response to reading #1

Unfortunately, I was not very intrigued after reading through the excerpts in reading #1.  The first section, which was just a simple introduction, didn't really have anything to do with design, except for the ending.  The ending talked about how what had happened to the manager was "good design" because he was finally making things right within his theater and making it a better place, which is what design is supposed to do.  Personally, although I think its a clever comparison, I probably would not have compared the segregation example to good design, just because they are so polar opposite.  The rest of the passage is just confusing overall, mostly due to it's flowery language.  I feel like the other passages that were assigned for reading were much more helpful than these excerpts from reading #1.

objectified.

To a random audience, the movie Objectified would most likely have no significance, and would probably be considered a huge waste of time.  To an audience of designers, this movie could be considered truly inspiring.  I was fortunate enough to be apart of the audience of designers, and found that this movie changed my view on my designs a great deal.  Even though it was based on industrial design, I felt the overall concepts and themes could easily be applicable towards graphics as well.  The main point that kept coming across to me was that good design should be able to tell a story.  The designer should feel a special connection to the object, not just because they designed it, but because they truly feel that it can have a positive impact on society.  Also, the designers themselves will never be completely finished with a design, because good design never ends… every object (whether greatly designed or not) is always in need of some form of reinventing to keep up with the changing needs of society.  Good design should be sleek and simple, free from unnecessary additives or confusing parts. Most importantly, good design should be memorable.

My Birkenstocks (response to Dieter Rams)

My object is more than just a basic Birkenstock sandal. For me, it's almost like an object of self expression. It defines my personal style and does the job to its highest potential.  When dealing with fashion, I believe those two qualities are the most important... automatically making it good design.  The simplistic and naturalistic style of the sandal stands out to me the most.  It doesn't possess all of the unnecessary bells and whistles that a lot of shoes have, leaving the shoe to shine on its own.  I feel like my simple and down to earth personality connects to the sandal in that way.  Another quality that makes my shoe good design is its durability and incredible comfort.  These shoes have gone everywhere with me and have literally been all over the world, crossing many different terrains for extended periods of time.  Good design must last, which these sandals have done very well.  At times my object has been difficult and frustrating to draw, but I feel that it is the best example of design that I can provide and that fits my needs and personality the best.