designumn2015

[designumn2015]

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[designumn2015]

Weekly reflection

As the end of the semester approaches and this class is drawing to a close, I took a moment to sit down and think about how it has influenced my life. Although I doubt that I will change my major because of this class, it was certainly eye-opening and I found it very interesting to learn more about what types of careers those in design might have. The sheer amount of things in our everyday lives that have had design worked into them is innumerable, nearly everything we touch has had thought go into its use and aesthetics. I didn't really perceive that concept before coming into DES1000 because I thought design just had to do with companies graphics and other similar projects. I also really enjoyed presentations in which current professionals came in to give us an overview on projects that they or their students had worked on, it really gave me even more insight into the real-world applications of a design student.

[designumn2015]

Final presentation process post

For our final project about the production of biodiesel fuel via fungi, Matt and I are currently in the research stage. We have heard through presentations in our other classes that such a process is possible and we are starting to find research that they used during their project. This involves a paper written by one of our professors here at the U of M. Additionally we have been working on expanding this research and have found articles on the likelihood that this process could be commercially viable.

[designumn2015]

Second project process post

As we delve farther into our project, the individual tasks are getting divided up. In addition to being our project manager I'm also in charge of future developments. My portion of our presentation will be based partially upon ideas that we came up with that currently might not be possible and also upon other virtual reality ideas that aren't possible with today's technology.

[designumn2015]

In John’s discussion on Wednesday, a question was asked about which age group of students was the most creative. As expected from previous lectures and discussions, the younger students tend to be the most creative due to their disinterest in social norms and inexperience with failure. These things typically distract older students from getting into active learning projects.

The thing is that when John had us do the active learning activity with the toothpicks and candy my team and the teams around us instantly started working and problem solving. We created various forms of communications and developed many team dynamics. It seemed like just about everyone was engaging in playful flow states.

To me this was not what I had expected. I was wondering if perhaps with some age and maturity the ability to overcome social barriers for creating.

Creativity and maturity

[designumn2015]

Future of design?

If you guys haven’t heard, Microsoft is developing a new technology that has computer geeks like me extremely giddy. It’s called the HoloLens.

Tons of tech articles and developer reviews are raving about this thing. It’s a headset that superimposes holographic images onto what you are seeing. It doesn’t physically create a hologram in the real world but to you it looks like it does. You know all of the scenes from the Ironman movies where Tony Stark is playing around with holograms? That’s this. Here is Microsoft’s trailer for it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXy7lbs-D48

And here is a tech demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AADEqLIALk

The great thing about this is you could be able to physically represent 3D renderings of architecture, video games, anatomy, etc. The potential is incredible.

[designumn2015]

Increasing Shelf Life

Hi guys. In lieu of a typical progress update since we already finished our presentations I thought I would post some things I researched when trying to find ways to increase the lifespan of fruits and vegetables on the shelf and at home.

Like was mentioned in our C.O.W Grocers presentation, a third of the food wasted in the U.S. is the in fruits and vegetables category.

This is primarily because they spoil so fast in open air environments. Here are a few products that if you invest the money now and reuse them they will pay for themselves in a few months.

The first are Polythene or “stayfresh” bags:

When fruits and vegetables age they release ethylene gas. These bags absorb the gas, preserve moisture, and also prevent oxidization through a seal. There are different ways to store fruits and vegetables and this works well for your veggies. Out of all the consumer products, this one had the best reviews. Prices for these have a huge range, but it looks like you can get a set of about 20 for under $5. Kinda pricey but you would be surprised how long 20 bags will last you.

Another is the Banana bag:

This one is an insulated bag that still allows the bananas to breathe. The great thing about it is that it is reusable and since bananas tend to go really fast, these eventually pay for themselves. One bag is around $5 and reviews claim it can double the lifespan of a half dozen bananas.

The Food Hugger:

These are stretch silicone ends that you can place on the ends of cut fruit. They are also washable and reusable and work really well in reviews. The downside to these is the price. They go for about $20 for 4 which unless you have a habit of eating fruits in half portions and you REALLY love fruits they aren’t very worth it.

These ones are my favorites based on how well they worked. Unfortunately, all of the reviews are anecdotal so you might want to do your own research in addition before you buy. It is also worth noting that fruits and vegetables have a wide variety of storage needs. Here is a handy website that has a ton of tips for storing them:

http://www.mythirtyspot.com/how-to-store-fruits-and-vegetables-so/

If you have any fruits or vegetables in your fridge go to the site, do a quick f+ ctrl or command, and search for them to see if you’re storing them properly!

[designumn2015]

Week 4 Reflection

This week I enjoyed the conversation about reflection on our work spaces, it made me think about where I worked and why I did so.  I spoke in class and described how I need to sit in the library completely alone and stare at a blank wall to get my work done.  I really struggle to do anything in my room, with friends or essentially anywhere with a distraction.  I have severe ADHD so I know why this is, but not being able to focus in a normal environment is very difficult for me.  I struggle with daily tasks, organization, motivation, etc.  It was frustrating to hear about everyone else who can study in groups or with friends. 

I think this is an area of my life where I could really improve myself.  I think that I might try to design a system for the coming week where I will do my best to stay on top of my school work, keep a positive mentality and work really hard to be successful in an environment where I am predisposed to failure.  I will try to study in coffee shops or in groups with my friends and see if I can turn myself into the kind of student I want to be. 

[designumn2015]

Week 5 Reflection

It was really hard for me to come up with the problem that I chose to tackle for the project one, but now that I’ve done one project full circle, it’s SO much easier to see issues or things that could be improved on everyday things.  My dad’s been having health issues recently and it’s been hard for me to see him struggling just to get around the house when he is typically such an active guy.  Coming up with better medications to manage pain, ways for someone who has to stay resting to get exercise or at least more stimulation than watching TV when they cant move out of bed.  The one thing that I’ve been really struggling with while taking this class is how I all of a sudden feel REALLY uncreative. 

I feel like I would never be able to come up with something that would be able to change the world, I felt like classmates will have better ideas, better solutions etc to the problems.  I always thought I was very creative and try to think outside the box, but lately I’ve been second guessing myself I feel like at every turn I make.  And not just in the design area, I feel like it’s been in every aspect, transferring to a new school this semester has been hard, making friends is confusing and I feel like I’m coming in SO late to the game as a junior.  Oh well, it all comes and goes in waves. Hopefully things pick back up soon. 

[designumn2015]

Week 6 Reflection

Empathy in Project1 Selection

Empathy was what pushed me to decide on my topic.  At first, I was struggling to come up with something, I always felt like it was something super stupid or trivial and wanted to do something that would really effect my life, I decided upon cold feet and then about 5 minutes in realized that a product that could make the harsh MN winters a little more bearable for me would have the possibility to positively impact SO many people beyond myself.  

The homeless population, people who used public transportation to go to/from places, other students, outdoor workers, etc. were all people that this could positively impact.  I refocused my target audience and product from a more high-end battery powered, coil heated sock to a low cost over the boot protector.  I felt like this would be an awesome and effective way to fend off the cold.  I feel good about my project because I know it would be put to good use by people who truly need it and it still wouldn’t break their bank. 

[designumn2015]

Week 7 Reflection

Active learning

I feel that something that I constantly have to do is active learning.  As I mentioned in a previous post a few weeks back, I have severe ADHD and learning, just in general, can be really difficult for me, simply because I cannot make myself pay attention for more than 5 minutes.  It doesn’t matter who is talking to me, I struggle to focus on daily conversation, in classrooms, while doing homework, etc.  

Because of this, I feel that active learning is something I constantly have to do.  When I’m in a conversation with someone, I have to make eye contact, repeat information back, concentrate really hard to remember what’s being said and formulate answers, all while making it seem like I’m doing none of those things, haha.  I wish that learning was something that came easily, but I try to turn the obstacle into a challenge, focusing is something I know that I struggle with so by devising ways to overcome them, I am able to prove to myself that I’m not defined by a disorder and it’s such a good feeling to be reminded of that once in a while. 

[designumn2015]

Week 8 Reflection

Evaluating Past Failures

I am the type of person who has a tough time deciding “what’s enough”, I tend to go all or nothing into situations, often throwing everything else to the side while I try to tackle a goal.  Something that I am very bad at is admitting when something is over and that it’s time to give up.  This affects my life in many ways - relationships, family fights, jobs, ambitions, etc.  I tend to go after something until it’s essentially mine or dead, haha. 

Because of this, evaluating my failures is something that I struggle with.  I feel like I constantly am trying to push my failures under the rug rather than embracing them and learning from them.  However, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m realizing that that behavior may be the biggest failure of them all. Being ashamed of failures and not taking time to evaluate the meaning stops the failure from evolving into a lesson and keeps it stuck as something to be ashamed of.  I think this is something that I will take a lot of time reflecting on, as I honestly never realized this before just now.  It’s crazy where your mind can go if you take the time to slow down, walk through the steps and reflect… hahahah, this has me feeling like I should keep a journal.

[designumn2015]

Reflection

Relationship Between Relaxation and Productivity

I’ve always had a really tough time navigating the relationship between productivity and relaxation, I feel like my life is either going about 1000 miles an hour or 0.  It can be hard for me, personally, to find the steady middle ground that I feel like needs to be reached in order to be balanced.  This can make me be pretty negative towards myself because I realize that if I was better able to navigate this, I would be a happier more well rounded person.

I think that steps that can be taken towards making this happen would be to set a list of weekly goals, academic, lifestyle, etc.  By making myself have specific set out guidelines, even if they are as dumb as “get 8 hours of sleep Monday, Wednesday, Friday”, I would benefit greatly as a person because my life would be more organized, balanced and I would hopefully be able to think more clearly, be more productive and creative.  I find when I run myself down on sleep or life in general, I am mush less enthusiastic about everything going on and really struggle to commit 100%.

By setting out certain things I want to accomplish, I also think that I will feel like I have done more with my life because at the end of the week I’ll be able to look down and physically see the things I’ve finished.

[designumn2015]

Week 12 Prompt

Tackling Diversity in Advertising

I think that the career I hope to have in advertising is an interesting one when considering diversity in the workplace.  Advertising oftentimes plays into stereotypes, gender, racial, age, etc. to target specific markets and people, and usually, there is a good response from the target market.  Of course, it is not negative profiling, but by targeting people in groups, there is a much greater chance of having a positive response for the product.  

I think that it can be difficult to navigate these boundaries, especially in todays culture.  While I often agree with the views of my desired profession, I find myself struggling to really feel “okay” with what I am doing or saying when I’ve had to do projects to target markets before.  Like I said before, I of course am not targeting a market in a negative way, but it can be difficult to do so without feeling self conscious as we have been raised in such a liberal culture were we’re taught not to put people in groups based on their differences or similarities.  

[designumn2015]

Final Reflection Prompt

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the image I project to the public quite a bit.  I transferred here just this January, ½ way through my junior year.  It was not the easiest choice to make but I feel like it was the right one.  As I’ve become a part of the U of M culture more and more, I feel like I actually go here and am not just visiting campus, which is how it felt for the majority of the time since I arrived on campus… Kind of weird as it’s now been nearly 3 months. 

When I first came, I feel like I was not myself, I was much more quiet, timidly trying to get around campus but as I’ve gotten to be more accepted in the community by my peers, I feel like I’ve come out of my shell in a lot of ways. Some good, some bad; I feel like everyone, myself (very) included, has aspects of themselves they’d rather keep to themselves.  This is hard for me because I moved directly into my sororities house, so I was immediately living with 35 other girls who I had to impress, befriend an still be true to myself while not being intimidated beyond belief.  I feel like I have done a pretty good job thus far but I think that self reflection and self improvement are two things that I can really dedicate some time to.  Not necessarily because I think bad things are happening, but because I think that it’s something I’ve been putting off that’s important.  I feel like reflecting leads to growth and that’s something that I need to find. 

[designumn2015]

Project 3 Process Post

We finally wrapped up project 3, this was something that I really enjoyed.  I switched up teams and really felt like I was working with an awesome group.  We all were dedicated to coming up with a great idea and executing it in the best way possible, we were quick to delegate roles and had guidelines set for each team member.  

I would say this was my favorite project I did this year because we really worked to make a great project and presentation.  I don’t really have anything negative to say, we did great group work in class, but because of schedule conflicts, we couldn’t meet outside of class. We still managed to have a great project and it came together very well through online communication.  

In our presentation, I think we were a little tripped up by the timing change that happened, we had completed the project and created our presentation prior to the change so when that happened, we struggled to fit all the information we intended into our presentation and ended up stumbling a little bit.  

All in all, I think it was a great group and project, we truly brainstormed and created it as a team, which rarely happens.  This is the only class where I feel like Ive EVER had two successful group projects! Seriously!

[designumn2015]

Process 3 Final Process

Let’s look at some improvements of oven as my project 3 final process.

In this video, we can see that the self-cleaning oven is actually exist. But it uses different cleaning method as I expect. In this self-cleaning oven, extreme high temperature is used for burning off all the remains inside the oven. All you need to do is just wipe down the burn offs, and the oven is cleaned. But I am just curious that isn’t it more dangerous than we expected. Extremely high temperature requires very very safe on oven’s materials and structure. On the one hand, we would cost more to buy this kind of oven because of its high-tech materials. On the other hand, this kind of oven would cost more electricity energy. Anyways, I believe it’s actually a very good design that I can learn from. This kind of oven doesn’t change much to achieve the goal of self-cleaning. All it does is just change the material to a more stable one which can beat heat.

Also, the mini size oven is already existed. I believe this kind of oven can save more energy and cheaper than the big one. Also, the inside is very well designed which we can put enough food inside for cooking.

All I want to show in this final process is that, design is for making people live better, and provide them more convenient tools to improve life experience. The best design is the next design.