Annie Leornard: The story of...

Throughout her videos, Annie Leonard is trying to convey the truth behind the production and manufacturing of the many product that we trust and use daily.

The video ‘The story of bottled water’ shows how companies manufacture demand by making people think tap water dirty and unhealthy for them, then, by putting picture of mountain streams and nature on the bottle labels, most assume bottled water is the better option when in actual fact a third of all bottled water comes from the tap. Furthermore from the process of extraction and production to all the energy used to produce the bottles and transport them across the world to lastly the disposal of the bottles, the production on bottled water has very high environmental impacts.  Finally water companies are very misleading with advertisements that their bottles are recycled when instead they are downcycled (turning them into lower quality products which will in turn be disposed).     

The video ‘The story of cosmetics’ demonstrates how all the personal care products we use in our daily lives are filled with toxins as from the dozens on chemicals contained in the products less than 20% have been assessed for safety. Annie Leonard discusses why these toxins still exist in cosmetics and reasons that it is an olden day mindset when everyone was consumed by “better living through chemistry” and no one really thought about the impact on humans. Furthermore the most shocking fact if all is that the government has not laws in place to get rid of these toxins, does not even asses products before they are sold and further does not require all ingredients to be listed on the product.

Throughout the video ‘The story of electronics’ Annie Leonard talks about “design for the dump”, which means making stuff that needs to be disposed on rapidly creating a ‘global toxic emergency’. Through the theory “toxins in, toxins out” electronics in which we use are filled with toxins that need to be released. Some of these toxins are slowly released while still being used by consumers; however, most are released after disposal which is extremely dangerous. In order to make manufactures design longer lasting products they must deal with their own product e-waste also known as ‘product take back’. By choosing greener products and not importing out e-waste to other countries we are one step closer to reducing toxic chemicals.     

Sydney Design Festival 2011

Sketches

Why Design

Why I want to be an industrial designer.

The design industry is one of the most important existing industries as it impacts our everyday lives and the way we live. From the moment I began reading and following design magazines such as Real Living and Indesign Magazine I was strongly motivated to pursue a career in design. Originally i wanted to entre the field of interior design and architecture and after seeing the design courses UNSW had to offer and researching each one I was further motivated pursue a career in the design industry. Everything we use throughout our daily routine, ranging from furniture to hand tools to packaging and so on, has, at some stage of its production, been designed the way it is for a specific purpose. The importance of this industry is evident as every product we use in our lives, from the smallest toothpick to the greatest car, requires an industrial designer within the process of manufacturing to determine what the product will look like and how it will function. I choose to become an industrial designer for the main reason that I want to provide people with products that function to meet their needs and wants while delivering a high level of pleasure when used. Designing products includes a huge amount of risk taking as every person has their own perception of what a good design is and what is must look like. This is further motivation for me to become a designer as I am able to express my concepts and see them grow and come to life through my products, however, even though there is a huge risk of people not liking your product if the product is received positively the reward is hugely uplifting. The future on industrial design is very bright as new products are constantly up and coming and designers constantly seek to make life better for consumers through more pleasurable and better functional products. Through choosing to become a designer I have certainly secured myself a future full of work as this industry will never fade as long as mankind is living. Furthermore after studying industrial designers such as Arne Jacobsen and Philippe Starck, in semester 1, and seeing the great work they have achieved within their careers and the huge success their products have become I am more driven to become a designer. I am motivated by my want to create beautiful products, such as those that Jacobsen and Starck, and for those products to become beautiful classical pieces within our design history that serve their purpose in a pleasurable and beautiful way. Finally I want to become an industrial designer as they change the world and make it a better place through their products and I strive to be part of an industry that does so.  

Fan Switch

Design Excelence Poster.

David Kelley: Human centred design

David Kelley: Human centred design.

David Kelley’s Human Centred Design is about the huge change in the design world throughout the years and the way many designers have changed their approach towards designing products. Years ago the design industry was mostly centred around the product/object and very little focus was on designing around humans who would purchase the product. Since then designer have become more focused on human centred design where they design behaviours and personalities into designs. Focus on the product is still important in the design process, however, recently human centred design has been of a higher priority for the evident reason that no matter how highly technological or how beautiful a design is, it will not be successful unless it fulfils the consumers’ needs and wants. In order to communicate this, when a new product is designed, apart from just making a 3d model of just the product/object, designers have begun to put the product/object in the motion of how it will be used. This is effective as it demonstrates to consumers the experience of the product use through interactive videos and how exactly the design will potentially fulfil their needs and wants.  This is a very important video for all designers to view as it demonstrates how human centred design is far more important than just creating a product as it meets the needs and wants of consumers and in turn becomes a much more successful design.  Furthermore in communicating the product designers should clearly demonstrate what services it provides and exactly how consumers interact with it. Kelley demonstrates this through examples such as the New York Prada store where the video shows each and every function of the product, what it is intended for and how to use it. Personally I agree with the whole concept of human centred design because, as mentioned above, no matter how technological or beautiful a product is it will not achieve success within the market if it does not supply customers with a need or want. However, in saying this, designers must be careful not to fully neglect the actual product or object but find a balance between human centred design and product design.