Drop that paintbrush, it's the Color Police.

Over the weekend the students in my BDS class were supposed to collect two images exhibiting good or bad use of color, or one of each. I chose to look on the bright side of life and find two designs that exhibited good use of color.



The Extra Virgin sign has good color usage 
because of its simplicity. The white elements are framed by bright green lines, which contrast not clashing. The olive branch through the words ties the borders in with the main body of the design.

Similarly to the Extra Virgin sign, The Greenhouse Culture sign also uses green and white in addition to the ochre accent. Green is such a good base color, and there are so many colors that go well with it and stand out without being harsh. The green is a good background so that the type of the words can be the focus of the sign, letting the message be clearly read.

TED Talks never disappoint.

Firstly, and this must be said, Don Norman is adorable.

But in all seriousness, after reading the Ten Commandments of Design and the Thinking and Making document, I was beginning to feel that design, for the most part, is a pretty heavy topic and I forgot that actual people with emotions are the consumers of design. Norman seems to be all about judging design on how well it interacts with a person, what kind of emotions it causes and how well it satisfies the three levels on which design affects humans.

First, the visceral level. This level is all about the physical qualities of an object and how it pleases the human. The visceral level includes things like color, type fonts, shape and the appearance of an object. I suppose one could say it’s basically about how eye-catching something is, and who doesn’t want their design to be eye catching? Things that appeal to us on the visceral level appeal to the shallow side of human nature and to our senses.

My mixing bowl affects people on this level not as excitingly as say, a sports car, but it affects someone nonetheless. The bowl is simple and makes someone think it’s useful and utilitarian, it would appeal to someone whose personal style tends towards minimalist considering that it’s simple metal and matte black.

The second level is the behavioral level and it affects our subconscious. According to Norman this level is all about feeling in control. I can’t think of a more obvious example to explain the need for control in a design than the one he used about the knife, however the bowl would apply here as well. Since the bottom is coated with a non slip rubber it makes the user feel in control because the bowl isn’t sliding around while being used.

The third level has to do with the super ego; and the super ego loves attention. Norman uses examples like the Hummer and an electric car. One might buy it because they simply like the design, but beneath their conscious decision is the superego saying, “You’ll get so much attention. People will wonder who’s that guy driving the Hummer? I bet he’s in control of his life.” or “Wow. She’s so eco-conscious.” in the case of the electric car.

While I’m sure most objects have a strong effect on the subconscious/superego, I doubt that there’s much third level activity concerning the bowl’s design. While it is designed well, it doesn’t exactly project any image that someone would specifically desire to have. Although, I suppose it could make people think the owner likes to cook thus would pay attention to detail when it comes to purchasing something they would use often.

I really enjoyed this TED Talk because it showed the lighter side of design, the side that makes people happy. In the end, I think that that’s one of the ultimate purposes of design: to elevate the quality of life that those who interact with design experience.

What Dieter Rams Taught Me.

Good design is design that goes unnoticed.

If one does not have to think, “How do I use this?” when they pick up an object for the first time then the designer has done her job, according to Dieter Rams in his “Ten Commandments of Design” article. By simply being quietly fantastically designed, and object can meet six of the “Ten Commandments” in one fell swoop: being useful, understandable, unobtrusive, honest, thorough and finally designed with “as little design as possible.” When reading this article it is easiest for me to apply these rules to cooking utensils (even though my intended major is not industrial design). Because cooking is so basic and simple, the tools we use should be just as straightforward.

Consider the common mixing bowl as we walk through each rule:

“Good design is innovative.” Although bowls have not undergone major transformations in the past centuries, we  now have many many different materials to make them from. Ceramic, copper, stainless steel, plastic and glass each serve a specific purpose and we need each material to meet a need (heat resistance, not reacting with an ingredient, dishwasher safe, child-proof etcetera) that we now have in modern times. In addition to material innovation the smallest change in form, such as having a flatter bottom or skid resistant coating, can have a huge effect on the efficiency of the object.

“Good design makes a product useful.” Of course a bowl is going to be used often in a kitchen so it must fulfill its purpose very well, it must be useful. It should be stackable, easy to clean, simple and convenient. It is hard to mess up a bowl.

“Good design is aesthetic.” Bowls are simple by nature and thus must be simple by design. It needs no legs, no stands, no special decorations to be useful; and if these additions were incorporated into a bowl’s design then it would become “messy.” Clean lines would be lost and its useful qualities would be lessened by something that is an eyesore. Not to mention that a plain metal bowl looks nice in every kitchen.

“Good design makes a product understandable.” A bowl is a bowl is a bowl is a bowl.

“Good design is unobtrusive.” In other words, the food is the focal point, not the bowl.

“Good design is honest.” A bowl should simply be a bowl, with no dreams to be the crystal serving dish nor promises of instant cooking skills.

“Good design is long lasting.” A bowl should not bend to the fashion of the day, to be made into odd shapes or to have unnecessary extra “qualities” or “abilities.”

“Good design is thorough down to the last detail.” Every aspect of the design should have a distinct purpose. The bowl is precisely this flat so that it has the most stability; the non-slip coating goes exactly three inches high because thats where it comes into contact with the most surfaces that cause it to slip and slide, etcetera.

“Good design is environmentally-friendly.” By not having extra frills, precious resources are saved for better uses.

“Good design is as little design as possible.” This statement simply speaks for itself.

While it is very easy to relate this article to things in the industrial field, the principles also apply to those of illustration, my intended major. It is always extremely tempting to add that ONE more little detail that will complete the piece only to have it completely ruined by becoming too busy. Being thorough in both industrial and fictional drafting shows devotion to one’s work which makes everyone who sees it appreciate it more.  I’m not sure that illustration can be “long lasting” in the way that Rams intended. I think that an illustration can be appreciated for long periods of time due to the amount of skill and effort and quality of execution more so than whether the style is relevant or popular.