's design, however, puts a spin on the traditional windmill. The "windstalks" are less noisy and (perhaps) more aesthetically pleasing. They work as efficiently per square foot as windmills and provide an interesting addition to the landscape.

wind power


Rain Filtering Umbrella
Argentine design firm Synopsis's new umbrella design is one of the strangest examples of green design I've seen. It's an umbrella that collects and filters rainwater, making it potable. I am not sure how many people would actually use it, but it's an interesting idea nonetheless.

umbrella

 

week 5

While Monday's lecture was pretty much a review for me (I took Color Theory last quarter), I really liked the environment lecture on Wednesday. As I mentioned in my response to the weekend's reading, I was raised in a family of environmentalists, so environmental issues have always been deeply important to me. Of the videos we watched, I found the one about biomimicry the most interesting. Benyus made some very good points about how nature solves problems compared to how people do. I also liked William McDonough's lecture. He seems more level-headed and realistic than a lot of environmentalists who just expect people to completely change their lives. It seems like he understands not only what the problems are and how to solve them, but also why it is that some solutions wouldn't work. 

fifty things...

... about a walk in my neighborhood

1. it is way too cold to be walking around out here
2. also way too slippery to be walking around out here
3. there's a section of sidewalk that never drains properly and it really bothers me for some reason
4. that house on Northwood almost burned down a few days ago
5. i think the trees around here are older than most of the street trees in Columbus
6. Patterson turns into "Turpie St" on the west side of Neil, but the street sign says Patterson
7.  it's hard to tell that the river is so nearby
8. a lot of houses around here are on built-up mounds
9. or maybe the street was dug into its surroundings
10. the hill from Patterson to Maynard is mellow, but it still sucks to walk up
11. Ramlow Alley; sounds kinda dirty
12. it's hard to tell that Neil and High aren't parallel
13. i wonder how ling it'll be until OSU owns this whole area
14. this neighborhood is officially "Old North Columbus"
15. they used to call it "Washington Beach"
16. a Washington Beach is also a drink; PBR in a fancy glass with a lime on the side
17.  they have to keep water in Tuttle pool year round or else it'll collapse
18. the sign says "Tuttle Poo" cause someone went over the l with marker
19. there's a totally unnecessary bridge by the pool
20. off the bike trail near Dodridge, there's a BMX course
21. it's also a hobo camp
22. last year we played a made-up game there that involved a broom and a kickball
23. there are an ungodly amount of fireflies by the river in summertime
24. the river is almost frozen enough to walk on, but not quite
25.  Chemical Abstracts is not a company I trust, based solely on their name
26. also, not a big fan of the huge turf field
27. from our backyard, we can see the fireworks from Picnic with the Pops
28. i've never seen anyone playing baseball on the diamond at Tuttle
29. we saw a moth the size of a sparrow there last year
30. the new Damon Day mural is sick
31. i have no excuse for not having gone to Damon Day for the last two years; it's practically in my backyard
32. we went to a DIY show at the little shelter thing a while back
33. we also used to skate there in the winter, but not any more
34. if they took the dams out of the Olentangy, the park would be a lot bigger and the river would be better
35. but that'll never happen
36. there should really be a skatepark at Tuttle
37. i wonder when the buildings on High St were built
38. i wonder if there's ever not a cover at Dick's Den
39. why did they change "Oldfield's on High" to "Kobo"? what about it is asian?
40. someone spray-painted a shitty tag over the Vinchen piece on the side of ShiSha
41.  Alanna's is probably the only restaurant around here that i'll never be able to afford a meal at
42. i can't wait for dumpster-diving season
43. why aren't there ever block parties around here?
44. (most) people (really) suck at graffiti 
45. it's weird to think that i live so close to a funeral home
46. they sell the strangest products at Faye's
47.  my boss tried to climb the dry cleaner's by Maynard when he was my age, and he fell off and broke both of his hands
48.  the ravine by the blood-bowl should really be a public park
49. i hope they replace the White Castle with something good, not another Turkey Hill type place
50. Blue Nile is closed from 3pm to 5pm every day
 

cradle to cradle

I have to say, I'm very excited about this book. It's been recommended to me numerous times, and while I've meant to read it before, I never have. I was already familiar with the basic subject matter of the book, but it immediately surprised me just how in-depth it is. Both of my parents are dedicated environmentalists (i.e. they both have the word "sustainability" in their job titles) and have been since, as they put it, "before it was cool." As such, I was raised in a house where we turned the lights out when leaving the room, recycled everything (even had to get an extra Rumpke bin to fit it all), and walked, bused, or biked just about everywhere. Suffice to say, I feel that I am a bit more aware of my impact on the environment than most Americans. Nonetheless, some of information in the introduction of this book surprised me. I never considered the tiny little particles that come off of my furniture and into my nose, or the fact that my shoes will never serve another purpose. I love the idea of finding environmental solutions that don't limit people's lives. This year, I made a New Year's resolution to never use new plastic bags when I buy things. So far, I've slipped up once, and overall, not using the bags provided for free has made me feel a bit self-conscious. It's not normal to buy groceries and then load them up in a big messenger bag. I don't really care if other people find it strange, but I can see why most people prefer to just use the bags provided. I've not bought a single beverage that came in a plastic container since the beginning of the year either. My beverage choice is now down to water, coffee, milk (from a cardboard container of course), tea, and (occasionally) alcohol. It's not a big deal, but it does kind of suck to be unable to partake in the variety of options offered. I think that's what I find most exciting about reading this book; the idea that there are solutions (or at least could be solutions) to help both the environment and the individual, rather than limiting one or the other.