Task 3 EcoRedesign

The product that we disassemble is kettle. This product took us approximately 2 hours to separate it into parts. The hardest thing to do that we found is to take the screws out, many tools are needed.

In this exercise, we identified the product materials and discussed the process of how the parts been made. The main material of this kettle is polypropylene. The design of this product is simple,but there is challenge of hard to take out the heating component. Only this part it has 8 screws. After the disassembly we find out all the material of this product ended up have to go to landfill, nothing can be really recycle that is really waste.

The report from the greenfly shows that the part that has most environment impact is the heating system. (It took long time to separate it.) This result also shows that the design company didn't really consider about the environmental issue.

To redesign this product we can do better so don't have to waste that much. we consider to reduce the require of using fastener, there for most of the part can be use technique of self lock, in this way manufacture can reduce the cost of product and also can easy to get the product recycle which is more friendly for the environment.

Recycling

Video "Packaging Giving a New Life" gives an idea how the process of recycling done. Recycling is one of the solid waste management strategy which comprises the activities of sorting, collecting, processing, distribution and manufacture of products/ materials used. Recycling may be the best solution to give new life to a product, or even give better value. But on the other hand, the process requires a lot of machines areinvolved and need a lot of energy. In the near future, we might need a better solution to overcome this problem, maybe to reduce or reuse the product.

As an Industrial Design student, has been invested since the beginning that as designers, we must consider the surrounding environment and create products that are not to pollute the environment, but to make the environment better .There's a lot of things the designer must think of to generate a sustainable design and does not damage the environment. From the start the production process to the impact on the environment at the end of product life cycle. Creating a durable product and use green materials, helps companies and consumers to contribute to create a sustainable earth. Create items that can be recycled to bring a good reputation in the company and also benefit the earth because we do not add waste to the environment.

MY FOOTPRINT

This quiz is very interesting because we can instantly recognize and realize our behavior towards environment. I was not surprise with the results, because I realize that u had been less concerned with the environment, especially the use of eco-friendly goods and travel behavior. To remedy the situation that can be started from ourselves, taking public transportation and buy items as needed can be a good start. Reuse of items that still can be used likely will be the first thing i can do.

Peer Comments: Project 1 Experience Enrichment

Jill Darbey

Shan Shan Wang

Jen Jun Zhu

Gabriel ly

Nicholas Baroni

Video Reflection: Don Norman

Emotional Design

Don Norman talks about his book‘Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things’. The subject revolves around how consumers are buying products because of its looks rather than its function.

Take for example Philippe Starck’s ‘Juicy Salif’, it is said to be a juice squeezer and looks unique and interesting, however, on the package of the product, it is instructed not to squeeze any juice as the acid would ruin the gold plate. Although most people would think this is an absurd design they do not realise that they themselves are not buying products that work best but rather look the best and is also interesting. It is our curiosity and fascination in the design that chooses the product in the end.

Emotional design has gradually grown to play a big role in the final product. Industrial designers therefore have to consider designing products that are more interesting and enhance the consumer’s experience of the product

Video Reflection: Annie Leonard

Major take home messages from the video would be that the money from the products that are sold, do not pay for everything that went into the process of making it, such as people who manufacture the goods are not getting paid enough in some countries. Although all we see is the buying and selling of goods, there is so much more to the process of getting a product to the buyer.

As the video is not so much about industrial design, but more the bigger picture, it suggests that our products that we design should strive towards being more environmentally friendly and avoid designing objects that are planned for obsolescence. We should influence the consumers to steer away from this want for products that are to be bought then disposed of, even if it is perfectly useful, by designing things that are timeless, and would be appreciated in many years to come. An example of bad design towards the environment are those juice packs mentioned in the video and how they are made of inseparable materials such as foil and paper or something all merged together, making it impossible to recycle. The part about obsolescence, both planned and perceived is also warning the viewer against consumerism, and constantly buying things unnecessarily.

My opinion about design has changed by giving me an insight into the bigger picture, and how the design of a product affects the world, and this linear cycle that we must develop to become a cyclic cycle. The problem with the cycle is that we are using up all our resources and destroying our planet. It shows why the whole design world is becoming more environmentally friendly.

Video Reflection: Ross Lovegrove

The video opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about design, from the world of micro (magnified images of cells integrated into design) to the idea of designing for the future with "fat-free" or "lean and efficient" products that satisfy the need without trying to look fancy but manage to be different.

Ross talks about moving towards new materials such as types of polymers that don't necessarily look good but work, which is his main aim. Its also interesting when he says "how can i design a phone in three weeks then i look at dinosaurs that evolved in millions of years". This is a very true message that emphasizes the idea of products adapting to new ideas and environments.

The video was an interesting insight into design through instinct to create products that behave like and almost imitate nature for a different and purposeful outcome.