The Deep Dive

1. “From the buildings in which we live and work, to the cars we drive, or the knives and forks with which we eat, everything we use was designed to create some sort of marriage between form and function.”


2. The folks at IDEO state that they are not experts in any given area. But, they do claim to be experts on the process on how you design stuff, which they apply to the innovation of consumer products.


3. After the team of designers is brought together, told the problem, and informed they have five days to “pull it off,” what phase of the design process do they immediately engage in?

Went out and experienced and learned about the shopping cars first hand


4. Give two examples of what the team members did during this phase.

a. went to the store and used a shopping cart


b. talked with store people who use them everyday and got information about how they could be improved, (i.e. the wind catches them and they can move really fast)



5. List five rules-of-thumb that IDEO employees follow when they share ideas during the brainstorming phase:

a.One conversation at a time. 


b. Stay focused


c.encourage wild ideas


d.defer judgement


e.build on the ideas of others



6. Why should wild (and sometimes crazy) ideas be entertained during the brainstorming phase?

Because if you build on those ideas and they end up being better than the appropriate ideas.
aka "Focused chaos"


7. After the brainstorming phase was over, the team narrowed down the hundreds of ideas by voting for those ideas that were not only “cool” but also buildable  in a short period of time. What phase of the design process is this called?


8. IDEO believes that the ideas and efforts of a group will always be more successful than the planning of a lone genius.


9. Once the ideas were narrowed down and divided into categories, the group was split into four smaller teams. What phase(s) of the design process was each of these groups responsible for?
Purpose refocus the deep dive by diving into groups and give each team a "need" area. 


10. The leaders at IDEO believe that playful behavior and a fun environment are two important reasons why their employees are able to think quickly and creatively to produce innovative results.


11. Sometimes, people come up with great solutions that work by trying their ideas first, and asking for forgiveness later.


12. Design is often a process of going too far and having to take a few steps back. What phase of the design process would the critique of the four mock-ups come under?

Refining and Communicating Results


13. Upon critique of the four teams’ models, it was obvious that none of the teams had developed an optimum solution. However, the people at IDEO believe that it is important to fail often often in order to succeed sooner.


14. What percentage of the entire week’s time did it take to fabricate the final prototype?


20%

15. Instead of showering his design team with a tremendous amount of praise, what did the boss require his employees to do with their new design?

Improve on the design


16. Of all the things that we are surrounded by every day, what has not been placed through the design process?

the human body and nature


Conclusion

1. What did you find to be the most impressive part of the team’s effort?
>The amounts of fun they had while working
>The great ideas they came up with
>How effective their shopping cart was

2. What advantages are there to having a design team with members that have non-engineering backgrounds?
>Different perspective
>Provide more information on the things engineers might have not thought of
>The psychological and marketing aspect of the design


3. There was a point in the process where a self-appointed group of adults stepped up, stopped the ideas, and redirected the group to break up into teams. Why was this done?

TO GET PEOPLE FOCUSED AND TIME MANAGEMENT


4. At the end of the video, Dave Kelly states, “Look around. The only things that are not designed are the things we find in nature.” Can you think of anything that would contradict this statement?
No, I think that the things we design are taken from the design of the things in nature. 

Glider Challenge

1. Picture of our glider^^^^^^^^
2. 1) The challenge is to design a model airplane with unlimited amounts of paper and balsa wood. The catch is that it has to be light weight and be albe to withstand the wind.

2) Design PhaseBrainstorm solutions:
-The rules of brainstorming are to be creative as possible and collaborate openly with people.

-Our ideas were taken from Da Vinchi's models of airplanes.


3. ) Specify:-Criteria: Make a model airplane with as little material as possible.
-Constraints: unlimited paper, balsa wood, tape
"+" - desirable outcomes- Make the glider fly

"Delta" - outcomes to change- Cut the glider in certain spots and put more balsa wood on the wings
"?" - questions raised- At what point does the glider spin upside down? How much will we have to depend on the wind? Is there a critical piece of design that we are missing?
"light bulb" - ideas generated- We can make the glider have different spots of change in the amount of paper and we can also cut the balsa wood into smaller pieces.


4. Develop Solutions:
-Sketch (with labels)
-Model in CAD

Purple- the front

Green- the middle

Pink- the tail of the glider

 

In class Assignment

MODEL PLANE

*

*The stick in the middle is a very small size, i apologize for the puniness of it.

Isometric View

E G G D R O P

My partner in crime for the egg drop experiment was Gabby Aguilar.
We chose a very simplistic version of a contraption to hold the precious egg.
It consisted of a plastic bag and a lot of crumbled up loose leaf paper, as seen here.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Achievments

1. Our materials fit inside of a shoe box, compressed of course.

2. Our materials weighed less than 200 grams (118 grams).

3. We hit inside the third ring on the construction paper.

4. OUR EGG DIDN'T BREAK

5. OUR EGG DIDN'T BREAK

6. OUR EGG DIDN'T BREAK

TED

1) What is the TED organization about?

The TED organization is about spreading creative and interesting ideas out to the public. They have scientists of all kinds discuss different topics that are relevent to our world today.

2) What is the purpose of their website and how does the functionality of their site support that?

The purpose of their website is to enhance and engage people to be excited about learning new things.

3) As Engineers and Problem Solvers, which topic areas (the choices from the "Show talks related to:" section on the sidebar) are of most interest to us? Justify your answer.

The topic areas that are of most interest to us would have to be technology, design, business, and science because we are engineers who deal with progress in technology in sciene and design. The business aspect of it would be that once an idea or product is designed and produced there needs to be a way to market it, which would fall into the business category of things.

4) Based on your previous answer, what are 3 talks (videos) on the site that appear like they would be of most interest to you as an Engineer/Problem Solver? Justify your choices.

Rob Harmon- How the market can keep streams flowing
William Kamkwamba- How I harnessed the wind
Naomi Klein- Addicted to Risk

All these videos contain ideas that we have learned about in class. The first video takes science and engineering into the business world. The second video is about someone who overcome a barrier and with the help of science and motivation, he was able to help his family out by building a windmill in his small town in Africa. The third video talks about how we are addicted to risk and pushing forward to explore new boundaries. As a engineer/problem solver that is what we are doing on a daily basis, trying to study and find new solutions to probles in our world.

5) Charles Limb- Your brain on improv

• Is it possible to study creativity scientifically?
• Charles Limb is fascinated with sound/music and surgery
• He uses an intense creative example of Keith Jarrett, a well known jazz improviser, who never plays concerts the same way.
• He believes that artistic creativity is a neurologic product that can be examined using rigorous scientific methods.
• playing jazz in a fMRI scanner 
• What happens in the brain when something is repeated and memorized versus what happens in the brain when something is improvised?
• In his experiments he found that when someone was improvising the left side of the brain lights up, the language cortex and the visual cortex lights up.
• Then uses a function fMRI with hip hop hop/rap, including him rapping.
 

6) How could you get involved in the field/technology/issue you chose to hear about? What experience/skills/training/education would you need to learn to get involved with this field?

I could get involved in the field/technology/issue I've chosen to hear about by volunteering at a research institute in a hospital or also going to a music store and talking to the people who work there. I would probably have to get a degree in cognative psychology, computer science, and pre-med. Internships in these fields could also be very beneficial to get involved in this field.

Reverse Engineering- Mechanical- Function Analysis

1. What is the purpose or primary function of the object?The primary function of the object is to provide safety for drivers in case of an accidnet or malfunction.

2. Make an educated guess as to how this product operates. Use simple machines’ terminology to explain the object’s sequential operation.This product probably operates through an on and off switch

3. Identify the system inputs, intended product function, and outputs. Use power point to create a "black box" graphic like the toothbrush example discussed in class. Save the slide as a .jpg image and post it to answer this question.

4. What mechanical components are visible?the button

5. What is it about this device’s function that you cannot identify, because the mechanical components are hidden from plain view?
Yes, because the mechanical components are hidden from plain view. There is a plastic covering over the product where the whistle is, which makes it hard to see if there's anything else driving this intense device.

New Balance 890

If "Elegance" in design is doing more with less, how will the New Balance 890 accomplish this?
The New Balance 890 will accomplish this with its lighter weight shoe and using less materials, while keeping a neutral cushion, ground feel, and overall support. It does have a very refined look to it and I think runners will definitly appreciate the look and versatility of these shoes. The shoe has a great form and using a RevLite Material, for the foam in the shoe. This RevLite material that is "very light and feels fully responsive". The New Balance 890 accomplishes the elegant look very efficiently.

Which steps of the PLTW 12 step design process did the New Balance Designers use?
The New Balance Designers used most of the 12 step design process. Specifically, they defined the problem, which was "How can we create a shoe using a minimalist way, while keeping durability?". They brainstormed ideas, which are on the pictures in the article.
They researched and generated ideas, such as the diamond shaped soles on the bottom versus something else. Also they "Identified the criteria and constraints", "explored possibiliities", "selected an approach", and "developed and designed a proposal". It appeared to me that they just had the shoe already prepared, which would be the "create or make" in the 12 step design process. Overall, they went through bascially each step in the 12 step design process to create a beautiful looking and functional running shoe.

My flashlight/whistle/siren

SIDE VIEW

FRONT VIEW

TOP VIEW

--Product Analysis

This product is used for owners of cars. It contains a flashlight, a flashing red light, and a whistle for help in one nice 7 in package. Plus, it has strap for accessibility in high danger situations.

--Visual Analysis

It is visually appealing in the sense that it is red and white, which are congruent colors. There really doesn't need to be that much of a visual appeal because it is just for safety, however red signals safety so the company did do a good job designing it.

---Describe the visible design elements and principles

The shape of this product is compact and small for user-friendliness and it's easy to store in a car. The texture is hard plastic so it can last for a long time. The scale of it is balances and there is unity in the sense that three things are combined into one, which everyone loves.

--Functional Analysis

It is very functinal for car owners because it has a 3 in 1 function, instead of having a flashlight, whistle, and red siren light seperate.

--Analyze the target audience/demographics
The target audience would be drivers ages 16-about 70. Demographics would be people who can afford to drive cars and purchase safety devices in case of an accident.

-Isometric Drawing of the Product

Graphic Design, my cup of tea

-http://www.illiteratemagazine.com/blog/tag/Andenken
-What is being marketed here is an Art opening.
-Both Gaby and I believed that this advertisement was conside and complete. The date is apparent and since there are so few words it makes it easier to know exactly what is important. The size also helps with readability. As you can see, the title is larger than exactly what is being advertised. Plus the red color makes it stand out for the viewer. The shape or style of the font is very modern, which both Gaby and I believe is the most common form of advertisement in this day and age. It doesn't necessarily understand all demographics, especially the older generation, however it does good with the yougner genertaion who are interested in art. It uses the design principles because there is one large image in the center that catches your attention and using only 3 colors for an advertisement makes it stand out against the more colorful ones that often tend to differ the viewer from the actual advertisement.

>>>>>>Trendds<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
1. What are trends? Why is it important to identify them prior to graphic design? Trends are a form of behavior or style that develops with a large group of people and is collectively followed enthusiastically for a given amount of time. It is important to identify trends prior to graphic design because you can use them to either incorporate or make familiar in your graphic desgin to entrigue an audience.


2. How does human nature play a role in how a product is marketed to a specific demographic group?Human nature plays a role in how a product is marketed to a specific demographic group because it parallels our interests to a products goal. For example, the iphone, in the picture in the post, is targeted to mostly Americans that want to have a fast and modern phone. Human nature nowadays wants to have the new things and carry the most reliable and efficient new technology possible. It is in our human nature to improve and grow.
 3. How is a potential audience identified?
Potential audience is identified by age, gender, and socio-economic class. This is a very vague question that could be interpreted in differernt ways. With this being said, I see potential audience being identified by what certain people do most in their daily lives. For example, a business man might want a nice desk organizer for all his cluttery paper, so a company will look at him as a potential audience for their new product "The Desk Organizer 3000".

4. What must you discover about the target audience prior to graphic design?
 You must discover what they need and what they are willing to pay for your service or product or event.

Visual Design Elements & Principles

1) What are the 6 Visual Design Elements we discussed in class

line, color, form/shape, space, texture, value

2) What are the 5 Visual Design Principles we discussed in class?

balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion/scale, unity

3) The chair has form for efficiency and the shape of it is practical.

The carpet has a visual appeal with symmetry and emphasis on the bright colors. The texture of the capret is soft for early mornings.

The Itouch has a shape that is compact and comforting. the proportion of it is small for user-friendliness.

 The bike rack is symetrical in its form for efficiency to hold all kinds of bikes. The visual appeal of it is not very important because it is used more for practical use, however since it is in an interesting form it is visually appealing.

Last, but not least, the waffle maker is the beacon of hope in our house on Sunday mornings. With it's crisp design, the shape of it makes it portable and the visual essence of it represents waffles for all to eat.

SUPERBOWL

That Volkswagon commercial was actually my favorite one
It was very original and everyone loves a little kid pretending to use the force.
The cost of this lovely commercial would have to be around 1.5-2.5 million dollars for their 30 sec ad during the superbowl. Clearly, the cost of this ad is expernsive because the VW company knows that there are going to be over 106 million people watching, making their product something that Americans will remember after watching the infamous Superbowl. I think it's definitly worth it to advertise during the superbowl. It brings out the best and most creative people to create these memorable ads and it also creates jobs and revenue for the company and their employees. During these hard economic times, the nice thing to see is a company providing laughs for an audience, providing jobs for Americans, and creating some profit off the ad that they created for this special event.

State of the Union Address

What themes from this speech resonate with our class?
The themes of reaching for the future in science and math. The theme of our class is to study engineering and
progress forward in the computer and internet age path for classroom activities and asssignments.

What technology sector did the president compare to the space program of the 60's? What is the comparison?
Engineering. The comparison is that even though going out into space seemed like an insane idea and the budgeting was a little underfunded, as a nation we strove for that and got to space. Therefore, we still need to strive in that direction with engineering and technology if we want to stay on top.

What is the name of the new program that will replace No Child Left Behind? How do the programs compare?
Race to the Top. The No Child left behind was mostly centered around all children getting an education and having to go to school. Now, the Race to the Top program includes

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Last semester we talked about the trapped coal miners in Chile. Why did the president conclude his speech with an example relating to that?
To prove that small business/small people can do big things and us as a nation want to strive and do those big things.

What's interesting about the President's chief speechwriter? What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?

He's really young.
10 years from now, I hope to be working in the field of engineering, specifially in the Pacific Northwest.


Has this speech inspired you and if so how?
Since the speech was basically a pep talk for the nation, it did inspire me to work harder in school because our generation is basically screwed finincially and we need "creative problem solvers" to find a way to reverse this defecit so that we can live a meaningful life.

Content is King

Q- What is a field/hobby/something you have a passion for (surfing, sailing, robotics, painting, etc.)?
Yoga, Art, and Traveling

Q- What person or organization in that field has used blogging to promote their brand?
Well the Yoga studio I go to has an online blog to talk about different events that are happening throughout the month or a new yoga position for the month. It is pretty interesting.

Q- What is a field you might see yourself blogging about?
I might see myself blogging in the music/music festival field. I'm not an expert, but I would enjoy discussing differernt bands and types of music with other people.

Survival at Sea

• Intro: A brief summary of the activity.
• Rank a list of 25 salvaged items if you were hypothetically lost at sea. Then compare your rankings with your group rankings and make a new ranking list. Afterwards, we saw what the U.S. Coast Guard thought was the correct rankings for these 25 salvaged items. It was interesting to see what they thought was the most important items.
• Personal Prioritization: List your prioritization of the items. Share your reasoning on your top 2 picks and your bottom choice. Were there any items you had a hard time choosing a ranking for?
• When I was prioritizing my items I was thinking about food, clothing, and shelter and then being rescued. My top two picks were a 25 liter container of water and 20 square feet of Opaque plastic sheeting. My bottom choice was one bottle of 160 per cent proof rum and then 2 boxes of chocolate bars becauuse I didn't think they were that necessary since there was army rations. I had a hard time choosing rankings for the things I didn't know like the sextant and a shaving mirror.
• Team Prioritization: What priority did your team agree on? Talk about an item the group ranked similarly to you. What was something the group ranked far differently than you? What was something you and the group ranked similarly? How did your group work together?
• The priority our team agreed on was also the water and food. These things ranked similarly to me. The thing that ranked differently was the run and chocolate bars. I forgot that rum could be used as a cleaning supplement. The group and I ranked similarly on the oil, the map of the pacific ocean, and the 15 ft nylon rope. Our team worked together by discussing what we ranked each item and compromised or shared our reasoning. It went very well.
• Expert Prioritization: How did your choices compare to the "official" Coastguard choices? Were there any big surprises between the two? What do you put more weight in, expert opinion or experiential data? Why?
• Our choices were definitly off from the "official" Coastguard choices. There was a surprise in the shaving mirror and because they said that our first priority was to be saved. I put more weight into expert opinion because it is an expert opinion and because they work in the water and understand the dangers of the water.

Tennis Ball Team Building Game

What was the challenge (list criteria and constraints)?

The challenge was to have everyone touch the tennis ball in a circle in the fastest amount of time.

What plan did your team come up with to solve the challenge?Our team came up with the idea to put all our hands really close together and make a sort of downward ladder with our hands. This would meet the criteria of everyone in the group having to touch the tennis ball once.

How did the execution of your plan work out?It worked out pretty well. At first we had an pretty wacky idea, but the idea mentioned above ended up working out really well.

What would you do the same?I would actually do the same plan/idea of having that downward ladder.

What would you do differently?

I don't think I would do anything differently because our plan worked.

Go into some detail as far as how the plan developed on your team. Describe how the group collaborated and highlight any valuable contributions that other team members made. What types of collaboration seemed to work best in this type of setting?
 The plan developed by us just messin around with the ball. The group collaborated by different members  bringing forth their opinions on the ideas we had developed on how to execute them in the actual competition The types of collaboration that seemed to work best in this type of setting was definitly just arbitrary talk, however, once the talk became serious, the organization of the collaboration also got serious and that also seemed to work out best.

Also, did the nature of the game evolve? What criteria or constraints changed and how did you adjust your strategy to deal with them.
The nature of the game evolved as we saw the other groups ideas. Not that we copied them, we just wanted to see our competition.


What constraint or constraints would you add/change to make a new, more fun version of the game?
I would add more complexity to the game, maybe see if we could do it without our hands or something interesting like that.

Did your team win or loose the game?I believe that our team won the game. Hands down.

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