#wickl153

After reaching the conclusion that our group would like to focus on making cute shoes more comfortable, we began brainstorming how to make this possible. Could it form to any shoe? What is it made out of? Foam? Gel? Both? Could it fix both an uncomfortable heel in one shoe, and the thong of an aggravating flip flop? Well, we decided to let our customers decide. By modeling the process that Nike shoe provides, we will allow consumers to customize the support or comfort piece they need on a user-friendly website! 

My boyfriend and I are moving into a house next fall to be closer to campus. It would be the perfect distance to get a good run in in the mornings after class and before work. I could simply take the bus to class, wear workout clothes, and run home. Then my boyfriend asked, “What about your backpack? Won’t it be awkward to run with that on your back?” I was stumped. What could I carry my things in so I could run too? Has this item even been invented yet? Would an over the shoulder purse work? But what if I needed my laptop with me? This commuter needs help! The goal is to attend class, do well in the class, and maintain a workout schedule without sacrificing being prepared and avoid running awkwardly. 

Together, each individual will learn and promote: Innovation, Collaboration, Controversy with Civility, and Diversity as we work toward a common goal to start a chain reaction of the same.

The article we read this week was very interesting in that it talked about Nigeria, Africa and how many of its’ architectural buildings are unique because of many different countries such as Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, etc. playings a role in colonizing or governing parts of Africa before and after the slave trade. The reading noted how the top three most populous tribes in Africa varied in how they viewed and used architecture. Some built their communities in a circle with the palace in the center. Some courtyards were used as gardens and enjoyment for one tribe, while in another one may be used for meetings, another for worship, and another for sacrifice. The Catholic church architecture was introduced and was completely different from the “tent” model the Africans were using. English cottages were even scattered throughout as they were used for important diplomats visiting the area during the slave trade. I had no idea Africa was filled with so much diverse architecture from so many different customs. 

It was interesting to see after the presentations what the majority of our class has a concern with: waking up in the morning. We saw several different prototypes of alarm clocks and one bedside table alarm. It would be interesting to revisit this topic and see if there are any ideas we can combine, incorporate some of the concerns students had in the critique area of presentations, and potentially redesign a waking up system as a class. I liked aspects from each design. Maybe another aspect we need to discuss is several of the “whys” people are so tired and can’t get up in the morning. 

After presenting our project, I have had time to reflect. I believe our plan for an infomercial was fun and creative, but having a more clear, graphic prototype would have been helpful too. I believe out of the design process we weren’t able to Test accurately, but we did our best in researching how taser guns operate, what other types of products for bug removal are on the market, and how much each aspect incorporated into our product would cost. Our approach was definitely unique, which is a very positive design takeaway. 

What worked really well for our group was the time we got in class to collaborate. The time we needed to finish outside of class was done via Google Docs and Google PowerPoint. This was a creative way to ensure everyone had access to our presentation plan and could make changes as a whole instead of assigning everything to one person. How did other groups collaborate outside of class to make the presentation aspect of Project 2 go smoothly?

There have been times in my life where I didn’t necessarily follow the rules, I made mistakes, etc. and my parents who are guiding lights in my life would present me with the necessary consequences. Disappointing the people I care about most to me is the ultimate punishment. Not only have I looked back on past mistakes and thought how to fix them for next time, I tried to ensure they would never happen again to avoid disappointment. Disappointment can be a great motivator when redesigning how you go about a situation next time, how you organize something, how you word something, and more. If one can except failures and truly listen to constructive criticism, success shouldn’t be too far away.