Final Blog Post

The problem:

Create a design for a bicycle storage that allows the student to keep the bike indoors without taking up a lot of space.

Brainstorm:

Closet

On something

Behind something

Some room that doesn't have a lot of stuff in it

Against something

Constraints:

Can it fit

Will it get things dirty with the tires

Can you access it easily

Is it really noticeable

Test Post

test post

Wallet Pictures

The Deep Dive

1. “From the buildings in which we live and work, to the cars we drive, or the knives and forks with which we eat, everything we use was designed to create some sort of marriage between form and function.”



2. The folks at IDEO state that they are not experts in any given area. But, they do claim to be experts on the process in which they design stuff, which they apply to the innovation of consumer products.



3. After the team of designers is brought together, told the problem, and informed they have five days to “pull it off,” what phase of the design process do they immediately engage in?





They split into groups to find out first hand what the people who use, make, and repair shopping carts really think.







4. Give two examples of what the team members did during this phase.

a. Took pictures of people using the shopping carts to see how they use them and how it could be more helpful.


b. Asked workers about the shopping carts and how they could improve them.





5. List five rules-of-thumb that IDEO employees follow when they share ideas during the brainstorming phase:

a. Build on ideas of others.




b. Have one conversation at a time.


c. Stay focused on topic.


d. Encourage wild ideas.


e. Defer judgement





6. Why should wild (and sometimes crazy) ideas be entertained during the brainstorming phase?





Because wild ideas could be the best because they end up working the best with the least constraints.





7. After the brainstorming phase was over, the team narrowed down the hundreds of ideas by using sticky notes for those ideas that were not only “cool” but also buildable in a short period of time. What phase of the design process is this called? I think it is generating ideas.





8. IDEO believes that the ideas and efforts of a group will always be more successful than the planning of a lone genius.



9. Once the ideas were narrowed down and divided into categories, the group was split into four smaller teams. What phase(s) of the design process was each of these groups responsible for?

To build and model a prototype.



10. The leaders at IDEO believe that playful behavior and a fun environment are two important reasons why their employees are able to think quickly and creatively to produce innovative results.



11. Sometimes, people come up with great solutions that work by trying their ideas first, and asking for opinions later.



12. Design is often a process of going too far and having to take a few steps back. What phase of the design process would the critique of the four mock-ups come under?

The decision process that this applies to is refining and communicating results.




13. Upon critique of the four teams’ models, it was obvious that none of the teams had developed an optimum solution. However, the people at IDEO believe that it is important to fail often in order to succeed sooner.



14. What percentage of the entire week’s time did it take to fabricate the final prototype?

They designed it in a day which is a fifth or 20% of the week they were given.



15. Instead of showering his design team with a tremendous amount of praise, what did the boss require his employees to do with their new design?

To improve upon their design.



16. Of all the things that we are surrounded by every day, what has not been placed through the design process?

Nature.




Conclusion

1. What did you find to be the most impressive part of the team’s effort?

I think making a super nice final product that worked great was the most impressive part of the team's effort.



2. What advantages are there to having a design team with members that have non-engineering backgrounds?

They all have skills in different point of views to help it have a checks and balances type of system.



3. There was a point in the process where a self-appointed group of adults stepped up, stopped the ideas, and redirected the group to break up into teams. Why was this done?

To get perspectives from not one place but many places.



4. At the end of the video, Dave Kelly states, “Look around. The only things that are not designed are the things we find in nature.” Can you think of anything that would contradict this statement?

The Grand Canyon was designed by nature to keep the Colorado River at a steady flow and not have the water crashing into stuff and going off course.

Glider Challenge: Deliverables

1) The Triad

2) a. Our challenge was to build a glider that is able to glide the furthest and stay in the air. We also could use a limited amount of wood and paper.

b. The rules of brainstorming are to put all your ideas on paper so you can think of a lots and not forget about some, then you can go back and choose the best idea.

We had a couple ideas, one was having two small wings in the front and back with a raised wing in the middle. ( this was the idea we used ), the other idea was having a 1 big bendy wing from front to back but the wood wasn't flexible enough.

Sketch:

3) Our criteria was to build a glideable glider with soft paper and bendy wood.

Some constraints were that we had limited bulsa wood and limited soft paper to build with.

Our goal was to make the glider glide straight without it getting tipped over the front or back. We adjusted the lifting of the wings so it doesn't fly back and we added more weight to make it not tip.

Egg Drop Challenge - Iteration #1

Total # of achievements earned: 17

-Your materials fit inside a printer paper box.

-Your materials fit inside a shoe box.

-Your materials fit inside a cigar box.

-Your materials fit inside an Altoids box.

We used 3 balloons, 3 marbles, and a string.

-Your materials weigh less than 500 grams.

-Your materials weigh less than 300 grams.

-Your materials weigh less than 200 grams.

-Your materials weigh less than 150 grams.

-Your materials weigh less than 100 grams.

-Your materials weigh less than 50 grams.

We weighed in at 106 grams with the egg.

-You hit the butcher paper!

-You hit inside the third ring!

-You hit inside the second ring!

-You hit inside the first ring!

-You hit the Bullseye!

We hit the designated area even with pretty strong wind.

-Create a sketch of one possible solution. Include labels.

-Generate a list of materials required for build day.

Some designs/strategies our class did well on was using balloons. Some groups put little barriers on their eggs so their egg would be protected. Austin and I decided to put our egg in a balloon that was inside another balloon to absorb the impact better. We would probably put more protection around our egg if we had to redesign it because our egg broke unfortunately.

TED -- part. 1

1) The TED organization is about showing latest studies and what people are doing and how they are going further into them.

2) The purpose of the TED site is to inform the people on latest technology developments and to get people interested in them. The functionality of the site supports that because the site has a whole bunch of videos on what's going on in the world and what to expect from technology in the future.

3) As an "engineer" I would think the scientific things would most interest us. I think this because we are problem solvers and science defines the problems we face and we have to use science to fix them. Global issues could also be there but at a lesser extent I think.

4) 3 videos I find most interesting are "Understanding the Rise of China", "The Rise of Personal Robots", and "The Linguistic Genius of Babies".

5) I chose the "Understanding the Rise of China" video.

• China will be the new world power.


• China will have the highest economy.


• Chinese will be the new biggest language.


• China will have the biggest population, thus the biggest army.

6) I could get into these kind of things because I think these are very intelligent people talking and they know what they're saying and can thoroughly explain it. These are the type of people I like to learn things from.

Black Box - Inputs and Outputs

Sorry for it being so small, I don't know how to fix it =/ .

Opt In: Carnival Splendor

Q: What was the nature of the problem the ship experienced?

A: The ship was stranded in the middle of the water off the coast of Mexico and the ship's main generators were shutdown from the engine fire. The people needed a place to sleep and food to eat. The passengers went three days without electricity, waiting in long lines for cold food, and having toilets that didn't flush.


Q: What repairs were required?

A: They needed to fix the broken main generator, the broken bathroom facilities, and the broken air conditioning. There were more problems I think, because on many websites it says that the Splendor encountered more problems than they thought and they needed more time to fix them but these were the only ones I could find.


Q: What impact did the unnexpected arrival of the cruise ship have on the local economy?

A:It would have required many workers to be hired to fix the ship's problems. The economic impact of Carnival Splendor would have been $14 million in direct annual expenditures.

Reverse Engineering: Functional Analysis Essential Questions

1. What is the purpose of reverse engineering? It can generate the technical data required to copy a product functionally and dimensionally, you could use it for redesigning or upgrading a product, and it can help you understand the product and know how it works.

2. What is the difference between a product's visual and functional qualities? A product's visual qualities relate to how it looks like and a product's functional qualities relate to how it's used and works.

Opt In: Gamification

Q: Why do you think such simple games get so many people playing them and paying for them?

A: Personally, I believe it's lack of creativity, or just intelligence at that matter. In my opinion, paying real money $$$ for virtual money is one of the stupidest things someone could do, anything virtual is a pixel and can be created as many times as needed. I also believe that people get a "high" of some sort when they do good at something, so if they get a high score they want to show it off and keep trying to remain at the best.


Q: Do you think we can use technology to penetrate back into reality?

A: Honestly, I think the best way to penetrate back into reality is to play virtual games or log into virtual websites in moderation and not everyday. Even if you're playing video games about reality, like the Sims for example, you're still playing a video game no matter what it's about. Your body doesn't do good sitting and moping staring at radiation, it needs outdoor time and exercise.


Q: Are you afraid of the future of technology? For example, wifi and cameras on every soda can and on other stuff and how everything you do is tracked and recorded so you can get worthless points. Or like a virtual tattoos or body or eye sensors.

A: Oh hell yeah! I think it is very sketchy that they can track your every move and location and their excuse is to award you points... Come on people, don't get sold out so easily... Or the virtual tattoos, what the hell? That's just wack. Another are the eye sensors, how can something have access to exactly what you're looking at? Or for commercials, the video was saying how if you got the message of the commercial you get more points.... well how do they know what you think? I also believe that they could control your lives with what they put into your head and make you think about on a daily basis.

I really enjoyed this video because it opened my eyes on how real and serious new technology is becoming. I just re-watched where he says that one person got more points for having advertisements tattoo'd on his wrist where people can ssee than the person who had advertisements tattoo'd on his arm where people couldn't see, and made me think why people who make their body a living, walking, breathing bill board, sell out, advertisement.. It's like selling your life in a way.

Reverse Engineering: Mechanical Product - Visual Analysis

This is a picture of the tip of the pen that comes out when you push down on the button at the bottom of the pen.

This is a picture of the button you push at the bottom of the pen to start writing with it.

Product Analysis:

Visual Analysis:

Some Visual Design Elements of this pen are that it's a black color, very smooth, it has a straight line shape, and has lines if you reflect it on light.

Some Visual Design Principles that the pen follows are balance because it can stand up and not move when placed flat on a surface and unity because the springs, the pen, and the case all work as one.

Functional Analysis:

The purpose of the product is to have a pen that works when you need it to work and can close so it won't get pen marks on stuff if you're not using it and so it won't dry up like the pens that need caps. The mechanical nature supports that because you are in control of when it's open or closed by pressing a button so it is convenient for you.

Graphic Design Assignment

This is an Element made by the company Honda.

This car has a new i-VTEC engine, center console with removable cooler, wide-opening cargo doors, and more.

I think the message content is fair, it's nothing great but it tells you some add-ons that makes it the newest version.

I think the size of this advertisement is good, it's not too big and it's something where you can sit down for 2 minutes and read the whole thing.

The font is very readable, it looks a little smaller that what it originally looked like because I had to screen shot it and adjust it's size.

This is a Scion made by the company Toyota.

The scion has over 150 accessories, such as: abs brakes and a 160-watt pioneer audio system.

I think the message content is bad. It tries to much to make you want to buy it. Instead of using more details on the car, they give you the prices and how all the prices are firm.

I think the shape of this advertisement is decent becuase it doesn't really deliver a good a message but it has pictures showing the different cars.

The readablitity is good, they use a readable font and a good size.

I think it understands demographics because they know a lot of people worry about how much things cost so they do a good job on having an affordable price.

Conclusion:

1) A trend is like a type of style. It's good to identify the trend prior to graphic design because you know who has the same trend as you, how it worked for them, and knowing what mistakes happened to them that you will try not to make.

2) Human nature plays a role in how a product is marketed because a majority of humans, mainly the youth, want the best or want the newest things, so if they have something marketed that's new and/or is a better version of something then people are going to want it.

3) A potential audience is identified because it shows you the inside, the outside, and other angles of the car to really show you what's going on and how it looks.

4) I think you must discover what the targeted audience wants or needs, and also what can grab their attention.

Visual Design Assignment

1) The 6 Visual Design Elements we discussed in class are:

1. Line


2. Color


3. Form/shape


4. Space


5. Texture


6. Value

2) The 5 Visual Design Principles we discussed in class are:

1. Balance


2. Rhythm


3. Emphasis


4. Proportion and scale


5. Unity

3) 1) This faucet has a curved shape with lines and a smooth texture.

2) This stack of cards shows balance.

3) This tie dye shirt shows lots of color.

4) This pyramid shows good balance.

5) This table is a good example of asymmetrical balance

Desk Organizer

Our challenge is to design and model a product that will reduce the clutter that accumulates on office desks and frees up space. My partner is Mike.

These images show the shape of the desk organizer and where the drawers are supposed to be located and the drawer size. The desk organizer should be placed somewhere near your desk, and pens, pencils, or anything that's not papers or folders can go in the drawers and the papers and folders can go in the designated slots for them.

We came up with a good idea right off the bat for the Desk Organizer and stuck with it. It also looked the simplest.

For step 1, the problem Mike and I have is to create something that does not attach to the desk and organizes papers, and other office supplies. For step 2, Mike and I verbally exchanged ideas about how the product will look and work. For step 4, Mike and I identified we would need 2 trays for storing papers and folders, and 2 draws for pens, paper clips, and other stuff in that category, but it has to be seperate from the desk itself. For step 12, Mike and I both showed eachother our sketches and they looked similar so we are on the same page.

Desk Organizer Model

Mike and I decided to go with the Desk Organizer Design. We need to design something that keeps an office desk from becoming cluttered with papers and devices.

3 Question Assignment

Q- What is a field/hobby/something you have a passion for (surfing, sailing, robotics, painting, etc.)? Mixed Martial Arts(MMA) Fighting

Q- What person or organization in that field has used blogging to promote their brand?
The UFC has created website forums and twitter accounts to promote themselves.

Q- What is a field you might see yourself blogging about?
I could see myself blogging about MMA or rock climbing.

Tennisball Activity

There was two challenges. The first challenge was to see which of the 2 teams could get the tennisball to touch every member of the team first. The second challenge was to see which of the 2 teams could get the tennisball to touch every member of the team first with everyone's eyes closed. The plan my team came up with to solve the challenges was for this first one to put our hands together in a circle that had an angle to where the ball would flow through. For the second challenge we had 1 person stand in the middle and everyone else go in a circle around him with one of our arms out at the same height so the person in the middle could just stick out his arm and spin in a circle tagging everyone else. Both plans worked out good. I would do both the plans the same but I would try to have it go faster and get more practice so we won't mess up. Our group worked together pretty well. Everyone just said their ideas and the best one our group agreed on was the one we did.

One more thing we did was our group got into a circle and since our group had an odd number of people we threw the tennis ball to every other person in our group and eventually it would end up getting everyone due to our odd number.

We lost the first challenge but came back on the second challenge to claim a victory.

Stranded at Sea

We organized the most important things to have if you're trapped at sea. We were given a list and had to number them off from most important to least important. This is my ranking of the items: A 25 liter container of water, a case of army rations, a fishing kit, maps of the Pacific Ocean, a sextant, a can of shark repellent, 20 sq. feet of Opaque plastic sheeting, a shaving mirror, 15 ft. of nylon rope, a floating seat cushion, 2 boxes of chocolate bars, one bottle of 160% proof rum, a small transistor radio, a 10 liter can of oil/petrol mixture, and a quantity of mosquito netting. I chose a 25 liter container of water and a case of army rations as my first two choices because you need food and water to survive and have energy to get rescued and do what you have to do. A quantity of mosquito netting was my last choice because there is no mosquitos in the middle of the ocean. Some items that I had a hard time ranking were a can of shark repellent, a floating seat cushion, and a sextant.

My team's list was: a 25 liter container of water, a case of army rations, a fishing kit, maps of the Pacific Ocean, a small transistor radio, a 10 liter can of oil/petrol mixture, 15 ft of nylon rope, a floating seat cushion, 20 sq ft of Opaque plastic sheeting, a shaving mirror, one bottle of 160% proof rum, 2 boxes of chocolate bars, a can of shark repellent, a quantity of mosquito netting, and a sextant. Two items that the group ranked similar to mine were the water and army rations. Supplies is very important in survival, you need energy to use energy. One thing my group ranked differently from mine was the sextant. Our group worked together by discussing plans on how to survive while discussing plans on how to get rescued.

Our choices were similar to the Coastguard choices. There were a couple big surprises in the difference of a couple things. I would put more weight in experiential data over an expert opinion because an expert only researched about it and never had to actually do it in that kind of position. Someone who experienced it and experienced how the day is and how you live being stranded so I would probably listen to that over an expert's opinion.

Test Post

This is a test naw'm sayin?