Mobile Creativity

Interesting:

http://www.luminantdesign.com/who/people.html

There is something about good design that annoys me…i think it is the I am God aspect of it. I know better than you and this is the perfect system. Apple do that. Its annoying, maybe its just perfection that is annoying and the fascist persuit of perfection that irritates me. Swiss graphics have that quality. The modular world of apps on the iphone has the same problem…we have laid it out perfectly and there is an app for that. Of course Dieter Rams has it. So too does British Design in the 1950’s, remember the phrase “fitness for purpose”. All of those perfect design ideas make me just want to light a smoke, eat a burger, drink a rum and black and drive a 3 litre car with chrome on it. Here are the 10 commandments from Dieter: They are very sensible, I agree with them all but dont enjoy doing so.

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

http://www.flickr.com/groups/464886@N22/pool/

I also like (prefer) The Principles of Design by William Mayall

http://www.foylearts.net/ahutton/mobile/?p=413

http://www.foylearts.net/ahutton/mobile/?p=389

Here is an interesting post by andy rutledge

http://www.andyrutledge.com/creativity-is-not-design-test-2.php

It ties in very nicely with this post from the begining of semester

Design is rational - defendable

The design of most objects and systems can be examined in terms of four layers of design.
Visual, Interface, Interaction, Motivation.

Visual layer
Visual elements of an objects and systems are typically their form, colour, texture, font, layout, styling. The design of vogue magazine is an example of visual design. The re-styling of the Ford Mondeo is visual design.

Interface layer
Interface elements of objects and systems are typically the parts that you touch. In the case of a kettle the handle is part of the interface. In the case of a software system the system of navigation, menu’s, drop downs, data entry areas, buttons, cursor hotspots are parts of the interface. Apple made a significant improvement to the interface design of mobile phones when they released the iPhone.

Interaction layer
Interaction elements of objects and systems refer to what occurs when the object is in use. A chair is sat on. A chair is also moved, purchased, knocked over, stood on, fallen of, restored. A website is read. A website is also built, maintained, skimmed over, found, contributed to, etc. The development of Web 2.0 technologies made a significant contribution to the development of the interaction design of social media.

Motivation layer
Motivation drives users to do things, to interact. A user who is motivated by the need for a cup of tea will interact with a kettle, a tap, teabags and a teapot. Alternatively the thirst for tea may motivate the user to visit a cafe and order tea and scones. Understanding the subtleties of motivation depends on the actors, the play and the context. The choice of a type of glass to drink from is a motivation layer problem. It is unlikely that a crystal wine glass will be used for milk shake in McDonalds. In software systems it is unlikely that a sales manager will use the CAD software although maybe he should.

Getting the layers mixed up
Sometimes the layers get mixed up. In system design huge effort can be spent fixing up the visual layer when the problem is really a motivation layer problem. In other contexts a huge process of self analysis in the motivation layer muddles and delays innovation in the interaction layer. Sometimes a visual freshen up is all that a product needs to give it a new lease of sales. Making a specific effort to understand the layer(s) that the design problem exists on is a good first step in exploring a new design challenge.

These are project title posters for MDes

Breege Molloy: An Irish Craft Website

David Gregg: A study and proposal for reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on our roads

Eileen Marie Emerson:  A book of illustrated legends and Myths from Co Antrim

Hoi-In Leung: A guide book or plane magazine feature of 8 traditional chinese festivals

Maria McCabe: Experience Design, gender issues in the retail sector

Patricia Quigley: Book or website or place? Its an advertising campaign!

Paul McGinty: A photo essay book about the Irish Army

Noel Heaney: Magazine that will look to illuminate local creatives.
Could be any field, but design, photography, art + writing.

Conor Dooley: A film about sucide?

Patricia’s blog about colour

In wk 12 there will be a presentation/crit

each student should present their project using power point

The presentation should contain (at least) the following points

Title of project

Problem to be solved

users/readers/viewers (who will benifit from the resolution of the problem)

client/commissioner (who (if the project was being done outside the college environment) would pay for the work to be carried out)

distribution (how does the designed entity get to the end user)

Work plan 

Your presentation should last no more than 7 minutes and should excite and sell your idea to your audience (myself, Robin and other students)

Please provide a postcard (a JPEG or GIF 450px wide) (For wk 7)

That has the following information:

Title of project

Problem to be solved

A picture/image/impression visual clue about the project
NB: Each postcard will be published on this blog and the result will be sent to the examiner for information.