From Chaos to Solutions

New Blogging Service & Layout

2010-02-11T15:55:00.001-08:00

I'm going to be trying out a new blogging service and layout for my blogs.

Here are the links for the new blogs:
Design Blog | Personal Blog | Cooking Blog

How A Web Design Goes Straight to Hell

2010-02-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Vases

2010-02-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

Curl Vase by Kimberly Manne of Warp Design:

These have to be the coolest, most graceful contemporary industrial vases I've ever laid eyes on. They come in different sizes, too.

Volcano #39 by Emogayu:

Japanese artist Emogayu developed these series of amazing vases titled Volcano and Flow, though I'm of the opinion that it could just as well have had Moon after looking at the top view of some of these, they carry a very balanced and graceful organic form. I would seriously recommend checking out the other pieces from these series.

Hidden Vase by Dan Yeffet of JellyLab:
This organic vase gets its name due to the central shaft cloaked by a delicate branch structure around it.

Onion Vase by Iris Zohar:

These onion vases were designed by Iris Zohar to stretch the limits between what is natural and what is artifical.

Spiral Bud Vase by Michiko Maekawa of Martha's Vineyard Glassworks:
Very beautiful minimalist glass vases to display only one stem of flower.

Tree Vase by Jennifer Fisher of Jfish Designs:
Slipcast ceramic branch-like vases hold small flowers and be overlapped to produce a denser organic cluster.

Roots Vase by Humantouch:
This elegant vase very simply, and stylistically replicates plant roots.

Bouquet Vase by VisuallyOd:
These vases are composed of individually slipcast porcelain branches that are tied up together to create a freeform sculptural vase.

Unvase by Designdot:

This one is like one of those Rorschach inkblot tests. The negative space between the two pieces forms a vase in of itself which is intended to provoke reflection about how it can be looked upon from different points of view.

Grass Vase by Claydies:

These unique grass vases were developed by Claydies with the comment "Grass has a very naive ceramic expression that is both uplifting and amusing."

Chocolate Records and Dream Balls

2010-02-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

With huge chocolate sales coming up right after Single's Awareness Day (aka Valentine's Day), found that there was a lot of inspiration behind these chocolate records which appeals to all 5 senses: See, Touch, Smell, Hear and Taste.

Moreover, with all the packaging that goes to waste especially during specific holidays throughout the year, this particularly delightful concept called Dream Ball from Unplug Design illustrates how relief containers could be patterned to be made into soccer balls could serve as further inspiration.

This is the story behind Dreamball:

“To the children in The Third World; Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Congo and etc, who can’t enjoy football freely because of poverty, war and natural disaster, having a football means a lot and can be a dream and hope to escape from their poor life.

However, the children are so poor that they can not buy a football. So, they play football with the ball made of plastic bag or coconut palm leaves, therefore giving them their own footballs which can give them hope. This is our aim for this project.

We suggest this Dream Ball made of relief boxes delivered to those poor children by recycling.

A. Create patterns that can help making a ball on the surface of an aid box.
B. Activities of giving aid boxes to children in The Third World.
C. The used aid boxes will be recycled as a football by children with the patterns on boxes.
D. By making Dream Ball with the children together, the aid organizations will get the chance to be friendly with them.”

Cool Packaging

2010-01-31T00:23:00.000-08:00

Hatch by Nosigner:

Anonymous Japanese designer, Nosigner, developed a project called Hatch where real eggshells are used as planters which also provides the growing plant with nutrients.
"It provides nutrition of eggshells to plants while they grow. Hatch makes it seem that the plants are growing out of the eggs. When the plants are grown, you can return them to the wilderness with Hatch because the eggshells are biodegradable."

Gold Future Eyecream by Freedom of Creation:
“L’Oreal group is the global leader in cosmetics and has over a century of experience in the business. With 58 offices throughout the world, L’Oreal distributes its 18 brands in 130 countries. Helena Rubinstein, one of the key brands of the group, wished to have a special package design made for the launch of its new “Gold Future” eye reviver cream. Freedom Of Creation designed and produced 66 pieces of this unique packaging out of flexible nylon, with a gold finishing layer.”

TEET by Ashley Linnenbank:
“Milk packaging sure to get noticed on the shelf. Available in skim, chocolate, and whole.”

Table Dish Cover by Maezm:

A very cool flexible injection-molded silicon tablecloth with integrated dishes that pop out designed by Korean Maezm. It can be spread over a table during meal times, then collapsed, removed and washed afterwards.

ShisSushi Takeaway by MPFXDESIGN:
“Shis Sushi it’s part of Shis Restaurant for which was developed sub graphic codes. Inspired in the oriental culture, red was the chosen chromatic color for the artwork applied in the circular package. This was inspired in the oriental geometry and in the restaurant logo. From the drawing mold to the graphic design and production, the package (in thermo-molded pvc for food), it was thought to be resistant and practical for take away purposes. Inside it has different compartments to put the sushi, accompanied by chopsticks. Outside the package is sealed by belt of paper that identifies the content and the brand of the restaurant . The mentioned restaurant is situated by the sea in Porto, Portugal. All communication elements where designed by MPFXDESIGN, from a chromatic choice inspired in the sea.”

Pop-Up Popcorn by Anni Nykänen, Packlab:
“In 2008 Anni Nykänen [of Packlab] won four awards for her Popcorn concept. Three of them European student design awards at the IOP: Student Starpack Awards. The Gold, Best in Show Award, Marks & Spencers / Korsnas Frovi Sponsored Award as she helped PACKLAB. Lahti Institute of Design to win the Eric Dickens Award for the second time in 2008. Months later her packaging picked up a 2008 Honorable Mention at the Worldstar Student / Packaging Design Competition (International) Award.”

Royal Tea Bags by Donkey Products:

Donkey Product's idea of teabagging with the Royal Family, US politicians, or striptease stars. Pretty Nifty.

Swiss Chocolate Knife by Victorinox:

This delectable Swiss Chocolate Knife is made of the finest Swiss chocolate, and is filled with hazelnut praline. Featuring the Victorinox Swiss Army logo, this fine confection is modeled after the Swiss Army Spartan multitool.

Flexible Technologies: Warwick Ultra Thin Speakers

2009-06-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

With rapid advancements in ultra thin technologies arena such as smart textiles, OLEDs, touchscreen OLEDs, Electronic Ink technology, soft flexible keyboards, flexible PCBs, and flexible hardware....there is finally an ultra thin high quality speaker material, coined FFL (Flat, Flexible LoudSpeaker) developed by UK-based Warwick Audio Technologies that supposedly produces better sound quality than conventional speakers. Ain't that wild?

Text from the Discovery Innovation Blog article is pasted below

---- BEGIN BLOG POST----
Speakers that Bend, Stretch, and Fit in a Folder

Scientists in the flexible electronic industry have long promised us products like rubbery circuits that will make portable devices truly unbreakable. So when UK researchers announced they had developed flexible speakers, the latest flexible electronic product to hit headlines, we listened. The ultra thin speakers—appropriately named the Flat, Flexible Loudspeaker (FFL) (pictured above)—is only 0.25mm thick.

The speakers are made of a flexible laminate material that can bend like paper and stick to uneven surfaces—a huge upgrade from the earliest model made primarily of tin foil.

Warwick Audio Technologies, the company commercializing the speakers, claims the newly minted FFLs can produce sounds at 80-105 decibels. The flat design allows sound to travel through the material differently than it does typical boom boxes. When an electrical signal goes through the FFL speakers, it vibrates and sends a rush of air through the whole sound system. So in technical speak, when the air moves through the sheets in bulk mass, planar directional sound waves are created. The resulting sounds are “clearer, crisper, and easier to hear” than traditional speakers.

Unfortunately, we will have to wait a year to see if the speakers actually reach stores—or if they join the other flexible electronic technologies like flexible laptops that have yet to make it into the market. Ahem, E-paper, where are you?

---- END BLOG POST----

And another lengthier article on Warwick FFL Speakers from Science Daily pasted below

---- BEGIN ARTICLE POST----
New Flat Flexible Speakers Might Even Help You Catch Planes And Trains

ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2009) — A groundbreaking new loudspeaker -- less than 0.25mm thick -- has been developed by University of Warwick engineers. It's flat, flexible, could be hung on a wall like a picture, and its particular method of sound generation could make public announcements in places like passenger terminals clearer, crisper, and easier to hear.

Lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture, the speakers are slim and flexible: they could be concealed inside ceiling tiles or car interiors, or printed with a design and hung on the wall like a picture.

Pioneered by University of Warwick spin-out company, Warwick Audio Technologies' the 'Flat, Flexible Loudspeaker' (FFL) is ideal for public spaces where it delivers planar directional sound waves, which project further than sound from conventional speakers.

Steve Couchman, CEO of Warwick Audio Technologies, believes it could entirely replace the speakers currently used in homes and in cars, as well as in public address systems used in passenger terminals and shopping centres.

He says: "We believe this is a truly innovative technology. Its size and flexibility means it can be used in all sorts of areas where space is at a premium. Audio visual companies are investigating its use as point of sale posters for smart audio messaging and car manufacturers are particularly interested in it for its light weight and thinness, which means it can be incorporated into the headlining of cars, rather than lower down in the interior."

All speakers work by converting an electric signal into sound. Usually, the signal is used to generate a varying magnetic field, which in turn vibrates a mechanical cone, so producing the sound.

Warwick Audio Technology's FFL technology is a carefully designed assembly of thin, conducting and insulating, materials resulting in the development of a flexible laminate, which when excited by an electrical signal will vibrate and produce sound.

The speaker laminate operates as a perfect piston resonator. The entire diaphragm therefore radiates in phase, forming an area source. The wave front emitted by the vibrating surface is phase coherent, producing a plane wave with very high directivity and very accurate sound imaging.

"Another great application would be in PA systems for public spaces," says Steve. "The sound produced by FFLs can be directed straight at its intended audience. The sound volume and quality does not deteriorate as it does in conventional speakers, which means that public announcements in passenger terminals, for example, could be clearer, crisper, and easier to hear."

The FFL was first developed by Dr Duncan Billson and Professor David Hutchins, both from the University of Warwick, with early trials using just two sheets of tinfoil and an insulating layer of baking paper to produce sound. Since then its design has significantly evolved and the technology is now ready for commercial exploitation

The company is currently in negotiations with a number of commercial partners and continues to welcome fresh approaches. It expects to launch its first commercial product later this year.

---- END ARTICLE POST----

Some Vendor Client relationships - in real world situations

2009-06-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hah, so true! :P

NRA Show 2009

2009-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show held in Chicago which showcased products and services geared towards the restaurant/hospitality industry. While there were many intriguing and interesting product/service offerings, what intrigued me was how little attention was given to efficient use and conservation of space within a restaurant environment where oftentimes, every inch matters. Some of them also surprisingly did not take into account the matter of maintenance, waste, nor the emerging technologies that are increasingly being integrated within the restaurant/hospitality environment.

Some of my favorite products that were encountered included a very well-designed tower dish rack that used minimal form to hold dishes securely - in fact, they demonstrated just how well the dishes were held by mounting their tower dishrack on a rocking mechanism (similar to an earthquake), a beautiful sugar crystal stirring stick, an antimicrobial mat which would kill bacteria the moment it lands on it (used within bathrooms), advancements in biopolymers along with sustainable green materials, simple looking minimal packaging with an amazing array of features (like a thin piece of clear plastic that could withstand high oven temperatures along with layers of alternating perforations to act as insulators to keep contents like bread crispier on the outside/softer on the inside), ceramic oven racks and cutlery, and last but not least, a very elegant outdoor umbrella that was collapsible, back lit, and had a funnel to collect/drain water. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of being able to take pictures to share here, however, I will write more entries in the future about individual products and service offerings I'd encountered at the NRA show this year.

It also struck to me that there seemed to be a general lack of enthusiasm and even attendance compared to say - the CES show in Vegas - where the energy and enthusiasm was incredibly intoxicating and electric. In fact, even my friend had remarked on the crowd and how attendance seemed to be 'thinned out' compared to the NRA events he had attended before. It certainly begs the question of whether the days of tradeshows are fast becoming numbered and obsolete. In any case - it was a great show to attend to gain a general sense of both current and emerging trends within the industry.

MomSourcing

2009-05-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

What? Too busy to wish your mom a Happy Mother's Day? At long last, the days of receiving completely undeserving guilt trips from hard-to-please moms is now a problem of the past - thanks to MomSourcing.

On a sidenote - why do people on social networking sites seem to continue wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day when they themselves do not have their mothers within their own networks - and even cringe at the thought of having their mom on there?

Monsanto & The Vicious Cycle

2009-05-05T03:19:00.000-07:00

With so much going on in the world today, you hear certain seemingly 'usual' stories being repeated time and again. Like the one about how Indian Farmers commit suicide when their crops fail.

But why am I including this on my design blog?

Because of its connection to Monsanto along with how it exemplifies bad 'innovation' that claims to be safe, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly. However, reality is that it is none of these. Infact, its lack of foresight leads to extinction of crops along with its farmer in some instances - and creates even larger issues in the long run.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Monsanto, it is a giant American-based biotechnology corporation with a global outreach. Monsanto is the leading producer of Genetically Engineered (GE) and Genetically Modified (GM) seeds. Their website claims that Monsanto's goal is to "meet farmer demand by offering seeds with the best possible germplasm, or improved genetics, for a higher yield" and how they "are working to meet the needs of farmers in two ways. First, through our work in breeding, we are delivering superior genetics that allow farmers to get more out of each seed, resulting in the potential for higher yield. In addition, by inserting one or more genes in the seed — a biotechnology trait — we're able to provide farmers with a novel way to combat insects and control weeds, so yield is preserved throughout the growing season." They also claim that their GMOs are safe.

Sounds like quite the miracle, so where is the controversy?

The issue is not only does the promised not happen with these hybrid seeds, but their deliberately short-life span creates a vicious cycle leading to debt, extinction of local plant biodiversity, and for some people - suicide. Click here to watch a short video explaining the dilemma.

More videos from youtube:

Below is a recap of some of the problems which despite being few, describe the severity and enormity of the problems that come with Monsanto seeds. The scary part is that this is just a partial list.

Seeds that contain pesticides
A trait within Monsanto seeds is inherent pesticides. These, of course, are not that effective in killing off the targeted pests and actually risk killing the helpful species of insects, creating more trouble for nearby plants which become increasingly infested. Moreover, if you continue onward with the natural food chain cycle that take place from thereon (the bird that eats the insect, the snake that eats the bird, etc. or even when the decomposed remains enter the soil), the situation becomes very ugly very quickly with a problem that magnifies severity and difficult of being resolved.

Seeds that lack natural resilience acquired over a period of time
A noticeable trait with Monsanto seeds was their inability to withstand water shortages, heat, and even the very pests it claims to be resilient against- something that native seeds were able to withstand better. With India being right on the equator line coupled with water shortages along with water contamination, the Monsanto seeds cannot match the natural resilience acquired by native plants that develop the means to withstand environmental challenges over a period of time - and pass this on to the next generation. In short, Monsanto seeds require more water than native seeds do to produce "optimal results" and risk spreading these shortcomings to other native plants.

Seeds designed to fail
In 2007, Monsanto acquired Delta & Pine Land Company, a company that had patented a seed technology nicknamed "Terminator." This technology had not been used commercially before Monsanto, and it basically produces plants with sterile seeds that won't flower or grow fruit after their initial planting. This designed 'failure' forces farmers to repurchase seeds to ensure business for Monsanto along with a sort of 'patent protection' because it renders the farmers helpless and dependent on the Monsanto seed supplier. As mentioned in the Seeds of Suicide video, these sterile seeds will then attract rodents to their crops and suddenly they have to purchase something to repel the rats. Sadly the expenditure does not end there because then they have to repurchase more seeds. Though Monsanto pledged in 1999 to not commercialize terminator technology, the results are proving to be otherwise. God forbid if cross pollination occurs, because then normal seeds could potentially inherit the "Terminator" gene that could render them useless, too, which could spell out a huge famine problem for the world in the near future. Like the point mentioned before, even if generations of native plants develop the means to overcome environmental challenges, they would be unable to pass it on to the next generation if the begin to produce sterile seeds. Moreover, imagine the impact this would have on the natural food chain cycle.

Failure Scapegoat: The Farmer
With an increasing pressure to supply growing demands despite water shortage, water toxicity, climatic changes, population demand, and lack of government support along with adequate unbiased awareness, the farmers are persuaded to invest in Monsanto 'Miracle Seeds' with hopes of higher yields which in reality lead to a downward spiral of profit-loss, debt-increase, societal humiliation, leaving farmers at the mercy of the money-lenders. Eventually this leads the farmer and their family members being hired by neighboring farmers - and eventually, a complete annihilation of their own crops because aside from their financial problems, they now lack the manpower to continue maintaining their fields. As the Seeds of Suicide video mentioned, though the blame should realistically be shared by multiple parties including the Government, Seed Dealer, and Seed Manufacturer, sadly it is the farmer who shoulders the risk, consequences, and then holds the sole blame as the primary scapegoat when crops fail. In fact, many times - they are not even aware that because Monsanto seeds are patented, that they cannot grow their own seeds produced from Monanto seeds (but the 'Terminator' gene prevents that as it is). Even now, the guilty parties fall short in addressing this issue.

Though this blogpost along with many related articles do largely mention Indian Farmers, the issue is not confined to India alone - in fact, it ought to be noted that farmers across the world, including America, are facing similar problems. For detailed information, please watch the video link for 'The World According to Monsanto' provided in the related links below.

Other Related Links:

Video Intro: PBS Frontline Roughcut: Seeds of Suicide

Article: Could Monsato Be Responsible for One Indian Farmers' Death Every 30 Minutes

Article: Monsanto History and Information on Wikipedia

Article: Deadly Gift from Monsato to India

Monsanto Files Patent for New Invention- The Pig

Documentary: The World According to Monsanto
a riveting, incredibly informative and troubling documentary produced in March 2008 by Filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin

Failures, Hardships, and Success

2009-04-29T01:09:00.000-07:00

It's a sad fact that while we are ready to speak about our points of success, most of us do not acknowledge nor really mention the failures and hardships that were endured to take us from a certain point in our lives to another. These points in our lives not only define, but evolve our strength of character by learning fortitude, patience, perseverance, realize our determination, and ultimately reinforce our passion which compels us to move forward and manifest our goals.

Then why are we so afraid to speak about them when mentioning these doesn't make us any less. In fact, on the contrary, haven't they taught us more than first-time success ever could? Relating these experiences offers valuable kernels of insight to another who may be enduring similar trials and tribulations along their own journey. So cheers to the failures and hardships that push us to become more - May we fail often enough to remain humble, grow wiser, and may these always be remembered fondly! :) And thank you to Edison for not only giving us the electric light bulb, but for teaching us that even failing holds its own seeds of success!

"Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men who kept on working"

Genius? Nothing! Sticking to it is the genius! ... I've failed my way to success."
--Thomas Edison

On that note, here are some articles regarding mistakes, hardships, and failures...along with the explanation as to why they are wonderful. Enjoy!

I Hope You Fail: Why Failure is Good

The Greatest Mistake of All Time

Fail Your Way To Success! Why Failure Is So Wonderful!

How Have You Failed Your Way to Success Lately?

Why Failure is Good for You

Reasons for Why Failure is Good

Gates vs. Jobs

2009-04-25T01:23:00.001-07:00

Continuing on that note - also humorous (Elvis reference was icing on the cake)

The Artistic Point of View

2009-04-23T00:32:00.001-07:00

R.I.P. Innovation?

2009-04-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

I came across a very interesting short BCG article (thanks to a friend) which mentioned some very interesting statistics about satisfaction regarding the end results of R&D led products - but does that mean that these "innovative" products sell better or make the people involved (executives, share holders, etc) happier? Does it significantly increase margins along with sales?

Click here to read article (and as always, I'll include some of it on here)

---- BEGIN ARTICLE POST----
BCG-Businessweek Innovation Practice

For most companies, innovation is the key to driving growth, shareholder value, and competitive advantage in today's global economy. But even at the best companies, up to a third of all innovation initiatives are draining valuable resources.

According to the most recent BCG-BusinessWeek innovation survey only 46 percent of senior management are satisfied with their return on innovation spending while 63 percent of chief financial officers are still unhappy with their innovation results. Innovation remains a top priority for 66 percent of respondents, and 67 percent are planning to increase their investment in innovation.

The problem these companies face isn't a lack of ideas—most of them have more than enough. It's that companies don't have a disciplined process for turning those ideas into cash. An effective innovation-to-cash process (ITC) is the foundation of successful innovation, which we define as profitable innovation.

---- END ARTICLE POST----

I can't deny that the numbers reported were a little surprising to me but then again, not really so much as I would expect. Infact, it actually reminded me of Nussbaum's "Innovation is Dead" post back from the last day of 2008 - something which I did partially see myself agreeing with but accepting such a statement proclaiming the death of innovation is also going a little too far). In any case, I think all of this presents something that us glossy-eyed idealistic developers (designers, technical professionals, etc.) may need to take a few steps back and reconsider how to optimize for better results because balancing the two (profits and R&D-based innovation) can be quite the juggling act.

There is often an all-too familiar battle between the execs and the creative development teams when it comes to decisions regarding how a product ought to be executed. It is one where the decision is ultimately made by the execs with creatives to rethink, defend the necessity, and articulate their points better in terms of business but of course, it still provides no assurance it will be fruitful.

So is there a better way to adapt the innovation-to-cash process so it promotes revenue, increases margins, and won't crush the creative, innovative spirit? Or has true innovation died as Nussbaum suggested, and been replaced by minute cosmetic modifications to a product/service?

Design is the Problem - and the Solution?

2009-04-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

With so many books on my list that I wanted to read, finding the time along with a steady concentration is no easy feat. However, I recently came to learn about how a former design college professor's book - Design is the Problem was released. I was extremely excited to purchase it and pour through its pages right away because I remember thinking that Nathan was a different sort of designer (and design instructor) altogether with what seemed like a more expansive train of thought of how design could be applied in a more profound manner. He challenged the thought of limiting the application of our design techniques to products or even services alone - but to rethink and apply them to entire systems instead with special thought to its life cycle along with its collective impact.

It was this class taught by Nathan along with another great design professor, Ian MacColl, that we as a class researched and addressed the issues of modern day air travel. By the end of the semester, it resulted in the inception of a fictitious airline brand: Ascend, our perception of what an ideal modern-day airline should be. Following our research, we students proceeded to individually design products/services that fit into specific parts of an air travel experience. I personally thoroughly enjoyed this course and it resulted in what today is one of my favorite pieces from my student career - Ascend Enlightenment. (For more information about my Ascend Enlightenment project, you can visit my portfolio here - and for more information about Ascend airlines along with the other student projects, you can visit our college website here)

Anyway, back to his book - so I am only 40 pages in so far, but am already excited about reading ahead. Nathan is once again challenging the 'designer' within all of us to rethink and reapply our creative, problem-solving potential towards entire experiences and systems - even older established systems such as the economy. Though he is not the only one to ask this question (find another compelling example here), it is an interesting, refreshing notion to say the least. One that pushes the boundaries of how and where design is applied.

Actually, this specific design philosophy deeply resonates with my own thoughts about design which has been a struggle because as a designer, I do question myself at times about where my efforts lead to: simply to contribute yet another product to the sea of commodities that are deemed obsolete the moment they hit the shelves? To promote a lifestyle where consumers are persuaded to believe that they need to buy something and replace an older one which could be working just as well? And all for what? To 'keep up with the trends' or be considered 'out of touch?' Therein lies the challenge of rethinking everything and do more than simply creating something superficial and short-lived.
[/rant]

By the way, if any of you are interested, you can find more about his book here and if you do happen to read it, I would certainly like to know what your afterthoughts were. I will come back to update once I myself have finished the book.

"Wow, People are Stupid"

2009-04-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard of people (ie: designers, marketers, developers, etc.) condescendingly utter "Wow, people are stupid" or other remarks to a similar effect when something that they've helped develop with all of its bells and whistles goes awry....and is lost upon the end users?

I can't remember how many times I've had this conversation within my own circle of friends - especially with one of my good friends who apart from being a proficient programmer, has related his own share of insightful encounters with his clients. Clients who take the liberty of presuming, overestimating the effectiveness of what they choose to deliver to their users without any solid backing, and completely discount considering any suggestions made by anyone else - even if they happen come from the very professional programmer they've hired, who should be noted as having extensive experience in developing interactive platforms. In many circumstances, the same self-assured clients come back shortly thereafter to request revisions once they receive frustration-filled feedback from their end users - the very ones which could have been avoided had they paused to consider the suggestions made earlier.

While this is not uncommon and there is not too much that is wrong apart from the presumptuous attitude that clients may project, the problem is that it doesn't end there. The problem is when they come back with revisions and pin the entire blame on the end users being incompetent. That is is where it really makes one raise an eyebrow - and with all due respect for clients along with client satisfaction- it begs the question:
"Honestly, is it really entirely the end user's fault?"

At what point does one ask themselves "If so many users are having a hard time using this - are they all stupid? Should I pause for a few moments and take a few steps back to re-evaluate what's going on to discover what elements are causing that disconnect to take place at all?"

Essentially what it boils down to is the client clearly has a "vision" in mind along with the presumption that their vision is what their end users will want, will use, and behave a certain way with. But then those end users do something unexpected which the client had not accounted for - leading to frustration on the end user's part along with the client who must now consider a revision. However, by no means does it make the end user stupid. Only that perhaps alternatives ought to be considered which will permit the client to assess and anticipate their end users better, and figure out how this information can be leveraged with their own vision.

Now say a developer sees this problem occurring, however, the authority to make those decisions lie with someone else. How does the developer then go about persuading their client to reconsider that approach in view of the potential consequences later down the line, especially if that client is not willing to acknowledge the developer's experience, potential consequences, or any of the case studies they've presented? Is 'let them learn the hard way' the only option left at that point? Does that not risk making it harder for the client to recapture that market share because the end user's perception of the client's product has now become tainted as being one that is frustrating to use?

Anyway, on a similar note, below are some interesting articles I recently visited that relate to the topic of clients, under/overestimating the user, and so forth. Some of them are old, but the message they carry was still relevant:

Call them Clients? No, They are Business Partners! by Design Sojourn

End Users Are Not Stupid... by Lee Drake

The Gnome Journal on End Users (old, but not only are the points still completely relevant, they bring up an exceptional point of why satisfying customers is a priority because a satisfied end user becomes a good advocate for the product/service. In other words, more $$$)

An older thread regarding Kodak, software downloads, and frustrated users which I found to be an interesting read

And as always, if there are any additional examples you think are relevant, please send them on over! :)

Optimizing Experience: How much is too much?

2009-04-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

This much?

Products Without Social/Cultural Context = Epic Fail(ures)

2009-04-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

I have been going back and forth about writing on this subject for the past few months but I couldn’t put it off anymore. Especially not after seeing examples where well-established, respectable companies wanting to capitalize on emerging markets by globalizing their products have made seemingly naive assumptions about users elsewhere in the world. The result? Products failed to sell in these different consumer markets due to the fact that the company's presumptions were sorely misplaced. The products were essentially out of context at a social and/or cultural level, therefore, inappropriately for the user markets they aimed to capture.

Sure, many of us would assume that larger corporations, with their vast experience and resources, would have sophisticated research techniques in place. R&D facilities within their subsidiaries would understand the local user's needs, translate them into areas of opportunities, and introduce products that not only address those needs but could easily be incorporated into their lifestyles. We would expect that someone may already have asked questions like "Is this product going to meet the needs of the consumers in Asia the same as it will meet the needs of the consumers in America? Yes? No? What are the differences and similarities?”

But just like in our assuming so, these companies too made a grave mistake in presuming that their products would sell just as well in new emerging markets just as they may have elsewhere. They assumed their products would sell like pancakes – but unfortunately, forgot to ask the simple question “Do my users even eat pancakes? More importantly – do they top them with maple syrup and whipped butter, and eat them using the same fork/knife utensils like users elsewhere do?”

While given the the fact that trying to "please everyone" can be suicidal, it should not be taken as a convenient excuse in failing to have a deeper understanding of the consumer market one is going to be introducing products to. Wouldn't a wiser approach then consist of sending out 'cultural probes' before deciding which features can be realistically incorporated, even if it is at an incremental level? At least then, instead of looking like a company that had been gravely misinformed or clueless, they can at least be able to state with conviction that they made an informed decision: "We were aware of X and Y, but due to Z, we deliberately chose to go this specific route and only incorporate features D and F into the product for the time being."

I'm interested in hearing thoughts that others would like to share regarding this matter. Below, there's a list of some examples along with their referenced articles and article highlights which may provide some ammo in jumpstarting the discussion.

Apple's iPhone, an Indian Flop, Prepares for China
by Mehul Srivastava in Businessweek
Apple, often considered a shining advocate for design and how it brings value in delivering a cool, edgy product that users love, too is guilty of having made the presumption that users elsewhere in the world would share the same enthusiasm – only to be proven wrong despite two years after its launch of iPhone in the Indian market and possibly again in China. Let's briefly go over a few points as to why this happened:

Price Point: Three iPhones equals one car.
"The iPhone is also priced far beyond the reach of even many middle-class Indian consumers. Even though iSuppli, the El Segundo (Calif.) market research company, estimates iPhones cost less than $175 to build, both Apple and Airtel stuck to the approximately $700 price for the phone in India, vs. $199 with a two-year AT&T (T) contract in the U.S. In India, then, three iPhones equal one Nano, the $2,000 car that Tata Motors (TTM) launched in India just two weeks ago. An Apple spokesperson in London, Bethan Lloyd, said in an e-mail that pricing and tariff issues are decided by local partners, not Apple. Apple declined to make executives available for an interview."

Phone Plan: Prepaid/Pay as you Go vs. Contract.
"For Airtel and Vodafone, subsidizing the phone has not been an option. The vast majority of Indian users have prepaid accounts, and even with the few regular contracts out there, high-end users generate just about $30 a month in call and data charges. Add to that the fact that the iPhone is easily unlocked and used on rival networks, and the carriers decided the AT&T model in the U.S. just wouldn't work in India. (In Europe, where iPhone sales have been lukewarm, many carriers reached the same conclusion.) "

Competition & Pricing are simply the beginning. Indians just use their phones differently.
"According to Sanjay Gupta, the chief marketing officer of Airtel's mobile business, Indians just use their phones differently. With spotty data coverage and slow download speeds on non-3G networks, the iPhone just doesn't dazzle the way it does in the U.S. Also, Indian customers like to forward text messages; Nearly 70% of them do that at least once a day, says Gupta. Until recently, the iPhone didn't allow users to do that. "It's a big functionality issue," says Gupta. 'The device is being judged as a phone, not as a data device.' "

Local partners have different goals.
"Another difficulty for Apple in India: Local partners don't necessarily have the same goal of selling lots of iPhones. Airtel, for instance, doesn't seem to mind that Indian consumers haven't embraced the gadget, since associating with Apple has helped the carrier in other ways, says Gupta. "For us, it allowed an association with iPhone as a brand," he says. 'And that's definitely made us happy.' "

With the points mentioned above, it is difficult to fathom whether Apple had asked themselves these questions before launching the iPhone and gone ahead with the launch anyway despite the consequences. Perhaps Apple wasn't arrogant in assuming that the momentum of hype the iPhone had gathered would be enough to push it into these emerging markets. Perhaps Apple deliberately took a more Microsoftesque approach where the product is released despite its shortcomings, feedback is gathered from users - both pleased and disappointed, lessons are learned, and then relevant modifications are integrated within future product generations as opposed to allotting money/time/resources beforehand and missing out on on capitalizing with the current version of the product altogether.

The Washing Machine that ate my Sari/Lungi
by Apala Chavan, Douglas Gorney, Beena Prabhu, Sarit Arora in Interactions Magazine
Whirlpool Corporation designed a single, stripped-down washing-machine platform for emerging markets. Dubbed the “World Washer,” it was launched in countries like Brazil, Mexico, China, and India with slight feature and cosmetic styling modifications to reflect local tastes of each market. Whirlpool was able to understand a few cultural elements such as in China, for instance, washing machines sat in the living room and were like a status symbol. Then despite having these cultural insights, why did the washing machine end up doing so well everywhere else but in India, especially South India? Only after noticing how abysmal the sales were in South India, Whirlpool dispatched a team to figure out what went wrong and here is what they learned:

Re-labeling the “Delicate” cycle as “Sari Cycle” was not enough.
"They finally realized what was going into the machines-traditional South Indian clothing such as lungis, dupattas, mundus, angavestrams… and, of course, saris. Little more than sheets of very fine cotton or silk, six to nine yards long, the garments were getting caught, entangled, and shredded in the millimeter-wide gap between the machine’s agitator and drum."

Shooting one’s self in the foot with generalizations.
"Because its designers did not broadly, deeply, and fundamentally understand specific target markets, the World Washer failed to live up to its name. The basic mistake Whirlpool made-in a variant of not understanding its target market-was to assume that needs are the same across emerging markets. The World Washer had been given a single, generalized, emerging-market reference point by designers with limited understanding and direct experience of the customs and modes of dress in South India. They did not ask the right questions of target users-if they talked to them at all. So critical details, like the thickness and dimensions of the clothes that would be washed, went unnoticed."

A single millimeter changed an entire business model
"That single millimeter forced Whirlpool to completely restructure their business model and abandon their joint venture, in addition to designing a new washing machine for India. It took the company years to recoup their losses and regain significant market share in the subcontinent."

Despite having region-specific cultural insights which were integrated into overall cosmetic styling and features, the actual effectiveness of those functions in context with what they would be washing clearly hadn’t been tested. The good news is that Whirlpool fared much better in the long run when it came to catering the needs of their region-specific consumers though it proved to be an uphill battle to recapture certain markets and for people to regain that trust within their brand. In fact, their incident prompted other multinational companies to literally go the distance in understanding their users at a deeper level for successful product-localization.

Additional Examples
A few additional examples of why culturally/socially-sound contexts are not just limited to product features, but permeates through to relevant price points that reflect the spending behaviors within emerging markets as opposed to mature developed markets.

One India? No. Many Indias. (Markets & Submarkets)
"While navigating the Scylla and Charybdis of design for more than one developing economy, designers also need to remember that segments within markets differ. Rama Bijapurkar, author of Winning in the Indian Market, has discussed that there are many Indias. “What confounds people about India is that everything you say about it, the opposite is also true. There are five-star hotels and abject poverty. That reality has forced corporations to reinvent their pricing-strategy formulas in emerging markets-and often to re-reinvent them. Newly affluent consumers in emerging markets are an attractive niche, but overall standards of living remain lower than in the West, gaps between the rich and the very poor notwithstanding. Even high-end shoppers have different spending behaviors than in developed markets. Marketers and product designers cannot ignore affordability.”

Proctor & Gamble Diapers: Premium < Affordability.
"When Procter & Gamble introduced disposable diapers into the Brazilian market, it went in with its top-end model, which failed to sell. Only after offering a less-sophisticated diaper, half the price of the top-end version, was the company able to grow the market."

Good bye, Levi Strauss, we found cheaper jeans with similar/better quality.
"With its booming economy and particularly price-sensitive market, India has taught some of the most prominent multinationals just how elusive the upper end of emerging markets can be. Levi Strauss brought its American jeans to India in 1995, not only designed but also priced as is-$65. They were considered exorbitant, especially compared with generic jeans that seemed to offer equivalent quality. After three miserable years of rampant counterfeiting and flat sales, Levi had to change its pricing and design strategy."

Affordability without compromising on Product Quality or Performance Reliability.
"Affordability is a double-edged sword, however. Lo barato sale caro, goes the saying in Latin America-”what is cheap ends up being expensive.” If not designed with sensitivity to the market, low-cost products may strike target users as low-quality compromises and detract from the company’s brand appeal. That appeal, regardless of price, is in the confidence it inspires. With limited incomes, “emerging consumers” are more cautious than their counterparts in the West; they would rather pay more for quality than risk product failure. The relative financial loss from an underperforming product would be far more serious."

Tone down on the ‘Featuritis’
"For users in emerging markets, streamlining or eliminating complex features, without reducing core quality, results in a more attractive and affordable product-particularly when features are added with careful consideration of the market context. ‘Getting the right product at the right price is the biggest challenge,’ says FutureBrands CEO Santosh Desai. ‘The usual approach is to strip the product of features until a semblance of affordability is attained. The trouble is that the emerging consumer, for whom every act of discretionary consumption is an act of sacrificing something essential, is looking to be seduced rather than patronized.’ For that reason, mobile phones loaded with games, music, and other extra features appealing to the U.S.A.’s youth-driven market have not succeeded in emerging markets. Feature creep, driven by the seemingly limitless appetite of developed markets for add-ons and customization, has no place in emerging market design."

Got any more examples that you think would be good to share? Please forward them on over!

'A Reason to Cry'-chief. (I crack myself up)

2009-04-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

This was too awesome to not post. Taken from I New Idea.

Yes, these are actually sold for$28 a piece. $95 for custom stock cry-chiefs.

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

2009-04-11T01:08:00.000-07:00

Kapow! :)

Market Research. So True.

2009-04-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Love is Blind

2009-03-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well...now it literally can be thanks to the Anonymous Hugging Wall!

Sort of cute, in a hippy kinda way. All it is missing is the peace sign.

New Year, New Website, and a Recap on Lessons Learned

2009-02-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

So I must say that the daunting task of having a website that I can be proud of has been finally accomplished!

The new current layout is contemporary, simple, intuitive, and best of all - functional and fast! That combined with the content management system up (thanks to an awesome programmer buddy who helped me out a TON by supporting the technical end), the framework has been laid to easily add and present my design work :) Yippee! Btw, comments and feedback are always appreciated so long as they are constructive!

This milestone forced me to look back on the progression from putting up my first design-related website in 2004/05 to now in early 2009, along with all the embarrassing yet essential mistakes made along the way and lessons learned which I will now narrate:

So my first design-related website was launched in 2004/2005 after our design instructors taught us the 'designer-who-is-clueless-about-how-to-launch-their-own-visually-appealling-design-website' friendly way of putting up our own website to feature our portfolios. That process they taught us consisted of starting out by making the visual layout of the website screens on Photoshop, placing guides over the areas which would separate the body and the buttons from one another, transferring it to ImageReady for splicing, followed by some Dreamweaver magic to layout and add links to the spliced image.

In all fairness, it was great as a crash course at the time that served its purpose. It was an easy way for a visual person to launch a website without having to undergo the complexities of understanding or writing code - and it certainly helped myself and many others grab our own domain names just in time, too.

A snapshot of my attempt back in 2004/05:

But over time, it became painfully obvious that:
a) The content would take a little while to load. Even at 72 DPI.
b) The loading process in of itself - image after image - wasn't pretty. At all.
c) Editing and maintaining the content was a hassle because the steps would have to be repeated each time. Yes. Imagine the tedious process of correcting a typo, should one have been overlooked - or even basic updating.
d) Chances were the website would not show up in search results because the content - even the text - was part of the image. This wasn't ideal because you would want yourself to be easily searchable and accessible unless you prefer to have your website be low-profile.

Shortly following my graduation in 2006, I again attempted to get my website up using this same technique. This is as far as I got:

A snapshot of my attempt back in 2006:

Unfortunately, after having landed my first post design schooll job a few months later, this project remained on the backburner until 2008 when I again had the opportunity to get my much neglected website back up. By now I had been involved on a few basic website-development related tasks but only to the extent of producing visual layouts and downloadable content (ie: PDFs). Moreover, being one who usually prefers to do their own dirty work, I wanted to learn how to get my website up myself so I could maintain it myself without having to rely on anyone else. After reviewing many tutorials, I realized that learning the languages is mandatory and picking up this necessary knowledge would require significantly more time - this meant that I would have to figure out a temporary solution, a shortcut so to speak simply to have something up in the meantime.

That solution ended up being a hybrid between the first technique taught in design school and what little tricks I had gathered to use Dreamweaver. I basically set the image as a background and overlaid it with a table filled with text content. For the more experienced programmer/web developer, this was "cute" but hey - it got something up for the meantime until I could teach myself more to optimize it! Given, I wasn't entirely satisfied with it for a few reasons - but it was one giant image that loaded at once and I allowed me to quickly edit/maintain the text content, too. The source code generated by Dreamweaver was nothing to be proud about, however, it sufficed for the time being and allowed it to come up in search results, too.

A snapshot of my website index in mid 2008:

A few lessons I learned here included:
a) The painful challenge of cross-browser compatibility. What looked great on Firefox didn't necessarily look all that great in Explorer and vice versa. Yes. THIS was a revelation to me. Surely an embarrassing indicator of my noob status.
b) The overall layout utilized a combination of colors and art deco-ish styles that I felt added a nice personal touch. Problem with this was that it didn't take very long for me to look at it with a more skeptical eye and realize a week later that it already began to seem obsolete to me. Oh the sorrow.
c) Due to my overall dissatisfaction - I could not spend that much time to upload too much content knowing that I wasn't going to be happy until I got something better, more lasting up where I quit worrying about the layout of the website itself and could finally focus on the content itself.

In Fall of 2008, I was listing the languages I needed and wanted to have under my belt so I could easily launch/maintain websites in the future but after a few insightful conversations from the more experienced programmers/web-developers, it became clear that it would not be wise for me to become a jack-of-all-trades, and master of none - which is what would end up happening if I was trying to learn things on the fly without devoting the appropriate time and focus required for it. With a growing and serious interest in UI for interactive media (ie: websites, applications, etc), I am sure that I will continue to work towards it. But for now, I should work with someone who knows what they're doing if I want something good. Following this realization, I worked in conjunction with my programmer buddy, resulting in a great website that looks awesome, functions great, is simple to maintain and I am extremely satisfied of.

What my website looks like currently in 09:

That and a handful of embarassing, yet insightful lessons along the way... :)

And another new blog is born!

2008-09-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

So since including cooking recipes from time to time was cluttering up and didn't exactly coincide well with the other subject matter on this design blog or my other personal blog, I've chosen to shift all those cooking-related posts and subject matters to a new blog completely.

Most of the recipes will probably be Indian dishes, or with an Indian spin, however - I would like to include other dishes from around the world along with improvisations (regardless of whether or not they went well) complete with visual references.

You may go and visit it here to visit and drool over a few mouthgasmic recipes. You're welcome.

Ascend Enlightement on Yanko Design

2008-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

So it recently came to my attention that a design website called Yanko Design posted up my design concept, Ascend Enlightenment, which was pretty cool.

Click here to view Ascend Enlightenment on Yanko Design

Though the fact that I had been unaware of their post on Ascend Enlightenment kind of confused me since no one from Yanko Design had contacted me prior to posting about it on their website.

Unless I am mistaken, I was under the impression that usually it is custom to ask permission before posting or at least inform someone at some point that they would be posting about their work. Apart from this confusion, it certainly was exciting to read the comments, criticisms, and the feedback made since the posting of that concept on Yanko.

My Early Doodles From High School

2008-08-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

Just came across a few of my older doodles from high school - ah the manga and japanime influences do show up rather clearly. A few of these were made using my mom's makeup when I was exploring some *cough cough* alternative mediums. They really are quite awesome to play around with and wonderful to blur. Plus with the iridescent fine grain, they would have this very smooth, shimmery quality. Of course, my mom wasn't exactly very thrilled upon discovering where her makeup was being applied. :)

Increasing Awareness for Going Green

2008-07-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's really awesome to see a greater effort being made towards encouraging consumers to be more conscientious about the items they buy and their impact on the environment. Apart from the influx of online stores featuring sustainable 'green' products, channels like HGTV are airing shows which provide a list of stylish green alternatives for the home.

What I really like about these shows is that they are not just advocating for the 'green-ness' of the product, but they are also emphasizing the advantages of some of these products as opposed to other ones on the market.

For example, the chairs made out of Polywood, a material derived from post-consumer waste - specifically recycled plastic milk jugs. These chairs not only have a softer texture compared to chairs which are not, and they also have a greater overall resilience to extreme temperatures.

It is just as important to illustrate the features and benefits of such products, so consumers realize that going green does not mean that they are compromising on the integrity of the product, but infact, are making a better investment which is mutually beneficial for the consumer, company, and environment. Once they see that the product itself will be a better investment (short or long term), they will have a higher chance of gravitating towards it.

Here are the 20 tips mentioned on one of HGTV's shows,
20 Ways Your Home Can Save the Planet: Green Building Ideas & Tips
which covered a nice range of products, also listed below. I have included and will continue to include some of my own additions of companies/products.

# 1 - Plug into the hottest appliances...
Sleek Items designed to look great, function efficiently, and conserve energy
Fisher & Paykel - EZKleen Dishdrawer
Years of research and refinement have created an appliance that offers a compelling blend of form and function. Each drawer is independently operated, allowing you to wash small loads as economically as large ones. DishDrawer lets you match the wash program to the contents, so dishes are better cared for.

EarthTech Products - Tulsi Hybrid Solar Oven
Tired of lugging dangerous propane cans or finding kindling to cook while you are camping? Lug no more with this solar oven! The Tulsi solar oven is the ultimate in energy efficient cooking. This state-of-the-art solar cooker can be used in solar mode when the sun is high, electrical mode for overcast days or rain, or hybrid mode that switches between the two when the weather is unpredictable. The solar cooker is designed to be energy efficient, shutting off to save energy and electricity when needed. Cook safe, delicious meals that require no gas or flame – your family will be safe and well-fed when you purchase this solar cooker. Solar Oven Cooker is like having four appliances in one: a solar oven, crock-pot, slow cooker and portable outdoors camp oven. Great for RVer's, Boaters, Campers, Tailgater's and Backyard Chefs.

# 2 - Keep your cabinets and countertops green...
Purify the air by using sustainable materials that look great and are easy on the planet
KlipTech Composites - Paperstone Countertops
PaperStone-Certified is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or FSC, Smartwood and the Rainforest Alliance. It is the only architectural surface on the market today certified by these demanding third parties. Most PaperStone products are made from post-consumer waste, recycled paper and proprietary, petroleum-free, phenolic resins. To the maximum extent technically possible, water is used as the resin solvent. There are two series of recycled paper-based PaperStone products: 1) 'Original', which is made from 50% post-consumer waste, recycled paper and 2) 'Certified', the FSC, Smartwood and Rainforest Alliance-certified product which is made from 100% post-consumer waste paper. And Paperstone made from virgin fiber is also available. PaperStone is the 'greenest' architectural surface on the market today. Depending upon the project, the use of PaperStone may contribute up to five LEED points.

Columbia Forest Products - Paperstone Countertops
Europly is more than attractive. It's strong and resilient, and its nearly void-free construction provides excellent machinability. With a tighter thickness tolerance than standard veneer core panels, it also processes more efficiently, making it ideal for highvolume production. Also, with its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ecolabel&mdashwhich verifies the wood in this product comes from well-managed forests, independently certified by SmartWood in accordance with the rules of the Forest Sterwardship Council&mdashcustomers are assured that their panel is beautiful, strong and good for the environment. Its multi-layer, 4' x 8' construction of 60% imported Polish birch and 40% alder creates an attractive solution for those wanting an exposed edge finish. And since it's available in any combination of hardwood grade and species, Europly gives customers something else that's hard to find in hardwood plywood: choice.

Silestone Quartz - Countertops made from Environmentally-Friendly Quartz
Cosentino is committed to respect, prevent, and control our environment in all of our production processes from the extraction and transformation to the distribution of our products; to accomplish this, Cosentino is investing in the best technology to preserve our most direct surroundings to favor the environment. In order to achieve this, Cosentino has invested a significant percentage of its annual income in the installment and operations of various environmental systems within the stone industry. All of this make it possible for Cosentino to be one of the stone industries' most green conscience companies with respect to the environment. Silestone MURO is an innovative collection of tiles that gives homeowners a creative palette of colors for adding Silestone as a backsplash. Each tile is 4" x 4" x 1/4" thick, and they are sold individually for accenting or available as a single, nine-tile unit that is held together with mesh backing. The grid-based system makes installation easy as homeowners choose their own designs to reflect their style.

# 3 - Look for eco-friendly dishes and cookware...
Prepare meals and serve them in chemical-free dishes
Greenfeet - Bowls, Pots, Pans, & Other Accessories for a Greener Home
Everything from kitchen cookware to serving platters, from houseware accessories to travel accessories, Greenfeet features a wide range of green products.

E3 Living - Smart Products/Thoughtful Green Alternatives
E3 understands the importance of supporting sustainable commerce of products that promote an eco-friendly lifestyle through their website by providing energy and resource saving goods that save money and help to protect the environment. Their current and future offerings include energy efficient compact fluorescent lighting, water conservation goods, solar lighting and, electricity saving products, goods for recycling, reel lawn mowers, rechargeable batteries, environmentally safe household supplies and pest controls, and organic free-trade foods and dry goods. These products significantly reduce the cost and requirement of resources and energies for both homes and businesses, by saving money, using less energy, requiring less from our limited natural resources, conclusively leaving a smaller footprint on the world of our children and our children’s children.

Frontgate - Palm Leaf Tray
This striking Palm Leaf Tray is shaped from capiz and mother-of-pearl shells. As a final step, this outdoor tray is cast into leaf-shaped molds. Pearlized and textured by hand. Translucent green-hued serving tray. Artisanal process ensures that no two trays are the same. For decorative use only, not foodsafe.

# 4 - Think energy-saving when you think windows...
Better insulation means less energy spent to moderate a comfortable temperature
Pella Windows & Doors - Windows & Doors
Pella® Architect Series windows and doors beautifully reflect unique style by perfectly enhancing lifestyle and maximize the view of the world. If someone can dream it, Pella's Architect Series collection offers the creative feedom to bring it to life. Their distinctive, fine-furniture detailing makes Architect Series windows and doors right at home with the classic style of yesterday or today's contemporary design. Yet another reason to choose them is Pella's patented Integral Light Technology® grilles that combine the look of true divided light with superior energy efficiency. Whatever a home is envisioned to be, Pella makes it possible with exquisite Architect Series windows and doors.

# 5 - Recycle with style...
Instead of buying new furniture and accessories, take a peek vintage furniture, or those made from recycled materials. Consider alternatives on how to recycle within the home, such as creating rich compost from food waste.
NatureMill Composting - A lean, green, composting machine!
This San Francisco-based company aims towards a greener planet by providing products to simplify the composting process, because unlike other forms of recycling, composting uses no chemicals, fossil fuels, or other environmentally harmful materials. Their current compost machine sets the industry standard for composting by being a fully automatic, completely sealed unit. The continuous air flow and powerful carbon filter removes odors making it an odor-free product. They can be used both indoors and outdoors, even in cold weather, rain, or snow. Users can pop in up to 120 lbs of food waste at any time, any day, which are processed continuously mixing every 4 hours until they are completely ground down to small particles. Compost is ready every 2 weeks with a red light to indicate when the machine should be emptied out.

A.C. Moore - DARICE Sea Glass For Decorative Purposes
DARICE-Sea Glass Decorative Accent Glass in a 1 pound mesh bag. The perfect vase filler that will add color and beauty to floral designs. Use in candle holders and decorative bowls or can be scented and used as potpourri. Makes a great home decor or gift embellishment! They can be used for plant or aquariums with a beta fish. The quality glass pieces have been tumbled for 18 hours giving them a maximum smoothness making them ideal for stepping stone and mosaic projects. Available in a variety of colors.

# 6 - Consider planet-friendly floors...
Shopping for all-natural materials like cork, bamboo, and tile. Chic and sustainable!
InterfaceFLOR - Tiled floor tiles made from recycled post-consumer waste
Based in Elmhurst, Illinois, FLOR launched in Spring 2003 as a part of the Interface family of companies. FLOR, a residential line of high-style, modular floor covering. Composed of changeable 19.7 square-inch tiles, FLOR comes in a modular format for people who like to play with design.“We see 'DIY' as both ‘do-it-yourself’ and ‘design-it-yourself,’” said FLOR President Greg Colando. “Commercial interior designers have used modular flooring for years. Now, this fun and functional design product puts people in the role of designer.” FLOR allows people to create their own unique floor coverings and change their minds, and their floors, as often as they like. Available in a diverse array of fashion-forward color palettes, patterns and unique textures, FLOR empowers consumers to have creative control over the largest canvas in their homes — their floors. From checkerboards to stripes to bordered rugs, FLOR’s multiple patterns can change the look of a room to fit any style, season or mood. FLOR offers pre-packaged complementary patterns and colors that can be used to create endless area rug and wall-to-wall designs. Included in the colorful, friendly package for FLOR are easy-to-read installation instructions and suggestions for pattern arrangements. Whether the desired look is modern and cutting edge or warm and inviting, FLOR brings fashion to the floor.

Gaiam - Eco-Friendly Reversible All-Weather Rug
Gaiam, a Green Lifestyle-oriented company which provides a range of product features floor rugs that gives back to the environment and makes any room, whether indoors or out, that much more inviting. These beautiful recycled plastic rugs are handcrafted by Thai artisans who receive a fair wage for their craft. Made entirely from spent soda bottles, the durable multicolored polypropylene strands stand up to foot traffic in mudrooms, kitchens, or anywhere else there are plenty of comings and goings.

Earth Weave Carpet Mills, Inc. - Bio Floor Carpet
This is a carpet unlike any other produced in North America. First of all it is COMPLETELY biodegradable. Obviously, this is achieved through the use of only 100% natural raw materials. The Bio-Floor line is made with a face fiber of 100% natural wool. There are no moth proofing or stain protections applied. In conjunction with this we use only naturally pigmented wool fibers for coloration as opposed to any of the harsh dyes and chemical bonding agents other carpet manufacturers use. To further differentiate this carpet we use a natural primary of hemp and cotton. This is used instead of the traditional synthetic polypropylene primary. The primary is the material that the tufting machine places the wool yarn into and acts to hold it in place. The next process is the application of adhesive and secondary backing material. This further helps to lock the stitches in place and prevents slippage of the yarn. This is another area where they apply our unique techniques. The adhesive that Earth Weave uses is 100% natural and bio-degradable. It is made of natural rubber from the rubber tree. The secondary (back of carpet) is made from jute, a hardy earth friendly fiber producing plant. All of these elements add up to make a product that is beautiful to look at yet sacrifices nothing in the way of their commitment to indoor air quality and the environment.

Forbo - Marmoleum Flooring & Other Surface Solutions for Better Environments
Marmoleum has been a mainstay floor covering for over 100 years because it is one of the few products made from primarily natural raw materials. It is made up of linseed oil, rosins, and wood flour, calendered onto a natural jute backing (backing for tile is polyester). It is a tough yet visually striking floor covering, highly resistant to heavy rolling loads and foot traffic. Because Marmoleum is a natural organic product, its performance is enhanced by time, as exposure to air serves to harden and increase its durability. Although Marmoleum continues to harden over time, the floor remains quiet and comfortable under foot. Marmoleum is made from natural raw materials and many of its most desirable performance attributes (durability, anti-microbial properties) are the result of the continued oxidation of the linseed oil over its life. During the manufacturing process this oxidation may result in a yellowish cast, known as ambering, visible on the product when it is initially taken out of its package. This visual yellowing is only TEMPORARY. When exposed to light, the ambering disappears. The process may take only a few hours in bright sunlight but longer with artificial light. Applying a finish over the ambering makes NO difference - it will still dissipate with exposure to light. Many of our colors will be affected only slightly by this phenomenom. Other colors such as light blues, greens, and soft ivory tones will display a more pronounced color variation.
Follow this simple procedure to discover the true color of your marmoleum:
1. Take a piece of Marmoleum and cover one half with heavy paper, cardboard or another piece of Marmoleum.
2. Put it in direct sunlight for approx. 1 hour.
3. Remove the covering and experience the visual difference!
This natural phenomenom is unique to Marmoleum and is the process through which the product benefits are derived.
Durability - product continues to harden and become more durable over time.
Anti-Static - dust will not cling to the floor making it easier to clean. Great for those with allergies and asthma concerns.
Hygienic - bactericidal properties prevent micro-organisms including Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphlococcus Aureus from multiplying themselves.

# 7 - Make a new bed, organically...
From mattress to sheets to blankets, here are some products which are comfy, stylish, and planet-friendly, too.
Looolo Textiles - Soft Products (Blankets, Cushions, Scarves)
Since the textile industry is one of the largest known environmental polluters, Looolo addresses this in order to affect global change by bringing consumers a line of stylish biodegradable home furnishings in a full range of colors.

DreamSack- Soft Products (Bedding, Clothing)
Lots of soft exquisite environmentally-friendly products derived from Bamboo.

GreenSleep - Vimala Sleep System
A truly customized choice for a natural rubber mattress. Three interchangeable plates of natural rubber can be chosen to select the desired firmness. The mattress has two distinct sleeping zones which allow sleeping partners to select their own individual firmness. Surrounding these plates is an organic cotton velour cover quilted with wool and silk producing the finest natural mattress.

# 8 - Paint it safe...
Be environmentally responsibly by shopping for products that tout low volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
YOLO Colorhouse - Interior & Exterior Paints
Environmentally Responsible Paint: YOLO Colorhouse has created premium interior paints with zero volatile organic compounds (no stinky off-gassing), and a durable, washable finish to reflect the purity of the earth's color palette. The Earth's Color Collection is available in 40 colors designed specifically for interiors. Green Seal Certified. EDIT: Apparently they have a nice range of exterior paints as well!

# 9 - Switch your bulbs...
Replace incandescents with compact fluorescents. They may cost more now, but they'll save money in the long run.
Koncept Technologies, Inc. - ID Z Bar Lamp
The Z-Bar Lamp, a super sleek lamp about as wide as your finger, longer than your arm, and ultra-adjustable. 66 super-bright LEDs provide a strip of bright white light with low heat, minimal electricity, no bulky head, and a super long lifespan. Use the weighted stand to place it anywhere on your desk, or use the desk clamp and take up almost no desk space at all.

Real Goods - Recycled Metal Nelson Lamp
Classic styling meets eco-sensibility with this recycled brass table lamp. Its historic silhouette, brushed antique nickel finish and ecru cloth lampshade illustrate the time-honored values of artisan craftsmanship. 6'3" cord with inline switch. Laminated shade interior. 60W. 5"W x 21"H; 7 lb.

# 10 - Make your family room family- and earth- friendly...
Toss out the old carpet and install flooring made from natural raw materials instead. Consider organizers made from sustainable materials like bamboo or recycled post-consumer waste.
Uncommon Goods - Wine Barrel Chair from Vintages
This barrel stave folding chair is handmade from salvaged 70-gallon oak wine barrels. It folds almost completely flat, so you can store it anywhere, and looks as great indoors as it does in the yard. Each is finished with linseed oil and branded with the name of the winery of origin under the seat. Care instructions included. Handmade in Northern California.

Clean Air Gardening - Eucalyptus Chaise Lounge
The Eucalyptus Chaise Lounge is stained to protect it against weathering, and the color may vary slightly, due to the grain. It's made with Eucalyptus, which is especially good for exterior use. Eucalyptus is a tropical hardwood, which means that it has evolved to resist insects and other wood boring animals. It also ages nicely, taking on a Teak like appearance. Excessive logging in India, Burma, and Thailand has reduced the number of wild Teak trees, and this is a great alternative that helps promote responsible forestry. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an organization that works with businesses in Europe, South America and North America to promote sustainable forestry. Outdoor furniture with the FSC seal assures that you are buying a quality wood product, while helping to preserve the world's forests.

# 11 - Furnish naturally...
Consider wood products that are formaldehyde-free and accessories made of materials like hemp, or other furnishing accessories made from recycled materials such as chairs made from recycled plastic milk jugs.
Clean Air Gardening - Polywood Rocking Chair
Comfortable Poly-Wood Trade Wind rocking chair from Clean Air Gardening's Nautical Collection is a great way to enjoy the summer. It is a great care-free outdoor furniture for patios. Poly-Wood makes wonderful outdoor furniture because it is resistant to rain, snow, sun, sleet, and wind. This furniture is so tough that users don't even have to store it during the winter. Simply clean up the furniture periodically with a little soap and water. Poly-Wood is also heavy and durable, and the colors won't fade. All of our Poly-Wood products are proudly made in the USA and have a 5 year manufacturer's warranty. Poly-Wood is a durable material made from recycled plastic milk jugs. Poly-Wood is made from recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE), which is resistant to many different solvents, and salt water. It does not absorb water and therefore it cannot warp or crack. HDPE has a high tensile strength and can handle higher temperatures than many similar kinds of materials. Poly-Wood has the look and feel of wood, and you can even use woodworking tools with it. It will also hold up to the effects of saltwater, chlorine and mildew, making it ideal for the poolside or the beach. The assembly is stainless steel hardware that has a protective Xylan coating.

GREENCulture, Inc. - Lisbon Dining Collection
The Lisbon Dining Collection express practicality of form and contemporary sophistication. Open expanses of clear glass balanced in rounded wooden scaffolds lend a cosmopolitan style to the urbane Lisbon Dining Collection.

Dirt Candles - Fountain of Youth Candles
Dirt Candles are made from organically grown American soybeans, essential oils and packaged in recycled glass and paper. Irresistible herbal blends of fresh basil, oregano and cardamom, leading to a floral middle of rose-geranium and cyclamen fowers, lavender, musk and wood notes to restore vitality and youth

# 12 - Keep your garage gear green...
Look for things like nontoxic pegboards to hold your tools and manual-reel lawnmowers to cut the grass.
DPI - Pegboards
Organize your garage without the formaldehyde with these pegboards.

# 13 - Go with the low flow...
Select low-flow water fixtures such as showerheads, faucets, and toilets to reduce consumption and cost.
Bricor -Elite Series
Super-low flow and higher aeration showerhead. It feels like a normal shower but uses much less water.

Sterling - Karsten Toilet
# Dual Force technology allows the choice of .8 gallon flush for liquid or light waste. The 1.6 gallon flush is for bulk or solid waste
# Dual Force technology can save the average family of 4 up to 6,000 gallons of water per year with the .8 gallon option
# Two-button actuator provides easy-to-use flushing options
# Crafted of Grade A vitreous china to provide a durable, non-porous product with a hard, glossy finish
# A sanitary guard helps prevent liquid from getting under the tank
# Round-front bowl requires less space
# Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) compliant
# CSA certified
# Limited 5-year warranty
# Meets strict flushing performance guildelines established by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) WaterSense program
# WaterSense labeled toilets use at least 20% less water than standard 1.6-gallon toilets
# This product can help a building earn Water Efficiency points in the LEED Green Building Rating System(TM). See specification sheet for water use data.

Kohler - Archer Lavatory Faucet
The transitional aesthetic of the Archer faucet is achieved by combining design elements found in craftsman furniture and the intricate facets of jewelry. The combination of beveled edges and curved bases delivers a versatile and timeless appeal.

# 14 - Renew your bathroom with reclaimed style...
There's no shortage of stylish but eco-friendly products like tile, countertops, and fixtures.

# 15 - Go natural...
Considering chemical-free alternatives for the bathroom with everything from organic hand soap to bamboo hand towels.
Branch - Millennium Towel
Bamboo is a grass that grows incredibly fast with strong fibers. It has a unique quality in that it can be made to be very soft to the hand and makes for a great fabric that feels very nice next to your skin. These towels are a great alternative to those made of conventionally grown cotton, a crop whose production takes an enormous toll on the air, water, and soil, not to mention the health of people living and working in cotton country. (For example, nearly 2/3 of all pesticides used worldwide are applied to cotton crops). Made with nothing but wood fiber, Millennium towels feel like cashmere, and they have a natural luster that does not wash out. They are highly absorbent and wick moisture away from the skin. Their light weight aids in quick drying in air and in the dryer; as such, they require less energy than thicker terry towels.

Radius - Source Toothbrush
When the bristles wear down, just replace the head instead of throwing the whole thing away. Wood Fiber blended with PLA, a plastic derived entirely from Nebraska maize. The resulting material is 100% renewal resource. Flax with post consumer polypropylene. Replaceable Heads consume 1/5 the material of standard toothbrushes.. Replaceable heads - reduces environmental impact.. Radial bristling - first toothbrush in the world to have it. Makes brushing easier and more effective. 3,080 Tynex nylon bristles - available in soft or medium. Reversible for right or left hand.

# 16 - Stock up on earth-friendly office supplies...
Prevent stuff from hitting the landfill by utilizing items like recycled computer disks and earth friendly inks.
Wrapables Staple-less Stapler -
Staples are history! You'll never have to run out of them again. The Staple Free Stapler cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses the strips to stitch up to 5 pieces of paper together. Environmentally friendly. Safe for kids. Available in different colors.

Wausau Paper - Exact Eco 100
92 GE brightness rating. 20-lb., white, acid-free paper designed for everyday use in copiers and printers. 8-1/2 x 11. Recycled, 100% post-consumer content. 500 sheets per ream.

GreenDisk - CDRWs
As CDs become more popular we recycle more of them. This gives us a lot of high quality plastic. To bring you our premium CD-RW we start by making the jewel case from recycled plastic. Next, we make our packaging using recycled paper and then we insert a brand new disc. Presto....you get GreenDisk CD-RWs. Made from the best stuff everyone else already made. You can save your CDs while you help save the planet. All in all a pretty good deal. Multispeed Media - writes 1x, 2x and 4x. Premium Grade - meets all industry Orange Book III standards. 100% Guaranteed - full lifetime warranty. Competitively Priced - so you can save money while you help save the planet

Office Sight - Knoll Don Chadwick Office Chair
The Chadwick chair by Knoll is made of recycled (and recyclable) materials, and adhesives that are free of CFC and VOC. The chair is designed for durability and ease of disassembly so that parts can be removed and replaced effortlessly.

Ergo Depot - HAG Capisco Office Chair
Movement and variation of the body are vital while working, but it's all too easy to forget to move, particularly when you are deep in concentration. That is why you need a chair that inspires movement without you having to think about it. You can adjust a HAG Capisco chair from a low-seated position to a half-standing position. No other work chair on the market is as well suited to varying postures and height-adjustable surfaces as the HAG Capisco. The chair encourages creative, alternate sitting positions. Forwards, backwards or sideways. You can feel the dynamics when you sit down and understand how the HAG Capisco chair is inviting you to variation and movement. The Capisco chair is available in three different configurations: just the seat (stool version); the seat and back; or with seat, back and headrest.

# 17 - Be green when you clean...
Introducing cleaning products which have little to no harmful impact on the environment.
Method Home - 'Green' Cleaning Products
Method Home products help users detox with a sense of style. Apart from their stylish packaging, they provide a range of cleaning products to clean more than just homes - they provide personal care products, too!

# 18 - Choose good wood...
Try to find wood for your home projects which has been farmed, clear-cut, and/or stained with natural products.

# 19 - Plant for the planet...
Be economical as well as ecological by searching for gardening supplies or plants which require little watering and maintenance.
Gaiam - Copper Solar Cascade Fountain
Bring the peaceful movement and soothing sounds of flowing water to your yard and garden with the power of the sun. It costs nothing to operate, runs automatically whenever direct sun shines on the solar cell and will weather to a beautiful, earthy-green patina over the years. Place the 1.5W solar panel (included) up to 10 ft. away and hide the 1 gpm pump under rocks or flowers. And because copper is a natural algaecide and bactericide, the water is always clear. Some assembly required. 13"" diameter base bowl.

Smith & Hawken - Radke Copper Watering Can
A long spout and curved handle enable easy one-handed watering of houseplants and windowboxes. Modeled after a 1950s vintage watering can, this version is made of pure copper. Large holds 1 1/2 quarts and measures 16" long, 7 1/2" high, 6 1/2" diameter; Extra-large holds 1 gallon and measures 20 1/2" long, 11 1/2" high, 7 3/4" diameter.

Brill - Luxus 33 Small Manual Reel Mower
Mowing lawns with a Brill Luxus mower is better for the air, better for the grass , and better for you. The Brill Luxus 33 is identical to the Luxus 38, except that it is smaller. It is 33 cm wide instead of 38 cm. It is a good choice if you're looking for a mower to handle just a small area. The German made Brill weighs just 15 pounds, which is less than half the weight of many competing reel mowers. It also features a "silent cut" design in which the blade narrowly misses the bedknife by less than a millimeter, reducing friction and increasing blade life significantly.

# 20 - Keep nature natural...
Seek out items crafted out of recycled materials like wicker furniture or corn-husk planters.
Green Garden Store - Eco Forms Gardening Products
EcoForms products are a smart and sustainable choice for gardeners. Available in a wide range of simple and elegant forms. Made from renewable grain husks. A long lasting alternative to plastic. Suitable for inside or outside use. Durable and lightweight.

---End List of HGTV Green Tips ---

Here's an additional list of other online stores dedicated to marketing stylish sustainable lifestyles... many products are listed at great affordable prices, not to mention, they're great places to visit for some ideas on home-decorating, too!

Branch Home
By Nature
Earthtech Products
Gaiam
Green Culture
Greenfeet
Green Garden Store
Green Home
Green Living Tips
HGTV Marketplace
Real Goods - Efficient Living (Solar)
Smart Planet
Sustainable Style
Tree Hugger

Any constructive comments, suggestions, and additional contributions are greatly appreciated and I will do my best to include them!

Food for Design Thought: Poor Human Factors

2008-06-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite frequented websites that inspire a lot of design ideas is Bad Designs - which illustrates and discusses poor human factors within a wide range of products.

For those who may not be familiar with the term - Human Factors - it is essentially a kind of science which observes the physical and cognitive behavior of humans towards both environments and objects (tangible products and intangible service-related products such as software programs or websites). How do people of varying heights interact with a problem? What is their initial knee-jerk reaction? How easy is it to operate? Is the design so non-intuitive that it must require additional signs to prevent accidents?

Perception will usually bring attention to an apparent pattern in how people react. For instance, when someone approaches a door with a handle attached to its surface, they instinctively will try to pull it. However, if the door merely is flat with the absence of any handles, or only has a metal plate, then people instinctively understand that in order to get past this door, they must push through it - as there is no handle to actually pull. In a sense, the object itself deliberately limits options to minimize mistakes.

When designing products, services, environments, or overall experiences for people, it is essential to understand their naturally-occurring behavior ...how they intuitively react to these things when placed before them and apply this knowledge to design more intuitive solutions. Human factors is of course not an exact science because it varies slightly from person to person, of course, such as a small child to a teen to an adult to a senior (ie: A senior or a child may not be able to exert the same pressure as a teen or adult can or be able to comfortably open containers or access certain heights) and even variables such as how technically savvy they are with the latest products, or other cultural/regional differences can have an impact on how they react with the interface of certain objects.

Here were a few winners I've selected to show from Bad Designs. You can click on the titles to visit the example on that website.

- Guessing Games -
Which Switch Controls the Projection Screen?
How many times have you walked into a classroom or some other conference space where the switches are literally scattered across the walls in the most non-intuitive fashion just beckoning you to guess which switch is the one you're looking for? In the image above, the switch to control the project screen is actually the one furthest away from the screen. How obvious is that?

It's amazing that similar design issues continue to occur this way with little to no improvements - not not even a text or graphic label to accompany the switch.

Raised Labels or Flat Buttons?

Another analogous design issue is the one commonly found used in elevators where they have raised/embossed labels right next to the actual button which is oftentimes just flat. People have the natural reflex towards tactile surfaces. In other words, they push the graphic label as opposed to the flat button next to it, especially when it is a quick reaction (ie: a scenario where you see someone trying to make it to the elevator just as its doors are closing and try to push the "Door Open" button, which for whatever reason doesn't work. So instead of figuring out which other button to push, you risk getting your limb clamped on by sticking it out to keep the elevator doors from closing?)

Light or Breeze?
Many ceiling fans with lights integrated into them often have two switches. What's interesting is that they tend to be identical in every way - form, size, color, material, location, etc.
Even if one tries to differentiate the switches by adding on a tassel or whatever, unless it's highly obvious, even that can be easy to forget. In the image above, a yellow tassel is placed one one of the two switches. But the yellow tassel could represent light or it could not. It still leaves it entirely up to the user to interpret the train of thought. A very obvious fool-proof (at least a better attempt at it) solution can be changing the location of the switches - The light switch can be hooked below the light as the fan switch hangs from above the light.

- Using & Maintaining Liquid-Oriented Products -
Coffee On Your Nose & Odor Inside
Many well-insulated commuter mugs, especially with hinged lids can collect drops of beverage within them which get transferred onto the nose of the user once they unhinge the lid to drink from it. Another common issue is the height of the edges, which are clearly designed to retain any excess liquid drops to prevent it from spilling over, however, if the edges are too high then it risks being a discomfort for the user's nose (even an average or smaller nose) as there is no place for it to accommodate it.

A semi-asymmetrical recession could probably work wonders, of course, there are other ways to approach this problem, too.

Another common mug related problem is how easy is it to clean and are there areas which can trap contents that result in bad odor. Many times, the underside of the lid has too many ridges (placed for structural integrity) or small areas where beverage contents can get trapped and are not easy to clean out of. Trapped contents will eventually begin to smell pretty bad. Even material and texture can make a difference. Certain types of plastics and rubbers actually can be difficult to clean out completely, and some even retain odor longer than others...which is bad if you are a commuter who frequently uses that cup and cannot accord a detail cleansing check or to leave the washed mug out long enough for the odor to dissipate.

Many of these problems are overlooked by the designers/manufacturers as they are more closely tied into the behavioral/maintenance aspects of the product.

Wet Sinks
Before Use

After Use

Even something as subtle as where faucets are placed in relation to the sink, how big the sink itself is, and how the water pressure is controlled can make a huge difference in the user's experience with the product(s) and also have an impact on how easy the product is to maintain.

In the first of the two images above, it shows a very standard looking sink with faucet and knobs located outside of the sink. It may not strike to someone as being a problem, but when someone does go ahead to use the faucet, water will drip and collect around the sink making the counter look dirtier as is shown in the second image above.

This easily overlooked issue is surprisingly common in many, many bathrooms - both private and public. Some suggestions for design solutions included the size of the sink, and choosing a sink with wider lips on which the faucets and knobs can be accommodated. Or a sensor which can self-adjust the flow of the water (motion sensors that automatically turn the faucet on and require no knobs are probably more ideal)

Fire & Water: Devi Glyphs

2008-06-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Devi means Goddess in Sanskrit

Fire Devi:

Water Devi:

This is just the first iteration and it will be progressed further in the coming days for more variations. I'm probably going to do a few compositions where they are combined together.

Here's the kind of the composition I've got in mind:

Elemental Devi Rough Composition

Feedback would be appreciated!

BMW's GINA concept has finally awoken

2008-06-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

I am more than impressed by the huge step BMW has taken away from thinking conventionally with the GINA car concept.

Sure there are probably very real concerns and speculations about this vehicle's limitations. Such as how that mysterious membrane material would withstand getting hit by small projectiles when the vehicle is going at faster speeds, collisions, spills, extreme temperatures, fires, and engine heat and all... but still very very cool.

If that membrane is a recyclable polymer, then this would open many new doors for making vehicles which have components that can not only be melted down to be reused later - ultimately reducing raw material and production costs, but also probably be significantly simpler and thereby, not only cheaper to produce but cheaper to replace. Lightweight framework would allow people to accomplishing faster speeds and more efficient gas mileage.

And need I bring up those headlights? I love how they add the lively animated quality when they literally blinking... as if it's alive. Or how the interior is like a shifting landscape which embraces and conforms to its passengers. Would this mean that finally parents won't need to secure additional units to safely restrain their children? Would this mean that finally those little crevices and cracks that accumulate little bits of dust/junk that vacuums never seem to be able to pick up could finally level away to drop the dirt/grime on the floor and thus, make the whole act of maintaining the vehicle a bit simpler? Whoa...now that would be pretty damn awesome. I wouldn't blame Knight Rider for wanting a few similar upgrades in his own ride.

Needless to say, I can totally see numerous additional applications for a concept of this caliber especially when it comes to those those shared city cars which they are developing to offer alternatives to commuters who prefer to commute themselves.

Click here for additional info on the City Car Concept

Considering the restricted spaces which are available within the city, they are trying to make those shared car vehicles stackable and with a considerably smaller foot print. However, if a GINA-like concept were applied where flexible materials and collapsible frames could make it further compact and stackable. Of course, one doesn't need to go too fast within the city so perhaps the membrane's resiliency to impact could get away with being lesser than usual?

Of course, coming back to the real world issues aside from the ones already mentioned, which apply particularly to city environments: Security seems like it would be a huge issue...gangsters could probably rip their way through that membrane in no time. There's also the issue of how well-protected the car port stations would be because of high chances of vandalism. Unless...of course, they managed to use those city graffiti artists to their own advantage by deliberately leaving the cars out in the open begging to be covered with one-off urban art. How cool would that be?

Those wrinkles which appeared when the car opened brought up another foreseeable occurrence with this concept of flexible fabric like membranes...and that would be the inevitable co-branding between fashion industries design labels with automotive companies to work together and pierce the market in an completely different, more harmonious way.

Imagine Louis Vuitton and Ferrari working together. Or Guess and Lamborghini? Suddenly the car is going to tie in with the other set of pricey designer label accessories that people have accumulated. Another consistent integration into their lifestyle. Could people have the option of changing the skin of their car by replacing the colors, graphics, and texture variations?

The Violinist

2008-04-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

So a friend of mine decided to open up his own line of desi/eastern-themed wear such as graphic tees. The term 'Desi' is a slang term used to describe people having originated from the subcontinent of South Asia, specifically Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kashmir, and correct me if I'm wrong - Nepal.

He has decided to call it Trickshaw - a clever take on a rikshaw, which is basically like a taxi. The traditional rikshaws are one of the most humble means of transportation used around in the South Asian subcontinent.

After brainstorming a few ideas, we decided that it would be best to go for a simpler graphic look initially which would be low-cost, however, producing short lines of 6-12 designs and seeing which ones sell the fastest. This would also help emphasize a sense of brand identity. Future lines would of course be more colorful and complex.

Here is the progression as follows and the programs I am using currently are Illustrator with the occassional Photoshop:

After having finished the basic illustration for the Violinist, I continued to explore other variations and added a background to complete the composition.

2 of the 30+ variations explored on the tee template:

Whoop! Here it is!

2008-04-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

After finally having updated my design portfolio website (woo hoo!) which in itself had to wait for nearly 2 years before I got around to updating it, I have been wanting to keep a design/art-oriented blog which focused on progressions/updates to various smaller projects, critiquing products/concepts currently present in the market, philosophizing/rambling thoughts about design, discussing other design-related articles, and of course including the occassional cooking recipe.

I am on a roll... I am so proud of myself! :)