Rules?

Here are my rules: what can be done with one substance must never be done with another. No two materials are alike. No two sites on earth are alike. No two buildings have the same purpose. The person, the site, the material determine the shape. Nothing can be reasonable or beautiful unless it's made by one central idea, and the idea sets every detail. A building is alive, like a man. Its integrity is to follow its own truth, its one single theme, and to serve its own single purpose. A man doesn't borrow pieces of his body. A building doesn't borrow hunks of its soul. Its maker gives it the soul and every wall, window and stairway to express it.
-The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

Monday, November 29, 2010

Design is Dangerous

Design can be a very dangerous activity, not because design involves an inherently dangerous situation, however a designer must be aware of all possible aspects of how the design works and how the design keeps people safe. In toys especially, children are a prime example of risk-dwelling citizens, because they are the test subjects who venture out and are constantly learning and making new distinctions in our world, and when parents trust a toy brand to not only provide enjoyment and learning as well as safety for their children, it is a large burden on the designers. The "Magnetix" toy, which is a set of building utilities held together by magnets is a toy line, retired by the company due to design features that led to dangerous consequences.
Image taken from: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07164.html

The design of the Magnetix toy set included several magnetic rods with magnetic balls to connect them. The problems emerged when the Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered a recall of all Magnetix brand magnetic building sets after the death of one small child and four incidents of serious injury which required surgery. The problems arose due to faulty design, where the powerful magnets which connected the Magnetix could be separated easily from the plastic that surrounded it, and if one or several magnets were swallowed could lead to intestinal blockages, which could be fatal.
Image taken from: http://www.amazon.com/Mega-Bloks-MagNext-360-Case/dp/B00175IAV8
The danger imposed by the Magnetix toy set was an unintentional consequence of faulty design. In this case, it was an overlooked aspect of the design. The Magnetix design staff decided on a easier-to-break bond between the magnetic and the plastic that allowed for such complications. After all the products were recalled, the Magnetix toy set was abondoned, and instead new MagNext was released, a heavier duty magnet-based toy building set. The new MagNext design team worked with INTERTEK and SafeKids Worldwide, leading safety testing authorities, to meet and exceed safety standards for their new set.


Works Cited 
"Magnetix Magnetic Building Set Recall Expanded." CPSC Home Page. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07164.html>. 
"Magnetix." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetix>. 
"MEGA Brands | Kids Zone | Magnext." Kids Toys,Free Online Games and School Supplies | MEGA Brands. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://www.megabrands.com/en/kids/magnext/play_safe/index.php>. 
"MEGA Brands | Kids Zone | Magnext." Kids Toys,Free Online Games and School Supplies | MEGA Brands. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://www.megabrands.com/en/kids/magnext/play_safe/index.php>. 
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