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Tiffany & Co. USB Sticks for Design Communications.

Good Design

Good design is beautiful. Good design elicits emotion. Good design is practical.

The Eva Solo Smiley bowl is an example of good design. The shape is beautiful, fun, and inviting. It elicits joy and provokes thought. It solves a problem in a clever yet functional way.

Ever host a party and find you have to collect everyone’s trash at the end of the night? A small solution to your problem is the Eva Solo Smiley bowl. Snacks, candy, and nuts can be placed inside while candy wrappers or nut shells can be placed on top.

If I were a busy hostess, the candy would go on top where it can be seen and eaten by the guests. This would also allow me to easily know, just by glancing at it, when to refill it. The trash would go inside so it is hidden from sight in the bowl and not on my counters or in my couch. This would also make it faster and easier to carry over to the trash can and dump without dropping wrappers. Alternatively, chips or veggies could go inside and dip on top.

If I had one, I would sometimes reverse the roles of the top and inside. For example, if I was not having a party, candy would go inside where it is hidden and somewhat protected from dust. Trash would go on top so I would know when to clean it off.

So much thought for one little bowl. I want one.

Inspiration and Designer Spotlight

Some of my favorite designers are Charles and Ray Eames. They worked on graphic design, art, architecture, furniture, exhibitions, and films. Their furniture inspires me to consider new materials and ways of thinking about products. Their films such as Powers of Ten remind me to look at the world through the eyes of a photographer and find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Check out Powers of Ten at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY

Computer Research

Based on my research for my HP computer project I have identified several technologies which seem to be drivers for the next generation computer. Of these, three stand out.

• All-in-one computers offer the portability and space saving design of a laptop with the power and flexibility of a desktop.
  
• OLED flexible screens allow curved or foldable viewing surfaces. This could easily translate into large portable screens or sleek wearable computers.
  
• Projection is also emerging. Small portable projectors could replace large bulky ones in offices and homes. Projected keyboards allow characters on keys to be changed to accommodate several alphabets.

Teaser

Like what you see? Check out my portfolio at: http://www.uc.edu/propractice/ind_design/Wilson_Jessica_10.pdf.

Movie Trailers

Pirates of the Caribbean
1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7z74BvLWUg
2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkDimbvviCc&feature=related
3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXPDw_nh4KI&feature=related

These movie trailers act as good teasers because they create mystery and lay out the story without giving away the ending. Why do the pirates want the gold? What is in that chest? How are they going to get Jack back? While you are thinking about these questions, they quickly show pieces of exciting or interesting parts of the movie paired with dramatic music to grab your attention and make you want more.

A good teaser portfolio should do that. Build up suspense, create interest without giving away everything, and leave the viewer wanting more.

Brand Spotlight: KitchenAid

The brand pillars of KitchenAid are:

• timeless design
• easy to use performance
• quality you can feel

The KichenAid stand mixer is an excellent example of these brand ideals. KitchenAid brand products are used by professional chefs and housewives aspire to own them. If you watch Food Network, try to spot them on the chef’s counters or in use.

The stand mixer design is timeless: the design has changed very little since its debut in 1937. KitchenAid stand mixers are available in many colors and finishes to compliment any kitchen. The intuitive stand mixer is a time and labor saving tool. A plethora of interchangeable accessories is available for many uses. The motor head tilts back or the bowl lifts for easy access to its contents and the accessory. The metal bowl has an ergonomic handle. The KitchenAid stand mixer has superb craftsmanship and is assembled mostly by hand (How It’s Made featured it). Its durable, all metal construction is designed to last. Because it is metal, the stand mixer is heavy allowing it to stay in place and be very durable.

Check out KitchenAid products at: http://www.kitchenaid.com/

Portfolio Design

My current portfolio design is simple and straightforward. It is arranged in reverse chronological order. By using Illustrator to create my portfolio, I am able to quickly place pictures in my portfolio and use clipping masks. Storyboards and other Illustrator drawings can be placed, edited, and resized. I save each page individually so that my portfolio is modular. The modularity of my printed and digital portfolios allows me to pick projects appropriate to each job. I tend to move files around, backing them up on external hard drives throughout the quarter. Unlike placing files in InDesign, Illustrator pictures do not disappear when the source file is moved.

Two pages are dedicated to each project. The first page of each project shows a quick overview of the design process. It explains the problem and shows research, inspiration, sketches, early renders, and quick models. The second page highlights the final direction with final models, renders, and call outs. Headers and footers identify each page to give clear distinctions between projects. In some portfolios all the projects seem to blend together, and that bothers me. In digital portfolios, I also dislike when text and visual elements seem to jump with each page. My grids and guides allow me to keep these things consistently placed.

My portfolio is designed to give a quick overview of my abilities. For some of the more recent projects, I have process books which go further in depth.

This week I will be updating my portfolio and adding my light project from PreJunior year. I am always looking for ways to improve. Please feel free to take a look at my current portfolio and make comments. www.uc.edu/propractice/ind_design/Wilson_Jessica_10.pdf

The Wisdom of ID

Welcome to The Wisdom of ID. My name is Jessica Wilson and I am a 4th year Industrial Design Student at the University of Cincinnati. This blog was created for my Design Communications class to keep track of my thoughts about Design. Excellent idea. I have been looking for a better place to put those. :)

As for work experience, I have enjoyed two co-op quarters at Evenflo and two co-op quarters at Whirlpool. I had the opportunity to work on many interesting projects at both, but due to confidentiality agreements I am unable to share most of my co-op work with you. I can tell you that my major refrigeration project from Whirlpool last quarter is being sent to Streng Design for further development and brand differentiation. Models will be made from my ideas for usability testing early first quarter 2009.

My main goal for this quarter is to find a new co-op job. This is not because I didn’t like my previous job, but because I would like to take advantage of the opportunities that the UC co-op system offers and thus broaden my knowledge base. I would consider both Evenflo and Whirlpool for jobs after graduation in 2010. For Spring quarter co-op, I will be looking for a job at either a design firm or a corporation that lets me explore packaging and manufacturing processes. At both Evenflo and Whirlpool I was able to go on tours of the manufacturing facilities and gained valuable insights into manufacturing concerns.

Other goals for the quarter include improving my sketching, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Alias work.