avadesignjournal

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Week 3

History of Design 

10 drawings, photos and/or notes on design observations I see in our world.

1.   This first object I found in thet new UWM Lubar Business and Entreprenuership center’s patio. There are a few benches and chairs set up outside for students to enjoy, but they are designed using concrete and wood in order to prevent theft. These items would be too heavy to pick up and move around; however they are currently placed in a convienent place that allows students to sit comfortably at the table. This image is from UWM as I do not have my own.

2.     This is a drawing I thought might be relevant to this topic, even though it is from my softmore year studies. In this example, I studied an old portable record player in great detail - as to note each aspect of its design and funcionality. One of the main ideas of this project was to document the original design of an old object, and then later on after these drawings were finished, we deconstructed these objects and used the parts to create our own unique construct.

3.     My ergonomic keyboard. I bought this keyboard based on its design - shape and form really make this object what I need. As someone who is slowly but surely developing carpal tunnel syndrome, the curved shape of this keyboard’s wrist rest helps to angle my hands in the right directions to allow for the best possible hand positions while working. 

4.     My door. Anyone who has ever rented or owned an old house in Milwaukee knows this signature “landlord” look. The door has been changed over the years, as well as the lock and metal plates. Previous owners have painted over mistakes, dents, and old pieces of the door in attempt to hide flaws. This ends up creating a pattern of design that is very recognizable in old homes.

5.     Sculpture Milwaukee has great designs that pop up around the city year round. This guy here is found on the corner of Wisconsin and Jackson in downtown. Their designs bring light and wonder to the city, especially during more bleak months like winter. Their work adds character and landmarks to Milwaukee. 

6.     This week I observed this painting through a different class. (Millais, John Everett, Ophelia, oil on canvas, 1851-2) This painting of Ophelia, the character in Hamlet, is an incredibly detailed nature scene. The subject, Ophelia, died while singing in a river after being rejected by Hamlet. Millais clearly and excellently depicted this scene as close to real life as possible. His method of posing was so thorough in order to get the interaction between body and water just right. This piece is so interesting because when Millais used a model to help him visualize what a body and fabric look like in a body of water, the model was in a bathtub of water for so long that she nearly died of pneumonia.

7.     A notable design feature I discoverd this week was through this youtube video: https://youtu.be/ka7-w9UMu0o 

This video itself has some great content for apple users, however I found the use of a Youtube designed feautre pretty interesting (and relevant to this journal) as well. They have created a function that allows the viewer to skip around to a certain points in the video. The design feature really helps to watch these longer and more information dense videos.

8.     The Grind in the UWM EMS building was designed in an accessible fashion. I noticed this week that the bar is fully accessible around the corner, and it is all at ground level. This design allows for physically disabled or handicapped users to get around with more ease.

9.     Ikea furniture. I helped my mom put together some ikea furniture this week and noted how all of the designs are created in a way that is both functional and easy to assemble. The ability for every design from Ikea to be assembled by anyone, with minimal tools, is extremely convenient and creates a more sustainable business model for the company itself.

10.     Algorithms. A design that cannot quite be captured by images is an algorithm used by social media platforms. Tik Tok, Instagram, Youtube, and even Snapchat all use some sort of tracking algorithm used to keep you addicted to their website. For those who use these apps often, the algorithm’s effectiveness is much more successful. The longer you spend on these apps, the better designed the reccomended media is to your preferences.

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Week 2

After reading “Design Thinking” in the Harvard Business Review, I would define design as a way of implementing business sense and the human experience into a design. Not just as a last minute add on for packaging - but as a way of developing an entire design.

One example of a service created through design thinking is something all of us in the city have become quite familiar with through Covid... Uber Eats! Uber Eats was created with user, driver, restaurant, and developers in mind. Empathy was an important part of design thinking when creating Ubereats. Understanding the ins and outs of what goes on behind the scenes in every aspect is necessary to map out the fine details of a program like this. 

“Creating the future of food delivery takes empathy, innovation, and an appetite for complex logistical challenges“

(Smith, Paul Clayton. “How We Design on the Ubereats Team.” Medium, Uber Design, 29 June 2017.)

The most significant takeaways I had from this weeks readings all include how design thinking is really about the human experience. Empathy, getting multiple design perspectives, and integrating these details all throughout the development of a project should all lead towards a human centered result. 

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About Me

Week 1

Hello! My name is Ava, and I am currently a senior studying Architecture and Urban Planning at UWM. I completed my Urban Planning Certificate last year, and that had a large focus on the social and political repercussions of physical design. In my free time, I love to go camping and explore my surroundings. So far this year, I have discovered a new favorite coffee shop here in Milwaukee, and design plays a large role in my love for the location. A good or bad design can really impact my opinion on a space.

Design Survey piqued my interest because I love the design process in Architecture, and am currently taking a few very creative elective classes. I think this design survey class could introduce me to new creative mediums and spark some new ideas within my work. This class also serves as my last required art credit!

My design experience spans across many years, starting with arts and crafts, then ranging to set design and architectural design. In high school, I was a set designer and stage manager for three years, and that is initially what got me into architecture. Creating a stage plan is a very hands on building experience, and so far in my studies here at UWM I have continued learning through hands on experience. 

Nature is something that heavily inspires me. I almost changed majors to environmental studies at one point, but stuck with architecture. Recently, I purchased a new tent that has an excellent design. It has a screened in canopy built into the tent, which is something unique that is not included with many tent designs. And with my camping luck, I know I will be needing that little bit of canopy space for when it inevitably rains on my trip :)

Thank you for your time,

Ava

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SNAFU drawing