Scavenger Hunt!

For assignment three, we were given a list of five clues that relate to design of some kind and had to document our findings thru photographs! My wonderful partners and myself worked together with the usage of our navigation skills, resources like our cameras and my iPhone to find what we needed. Here is some pictures and info about the what we found.

CLUE #1= Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohr

Something really cool about this chair is the way the design is a measure of the human body. Also, I found it interesting how the structure is almost like one of the tanning chairs one uses in the summer yet it is very comfortable.

CLUE #2= UP armchair by Gaetano Pesce, Magazine: "DAMn 24: Contemporary Culture"
This chair was part of Pesce's UP series so when it was packaged it was vaccume sealed so the consumer could be part of the art experience, since it inflated into the chair once taken out of the package. This was possible because it is made of polyurethane foam.

CLUE #3= Wexner Center of the Arts, designed by Peter Eisenman
Since its opening in November 1989 the Wexner Center was already in the process of being transitioned from a "contemporary visual art center to a fully multidisciplinary facility" encompassing: (visual art (exhibitions), media arts (film and video), and performing arts..



CLUE #4= Mathematics Tower, designed by Peter Johnson

We found that the building has many cracks up and down where parts of the wall purtrude outward from the building, like in the first picture above. I think this shows either the age of the building or maybe a design flaw in the way the bricks were laid out to create the structure.

CLUE #5= The Thompson Library, designed by Acock & Associates

The Thompson Library at Ohio State renovation presented great challenges  such as the removal and cleaning of about  1010 tons of limestone panels and the reinstallation of 770 tons of limestone panels on both: exterior and interior of the building. The panels that were not reinstall were stored and labeled as, “re-use” material.  

Source: www.ascribehq.com

Links to teammates blogs:

Alicia Wyatt: http://alwyatt123.wordpress.com/

Catalina Hernandez:  http://katdesign200.blogspot.com/

(They were great teammates! A lot of fun!)

Class Reflection number 4!

Last week, our discussion was about Accessibility, which I believe is one of the crucial concepts when trying to design a product. Most importantly, design is made so that any person can use something, such as making a sidewalk ramp for a disabled individual. Eventually, all people will be older and won't have the same functionality like we do now at our relatively younger age. That is why we should all be concerned about how things are designed because I know when I'm older I want to be able to use most things that a regular person does. Design is evolving every single day because of accessibility, that is why it's SO IMPORTANT!! Aside from importance, I found the statistics of people with disabilities to be so shocking. 19% of the population has a restraint on how they live and need special attention when it comes to using public facilities. This statistic will continue to grow as people get older every day so it is very important we don't fail to accommodate people with such issues. This lecture taught me a lesson in what was important because most people use things and take it for granted, thinking most people use things all the same way, which is far from true.

Reading Reflection 4!

In Heskett's chapter 7, he discussed the way identity is made through the way companies design their products. I found the way he explained how corporate identity gets confused between image and identity very insightful. Sometimes corporate executives get carried away in caring too much about the way a product looks or the way it is advertised. In reality, it's the way a product works that establishes identity in the market alike to the product. I know when I buy something, yes I like it to be eye appealing but I don't buy something that isn't going to work or get the job done. Sometimes I find that things that are the most eye appealing has lesser work performance. As I began reading chapter 8, I really got confused on what it was trying to say about systems. Is it the way someone goes through a process to create or design? The way someone thinks to finish a product? Or is it all of these things together? I do understand the way it says a system uses information to convey steps to a consumer so he or she knows how to use the product. Otherwise, this chapter left me somewhat confused on what it was trying to say about systems.

FACES!

Well, our journal assignment this week was to find things that have a face in the design, not purposely but you can find it in the item.

Cini Boeri!

In my research for a very interesting designer, I came across this picture of a '71 snake-like sofa designed by Cini Boeri. This interest took me to the point of investigating this designer further since I don't know much about her.
Cini Boeri, born in Milan in 1924, has worked for many furniture designers and companies before making a name for herself. After graduating from Milan Politecnico, she worked for one of Italy's most famous architects, Gio Ponti. He helped kick-start her design career. Most of her works adapt to humans and the environment it is used in. In honor of her excellence in home and office furniture design, she has been rewarded many prestigious designer awards that are difficult to attain. I also found that aside from being a designer, she also is a lecturer at colleges and design schools to upcoming or striving designers, giving them advice on how to create successful pieces and being individual to their designs. It's good to see someone taking interest in other designers' success. In my opinion, I think Boeri's designs are an interesting way to show abstraction through lines and form in furniture. Her pieces are puzzling to look at and I think that's why I took notice to her. I like to look at something and think about it. Boeri does just that through her creations.

Some of Boeri's pieces:

"Serpentine Sofa"

Eco-friendly rocker table

"Serpentone"

Sources:
Greenberg, Cara. Op to Pop: Furniture of the 1960s. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1999.

Whittaker, Jessica. "Cini Boeri." Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles - ArticlesBase.com. 24 Oct. 2008. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/cini-boeri-615586.html.>

Images:

http://images.artnet.com/WebServices/picture.aspx?date=20050524&catalog=103987&gallery=423927739&lot=00215&filetype=2

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://design-milk.com/images/2009/10/cini-boeri-4.jpg&imgrefurl>

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ionoi.it/images/article/22/2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ionoi.it/index.php%3Fpages%3Doctober&usg=>

Gaetano Pesce!

10 Facts about Gaetano Pesce, pop art furniture designer:

1. Works consist of mixed performance art, sculpture, ceramics, architecture, furniture, and industrial design.
2. Famous for his 1969 UP series. (A really cool piece was the seventh member, which was the oversized foot sculpture.)
3. The furniture in the UP series was literally vaccum packed for shipping so it sprang to life upon opening, making the consumer part of an "at-home art happening".
4. Polyurethane foam, 90% air, was key to Pesce's creations!
5. The "UP series" was based on the furniture swelling "up", hence the given name.
6. Given the description as an artist designer, instead of the typical "designer" name.
7. Created a chair that resembled an umbrella, and once the button was pushed, it folded out, just like an umbrella.
8. All pieces are built around individuallity so not all pieces are related.
9. Very very very independent thinker!
10. "Broadway" chair was created with springs so it could have the seesaw effect. Nevertheless, his chairs each have a certain type of personality. Such an individual and interesting man.

Sources
Greenberg, Cara. Op to Pop: Furniture of the 1960s. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1999.

"Gaetano Pesce - Biography and Offers." Ketterer Kunst, Art Auction, Book Auction München, Hamburg & Berlin. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.kettererkunst.com/bio/gaetano-pesce-1939.shtml>.

PIERRE PAULIN: Pop Art furniture design!

I decided to focus my designer discovery assignment on Pop Art design of the 1960s. So here is the first I found interesting:

10 FACTS about Pierre Paulin:
1. He is from France!
2. His furniture pieces are done through "twisting foam-upholstered steel frames into sensuous sculptural seating."
3. Part of the inflatable, architecture movement, very famous in Paris.
4. Sold one of his chairs for $5000 at an auction in 1998.
5. Creates abstract chairs, like his "Tongue" or "The Mushroom", to look ergonomic. Always uses bright fabrics like magenta, green, pumpkin, etc.
6. His furniture is based on different themes since he basically creates them like a sculpture.
7. His pieces all resemble a variety of shapes and angles, expecially in his tables.
8. The design company, Artifort, gave his furniture light to social revolutions through the every day styles of life.
9. Furniture is built in units so they can be linked together.
10. Paulin's 1968 exhibit, ABCD, of seating arrangements was based on pop art, like Lichtenstein, Warhol, etc. The fabric over the seats were created with that in mind.

Sources:

Galerie, Juille. "PIERRE PAULIN - Biography - Ipso Facto Gallery - Art Gallery - Megève." Ipso Facto Gallery - Bienvenue. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.ipsofactogallery.com/html/>.

Greenberg, Cara. Op to Pop: Furniture of the 1960s. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1999.

Reading Reflection Number 3!

In Heskett's Design: A Short Introduction, we were required to read chapters 4-6. Specifically in chapter 4, a paragraph stuck out to me that talked about the design process and how there are many different processes that adapt to the variety of products some designers must work with. I really don't understand what is meant by this. Does this translate as each product is made through a different process by the book or is the product made through the designer's viewpoint? Or is it a combination of both? As the chapter goes on, it begins to talk about how a designer is basically supposed to reinvent something once they are given the product. I agree because a designer is supposed to constantly make a product better and better. Going on, chapter 5 begins to talk about the importance of communications or instructions some products may have in order for them to be used. I really didn't know that graphic designers are responsible for creating communications but according to Heskett, they have the knowledge of signs, symbols, type, color, and pattern which is crucial for this part of production. Also, I didn't notice the importance of communications as much as I do now. I just looked at it as a means of "just words" but without them, we wouldn't know the proper way to use or care for a product, so I found this interesting for those means. Finally in chapter 6, I believe anyway that the environment of a where a product may be used or how it's use may be affected is an important factor of how a product is made. As a future interior designer, environment is what I will be focusing on the most so products in a room can adapt to the layout of the area. From wallpapers to textiles, the choices an interior designer makes on behalf of these areas is very important to the functionality of products and room usage so I found this chapter the most important on my personal behalf since this is what I will be controlling in my career.

Class Reflection 3!

Last week in class, we discussed the Design Process. I found it interesting how thorough the steps are to successfully design something for a client. I think this is very important and useful to becoming a successful designer because knowing constraints and doing research to figure out if the design fits the standards of the client and makes he or she satisfied. Knowing this information, designers can please the client and become successful with their creativity since all designers have their own style. I think after learning this I will grow as a designer because I have a guide to satisfying the customer, which is what a designer is suppose to do. In the film "The Deep Dive", the process was used to build a shopping cart and their design was successful and beyond because they not only met their clients standards but put their own twist on the product, leaving the client more than satisfied. All in all, I believe the design process helps a designer not only follow the rules "by the book" but opens a window of opportunity to make a name for his or her self because they can add their own signature twist to whatever they are designing, creating their own style.

Survey!

For my survey, I administered a handwritten survey to a group of ten people relating to interior design content, which is my intended major. The choices were very likely, neutral, and very unlikely.
Question 1: Would you ever consult in an interior designer for home improvement advice?
Question 2: Have you ever helped design (paint, choose furniture, etc.) for a friend's home?
Question 3: Have you ever designed a room at your own home?
Question 4: Would you hire an interior designer to design the rooms in your home?
Question 5: Do you know what a blueprint is?

RESULTS:

From these results, I realized some people don't really understand how important an interior designer could be because a person has their own style and how they want their room to look. But an interior designer is trained to give a client the room he or she desires and more.

"Design is to design a design to produce a design."

In class last week, a quote that was brought up in class from Heskett's book showed design as a verb and a noun, but if one breaks apart the sentence it's a step by step process to produce one design. "Design is to design a design to produce a design." Basically, design is used to produce a single design, which is used as something a person can use. Without design, we wouldn't get products that we use every day. In class, we also talked about production before and after the Industrial Revolution. Machinery, like the steam engine, was created, and that has evolved into bigger and quicker production today. All in all, the evolution of design was an insight to lecture and it's amazing how much has changed through process and technology with all of the new materials being created and how they are made.

Reading Reflection Number 2!

In the assigned reading from John Heskett's book, Design: A Very Short Introduction, I found the evolution of design and designers, from as far back as the year 600 B.C., like the woomera of Australian aborigines who created hunting spears, to present, was very shocking and interesting. I think what stuck out to me the most was the way Heskett said design is basically evolved from different cultures. Each has their own style and method to design, which makes sense if one was to really look at something from two different countries and actually compared the two. The example used in the book was toothpicks from Norwegia and Japan, the forms and style are uncomparable, besides the obvious that they are both a form of toothpicks. Aside from product evolution, the process of producing these materials have changed tremendously since it has went from craftsmanship, which is concentrated construction of a product one by one, to factory production which likely doesn't have the quality of a craftsman's product but it saves time with a surplus quanitity of the product. Even though some things are good quality, it seems like factory production is careless and quality of product isn't as good if there isn't concentrated creation on it. It would be merely impossible to do this with all production but maybe with design at it has been evolving according to Heskett will create a way to improve factory production and quality.

Patterns, Patterns, Patterns.

I decided to explore around my room to look for different patterns because I have an assortment of interesting things that I never knew I had. In my opinion, a pattern is basically anything, doesn't have to be repetitive like some people may think. But I also believe symmetry has a huge relationship to what a pattern is.
(Going from top to bottom for each row)
1. In my closet, I saw a sun dress while I was getting ready for the day and it had this vibrant orange, pink, white, and black flower pattern. It stood out to me the most out of all my clothes.
2. On my wall, I have a series of old Couture magazine covers which is arranged into a symmetrical collage. They all relate to the same subject, creating a pattern.
3. My curtains are made of panels that are hung in a constant way so I figured this would serve as a pattern. Also, the way the panels flow together caught my eye.
4. I have a basket that normally holds magazines and books from being scattered across my floor like a typical female's room would look alike..Anyways, the weaving of the basket material creates an overlapping pattern from a focal point, which is in the middle.
5. On the bottom of my boot, I noticed the eagles in even rows and they were alternated so either way I looked at it, the pattern was the same, which was pretty interesting.
(Second row top to bottom)
6. I have a door hang that is a collage of 1960s flashbacks. Simply, a collage is an abstract pattern. It stood out to me because it's actually a piece of artwork I did in high school that is one of my favorites.
7. This is actually one of my favorite accessories I have which is my Ed Hardy hat because it reminds me of Snookie on Jersey Shore since she always wears one. The design on the hat was a thought out pattern the designer wanted hand-sewn; it was carefully placed and laid out with the perfect balance between sequins, color, and thread. *FIST PUMP*
8. My favorite scarf has a repetitive design of white and purple flowers so when I wore it one day I decided to document it for this purpose.
9. For this pattern, I had to use my favorite purse design that happens to be what my dad got me which is my limited edition pink and beige Coach canvas handbag. It's my purse of choice simply because it's PINK, so of course it stood out and is worthy enough to be a part of this blog with it's pattern of overlapping Coach c's.
10. Lastly, my headband is intertwined chains that create a braided pattern. This was the last thing I bought for myself so I noticed the pattern it created.

'TIN' lamp by Yar Rassadin

On http://www.dsgnworld.com/, I searched for an article relating to Parisian design because French designers have always grabbed my attention with the way they shape, create, and choose their color palette for some of their most basic designs; it almost makes them look effortless. But, their ways of innovation are outstanding and a man working for Triode Design out of Paris, France by the name of Yar Rassadin is a superb example of future design. He inversed the purpose of a light bulb and a lamp shade by creating a working light fixture. Instead of the lamp shade being placed over the light bulb, it was placed inside of the light bulb. My goal as a designer is to take a simple object and give it a different purpose, which is exactly what Rassadin did through his TIN lamp design. If you want a good example of how simplicity is a good and successful thing, this is a good example of that.

Check it out: http://www.dsgnwrld.com/tin-lamp-by-yar-rassadin-7072/

Myself in a Blog post!

My name is Allison Marie Fisk. My friends call me Allie, with an "ie", which rarely anyone gets right until I tell them so. I live in a dinky town surrounded by cornfields and livestock, located an hour south of the big city of Columbus and I went to high school with Ohio State's own, Nathan Williams, which is pretty awesome since he's kind of a big deal. I speak a slight bit of French, I love the color pink (Love is an understatement!) and I really do adore my family and my friends like no other people on this planet. Aside from that, a person couldn't label me with a stereotype. I'm involved in anything and everything from golfing to rapping. (I don't just rap for anyone!) Everyone just needs to know that Nicki Minaj might just want to step aside and make room for me. I count my blessings because not everyone has luck like I have had. I'm truly blessed for being an Ohio State Buckeye, as we all know it isn't easy getting chosen to be one. Overused as it sounds, no one is promised a tomorrow. That saying has created who I am and how I live. I'm not afraid to make myself look like a fool or speak my opinions. This is how I'm going to be successful in pursuing my career as an interior designer because one has to stand out to make a name for his or herself. Design isn't ordinary, it's extraordinary. With that being said, I believe taking this course will broaden my perspectives and help me excel beyond average. The most memorable people in history of any kind are not common people but people making the seemingly impossible, possible. A designer must continuously find ways to innovate and better a situation and I know I'm not on a level close to being that good of a designer yet so that is why I am taking this class. I'm looking forward to learning different ways to design but I am concerned if I can keep up with the future of innovation because I'm juvenile to the subject but I have confidence this course will get me towards my goal of becoming a renowned interior designer.