Design is Dangerous

There are many objects that were designed with a specific purpose or function. However, there are always unintentional side effects to the design of those objects. An example would be the function of traffic lights.

There are many beneficial ways traffic lights can have on society. However, there are also dangerous effects of a traffic light.

http://www.topnews.in/smart-traffic-lights-may-help-speed-journeys-220580

The function of a traffic light is to direct the flow of traffic. It helps warn drivers on when it is safe and not safe to drive.

In addition, the use of colors for a traffic light is yellow, green, and red. These colors on traffic lights do not change because of how universal traffic lights are used. This makes it easy for people to understand what color on the light means.

A dangerous problem with the design of traffic lights is the overall dependency on traffic lights controlling the flow or traffic for us. In the unlikely circumstance that all traffic lights go out, the roads become extremely dangerous. Also, when traffic lights go out, dangerous weather conditions are usually the reason, making roads much more dangerous.

The circumstance would seem unlikely, but in the event that it does; humans try to prevent it by making it a rule to know how to deal with the flow of traffic.

Traffic lights are also dangerous for those that are color blind to colors used in the traffic lights.

These elements of danger concerning a traffic light are unintentional, but the benefits of this object usually outweigh the dangers of it.

Netbooks: A Utopian Design

In Designs, Designers are always finding ways to improve on the functions and designs of objects within society.

When we look at the first computer, each machine took up its very own room. As time passed; and as technology improved, the design of the computer evolved. Now a days, an average computer can run faster and more efficiently than past models.

On this chart, the evolution and design of a computer can be seen.

http://diveintoosx.org/page/2/?s=mac

Computers used to be big, slow, and overall hard to use. We see the size of the desk top become thin like our modern day LCD flat screen televisions. This serves as a function for saving room in the area it is being used in.

Now, Presenting the Net Book:

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/17-03/mf_netbooks?currentPage=all

This is one of the newest designs of a computer. If you think Laptops were small, light, and portable-- you haven't experienced a net book yet. This is one of the most portable computers ever to be invented that still retains an efficient ergonomic function for users. In addition, one of the five areas of research in ergonomics is performance. The net book may be small, but it has many functions and performs well. The net book on average, has a longer battery life and runs just as fast as a desktop. On the comfortability area of the research on ergonomics, the net book weights less than a laptop and makes it more comfortable for users to carry around.

Designs are always being improved in society all around us, the net book is one of the many Utopian designs designers are constantly helping out with.

Color Transforms

http://www.clker.com/clipart-6863.html

Stop.

What is the first thought when people look this image? "No. Stop. Bad. Danger."

This symbol is universally known for these words.

As a result, the color red in this symbol became synonymous with those meanings and words.

There are different intensities of colors that can be used to express different emotions or symbols, and the bright humid hue of the color red on this stop sign gives the feeling of negativity.

In a previous post analyzing the color of a "angry" painting, a major color used to convey the emotion of anger is red. Although, the hue of red is a darker red compared to the red used in the stop sign.

According to Albers, It is "accepted in Western tradition that normally blue appears cool and that the adjacent group, yellow-orange-red, looks warm." (pg. 59)

This is true for traffic signs and stop signs. The red on a traffic light tells drivers to stop, and in addition, the stop sign with red signals a driver to stop. Fire on electric and gas stoves signal red when hot warning others not to touch it as it is danger, the red is the same hue and brightness as the stop sign.

As a result red in most objects, most obvious on a stop sign signals danger and stop to warn society from them.

Many different colors and intensities of a color can show different symbols and meanings to people. We associate the red in stop signs with the meanings and warnings that tell us danger is coming.

Black & Decker Rice cooker--Ergonomic?

The 5 areas of Ergonomics Research are Safety, Comfort, Ease of Use, Performance, and Aesthetics. And earlier this weekend, I was given a Black and Decker Rice cooker as a gift so it was the perfect object to analyze in regards to ergonomics. So overall, after the third use of this object, I've concluded that this rice cooker contains the 5 aspects of ergonomics research.

https://www.samstores.com/store.asp?CtgID=150

Compared to many other brands of rice cookers, it can be concluded that the Black and decker rice cooker meets the standard of safety. Past experiences with other brands of rice cookers (mostly Japanese brand rice cookers) tended to heat up on the back area of the rice cooker while in use. This made it dangerous or painful to touch. As a result, after using these Japanese brand name rice cookers, I would have to wait until it cooled down or I would have to wear an oven mit to handle the object. Alternatively, when I was able to use this Black and Decker rice cooker, the outer shell was heat resistant. It was safe to touch while in use, and the water from the steam did not drip down and burn my hands.

This American brand rice cooker can also be considered to be a comfortable object in comparison to other rice cookers. Despite the fact that the rice cooker was made of metal, the rice cooker's material enabled it to be very light to carry. This element is very helpful for people with back problems and are unable to carry or lift heavy objects. This rice cooker was so light, that a 7 year old boy (as tested by my baby brother) could lift it with one arm. In addition, the rice cooker is very small, so it is much easier to move around and easier to fit into smaller spaces.

Many Japanese brand rice cookers (including the one I previously owned) did not have handles. This made it hard to carry or move the rice cooker around. The Black and Decker rice cooker included two handles on the side like that of a regular pot. This made it so the rice cooker was very easy to move around and increased its portability. This aspect, I think satisfied the ease of use element of the research of ergonomics. The very clear label of what the rice cooker is doing at the moment makes it very easy to see when the rice would be done. The cover for this rice cooker is clear, so it makes it really easy to see how the rice is cooking.

Many rice cookers are very effective at doing its job. The performance of this Black and Decker rice cooker performed just as well as any rice cooker I've used before. The interior pot of this rice cooker contains a non stick surface, so after the rice was cooked, it did not stick to the bottom as it would if the rice was cooked in a standard pot over the stove. The rice was cooked in less than 20 minutes as opposed to the 30 minutes usually spent on cooking rice on the stove top.

When I think of the brand name "Black and decker" the first image that appears is something black and white. This is true of the black and decker rice cooker-- the rice cooker was black and white. It is a very aesthetically pleasing design as every aspect of this rice cooker has a function in its design. The light on the rice cooker blinks red when it is being cooked, thus signalling the cooker that it is not done. When we see red stop signs, or red traffic lights we think to stop. The red on the rice cooker serves the same function-- it tells us to stop, and not touch it when it is being cooked. Again, the clear cover of the rice cooker gives the cooker the benefit of seeing how the rice is being cooked. It seems that the this particular rice cooker is designed to relate to more audiences. The design of the Black and Decker rice cooker is an imitation of a crock pot or a regular pot--this appeals to a wide audience instead of just Asian Americans.

Overall, this Black and Decker rice cooker meets all 5 aspects of Ergonomics Research. This rice cooker has many aspects that appeal to wide consumers.

The Importance of Typography

Countless times have I seen self proclaimed "designers" make one mistake when designing logos, slideshows, or anything that contains words or text.

Designers put in lots of effort into the design of a product, on the image itself --spending hours upon hours on the placement of the image, the timing of a picture slideshow or video seemed to be the main focus. However, I see the one downfall of these designs--the text or typography. Many designers do not realize the importance in aesthetics typography really makes when it is present through any medium.

There are different types of font and letters to match different occasions.

When we go on youtube.com we commonly find picture slide shows with captions and subtitles that do not match the theme of the slideshow at all. To make things worse, when people attempt to be fancy and use fancy fonts for designs, they use designs for the wrong occasion.

Within a comic strip, graphic artists do not use the font " Times New Roman" for their text. Instead, many use fonts with a lighter comedic font to convey their messages. A common text used for comics is the "comic sans" text.

When artists create designs that are meant to have a comedic effect, the "Times New Roman" font would not usually fit the theme.

Many designers do not pay attention to the importance of what type of font or typography can do for the aesthetics of a design, but luckily more popular designers do not that have such a problem.

Typography in general is very important and can be a design all on its own.

The Design of Technology

There was always that saying--what was it again? Oh yes, "Bigger is better".

Well it seems to me, that now a days, bigger is not always better. In fact, the design of technology is quite frankly, proving to be the exact opposite.

Why are smaller technological objects better? Well, there are several for that. Smaller creates better portability, does not use as much power, it often creates less heat and it there is just general efficiency.

Not only is smaller better, thinner is better for technological objects. Back in the day, computers were gigantic-

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/lecy0013/architecture/

Computers use to take up the an entire room, but now portable net book computer laptops are thin and can be as small as 10 inches. In fact, computer functions now exists on cell phones which are TINY.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10217642-64.html

Although smaller objects seem like they cant hold as much, the fact is electronics are advancing so that more can be stored in less space which allows designers to create smaller designs that are even more powerful that their larger counter parts.

For example, cell phones use to be very big and blocky, and only has one function- which is to make and take phone calls. Modern cell phones are now much more compact in size, sleeker in design and may have several functions. Cells can not surf the internet, text, make video calls, send documents, or even play games.

Of course, there are still several ideas that utilize the idea of "bigger is better" If one has a 24 inch Flat screen T.V., a 72 inch T.V. sounds a whole lot better. Also, who doesn't want to live in a bigger house?

Word and Image in Advertisements

Advertisements in general incorporate the use of word and image to illustrate a point.

Advertisements can include all kinds of media, mostly ones of posters and television commercials.

There is always a certain amount of interaction between text and image(s) throughout kinds of advertisements, but I noticed especially that the television advertisements against the use of drugs use the interaction of word and image to show the viewer how bad drugs are. Many of this anti drug advertisements consist of silent teenagers either succumbing to doing drugs because of peer pressure or silently walking away from drugs then a black screen of very few words. Some are very simple like "say no to drugs", or "we don't need drugs" stuff like that. If television ads just had the text of "say no to drugs" than it would not be as effective. When we pair a simple message like that with images of children that both parents and other children can relate to suddenly the anti drug words seem to make a bigger impact.

Another example of the interaction of word and image on anti drug posters are ones like these:

In these posters, it is evident that without the interaction of both word and image it changes the meaning being conveyed altogether. Without the texts on the bottom of the image, the point being conveyed is completely opposite. The cocaine being spread on the notebook that says awesome, without the text on the bottom it would seem that the poster was conveying just how "awesome" using cocaine is.

This the same the other way around. Without the image of "cool" written with the cigarette butts, the text on the bottom would have less of an impact of what the poster is trying to convey. Without the image how would the viewer know exactly how we "just ruined" our body.