Design Principals

Design Principals!

What are design principals, that is the question! Design is solving problems, it's a process, it's developing situations everywhere we go to suit our needs and it's the relationship between man-made things and people.

Objectified!

We watched a short film called 'objectified' in our first Design Principals class. In this film we saw the manufacture of certain objects, and why each object no matter how small is made with a specific purpose.
Standard objects are made for millions people which we don't notice and take for granted as we use them everyday, but realistically without this standard day to day object we would be lost.

Standard day to day objects have so much thought and design process put towards it. For example in the movie there was a scene about a toothpick from Japan which was on sale in the U.S. this toothpick had a small nib to the top of it where once you pick up the toothpick to use it you beak the nib to show that this toothpick has been used. The nib also then acts as a stand for the toothpick once it has been used.

Another scene in the film was about a peeler for potatoes and carrots etc. but the man that designed the handles for the peeler had tried numerous times to find one that was the right size and comfortable enough for each human hand to hold and peel vegetables. He came across the idea when his wife had arthritis and found it very difficult to use the metal peeler.

Another small change to man made items was the hedge clipper handle, it used to be straight and very uncomfortable and now it's changed to an angle to make it more comfortable for man to use.

Design is there to make products feel better and make them easier to use. Good design is in everyday details.
For designers it's good to constantly question designs and ask why is it like this and not like this. How does the person connect with the product. So that you are constantly designing.
One small part of a design, each small part of a design is so important and provide so much functionality that without that one small little piece as a whole the product would not be functional.

An analog product is one where there is no technology required for it to be functional. For example a chair or a table.

Today items and products are so well designed, that they become accessories and part of the decor. For example painted hoovers that come in numerous colours.

Nowadays we need to re-think the standard day to day items that we don't notice like chairs and door widths as our nation and population change and become heavier and obese, will they still be able to fit through our standard door frames? Will they still be able to use our standard chairs?