We watched the documentary, "Objectified" as part of an ai3 RECESS lunch, to kick-start a discussion about product design. Here are a few ideas I'd like to influence our approach to designing products:
1. Consider the Extreme Users- Because the middle will take care of itself (i.e. strong/weak, young/old); Observe these Users
2. Rapid Prototyping- Constantly try to verify what your drawing in CAD
3. Edit. Edit. Edit. - It shouldn't feel like it is designed at all.
4. Get Out! Which has spawned an entire movement in our office to have unassigned desks, only laptops and iPads.
5. Environmental Impacts- Not just what it's made of but how it's shipped to and from and disposed.
6. Revisiting the Archetype- The ultimate benchmark. We are adding a human scale, crafted detail, or a cultural reference to something that's probably been around forever.
But in the end, a product needs to mean something to YOU. You are the only audience that matters. If your house were on fire and you had to grab a handful of items- what would they be? We're sure it doesn't matter who designed it or why....
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ReplyDeleteObjectified was a great documentary/film. I'd like to say more 'film' than documentary b/c there was so much storytelling and a language about design from the 'mental' state and not so much about the 'physical' state of objects. (Although there was some great eye-candy.)
ReplyDeleteHustwit has a new documentary that he's working on now for Urban Design which I think will be fascinating given the social nature of communities and context (as opposed to something as personal as objects). http://www.urbanizedfilm.com/