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>. 

Design in Society

The root of design is in its aspirations for creating a better world with certain functions prevailing. In Kostas Terzidis article “The Etymology of Design: Pre-Socratic Perspective,  he discusses how the greek root of design is related to something we once had, but have no longer, and how the etymology of the word “existence is not only about the distant past, the beginning of things, but also even further because it involves a step beyond, below, or beneath the starting point” (Terzidis, 73). The etymology of utopia comes from the roots u + topos, meaning “no place” or “an ideal place.” Design can be directed not only to reach an ideal place, but to take us back to a time before and beyond it, where we believe all of our dreams come to fruition. Doug and Lisa Powell have begun an idealistic trek down this design road, inspired by their family crises that they share with millions of Americans today.

Image taken from: http://schwartzpowell.com/story.html

Doug and Lisa Powell are husband and wife at Schwartz Powell Design in Minneapolis, and recently learned that their 7 year-old daughter, Maya, was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. The diabetes information that was available generally related to Type 2 diabetes and was extremely technical and had a clinical perspective that was not user-friendly. So the design duo went to work on creating a way to grasp and communicate the information to their daughter in a fun way that spoke through a kid-friendly, can do attitude. They created flashcards, charts, forms, and cheat-sheets into a product called Type 1 Tools, originally intended for their daughter, however they saw the incredible benefit America would have with this kind of product being available. The Type 1 Tools product informs people in a friendly and easy way all about Diabetes and how to create a great life with diabetes. 

Image taken from: http://schwartzpowell.com/story3.html

The duo saw that much of their Type 1 Tools was applicable to people with Type 2 (Adult onset) diabetes and began creating products for them, as well as saw the potential for products for others with similar chronic diseases. Doug states that “our goal is to help other families and eventually help eliminate this disease that affects so many lives. We’re donating some of the proceeds to diabetes-related organizations, so that someday there won’t be a need for products like ours.” Through their work, Schwartz Powell Design is helping bring our society closer to a utopia, a time even before and beyond such troubles as diabetes.

Image taken from: http://schwartzpowell.com/story2.html

Works Cited 

"HealthSimple Story." Schwartz Powell. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://schwartzpowell.com/story.html>. 

Potts, Emily. "A Designing Duo Creates Useful Healthcare Tools." STEP Inside Design ­ Graphic Design Magazine with Profiles of Successful Companies, Firms, Projects, and Graphic Designers. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEPMagazine/Article/28579/index.html>. 

Color Transforms

Color is a substance that often brings out much more depth and feeling in the appearance of a design. However, color can be very distracting also. In the film Sin City, color is employed so sparingly that it becomes a real provocation for the eyes, and brings the film into an expressionist dimension with the saturation of color in specific scenes and the coloring of specific elements. These choices bring not only that depth and life to certain aspects of the film, but reinterprets the entire film experience.

Image taken from: http://www.edharriss.com/xsi/version5.htm

In the above still from the movie, the two heavily saturated colored areas are the red heart-shaped bed and sheets, and the golden locks of hair that lay upon it. The interaction between these two colors can be seen by as a warm, blood-like red, representing passion, love, and even communicating death (appropriate to this scene because Goldie is found to be dead). The yellow is saturated and enlivened with orange and brown tones to depict youth and innocence in the woman, and emphasize the name "Goldie," with a visual symbol. Because of these interplays of color, we know why this woman is named Goldie, and why she lies dead in a bed of passion, one in which Marv feels he must avenge.

Image taken from: http://livedesignonline.com/news/SinCity2.jpg

This scene shows a stark contrast between the golden yellow locks of Goldie’s hair in color. The small tonal difference in yellow, and the saturation of the yellow on the body of Roark Jr., aka the Yellow Bastard, creates a feeling of sickliness, and of disgust. It is only a small change in yellow, but it is the same tones of yellow that develop in people who are stricken with certain illnesses, therefore we associate the character as being sick in demeanor and mental state as well as physiologically. The coloring of him in the shot draws the eye to him, and his gaze towards Nancy Callahan draws us back to her.

The creative use of color in Sin City shows how color can be used not only as a source of depth and feeling, to make the piece more real, but can even perpetuate emotions and feelings within the audience, which they will then link back to the film and follow the story more complacently.

Will.I.Am and Word and Image

Word and Image are often seen as two very separate entities in a piece, both bringing different aspects to light. People generally believe that the word generally expresses the "exact meaning," and the purpose of the image is to convey feeling and sensation, rather than reasonable meaning. Sometimes, the form of both the word and image both are representations of a common set of feelings and conceptualizations being conveyed to the audience.

In will.i.am and Nicki Minaj's music video "Check It Out,"the word does not express word at all, as the lyrics are in korean, and most of the American target audience will not be reading the words for understanding. Instead the form of the word is what is emphasized, and how the form of the word is used in conjunction with the image conveys the set of feelings and conceptualizations that links the audience with the essence of the artists in this musical display. The words literally pop out, as do the multiple copies of will.i.am and Nicki Minaj that are literally duplicated and popped in and out during the music video. This communicates, through image, not only the idea that the music is fresh and creative, but that it literally pops and stands out in its own expression from the "grayscale" of our futuristic world. The black-clothed audience, sitting at attention with sunglasses shows the conformity that is clearly contrasted with Nicki Minaj and will.i.am, both displayed in colorful and slightly ridiculous clothing, including the green hat on Nicki Minaj and the futuristic purple sunglasses on will.i.am respectively. The dance choreography and movements used by both Nicki Minaj and will.i.am are robotic yet fluid, corresponding to the beats while establishing their own expression of sexy and cool. The word popping out in big block bolded korean letterforms, with neon colored outlines pops and creates an imagination of the letterforms, one of the key forms of conformity, dancing with and accepting the music. The scene with will.i.am in posterized black and white, with only his mouth colored naturally shows a unique element that communicates that the music is like a zebra in a world of black and white, there is still diversity and expression even when simplified to these two luminosities.

The word and image communicate different aspects of the same form that each enhance each other and display how forms can be used in multiple ways.

Ergonomics of Design Part 2

Another key aspect to successful ergonomic design is the ease of use of the product. Is it designed simply and easily not requiring intuitive thinking? The Swiss Army Knife is very simple, and stowed safely, looks like a small metal bar with rounded edges. All the external edges are not sharp for the safety of the user, and the knife has many easy-pull tabs that are installed in each of the tools to make it easier to use one of the tools. Also the spring action that allows the knife to be opened and held open and closed quickly makes the tools very easy to use and facilitates the force of opening the knife. The weight distribution and form of the knife allows the knife to easily fit in the palm of the hand, and one can reposition it very easily when needing to extract one of the tools. When using the tool, the knife's handle comfortably extends just a half inch beyond the edge of the palm, secured in place by the first finger and the thumb, and supported by the other fingers of the hand it is held in.

The performance, or productivity, of the Swiss Army Knife is another aspect of the ergonomics of the tool to be discussed. The Swiss Army Knife's performance is based on the sharpness of the knives, as well as the durability of the whole product, and the ease at which they perform exceptionally at the task at hand. The knives are all sharp enough to slice skin easily, and do not dull much over time. The scissors, and other tools are also sharp enough for most small cutting needs, and of course, common sense would dictate that the Swiss Army Knife scissor shouldn't be used for heavy duty cutting because it is a smaller scissor and therefore weight and force cannot be applied as easily to it to cut through heavy duty materials. Each tool of the Swiss Army Knife is durable enough to withstand moderate hand pressure applied to the sides, making it very sturdy and unlikely to break. This is a key component to successful knife design, not only because it makes the product unusable, but it also makes the knife dangerous, affecting the safety for the user as well.

The final category for effective ergonomic design is aesthetics. The Swiss Army Knife focused much of its energy on making the other four categories the best they can be for the product designed, however, they did not lack in this department when understanding the context of the target audience. The target audience for the Swiss Army Knife will be generally outdoor hunting-type men, or "utility men," of which both categories have a simple and classic aesthetic appeal, and an aesthetic appeal that includes function in its appeal. The Swiss Army Knife creates a classic look, one color (red) on both top and bottom sides, with a silver cross displayed within a shield, reminding one of not only the swiss, but of knights and gallantry (through the association of cross and shield with the Western Middle Ages). The rest of the Knife is the silver of stainless-steel, which gives it a utilitarian look that is classic, and not "over-polished" or "gimmicky." The aesthetic appeal of the Swiss Army Knife focuses on a classic, clean, utilitarian, survival look, yet doesn't exclude itself from different genders, races, and other audiences that will accept the great design of the Swiss Army Knife.

The ergonomics of design all complement each other in the Swiss Army Knife, which is why it has been a strong selling product for over a hundred years, and has become a staple associated with utility and survival.

Ergonomics of Design Part 1

"Good design is a renaissance attitude that combines technology, cognitive science, human need, and beauty to produce something that the world didn’t know it was missing," said Paulo Antonelli. One tool that is a product of good design and has been an icon of long-lasting ingenuity is the Swiss Army Knife. The Swiss Army Knife, made by both Victorinox and Wenger, has been a product that has stayed with constant users and fans not because of its shiny surface, or trendy look, but because it is a tool that satisfies certain ergonomic needs. The five areas of ergonomic design to be analyzed in the Swiss Army Knife include Safety, Comfort, Ease of Use, Performance, and Aesthetics.

Safety, one of the first key features of ergonomic design, is especially pertinent in the Swiss Army Knife. The fact that a weapon always must take safety into careful consideration is an important issue, as the user knows that safety will not be all encompassing without leaving the weapon being impotent. The user wants the assurance that when handling a weapon, if used properly, he will not be harmed and, when used correctly, only the direction that he intends to attack will receive the attack only when he intends to attack. In the case of the swiss army knife, he wants it to cut what he intends to cut, and what he does not intend to cut, he does not want it to cut. The swiss army knife has been based on very practical solutions to ergonomically and efficiently incorporating safety into the design. By keeping all of the tools facing towards the inner spine of the tool, the only way to cut with the knife is to withdraw the blade via a spring system pull method. This system of safety keeps the sharp edge of the knife facing inwards, leaving the owner and everyone safe until it is intended to be used. Because the entire outside of the swiss army knife is a smooth and simple bar shape, the user is safe from any sharp edges or corners and the tool is as safe as a rounded rock being kept in your pocket, with sharp potential ready for the user's need.

Image taken from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/3/3e/20090906082704!Swiss_Army_Knife_Wenger_Closed_20050627.jpg

Comfort, one of the second key features of ergonomic design, asks whether users physically are satisfied in using the device. The swiss army knife if a simple rounded bar, with indented pull slits for comfortably extracting the knives and other tools. The Mountaineer Swiss Army Knife is just under 3 1/2 inches (91 mm) and weighs only 3.85 oz, super light and compact for the multiple survival tools it carries. When lifting and using the knife, the weights is evenly distributed throughout the whole piece of metal, achieving a perfect balance for holding and using. When one of the tools is opened out, the balance does not change, and the center of weight is not shifted by much, leaving the Swiss Army Knife very comfortable and well designed.

The Relationship Between People and Design

In the film Objectified, the designers are often found thinking not only about the ideal design of an object for a particular purpose, but the extension of how that object will relate to its users. Students of design often are concentrated on thinking about the tools and techniques of design, and the theory behind it, or the "ideal" form that the design will take, rather than the aspect of how will people relate to my design as being a part of their own design. One type of design that relies on being very conscious of the user's perception and understanding is information design.

IDEO, a San Francisco based design firm, partnered with Tendril, an energy management technology provider, to create a unique and user-conscious way of displaying energy information. The Tendril Vision, pictured above, relates to the user through both tactic and optic understanding, having a multi-touch screen for displaying and managing energy use in an uncluttered and user-friendly way. It depicts historical and current household energy use, indoor and outdoor temperature, peaks and valleys of energy use both in the home and in the neighborhood, and even functionality for creating customized energy plans for automatically utilizing routine tasks such as dishwasher, washer and dryer, and adjusting the thermostat to take pressure off of peak hours of energy expenditure and distribute it throughout the day for the benefit of both the user and the company. An away function on the product also allows it to easily and quickly be set to customized energy standards to be used while you have left the house.

The Vision works well because it contrasts white and light imagery on an overall black screen and displays quantitative information about energy consumption and cycles in graphical relatable forms, such as the temperature clock depicted above. The use of blues for cools, reds for warms, and the display of weather as yellow sun and white cloud abstract representations all add to the successful combination of essential imagery without bombarding the user with too much, leaving him/her paralyzed. The clear and bold lines that make up the icons that display various information and options create a sense of stability, order, and control. The very careful use of colors on only specific functions, and the use of white on black otherwise, gives the user a sense that the energy management process is clean, organized and simple.

This creation from IDEO in conjunction with Tendril is an innovative step forward to user-conscious design and to bringing our relationship to the world closer to the sustainable and efficient ideal that modern people aspire to create.