Throughout the semester, I have gained knowledge about Industrial Design and found some answers to my questions. During classes, although I did not speak up too often, I have argued with opinions of my classmates with accord and discord. Also, writing short essays on lessons that I learned from lectures and presentations have helped me to really think and concern about matters that happen in the world with Industrial Design. In last class, I got to finally speak in front of my classmates out loud (Nancy asked me to talk about my idea) about Art + Design. The relationship between Art and Design has been my most concern for a long time, frankly since I entered RISD; I wanted to know what other students would say about artists, designers or design artists that work more towards considering aesthetic and artistic value. I am more on the side of appreciating the “art value” on products; however, people with great interest such as functionality, technology, and eco-friendly have had strong and harsh opinions on products that lack design value. I understand why there could be a gap between art and design, yet, I think that they should exist both together and separately. Now, I would like to show and talk about different examples with various focuses and purposes based on my personal choices of design works and projects.
Firstly, I have found a project that focuses using an accessible product with available technology to make people’s lives more convenient. BMW group research and technology has developed a prototype for a multifunctional car key. Through the use of a security chip (which communicates with a card reader via radio) that is inserted into an electronic key device, your car keys can give you the ability not only to access your vehicle, but also make cashless payments, functioning as a personalized credit card. The key can also be seen as a mobility device. The holder of the key is able to access personal data such as subscriptions to services, address books or favorite radio stations from inside their BMW, or any BMW hire car. This links the keys to the car owner rather than just a car, making them more of a personalized mobility device. Payment for tickets at the subway, car park and etc. could potentially be done using your car keys. Any purchasing or personal account information can be accessed online. BMW’s new multifunctional car key is a proper example of innovative idea for service design that can be provided to even bigger group of users on top of BMW owners.
Secondly, I would like to talk about products that are functional and considerate for users with more or less aesthetic value. This is ‘amplamp’, created by Dominic Bromley, one of UK’s most successful lighting designers, that works as both a high-tech speaker and amplification system and a table lamp in one. Dominic Bromley designs the ‘amplamp’ with an earthenware base and hidden hi-fi equipment. At the back there is a series of ports to allow users to plug in their stereo or iPod. The fact that He has tried to bring light and sound together, since they both have a strong influence in changing mood, appears to be a nice combination. However, in my personal opinion, the lamps are not aesthetically attractive enough for me to think that I want to buy them. The elegant lamp shades and bulky shape lamp base do not look to go together. 
There are some other products that are still functional and considerate but with more artistic value. The chair on the left is ‘Eclosion Stool’ and the table on the right is ‘Table Basse’ produce by Swiss design studio LIFEGOODS, working for public and private clients. Both pieces are made with steel and to be folded and clamped by users. The chair and the table are not only easy to produce as cut-out single sheet of steel, but also have nice weight and firmness of the material. Furthermore, they let users to be a part of completion of the furniture and give them an experience. The forms are interesting and intriguing and somehow clean and controlled; the chair even has different ways to be assembled. These two pieces of furniture seems to be good examples of good harmony between Art + Design.
Thirdly, I would like present works that have more highlighting on environment and atmosphere of where they would be placed. The series of lights that you see in the picture is the result of experiments with computer design and CNC manufacture and is assembled and finished by Liam Hopkins and Richard Sweeney by hand in the Lazerian Studio in the UK. The lamps comprise machine cut components and place emphasis on limiting the number of unique module shapes in order to simplify construction. As much as considered how well and constructively they can be made, the lamps create beautifully and attractively patterned shades in surrounding areas. If we were to imagine the lamps are constantly moving slowly, the shades will make us feel like we are in a moving space. Like this series of lamps, I would like to present ‘C-Lounge’, the new seating option, which is designed by Dima Loginoff, a Russian designer, who was once a professional hair designer. Dima’s C-Lounge has no symmetry or regularity in its form. It rather has flow, movement, and language. It is designed for Lounge Concept 2008; it is not yet commercially produced, however, we can all start to think about where it could be with each one of our own taste.
Presenting diverse products and projects with different design approach and purpose, I strongly believe that uncountable artists and designers from all over the world are constantly working, fighting, and challenging to make this world better whether it satisfies a small or large group of users or audience, and also whether it does more artistically or functionally. I can say we need all of the artists and designers who are different. Throughout my essay, I have been often subjective and personal, because I am also one of the users that designers should consider and satisfy. Industrial Design should not be for just one particular group of people, especially for those who have learned and known better about it. It values even when it gives one person a better life, because that moment can always be a start.
LINKS:
BMW CAR KEY
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/4676/bmw-use-your-car-keys-to-make-payments.html
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/4676/bmw-use-your-car-keys-to-make-payments.html
Dima Laginoff
http://dimaloginoff.com/eng/
http://dimaloginoff.com/eng/
1 comment:
Your (old) posts are very interesting. Keep up the awesome "ID" work baller.
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