amandadubis

[amandadubis]

Week 14- Your Choice

Week 14- Your Choice

There is one design-related idea I would like to briefly rant about, and that is my experience taking this Design class. I am a Marketing major, and I took this class to satisfy an art credit that I needed. I am not very artistic or creative, but I had a bit of an interest in design, so I thought this class would be a good fit for me. I wouldn’t say the class content was overly challenging, but some of the assignments definitely were. I really struggled with the papers and these journal posts. I’ve always had a difficult time getting started with my drafting and writing enough content to make my work interesting to the reader. This class involved a lot more writing than I thought it would! I think I would have liked it better if it involved a little less.

I don’t think I have any questions left regarding design versus art. I now have a pretty clear understanding of what the difference is between the two. Design is something that has a function or a purpose. Art only has to exist. Designs work to solve problems, while art should basically just look pretty. All designs can technically be called art, but not all art would qualify as a design.

No specific item or product has captured my attention, as a result of my new higher awareness of design in the world around me. However, I feel like I have been paying more attention to the detail of a few design aspects recently. I have been more interested in the history of design such as who furniture was designed by and when. I have also been paying more attention to the architecture in Milwaukee as I drive around the city. Overall it’s a little boring, compared to some other cities I’ve been to. There are some unique and historical buildings in Milwaukee though, and if you look closely enough, almost every building does have something intriguing about it.

[amandadubis]

Week 13- New Media

Week 13- New Media

The “digital aesthetic”, as defined by my textbook, means a digital design that appeals to whoever is looking at it. It is aesthetically pleasing to the viewer, and it draws them into the design more. Digital aesthetics are created with computers and often can be tied to pixels. A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image, just like an atom is the smallest unit of matter. Digital aesthetics can be achieved in lots of different ways.

My first contemporary example of the “digital aesthetic” is apps and websites. People are naturally drawn to apps and websites that look visibly clean, concise, and intuitive. Apps that are all of these things are aesthetically pleasing. No one wants to spend their freetime on a website that is disorganized and stressful to look at. Digital aesthetics and graphic design are very crucial to the success of the website. My second contemporary example of the “digital aesthetic” is TVs. Generally, people enjoy watching a higher resolution TV better than a low resolution TV. This is because the larger number of pixels makes the screen clearer and easier to see. A high resolution TV would draw you in much more than a blurry TV. In this example, pixels and digital aesthetics are directly related to one another. My final contemporary example of the “digital aesthetic” is movies. Everyone has different movie preferences, but every individual usually has a favorite type of movie. That favorite type could be due to the digital aesthetics of the movie. The way that they look overall, the lighting, the directing style, and the editing style are all very important visual aspects of movies. I took a film class a while ago, and we studied several movies. One thing all of them had in common was the rule of thirds. This rule means that in order to create a visually pleasing piece of cinematography, you should always divide the digital frame into thirds. The main point of focus should always be on one of the lines that divides up the frame. If you stick to this rule, you will end up with an aesthetically pleasing movie!

[amandadubis]

Week 12- New Media

Week 12- New Media

Interactive design is a type of design that focuses on how the user interacts with the item and what their experience is like. Designers want to improve the user experience and make it the best it can possibly be. This means that products are constantly changing and evolving based on how the user’s needs change. When I think of interactive design, I think of phones, computers, and TVs because everyone uses them and they are all great ways to interact with the outside world and feel connected. There are several fields within interactive design that have had very large impacts on design. A couple of these fields include video games and music.

Video games are a type of interactive design, and they have come a long way since the first one came out in 1958. The first video games were very simple, “Pong”-style games that were single or two player. They involved one or two actions that the players would just repeat until someone won. The controller was only a joystick. Today, there are numerous gaming consoles such as the Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo Switch. Users have millions of games at their fingertips. They no longer have to go to the store to buy a physical copy of a video game, they can just download it. Players can choose from multiple different genres of video games now, and they can play them with people online. Their friends no longer have to be in the same room, or even the same country as them. The controllers have changed a lot too. They are now wireless and have around 17 different buttons. Interactive designers helped this field grow into what it is today because of their passion for user interaction and experience.

Music is a form of interactive design, and music  players have come a very long way in the past hundred years or so. One of the first ways to listen to music was with records and a record player. Then, cassettes became a popular way to listen to music in the 1980’s. CDs are a more modern way to listen to music, but even those are almost obsolete now.  More recently, people have wanted to listen to their own music and bring it with them. Portable music players have been growing more popular and have been in high demand. First, there was the walkman. Then, came the MP3 player. The iPod was groundbreaking in 2001. Now, we have the ability to stream anything we want anywhere in the world from our phones. Without interactive designers and their passion for user experience, this field wouldn’t have grown into what it is today.

[amandadubis]

Week 11- Graphic Design

Week 11- Graphic Design

My reading this week referenced the “Citizen Designer”. A citizen designer means someone who tries to focus their design work on solving issues in society. They create designs that solve a problem that the community may be facing. They try to create a positive impact on the world, and they are held responsible for everything that they do. Being a citizen designer is definitely not an easy task because it requires critical thinking, innovation, problem solving, consideration, and a lot of responsibility. There are high ethical and moral standards that a citizen designer must meet. A great citizen designer would be someone who has lived in the community and has faced the same issues. Since they have experienced the same problems, they have a solid understanding of the changes that need to be made. Since they are a designer, they have the knowledge and expertise to design something that would actually solve these issues.

Citizen designers are relevant today because every designer should strive to be a citizen designer. They should always consider the impact that their design will have on society. Whether it is a message they are trying to get across to the community or an environmental impact, the mark they leave behind should always be a positive one. Designers should have reasoning, and they should be trying to change the world for the better through their designs. They should not be carelessly throwing together irresponsible designs and ignoring the damage that the design could cause. Citizen designers care about their communities and want to help them. It is clear that not all designers care about bettering their communities, but they should work on trying to! If all of their designs have a positive and beneficial purpose, society will only become exponentially better.

[amandadubis]

Week 15- Final Thoughts

Week 15- Final Thoughts

After fifteen weeks of learning about design, I see the future of design as being very bright, but changing based on how our needs change overtime. The first example of a discipline that I see potentially growing in the future is technological design. There will always be a need for technology. Technology helps us to stay connected, make advancements, and even save lives. The need for it will only grow exponentially in the future. Think about how much our technological needs have increased just within the last twenty years. People can barely even keep up with the constantly changing technology now. Along with that growing need for newer and better technology, will be a huge need for technological designers.

The second example of a discipline that I see potentially growing in the future is green, or eco-friendly, design. Obviously, we have to change the way we design and manufacture things if we want the future of our planet to be bright and our time on it to be long. Many companies have already started implementing design changes such as recycling used materials to manufacture something new and give it a second life. We should also be striving to reduce our waste, carbon footprint, and emissions during the manufacturing process. There has been a boom recently in trying to design the most efficient electric cars and rechargeable batteries. I only see this type of design growing more in the future.  

The final example of a discipline that I see potentially growing in the future is interior design. This form of design has recently become very trendy again. There are several TV shows that are popular right now, where people flip houses. There are also thousands of DIY home design videos that can be found on YouTube. People have also gained a large following on TikTok by posting content about how to decorate your home on a budget. Interior design and architecture are both very important aspects of this house-flipping trend.

[amandadubis]

Week 10- Graphic Design

Week 10- Graphic Design

The first idea from my typographic readings that I found most interesting is the idea of typography itself. I forgot that typography was a form of design, and I can imagine a lot of people often overlook it. However, it is a part of so many things that we do on a daily basis. There are countless fonts and typefaces on our phones, computers, and TVs. There’s even typography involved while I’m typing this journal draft on Google Docs, to later post on my Tumblr page. I’m currently using the font “Calibri”, and it’s interesting to think that someone actually had to design this! I didn’t even realize that we’d be learning about typography and graphic design in this class, so this was kind of a surprise.

The second idea from my typographic readings that I found most interesting is all the various terms and parts that go into making a single letter. There are ascenders, descenders, and counters. A letter can also be x-height or cap height. There is a baseline on which most letters sit, but descenders extend beyond the baseline. I found this section to be the most informative. I think it will help me with my penmanship and also to be able to explain how to write letters.  

The final idea from my typographic readings that I found most interesting is the importance a typeface can have on successful advertising. Some typefaces don’t look good in small sizes, and other typefaces don’t look good in large sizes. Choosing the appropriate font for the specific size of your advertisement was very crucial. If you did this successfully, then you could draw anyone in and even evoke a certain emotion from them. It’s amazing to think that letters, when altered slightly, can make people either happy or bored.

[amandadubis]

Week 9- Industrial Design

Week 9- Industrial Design

After reading about Brooks Stevens, I learned exactly how Milwaukee fits into the history of Industrial Design. Industrial Design essentially means mass production. Milwaukee was known for mass producing and manufacturing necessary goods such as beer, cheese, leather, and auto parts. Industrial Design was huge in Milwaukee at one point! There are lots of old, abandoned factories still standing today in the Walker’s Point area of the city. During the Industrial Design boom, all of these factories were bustling with business. The city grew and expanded during this time thanks to people like Brooks Stevens.

I actually live in an apartment building, in Milwaukee, that used to be a factory in the early 1900’s. It’s pretty cool to think about what my building used to be like. It is located near the river and railroad tracks, so trucks were probably loading and unloading product here constantly. This building helped contribute to the history of Industrial Design. Much of the structure remains the same, but its use is very different now. It is surrounded by several other factories, some of which are still in business. Others will probably be turned into residential buildings soon too.

Brooks Stevens most likely chose to stay in Milwaukee because he was born and raised here. There are other factors that probably kept Stevens here as well. For example, Milwaukee has a great central location. It is near the Great Lakes, major railroad lines, and a river. It is close to other big cities, like Chicago and Minneapolis. It also has many of the essential things that a city needs to thrive, like fresh water. Wisconsin is also perfect for growing crops, like corn and barley, which can lead to more business opportunities. Brooks Stevens was very passionate about Industrial Design, and Milwaukee was a booming city for manufacturing, so it makes perfect sense that he chose to stay here.

[amandadubis]

Week 8- Industrial Design

Photos:

The first photo is of my favorite candle. I like the design and the fragrance of these White Barn candles the best. It looks very sleek and matches my apartment nicely. The second photo is of my Keurig coffee maker. I like that it holds a lot of water because I only have to fill it up about once per week. I also like that you can choose the amount and strength of your coffee. It works perfectly for me because I normally only drink a cup of coffee at a time, so it’s much faster and more convenient than brewing a whole pot of coffee. The third photo is of my iHome speaker. I have a couple speakers, but this one is my favorite because it displays the date and time on the front. The fourth photo is of my SkyLite light. I use this every night because it is dim enough that I can fall asleep with it on, and it projects stars onto the ceiling, which is very relaxing. The fifth photo is of my HydroFlask water bottle. It’s my favorite one because it is huge, so I only have to fill it up once in the morning, and I’ll have water handy all day long. It also encourages me to drink more water everytime I see it. The sixth photo is of a pencil that I use everyday. This is my favorite type of pencil because it fits in my hand very nicely, it can store lots of lead, and it has a very large eraser. The seventh photo is of my laundry detergent. I like the design of these large detergents, and I think they are pretty clever. I have mine resting on its side on top of my washer, so it doesn’t take up much space. It has an airflow nozzle at the top, and it has a button you can push that conveniently dispenses the perfect amount of detergent. The final photo is of my Quip toothbrush. I like the design because it is very simplistic, and it doesn’t have any crazy colors or logos. I also like that it is an electric toothbrush because it ensures that I am brushing my teeth for the correct amount of time.

Notes:

One design observation I noticed in the world around me this week is my razor. Whoever designed it was very clever. The razorhead has shave cream built in, so the need for a separate shave gel is completely eliminated! This saves lots of time in the shower, as well as money because I no longer have to purchase another shaving product. The razor also helps to produce less waste because the handle is reusable, the shave cream part gets used up, and the only part you have to dispose of and replace is the razorhead.

[amandadubis]

Week 6- Architecture

Observations:

While I was out photographing architectural elements around Milwaukee, I noticed a few trends in the city. There are a lot of brick buildings. Most of the brick buildings are made with either red brick or cream city brick. There are lots of clocks on top of buildings. There are lots of loft-style buildings and apartments downtown and in the Third Ward. There is not much color used in the buildings in Milwaukee. There are lots of churches, and many of them have very tall, pointed steeples. Some buildings have large domes on the top, and most of the domes are made out of copper, so they have started to turn green.

Photographs:

Photo #1 is of the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower. I live near the clock tower, and I can actually see it from the roof of my apartment building. This was the first thing that came to mind for this assignment. The clock was the largest four-sided clock in the world at one point. Photo #2 is of the Basilica of St. Josaphat. This is a beautiful church, and my favorite element is the copper dome on the top. Photo #3 is of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses on Burnham Block. They look very nice and modern compared to the other homes in this neighborhood. Photo #4 is of the Gas Building downtown. I like the red brick that makes up most of the building. Photo #5 is of the Milwaukee Art Museum. This building is probably one of the most well known in Milwaukee. It has gotten lots of attention around the world for its unique architecture and use of space. It has even been featured in several movies. The wings were closed on the day I took this photo, but they are normally spread open, like a bird’s wings. Photo #6 is of The Pritzlaff Building. This is a historical building, and it is made up of tons of cream city brick. I like the palladian-style windows and the lights they added on the exterior to accentuate the pillars.

[amandadubis]

Week 5- History of Design

Week 5- History of Design

One example from my readings that can be correlated with an example of design I see around me on a regular basis is Frank Lloyd Wright’s design. The Fredrick Bogk House by Frank Lloyd Wright is located right here, in Milwaukee. I used to drive past it quite often on my way home from UWM’s campus. However, I didn’t even realize that it was a Frank Lloyd Wright house until recently. I always admired it and noticed that it looked very different and stood out from the other surrounding houses.

Another example from my readings that can be correlated with an example of design I see around me on a regular basis is the De Stijl Movement. Tony Zielinski built a large mansion in Bay View, Milwaukee that upset many locals. It is very modern and simplistic-looking compared to all of the surrounding houses. It is beautiful, but it sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn’t look like it belongs in that neighborhood. The house’s characteristics, which offended so many Bay View residents, are very similar to De Stijl design. Both have simplicity, clean lines, lots of right angles, and many vertical and horizontal lines. I live just north of this house, and I’ve walked past it many times. I like it a lot, but I would agree that this design does not fit in with the neighboring homes.

The final example from my readings that can be correlated with an example of design I see around me on a regular basis is the Contemporary Art and Design Movement. I think the style of my apartment building and the interior design of my apartment most closely resembles Contemporary Design. Both have simplicity, subtle sophistication, use of texture throughout, clean lines, modern style, and minimalist color palettes. I, unintentionally, don’t have many items in my apartment, and my furniture is all gray. To the naked eye, it may look boring, but to a designer, it looks contemporary.  

[amandadubis]

Week 2- Design Thinking

Week 2- Design Thinking

After reading “Design Thinking” in the Harvard Business Review, I would define design as something that solves a problem and something that was created with a specific purpose in mind. The product user is thought of in every step of the product’s design, and the designer strives to be an innovator. I have noticed excellent design thinking done by the companies behind some products I have used. A few examples of companies that successfully use design thinking are Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Airbnb, and Uber Eats.

Apple uses design thinking by taking its end users into consideration during every step of the design process. They often build prototypes and test them with consumers in order to get their feedback before selling a new product. The Mac Operating System was actually built backwards compared to many other operating systems. Designers first focused on what users would want out of an operating system, then asked people what problems they would like a computer to be able to solve, and then they finally started building the operating system. I chose a Mac computer over other similar computers because I love the operating system and how simplistic and user-friendly it is.

Nike uses design thinking by constantly striving for innovation. They like to try to do things that have never been done before. They were one of the first companies to allow users to completely design their own shoe from start to finish. Shoppers can visit the Nike website and build their own tennis shoes, choosing any color, laces, lining, sole, and customization they please. I created my own Nike shoes when I was younger, and I thought the experience was fun and that it was cool to have shoes that no one else had.

An example of how Starbucks uses design thinking is that they interview customers to find out exactly what they would want out of an ideal coffee shop. They then implement some of the suggestions to improve customer experience. Even though I have all the supplies to make my own coffee at home, I still like to visit Starbucks from time to time because their product design and marketing is great, and their coffee tastes good.

Airbnb used design thinking in its early stages by physically going out and helping hosts take high quality pictures of their properties to better show users where they would be staying. I have used Airbnb, and I appreciate that they provide so many photos of each property, so you know exactly what type of hotel you are spending your money on before you even get there.

Uber Eats uses design thinking by regularly traveling to different cities, shadowing delivery drivers, visiting participating restaurants, and interviewing users. Based on their findings, they have created new features and further improved the app for users. Uber Eats is my favorite food delivery app because it’s very easy to navigate and use, the drivers are responsive, and the company is very helpful, if you have any issues with your order.

[amandadubis]

Week 7- Architecture

Week 7- Architecture

The two principles of Universal Design that I chose are Tolerance for Error and Low Physical Effort. Tolerance for Error means that the design attempts to eliminate any hazards and accidents that could happen when using it. This can be done by designing the product and its elements in a way that minimizes potential error, making the design more accessible and user friendly, or simply eliminating potentially dangerous components. A company might also include warning labels or safety manuals with the product. Low Physical Effort means that the design can be used comfortably, efficiently, and with the least possible physical exertion. This can be done by allowing you to maintain a neutral body position while operating, eliminating any repetitive and unnecessary actions, or minimizing the level of physical effort required by the design.

An example of Tolerance for Error found in an object around me is my Instant Pot. The pressure cooker used to have a few flaws in its design that would sometimes lead to serious injury. The slow cooker uses pressure to quickly cook food, and the built up heat and pressure inside can be dangerous to its users. Previously, if you tried to remove the lid before the device was fully depressurized, it would forcefully fly off, resulting in possible injury and burns. I recently purchased a newer model, and it no longer allows you to remove the lid if the device is still under pressure. The lid automatically locks while cooking, and the Instant Pot automatically begins to depressurize when cooking is complete. This minimizes potential error and makes it less likely for injury to occur.

An example of Low Physical Effort found in an object around me is my jar gripper/lid opener. It can be used to grip and open very tightly sealed jars with ease. I found myself struggling to open jars quite often. I would use a towel to help grip the lid, and I would use all of my strength trying to twist the lid open. My wrist and hand would be sore, and sometimes I wasn’t even able to open the jar. I purchased the jar gripper/lid opener, and it greatly minimizes the level of physical effort that I need to exert.

[amandadubis]

Week 4- Found Object

Week 4- Found Object

I came across a beer boot while shopping in an antique store. It is design because it is both rational and functional. It solves the problem of needing an object to drink a liquid out of, since liquids do not hold a shape on their own. I think it possesses several elements of design. I find it pleasing because it has a very unique shape compared to other similar objects. The beer boot is made out of clear, transparent glass. It has a red, white, and blue logo on the front that reads “HACKER-PSCHORR BRÄU MÜNCHEN”. It is shaped like a boot. It has a round opening on the top. It is closed on the bottom. It can stand up on its own. It is hard, solid, and smooth to the touch. It would likely shatter and break into a million pieces if you dropped it on the ground. It does not make any noise, have any smell, or any taste on its own. It is about five and a half inches tall and four and a half inches wide. It probably weighs about one pound. If it was a real boot, it would fit on a small child. You can fill it up with just about anything, although its main purpose is to be filled with beer. You might find a similar object at a German restaurant or beer hall. This object is very similar to a normal drinking glass. The only significant difference is the shape. They can both be utilized in the same way because they are both intended for drinking liquids out of. They are also designed similarly because they are both made out of clear, transparent glass. They are both open on the top, so you can drink out of them. Finally, they are both closed on the bottom, so the liquid stays inside and does not fall onto the floor.

[amandadubis]

Week 3- History of Design

Here is a combination of design observations that I’ve seen in the world around me since the beginning of this semester. Enjoy!

Notes:

I have a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse for my laptop. I initially purchased them because they were made by Apple, and I really liked the brand. I also liked the look of them because they are very sleek, lightweight, and black in color. I use them daily, so purchasing them was definitely worth it. I’ve discovered I also really like the fact that they are wireless. It eliminates the need for me to carry around any cords and makes them very portable. Since they connect via bluetooth, I can use them with several other devices that I have.

[amandadubis]

Week 1- About me

Hi everyone, and welcome to my Tumblr page! My name is Amanda, I’m 22 years old, and this is actually my first time using Tumblr. I started out as a biology major at UWM but recently switched to business, so that set my graduation date back quite a bit. I’m in Design 124 because I was required to take an art class to graduate. However, I wouldn’t consider myself a very artistic person, so I didn’t want to take anything that involved drawing, painting, or crafts. This class seemed like it would be the best option for me, and I am interested in the architecture and interior design aspects of this course. I don’t have much design experience unless you would like to count decorating my apartment. I’m hoping to gain some more experience this semester! TikTok and Instagram inspire me more than I would like them to. I am also inspired by the architecture and landscapes of different places I’ve traveled to. Paris has the most stunning architecture I’ve seen, and my favorite building is probably Notre Dame. As far as landscapes, I really love the desert and mountains out West. I always wished I could live somewhere in the mountains in Utah or Colorado. When making a purchase, design is always a deciding factor for me. I would never spend my money on something I didn’t find aesthetically pleasing. In addition to taking an item’s look into consideration, I also try to take product design into consideration. I like to purchase things that are designed well and will last a very long time. Personally, I’d choose quality over quantity every time! A perfect example of this is the new car I just bought. I was recently in the market to buy a car. I knew that if I was going to have to spend a lot of money, I wanted to spend it on something that was both aesthetically pleasing and something that was designed well. So, I purchased an Audi A6 because I thought its design was superior to many of its competitors.