Starck’s Design for Life

Famous product designer Starck continues his journey to find the best young creative talent in Britain. As I watched this episode I was amazed to discover I had missed an episode. The weeks go by so quickly. Apparently in the last episode Starck nearly eliminated all the contestants.

The budding product designers had badly underestimated the real design task set by Starck. He complained they presented vague notions and confused concepts. He wanted clearly defined ideas with technical drawings. All the students appeared upset and angry some making statements like ‘His is only one man’s opinion’ ‘He does not clearly explain what he wants’ ‘His feedback on our design proposals was in adequate’

I remember one of my first bosses being similar to Starck. I was sixteen and working in a big dental practice. I planned to work as a dental nurse until I was old enough to get into nursing at the age of eighteen. As a junior dental nurse I worked in surgery one with the head nurse. Unfortunately the senior nurse left a few weeks after I started work. This was not an unusual occurrence, in this dental practice nurses who worked in surgery one did not last long. I was left on my own with a nightmare of a boss.

Like Starck he had high expectations, yet did not clearly express his requirements. The nurse was expected to know what he wanted without him saying a word. I learnt a great deal from this experience. Each night I went home with the patient list with the each required treatment noted. Using the dental nurse’s handbook I worked out the instruments and materials required for each treatment. I also talked with his former nurses who explained how he liked things done. With fear and trembling I started each day early. I set up the surgery treatment trays got all the materials ready and had lists of each procedure written out ready to view.

Fear can be a great motivator. I had to learn to sink or swim and very quickly. To the amazement of the boss (and myself I might add) I swam very well. He ended up having great respect for me and would make comments like “I expect my nurses to be two steps ahead of me, but see this little thing she is ten steps ahead of me”

Hard work, showing initiative and going the extra mile will always bring positive results. Strack had the same effect on the student designers as my boss had on me. They rose to the challenge when they were given a second chance with the design brief.

Four designs have been selected to be created as proto types. Unfortunately four students were sent home.

Images for the article ‘Easy Interior Decoration with 3 Items’

When a room becomes tired, dull and unfashionable three items can quickly transform the room for the full article just follow this link http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/easy-interior-decoration-how-2-update-or-improve-a-room-with-3-items-2707935.html 

 

For those of you who have followed the links from the article here are some examples created on the Sample Board Online website.

Notice the only décor items in the images are the floor rugs, cushions and throw rugs. Three magic décor items you can use to create impact.    

Some neat business writing tips

In my last year at school many of my friends wanted to be secretaries. My best friend’s sister worked in London and was earning a very good salary as a secretary. My friend talked me into doing some night classes in shorthand and typing. I hated it and was dreadful at both. Instead of turning up at the classes I would sneak into the art classes. Alas my parents found out and my evening classes were abruptly stopped.

It amazes me now to think of those long ago days. If only I had learnt those skills I would have saved myself a lot of trouble. I never did learn to type as my Mum would say ‘the proper way’ In spite of the lack of professional skill I can type at a moderate speed. I did after all learn (asdf space ;lkj space) the first line and I am not a one finger typist.

These days there are very few secretaries around and many professionals need to write business letters. Over the years I have tried to develop my writing skills. I have completed many courses of study and been complemented on my writing. But I can still feel a wee bit inadequate and wish I had finished those classes many years ago.

I am always looking for ways to improve my writing so keep an eye out for informative books and websites. It is an ongoing process. I have also worked with others to help them improve their business letters and resumes. There has been a move away from the strict rules of yesteryear with the advent of advances in technology. However it is important to present a professional image and learn some tips and tricks for writing business letters.

Letters today need to be well crafted and concise. Job applicants are often advised to keep the covering letter of their resume to one page if possible. It is also a goal to aim at when writing bussiness letters. However the writer can often find they need to flow on to another page for the last few sentences.

Shaun from Writing Help Central has a few suggestions to help writers overcome this dilemma. He suggests moving the left and right margins by 0.25cm (1/4 inch) closer to the edge of the page. You could also move the top and bottom margins closer to the edge by 0.25cm (1/4 inch). The spacing between lines can also be adjusted. Instead of the usual single 12 points try 11 points.

Changing the font from 12 points to 11 points can also be a way of getting extra space. Often you will find you can get extra space by going back and doing some tough editing. Sentences with one or two words flowing over onto another line can often be reworked to eliminate the offending words.

Sometimes two page letters are the best option. If this is the case create a well spaced easy to read professional document and you will be forgiven for breaking what is now considered by many to be the cardinal rule ‘one page business letters please’.

For the full article on this topic and many other tips on writing business letters you can visit Shaun’s website http://www.writinghelp-central.com/sample-letters-business.html

Edith Wharton's view of the upholsterer and the architect

In the introduction of her book ‘The Decoration of Houses’ Edith Wharton sets out to sell the need for such a book. She goes back to the middle ages and explains interior decoration had to be portable because people lived in tents and castles.

When people became settled she explains architectural ornament (with what we now recognize as classical motifs, proportion and design) became part of the interior decoration of rooms. Unfortunately over the centuries architects have come to believe mouldings, architraves and cornices are insignificant detail.

At the time Edith was writing this book in the late 1890’s she argued architects now hurried over this detailing and had handed over the decoration and furnishing of rooms to the upholsterer.

The poor upholsterer is accused of being ignorant and using unscientific methods. With the result Edith states boldly home decoration is seen as a black art. There has been no study or publication on house decoration as a branch of architecture in England or America for over 50 years she states. 

Edith encourages home decorators to become skilled by studying the architects of old. She firmly states “…..  architectural proportion – incontradistinction to the modern view of house decoration was a part of architecture in all it’s values……”    

As I read this introduction I could feel her frustration. Edith had fallen in love with Italy and lived in France. During this writing project she consulted 25 French books, 20 English books, six Italian books and four German books. Wow she obviously thought research very important. I am finding the book ‘The Decoration of Houses’ fascinating.       

Hints and Tints; Interior Decoration with Colour Images & Article Link

In this blog you will find the images I promised for those of you who have followed the link from the article ‘Hints and Tints Interior Decorating with Colour’

The images selected illustrate the points on colour discussed in the article. Images of three rooms are shown one with tinted light, cool colours showing how the colours make the rooms appear bigger due to the fact light/cool colours appear to recede.

In the second group of images the same rooms now have a mid colour. In the third group the warmer darker colours appear to advance into the rooms. The colours can make the rooms appear smaller and more intimate.

Tip: Sometimes it helps if you half close your eyes as you view the images

Many people consider colour the most important of the interior design elements. Colour can create moods, make a room appear bigger or make a room appear colder or warmer. It is a powerful interior decorating tool. 

As stated in the article colours are basically light or dark, warm or cool. Light and cool colours tend to recede (when used on the walls of a room they can make the walls appear to move out) and can make a room appear bigger. Dark and warm colours appear to advance into a room and can make a room appear smaller. 

You need to consider three many things when selecting colour, first is the aspect of the room. The second consideration is your personal preference and the third size and shape of the room. 

If a room is large warm or dark colours can make it appear smaller. If the room is very long and narrow the short walls can be painted in a darker or warmer colour than the colour used on the longer walls. This will make to shorter walls appear to advance into the room in comparison to the longer walls, making the room appear shorter and wider.

If you would like to view the whole article just click on this link http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/hints-with-tints-interior-decoration-with-colour-2636737.html

 

Louis Cheskin a market research pioneer and

founder of Cheskin Research states

‘The right colours are silent music:

the wrong colours irritate and disturb’

Starck’s Design for Life Continues

Watched the second episode of Design for Life and found it very interesting. I find it amusing Starck refers to his Paris design team as the tribe. I totally agree with his design philosophy with regard to the idea; design should be democratic. Good design should not be created for and available to only those who can afford it. It should not be elitist everyone is entitled to good design. This has been my philosophy from the beginning of my design career.

Starck sees himself as a bottle opener of the mind. His accent is difficult to understand at times so I don’t always grasp what he is saying. He again mentioned the effects of product design on every aspect of life. He believes designers should design to help humanity to help others achieve full potential.

Seen in this light being a designer can be awesome responsibility. The design brief he presented to the students was certainly very wide open and appeared to overwhelm many of the students.   

To be honest I was glad to see Nebil leave, his over confident attitude really annoyed me. Polly came up with the brilliant idea of placing a water meter in each British home. She seemed to be the only one to grasp what Starck wanted; to find a problem then design a product to overcome the problem and in turn benefit humanity.  

Philippe did find what he thought the laziness of the students frustrating. He wants them to push ideas to the limit. For example Rob’s idea of placing buildings on the sea instead of land remained only an idea. He did not develop the idea and design the buildings to be built on the sea. This was an opportunity to create something completely new.    

"All fine architectural values are human values, else not valuable "

Frank Lloyd Wright

 

The Decoration of Houses by Edith & Ogden

As part of my reading plan I often read biographies of writers. I like to find out how writers planned their writing, when they started to write, where they lived and who they knew. Also what it was like to live in the era in which they lived. I find this fascinating.  

During this past few months I have read two very interesting biographies; one on the life of Edith Wharton and one on the Duchess of Newcastle both female writers. Edith Wharton is most famous for her novels. However her first book was ‘The Decoration of Houses’ written in 1897 with the architect Ogden Codman Jr.  

It is interesting as I returned to the subject of Art Nouveau and Art Deco I was reading the life story of Edith who lived in the US and France in this very era. As I wrote about these eras I was again stuck by how the influence of new styles slowly gain acceptance. We can sometimes look at periods of design history in isolation forgetting they are only part of a bigger picture.

Ogden and Edith’s decorating book was very influential. Edith believed rooms should be simple in design, be symmetrical with classic proportions. The book was a great success and is important to us in the design profession. It led to the emergence of professional decorators such as Elsie de Wolfe.

Codman Jr re-introduced the classical design of the Federal period. The wall colours and architectural detailing he used and recommended were an attempt to overcome the fussy, over the top designs of the Victorian era. In 1913-1915 Ogden designed the building that now houses the National Academy Of Design.

Edith came from a very well to do New York family. She loved architecture, gardens and design. She travelled extensively and fell in love with Italian classical designs. Edith wrote about her passion in the book ‘Italian Villas and Their Gardens’. She also designed and oversaw the construction of her home The Mount. It was built in the Palladian style and the garden was designed by her niece Beatrix Ferrand. The Mount is now a national US landmark.

Besides writing about design and gardens Edith wrote short stories, articles for magazines, travel essays and poetry. She is most famous for her novels ‘The House of Mirth’ a 1905 best seller and ‘The Age of Innocence’ for which she won the Pulitzer Prize of 1920. She was the first women to win this prize.

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to look through Edith and Ogden’s book ‘The Decoration of Houses’ in a few blogs.