Showing papers in "Design Journal in 2010"
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that our generation is paying for the mistakes of the past 100 years, and that instead of trying to recycle materials and processes not designed to be so, we must redesign nearly everything to create a truly sustainable society.
Abstract: “Our generation is paying for the mistakes—the design mistakes—of the past 100 years. Rather than trying to recycle materials and processes not designed to be so, we must redesign nearly everything to create a truly sustainable society. This is not only the challenge for our current generation of designers, but the opportunity for future designers. Nathan Shedroff shows us the path to this inevitable future.”
71 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore and investigate the functional and aesthetic attributes of denim jeans and the perceptions and behaviours generated within the youth market in order to understand the varied considerations a consumer makes in her purchasing decisions, and within a cross-national context.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore and investigate the functional and aesthetic attributes of denim jeans and the perceptions and behaviours generated within the youth market. In order to understand the varied considerations a consumer makes in her purchasing decisions, and within a cross-national context, the countries of China and Canada were selected for the current study. The sample consisted of 247 Chinese women and 380 Canadian women. The results indicate that Chinese respondents were more concerned with the functional characteristics of denim jeans, whereas their Canadian counterparts focused heavily on their aesthetic appeal. It is also evident that social conformity played a significant role in the consumption of denim jeans among the Chinese, while self-expression/personal enhancement was more important to the Canadian consumers. The findings of this study provide insight and implications for fashion practitioners on future product design and development, and further research on thi...
44 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address empathy and the empathic horizon (the boundaries to a designer's knowledge and understanding) in the context of ensuring relevant design outcomes and consider the importance of the products that surround us, referred to collectively as our'material landscapes'.
Abstract: People are living longer and over their lifespan may develop a range of disabilities that are no longer perceived as a barrier to enjoying a high quality of life. With increased user expectation of products, a balanced approach to functionality and supra-functionality in product design is more important than ever. Users (consumers of products) are acknowledged as being significant sources of insight and innovation. Empathic design strategies rely on the user being an active partner within the information creation and designing process to ensure that more intuitive design outcomes are generated.This paper addresses empathy and the empathic horizon (the boundaries to a designer's knowledge and understanding) in the context of ensuring relevant design outcomes. We also consider the importance of the products that surround us, referred to collectively as our ‘material landscapes'. These concepts are illustrated through discussion of design research and a design course within a university context where...
43 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how physical materials impact early design through a study that explores how groups with very different materials tackle a common design challenge, including the ways in which groups move between abstract and concrete discussions, the way groups comply with or resist the materials they are given, and the complex interactions between the physicality of materials and the group dynamics.
Abstract: Both the nature of many products and their process of creation are becoming increasingly digitally mediated. However, our bodies and minds are naturally conceived to interact with the physical, so crucial design information can be elicited by constructing meaningful prototypes. This paper examines how physical materials impact early design through a study that explores how groups with very different materials tackle a common design challenge. The inherent physical properties of the materials and the ways in which designers interpret and manipulate them give rise to subtle patterns of behaviour. These include the ways in which groups move between abstract and concrete discussions, the way groups comply with or resist the materials they are given, and the complex interactions between the physicality of materials and the group dynamics. This understanding is contributing to our research in explicating the fundamental role of physicality in the design of hybrid physical and digital artefacts.
37 citations
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TL;DR: The most significant boundary currently not only being crossed but being dismantled is the boundary between professional and amateur, or more pertinently, between "designer" and "user" as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: There is a developing awareness of the interconnected nature of design, its connections with other disciplines and the convergence of different design disciplines as boundaries are increasingly contested and transgressed. Yet, to my mind, the most significant boundary currently not only being crossed but being dismantled is the boundary between professional and amateur, or more pertinently, between ‘designer’ and ‘user’. Recent design methodology has stressed the importance of taking a user-centred approach, but has not envisioned a position where designer and user are essentially one and the same. This change in perspective has the potential to transform design education, design practice and the consumption of design.As design practice became more specialized and the technology involved became more esoteric, amateur creative involvement in many disciplines became unattainable. Yet, emerging technologies today in fact offer the potential to reduce dependence on professional design, and afford acce...
29 citations
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TL;DR: The Museum of New Zealand/Te Papa Tongarewa as discussed by the authors considers the designers' creative role in framing the problem and connecting with the needs and desires of potential users to reshape both the institution of the museum and visitors' experience.
Abstract: This article considers the changing role of exhibition design and its contribution to interpretation in the increasingly audience-centred museum environment. By examining the case of the Museum of New Zealand/Te Papa Tongarewa, this article considers the designers' creative role in framing the problem and connecting with the needs and desires of potential users to reshape both the institution of the museum and visitors' experience. This article concludes with a preliminary map of the key interpretive design considerations of concepts, contexts and narratives as a guide to the exhibition design process in contemporary museums, and for those who seek to bridge the gap between expert knowledge and public audiences.This creative interdisciplinary role for design in bridging the gap between growing expert knowledge and satisfying an increasing desire for democratic participation in its dissemination can be seen as an important cultural role for design and one worthy of further critical consideration.
21 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, a three-step method for the systematic design of a package's structural characteristics that visualizes product attributes and brand values was presented, and a new bottle for a specific brand was designed by adding their brand values to the design guidelines derived from steps 1 and 2.
Abstract: This article presents a three-step method for the systematic design of a package's structural characteristics that visualizes product attributes and brand values. This method was tested in an initial pilot study. In step 1, the structural characteristics of a package which consumers' associate with product attributes were defined; this step required a series of consumer studies. In step 2, the extent of the design space was investigated in order to formulate design guidelines to express product attributes. In today's market, brand values are important when designing packages, therefore in step 3, a new bottle for a specific brand was designed by adding their brand values to the design guidelines derived from steps 1 and 2. Whisky and vodka were used as the product categories in this research.
20 citations
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TL;DR: The lack of delineation between repeatedly recurring key terms (for example, teamwork, co-design, participatory design, cooperation, and so forth) led to the conclusion that collaborative design is more of a buzzword with unclear conceptual boundaries than it is a clearly defined typology of praxis as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: While designing new products and services in the industrial age has always been a collective process, the term collaborative design (CD) has become increasingly popular within design communities in the last few decades. Our survey of the CD literature yielded such a wide variety of efforts called ‘collaborative design’ that we were led to question if this diversity is inherent in CD processes as such, or whether CD is still in the process of being clearly defined. The lack of delineation between repeatedly recurring key terms (for example, teamwork, co-design, participatory design, cooperation, and so forth) led us to conclude that the latter is the case. We thus hypothesize that, currently, ‘collaborative design’ is more of a buzzword with unclear conceptual boundaries than it is a clearly defined typology of praxis. With this in mind, this paper sets aside the putative popularity of ‘collaborative design’ to theoretically ascertain more precisely what it is. We first survey a range of collective...
18 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore attributes of design thinking as a means to further an overall discussion on modernity itself, as a continuing project, and inclusive of its pluralistic postmodernist face.
Abstract: The term modern is typically associated with form, material and style in reference to products and industrial design. Modernity though has a century of use behind it in reference to design, and longer if one considers aesthetics, art, literature and the enduring legacy of the Enlightenment. Within this historical context there are considerable ambiguities and complexities associated aesthetically with the term. Today modernity, as seen in the advancement of technology, maintains a dominant yet strange presence. Given sophisticated yet convenient technology, blurred cultural distinctions and a chronic state of change, modernity is certainly open to questioning.Yet, within this swirling milieu can one approach the question of modernity (and postmodernism) in a fresh way? This paper seeks to explore attributes of design thinking as a means to further an overall discussion on modernity itself, as a continuing project, and inclusive of its pluralistic postmodernist face.
15 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the risk factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in three craft sectors of Jaipur in India, including blue pottery, handloom and gota patti.
Abstract: This paper investigates the risk factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in three craft sectors of Jaipur in India. The sectors considered were those of blue pottery, handloom and gota patti. Observational methods like Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and OVAKO for postural analysis were applied. The Occupational Repetitive Action Index (OCRA) and Strain Index (SI) were also used to gauge the extent of repetitiveness and strain in the work. These investigations gave valuable insight into the fact that many of the working conditions were hazardous and demanded immediate intervention. It also indicated that the physical design of tools and workstations alone would not solve the problems. The designer needs to look into non-physical design issues like the work/rest cycle, process design, physical exercise and training to effectively control the different risk factors in the genesis of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
15 citations
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TL;DR: By offering a systematic alternative for conceptualization within the design process, this study presents a new educational pattern and includes an examination of the relationships and functions of drawing and language as the very media of conceptualized within the discipline of architecture.
Abstract: In current educational practices within the discipline of architecture, the systematic use of conceptualization within the design process has not yet been extensively developed and applied. Though utilizing concepts within the design process has been discussed hitherto by educators and scholars, the conventional education system in architectural design may prevent its proper application in the studio process. Furthermore, because conceptualization describes an activity that has peculiarly visual and verbal dimensions, the coordinated use of drawing and language as the representation systems also refers to the main character of the design process. In these respects, by offering a systematic alternative for conceptualization within the design process, this study presents a new educational pattern. The study was implemented during the sixth semester of the architectural design studio and includes an examination of the relationships and functions of drawing and language as the very media of conceptual...
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TL;DR: This work argues that a constructivist perspective in designing requires designers to address ‘use as design’ more explicitly and compares four different design approaches to investigate the underlying assumptions about meaning construction.
Abstract: Although there is often no straightforward relationship between theory and practice in design, it is necessary to articulate their mutual impact more clearly. Drawing on Wolfgang Jonas' generic model of design, a complete design process involves three domains of knowledge; namely analysis, projection and synthesis. For analysis, designers have adopted many methods from other disciplines, but it is not always obvious how they affect projection and synthesis.This is also the case when adopting a constructivist approach to design. Considering the ‘applicability gap’ between design analysis and projection, we are interested in how design practitioners deal with the increased uncertainty inherent in constructivism. To investigate the underlying assumptions about meaning construction, we compare four different design approaches, namely Participatory Design, Critical Design, Non-Intentional Design and Human-Centred Design. From the basic assumptions of each approach, we draw conclusions about how it addr...
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TL;DR: The suit is standard formal menswear traditionally; almost all businessmen wear suits to work every day as mentioned in this paper and they have their own preferences on suit design, which might be different from other age groups; hence, there is a strong market niche for this age group.
Abstract: The suit is standard formal menswear traditionally; almost all businessmen wear suits to work every day. In Hong Kong, some retail shops only offer a list of similar suit styles to customers. However, the suit designs currently available might not be able to cope with the needs of young male customers. Young men in Hong Kong seek out styles that look good and they have their own preferences on suit design, which might be different from other age groups; hence, there is a strong market niche for this age group. The aim of this research was to understand the needs of young men aged from eighteen to thirty-two with regard to a perfect menswear suit and recommend a desirable suit design for them. Forty-seven young men and twenty-seven young women were invited to complete the questionnaire relating to the issues of creating a perfect suit for young men in Hong Kong in terms of aesthetics, comfort and functionality, and ten male respondents from the questionnaire survey were invited to the wearing trial...
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TL;DR: It was found that there are significant differences between alternative icons used for the same mobile phone feature, and original manufacturer icons performed better than those offered by the wireless operator.
Abstract: This article investigates whether the diversity of mobile phone icons has a negative effect on user perception, as measured through unaided icon recognition. We designed an experiment involving fifty-two young users and evaluated twenty-five icons from five different mobile phone handsets. It was found that there are significant differences between alternative icons used for the same mobile phone feature. Moreover, we found that original manufacturer icons performed better than those offered by the wireless operator. Simple metaphors from the real world and consistent visual depictions across different handsets performed best for mobile phone icons, while abstract concepts had the lowest recognition rates. Designers of mobile phone icons have to balance a trade-off between the need of the manufacturers and wireless operators to differentiate their offerings through branding, and the need of the consumers for a familiar visual language in mobile phone menus.
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TL;DR: The design and production of short-lived electronic consumer goods are not only creating enormous environmental and social damage, their very transience indicates that, as objects, they possess little enduring value as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The design and production of short-lived electronic consumer goods are not only creating enormous environmental and social damage, their very transience indicates that, as objects, they possess little enduring value. This paper considers the design of these goods within contemporary society and suggests a direction that is more consistent not only with the priorities of sustainability but also with more profound understandings of meaning. A brief overview of electronic products is given in terms of their instrumental, social and positional attributes, along with some of their social and environmental consequences, and a simple conceptual 'post-consumerism' electronic object is presented that encapsulates various aspects of contemporary critique. This is followed by a consideration of the meanings of contemporary electronic goods, and the changes needed in our approaches to design, production and disposal to address concerns linked to deeper notions of human purpose. Based on this examination, which draws upon philosophical and environmental critiques of technology, new priorities for design practice are developed that are in accord with theoretical arguments for comprehensive reform of design and manufacturing. The potential implications for electronic goods are demonstrated through a second conceptual object.
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TL;DR: In this paper, a service design project developed in an old milk factory in Milan is presented, with the aim of developing a solution that enhances the growth and development of Creative Places for a new everyday life in urban contexts.
Abstract: This paper presents a service design project developed in an old milk factory in Milan. The proposal is part of a PhD research programme with the aim of developing a solution that enhances the growth and development of Creative Places for a new everyday life in urban contexts. These are places where groups of people collaboratively promote and manage a mix of creative initiatives in the fields of art and culture, economy and production, social services and urban regeneration.The project that is presented here has as its main objective to identify and develop optimal strategies for building the necessary infrastructure in which sustainable collaborative services can flourish. In particular, the project proposes to endow local authorities and communities with a strategic plan and specific tools, respectively, to orientate them in the most promising direction: that is, in the direction of becoming a network of effective laboratories of a new, sustainable, urban identity and active citizenship.
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TL;DR: Clark and Brody as mentioned in this paper present a reader for design studies: Design Studies: A Reader edited by Hazel Clark and David Brody, 2010, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 232-235.
Abstract: (2010). Design Studies: A Reader edited by Hazel Clark and David Brody. The Design Journal: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 232-235.
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TL;DR: In this paper, Fuad-Luke presents Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World by Alastair FuadLuke, a book about design activism for a sustainable world.
Abstract: (2010). Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World by Alastair Fuad-Luke. The Design Journal: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 236-239.
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TL;DR: Sparke et al. as discussed by the authors described the design of the modern interior from the Victorians to the 21st century, focusing on the use of light and airy interiors in the modern home.
Abstract: (2010). Designing the Modern Interior: From the Victorians to Today edited by Penny Sparke et al. The Design Journal: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 373-377.
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TL;DR: The Banham Lectures: Essays on Designing the Future edited by Jeremy Aynsley and Harriet Atkinson as mentioned in this paper, is a collection of essays on designing the future edited by as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: (2010). The Banham Lectures: Essays on Designing the Future edited by Jeremy Aynsley and Harriet Atkinson. The Design Journal: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 240-245.