Update on Callie

Currently I am in the process of designing Callie- my calla lily inspired fiberglass chair. My design process focused mainly on ergonomics, and the idea that you can create a comfortable chair without cushions, is coming along. Currently I am hand carving pieces of foam glued together, to be more ergonomic. This is my mold. I use plaster to create test samples of what the mold will create, then I alter it to be more visually appealing. Next is to adjust the foam to be more comfortable. After I have created "the most comfortable chair" I can I am going to use a grid system and translate the foam model to the computer. I was originally going to 3D scan this, however the prices for a student are ridiculous. I eat ramen noodles every night already, I can't afford to get a complex model that may be so intricate it shows all of my imperfections from my rough model. After I create a 3D model of my foam, I am going to have it milled out again in foam. This is to create the most perfect mold I can since fiberglass will show all of my imperfections. Then I will send it out (or personally) create a fiberglass mold. This is an intense process and I'm trying to get the most work done every week I can. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Herman Miller

I thought I would take the time to express my love for (in my opinion) the best furniture company in the world, Herman Miller. Herman Miller is incredibly successful, not because they have famous designers from all over the world design pieces, but because they do their research. They have studied why things work and why things don't. This is what allowed them (or rather my hero Bill Stumpf) to re-design the "perfect chair." He created a product that was flexible enough to be adjustable for every user, but also rigid enough that it provided enough support for every size. Bill once said, "I work best when I'm pushed to the edge," he said, "when I'm at the point where my pride is subdued, where I'm an innocent again. Herman Miller knows how to push me that way, mainly because the company still believes — years after D.J. DePree first told me — that good design isn't just good business, it's a moral obligation. Now that's pressure." Bill wanted to design beyond the landfill, and actually create a product that would help humanity. This really is an inspiration. Out of all the designers to meet, I would have loved to go out to dinner with Bill and pick his brain. 


Remember- "Good design is a moral obligation."

Y3 Blender

I'm discovering that one of my favorite design exercises to do is to take 2 different topics, mash them together and see what happens… what if pepsi developed a laptop- what would it look like and how would it function? what if Dasani created a phone etc. etc.

Recently for class I have developed a blender for the company Y-3. For those who have never heard of Y-3 (like me) it's a high end designer brand under Adidas. They use high end materials, and modern designs in their fashion.

Their current line was apparently inspired by rock and roll. Some overwhelming themes of the current line are overwhelming asymmetrical bold lines, the contrast of black and white with a simple bluish/ purple color as the accent color. I tried to take these common aspects and reflect them in a market that they have never and probably will never go into… the blender market!

Inspiring Designer

Lately for the chair quarter I've been inspired by Charles Eames.
When thinking about the chair project I've realized a couple of things. 1) It's not just the design that sells the idea, the material is incredibly important. Eames took bent plywood out of context and revolutionized the chair industry. Now a bent plywood chair is common, still cool, but common. He took fiberglass and molded chairs that fit comfortably. The material is extremely important.


The other thing I've realize is, learn from life. Leonardo da Vinci once said… "Through human genius in its various inventions with various instruments may answer the same end, it will never find an invention more beautiful or more simple or direct than nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking and nothing superfluous." Nature has perfected the system, don't try to beat it, learn from it.

New Portfolio!

Here is a link to my new portfolio. 


http://www.uc.edu/webapps/propractice/industrialportfolios/Fearing_Jenni_12.pdf


It has been completely revamped refocusing on the products and the process to the products. The folks at Chamberlain critiqued it for me and I am very thankful they did. Although I haven't incorporated all of their comments, I definitely took them into consideration. One thing UC doesn't really encourage is having pages about CO-OPs. Mostly because of confidentiality, many students feel they can't show anything. However this isn't necessarily true. Just because you helped design a future product doesn't mean you didn't learn something from it. I feel like an important factor for many businesses isn't necessarily to see that you designed the latest ____ (fill in the blank with product). But rather to see how you came about that, the process. I wouldn't hesitate in putting pages about CO-OPs in your portfolio, you spent 10+ weeks there, go for it!

Mixed Medias

In ID I feel that many people get bogged down by trying to sketch perfectly. Don't get me wrong, sketching is a fantastic necessary skill to have, however I don't think it's AS important as learning how to visualize. I think people are often afraid to switch medias because they weren't taught something. If you feel the best way to get your design out is through clay, do it. Just because you aren't a sculptor doesn't mean you can't create a 'sketch' in clay for yourself. I wouldn't go showing the world your clay lump and call it your final direction, but it often times helps you visualize for yourself how something should look. I really enjoy molding rough models in clay, and seeing what comes from them, I feel that it's a great way for myself to visualize it and I strongly urge others to find something that helps them!

Callie

Callie is the name of my chair. I believe in personalizing my products by giving them names. This way I connect more with the product and put more heart and soul into it. Currently my biggest trouble is using Solid works surfaces, however I have faith that if I keep at it, it will come. One thing that's really helping me with my design, is every time I feel like I'm going off track, I look back at my inspiration. Industrial design also known as product design, is about much more than just the look of the product, it's about the experience. (yes back to experiential design). This being said, I believe if you are inspired from a flower, GO BUY THE FLOWER. Calla Lily's are rather expensive I've discovered, however it's worth it. This allows your products to have more then just the look of being inspired, but also the feel. That untangle aspect to every product can turn an alright product into a great product because it feels like it has a soul. So remember, name your designs, it's a great way to truly connect with your creative side. :)

Infographic!

http://dailyinfographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/PizzaIGVersion.jpg


Infographics convey information in a visual way. The best part of this infographic is the statistic that says… 


"Men wearing muscle shirts to answer the door order pepperoni 3 times more then any kind of pizza." 


What do infographics do? They relate seminally un- relatable information together visually. If this statistic was written in an excel document it would kill it's cleverness, however the fact that it's in a pizza infographic makes it 20 times more exciting!

Water For Elephants

There's something so fascinating about circus'. They have been the background of many stories and films. The mystical qualities involved and the illusions leave a lot to the imagination. Water For Elephants comes out this Friday and I'm totally stoked. Despite having Twilight boy Robert Patterson (even though he actually can act decently in movies such as Remember Me his presence in the glitter-filled pre-teen drama ruins a lot) this movie looks absolutely spectacular. There's something so magical about the ability to control so many large unusual animals that draws you in. Products should do the same, they should seem magical every time you use them despite their size- (ie a car to a cup for coffee). Products should create experiences, just like a circus. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz455--bNEI

Inspiration

This quarter for the chair project I was really trying to focus on coffee and how coffee can be related to a chair. Coffee itself is a fantastic culture where creativity seems to brew. At the start of the quarter… and maybe even before, I tried creating a chair that was perfect for the coffee culture. What I didn't realize was everything I was creating from this inspiration was either considered 'dated' or not great. I changed my inspiration un- yet again, to flowers (another love of mine). This seems to spark more creative and modern ideas that I'm starting to fall in love with. I don't know where I'm going wrong with my starting inspiration, but I'm discovering HOW important it is. Besides, if you aren't inspired to create the next Aeron chair… then what do you have? Landfill shit. 

Chamberlain Round 2

Working at Chamberlain again made me really excited for the company in the near future. I am really excited to see what is produced once the design team moves to the more creative environment, I think it'll help generate fantastic ideas. I never really thought about how much a design space really mattered to a design team, but after working in cubicles, I learned it was incredibly important. Designers need space, air, and light. These 3 things are crucial to the fluid design process… besides who can create the next revolutionary product in a place where "mushrooms can grow?!"

Portfolio Update

Over the last 11 weeks I have avidly worked on revamping my portfolio. Last quarter a comment was made that the icons of the portfolio were stronger then the products themselves. This was taken into consideration and I often had to ask myself, "what am I selling, graphics or products?" After carefully redefining my portfolio to have the products be the center. It's easy to forget what your main goal is for your portfolio- so asking yourself what is the point is a great way to make sure you don't get too far from your target.

Another major change in my portfolio are the titles. Before I was just labeling what the page had on it… research, process, final product etc. However the reader isn't stupid… they will get that. Roller had a great comment about making the titles what you want the reader to REALLY get out of it… what's really the most important thing on the page so if they were just going off of titles what do you get? I think this added a lot more flavor to my portfolio and I really encourage anyone to try this (especially when you find it difficult to add personality to your portfolio).