iaqamhans

[iaqamhans]

Week 15 – Final Thoughts

UX Design is one of the areas that is going to very important in the future. Every single application we use has a whole team dedicated to making it more usable and appealing to the masses. Everything in the UX must be designed to accommodate every single type of user. Implementation of built-in text to speech applications within a UX is an example of this. Now, I am working on a final project for a class that requires me to theme a webpage. The principle of UX design is within that, you need to select the right colors to make the site appealing. If the text is hard to read on a mismatched background that will lead to issues. This field will be important as long as computers exist and will be a major design field for ages to come. The second discipline that will be major is, Urban Planners. This field designs the communities we live in. As the population grows, we will need more creative urban planners. These urban planners will need to layout communities to maximize the amount of people that can live in an area. This can only happen if the urban planner can utilize the land available in a new fashion. The communities of the future will need to prioritize this as the threat of overpopulation looms over them. Industrial Designers will and always will be a major design field. This type of designer thrives in our capitalistic society, where mass made products reign supreme. I don’t see the demand for this type of designer going down in the future, they are the ones who design the things we interact with on a daily basis. The phones we use to the cars we drive, the industrial designer has their hand in all of this and always will.

[iaqamhans]

Week 14 – Your choice

So, being a college student who is into cars is really painful because all the cars I like are way out of my budget.

I have always been fascinated by the new Toyota Supra, the way it is designed is unique and one of a kind. Engine wise this car is not unique at all sharing an engine with the BMW z4. The engine bay looks like a rat’s nest. I know that aesthetics was not a part of the picture when it came to this. They tried to remedy this like all other companies by using an engine cover. This is a massive contrast to the older model of the supra which had a very iconic engine bay, which was designed to be aesthetically pleasing without an engine cover.

source:https://www.facebook.com/1320Videos/posts/mk5-supra-engine-bayvsmk4-supra-engine-bayvia-jrod_okc/10157357255047112/

The major contrast between German car designers and Japanese car designers is the focus on the engine bays aesthetic qualities. I personally have a Volkswagen GTI, the engine bay looks clean and simple when it is on but when it is removed it looks very similar to the New Supras engine bay.

Source: https://carbuzz.com/cars/volkswagen/golf-gti/2019

Source: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/missing-engine-cover.376982/

This is a stark contrast between my old car’s engine bay. My previous car was a 2004 Acura TSX which had such a tidy and nice engine bay. The K24 series of engines was very aesthetically pleasing, no need for an engine cover. Nowadays a lot of Japanese cars have resorted to using engine covers to block the engine from debris and dust, they also help for noise insulation.

Source: http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/0509ht-acura-tsx-performance-parts/

I just realized this when I compared a 1996 Jetta’s engine bay to a 1995 Toyota corollas engine bay. It's just something German cars have always lacked. Well-designed engine bays are reserved for German supercars. An example of this is the German built, Audi R8 V8.

Sources:https://performancedrive.com.au/video-ramspeed-audi-r8-v8-with-heffner-twin-turbo-kit-2615/

[iaqamhans]

Week 13 - New Media (Completed 5/14)

The digital aesthetic is simple, crisp, and clean. I honestly think every single corporation pulls from this, from pc cases to cell phones. I noticed this transition with one company, Spotify. Have you noticed how the whole aesthetic has changed? It went from one of a kind and fun to boring and plain. This is that digital aesthetic choice, the standardization of corporate tech logos. The digital aesthetic shows a company is futuristic and cutting edge but to me personally, it looks so corporate and dead. Even giant tech companies like Apple and Microsoft have lost their personality to the digital aesthetic and changed their logos to suit the popular digital aesthetic.

Go to the app drawer on your phone, you will notice this trend quickly. I FEEL LIKE A BOOMER BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN TECH LOGOS ACTUALLY LOOKED INTERESTING AND WOULD SET THE COMPANY APART FROM THE COMPETITION. Remember Napster? That logo was one of a kind and you would see all the techy types wear those shirts. You know why? Because the logo looked cool! It did not look like anyone else’s logo and it made a name for itself. That logo would be so boring. Their logo has also transformed to conform to the guidelines of the digital aesthetic logo.

This goes deeper than just the logo; the packaging of their products is also impacted. The original Xbox came in this crazy cool box with just the logo on it, not a single picture of the console was a major part of the box.

If you buy a new Xbox Series X (if you can find one) it comes in a basic box with a picture of the console plastered on the side. All in all, the digital aesthetic is a lifeless and corporate aesthetic that lacks any uniqueness.

Picture sources:

https://twitter.com/gradiate/status/981523818190688256

https://www.vg247.com/2020/09/10/xbox-series-x-retail-box/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/91197961187147373/

https://1000logos.net/

[iaqamhans]

Week 12 – New Media (Completed 5/14)

Interactive design is probably going to be heavily influenced by the people who design the apps we use on mobile and desktop platforms. UX design is major one that will influence interactive design. Every single app that you use has a UX design team behind it. They oversee the layout, icons, functions, and fonts etcetera. They must see what their users would benefit from and add it to the home screen or burger menus. The options you see at the top of the Tumblr page have a whole reason for being placed where they are. The use of the icons and how they are placed in the right-hand corner make them easy and simple to access. The icons used are universal such as the home and envelope. These decisions are all made by the UX team at Tumblr. Another team that is based in the UX design is the UX researcher, the basis of how the home screen of your favorite app or website is based on the research these teams do. They analyze how the user interacts with their user interface and what they would like to see implemented. I noticed that Spotify seems to have a great UX design team. Their UX updates always seem to read my mind and have implemented things I want without my input. An example of this is the new feature to select specific genres from your liked music via a menu above the search button.

This feature is a direct result of their research and fieldwork looking for something that could cater to their userbase. Design has mattered a lot in the past but now it is a part of our virtual environment. From, coding to hardware design is the lifeline of the digital age and will matter more and more each year.

[iaqamhans]

Week 11 – Graphic Design

The Citizen Designer is someone who uses their design ability to design for good. This means the designer may have focused on other things that traditional designers do not focus on, such as PSAs. An example of a Design based PSA is the Above the Influence posters and ads. They used an excessive number of collages and absurdist ideas to get their points across. The group mostly composed posters and commercials that were designed to make the viewer uncomfortable. I remember seeing their ads on tv and always being very creeped out about them, it's just an eerie experience. Look at this poster, it is just so gross and grotesque, I think this is the reason as a kid I never wanted to touch a cigarette, in fear of becoming a deflated human being terrified me.

Pic source: https://drugfree.org/newsroom/news-item/ondcps-above-the-influence-campaign-wins-effie-award/

The logo itself was designed to be very easily read by young people as above the influence. It was a straightforward, simplistic design, this helped the masses understand the social change they were trying to influence. This group was a government group and employed many citizen designers who would find ways to deliver this message.

Pic source: https://drugfree.org/newsroom/news-item/ondcps-above-the-influence-campaign-wins-effie-award/

I find citizen designers to be mostly focused on posters that educate the public on subjects. They want to set off social changes in the world using their skills. I find this to be like the paths I can take in my own personal degree, being an IST major. In IST you can be either a corporate drone and help corporations make products. on the other hand, you can work at a nonprofit helping them with their website and other tech needs. I think that most careers have the citizen path and the corporate path. The money is usually on the corporate side which probably creates a shortage of citizen designers around the world.

Sources:

http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/citizen-designer/

[iaqamhans]

Week 10 – Graphic Design (completed 5/14)

I have never really thought about how much goes into the fonts we use in general. I remember the old misconception I had that fonts on the computer were popularized by Steve Jobs and how he based it on his hobby of calligraphy. Really makes you notice how our society gives a lot of credit to CEOs of major companies. Fonts themselves were based on calligraphy when we started using printing presses to mass-produce written mediums. It's also insane how many feelings and emotions fonts can convey. If we look at Dadaist Typography, we can see how chaotic it is. The chaos makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and uneasy and it does it so efficiently. Other than emotion it also encapsulates infliction that the creator is trying to convey. Dadaist Typography feels like it's shouting at you, trying to confront you from afar and force you to understand what is written. Also, the use of random fonts and angles intrigues the viewer and pulls them into what is written.

This is major contrast when compared to the international typographic style. The major goal when using this style was to get the point across as clearly and simply as possible. San serif fonts draw the viewer's eyes to every word and not focus on each letter. This makes the information come off as more straightforward and easy to digest. Helvetica became a common choice for anyone using the international typographic style. I think this is because of how simple it is and it accomplishes the goal of this style well. It also comes off as soft and an easy way to display a quick message. This also has a very simple creative element within it as well, using basic shapes to make the background busier.

Sources:

https://designseminar-1.blogspot.com/p/typography.html

https://designflairstudio.com/the-international-style-modern-graphic-design/

https://www.behance.net/gallery/98438375/The-International-Typographic-Style

https://www.internationalposter.com/style-primers/mid-century-modern-international-typographic-style-posters/

[iaqamhans]

Week 9- Industrial Design (completed 5/14)

Brooks Stevens was a world-renowned Industrial Designer, he set up his own design company right here in Milwaukee. He was an outlier among his peers who would move to New York and Chicago to make a name for themselves. The reason he strayed away from the traditional industrial design hubs is because he believed Milwaukee was where the business was. Geographically Milwaukee is in the center of the upper Midwest and located near big-name companies like GM in Detroit and Harley Davidson, Briggs and Stratton within the city. It was also home to a lot of different types of manufacturers and made it easy for Brooks to access their services and work with them.

An example of him working with companies in the area is when he designed the Harley Davidson Hydra-Glide which set the standard of motorcycle design at the time. The motorcycle had all the design cues of a classic motorcycle had, if you imagine a classic motorcycle, you are probably imagining something close to this. He also worked with Briggs and Stratton and designed the body of their hybrid electric vehicle. This car had six wheels and bared resemblance to the second-gen fox body mustang.

He also formed the Industrial Design Society of America with some of his colleagues. The IDSA was an organization that strives to promote industrial design education. Another contribution is planned obsolescence, which is designing a product with its obsolescence in mind. There are many examples of this from the car industry to the electronics industry. Car manufacturers introduce facelifts that make consumers want to buy the newer model. Volkswagen used to mock planned obsolescence and made ads that showed their cars model years next to one another, showing that they did not change cars just for the sake of change. Not adopting planned obsolescence led Volkswagen to almost pull out of the American market in the mid-90s, this resulted in them adopting it as well.

Information/Image Sources

https://citroenvie.com/did-you-know-that-briggs-stratton-made-the-worlds-first-hybrid-car/

https://ridermagazine.com/2011/08/15/retrospective-harley-davidson-hydra-glide-1949-1957/

https://mam.org/collection/archives/brooks/#:~:text=Why%20did%20Brooks%20Stevens%20stay,was%2C%20and%20it%20was%20true.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/history-fox-body-mustang

https://brooksstevens.com/our-history

[iaqamhans]

Week 8 – Industrial Design

Pic Source:https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories

I just invested in a Bluetooth-capable Xbox controller for my pc. Needless to say, I have been using it a lot. I realized that this is almost the same exact design in the past. The Xbox One and Series X, seem to be more minimalist and modern than previous designs. If we look at the Xbox Series X it matches the aesthetic of this controller since they are bundled together. It's ergonomic and fits comfortably in any hand. This controller has been through many different models. They softened the edges around the handles compared to the previous version. It also has abandoned the plastic material near the top.

This is literally the basic design of a controller in our day and age. All you have to do is make it comfy and match the design of the console.

Sources: https://www.keylessentryremotefob.com/volkswagen-gti-oem-4-button-key-fob-w-gti-logo/

Source: https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/13/first-impressions-of-the-iphone-12-pro-max/

Source: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32921106305.html

My sound bar has this remote. This remote reminds me of those really bad cable box remotes. So many buttons that no one but your 66 year old uncle jimmy would utilize, thinking he’s “technologically advanced”. The design is also terrible because you actually need to look down to find the button you need. There is no distinction between any button. I don’t know what the designers at Bose were thinking when they designed this monstrosity. 

Source: https://www.newegg.com/black-philips-shp9500-00-over-the-ear/p/N82E16826138190

Source:https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pro-wireless-controller-for-nintendo-switch/5748618.p?skuId=5748618

See, this controller is literally the same as my sketch. No company is going to go against the design formula that works. This controller has no pressure sensitive triggers. That is the only difference between this controller and the Xbox controller.  

Source:https://www.amazon.com/Vulcan-Aimo-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B07QGLQ6MS

Keyboards are designed to be ergonomic as well. Most of them look the same and have adopted the same design. You do have some outlier designs such as Logitech Ergo series of keyboards. Industrial designers get to choose what sort of switches they want to use and what material the keyboard is made out of. 

Source:https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-led-desk-lamp/

Source:https://www.lowes.com/pd/Google-Home/1000178395

[iaqamhans]

Week 7 – Architecture

The first universal design law I would like to cover is Equitable use. The definition of this is “The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities”. This means that the design should be accessible by anyone no matter what. An example of this is when someone in a wheelchair approaches a building they should have just as easy of a time entering a building as someone without a wheelchair. This is made possible by wheelchair ramps, which make it easy for wheelchair bound people to get into a building. I also have seen this in Windows 10, which offers narration for people who are blind. Accessibility is important for anything that is going to accommodate the public. Architecture in general should seek to follow this design rule.

The second design rule I would like to cover is “Simple and Intuitive Use”. The definition of the principle is “Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level”. An example of this is the signs on bathrooms. Women’s bathrooms have an icon of a stick figure with a triangle as a body and the men’s bathroom has a regular stick figure. This sign can convey this message no matter what language or background. Icons seem to the best medium to get an idea through no matter the language. This is especially helpful if the icon as the standard for identification. Another example of a standardized icon is the international symbol of access which identify areas that give access for disabled people. This is an Icon used in buildings, Parking spaces, bathrooms, license plates etc. This is a symbol anyone in the world can see and understand, no matter their background. This design is the perfect example of this design principle.

Sources:

http://www.riglobal.org/about/intl-symbol-of-access/

https://www.rickhansen.com/news-stories/blog/universal-design-101

[iaqamhans]

Week 6 – Architecture

The new addition to the Milwaukee city skyline, The Northwestern Mutual Tower. Where everything is functional and is an example of formalism. This makes this a modernist building. I honestly think it resembles the bank of china tower in the lecture. I assume its classified as modern because the shape is emphasized above all else. The lack of decorations on the exterior and simple design of the building has made me classify it as this. I honestly like the building a lot, its nice to look at and is a great addition to Milwaukee’s skyline. Seeing the predecessor to it is sort of odd now. The old northwestern building was reminiscent of early modernist structuralism. I think this was a great replacement for the building

The second building that I would like to discuss is The Faison Building. This building is an example of post modernism. I classified this as postmodern because it symbolizes German architecture. This is a modern building with old school German pizzazz. I think its sort of depressing to look at and prefer the modernist buildings in our city. I think the old German influenced architecture is boring and makes our city look run down and old.

The last building, I want to cover is the Brutalist War Memorial Building. Ever since I was a kid this building always put me off. I always wondered why it looked that way, it was sort of disturbing to look at. Now, noticing how the builder used this style to make the memorial more impactful and bigger to the viewers. You can tell from a far that this building must have a deeper meaning and it invokes a sense of sadness in its barren basic walls. I think it encapsulates the absolute carnage war brings and the impact made on the world. It reminds me of the lives lost and I have never stepped foot in the place.

Sources:

https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2014/12/15/milwaukee-architecture-how-brutalism-changed-the-city/

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/wisconsin/articles/the-most-impressive-buildings-in-milwaukee/

https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/faison-building-49664.html

[iaqamhans]

I wanted to focus on Album Art because its something I look at every day. These will all be album covers that are from songs on my Spotify playlist. The first one is Gruppa Krovi by Kino. This album cover uses Russian Conservatism era design cues to signify the theme of the album. Kino is a soviet era rock band and as seen as one of the best rock bands in Russia. The Title Gruppa Krovi means blood type and has a song of the same name on the album. The song’s title is a reference to soldiers’ arm tags which denoted their blood type in case, they need a transfusion. The song is anti-war and follows the story of a soldier would rather not kill anyone and be back home, not forced to kill in a war.  This fits the Russian Conservatism era because it is always about conflict. The album cover displays the conflict between the fundamentals of war and the soldier’s personal beliefs.

(Source: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE/%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8/)

The second album is 1986 Omega Tribes named the Navigator. This album is a J-pop album from the 80’s and uses modern design within its album cover. The simplicity of it, it has the title a fish and a ball floating in water. This reminds me of the vogue cover by Cipe Pineles. It has a lot of empty space and focuses the viewers eyes to the picture. This also matches the simple beats/lyrics on the album.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigator_(1986_Omega_Tribe_album))

The second art design, I have seen more often in my life is corporate image. Corporate Identity is made through things such as companies’ logos, frequently used type faces and imagery. The Company that has strong corporate identity is Apple. Their logo is an Apple with a bite taken out of it. The apple signifies the apple of Eden and the first taste of knowledge. This represents the company as a company that has knowledge. The Typefaces they choose are san serif type face for its Operating Systems and in all its advertisement and imagery related to the company.

(Source:https://www.idownloadblog.com/2018/07/03/howto-type-apple-logo-symbol/) 

Citation: 

DesignWorkLife. (2014, January 22). Badass Lady CREATIVES [IN HISTORY]: CIPE PINELES. Retrieved February 28, 2021, from http://designworklife.com/2014/01/22/cipe-pineles/

Inc., A. (n.d.). Fonts. Retrieved February 28, 2021, from https://developer.apple.com/fonts/

Someone's chest lying under my foot / i would rather stay here with you. (2002, January 01). Retrieved February 28, 2021, from https://genius.com/15333958

What does the Apple LOGO MEAN? (2018, February 07). Retrieved February 28, 2021, from https://www.culturecreature.com/apple-logo-meaning/#:~:text=Former%20Apple%20executive%20Jean%20Louis,cat%20GIFs%2C%20that%20is).

Кино / KINO. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2021, from http://russmus.net/band/78/

[iaqamhans]

Week 4 – Found Object

I went on a walk after work, in the park. After writing my one piece at a time paper I started really focusing on chairs and how many ways a chair can be designed. This is where my focus went when I saw the park bench. I find it interesting that a sitting apparatus can be designed and other factors that need to be considered when designing them for specialized areas. This bench needed to be designed to withstand the weather, the designer had to consider what materials would withstand the weather conditions. Most opt for all steel or steel frames with wooden seats. This particular bench implemented hostile architecture into its design. This bench had been designed with armrests that make it impossible for a homeless person to sleep on it. The definition of hostile architecture is as follows “Hostile architecture is an urban-design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to purposefully guide or restrict behavior in order to prevent crime and maintain order”, It made me realize that even design can be used to further class discrimination within our society. 

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/HostileArchitecture/comments/d66w85/this_bus_stop_in_milwaukee_wi_usa_east_wisconsin/

This bench is on 27th street in front of the Northwestern Mutual. This bench is uncomfortable to look at and I would rather stand than sit on one of them. I also went to Drexel Town square recently and noticed that they opted for round tables and chairs for their park benches. This is another example of hostile architecture. The way the tables chairs are curved stop homeless people from utilizing them as beds. These sort of design choices are noticeable in areas where there is more foot traffic. For example, Town Squares, Bus stops, Parks, and Malls to name a few. Areas away from areas with heavy foot traffic seem to have less hostile architecture. For example, the Meadows of Brookfield Park still have traditional park benches since they are cut off from most of surrounding area. All in all,  Its crazy to know that Small design choices I thought were for aesthetics are really for promoting class discrimination. 

 Source: https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x8805146be8e0b2ad%3A0x97bd60f90607829c!3m1!7e115!4s%2Fmaps%2Fplace%2Fdrexel%2Btown%2Bsquare%2F%4042.8997179%2C-87.9176732%2C3a%2C75y%2C188.55h%2C90t%2Fdata%3D*213m4*211e1*213m2*211steRRh-_ywSqmp3wCL3TCAA*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x8805146be8e0b2ad%3A0x97bd60f90607829c%3Fsa%3DX%26hl%3Den!5sdrexel%20town%20square%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipPoXfnSQk8cnQj6Hr7G2Kt3f6BgI53nIJOXbDux&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwihmo_phPruAhXdAp0JHYtdA5gQpx8wE3oECCgQCA

  Sources

 https://cjur.uwinnipeg.ca/index.php/cjur/article/view/164

[iaqamhans]

Week 3 History of Design

PC CASES:

Ill be mainly focusing on pc cases and the basic design of them. This is the H500 by Nzxt, a popular choice in custom pc builds. This is the one I personally used myself. The main function of a Pc case is to hold computer builds and cool them adequately. This Pc has space in the front for the fans to pull air in, while the rear fans exhaust the hot air within the pc. This case does this really well and is great example of how to execute this.

 The Abkoncore 780 is a prime example of how not to design a case, I considered this case when I was in the market for an upgrade. This case has 12 fans and only 5 of do their job. 

The seven fans with blue X’s on them are supposed to be intake fans but the design of the case blocks airflow because their is no space between the back panel and the fans. The small feet on the case hinder the bottom intake fans from performing their best. Also the cutout for the outtake fans hinders them from moving more air.

This is a diagram of how usual cases are set up for airflow. 

Laptop:

The main thing a laptop is supposed to do is to take user input. Ergonomics and comfortability for the user. FAN PLACEMENT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR LAPTOPS. This specific laptop is the Alienware m15 and has two fans that exhaust air out the back. 

this is how the interior of the laptop is design to give the laptop adequate airflow. The bottom cover has a cover for air to flow into the fans freely. 

I used to have hp laptops and the major issue they had major airflow issues. They had bottom mounted fans and no output for all the hot air

The design of the fans doesn't have a passage to air out the laptop, resulting in overheating. They fixed this in the newer omen 15. 

[iaqamhans]

Week 2 – Design Thinking

I would define design as a practice of making life easier and better for humans. I would define it like this because it really caters to human needs and innovates products around them. It takes time to understand and tackle the difficult issues people are having, through trial and error. An example I have noticed design in the cell phone industry is shifting towards thick square bezels (iPhone 12, Galaxy S10). Previously you would see phone companies favoring thin, round bezels (iPhone 6/11, Samsung Galaxy 7/9). Designers may have noticed that this bezel design was flawed, since hand grip was reduced. Changing the bezel increased grip and may have reduced phones falling out of hands.

The concept that design can be applied in multiple jobs was important. This made me notice that design is a major factor in my degree as well. UX designers are an example of this. 

[iaqamhans]

Journal Post 1

Hello!

My name is Iaqamdeep Hans and I am currently studying Information Science. A lot of my hobbies require an understanding of design, from pc’s to cars and phones, every decision is based on design. I recently just bought a new widescreen monitor, after researching I came down to these two monitors. 

Both of these monitors use the same panel, which makes the picture quality the same. The design of the stand which holds the screen up is the biggest difference between the two. I ended up getting the top monitor because I like the more hefty design of the stand.