Make it Better - Design for 5 bucks

Poorly designed object: pencil sharpener

Pros:
small
handy
easy to use

Cons:
easy to lose
uncomfortable to hold
messy

Writer's Toolbox

Putting your ideas in writing is a very effective way of brainstorming, drawing out ideas and developing them. As evidenced by famous and talented artist of the past, Leonardo da Vinci, this is an effective and important part of the design and brainstorm process. Some examples of modern mapping methods listed in this reading were:

1. Mind maps
2. Concept maps
3. Free writing
4. Brain writing
5. Word lists

Which type you decide to use is based on personal preference. Sometimes even a combination of methods can be more effective. When I'm preparing to do a project I tend to use mind maps, free writing or word lists, and more often than not, all three.

Think and Make Reading 01

An interesting reading on design and how important and relevant it is in our life. It discusses what design is, the historical evolution, its utility and significance, and much more.

Defining design is something that many attempt to do in different ways. This particular reading addresses that fact of confusion, and states that it has several levels of meaning. Such as in the silly, yet grammatically correct sentence, "Design is to design a design to produce a design".

One definition it states that I particularly like is: "design, stripped to its essence, can be defined as the human capacity to shape and make our environment in ways without precedent in nature, to serve our needs and give meaning to our lives".

Paintings

music we can dance to

mixed media acrylic

24 X 27

2011

clouded by chaos: life in the dominican

mixed media, acrylic

24 X 32

2011

For more examples of current and past work see website: sarahsims.electrofolio.com.

Don Norman: 3 Ways Design Makes you Happy

http://www.ted.com/talks/don_norman_on_design_and_emotion.html

In this interesting video, Don Norman speaks about beauty, fun, pleasure and emotion as talks about how design makes a person happy. He makes an important point about how good design should simply make you happy! Sometimes he buys things, such as the juicer he talks about, not because it's functional but just because he liked it.

What is Good design?

Final Poster: This poster represents a series of successful drawings. The spectrum of techniques and mediums used for these drawings, along with the arrangement of the images, makes the simple object into an interesting design. The drawings vary from extremely detailed tonal drawings to lightly sketched gestural drawings, and each highlight different aspects of this well-designed object.

Clothespin drawings

Blind contours - simple and effortless, these drawings are successful due to the abstract quality and effortless intrigue.

Contour

Cross contour

Gesture

Gesture/Scribbling

Scribble/Cross-hatching

Contour with sharpie

Tonal drawings

Black and white photograph

Clothespin design

There are several reasons why a clothespin represents a well-designed object. According to "Dieter Rams Ten Principles for Good Design" this object meets several of these principles. A clothespin makes a product useful, is understandable, unobtrusive, long-lasting as well as using as little design as possible. It is functional, emphasizes its usefulness, and yet maintains a neutral and restrained quality. This object is long-lasting, because despite the invention of dryers, it is still being used and its simple design has yet to change. According to a comment by the senior designer of Apple, good design feels inevitable, like why would it not be like this.

Dieter Rams: 10 Principles of Good Design

Dieter Rams, a famous German Industrial designer, is widely known for his 10 principles of good design. Even before the Internet and web design, these principles are still very relevant and influential today.

1. Good design is innovative
2. Good design makes a product useful
3. Good design is aesthetic
4. Good design makes a product understandable
5. Good design is unobtrusive
6. Good design is honest
7. Good design is long-lasting
8. Good design is thorough, down to the last detail
9. Good design is environmentally-friendly
10. Good design is as little design as possible