Beauty and Power

I LOVE these kind of designs! These ocean/wave power electricity generators are the epitome of nature-based industrial design. How many ways can we mimic nature for the benefit of humankind? Answer: the same number as the iterations of nature. Countless. Endless. Always growing. Ever changing. Evolutionary.

WPIMP My Shirt

WPIMP = Wearable Physiological Information Management Platform. Now you know why I didn’t spell it out in the title! It’s also known — revealing the power of branding — as the SmartShirt. A company called Sensatex is developing the system materials and manufacturing process for first-responders, and patients and athletes who need their health conditions monitored and remotely readable.

This would be a great challenge project for design/engineering students. Conjuring any applications up?

M2M

M2M? What?

I’ve been getting M2M magazine for maybe two years now. I’m not sure why I got it in the first place. And, up until recently, I had only the vaguest idea what it meant. Even Nokia, who popularized the term, can’t decide whether it’s “machine-to-man” or “machine-to-machine” or “machine-to-mobile.” M2M magazine defines “machine-to-machine as the connecting of people, devices, and systems.”

What it is, is an important technology. In the context of eco-social projects, how does it benefit humans, and how do you connect all that with “the earth”? More precisely, are there applications for developing country needs? How does this technology make life better for humans?

A major component of M2M is RFID technology. Radio Frequency Identification. RFID are kind of scary if you think “Big Brother.” They are as cheap as $.05 and as small as 0.15mm square! But that would make them cheap enough for third-world applications… What might some of those be?

What if all weapons/munitions/explosives were embedded with non-removable RFID tags? Don’t get me started.

Ockham’s Razor

I had never heard of “Ockham’s Razor” until I bought “Universal Principles of Design” by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden & Jill Butler. It’s #66 of “100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design.” The book is concisely written and clearly illustrated — a great reference for your library. I’m a bit fuzzy about who William of Ockham was, other than a friar who lived in the 14th century (how do they keep track of all that stuff?). Mayhaps he was also the local barber, known for his close shaves?

Anyway, the upshot is simplicity is preferred to complexity. Einstein is quoted: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Coming from him, you pay attention! Graphically, the concept it illustrated by the brilliant Yamaha Compact Silent Electric Cello, and by Google’s interface, one of my favorites. In fact, I consciously try to emulate it on designfluence.org web pages, so let me know how I’m doing!

Connect The Dots (a new game)

I have a wacky idea: it involves the photo above (from the National Geographic archives, taken 21 Sep 1938 by The Day, New London, CT), the designer Mitchell Joachim, the PDF here from the Global Citizen Center, and an article in New York magazine, dated 2/7/05.

See if you come to the same conclusion — or something better!

Portable Light

I went to visit a new friend, Cameron Sinclair, who’s doing great work through his organization, Architecture for Humanity. One person he mentioned in our conversation was Sheila Kennedy and her project Portable Light. From the website:

“Portable Light is an interdisciplinary research, design and engineering project to create and implement new models for energy efficient electrical power and lighting. Portable Light applies creative processes and strategic integrative thinking to optimize existing semi-conductor technologies and create new applications to serve the large number of people—more than 2 billion—who do not have access to electric light or power. Portable Light is based upon the principle that global needs for technology development are inevitably interconnected. Knowledge, techniques, market solutions and data produced by the project benefit the “third” world and the “first” world where the need to imagine, design and develop energy efficient alternatives to the centralized and increasingly costly electrical grid is becoming ever more important.”

We’ll be keeping a close eye on LEDs, HBLEDs and OLEDs. Lots of design bandwidth in these lighting technologies.

Schopenhauer on a Roll

Arthur Shopenhauer said “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

Above you see three cars, the Tesla Roadster, Wrightspeed X1 and the Tango… the Tesla in particular because of the company’s comparitively deep pockets, that would be in the Violently Opposed (by the majors anyway) Stage. Anyone venture a guess when these cars will enter the Self-evident Stage?

All three were in Palo Alto recently… What a treat to see three of the most impressive in one spot! Almost got a ride in the X1… almost. Drat!

Photos by Gerry Gaydos.

Ralf Hotchkiss Makes Wheelchairs That Go ‘Round the World

Ralf is another fellow I met at a Stanford event. And another product benefitting lots of people. “Whirlwind Technology has been taken to over 45 countries worldwide, providing the best in wheelchair design and construction utilizing local resources.” That quote’s from their site.

I saw it in action. There was a woman attending the talk who was in a $4,000 titanium wheelchair. She was respectfully asked “Do you bang your toes?” She admitted she did. “What happens when you go off a curb?” She said she couldn’t without risking a nasty fall. Ralf pointed out that the Whirlwind design protected the feet and was stable going off an 8-inch curb. This was ably demonstrated by a proud owner of a Whirlwind chair. He in fact pushed off a 16-inch-high stack of boxes without misshap!

What’s wrong with this picture? Why does it take 100 years before some products receive some intelligent design attention?

Martin Fisher Designs Irrigation Pumps in Africa

Martin Fisher is an enthusiastic rulebreaker. And he’s on his way to making millions. Millions of products that help people in third world countries live a better life. In 1991 he co-founded ApproTEC (now KickStart.org) to develop and market new, appropriate technologies in Africa. He and his group have created over 29,000 new jobs, generating $37 million a year in new profits and wages — transforming subsistence farms into highly profitable enterprises. I’d feel pretty good if I could do something like that. That’s why I founded Designfluence.

Martin is an engineering PhD alum of Stanford who gave a talk there back in April of 2004. He demonstrated simple human-powered water pumps that have helped developing-country entrepreneurs create new jobs and new wealth, and allowed the poor to climb out of their poverty.

What was so distinctive about the presentation was how far removed I felt from his world of design. He has made a huge difference in a large number of lives. I asked myself if I wanted to do that kind of design. Yes!

I think designers should take every opportunity to get involved in as many facets of design as possible. The act of design is such a rich experience. Design, like so many disciplines, is both a satisfying process and a desirable destination — stimulating in action, rewarding in the finished product. Or maybe the finished effect. The people’s lives affected by Martin’s work is the reason he’s so involved. It’s a good test of design — the effect on human lives.