Design & Innovation

Apparently ordinary fly swatters aren’t doing the trick, so they have decided to electrify them http://www.electricflyswatter.net/?gclid=CLOxwMqv3ZMCFQUjGgodY1KYYw. I’m so mad that I didn’t have one of these when I was growing up. My dad was and still is insane when a fly comes in his house. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal to him, but as soon as he spots one, it automatically turns into a “code red.” Regardless of what any of us were doing, all the lights in the house went off except for one little lamp (or if we were lucky, he would just leave the tv on) and we all had to quietly wait for the “trespasser” to head over to the glowing trap. Of course my dad wasn’t the most skilled fly swatter, so as he wildly swung at the fly, no one was ever sure if he got it (Although he always claimed he did). However, the electric fly swatter leaves no room for questioning. If you swing and that thing sparks, then game over. Watching that swatter light up in my nearly pitch black house would have made my dad’s fly killing rituals so much more entertaining.  Also, imagine how much fun this thing would be outdoors, such as on a camping trips, just running around zapping bugs. Then you have to factor in the fact that I grew up with two brothers. Imagine how much fun we would have had trying to zap each other with these things. I would definitely asked Santa for one for Christmas. He probably wouldn’t get it for me, but it would be worth a shot. Getting back to the product I love how it’s marketed. The whole ad talks about how powerful it is, claiming it uses 1500 volts, stating that this is not your regular weak “AA” battery fly swatter, but this one uses 2 “D” batteries giving off a powerful 1500 bug exploding volts. With a statement like that how couldn’t you buy it?  Then almost right after that it states that the output power is relatively low, constituting no real harm to humans or pets. So wait, are the “D” batteries really that much stronger? Is it even necessary to use them, when it seems like the “AA” batteries were already doing the job? This are little tiny bugs we are talking about and not the giant mutated ones in the movie Starhip Troopers(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/) right? Well we do live in America where bigger is better, so I guess in a small way, the “D” batteries do make it a more appealing product.  

Growing up I was always a fan of building things whether it was with blocks, in the sand, or just with whatever was lying around. So when I first bought my house about a year ago, I wanted to make sure I liked it, but I also didn’t want it to be perfect because if it was perfect then I wouldn’t have anything to do. Since I didn’t really have much experience in the construction business I decided that my first project would be to completely re-do my basement since that’s probably the part of the house that is seen the least. And lucky for me I have a grandfather, who is just a complete workhouse and an amazing craftsman to assist me in this project. And thanks to the “design” techniques of the previous owners, I quickly realized that his help was going to be needed a lot more than I originally anticipated (However, for me that also meant it was going to be a lot more fun :)). Although I’ll never know for sure, I have to assume that the biggest flaw in my previous owner’s constructing of the basement is that he had absolutely no plan of what he was going to do. It seemed like he just bought the materials and started “hammering” away. The more we started tearing down the basement, the more amazed I became at how horribly designed this basement really was. For starters, as you walk down the steps, there is only a 5 foot clearance, which forces the majority of people to duck as they walk down. Also, there were 3 different layers of tile put down on the uneven basement floor and for some reason he decided to use a “tar-like” substance to hold them in place. Luckily my grandpop has every tool ever known to man, so after a few ideas that weren’t working so well, we finally were able to get the tiles up by diagonally chopping at them with a hatchett and then using an ice scraper to remove the smaller pieces. Our next challenge was removing the paneling off of the walls. Although, this wasn’t as challenging as removing the tiles, the designing of the walls were just as mind-boggling. The wood framing that the panels were nailed to had no pattern, balance, levelness, or continuity. It looked like who ever did it was just grabbing pieces of wood and connecting them together in any way he/she felt like it. Also, behind these walls there were old pipes, some of which were connected to nothing and others that were connected to the water line, but didn’t lead anywhere. The worst part was that these water pipes were actually leaking, causing a nice amount of water damage. So me and my grandpop went to work with some pipe cutters and a blow torch and started removing all these unecessary pipes. Finally, the basement was a cleaered out and cleaned up, so we were ready to start working. Because the process of “gutting” the basement took a lot longer than I anticipated to complete, I was eager to start building, so I said, “Come on grandpop let’s go buy some dry wall and some studs and start putting up this wall.” He just looked at me and shook his head, so I asked him what was wrong and he said, “You know your grandmother is alwasy bragging about how smart you are, but you’re looking pretty stupid right now. We just spent the better part of a month ripping apart a basement because of how poorly it was designed  and you want to go right ahead and do the same thing. We can’t just start building, we need to come up with a plan, we need to take a look around and see exactly what we want to do and what we have to get.” Then he pulls out a piece of paper that shows the layout of my basement with all the dimensions written on it that he supposedly drew up one night when he couldn’t fall asleep. So we started walking around the basement discussing ideas on what we could and couldn’t do and in a couple hours we came up with a pretty good design. He then said to me that this probably isn’t exactly the way it’s going to look like in the end because there may be problem down the road that we aren’t seeing right now, or ideas we haven’t thought of just yet, but at least now we have a game plan to follow. I was so impressed at how good he was at this that I had to ask him how he knew all this and he replied, “When you grow up being forced to work with your hands to make a living, you quickly start to realize that the only way you are going to survive is by keeping your body strong and healthy. The best way to do that is to stop and think before you act. Visualize what you are going to do before you do it and in the end the job is going to look a whole lot better and won’t take nearly as much effort to finish it.” Isn’t it just amazing how wise and knowledgable my grandpop is

I recently purchased an edible male thong at a candy store http://www.spencersonline.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.browse/categoryID/82801100-fd99-4817-a2e3-2fff0af6d361/?s_cid=candy%20thongs&utm_campaign=GG&gclid=CJKBm7zxyZMCFQUjGgodqAjJhw and after opening the package I couldn’t help but ask myself who could possibly have designed this? Although it cost me 15 dollars, I’m sure it barely cost 15 cents to make. I am aware that the purpose of wearing such an article of clothing isn’t meant to leave too much to the imagination, but I really felt like there should have been more coverage in the “frontal” area. The portion of the thong that is meant to cover the male genitalia is about the size of a matchbox car and instead of it being in a pouch-like form, so the everything can fit inside it, it’s just a triangular slab of gumminess. This ultimately meant that the thong was hiding/covering absolutely nothing making it more of a nusance than a “turn-on”. Then to top it off the first time the woman bit into the thong it ripped in half and fell off. It’s just really hard for me to see how anyone could get any pleasure out of using/wearing this product, which begs me to ask the question how could or why would anyone design and market such an inferior product?

I recently came across a picture of the Knut Hamsun Center http://www.designboom.com/eng/ (The picture is about half way down the page) The Center is a Scandanvian project by Steven Holl Architects that is set to be completed in Hamaroy, Norway in 2009. The building is dedicated to the great Norwegian writer by the same name. The reason I felt compelled to write about this is because when I first looked at the unique design of this building, I didn’t see a building, but instead I saw a “running head”. If you don’t see it yourself then stay with me for a minute and let me try and explain it to you. First of all you have to picture him facing to the left. The way the top part of the stairs are shaped makes it look like its right arm, while the portion of the stairs in the back of the building is its left. The top window looks like its one eye, while the lower one looks like its opened mouth. Finally, on top you can see its spiky blonde hair. Now I’m assuming that its mouth is wide open because it is running after its friend who it looks like just fell face first into the dirt (the smaller building to the right). Now I doubt that this is what the architects had in mind when they were designing this building, but I think it’s still pretty interesting how it turned out, or at least how this class is ”warping” my mind ;)  

During our second class, I vividly remember Professor Yoo telling us that good design “delights” us. Far more than satisfying our needs, it exceeds expectations and creates a sense of wonder and ebullience. I was totally on board with that - I mean, yeah, the iPhone is cool and it was fun to play with Abhishek’s whenever I had a random question and needed an answer quickly. BUT, did it “delight” me? No. Sorry, Steve Jobs, but it didn’t.

So, I wondered… if the iPhone doesn’t do it for me, am I simply un-delightable? Or had I just not found the right gizmo yet? The answer came a few days later when I went to deposit a few checks, including my rebate check from Uncle Sam. I walked to my normal ATM at 16th and JFK, and, lo and behold, the deposit envelopes were gone! Instead, I was told to proceed to the ATM as usual, and to actually insert the checks into the machine, which would scan and automatically count them. This new method, I was told, ensured quicker funds availability and was more accurate than filling out an envelope.

I have always HATED filling out that envelope. I mean, it used to ask you for the most ridiculous information like the check number and your account number. I don’t even know my account number! So this was good news for someone like me. After inserting the check, n image of the check appeared on the screen, and BoA even knew how much the check was for.

As if this weren’t delightful enough, I glanced at my receipt and noticed an image of the deposited check, for my records. It even had the ABA routing number and Account number of the payer scrubbed out for security reasons.

So basically, this was a really great user interface for someone like me. It was painless, intuitive, and yes, “delightful.”

An update to my post includes photos at flickr. Also I wanted to respond to professor Yoo’s comment about the craftmanship of winemaking. Winemaking or vinification is truely an art with so many different tastes and qualities. The design of the wine  itself relies on quality grapes, the weather, the soil, they way they are harvested and prunned. Before the wine is actually crushed, vinters know what they quality of the wine will be. Reds, whites, and sparkling wines all have a different process, however to make it just right, the process must be followed like a science. Because getting the wine just right is not an easy task, vinters must be trained not only on harvesting the grapes but the taste and quality of the wine.

I was lucky enough to stay for a few extra days and experience some of the other wonders that the Bay area has to offer.  Sunday, my mom and I went to Napa Valley to several wineries. What really struck me was how much the element of design comes into play with each of these wineries. Behind every wine are a vineyard and a winemaker. We take for granted that the goodness that we sip has so much involved and each has its unique story and design.When planning our trip we decided that we wanted a different experience from each stop. 

The first stop was Artesa Winery, which according to our Fodor’s book is known more for the architecture than its wine. Although, that might not be exactly what they had in mind, it was pretty true to form. The tasting room/visitors center was designed to look like a bunker on top of a hill. As you arrive beautiful sculptures and fountains greet you. The building is very modern inside, which wasn’t what I expected but later realized that Artesa means craftsman and it was built only in 1991. In my mind, wine is associated with age, so thinking that I am actually older than this wine, is quite a new concept. The wine was good, but the experience of drinking it, is really what was important in this stop.

Next we went to the Hess Collection, which according to the guide upon entrance, “is a winery of two passions, art and wine”. Donald Hess has a world renowned art collection. The building is very different from Artesa, but has an interesting way of combining a modern look with an ancient touch. The art is very modern, but the original structure of the building has the feel of an old cottage. Again, the wine was not the only thing this winery was known for. The staff, the gardens outside and the art paired with the wine really make it about the experience. I did purchase a Pinot Noir from this winery to remind myself of the story of the Hess Family and their love of art. (It tasted pretty good too). 

We made a few other stops along the way at Copia(The center for food, wine and art), where we could learn about the winemakers, how to taste and enjoy it, and experience world class food pairings at Julia’s kitchen, Julia Childs kitchen that features her original recipes and is made with fresh produce and herbs from their onsite garden. I have slowly but surely become a wine snob as I rarely drink anything else, and after learning about its history and the passion of wine making, i have a new found understanding of the craftsmanship and design of winemaking.We made another stop at a boutique wine cellar called Vintners Collective that from the outside looked like an old pub. Inside were two bars that featured around 75 wines from smaller vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma Valley that because of their size cannot accommodate tours and tasting and rather showcase their wines through this venue. The sommeliers were very knowledgeable not only about what we might like according to our tastes but also the stories of each of the wineries and where they come from. Because i hadn’t heard of many of the wineries, I found myself focusing on the label of the bottle. I realized how important that is to those that are not familiar with wines. In fact, the name or design of the bottle could really be what sells the wine and not the taste at all.

Our last stop was at Domaine Caneros, a sparkling wine vineyard, whose tasting room looked like a grand chateau. This was the most crowded stop by far, as it was recently named a favorite by Oprah. The taste was much different than anything we had throughout the day, and found it more enjoyable with the paired cheese, fruit and chocolate plate. Again, the staff was very knowledgeable about the wine and the storytelling really helped to shape our experience.To sum up the day, we felt very cultured…and somehow still sober.

We experienced great wine, food, architecture, art, storytelling, history, horticulture, and scenery. Design could be seen throughout everything that I did, and although the experience was near perfect, I still found myself thinking of other ways to experience the fine fruit. 

It appears that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is starting to have a major influence on the way in which new buildings are being designed. In fact, they have caused Energy Star to create a strategic management approach to incorporate energy performance in the building design process (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_bldg_design.new_bldg_design_guidance). This approach is considered to be a set of suggested actions for design professionals and building owners to establish and achieve energy goals. I’m curious as to whether or not following these steps will hinder the designer’s ability to being creative. Following it will most likely cause some constraints on the design, but it may actually be benefitial. I would hope that designers would embrace these challenges and try to find new and innovative ways to make these buildings both stylish and enery efficient instead of taking the easy way out and just sticking with traditional designs that have worked in the past. 

I know we have a lot of Apple/Mac-lovers in our class, and I absolutely love my iPods (regular and shuffle), but I have noticed a couple of “flaws” lately. First, I have been traveling since I left for San Francisco, and I have noticed that I’m carrying around two different chargers for my regular iPod and my iPod shuffle. Since I already have several chargers for my cell phone, laptop, camera, etc., for me it would be incredibily useful to use one charger for both iPods. Also, talking about “thinking outside the box”, how amazing would it be to have only one charging device for all your electronic equipment…? Especially for business travelers i think it would be a great (but complicated) topic to research.

Secondly, after having visited the NikeTown in SF, I keep thinking about buying the Nike+iPod device. However, I won’t get it, because that would require me to purchase a third iPod (the nano). I’m not sure if Apple made the device only for the nano on purpose or not, but it would seem to me this would keep people from purchasing it. And maybe that would be Apple’s goal: To make people, who might already have the regular iPod, to buy the iPod nano. I actually feel the same way about the iPhone/AT&T deal, but again Apple probably has good business reasons for that decision as well.

I think these two points go along well with our repeated discussions of continuously improving a product/service/design, and never being done with it. I believe that even the most successful products or services can be improved over time, but only if you continue to use design thinking and attitude to figure out what the consumer really wants

Wow, what a whirlwind of a week it was in San Francisco.  Now that I have had time to decompress, sleep in, and review my notes I figured I would share some insights from each of the visits last week.  May end up being a few posts.

Matt Mullenweg – Founder of Wordpress and Automatic.  What I found most interesting from Matt’s discussion was how the company distributes workflow and how the employees communicate with each other.  For a company of that size where the employees are scattered across the world the passive chatting through blogs and twitter makes sense.  The chatting results in real time discussion and a better alignment of work to prevent duplicated efforts.  I know much larger companies are trying to implement similar systems.  It will be interesting to see how they manage liability and communication.

Yahoo – The best part of the visit with Yahoo was the range of presentations.

Marc Davis’ presentation on the future of mobile computing was interesting from a futuristic point of view.  However I thought his most apt point was when he said that “the most fundamental design problem is the design process itself and we must rethink most basic assumptions.”  In a way I think this is where the process of design thinking starts. 

Klaas Kaasgaurd’s presentation on customer insights was unique because he really spoke to the overlap of market research and user centered research, by saying both are important.

Luke Wroblewski’s presentation focused on three main points that have caused design to be more important in business.  First the fact that markets are maturing faster means that design as a method for differentiation matters sooner in the business or product life cycle.  Second, design thinking allows companies to better adapt to the continuous flux of information in today’s society.  Third, due to the increased complexity of peoples lifestyles and products design helps to invoke meaning and apply context.  

Since we spent the last week immersing ourselves in design culture and learning how to apply design concepts to our business core, I thought it’d be interesting to look at the flip side: how designers learn more about business strategy.

As Professor Yoo mentioned, several design schools have begun to teach students how to become more business-savvy in order to manage a successful design studio. The synergy of business and design is a hot topic as of late, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) has been leading the Design/Business revolution.

AIGA conferences dealing with the application of business tactics to the management of a design cooperative:

• SMART/MODELS
• Business & Design: October 25-28 (Tom Kelley & Malcolm Gladwell are presenting!)
• Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders: July 27-Aug 1

More AIGA Design/Business resources:

• a guide for explaining to “by-the-book” CEOs the pivotal role that design plays in business
• Gain, the AIGA Journal of Business & Design

I’m encouraged by the fact that business professionals and designers are reaching out and collaborating to bridge the gap. By learning from one another and fostering a mutually beneficial relationship, Design & Business can together create a stronger, more productive economy. I encourage everyone to sign up for AIGA’s e-newsletter and check out their website…it’s a great way to “keep the momentum going” post-trip.