Design in Society

The greatest gift America can give is the freedom to design and create products in which improve our world.  The ability to do so is seen through the latest design of Apple’s iphone 4.  The innovative design and specific technology advances allow the iphone 4 to be a computer, phone, desk, school, job, and recreation activity all in one easy to use handheld device.  This in the design world may be considered a utopia “ an ideally perfect place (or device), especially in its social political and moral aspects.”  The iphone 4 was specifically designed for our society and was made in order to meet our needs more effectively.  A few examples of the iphone 4 in which benefit our society are the endless amounts of applications, face time (face to face communication), maps, and the ability to house all of which make up one’s computer. The iphone 4 does not want its consumer to have to go to great lengths in trying to complete simple day-to-day tasks.  The convenience is what the iphone 4 is best known for.  The ingenious design creates a utopia for the world surrounding.  The relationships the iphone 4 creates whether it’s for business or pleasure is endless.  The newest face time feature adds a personal touch to the already personal ability of communicating through a telephone.  The utopian design of the iphone 4 is truly an ideal device, for it can accomplish all that is demanded of it.  It’s ability to create a relationship between consumer and technology is the upmost benefit for society.  It bridges a gap between what a computer, a phone, a map, a calculator, and an ipod separately would have been able to accomplish.  The all in one combination is just another building block in the great American Dream of advancing technology.   


Photo found on google images. 
definition found from dictionary website.

Design is Dangerous

America prides itself on their latest fashion, technologies, and medical advances.  With these advances, people are always trying to “keep up with the Jones’.”  The American dream of wealth and capitalization sometimes gets lost into the extremes of superficial designs and products.  An example of an extremity in which beauty is put first before health is a tanning bed.  While the tanning bed was designed to give superficial UVA rays (two to three times stronger than the sun) to the individual in order to achieve a fake glow, many hazards and consequences have occurred.  This design is out in the society today, and people all over the United States are just asking for their superficial need to glow to turn into cancer.  The consequences are extreme and many people still seem to abuse the design.  With all good things must come moderation, the addiction to the tanning bed is what serves cancer on a silver platter to the participating individuals.  Sun is known to raise a person’s endorphins and when the fake rays are substituted for real daylight, is when the health problems arise.  The pressure to feel beautiful in the ever-changing United States is harmful to our society.  Natural aging should be recognized as a beauty, rather than something to be ashamed of.  The marketing of the tanning bed and the slick up dated technology may fool some into believing that there are no real risks in participating in fake baking.  This particular design was not intended to cause or raise the stakes of developing cancer, but rather as a simple and affective way to bronze quicker, in and out of changing seasons.  Luckily, more and more awareness is being brought to the ‘tanning addiction.’ Adds and Campaigns such as the women’s magazine, Cosmopolitan, promote and want readers to practice safe sun.  The key to avoiding this epidemic is to never participate in the tanning act, for it is addicting and the health risks prove too high.  


Photo found from google images. 

Color Transforms

Color is able to transform a single design through its ability to express balance, quality, quantity, and organization aimed towards the eyes of their viewer.  The transformation of colors in a specific sense may be seen through The Goethe Triangle, explained thoroughly in Josef Alber’s book, Interaction of Color.  This specific color theory gives organization to the world of color.  The equilateral triangle is divided into nine small triangles outlining the three primaries, three secondaries, and the three tertiaries.  In the beginning three triangles are the boldest contrasts of colors, with the most extremities.  In the bottom right and left hand corners are the Yellow and Blue triangles known by Goethe as the “the only two pure colors [and] the primeval contrast”(Albers 142).  Then in the apex is the red triangle known as “the middle between them”(142).  In order to complete the remaining triangles “the less opposite secondaries are in the middles of the outer edges, and the closest, or least different, tertiaries naturally meet still more in the center”(142).  With the Goethe Triangle, designs can be more fully explored and their balance can be seen as the transformation. 

An important point of reference in Alber’s book, Interaction of Color, is the idea of Quantity.   Here Quantity is not only seen as a measurable amount or a precise number, but rather a sense of balance.  This is the platform by which Goethe’s Triangle can be later expressed.  The relationship between organization and balance allows color to be seen through various lights/theories.  Schopenhauer who in turn changed the equal areas into different quantities found the discovery of the relationship.  He made the lightest color (yellow) the smallest amount, and the darkest color (violet) the largest amount.  Then he paired 3 opposites (yellow/violet, blue/orange, and red/green) into equal thirds of a color ring.  Finally after a few more key steps, he created the quantity of 3:4:6:9:8:6.  The outcome created two key questions “how much and how often”(Albers 43).  Thus the four colors appear in different realms, making them with almost no commonality. In the end, the unrelated colors are able to “preset changes in climate or temperature, in tempo, or rhythm-that is, changes of atmosphere or mood, so that the factual contents (the same four colors) are hidden or, better, hardly recognizable”(Albers 44).  The conclusion of the transformation and quantity leads to “the increase in amount of color-not merely in size of canvas-visually reduces distance“(44).  This ultimately lures the viewer into an appreciated closeness with the design seeing the final relationship of color, balance, quantity, and organization.  The transformation between the colors of the design to the eyes of the viewer is profound, and the way the colors are interpreted is what creates a unique experience between the art and the audience.      

All of the information is found in Interaction of Color by Josef Albers. 

Image found from google images.

Chi Hair Straightening electronic

A girl’s best friend is a Chi hair straightener.  For some girls this makes or breaks if they are going to have a good day or not.  But, does anyone ever think of the ergonomics of this well thought piece of hair equipment?  The answer is most likely a no.  The simple to use, fit in your hand perfectly straightener can be carefully broken down into the basic design criticism: safety, comfort, ease of use, performance, and aesthetics.  The safety of the chi is imperative, for the heat can be extremely dangerous to the consumer, if not properly handled.  Luckily, the convenient long gripped handles allow for a safe and well protected straightening of the hair.  The other side of safety, the emotional aspect also ties in with the comfort of the consumer.  The comfort emotionally allows for a frizzy girl to have sleek beautiful hair that in turn boosts her self-esteem.  Not only is there the emotional comfort, but also the physical comfort of the wide gripped handles that allow easy clamping in order to grasp the hair.  This is connected with the ease of use, for the metal shiny templates surrounding the top of the straightener allow elegant gliding down the once wavy unruly hair.  In order for the safety, comfort, and ease of use to all work correctly there must be a high performance.  The Chi’s ability to literally heat in minutes allows the consumer a quick and pain free job of straightening.  The time is quick, the heat is the right temperature, and the easy to grip handles all come full circle in finally designing a straight masterpiece.  The best part of choosing a girls Chi is the ability to choose from their different array of colors.  The baby pink, cool blue, or even the solid black all gives a new light and decoration to a simple piece of equipment.  These options allow the consumer to have a personal bond and feel connected with their product.   


Image found from google images.

Ihome

What does a clock, radio, and an iphone/ipod charger all have in common?  They are all part of the innovative ihome.  A simple electronic device suited to fit the everyday needs of their consumer.  The ergonomics of this design are broken down with easy to use buttons and a remote control to create simple accessibility.  With a five-step process known as the basic design criticism the ihome is broken down into the safety, comfort, ease of use, performance, and aesthetics, all in which target the needs of the consumer. 

The safety of the ihome contains two main points, physically and emotionally.  Physically, the ihome gives the consumer an all in one compact clock/radio.  The ihome prides itself on giving an accurate and safe interaction between the radio and the charging of the iphone.  It prevents the nation’s problem of GSM noise, the buzzing sound when both the radio speakers and iphone are on.  Emotionally, the ihome gives safety and reassurance to the consumer’s daily routine.  The ihome sets alarms, snoozes, and dates, which allows an emotional security.  Similarly, the emotional safety coincides with the ihome’s comfort towards its consumers. 

The comfort of the ihome emphasizes ergonomics goal, which is to create a design perfectly suited for its consumers ease.  The compact size gives comfort in that the clock and radio is all inclusive, without the need for extra speakers, outlets, or chargers.  This allows the consumer to feel comfort in that they don’t have to deal with extra electronic accessories.

In order to ensure ease of use, all that is required for the ihome are batteries, an outlet, and an area with accurate radio signal.  After following the self-explanatory instructions the consumer is able to fully use the ihome to its greatest expectations.  They are able to do so, for the top of the ihome is accurately labeled with easy to read, English friendly words.  The distance between the ihome and the consumer is not a problem, for the remote control can access all of the same functions as though the consumer was manually controlling it. 

Overall, the performance of the ihome is reliable when placed in an appropriate area of the room.  The consumer wants to avoid the interference between their television and the radio.  This can be easily fixed with simply altering the location of the radio antenna, or simply furthering the distance between the radio and the television.     

The design of the ihome is well thought out and precise.  The form, relating to the shape and structure of the object, visually creates a compact shape symbolizing a small electronic.  The skilled proportion of the ihome is important, for the all in one clock radio is minute compared to other large electronics, which may surround it such as: speakers, television, computers and other large accessories.  The rectangular shape, with its straight lines gives the consumer’s eye a concrete visual.  This is important because people want this clean electronic as part of an accessory in either their house or office.  The ihome works as an accessory, for it comes in a variety of colors designed especially for the consumer’s taste in style. 

The ihome comes full circle when the manufactures take the time to think out the needs of their consumer.  Without the hours of time and thought put into the electronic, the consumer would easily encounter unnecessary problems, ultimately hurting the production and reputation of the ipod name. 


Image found from google images.  

Appreciation for Native American Art

As of just recently, Native American Art has found a new appreciation and a new display in lower Manhattan, National Museum of the American Indian.  This is an important issue, for the art has long been looked over and crammed in the corner in the once old Museum of the American Indian.  Over time the curators attempted to present the Indian photos with videos and technological systems, however the audience was not too impressed.  Finally, in 2002 a remarkable moving show of the Indian time-pieces was displayed through photos.  People needed to see and accept that the museum, “located art primarily in ideas and information rather than in precious material forms.”  This is important to design today in that the idea is much more important thant the material.  This can be linked with the term conceptual art, meaning the idea of a piece is more important than the tangible.  The photos of the American Indians require an imagination and a reliving in the past in order to truly appreciate the once alive culture.  American Indians are the core of the American culture, and without the knowledge of their culture we are unable to understand our culture.    

Information found from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/arts/design/06infinity.html?ref=design

McCloud in depth on how image and words interact

In order to understand the macanics of how image and words interact, one may turn to Scott McClouds book, Understanding Comics.  To begin with, pictures have outlived words in a large part.  Ancient cultures first documented their stories and traditions with pictures.  Not long after, some pictures took a symbol form, thus documenting different parts of their language.  McCloud takes us through the different types of word/image combinations. One of them begins with word specific, “where pictures illustrate but don’t significantly add to largely complete text”(McCloud 153).  This can be seen in simple picture where the image specifies to broad subject.  It is more of a symbol for the picture.  However, the most common image and word combination is the inter-dependent.  This is “where words and pictures go hand in hand to convey an idea that neither could convey alone” (McCloud 155).  This relates to Brian Fies and his Mom’s Cancer comic, where the image must be explained in full depth in order for the reader to fully engage and understand the context.  McCloud makes it known that “the more said with words, the more the pictures can be freed to go exploring and vice versa”(155). 

How image and words interact: Brian Fies

Brian Fies, a graphic designer, known for his famous comic of Mom’s Cancer, uses images and words together in order to express his emotional experience of his mother’s cancer.   Fies used his comic as a way to cope with the cancer.  His personal goal in writing comics is to have words and images dependent on one another, for neither one can survive alone.   The comic’s use of words and images illustrates his family drama and conflict, thus allowing there to be a “bigger truth.”  The use of the comic was a more affective way of telling his story rather than an elegant one thousand-word essay.  He was able to use the comics and create metaphors justifying the current situation.  For example he uses the well-known game “operation” as a way to present his mother.  She was receiving chemo and tests, much like the patient of “operation” would be played.  He made sure he had the right balance of dead seriousness (cancer) with ridiculousness (comic).  His comic images signified the experiences in which his mother underwent. In one of his panels he shows his mother in Frankenstein’s laboratory because she said she felt as though she was there when she was in therapy.  In this panel, one is able to see the image of the laboratory and then the explanation in the corners describing the problems of radiation.  Therefore, the image is dependent upon the words in order to link the two separate ideas together as one.  Fies also exemplifies his mother’s experience of balancing medications through an image of her walking on a tight rope.  His picture links the comic to his mother’s pains from cancer, and the words in the corner explain the details such as a pulmonary embolism.  In conclusion, Fies comics would not exist if there was not a dependence between the words and the images.  Both must exist in order for the comic to come full circle.