jaimewagnerdesignsurveyjournal

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Week 15 - Final Thoughts

Before this class I never thought about the design that goes into everything around us. From the smallest soup can to the space shuttle. I have caught myself looking closer at fonts used on products or the way things are put together. When it comes to the future of design I can honestly say that it is difficult for me to expand upon things that are already available. My mind has just never worked that way. However there are a few things that I would like to see done.

The biggest thing I would like to see happen is a vaccine designed to cure cancer. My Father passed away from cancer in 1996, and in 2016 my Mother faced her own battle. Thankfully she beat it. I also worked in the cancer center at Children's Hospital and seeing those children, and their families, suffer was incredibly difficult. With the research being done on vaccines currently perhaps that may not be in so far in the future.

I would also like to see designed a fool proof software to prevent predators from seeking children online. It is way too easy right now for this to happen and as a parent it's incredibly concerning. I watch my children's activity online but unfortunately some kids don't have that type of monitoring and it can pose such a danger to them. While ultimately it is a parent's job to protect their children, we can all use a little extra help along the way.

On more of a fun note, I am a total dog lover. I have 3 of my own and have had many others. It would be fun to have something designed, some type of collar, that allowed them to communicate a bit. Obviously not a full on conversation but something similar to those buttons that are available to press. My niece has been working with her dog on those buttons and it is absolutely hilarious.

This class has been interesting for me because of the history involved. I absolutely love history and learning about when things happened, by who and how it was done was fun. It will be a treat to sit back and watch how things unfold in the future.

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Week 14 - Your Choice

This semester has been interesting in learning about design vs. art, typography, and new media. There are a couple things I want to rant about however, that really bother me. One is Brooks Stevens idea of planned obsolescence. My husband and I have always joked when things have broken down that they must have outlived their shelf life but to read that it is actually something planned is frustrating, even having known it was occuring. Especially in today's day and age with so many people struggling having gone through a pandemic and now a tanking economy. The extras and replacing items that have outlived their preprogrammed life span can be nearly impossible leaving people without the items required to do their tasks or that help make their lives just a bit easier.

The evolution of new media is also something that makes me take pause. While the internet can be a wonderful thing it can also be a very scary place, particularly for children. I monitor what my children are doing on their tablets but even with vigalence things can sneak through. Or, when discussing a product then logging into social media and finding an ad pop up for the very thing we were discussing is unnerving. As an example, we call one of my coworkers "Blart", as in "Paul Blart Mall Cop". A couple weeks ago I turned on my tv for my children after coming home from work, I was suprised to see an ad across my FireTv main page for "Paul Blart Mall Cop". That movie has been out for so long that there is no way that was a coincidence. It seems that privacy in today's day and age is nonexistant. I yearn for the days when products were meant to last and private conversations were kept private.

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Week 13 - New Media

Looking in deeper to digital aesthetics from our readings last week I discovered that in a sense it doesn't just cover the art and designs done by artists, but also the physical means that those are portrayed through. Flat screen tvs, tablets, computers, and smart phones are examples of physical objects used for the display of digital aesthetics.

Our textbook, Graphic Design A New History, talks about digital aesthetic examples beginning on page 402. Some given are the design of titles for video games done by Kyle Cooper including Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater. Also, on page 405, it talks about Troika Design Group's graphics done for SportsCenter on ESPN. The designs become almost ingrained in the viewer's mind, particularly in those that are regular watchers.

When looking at the digital aesthetic itself in terms of the actual art done it involves the work itself created by the computer. My 2 young children are currently into playing Minecraft and Dinos Online on their tablets, which uses digital aesthetic to capture the attention of the players, and keep the game fun and interesting enough that they want to keep coming back. (Also makes it a great tool for discipline should behavior be not what is expected of them or as a reward for good behavior in buying the addons that typically are offered through the games). Other examples would include digital literature such as those found on a kindle and even a site such as this. I absolutely love to read and while I prefer and actual physical book, being able to read on a kindle at night is incredibly convienent and takes up a lot less space than the bookshelves filled to the brim with books. Movies created by Pixar such as Toy Story, UP, Monsters Inc., and Cars would also be an example in today's digital world.

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Week 12 - New Media

New Media, or emerging media as our instructor calls it, has had an overall impact on interactive design. The following are the ones that have had a huge impact on mine.

VIDEO CHAT - All of my siblings are much older than me. 3 of which were in the military before I was 2 years old. Because they were gone, my oldest memories of them are from when I was quite older. They were strangers to me and I feel I never did get to have the same bond with them as siblings closer in age get to have. Now that I have adult children, (23, 22, and 18) as well as little ones (7 and 5), this has thankfully changed due to video chat, for my own children. My oldest son is a Sargeant in the United States Air Force and my oldest daughter is a college Junior living in a different state. We are able to video chat with them often which has allowed that sibiling bond to form with my younger kids despite the distance between them. It also allows me to see the faces I miss so very much on a regular basis. This is the piece of new media that I am most greatful for. This has allowed people to interact in ways we couldn't before.

PODCASTS - I absolutely love podcasts! This allows people to get their voices out there and be heard when they otherwise may not have been able to. I currently listen to, when I have a moment, to "Bible in a year" by Father Mike Schmitz. Had it not been for this type of new media, I would have never heard of this Priest and how easy he is to understand and listen to.

SOCIAL MEDIA - This ties in with my first choice of video chatting. I have family spread out across the country and social media gives us a way to interact with eachother on a daily basis. As well as connecting with friends that I haven't seen in person for years. I reconnected with my now husband thru social media after not having seen him since I was a teenager.

Texting - This again falls in line with being able to stay connected with family and friends, which is very important to me. While the height of the pandemic was happening, my Mom and Stepdad were in an assisted living center 5 hours from me. I was not able to see her for about 2 years because of the lock downs imposed by the State of Michigan on Nursing Facilities. During this time my 84 year old mom taught herself to text, and facetime, in order to remain in constant contact with myself and my brothers.

Looking at all I have written, I truly belive the greatest impact that new design has had on interactive design in allowing people to interact with each other despite the many miles, and years, between them.

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Week 11 - Graphic Design - Citizen Designer

Our textbook, Grahic Design A New History, states that a citizen designer is defined as "a professional who attempts to address societal issues either through or in addition to his or her commercial work." (p 431) These are designers that want their work to impact humanity and mean something in a way that is beneficial on a deeper level by attempting to tackle issues that are pressing to both mankind and the Earth itself. They also are concerned with making sure the design is sustainable. Aaris Sherin, a graphic designer and sustainability expert stated, "the balanced use of natural, social, and economic capital for the continued health of the planet and future generations." (p 431). Ideas include using environmentally sensitive printing processes and materials, recycled or post-consumer paper, and using less energy to complete projects. (p 432).

Citizen design is relevant to our world because every little bit that each person can do to save other people or our enviornment is beneficial to everybody. For example, using recycled and post-consumer paper helps save trees for both human and animal environments and needs, as well as the energy expended to turn the tree into paper and deliver it to where it needs to be.

I believe that being a citizen designer requires even more criticial thinking and deeper thought to the design being made. Not only are they looking at the design itself, which in itself for any designer is an amazing feat, but they are also looking for ways to make sure it positively enhances humanity and not just the particular company it is for. These are people that must think outside the box more than normal and come up with innovative ways to turn something sustainable. Designers already have so much imagination to be able to do what they do, but being a citizen designers takes an even greater amount.

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Week 10 - Graphic Design

The main idea that I found most interesting begins on page 307 of our textbook, Graphic Design A New History, Psychedelic and Rock Graphics. The book speaks of a connection to this style of design with the society change that was occuring in the 1960s. When looking at designs such as those on pages 308-309 I immediately am transported back to the late 70s. (I was born in 77). My brothers were all much older than me so my first memories of them are in dress associated with this style. It is also interesting to me how the texts speaks of many of the designers had absolutely no formal art training. The use of colors is so vibrant and attention grabbing. Also reminds me of the adult coloring books we all now have so readily available, many in the same "trippy" designs as from that era. I also found interesting the very beginning of our readings with cuneiform and hieroglphs. To originally come up with the idea, develop and then teach its utilization to the masses is incredible to me. They had no idea at the time that they were changing the path of the world's entire history, one symbol at a time.

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Week 9 - Industrial Design - Brook Stevens

Brook Stevens was born in Milwaukee on June 7, 1911. Even as a child he enjoyed building and designing. He was blessed with parents that encouraged him to partake in his childhood hobbies. Even after being struck with Polio at age 8, his father refused to listen to the Doctor's grim prediciton of Brook never walking again. He instead supplied him with sketch books and models to help gain back the dexterity he was losing so that he could go on to lead a normal nlife. After a stint at Cornell University for architecture, Brook returned to Milwaukee in 1933 where he remained. He and his wife, Alice, built a post modern home in Fox Point. His influence in design, and the beginnings of bringing Milwaukee into the highlight of industrial design, began with his job as an inventory manager for the grocery supply company Jewett and Sherman. Here he convinced his supervisor to allow him to redesign product labels. He also won a contest to be able to redesign the logo for his father's employer Cutler-Hammer. After opening his own business in downtown Milwaukee he grew his successful business to include companies such as Miller Brewing, Allen Bradley, Outboard Marine, and Harley Davidson. All of which are well known Milwaukee corporations. He also unveiled a design for the street train they Olympian Hiawatha. He also, mistakenly, coined the term planned obsolescence while at a speech in Minneapolis. He also was one of the founders of the Society of Industrial Designers. He stayed in Milwaukee because he believed that is where the business was.

https://mam.org/collection/archives/brooks/

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Week 8 - Industrial Design

Chair in my Mom's house that my brother and I picked out to give her living room a little "pop". Made of fabric of blue and silver flowers on light sage green background. Matching throw pillow on left side. Legs are made of wood.

Steel garbage can with foot pedal to lift the lid. Made of stainless steel with a plastic removable insert to make sure the bag stays securly in place.

Keurig coffee pot on a metal stand that has a drawer to pull out. The drawer is seperated to hold different flavors of k-cups.

Soy blend candle purchased from Aldi for St. Patrick's day. Soy wax is white and smells like fruity pebbles. Shows different types of typography incorporated into the design.

Vitamins I purchase for my 5 and 7 year olds. Again different types of typography as well as bright colors and animated character to appeal to children.

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WEEK 7 - ARCHITECTURE

There are 7 key principles to universal design, but I have chosen to focus on principle #1 and principle #3. The first principle is EQUITABLE USE and states “The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. It would provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not. Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users. Provisions for privacy, security, and safety should be equally available to all users, and make the design appealing to all users.” https://universaldesign.ie/what-is-universal-design/the-7-principles/ The second principle I am focusing on is #3 which is SIMPLE AND INTUITIVE USE. This principle states “Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Eliminate unnecessary complexity. Be consistent with user expectations and intuition. Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills. Arrange information consistent with its importance and provide effective prompting and feedback during and after task completion.” https://universaldesign.ie/what-is-universal-design/the-7-principles/ As examples of these I have first chosen to show the MAMAVA breastfeeding pod. This is a freestanding pod located in many airports that allow breastfeeding Mom’s a comfortable, private, and safe space to feed their babies. It provides Mom’s with a way to pump as well as breastfeed their babies. The insides are made with food grade interiors, have seating, lighting, a table, and outlets. They also have an ap that allows users to access the pods without a key. Although my children are all older, I did breastfeed all of them and this just started to be popular when my 2 little ones were babies. This would have been an amazing thing to have that would have made my life much easier. https://www.mamava.com/

The next example is my children and my favorite park to play at. My family is from the upper peninsula of Michigan and whenever we go back to visit, we are always sure to play at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette. The design of it is really neat, easy to understand and includes so much for the kids to do. There are many safety features making it easy and fun for the kids to play on. This allows for kids from so many backgrounds to have fun and interact together.

The next example is my children and my favorite park to play at. My family is from the upper peninsula of Michigan and whenever we go back to visit, we are always sure to play at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette. The design of it is really neat, easy to understand and includes so much for the kids to do. There are many safety features making it easy and fun for the kids to play on. This allows for kids from so many backgrounds to have fun and interact together.

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Week 6 - Architecture

As I’ve mentioned before, I live in a pretty small area well north of Milwaukee. While attempting to take pictures for this weeks journal entry I realized most of the homes and buildings around me are close to the same styles. The town I live in was built in the late 1800s/early 1900s so many of the homes and buildings are of that time period. Many are old farmhouses, such as mine, so have that minimalist design and structure that has been added onto throughout the years.

This Antique Shop is located in the heart of Wild Rose. I believe this would fall under modernist style because of it’s flat roof and lack of major ornamentation. This building at one time housed a dentist office, which you can still see “Dentist” written across the top right window. The building being allowed to age as it has actually, in my opinion, adds to the beauty of it. The inside is older wood floors and counters that have probably been there since the building was built.

Again, a pretty early modern style building. Our Village Hall. This is where day to day village business as well as voting happens. The police department, with our one police officer/chief, is connected to the Village Hall.

The Waushara County Courthouse, located in Wautoma, is the most interesting building in our area that I could find that isn’t a farm or early 1900s style. This would fall under “neo-classical”  because of it’s symmetrical shape with tall columns. It was built in 1928, so a bit after many of the homes in the area, but they included elements to probably make it match more of the style courthouses you would see in a larger area such as Milwaukee or Madison.

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Week 5 - History of Design

While searching for objects this week to go along with what was in the readings I realized just how much of the world around me contains evolved examples of what I have read about in the book. I never thought about how or why fonts were designed, for example, and was suprised to learn about how the Nazi party had actually banned certain type faces. All of these items are so common place today that it is easy to forget that they all began somewhere, by someone, for some reason, and have a history all there own. 

First, Posters, Posters have been a major staple throughout the book and while not evolved in the sense of looks in some instances they are still used today in so many ways. Around the school I work in, the grocery store, even in the form of small examples coming home in my children’s backpacks to let us know of upcomming events. 

The first example of what I see around me is simply a small poster/newsletter that came home in my child’s backpack. Next week, to celebrate Dr.Seuss’s birthday, there will be dress up days. This is advertising what days are what so that kids can get excited about participating. While definetly not as chaotic as the newsletters going out during the Dada time (Graphic Design A New History, beginning on page 127), it does contain differnt font types, sizes, and degree of darkness of the font.

Next, a huge staple in our house because of my kids are movies. Page 205 of our textbook, Graphic Design A New History, begins talking about cinema and films. Many of those during that time period dealt with post war issues, but today there is such an assortment of topics to choose from that sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. Currently, my children are into the Kung Fu Panda series of movies, particularly number 3. They have watched it so much in the last 3 or so weeks that I am pretty sure they can recite it line from line! As with the movie posters shown on pages 206 and 207 for Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari and Metropolis, the movie poster for Kung Fu Panda 3 shows the name of the film as well as a full page illustration of something/someone from the movie to try and garner interest. 

Chapter 7 of our textbook, beginning on page 231, starts talking about the magazine. It is impossible to go to any store and not see racks upon racks of magazines for purchase. All with headlines designed to garner attention and make sales. I do not purchase magazines very often, but a friend/neighbor of mine does get some in the mail and occasionally throws them in my mailbox when she is done. 

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Week 4 - Found Object

This week was tough. My 5 year old little boy came down with influenza A, running nearly a 105 fever, and spent time in the ER as well as multiple doctors appointments causing me to miss work and be limited on time spent alone away from home. Normally, I walk my dogs every night and could have used that time to explore my village a little more with a design seeking eye, but I had to look my own yard for inspiration for this journal post due to Christian’s illness and decided on the beautiful garden that my husband, Kevin, built for me last spring. Every part of this garden was crafted by his hands. From the drawings he worked on to the design of the beds and walkways, to each fence post he put in one by one. He then built each bed, used a Japanese burning technique to protect the wood from decay, and hand filled every single bed with dirt he had brought in by truck. Finally, he searched for the crushed pink granite I wanted for the walkways and spent a couple afternoons hand shoveling and leveling it out. We then spent an afternoon with our little ones at a local Amish farm picking out vegetable and herb plants together to plant, which my children then helped me do when we returned home. It turned out beautiful! My 18 year old daughter, Brianna, also made me a bench in the “women in woodworking” class she had her senior year for the space which we highlighted with larger stones around the bench’s legs and a couple of throwpillows on the seat. The photos I am including are from the summer as it is currently buried in snow. This summer my husband intends to finish a smoker that he started to build last fall as well extend the garden fencing to make the growing space larger. The design of my garden reminded me of the Frank Lloyd Wright style that was shown in Professor Stroeh’s lecture this week as it is filled with precisely put rectangles that work together to create a space that flows beautifully. Living in a very small, rural, farming community I have the option of many roadside farm stands but there is just something wonderful about getting up in the morning and exploring, with cup of coffee in hand, what God has provided us for meals that day. We were able to freeze so much produce from the bounty that we are still eating from our garden in February! Squash, green beans, peppers, and tomatoes fill my freezer currently and that is after giving a lot away to neighbors and family members because the garden was so plentiful! I am so grateful for this beautfiul space that provided so many hours of enjoyment and relaxation over the summer, and for the man I get to call mine that put his heart and soul into designing and building me a functional yet beautiful space to be able to pursue the love of gardening that I have found. 

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Week 3 - History of Design

3. Called the “most visible type of inexpensive, mass-printed material in the 19th century, (Graphic Design A New History, page 41), was the poster. Back then they seemed to be used for announcing entertainment such as circus acts (page 42), or even as advertisements for elections (page 44). Today, I see them used more for informational purposes such as the one that hangs in our school cafeteria explaining the correct methods of helping a choking victim.  

4. Page 50 of our text, Graphic Design A New History, talks about the Arts and Crafts movement having the “ability not just to “prettify” the urban world but also to lead to a transformation of modern society that benefitted people's lives in all respects.” I chose the pictured arts and crafts project that was done with some of our high schoolers. I am one of the school’s advisors for Sources Of Strength which is a group that works to prevent teenage suicide. Each snowman is wearing a scarf of a different color to represent different sources of strength on the group's color wheel. Red stands for mental health, orange for family support, yellow for positive friends, green for mentors, dark blue for healthy activities, gray for generosity, purple for spirituality, and light blue for physical health. When our school started the program in 2020, I joined as a tribute to my nephew, Tristen, whom we lost to suicide at the age of 19 in October of 2018. 

5. Page 32 of Graphic Design A New History talks about photography, which means “drawings with light”. It was discovered around the same time by 2 different men. Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre (1787-1851) of France and William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) of England. While done much differently now, photography is even more part of our lives today. Many of us carry a camera in our pocket, in our phones. I drew my phone, with the picture of a child as the people I take pictures of the most are 1 of my 5 kids.  

6. I chose to draw the cover of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men published in 1937 because this is one of the books I read with our sophomore class this school year. Our high school English teacher does an amazing job with the books she chooses for her classes to read and makes sure that many classics are represented. While I did not like the storyline, the writing itself was amazing. The cover reminds me of the picture on page 40 of our text because of the different fonts used, and the information of yellow backs being “airport fiction”. With Of Mice and Men being only 107 pages I can envision a book such as this being a quick grab for a traveler looking to pass the time.  

7. Page 63 of our text depicts a portfolio reproduction from les Maitres de. By Henri Privat-Livemont, entitled Absinthe Robette done in 1896. In it the woman is mixing absinthe in a large cup. While I am nowhere near brave enough to try the equivalent today, I do have my own special cup bought for me by my son. It is extra special to me because with him being in the Air Force I do not get to see him very often. Using this cup every day reminds me of him and the bond we have no matter how far away he is. The lid is designed in a way that the top slides to open the mouthpiece and can then be shut to keep the drink hot or cold. The cup is also made of metal which insulates whichever drink is in it. For me its usually coffee or water. 

8. Wild Rose Methodist Church. Stained Glass window above the altar.  Page 50 of the text talks about Morris & Company, owned by William Morris (1834-1896), finding enormous success in “the manufacture of stained glass”. The window beautifully allows light in an assortment of colors to come into the church.  

9. Lithography was invented in the 18th century by Alois Senefelder (1771-1834) who was seeking an “inexpensive way of reproducing theatrical scripts.” (Graphic Design A New History, page 31). The above lithograph is the German version of the 10 commandments and was done in 1880. While the picture is not the one I have, I do have the exact lithograph hanging in my living room. I opted to find a picture of it on the internet as opposed to taking one myself because I did not want to disturb my copy too much as it is 142 years old. My husband found our lithograph for sale in a Goodwill for only a few dollars about 5 years ago! 

10. Page 67 of our textbook shows a poster that was done for Moulin Rouge, which opened in 1889 (page 66). While our local pub in town does not feature young women, it does feature taxidermized animals and a Northwoods feel. The poster above, like the one on page 67 for Moulin Rouge, is used as advertising for The Pioneer Pub. Great Friday fish fry should you ever be in town! 

Eskilson, Stephen J. Graphic Design A New History. New Haven, CT. Yale       University Press. 2007

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Week 2 Design Thinking

After reading “Design Thinking” from the Harvard Business Review I would define design as producing a solution to a problem to make a situation or life easier using creativity, innovation, and looking ahead to the future to see ensure that it is something that can be used productively and be later be expanded upon if needed. The thinking must not only brainstorm the designs functionality itself but also the emotional aspect to create desire for the product.  

A few products that I use that I can see design thinking include the Loseit ap on my smartphone, my Chromebook that I was issued from my employer, and my instapot.

I use the Loseit ap on my phone to not only keep track of calorie and nutrient totals during the day but also to calculate my daily steps. The aps’ website lists the following on the main page to try and sell their product. Set your goals, track your food, lose weight, followed by water tracking, macro tracking, device integration, patterns and reports, scanner feature, and smart camera. (loseit.com) They make sure to have something for everyone in a sense of what is tracked and how. The creator(s) has designed the ap to track a variety of things to appeal to a wider variety of people.  

The Chromebook I was issued by my employer is used to track student attendance and for communication between myself, students, and other staff. Last year there were not enough Chromebooks left after students received theirs, so I did my attendance on a sheet of paper and gave it to the office after that hour’s bell rang. Having the Chromebook to access the attendance sheets makes it so much easier because the office can see as soon as I submit my attendance logs who is here and who is not. The google.com/chromebook/ website uses “If you want a computer that is smart, secure and ready when you are, it’s time for a Chromebook.” as a slogan to try and garner more sales. The use of the Chromebook is incredibly user friendly, which I am sure is one reason we use them for students, as well as the price is not that expensive.  

As a mother of 5, with 2 still at home and elementary age, as well as having a full-time job and a full-time school course load, I use my Instapot often. The design thinking behind it was to streamline cooking for busy families and it works wonderfully! This allows families to save money by having home cooked meals more frequently and the time to do so is incredibly short compared to other methods. The website asks people to “Check out a few of our time-saving, space-saving, do-it-all appliances, picked out by members of the Insta Brand team. When you’re ready, come on in and join the family!” (instahome.com). That statement does a good job of appealing to the emotional side of families in promising to save them time and space in caring for their own families as well as making it seems like you are joining another by buying their product.  

I think the most significant concept of the article, for me, was not just the design of the product itself but the marketing of it that goes in after to appeal to the emotional side of a potential user. That tends to be what I use to decide which products to use, and I never really thought about that being intentional. Before, it just was and happened. I see now that it is all about the design and use of the product.  

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Week 1 - About Me

My name is Jaime and I am a 44 year old returning student. I earned an associate degree in business management in 2004 from MATC then briefly attended UWM to work toward a bachelor in nursing but quickly decided that really wasn’t for me. I have 5 children that have shaped who I am and what I want to do with my life. My oldest son is 23 years old and a Staff Sergent in the United States Air Force. My oldest daughter is 22 and is a sophomore at Loras University in Dubuque, Iowa, studying to be a school counselor. My middle daughter is 18 and recently graduated from high school. I also have 2 little ones, ages 7 and 5 that make life incredibly fun and interesting!

I work for our local school district, a small rural farming district in the center of Wisconsin, as a special education paraprofessional as well as run 4 study halls a day. Being in the classroom has shown me, finally, what it is that I want to do with my life. I enrolled in the CEED program to obtain a degree in education, hopefully adding a minor in psychology, to become a teacher.

To be quite honest I do not know to much about this topic but am excited to delve into something new! I believe it is important to further our knowledge on a variety of topics, particularly in the education profession, to be able to help others further their own. This class sounded interesting and fit the online scheduling I needed. Having a full time job as well as 2 little ones at home I need classes that do not have a set schedule.

When we moved to this area from Milwaukee we bought a 100 plus year old farmhouse and have been slowly remodeling it. The design aspect comes in on how we are doing this and trying to preserve the history of the home while making it functional and modernized for our particular needs and tastes.