designfluence.blog

Beauty and Power

dalan — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:22:08 +0000

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

dalan — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 04:26:12 +0000

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

dalan — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:59:44 +0000

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

dalan — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 02:43:04 +0000

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)

dalan — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 21:31:36 +0000

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!