Nickholderdesign

Final render.

Final render.

My large and small rings.

Small ring: The small ring features a small internal radius wich is decreased even further by the addition of braille bumps wich spell out the phrase 'too small'. These bumps are sharp and protude into the skin and so leave indentations of the phrase onto the skin. The ring also has the word small engraved onto the outside of the ring.

Assignment 3: Substantiating Claims Nick Holder 300245359 Tutor: Nan O’Sullivan

Every day design in the 21st Century is a facet of design which is strongly user driven. Products must have adaptability to allow for the users to employ their own resourcefulness. By looking at how products are used and how consumers relate to their own personal belongings we begin to see how people create their own personalised systems within their homes.

The Uncommon Life of Common Objects by Akiko Busch looks at ‘how ordinary domestic items are designed and used’ and wether ‘our objects signal who we are.’ (Busch, 2005). The book has 12 chapters each looking at a common household object and how these objects took form through daily human experience. One chapter is dedicated to the humble work desk. Busch describes a desk, designed by Ayse Birsel for Herman Miller in 1999 as ‘a constellation of surfaces that can constantly be shifted and realigned’ and that ‘such changeability, is an innate characteristic of the desk.’(Busch, 2005). This allows us to understand why people are drawn to work on surfaces that were initially intended for a different purpose. Busch describes one friend whose desk is made from a converted changing table. The adaptability and versatility of the object is due to the purpose of the desk, ‘the place where ones ideas are shaped and reshaped’ (Busch, 2005). Busch also believes that aside from changeability; interactivity is also an important feature in everyday objects. She uses an example of a desk that accommodates for both a computer and exercise equipment. This satisfies the inclination to do other things while working and allows the user to feel a personal connection to the product.

The Resourcefulness of Everyday Design by Ron Wakkary and Leah Maestri is a case study conducted in 2007 that looks at the role of family members as everyday designers in the home. They looked at appropriation of objects, the dynamic nature of everyday objects , everyday creativity and explain the effects and actions which judge the effectiveness of systems within the home. One observation of resourcefulness taken from the study is how the family members used chairs a sort of temporary coat rack. “ The significance of the pattern is that readily available artefacts are used temporarily in a manner different than their original intent.’ (Wakkary, Maestri, 2007). This shows us the need to create products that can be adapted to suit our personal needs. The study has many other examples of systems created by the families by adapting everyday objects such as the family phonebook, toy containers and the way in which shelving is used. The study found that ‘creativity is at the heart of everyday design’ and also outlined ‘design implications in which the need to design creative resources is an overarching notion’. (Wakkary, Maestri, 2005).

Being able to see the different ways in which people shape their surrounding environment and how products take form through daily experience we can begin to change our design direction towards products that allow for and promote this personalisation and efficiency.

References:

Busch, Akiko.(2005). The Uncommon Life of Common Objects. Essays on Design and the everyday. Bellerophon Publications, Inc.

CCDN 271: Assignment 2 Abstract and Argument. Nick Holder: 300245359

Everyday Design vs Everyday Living: In the 21st Century.

As people, living in the 21st century, realise the negative impact their lifestyle could be having on our environment, they are finding that having fewer possessions is a more economical and environmentally friendly way to live and can still facilitate all the needs of day to day living.

In this project I will research Everyday design in the 21st Century, looking at the need for products that allow for and inspire adaptation and multiple uses and also how consumers are everyday designers themselves who use their resourcefulness to create personalised, economical systems, which benefit both them and the environment they inhabit.

I will argue that by looking at how people interact with their possessions, and what systems they employ during daily routine, everyday objects can be designed to be more interactive and have more interchangeable uses.

Firstly I will look at a study by Ron Wakkary and Leah Maestri, of Simon Fraser University, The Resourcefulness of Everyday Design, 2007. This study looks at the role family members have as designers in their own homes. This will help me to understand the ways in which people adapt their surroundings to suit their needs and also what objects are most necessary in daily life. Next I will look at examples of contemporary everyday design, which are already beginning to incorporate multiple use, adaptability and personalisation and see wether they are having a positive impact on our day-to-day lives. I will also be looking at other resources, as I find them during the assignment, in order to strengthen my argument.

By looking at both how people interact with design and also how designers try to create products that promote sustainable and more efficient living, my study will allow me to understand how we should approach designing products for the everyday so that they are efficient and user friendly and have as little negative effect on our earths delicate environment as possible.

INDN 252: