Implementations
The Ideal (Junior) Industrial Designer
Being a great industrial designer requires a nuanced balance of many important skills and personality traits, but which matter the most?
A few weeks ago, I initiated a project with the goal of uncovering information about how industrial designers process and evaluate the complex, nuanced combination of skills and traits that are thrown at them every time they look at a portfolio or meet someone for an interview. I sent out surveys to senior designers to get feedback that would help students and young designers understand where to focus their energy. After receiving 100 responses, I’m happy to say that this document confirms some things intuitively believed and also uncovers some interesting surprises. How important is good sketching relative to a good personality? As it turns out, they’re neck and neck.
Even though this document uses scores and percentages to organize the information, it’s important to remember that the study is still largely qualitative. With that in mind, I hope you’ll leave your comments and help me start a constructive discussion on what’s important to the young designers for which this project was created.
UC Chair Studio 2010
I made a quick visit to University of Cincinnati recently to see the fourth-year industrial design studio’s chair projects. As always, there was a broad range of solutions as the maturing students strive to refine their own points of view on design through this project. The deceptively simple chair allows for myriad possibilities when it comes to aesthetics and materials.
Many students outsourced the production of their chairs this year, possibly mirroring a general shift in design away from artifacts and towards ideas. While a very different experience than building the chair on their own, my take on this outsourcing is that the students learn a valuable skill in managing someone else to execute their vision. Ideally, UC will require some projects to be built by hand and some to be outsourced, since both are great experiences for a student to have. Check out a few of the projects here or visit my Flickr page to see a larger set.
All the “ID” work at the 2010 DAAPworks
Last week, University of Cincinnati seniors showed off their final projects. Here is a selection of the industrial design projects. (I wish I could have documented the whole show!) There was a great range of work, with a strong interest in furniture this year. My main criticism is with some of the critics themselves, who still think “ID” is defined only as products and tangible objects. Sure, it’s always great to casually walk through the space and breathe in beautifully considered medical devices, consumer electronics, or juvenile products, but industrial design has evolved far far beyond the final object. Some professionals still don’t even consider soft goods a legitimate endeavor! If anyone would like to weigh in on this point of view, I’d love to have a spirited conversation about it.
I believe no matter what the capstone topic, there is potential for both success and failure. Many of the students uncovered opportunities involving retail, brand positioning, experience design, new business ventures, and more. The product is not always the solution, and this new generation of students understands that. Congratulations to all the new graduates! Check out the full set of photos on Flickr.
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
As a consultant, our business lives and dies with each presentation. Each time we speak with a client, no matter how formal or informal, it is an opportunity to leave an impression that inspires them to ask us for help solving with their latest challenge. I also stress the importance of the public speaking to my students, and I often cite Steve Jobs as the best source of inspiration. Jobs is a great example for design students because he must always relate his message back to something tangible, whether it is one of Apple’s interfaces, products, or a retail experiences. The keynote of the original iPhone is my gold standard for tone, structure, and details of how a student should present their own work.
Recently, my design director lent me a copy of Carmine Gallo’s The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs. This is the second book on presentations that I’ve read in as many years, the other being Jerry Weissman’s Presenting To Win. Where the latter is a better reference, Gallo’s book is filled with inspiring examples, most of which can be reviewed on YouTube. The two books share a lot of the same points on preparation and structure, but there are some nice additions that come out when specifically studying Jobs.
Plan Plan Plan
As with many books on presentation, Gallo recommends that planning for a presentation is best done on paper, not on powerpoint. Jobs is a relentless planner, not a natural. A good presentation answers the questions, “What’s the one thing that matters most?” and “Why should you care?” for it’s audience. I’ll continue to promote this point only until I stop hearing speeches that fail to answer these questions.
Be The Protagonist
Products are not just products, they are solutions to some problem. We designers know better, but too often we forget this when it matters most. Through the lens of storytelling, solutions are the protagonists that save the day. Paint a vivid picture of your audience’s pain point (the antagonist) early in your presentation, always before you present your solution. Finally, end your speeches as Aristotle would, with a call to action.
The Holy Shit Moment
Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Scientist John Media reports, “The brain doesn’t pay attention to boring things…it does pay attention to an emotionally-charged event.” Plan a holy shit moment by telling a personal story, revealing some unexpected information, or delivering a demonstration that will be a memorable experience for your audience. Make sure you build up to the moment properly and rehearse to make it come off effortlessly.
Dyson DC24 Blueprint
We recently upgraded to a Dyson DC24 Blueprint. Rather than the traditional golden and metal colorway, the blueprint comes in white and has added printed details about range of motion, stress testing, and more technical information. It’s a beautiful product, inside and out, so I decided to document some of the less expected angles and share the design.
Admiring Dyson’s from afar, I always imagined that part of the beauty was in a “secret” level of detail where the appearance of deceptively simple volumes with tangent intersections were actually more sophisticated curvature surfaces (like an Apple laptop). In reality, they’re really just the simple forms we’d expect. Why do you think this works? Is there something cognitively “right” about assigning this vocabulary to tools like a vacuum cleaner? Looking at the Dyson in person reminds me of Gray Holland’s hypothesis on surfacing can relate to functionality. It will be interesting to see how Dyson products evolve now that they’ve become a lifestyle brand. Anyway, here are the pictures:
The Best Cappuccino
Nearly every designer I’ve heard speak talks about the importance of exploration and experimentation. For better or worse, we often can’t do that to the extent that our jobs will allow us. For me, fine art is one outlet for experimentation. It also keeps my compositional skills sharp. My work, a collection of both familiar and fresh pieces, is on display at Brutopia this month. They have great cappuccino, you should go have one!
I recently discovered the digital macro feature on my Canon Powershot SD790 IS. I’ve nicknamed it the industrial design setting since it is perfect for shooting the tight details of your favorite products. If you have a Canon, you should check for it!
DAAP Furniture Studio Student Work
How long does it take to design and build a chair? 10 weeks, according to UC’s school quarter. Led by Professor Dale Murray, twenty fourth-year students were the latest group to take on the challenge. Murray directed the students to use metaphor in the design of their chairs, and they presented a very broad range of ideas. Can you find the metaphor in each of these chairs?
Max Schlachter
Tracy Subisak
Jessica Wilson
Jacob Nitz
Chad Hodge
Ed Mangum
Some of the photos were by me and some were by Tracy Subisak. Check out the rest of them over at Flickr.
UC Industrial Design Group Projects
This summer, DAAP’s fourth year industrial design students undertook a group project to create a family of products. The products ranged from soft goods to housewares, with the overarching emphasis on creating actionable brand principles that translate into engaging executions. Overall, the quarter was a success, with students presenting these final boards. In addition, I’ve stressed the importance of the verbal presentation (to upper level students especially), and they all delivered enjoyable and informative speeches.
Launch by Michael Kandel, Sylvia Spencer, and Tracy Subisak
Nomad by Ed Mangum, Nick Rudemiller, and Max Schlacter
Cargo by Alicia Abend, Megan Meyer, and Jessica Wilson
S2 by Carly Hagins, Andrew McCarthy, and Sayaka Tsuda
Chimera by Cassie Cropper, Keith Messer, and Justin Wagoner
Gem by Amanda Deininger and Amanda Starnes
Drop by Steve Nelson, Aaron Ricica, and Michael Snively
Dirty Dishes by Chad Hodge, Jacob Nitz, and David Saldoff
Swiffer WetJet
Swiffer’s new WetJet recently hit the shelves and Kaleidoscope played a big part in the design development. The redesigned device looks purposeful and powerful; and it backs it up through new usability features.. In terms of aesthetics, we gave the design a darker, more professional purple palette and reflective wave detail to create an experience more in line with other Swiffer products. We packed in lots of usability improvements, including tent-pole construction, dual spray heads, new bottle release, stronger handle ergonomics.
From the Kaleidoscope website:
The redesigned WetJet is more marketable, easier to use, and performs better than its predecessor (which was very successful in its own right). The aesthetic improvements and enhanced performance help it win at shelf and delight in the consumer’s home, while the human factors optimizations set WetJet apart from imitators.
Art Website Updated
Nearly every successful designer will cite experimentation as an essential element to keeping your eye and your mind sharp. I experiment in three key ways – by entering design competitions, writing on this blog, and creating fine art. I reminded readers that I have my work at Sidewinder coffee shop in Northside, and now I wanted to announce that my website has been updated with photos of this work. If you’re not in Cincinnati to see it in person, check out the site and let me know what you think!
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