October 29, 2010

By: Catherine M. from Muskegon, MI
Comments: 15

Posted By: Catherine Mott
On: 8/16/2010 2:58:36 PM

This is an article from the NY Times about "Hidden Heroes: The Genius of Everyday Things" an exhibition that is opening at Vitra Design Museum in Germany: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/arts/16iht-design16.html?ref=design I love to read articles like this because it reminds me that design is about problem solving and it can be the most simple solution. This article would be good for MS/HS students to read and make them more aware about every day design. They are all objects that they could relate to no matter where they live.

Posted By: Beth Bessinger
On: 8/16/2010 7:53:01 PM

I think the average person (I include myself) never REALLY thinks about design...especially product design. We use so many items every day and are so used to the way they open, close, stick, button, zip, pull, smell, look and feel that we really don't think of how they could be better. I know there are whole design teams to come up with concepts so we buy the product and we rely on them to make it right for us. I, however have a bone to pick with the people who "design" the plastic sealed papers around items such as the inner bag of dry cereal, the tube papers around a row of packaged cookies and even the potato chip bags on most brands. If someone could tell those people that 90% of the population is still using their teeth to open them, they might think re-design!!! Just a thought.

Posted By: Sandra Dianna
On: 8/21/2010 5:28:52 AM

I have thought about the way things were designed especially if problems existed, but I never realized this was part of the design process. It is totally fascinating to think about the thought process that goes into designing items. I often think about the design of parking lots, roads, and women's clothing. I always wonder why curbs are placed in certain places especially if I have a problem with that curb. Clothing is another pet peeve. For example, the buttons that pull apart and at the worst places showing way more than I want to. I have always thought about the design of the blouse. However until I began learning about the design process, I never really knew there was a real process someone actual went through to get to the end result. Maybe, I should let the designer know my blouse fits poorly next time. How would they know there is a problem with the design if the consumer never says anything.

Posted By: Kevin Connell
On: 8/23/2010 10:41:16 AM

One of the common complaints we have in this country is always transportation. I recently spent a week with my family in Washington DC . We used the Metro system to get ourselves around town. After our experience in New Orleans ,I'm looking at everything from different perspectives. I have to give the Metro high scores for efficiency,cleanliness, ease of use, architectural design,and safety. The stations reminded me of some of those futuristic movies in the 70's. Those involved with its creation certainly covered all their bases. I can't imagine the number of vehicles it has removed from DC, let alone the environmental impact. A model for others to follow. Great to see some familiar names on the conversations.

Posted By: Catherine Mott
On: 9/13/2010 4:15:32 PM

You know Kevin I was amazed at how well the transportation in NOLA worked even though it was so old. I often think of transportation as fast and new like the high speeds in Europe, a new design that is sleak and attractive. However, it was so refreshing to hop on a street car and really appreciate the sites and people of NOLA. I loved that the seats fliped around at the end of the line. Slowing down reliable transportation was a refreshing experience.

Posted By: Rebecca Whitfill
On: 9/30/2010 9:20:38 AM

Thanks for the tip! I used this in class and it really helped start the lesson I had for the day!