Floods In Britain

Just recently there’s been a lot of headline news about flooding especially in the area of Cumbria, so I thought it was of relevance to write a blog about it.

The main problem in the area is a number of bridges have collapsed and many are on the verge of giving way in the flood. Many homes, businesses and community spots around town have been affected by the extreme weather conditions. The most concerning issue relating to the flooding is that Cumbria has a large number of bridges throughout the area and with the bridges giving way under the amount of pressure it’s a danger to the community.

Cumbria is one of the worst hit areas of flooding and has been ever since floods hit the area back in 2005, but there has never been any ideas brought forward to help stop or decrease the amount of damage created by the surrounding waters. For me I believe the main question we should think about is that is there any way to guarantee that this doesn’t happen?

As a designer myself the best thing about this area of expertise is that we can also use our ability and put it to good use. So why not gather designers together to create something that can help improve the lives of everyone in the local area of Cumbria.

Fiscavaig

An architectural design has been completed close to home so thought i would take pride in writing about it. Its by a Scottish Architecture Firm called Rural Design and they have just finished constructing a small timber house on the Isle of Skye. The actual project has been named Fiscavaig and is a two-storey house that has been raised above the ground by wooden columns. The building has been designed so it narrows towards the north side to capture the surrounding landscape. The overall appearance is one that creates a visually pleasing building to look at and draws in the nature of its surroundings.

E.L.A Desk

While researching in to furniture for our own furniture project i came across this unusual but modern take on a desk. It has been designed by Bulgarian studio Bozhinovskidesign and they have created this "cantilevered" E.L.A desk by suspending it from the side wall by steel cables. The desk has been produced from fibreglass and was designed for the fibreglass specialist ElzaDesign.

How influenced by advertising are you???

Last friday i had my last lecture of semester one with Jonathon Baldwin on Christmas spirit. He first started off talking about how men and woman’s behaviour is different when they shop.

For a lot of us the points that were made were pretty obvious. We all know that woman prefer to take their time, maybe make the experience more of a social activity, whereas men are more likely to hunt for the items they are looking for then leave. Now this stereotype does not relate to everyone but it is true for the most part. There was however some points that I had never thought about, especially relating to the role of design. For instance when designing a food store and deciding on where everything should be positioned seems like an ordinary task however the part I did not know was that they position there main brands or offers before you get to your basic everyday foods to influence your shopping making you pick up and buy! You probably forget the item you go for but come away with bags full of things you didn't need. Now this is a wise way to design your supermarket so why wouldn’t you do the same for shopping in general? Well they do. Until now I as a designer haven’t realised that there are many techniques that are subliminal and lead you towards certain areas or goods without realising it. One in particular is the effect of folding clothes in a clothes store. Its been proven by Paco Underhill in his book "Why we buy" that the more likely we are to buy something is if we touch it. While raiding through the mounds of clothes looking for your size you are subconsciously doing it out of guilt.

So you could ask yourself the question, How influenced by advertising are you?

Mini Juteopolis

I forgot to mention when we were in the middle of our Juteopolis project we were asked to undertake a mini project within our main project. We had to create an individual piece to add to Louise Richie’s exhibition design for the 2009 Dundee Degree Show.

She decided that she wanted to create an exhibition that could be easily “transportable” and “adaptable” and based on the theme Juteopolis. This is why we were asked as a class to contribute to this exhibition showing our own interpretations of the brief.

We were given a 12cm block of wood and told to do what we pleased. We could paint, cut, score, colour etc as long as it related to Juteopolis. We had to think of our block as a “canvas” for our work and present it along with our main project.

While researching for our own Juteopolis exhibition I took a keen interest at how the industry became reliant on woman particularly and so based my design on this.

Cola = Christmas

I am now officially in the festive spirit. For me the moment i begin to celebrate the festive occasion is the first time i see the Coca Cola advert and know christmas has once again come around the corner. Take a look at it for yourself and experience the festive celebration.

Annotated Bibliographies

Desmet, P, Erp, J, KArisson, M (2008) 'Design and Emotional Moves', Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

This book has been formed from a series of papers from the International Design and emotion Conference in Sweden. This book looks in to the behavioural patterns of consumers and how this can affect people in the way we buy and consume products and the way we live.

P. Fowler, E (1987), 'Management and city design', Social Forces, vol. 66, no. 2. pp. 356-389

This journal article explore the relationships humans have with their behaviour and the physical environment.

Howard, Judith A, (2000), 'Social Psychology of Identities.

Looks at the social psychological strengths of identity.

Kurtz, PD, (1998), 'A case study of a network as a learning organization'.

This case study looks at how people are connected to others through networks made up of family, friends, colleagues and organizations.

Sweed, Phyllis, January (1997), 'Who sets trends'.

Focuses on the many people who influence in some way trends in the retail industry.

Zeisel, J (1984) 'Inquiry by Design', Cambridge: press Syndicate.

This series of books looks at research into the relationship between human behaviour and the physical environment. It looks at how the environment and behaviour mix together and presents information from a variety of perspectives such as architects, psychologists, regarding the environmental change.

Websites

Course Related :

www.dezeen.com/category/interiors-news/

www.tomatodesign.co.uk

www.newdesigners.co.uk

www.designboom.co.uk

www.artillery.co.uk

Out with course:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.dailymail.co.uk

www.uk.msn.com

www.snd.org/

Furniture Design Project

Just now I am currently working on our new group project: Furniture Design. The main concept of the whole project is to design and construct a piece of furniture from a limited amount of Timber material given. Compared to our usual projects, this is a completely different process that I have to take. The audience will be able to experience first hand, the final product and see the progression made from drawings on paper to a physical model explaining our design. This for me is a real motivation to complete our design on time and produce a handmade item to the best we can.

The project lasts a total of six weeks and in that time we will be gaining a lot of experience and knowledge in the workshop that will give us a better understanding of the way things are made and how to use this when designing our very own products. Up until now i don’t have a lot of experience working within groups and producing a final handmade product however the idea of creating a design and bringing it to life is an exciting prospect.

Juteopolis Sheets

Group Project -Juteopolis

Recently we have finished our first group project, Juteopolis based on the jute industry in Dundee. It was great experience working within a team and opened my eyes to the different ways you have to be when working on your own and in a group. I have always been a person who works well in groups and I would say our small group consisting of 3 worked as well as you could hope. It was exciting to see the final product and how stress can actually bring you closer together with people. I think the full experience has really helped me focus on areas that I may not have been good at before when working on my own but they have improved when working with others where they relied on me finish a section to complete the project. You also have to work on your own just as if you were completing an individual project but consider everyones thoughts and ideas in order to bring it all together.

Fireworks

Fireworks

At this time every year everyone gets excited about the explosion of colour you can see when you look up. But why is it that everyone gathers together on such a night? Is it really to do with the historical reason celebrating the poor attempt made by Guy fawkes or is it just the simple fact that it creates a beautiful piece of art?

The discussion that is being made is whether or not this vibrant explosion of art is really worth the long term effects that it has on the environment. With most things these days focused on the "environmental factor" and how we have to keep recycling, recycling and more recycling this may not be the best solution to commemorating the historical day.

Now for me, i know how exciting it can be when everyone is gathered around the bonfire, wrapped up warm and holding your very own miniature firework. It is a great memory to have but will this day end up being a faint and distant memory for all? The debate about banning fireworks is a strong and serious view that many seem to agree with. When the fireworks create a brilliant coloured display before your very eyes they produce a shower of toxic chemicals. Is it really worth all the damage if you only see them for a split second? The long term effects seem to be more important yet we seem to forget this when it comes down to self satisfaction.

There have been studies that fireworks are a hazard to peoples health. They have caused many people to have breathing problems but scientists found a way of replacing the chemical rants with compressed air. But this was too expensive to be commercially viable. They also cause disruption to wildlife and household pets. Not a lot of good seems to come from the fireworks and this is the point people are trying to make.

Due to the health and safety risks that come with this commercial activity round about 10 people a year lose their sight and over 1000 people suffer from an injury due to the use of fireworks. So the question we should ask ourselves is banning fireworks the right thing to do for all or should be all have the experience of celebrating Bonfires night in a traditional way?

In Depth Brainstorm

The more focused brainstorm looks at how all three are connected and how connectors, mavens and salesmen come together well in the world of Interior design. From looking into each you realize how important it is for you to take on different roles and gain a vast amount of knowledge and experience suited to those particular areas. Although you may find it difficult to challenge yourself to gain these sets of skills it is important to improve to the best you can on each areas and when working within a production team you will be a great attribute. The different environments you will be placed in will make to deal with design issues you may not have thought about before. You have to learn to improve your skills you need to succeed in this specific industry and that everything you do or the people you meet may be of valuable use in years to come.