E-Learning: Design Opportunities at Home Part 2

E-Learning: Design Opportunities at Home Part 1

Design Appreciation

Design Appreciation

Good Designs

Slice Computing System

The ‘Slice’ concept is an organically inspired computing system which envisions a new approach to accessing, organizing and interacting with information and data stored on the PC. Current file management systems force users to store and manage files in a hierarchy of folders. The files are buried deep within folders providing no visual indication of where files are located, further adding to the confusion.

This design is easier to use and very handy. This design will also prevent people from opening the wrong folders and this will surely open the folders faster.

MADE IN CHINA (its the name)

This product targets the entire 1.3 billion Chinese population. Each aspect of the hardware derives from an oriental inspiration which improves the PC experience for the targeted market. The hardware features a “No CPU, No Hard drive, No Graphics Card and No Sound Card” concept. These PC components are stored in a Service Provider of the new infrastructure.

Thus, subscribing to a plan of the Service Provider will allow the use of these components. The data from the components is then wirelessly transmitted to the user’s hardware. Thus, all PCs are administered by the Service Provider. MADE stands for Massively Administered Digital Entities.

The chopstick design is very handy and it is similar to the Magic Trackpad designed by Apple but this one is handier and does not requires any type of connectivity. The hardware design is just a basic tablet though.

Peanut Butter Jar

This is a design we’ve all been waiting for a loooong time now. The Easy PB&J Jar is a jar with two lids that allows you to access all of your peanut butter easily without having to resort to breaking open the jar. As you near the end on one side, simply flip the jar over to get the rest. The straight and smooth internal walls also ensure that no peanut butter is ever left behind a nook or cranny like existing jars.

This design is very useful for children who does not have enough strength to open some types of jars. If one side is too hard to open, you can just invert it and you can try opening it. It is also very straight which means that no amount of peanut butter will be left in the jar after it is empty.

Printer Table

For those of us cursed with limited space, this is the answer. It’s a combination printer and table that blends in well with small offices as furniture. The faux drawers are actually paper loading trays and the slit is where your prints come out. Now nobody will scold you for setting your drink on top of the printer.

This design is very useful for those with small areas or mini offices. The table design is very useful for placing items or decorations that you can't place on regular printers as the object might be too heavy for the regular printers, but for this printers, it is very handy and you can place anything on top of it. Well, not everything.

Keyboard Shortcut Skin

Models available for notebook computers and desktop keyboards. Molded exactly to fit your keyboard like a glove. Quick to remove and reapply as often as you wish.

I think that this is a good design as it provides information on which button to press if you want to execute a shortcut. This design is also very useful for those who are learning how to use computers. This design is also easy to care for.

                                                                            Bad Designs

Circle Sofa

The Circle sofa unit is made up of four parts, two of which make up a semicircle; all of which together create a round sculpture. The outline and contour looks highly sculptural and vigorous – and it is left open how one arranges these sofas in a room. Due to the “segmentation” of the circle, the sofas facilitate a great diversity of options and multifunctional solutions as well as interesting sculptural forms and lines.

I think that it is a bad design as it consumes a lot of space and it may not be comfortable as the area designed for sitting is very small.

The Bulbdial Clock

The Bulbdial Clock has no hands — just one pole in the center of the clock, and three light sources of varying heights which revolve around the pole casting shadows. In the model illustrated above, the light sources are each attached to a ring which rotates around the pole. The innermost ring rotates once per minute, casting a “second hand” shadow. The middle ring rotates once per hour, and casts the “minute hand” shadow. And the outer ring rotates once every 12 hours, casting the “little hand” shadow.

Although this might look fancy and attractive, I think that it is not a good idea as it might cast shadows from other source of light and will confuse the user with different shadows.

The Nokia 888

In Nokia 888 form follows you: it is a light personal mobile communication device. You can change its formaccording to your needs during the day. You dont have to carry it in your pocket or on your wrist. You can carry it anywhere, in any form. You can roll it, bend it, put on your clothes like a clip.

It also makes some form changes that makes it more ergonomical: i.e. when you want to talk on the phone, the body form turns into the form of the good old telephone. You can personalize these forms and record them. Communication takes place via electronical motions that 888 has. E.g. you can send a heart shape to your girlfriend, so her telephone turns into an icon of heart.

I think that this design is poorly designed even though it may be attractive to some people. Yes it is handy and very mobile but will require a lot of care. For example, you can't strap it on your wrist if you are in a tropical weather as you might sweat and the sweat will cause a stain on the phone and it might also be bent too much and cause it to break into two.

Moody Aquarium Sink

Moody is not only a simple washbasin, but also an aquarium for goldfish, a Zen garden or a simple pebble river bed or whatever you would like it to be. It is completely watertight with a sand bed for fish, and provides the necessary lighting for maintaining your fish in healthy conditions. Price: $4,700.00.

I think that this design is not good as it is very expensive and has a high energy consumption even though it looks very attractive. It will also require regular care to clean the inside of the aquarium and feeding of the fishes.

Source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/05/26/beautiful-and-original-product-designs/

My Environment poster

This tree might not be standing here tomorrow, so conserve our resources.

My awesome drawing.

My awesome drawing.

There is a highlighter at the top left hand corner. And the other objects are pencils.

My first ADMT presentation.

My slides were all ready, but I forgot to edit the title. I think others were better than my presentation.
but some were just too long. but i think some were simple yet very good.

My sketch

This is my sketch of what I think ADMT means. The laptop in the picture represents the technology, the film roll an the earpiece shaped like a music note represents the media and the screen of the laptop represents design and art.