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WEEK 7 - How should a well-designed public space be?

A well-designed public space is vital to a city as it is a space where people come together to socialise and enjoy their surroundings (Urban Design, 2019). Public spaces can include neighbourhood parks, plazas and squares.

Some important principles when it comes to designing a public space are ensuring that all users have convenient and safe access to/in this public space (VIC State Government, 2016). This may include wheelchair access as well easy accessibility for all ages, including babies/children in prams. Achieving an attractive and vibrant space is also important as it must be appealing to users and draw their attention further, so they are using these spaces.

When It comes to designing public spaces, it is essential that the character of the city is highlighted in these designs. Capturing the differences between cities through public designs adds to the places identity and makes it more fascinating for the people there (arch2O, 2019).

Choosing the right materials is another important element of public design. The materials used should be sustainable, cost effective and fit the aesthetic of the city (arch2O, 2019). They should be multi-functional and robust yet remain simple. They should also be energy and resource appropriate to lower the environmental impact of the design (arch2O, 2019).

Keeping the design simple is also essential to the project as it can be enhanced in the future and adapt to the surrounding environment (arch2O, 2019). Public spaces are built to stay for a long time so it is essential that the design is simple so it suits the buildings as they come and go.

References

Arch2O. (2019). 10 tips for designing successful public spaces. Retrieved from arch2O website: https://www.arch2o.com/tips-design-successful-public-spaces/

Urban Design. (2019). Public space the art of creating great spaces. Retrieved from Urban Design website: http://www.urbandesign.org/publicspace.html

Victoria State Government. (2016). Public spaces. Retrieved from Victoria State Government website:http://www.urban-design-guidelines.planning.vic.gov.au/guidelines/public-spaces

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WEEK 6 - New Branded World

New Branded World explores the beginning of branding and how it came to be what it is today. The idea came about in the mid 1980′s when management theorists decided that businesses must produce brands rather than just products. I agree with this as in society today it is specifically important to have a strong brand image around the product you are selling or people won’t be interested. Consumers often only buy products because of the brand name associated with them. For example, a consumer is more likely to be coke or pepsi over a non-branded bottle of cola. This chapter explores the idea of “brand essence” and how companies started to realise the importance of what brands mean to a persons life. This is especially important in todays society as brands are such a big thing and people are so heavily persuaded by the brands they are wearing. There are people who will only wear designer brands or use apple products simply for the logos and the reputation surrounding them. 

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Bauhaus inspired concert posters for The Smith Street Band tour by Erin Rice, 2019. 

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Week 5 - Bauhaus Movement

The Bauhaus movement began in 1919 when Walter Gropius founded the school to combine arts and industry (Bauhaus, 2016). The chessboard below was design in 1923 by Josef Hartwig as part of the Bauhaus movement. The chess set follows the idea of “form follows function” as all of the pieces are extremely functional. Whilst the bauhaus movement didn't necessarily focus on the aesthetically pleasing side of design I personally find this chessboard to be very appealing to look at as the design is so unique. The main characteristic of the bauhaus movement that defines this design is the use of geometry as the chess pieces are all very geometrical shapes. It focuses heavily on the use of basic shapes such as circles and squares. 

(Bauhaus Chess set by Josef Hartwig, 1923) from Lecture Slides Week 5

Compared to the classic design of a chessboard which is still very common today the pieces are a lot more geometric. The original design is easier for most people to understand as it’s what they’re used to. I think with the Bauhaus design many people may struggle with what piece represents what.

(Classic design of a chessboard from Wikipedia)

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Week 4 Streamline Movement

The streamline movement was an art movement that occurred from the 1930′s to 1950′s. Streamline designs consist of seamless bodies, rounded edges and teardrop shapes relating to aerodynamics. The rise of this movement was thought to be caused by the increase of cars, aeroplanes and railroad transport. 

The two objects below are toasters. One being from the 1930′s and one from this year. The design of these toasters is somewhat similar as they both have a rounded shape with curved edges. Although the toaster from 2019 definitely looks more modern because of the colour. Both of these designs give the impression of movement because of the use of lines. Streamline movement heavily involved the use of horizontal lines which is evident in the toaster from the 1930′s. The design from 2019 has vertical lines instead but still looks similar characteristics to the original movement. 

A streamlined toaster from the 1930′s (Wikipedia, 2019)

A toaster from Kmart released in 2019 (Kmart, 2019)

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Week 3 - Bangladesh Flag

The flag I chose was the Bangladesh flag as its simple design using bright,  contrasting colours caught my eye. The Bangladesh flag is a bottle green colour with a red circle slightly off centre. The reasoning behind this is so the circle will appear to be in the middle when it is flying on a mast. 

                                                                                               Wikipedia (2019)

The green on the flag symbolises the youthfulness of the country and its green vegetation. The red on the flag represents the sun rising over the Asian region of Bengal. It also serves as a socialist symbol representing the rising sun of independence after the fight against Pakistan. The flag was designed by activists and student leaders of the Swadhin Bangal Biplobi Parishad, a student movement council, at Dhaka University on the 6th of June, 1970. This flag was created to remove the star and crescent symbol of West Pakistan.

                                                                                           World Atlas (2018)

References

Kiprop, J. (2018). Bangladesh flag – colors, symbols, meaning. Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-do-the-colors-and-symbols-of-the-flag-of-bangladesh-mean.html

Smith, W. (2013). Flag of Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Bangladesh

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WEEK 2 What is design? Heskett (2002)

This piece of writing by Heskett talks about how design is misunderstood and how we can learn to understand it in a meaningful, holistic sense. 

A quote from Heskett that I strongly agree with is “as a word it is common enough, but it is full of incongruities,... and lacks boundaries that give clarity and definition”. I feel as though this quote stood out to me as the definition for design is so broad and its often hard to determine what is really design in this modern day. Heskett speaks about how only a small portion of designs are of a higher quality, many are made from vast quantities of materials. I think this is especially true in todays world where objects are made for mass production and it isn’t necessarily about the quality of the product but more about the money the company is making or the look of the design. 

Heskett says that design is one of the basic characteristics of what it is to be human and that it affects everyone in every detail of every aspect of their everyday lives. I agree that every human is born with some kind of design characteristics, some being more talented in this area than others. Whilst design is all around us and heavily influences our everyday lives without us even realising I don't think it controls us to the point that Heskett explains. Humans are so used to being surrounded by design that it is just a normal part of our lives, the same way that eating and speaking are. 

The word design is a difficult word to define which Heskett touches on multiple times throughout this reading. It is compared to the word love, which is also nearly impossible to define with one meaning. The definition of design changes meaning when used in different context and especially since there are so many different types of design all categorised under this one word. A quote from Heskett which I feel perfectly defines the word design in a societal meaning is “the human capacity to shape and make our environment in ways without precedent in nature, to serve our needs and give meaning to our lives.” I feel as though giving meaning to our lives is especially important as so many things these days are designed for humans enjoyment.

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WEEK 2 Indigenous vs Contemporary tools

A tool that I observed at the museum was the hatchet. An indigenous hatchet was made using traditional and European materials which included stone, mulga wood, kangaroo sinew, beeswax and linseed oil. In the image below it shows two hatchet heads made from stone. 

A modern hatchet is made of a steel head attached to a wooden or composite handle. A contemporary hatchets design is extremely similar to the indigenous design although the materials they are made from are quite different. The materials used by indigenous people would’ve been easily accessible at that time but in this modern day it is not convenient to use kangaroo sinew or beeswax to craft every hatchet sold at Bunnings warehouse. Steel and wood are much more accessible materials for this contemporary design and they complete the design well whilst being cost effective. 

(Dahl, 2015)

Overall the design is still quote similar having the long handle and thick, blunt head. The contemporary design of the hatchet shows that the head has more of a defined shape perhaps making it easier for the user. 

References

Dahl, T. (2015). The difference between an axe and a hatchet, explained. Retrieved from https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/how-to/a18403/whats-the-difference/

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WEEK 1 The iPhone - An object that defines our culture

An object that I feel defines our culture and society is the iPhone. The iPhone is a smartphone created by Apple in 2007 which has since evolved with modern day technology to suit the needs of the user. The iPhone combines a computer, camera, iPod and cellular phone into one easy to use touchscreen device.

The first iPhone was announced on the 9th of January 2007 by Steve Jobs. It was released six months later and sold 270,000 iPhones the first weekend they were on the market. Since 2007 the iPhone has evolved greatly, having new features added yearly. 

In this day and age almost everyone owns some type of mobile phone. A large majority of people choose to use an iPhone whether its because of its features or just to stay on trend. I personally have always used an iPhone because I enjoy their features and find them easy to use. I believe that this is an object that defines our culture as society is constantly glued to their mobile phones. With the rise of social media it has become even more important to have the latest iPhone so people can keep their instagram feeds high quality.

Reference List

BankMyCell. (2019). iPhone evolution timeline 2007-2019. Retrieved from https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/iphone-evolution-timeline-chart

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WEEK 1 What is Design? Papanek (1985)

Chapter 1 of “What is Design?” by Papanek explores the role of design through various mediums throughout history. As this piece was written in 1985 I think the way design is perceived by society today has changed. Papanek writes about the way things were meaningfully designed and the extensive process behind the work of art created. I feel as though many of the popular products being marketed today are not necessarily good designs but people buy them because they look aesthetic and trendy. Papanek explores the way different materials are used to benefit different types of designs, choosing the most efficient and cost effective option without compromising the quality is important for design in todays world too.