This week’s CTS lesson focused on critical self-reflectivity and encouraged me to examine how my assumptions and thinking habits shape the visual decisions I make in the design process. I learned that design is not only about producing outcomes but about understanding the thinking structure behind those outcomes.
During the field activity at Sim Lim Square, my group analyzed the existing logo of an Indonesian language school. The logo looked more like a dance academy sign, and this made me realize that such misunderstandings often happen when designers do not take enough time to explore and define the problem. This experience reminded me of the value of organizing my thoughts before designing, which helped me appreciate the role of the Double Diamond process.
Kenya Hara
Kenya Hara is a Japanese designer who focuses on perception and awareness.
While researching, I encountered a designer whose perspective aligned closely with the concepts from class. Kenya Hara stated that “design is not only a special technique to make forms and shapes and images. It also awakens people” (Hara). I connected strongly with this because Hara sees design as a process that reshapes how we think. His philosophy highlights the importance of questioning familiar assumptions and noticing what we usually overlook, which relates directly to the purpose of Week 6.
Hara’s project “RE DESIGN: Daily Products of the 21st Century” illustrates this clearly. In this exhibition, he reexamined everyday objects such as calendars and milk cartons, encouraging viewers to reconsider their habitual interpretations. His work shows how design can shift perception and reveal the assumptions we carry without realizing it.
Looking back, I noticed that I often rely on instinct and think something looks good without questioning why. This week taught me that reflecting on why I think a certain way is more important than focusing on the outcome itself. Moving forward, I want to question my assumptions more carefully and design with greater intention and clarity.
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References / Image Sources :
Hara, Kenya. “15 Minutes with Kenya Hara: Words of Wisdom from Muji’s Celebrated Art Director.” Surface, 21 Nov. 2017, www.surfacemag.com/articles/kenya-hara-muji/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
Hara, Kenya. “Kenya Hara | Members | Japan Design Committee.” Japan Design Committee, Japan Design Committee, https://designcommittee.jp/en/member/hara_kenya.html.
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A New Column for the Whyd Blog: Home Tech, starting with Aumi, The Smart Nightlight!
If you’ve been following us in the recent months you know that we’ve announced interesting things to come from Whyd. We are passionate about connected design, IoT, and everything that makes home living not only easier, but more aesthetic and emotional. In our research we stumble upon tons of interesting projects launching on crowd-funding sites around the world. They are created by brilliant minds who need as much support as possible to make their dreams into reality. It would be a crime not to share them with our trendy community of creative music lovers, since we have a hunch that you are into technology as much as we are. It’s part of the modern lifestyle.
Crowd-funding has changed the paradigm of the way products are created. In this new column of the Whyd Blog, we will be presenting you with the coolest products we can find that combine technology and the home in an aesthetic way -- exploring things like new interfaces, increased autonomy, and more functionalities -- always with an eye for design.
If you find any gems yourself, please send them to us!
- Never stop jamming!
Let’s start off with a simple idea that was maximized to its full potential. Introducing Aumi, a smart, blue-tooth connected nightlight that you can control either with an app or directly on the device through a unique touch interface. You can select from millions of different colors, control intensity, and set timers. A built-in battery keeps it on when the power goes out, and it doesn’t block a second plug!
What we like: The combination of touch control and app. It’s not always easy to find your phone, type in your code, and open an app (which is hidden in a folder four home screens away), especially when it’s something as simple as turning the brightness down or up. Being able to control the Aumi on the device is a big plus.
Bonus points: The design. It’s simple, elegant, and minimal. The rounded design invites you to touch it, and gives you a very intuitive way to do that, but the familiar dial function.
There are already almost 1000 backers, and it has surpassed its goal already! The early bird specials are already sold out, but you can still get one Aumi if you back $35 on Kickstarter.
Here is another previously published article. You could find it here, first:
http://evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=2030
Exclusive interview with Erika Tsubaki at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
An electric bicycle, by Ford Motor Company, shown at a major car show? Why would Ford build an electric bike?
Well, the first answer that comes to mind is: why not? After all, 900,000 bicycles with electric assistance were sold just in Europe last year, with a strong upward trend.
But we wanted to know more about Ford's motivation, and what plans may be in store for the future. After all, Ford's e-bike is a quite gorgeous, desirable machine -- all the more impressive given that it is Ford's first effort in this field.
So in Frankfurt during this year's IAA international motor show, we jumped at an opportunity to have a talk with Erika Tsubaki (who is Ford's Design Manager overseeing the e-Bike project).
Martin: Please tell us about the e-bike project's background.
Erika Tsubaki: Well, Ford of course is a global company, and we have been noticing that in many places, emissions regulations are becoming quite strict. You cannot sell a conventional internal-combustion moped in so many Chinese cities anymore, for instance.
And we have been getting a certain amount of pressure from Ford dealerships all over the world to build something that can lure young people, and urban-lifestyle people, into dealerships.
Martin: The dealers asked for it?
Erika Tsubaki: Yes, that is where it came from. Apparently, Ford's dealers worldwide don't see bikes as something harmful to the auto business, but instead they see e-bikes as an effective supplement to their existing business. Also, e-bikes are perceived as a good entry vehicle to make people comfortable with electric-propulsion technology.
Martin: So it was a logical step to develop an e-bike?
Erika Tsubaki: It was a logical step, where new technology meets new regulations. We also figured it would fit our brand if we did it right.
Martin: And that means?
Erika Tsubaki: That means, our e-bike would have to look different from other e-bikes. You'd have to be able to tell from a distance that it was a Ford product. And it would have to demonstrate Ford's R&D abilities in terms of cutting-edge yet sensible technology.
Martin: When was all this happening?
Erika Tsubaki: The project really began rolling in mid-June. So you could say it took us six weeks to develop this working prototype.
Martin: Six weeks? That's incredibly short!
Erika Tsubaki: Well, we like to think that is what a company with Ford's global development facilities and talents can do, if they put their mind into it.
Martin: So please tell us why Ford's e-bike looks like it does.
Erika Tsubaki: In order to make the bike easy identifiable as a Ford, we wanted to integrate some basic elements of our design language into it. What is quite obvious is the U-shaped, trapezoidal frame that might vaguely remind you of Focus's front.
This is typical for Ford's "Connected Design" language which we hope is both clean and strong. It looks good but has a strong functional aspect as well, since the trapezoidal shape makes it easier to climb aboard this bike. We wanted it to have a "cross-gender" appeal: we did not differentiate between male and female versions, so we wanted it to be easy to get onto.
The trapezoid-shaped basic frame was good, because we found that it was strong enough to carry heavy persons weighing up to 110 KG. It was also able to withstand the stresses of electric propulsion.
(A press photo; all other pix are copyright the author)
Martin: We have heard that the Smart e-bike has an additional brace that they had to add late in the day, for safety's sake.
Erika Tsubaki: Yes, we didn't want any add-ons, we wanted the pure design to be strong and functional.
You might notice the bike is strictly black and white. Each color has its own meaning: black is for load-bearing elements, and white for the rest.
Martin: Apart from the easy mounting and dismounting factor, does the design have any other functional benefits?
Erika Tsubaki: Sure: it's extremely lightweight! The frame only weighs 2.5 KG, even though it is not 100% carbon fiber: we use an affordable mix of carbon and aluminum.
Martin: It's quite nifty the way that the battery and the motor are hidden.
Erika Tsubaki: That's a part of our design language -- keeping it clean. A car doesn't showcase its motor; why should a bike?
But there is an important functional aspect too. Bicycle saddles often get stolen. We made the battery a slide-out unit to which the saddle is attached. So you park your bike, take the battery out for re-charging, and your saddle is protected from theft as well as from the elements.
Martin: That's a great idea. And it's impressive that such a compact battery provides a range of 85 kilometers....
I notice Ford claims to have adopted some race-car technology for this bike?
Erika Tsubaki: A part of the Ford brand claim is that our cars are a great drive, so we felt a Ford e-bike needed something to give it a special driving feel, too.
Our bike is the first with patented magnetostriction sensor technology from the world of Formula One. To put it simply, this technology makes the switch-on and switch-off aspect of electric propulsion smoother than on other bikes.
Martin: You mean, the way the motor applies power when you start pedaling, and increases power as you put more of your leg into it?
Erika Tsubaki: Exactly. With some bikes, the power assist is a pretty abrupt sensation. We wanted our bike to appeal both to technology enthusiasts as well as to people who have never ridden an e-bike before, who will probably feel more comfortable when you provide a refined driving feel.
Martin: All this sounds great. When will I be able to buy it?
Erika Tsubaki: Ford hasn't yet decided whether to really market this vehicle. It will depend, among other things, on how the press and our dealers react to this prototype.
