ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 15 - Final Thoughts

One project that I see in the potential future is designing the next generation of vehicles like cars. Many of the vehicles being made today are designed to be more fuel efficient, hybrid vehicles which runs on batteries and gas, and other vehicles being battery powered only. In next few years, it seems that as a society we will continue to convert more and more vehicles over to battery power as we seek to reduce carbon emissions. Another design choice that some companies thought of is the idea of hover cars, however, no company has the existing technology or are willing to spend millions on researching what the design would need to work.

The second project that I see in the potential future is in the way that structures like buildings are designed. Since I am from the Chicago area, I have been able to see many building designs such as Willis Tower. Knowing the history of how the buildings we designed is also useful to design new structures. For example, if history is to be believed, the designers of Willis tower got inspired by using a cigarette box and the cigarettes inside to represent the building. Perhaps more ideas can come from other items if we choose to play around with them enough. 

The third project that could happen in the potential future is the way that we design chairs. Throughout the years I have seen as well as sat on many types of chairs and other items that could be considered “chairs”. The most infamous type of chair that I’ve seen is the beanbag chair, which is considered comfy to some people but other do not like it as they either sink in it or they are too close to the ground and is hard to get up. Other chairs like office chairs are also seen as too uncomfortable, so a merger between a soft seat like a beanbag and an office chair would be ideal. 

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 14 - Your Choice

One design related idea that I didn’t get much of a chance to talk about this semester is the type of materials that go into the creation of every design. One experience I have involving materials in a design happened a few years ago. My sister had bought a bedframe from IKEA as she wanted a bigger and this design also had four separate drawers along the bottom. Unlike other bedframes and also the fact that it was an IKEA product, it was made from wood instead of metal like most frames are. If I remember correctly, the bedframe lasted about a month before one day when she jumped on it and the mattress broke through the frame and landed on the drawers beneath. She didn’t get hurt thankfully but we did need to find a way to make sure she could still sleep on it until we could get a new frame. What I’m trying to say here is that you shouldn’t boycott IKEA entirely but that you shouldn’t buy bedframes from them or buy wood bedframes in general.

If I were to start a discussion it would have to be regarding the materials we use when we are designing something. Obviously some designs require certain materials like skyscrapers need steel and concrete. Smaller designs, like bedframes, differ greatly based on the materials it uses. What if, however, we could consolidate the materials used for designs. For example, we can still have different designs for bedframes, perhaps we should just use a material like metal to build them as it is easier to build and would last longer.

One item that has captured my attention this semester is the design of lamps. I found lamps unique because there are many different designs with each of them having their own features. For example, my lamp has a LED light instead of a lightbulb and has three levels of brightness. It also has a tap button to switch between the brightness instead of a switch or push button. Other lamps, however, still use lightbulbs and push buttons.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 13 - New Media

Please expand on the “digital aesthetic” as defined by your textbook and provide contemporary examples.

During the rise of the digital aesthetic in the 1990′s many companies saw these new designs as beneficial and began adopting them to appear futuristic to their customers. Many of the designs they used were similar to the type of graphics used in video games in the 1990′s, making these new designs and products more appealing to younger buyers. As time progressed the digital aesthetics were moved from not only being advertisements in magazines but also used in ads on the internet.

Digital aesthetics have also been used when it comes to the way the websites are designed. While ads may be used to lead someone to a website, the website itself should look visually pleasing if a person is expected to stay on it. The aesthetics of a website can also assist with guiding people from one section to another. Some of the most common types of aesthetics that can be seen has a header close to the top that links to other parts of the website.

Digital aesthetic is also unique in that it allows anyone to create any design or artwork they want. The image I used below is the result of digital aesthetic being used. The major element used here that shows that it is a digital aesthetic is the pixelated design to create an image of this game device. 

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 12 - New Media

Please expand on the fields that have the greatest impact on interactive design.  

The first field that has a great impact on interactive design would have to be motion graphics. These graphics involve an image that changes in form, color and composition. While not many websites have incorporated these graphics into their websites, there are some who have. A website I found that used these graphics the most would have to be the Apple website. While pages like the homepage and others may not have them, it is used in many of the Learn more sections for the products. When someone goes into these pages, as they scroll down the images change without it looking like you are actually scrolling down a page. This is also useful to display information about the product as certain information would only appear after scrolling to a certain image of the product.

The second field that has a great impact on interactive design would have to be in advertising. A unique feature of the advertising in interactive design is that there is a tendency to throw different elements together and see what works. In digital media, the place that I see this the most is in trailers for new movie releases. In most movie trailers the group responsible for creating them takes bits and pieces of the movie and orders them in a way that peaks the viewer’s interest. The parts that are included in most trailer also tend to be a mix between calmer and action scenes to provide viewers with a sense of mystery by wondering what leads to these action scenes.

The third field that has a great impact on interactive design would have to be animation. Animation is unique as it allows people to create a design in whatever way they want to. Many companies in today’s society have come to used animated graphics to their advantage. An example that I could find that uses this the most would have to be news channels. During their broadcast times they change a lot between the sports news, weather, traffic, etc., and use animation for transitions between these. Most news channels also have an animated header along the bottom to show things like the temperature, time, and other news headlines that they are not covering in depth.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 11 - Graphic Design

For this week’s reading it talked about the Citizen Designer. In the book on page 425 it describes this type of designer as “a professional who attempts to address societal issues either through or in addition to his or her commercial work”. These types of designers also understand the impact of consumerism in our society and that their field must face other problems in our society like climate change and medical conditions, for example. The origin or the citizen designer can be traced back to William Morris who was the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement. He believed that high-quality design could serve as a beneficent social force to reform the ills from the industrial age. 

This idea of the citizen designer remains relevant today because of the way many objects and buildings we see today are designed. While many people who are designers may have radical ideas to benefit society, many of them end up designing hotel interiors, lighting and chairs, with most designs ending up looking the same as other designers. In our current decade, however, thinkers like Samina Quraeshi argue in favor of citizen designers who should collaborate with the government, industry and private life to benefit the world at large. 

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 10 - Graphic Design

This first interesting idea that I read about this week was Blackletter on page 97. This style was significant to the German national identity and a person would be seen as offensive if they merged it with script from France for example. While it is not shown in the book, I have also seen this type of style used in other promotional art for Germany in the early and mid-20th century during the World Wars. 

The second interesting idea I read in book involves posters and typography. One of the examples in the book that does this is by Lucian Bernhard on page 115. This poster is unique as it was one of the first that incorporated different letter types like sans serif for the name Bernhard with faux blackletter used for the title Das Plakat. Due to the unique styling of the poster, it would later become the most circulated poster produced in Europe.

The third interesting idea I read about was the introduction of the New Typography in the 1920′s. This new movement was led by Jan Tschichold and in 1925 he edited an issue of a Leipzig journal naming it Elementary Typography. This New Typography style used for the cover demonstrated many of the most important principle like orthogonal design, bold rules, positive use of negative space, asymmetry and sans serif lettering. The actual cover can be seen on page 234 in our textbook.

The fourth interesting idea I read about was the Postmodern Typography that arose in the 1960′s and 1970′s. This new movement started in 1967 by a man named Herb Lubalin when he was asked to design a new logo for Avant Garde. The owner wanted an updated sans serif that would express awareness of the modern tradition without imitating past typefaces. With the popular acclaim of the magazine Lubalin would later create the Avant-Garde Gothic and became extremely popular during the 1970′s. A list showing each letter of the alphabet along with numbers on page 342.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 8 - Industrial Design

This is a picture of a lamp that I have at my desk in my dorm room. When deciding a while back as to what kind of lamp I would want I chose this one because of its flexibility. The lamp is able to be adjusted from the bottom, middle and top allowing me to move it into any position that I need it for. Though not in this photo on the base of it there is also a USB port as well as another plug-in spot if you wanted to have another device plugged into it. The lamp also has a tap button instead of a push button and has three different amounts of lighting.

This is a picture I took of a basic holiday card. The reason I chose this design in particular is because of how it compares to my term that I had for the first presentation project. My term was Contrast and while I did not use this for it I felt that it would be good to include it here. With the design of the card having a black background it helps to make the white words stand out. 

This is the first of three buildings that I thought shared unique design features on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This building is Chapman Hall on the campus and was originally built as a library and now serves as the campus administrative offices building. This older design interested me because it reminded me more of a church-like design with the taller tower part resembling an older bell tower.

This is the second of three buildings that I thought shared unique design features on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This is an image of the Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex, which has a more modern design as it was built in 2015. A feature that makes this building unique is that the architecture design allowing multiple floors to be added while making sure the exterior design is interesting.

This is the third of three buildings that I thought shared unique design features on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This is a picture of Bolton Hall. Unlike many of the other buildings on the campus this one was one I found to be interesting because of the unique upper-level design. 

This is a picture of a basic storage bin. One of the unique features with many of these bins today is that they are easy to operate and use. Many of these bins follow the same design with the lid being placed on top and being secured using a set of handles on each side. This has also allowed manufacturers to be able to design these types of bins in many different sizes with the design sticking to many rectangular shapes.

This is a picture of a controller for the PlayStation 5 console controller. This controller is unique compared to controllers from other companies’ consoles and the previous console’s controllers. The PlayStation brand controllers have been made so that they are easier to hold and use. The placement of the thumb sticks has been placed where they are because when you are holding it your thumbs will be on the inside. 

This is a Lucas brand suitcase that was designed to be easier to move. Even though many suitcases have this same feature, the wheels along the bottom move in all directions for easier use. This one also has many pockets along the outside and inside allowing for maximum storage capacity if you are going on a trip and need to bring many items with you.

This image of American Family Field, better known as the Milwaukee Brewers field, has a unique design feature that other baseball fields don’t have. The large arches along the top move to create a cover for the field below. This allows the fans and players to be covered on days when it is raining and allows the field to remain dry and won’t impair the players when they are running the bases.

This is a drawing I did of the original Dr. Scholls Shoe Sizer from 1927. Even it is hard to tell because it is a drawing, the device was made using basic materials and is larger compared to other more modern versions of the sizer. A unique design feature that this one has is that it was operated using a hand lever on the left side that moved a set of blocks that measure length and width of a foot. After both of them are aligned, the sizes are displayed on the top right to help the user find their size. This sizer also helped with modernizing the shoe company allowing for shoes to be mass produced instead of hand made for each individual person.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 7 - Architecture

For this week’s journal the two key principles of design that I chose are Principle 2: Flexibility in Use and Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use.

One product that came to mind when looking at these principles are Lego’s. Most Lego pieces are included in sets that are meant for people to build, but because of the unique design and sizes of each individual block the brand allows for flexibility of use with every person now having the ability to create whatever design they want. With the design of each of the blocks being simple to use and understand, it allows anyone to create whatever design they can think of using the blocks regardless of it being their first time using them or if they are more experienced.

Another design that I see in environments, like parks, are benches. While many benches share the same base design, variations that I’ve are made with different materials like wood or metal and other design features with some having more legs for support and other having armrests on the sides and middle. Because of all of these options for designing a bench, in allows for flexibility in use as the designer can accommodate the design the design either they want, or the park wants. With benches being so commonplace in our society, the design of them is easy to understand and are simple to use after seeing someone else use it for the first time.

A third design that I see used a lot using these principles are storage bins. Many of the storage bins that we use nowadays come in varying sizes and use mainly a rectangular shape. The different sizes along with some of them being waterproof allows every individual to choose their own bin that they need and being flexible to use as they are able to put as much or as little as they want to put in it. A feature with the design of most storage bins is that the lid is held on with clamps that can be easily pulled off to remove it. This part of the design makes it simple to use at the handles connected to the lid make it easy to understand that they need to be removed before taking off the lid and placing the items inside.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 6 - Architecture

This is a sketch of the Milwaukee Art Museum entrance designed by Santiago Calatrava.

This is a photo of the Milwaukee County Courthouse that was built back in 1931. This type of building was built using pillars and has a regal flat roofline and was constructed using limestone.

This is a photo of one of the old Pabst Brewery Complex. The building that I am focusing on is on the right side of the Pabst sign. This building is one of the original buildings built in Milwaukee in the 1892. Known as “The Brewery” this building looks newer because the outside was recently redone as part as a preservation process and was originally inspired by other German designs around this time.

This is a photo of the North Point Water Tower that was built in 1874. It served as part of Milwaukee’s first public waterworks and is designed with a Victorian Gothic style. The tower was built using cream-colored cut limestone and covers an iron standpipe measuring 135 feet.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 5 - History of Design

The poster above was designed during World War 2 and shows of the British Air Force planes flying in the sky. From our “Graphic Design: A New History” book on page 277, Eskilson says, “Most of the new British posters returned to familiar themes of heroism and adventure” and “In this example the text attempts to lift morale on the home front through a wholly positive message that is reinforced by the image of soaring Spitfires” (Eskilson, pg. 277). The other image below is meant to be a modern-day version of this poster and shows the fighter jets of the U.S. Air Force. Like the other image above the planes may represent a sense of heroism but unlike it the other poster the words “Opportunity Awaits” implies these planes shown in the image are what you would be able to fly.

The image above is a poster from 1930 while Stalin ruled the Soviet Union. The other image shown below is from the novel “1984″ by George Orwell with Big Brother representing the leader of a totalitarian state. These two images both give off a feeling of fear for the everyday citizen as they would be tempted to believe that any action that is not approved by them would lead to consequences. While this feeling can be felt from the images, the description of it on page 201 from our book by Eskilson says, “In this photomontage, Lenin’s and Stalin’s eyes have been merged, suggesting the former’s approval and authorization of his successor” (Eskilson, pg. 201). 

The image above is a chair designed by Marcel Breuer in either 1927 or 28. The image below is a dorm chair that is in every room of the UWM resident halls. The above image was a new design meant for the Bauhaus and as it says in the book on page 226, “The majority of the light fixtures, furnishings, equipment, and even the blankets on the students’ beds, were designed to complement the reductive geometric abstraction and modern industrial materials of the buildings themselves” (Eskilson, pg. 226). While these two designs differ in terms of the materials used to assemble them, they both serve the same function of providing a seat for someone to sit on.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 4 - Found Object

For this week’s discussion I went on a walk to find any kind of objects that possess an element of design. During this walk I encountered a trash can and a recycling bin that were placed next to each other in a public space. Even though these are commonplace in most open areas, I found the design or these two more pleasing than others that I have seen.

Both of these bins have a unique design to them as they are meant to help people identify which one is for trash and for recyclables. The trash can is colored black, and the recycling bin is blue. The front of the bins has images on them with the recycling bin having the recycle triangle and trash having a person throwing other items away. The fronts and tops of the bins also have words on them to help identify which type it is, landfill on one and recycling on the other. The front of these bins are able to be opened so that the bags inside can be taken out and replaced.

Unlike other types of bins that I have seen these one’s do the best job at making sure that people dispose of their items in the correct. Another observation with the recycling bin in this photo is that the hole to put items in is round as it makes it easier to put round items like bottles inside in. Other types of bins that I have seen more recently look more like the blue recycling bin as it helps it stand out more in public places while bins like the black trash bin is less common. Many of the trash bins that I have seen do have larger size slots like the one above, but the design is a lot less appealing than this one only consisting of a lid at the top that can be removed to lift out the garbage bag.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 3 - History of Design

The basic purpose of a notebook is for storing information or can store drawings and sketches of people or objects. Unlike a folder than loosely keeps individual sheets together, a notebook is able to keep each page held together by the metal loop or spiral on the left side. If someone was taking notes in a class each day, they could easily take notes from one day to another and have them in order if they need to look over them. Another feature about it is that on page there is a seam that allows each page to be torn off in the event that it needs to be given to someone else. 

While this design is commonplace at most schools and universities around the country it serves a unique purpose. It helps people with classroom recognition when they first attend the school and need help finding out where they need to go. The design also includes braille along the bottom for those who are blind telling them the room number and that it is a lecture hall.

This is a picture I took of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center & UWM Welcome Center. I chose to take a picture of it because of the modern design of the building and how aesthetically pleasing it would be to someone who was coming here for the first time. This building was also created to provide a more open learning space for students instead of having a set a small, insulated rooms like classrooms and lecture halls. It also helps to make part of the campus look more modern compared to other buildings that are older in design.

This picture I took is Vogel Hall. This building is one of if not the oldest on campus as it was opened in 1936 and used to be the UWM Welcome Center. I took this picture because it helps to show how old the design is of some of the buildings are on campus and that it is aesthetically pleasing it is to people who enjoy the older style of the building. This photo also shows the contrast between the way building used to be design compared to modern building designs.

This desk design is a modern take on the original design. The modern design makes the desk creates a unique look that other standing desks do not have. The ergonomics of this desk changes the classroom environment as it allows students to move the desks around the classrooms with ease since it is one wheels allowing a group of students to come together by moving the desk. The design also includes rack on the left and right sides under the seat to place other materials if they are not needed on the desk or you are moving the desk.

This Adidas backpack seen here can be considered a design that was meant for students. The design of it has been made with soft material for your shoulders as it is designed to carry many objectives that are both light and heavy. The many pockets on the bag allow for a lot of storage for books, notebooks, and other materials. The largest pocket also includes a slot to insert a laptop if you need to bring it with you. On the sides are two cupholders that solve the problem of note being able to carry a bottle with you. 

This is an image of a Tumbler cup. This cup features a unique design unlike their other cups as this one was made for Star Wars fans with black colored outside. The design to open or close the lid is easy as it provides a side that makes it easier to remove and fill the cup. At the top is a cap the moves side-to-side allowing you to drink out of it. Another unique design feature about this cup is that it is able to keep hot and cold drinks their temperature over time. In order to do this, designers had to use insulation material to keep hot or warm temperatures from dissipating. 

This container had been designed if someone wants to be sure that the items within are safe. While the square shape plastic design is common, the lid and clamps holding it in place ensure that the contents inside are kept safe if it is submerged in water. This container is large enough that a person’s materials like a passport, ID cards, and other items can easily fit in it. The container is also small enough that if it needs to be stored in a smaller space it can. 

This picture is of stackable containers under a bed. The design is unique as it allows these containers to be unstacked and restacked in any order. It allows people who want to use the largest bin be able to put it at the top and the small one at the bottom or place them in any other order that they want. The design of the bins also allows someone to buy as many of the bins as they want and still be able to stack as many as they want on top of each other. 

This is a sketch I drew of a shower caddy that I use. The design of this is meant to be simple as it can also be used for other purposes as well. The design of it includes a larger holder on the left side with medium and small holds on the right side. The open space in the middle is meant to show that it also comes with its own handle so that it is easier to carry from one place to another. 

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 2 - Design Thinking

After reading the week’s reading from the Harvard Business Review “Design Thinking” by Tim Brown, I would define design as a process that is meant to identify what a customer wants and needs in the product in order for it to be successful. By using a definition like this companies are able design new products specifically tailored to the customers that buy from them. 

One product that we always see a design change with is the types of cars that we see at dealerships or on the roadways. Other types of events like car shows are also meant to show off a company’s newest cars so that people are able to see the new design features and see how it compares to an older model. A design feature that most people look for nowadays is how easily they are able to operate the car. This can range from starting the car with a button instead of a key, connecting a phone to your car with Bluetooth to listen to take calls instead of holding a phone, a simpler dashboard to see speed, fuel, mpg in numbers instead of a gauge among others. 

This is why I believe that the most significant part of the design process is the Inspiration phase. From this point many vehicle designers are able to look over how their older model cars and other companies’ cars operate and how easily a customer is able to operate with the features that are available. They can also look at other concept vehicles they had created in the past and see if there are features in them that they would want to try and implement into their new designs.

[ryanplybondesignsurveyjournal]

Week 1 - About Me

Hello! My name is Ryan Plybon. I am a junior year student at UWM in the School of Information Studies. I am taking this art class as part of the cross-functional elective credits section of my major. Having a class online and asynchronous like helps me as it leaves more time to attend other classes I need to take during the week and make sure I get other assignments done as well. 

Being in the Information Studies program I have had some experience in designing the way a user interface should look and HTML websites, but I have never designed any type of 3D object before. When working with this type of design in the past I have focused more on how it will appeal to other people who use it over my own personal feelings as whether it looks good or not. I get inspired for my own designs from other website pages and how they are designed to be user friendly and see how I how create my own why incorporating my own ideas.

In terms of recent purchases that I have made a deciding factor for me was the design that was on a t-shirt that I wanted to buy. The design was based on a show that I like watching and there were many different companies that had different types of designs. The one that I decided on was because it had the most appealing design.

I am excited to take this class semester and am looking forward to learning more about design.