CCDN 271 Project 1

CCDN 271 Project 1:

Tools for investigation – Assessing and critiquing sources

by Xiaofeng Huang (300263105)

The Everyday Design

The source I choose for "The everyday" research theme is a book called "Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things" by "Donald A. Norman". This book fully explains emotion and cognition has shown work better. This is a new idea to me that everyone can be a designer because of emotional design will appeal for the person who love to think about their stuff not only obey. The data author collected with a large number of novel investigation gives me a whole new understanding of the everyday world, which is the reason I choose this book as a source of this theme from many sources.

The everyday things usually have two properties, which are common and individual. The author give me a good explanation of why each person select everyday objects more consistent with their own aesthetic object under the same function. Design in the narrow concept was always considered to be decorative and functional weakness. Also it suggests that the general daily use items are useful, but mostly ugly. The emotional design seems to have solved all the problems, although some parts seem useless but fulfilling some needs.

If the emotion drives everyone's choice also can drive the designer's thinking, which might lead to lost original meaning as a designer. Either Emotion or cognition cannot be used as ideological dominant and need to co-exist. As such a big topic of the everyday, design designer needs to take into account the 80% of people's emotional and aesthetic.

Norman, D. A. (2003). Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. In D. A. Norman, Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things (p. 4). New York: Basic Books.

Critical Design

Critical thinking makes people aware of the diversity of the world, where we live in values, behavior and social structure then resulting the critical design. Jurgen Bey (NL), Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby (UK) and Martí Guixé (ES) are three critical designers with international influence. They published together the works of their respective studios in DAMN ° Z33 magazines and exhibition held in Belgium from 4 March, 2007 to 3 June, 2007. This source is relevant to the topic critical design because it reveals that critical thinking is "contrast to conventional product development, are a thought process concerned with design strategies and the role of design in the consumer society."(Bettens, W., Demyttenaere, S., Firmin, E., & Ledoux, P., 2007, p. 3) And said how the critical design is able to "cross the borders between contemporary art and design and 9th, 2007 Subject developments in society and scientific phenomena. "(Bettens, W., Demyttenaere, S., Firmin, E., & Ledoux, P., 2007, p. 3)

Their exhibitions focus on how critical design tries to push the general people to think differently. They stressed to make their design challenge the modern society, and for now are far away from enough. The truth is critical design is the designer presents some of the social phenomenon of analysis, inferences and doubts in the design object. The general people need to be inspired by these designs, which can be primary cause of critical thinking. Its work would be better to guide people to think broadly rather than challenging to modern society, also it would be ideal to develop critical thinking skills and ethos, to elevate the human spirit of modern social life.

Bettens, W., Demyttenaere, S., Firmin, E., & Ledoux, P. (2007, March 4th) . Designing Critical Design – JURGEN BEY– MARTÍ GUIXÉ – DUNNE & RABY. DAMN° Z33 - DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & ART MAGAZINE. (Publisher DAMnation Ltd.)

(Web address http://www.z33.be/sites/default/files/15_DCD_DAMndegmagazine_0.pdf)

DIY

DIY is short for "Do it yourself". Historically, we know the earliest concept of DIY came from the 1960s Western society. DIY originally represents no need to hire a professional craftsman, simply using appropriate tools and materials to do residential home renovation work. With the time goes by, more and more Europeans enjoyed DIY housing and the housing of their own DIY showed more personalised and satisfied. I chose this source for DIY topic because it is related to the history of DIY.

This sources analyses the relevance and difference between amateur and professional builders. Amateur lack of experience and skills but most of them did not choose professional services. The majority of self-builders realised that self-built was less professional more motivated process, and they were ware of benefits and needs could be met up by the DIY creativity. Furthermore, self-builders not only pursuit satisfaction but self-identity, happiness and a sense of accomplishment as well. In conclusion, the encouter of amateur DIY and professionals would be able to work a way out.

Brown, R., Designing Differently: The Self-Build Home, Journal of Design History , Vol. 21, No. 4, Ghosts of the Profession: Amateur, Vernacular and Dilettante Practices and Modern Design (Winter, 2008), pp. 359-370, Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of Design History Society

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25228605

Google Warming

The high-speed development of the information technology brings endless conveniences to modern society, but pros and cons mutually exist. The sources were discussed geosurveillance and usage of tracking technologies in public transit. There are a large number of facts as support for the theme in this article, and many evidences such as the "9/11 changed everything" are strong and convincing.

Although, this article does not point out big brand like Google, Big Brother, which collect and take advantages of personal information around the world to make profits. It is also very obvious to public that if information technology side effects continues, that public traffic and people's privacy security will be seriously threatened in the future.

Obermeyer, N. J., Moving Violations: Data Privacy in Public Transit, Geographical Review , Vol. 97, No. 3, Geosurveillance (Jul., 2007), pp. 351-364, Published by: American Geographical Society

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034176