Design

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 12 apr 2014

Jonas Damon, the Creative Director of frog, shares his views on 'traditional' (or outdated) forms and materials, user experience and the relevance of Dieter Ram's 'Ten Principles of Good Design' in today's world of design. According to him - 'Honesty' in design in the past was expressed by skilfully skulpting with and around a given product's physical conditions, rather than just hiding or disguising these. While these days 'honesty' is more complex and difficult to design for, as it's about the tangible aspects of the brand the product embodies. Traditional forms and materials have cultural value because of their iconic, built-in character; Hardware is an integral part of user experience. A true UX is multi-sensory. Industrial design has become richer since 'living technology' is being considered as a material. 'Living technology' represents those elements that bring objects to life, that make them animate and tie them to other parts of the world around us; Dieter Ram's principles are still relevant but some may not reflect today's times like 'Good Design is Unobtrusive', 'Good Design is Thorough to the Last Detail', 'Good Design is as Little Design as Possible'. Moreover a new design principle may be included, 'Good Design is Inclusive', as it would be more appropriate to current times. Read on...

Core77: Industrial design in the modern world: Short doc and exclusive interview with the 'frog' creative director Jonas Damon
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 12 mar 2014

Wearable devices have the potential to become a part of human lifestyle, but for their sustained use they should be able to induce long-term healthy behavioral changes in users. According to Michael A. M. Davies of MIT, companies developing wearables have to understand the importance of three factors of behavioral science - habit formation, social motivation and goal reinforcements - to overcome the challenge of sustained engagement and provide long-term health benefits. Research by Endeavor Partners found that 1/10th of the US comsumers above the age 18 owns a modern activity tracker but half of them no longer use it. A large percentage of wearable devices have fatal user experience flaws and fail to fulfil one or more of the nine baseline criteria of product design (selectability, design, out-of-box experience, fit/comfort, quality, user experience, integration ability, lifestyle compatibility and overall utility). For successful and effective wearable devices and related services, companies have to incorporate the insights provided by the science of behavior change. Read on...

VentureBeat: How to make wearables stick: Use them to change human behavior
Author: Michael A. M. Davies

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 feb 2014

China's manufacturing goods industry with its modern mass production factories and cheap labor is one of the most dominant and competitive in the world. Will 3D printing affect and transform Chinese manufacturing? In the article, authors of the latest book 'Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing', Melba Kurman and Hod Lipson, share their insight and opinion on how 3D printing technology changes the dynamics of the Chinese manufacturing sector. Among the skeptics is Terry Gou, the CEO of one of the largest manufacturer, Foxconn. But the industry is now adopting the technology, although a bit late as compared to US and Europe. There are now seven 3D printer manufacturers located in China and the world's largest 3D printer manufacturer Stratsys, based in US, planning to open its office there. Moreover the technology will also assist China to evolve into high-end manufacturing and related services. Chinese government is considering it as priority and mentions it in their 12th Five Year Plan. The key goals include - investment in R&D; move up the value chain and focus on high-end & high-margin manufacturing in biotech, IT, innovative materials etc; upgrade skills of the labor force. During the course to achieve the goals there will be challenges. 3D printing technology may not totally displace the current mass manufacturing but it has the potential to find its own niche for premium custom products and services, both for the domestic and global markets. Read on...

Yahoo News: How 3D Printing Will Transform Chinese Manufacturing
Authors: Melba Kurman, Hod Lipson

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 feb 2014

3D printing is the latest manufacturing technology that can create objects by depositing material layer by layer directly from a digital file. Development of individualized products based on customer specifications and needs is an advantage of the technology. It is used for both prototyping and manufacturing in variety of industries like medical applications, architecture & construction, industrial design, automotive, fashion etc. According to Andrew Maher, 3D printing can provide operational efficiencies as the products can be manufactured in proximity to the point of delivery and consumption. Survey by DHL Supply Chain mentions that 3D printing will become prominent in the next 10 years while several companies are in the process of introducing the technology into their operations in next 3 to 5 years. Read on...

Brisbane Times: Shape of things to come
Author: Carolyn Cummins

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 12 jan 2014

Big data and analytics is finding applications in businesses and governments for better decision and policy making. Stephen Wolfram is talking about 'personal analytics' (converting life into packets of personal data) as the next big thing and introduced an app on facebook based on this principle. On the same line researchers and thinkers are proposing that cities can also be considered as sources of data and information that can be utilized for better urban planning and development. This concept of 'quantitative urbanism' is finding support from leaders in software, consultancy and infrastructure industries. According to Assaf Biderman of MIT, this science will assist in making the cities 'more human'. In 2003 research team led by Geoffrey West of Santa Fe Institute collected large data sets of select urban centers and obtained information on various parameters from multiple sources and put them into a single database. The results reduced the life of a city to a mathematical rule - 'unified theory of urban living', similar to what Max Kleiber showed in the form of zoological rules that suggested that all forms of life follow the same equation that combines size, energy use and life expectancy. But cities don't follow Kleiber's law exactly - they don't slow down when they become bigger in size. On the contrary they accelerate, becoming more productive, creative, efficient and sustainable. Other model of urban thinking utilizes mathematics of complexity which views the city as a combination of networks and information. But this data intensive approaches on thinking about cities may not be sufficient & complete and other ways of looking at the city must be considered too. Read on...

New Statesman: Architecture - What does Big Data mean for our cities?
Author: Leo Hollis

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 03 jan 2014

Wearable technologies are finding prominence in the human-centered technology ecoystem with devices like smart watches, smart glasses, smart textiles etc. The article provides an interview with Oliver Stokes from PDD, a design consulting firm, where he explains the current and future prospects for the wearable and embedded devices. He mentions that more advancements are required in wearable technologies so that they blend seemlessly in human ecosystem without specifically affecting their body language and social behavior. Moreover healthcare is one of the areas where these technologies will get early adoption. Smart textiles, in addition to healthcare and fitness, may find use in fashion clothings where they can change color and patterns providing them more versatility or they can be used in cars for shape and color variations and changes. Considering the present research advancements, smart textiles will find commercial use in 5 years. Read on...

Shiny Shiny: Forget smart watches, are smart textiles and implants the future?
Author: Ashley Norris

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2013

'Design Thinking' is becoming a critical component of innovation strategies implemented by companies. According to Professor John Caruso of Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD), design thinking is all about process and openness to exploring innovative ideas, and through creative problem-solving process that seeks to make lateral connections between seemingly disparate ideas, provide customer centric products and services. The interview with John Caruso provides his views on design thinking concept, the process, the problems that can be solved, the risks involved, the cost factor and its overall impact on companies. He mentions that every company can utilize the basic principles of design thinking, customize them based on their specific needs and apply them as part of their problem solving strategies. According to him the fundamental aspects of design thinking are - problem identification; evaluation of user's needs; establishment of product criteria; exploration & development of ideas & concepts; evaluation of these concepts; implementation through drawings, plans, physical models & user testing; and a further evaluation step before getting realization in the product market. Read on...

BizTimes: Design Thinking can change your company
Author: Erica Breunlin

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2013

'Emotional Design' concept was introduced by Donald Norman and it proposes that people find aesthetically appealing product much more functional and useful because it connects with the person on an emotional level. He mentions three levels of emotional and visual design - Visceral (instant and instinctive first impressions after interaction with product); Behavioral (user experience based on functionality, simplicity, intuitiveness and usability); Reflective (leads to overall impression of the product and involves reasoning, logical thinking and analysis). The article utilizes these principles to suggest a designing process for apps. It mentions ways for incorporating positive emotions in the app design - surprise users with something unexpected and new; use humour; make it attractive and good looking; make people feel special by offering something extra to exclusive groups; consider users needs and incorporate helpful tips and guides. Some more suggestions for app designers - imitate human emotions, use music and be playful and edgy. Read on...

CMS Wire: How To Use Emotional Designs In Your App To Engage Users
Author: Jessica Davis

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 07 dec 2013

The world of fashion is evolving with advancement in materials technology and functionality in clothing and garment design. The latest trends in Japanese fashion industry include - Inspired by the emergency blankets used in disaster sites and space outfits, foil like material is used to design sporty urban suits that are light and retain heat, for windy and extreme cold weather conditions; Odor free undergarments and dresses made from highly porous ceramic particles woven into the material absorb and trap bad odor and then metal ions break down the odor causing elements. Another deodorizing nanotechnology based fabric material is permeated with solvent that neutralizes bad odor ammonia; Use of tiny magnets in undergarments to help women suffering from stiff shoulder and back pain. Read on...

The Asahi Shimbun: Latest fashion is smart and high-tech
Authors: Kotaro Nakajima, Yuki Ogawa

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 01 dec 2013

Jonny Ives of Apple, acknowledges the influences that Dieter Ram's (of Braun) work has on his designs. Often these influences are visible in his designs for Apple's products. Article explores some of the comparisons of the works of both designers. Jonny Ives considered Dieter Ram's designs as 'bold, pure, perfectly-proportioned, coherent and effortless'. The ten principles of 'Good Design' described by Dieter Ram are - (1) It is innovative; (2) It makes a product useful; (3) It is aesthetic; (4) It makes a product understandable; (5) It is unobtrusive; (6) It is honest; (7) It is long-lasting; (8) It is thorough down to the last detail (9) It is environmentally friendly; (10) It is as little design as possible. Read on...

Forbes: Jony Ives' (No Longer So) Secret Design Weapon
Author: Anthony Wing Kosner

Latest             ⊲ Newer Posts             Design             Older Posts ⊳             Last