1. After this class is over, I think design will play a large role in my life.. To some degree I think that the concepts learned over the course of the quarter will impact every student. The course incorporated techniques used in advertising and marketing, something that I run into on a daily basis. Design is also a potential career path of mine, and this class solidified my interest in the topic, and gave me the groundwork necessary to continue down this road if I choose.
2. I would tell a new First Year student at K to join a lot of different clubs and activities. By taking advantage of what the school has to offer, you will meet a lot of cool and new people. During orientation week, introduce yourself to as many people as you can to put yourself out there and solidify yourself in the K community. The first few weeks might be difficult, but as long as you pace yourself, manage your time well, and open yourself up to new experiences, you will have a blas. K is what you make it.
3. For a student enrolled in this seminar class I would stress the value of speaking out during discussions and making your opinions/ideas heard. Thoroughly read the information packets that are handed out during class or online, and be ready to participate in the free-form discussions that take place concerning each topic. Don't be afraid to connect ideas from previous discussions, because the topics tend to overlap and run together, making connections necessary.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Redesign K
1. The game room of the Hicks Student Center acts as a haven for students where they can socialize free from responsibilities, and visually adds to the already advanced campus.
2. Constraints involving the game room in the Hicks Center are money, allowable space, and the structures and items already in place. For example, the staircase that the game room overlooks causes trouble when playing ping pong, but it cannot be removed. Other constraints I plan to address are location, practicality, and what would be desired by the students. Since the center is newly renovated, problems in taking out/rebuilding preexisting structures will present themselves. The game room's trigger points are of course the games, comfort and relaxation for the students, and ease of use/mobility.
3. The Third Place, The Design of Everyday Things, Emotional Design, The Ten Faces of Innovation, and Product Services and Branding.
4. "The third place refers to informal public gathering places where the main activity is conversation."
2. Constraints involving the game room in the Hicks Center are money, allowable space, and the structures and items already in place. For example, the staircase that the game room overlooks causes trouble when playing ping pong, but it cannot be removed. Other constraints I plan to address are location, practicality, and what would be desired by the students. Since the center is newly renovated, problems in taking out/rebuilding preexisting structures will present themselves. The game room's trigger points are of course the games, comfort and relaxation for the students, and ease of use/mobility.
3. The Third Place, The Design of Everyday Things, Emotional Design, The Ten Faces of Innovation, and Product Services and Branding.
4. "The third place refers to informal public gathering places where the main activity is conversation."
Monday, November 17, 2008
Campus Analysis
1. I observed the game room in the Hicks Center on campus. The purpose of the game room is to provide a place where students can hang out, watch tv, play games such as pool, air hockey, shuffleboard, foosball, and ping pong, and listen to music. I made my observations at 1 pm on a saturday afternoon.
2. Briefly describe the following:
a) The room is a decent size, and manages to fit a lot of different things into one room. Although it may appear small, this gives a comfortable atmosphere. There was just enough room for all of the things inside, and enough room to move around comfortably.
b) In the front of the room are couches and chairs set up around a table, all centered around a large flat screen tv hanging on the wall. The chairs and couches are pretty comfortable and big, accomodating a good number of people. Along the wall is a small counter with tall chairs lining them, and there are two tables by the pool table on the left wall, each with the same type of seating. These chairs are not meant to be comfortable, but are a place to rest while playing pool/they give observers a place to sit and watch the games. When I was observing, the room was busy, and there seemed to be no shortage of seating. However, there is not so much seating available that it takes away from the overall feel of the room. There are also large ledges in front of the windows along the back wall, providing window seats.
c) Although I observed the room in what would be imagined as a peak time, it did not seem too crowded. The set up of the room allows the students to mingle and converse with each other, but also allows them to have private games with the people they were originally with.
d) The floors are a standard linoleum/tile it seemed, but were kept very clean and shiny. In the couch/television area, there was carpet, which made that part of the room seem more homey than the rest.
e) Recently added to the game room is a juke box that allows the students to pick and choose different types of music. That, combined with the sound of the students, games, etc, makes the room rather noisy. However, it is a game room, and nothing less is expected. The only problem I see with that is if someone is trying to use the tv, because they probably won't be able to hear it unless they turn up the volume, which ends up creating a struggle of what section is louder.
f) Clean, durable, and trendy looking materials were used to construct the game room. The game tables are all brand new and viscerally appealing, the counters and window seats are a marble or granite (albeit probably not real), and the tall chairs are wooden. Although the materials probably aren't the highest quality (due to budget constraints and the fact that they will probably get beat up over the course of the year), they do the trick, and make the objects easier to replace.
3. This area projects a fun, carefree, comfortable image. The couches, rug, and tv recreate a living room feel, and the game tables, old fashioned juke box, and randomly placed tables with chairs give off a casual atmosphere. It seems like a place where students can go to relax and forget about the work and stress they have, and just hang out with friends and socialize. This is the image the school wants to project in a recreation room, because the elements incorporated are objects of fun that don't involve schoolwork or responsibilities.
4. Everyone in the room seemed very relaxed and like they were enjoying themselves. They were having fun playing the games, talking with each other, picking songs out on the jukebox, watching football on the tv, and just sitting around talking and joking around with each other.
5. What I found interesting about the design of this room was how concentrated everything was. I don't necessarily agree with the setup, such as how the ping pong table is so close to a support beam and it is fairly easy to hit the ball over the stairwell. Also, the counter is in the way of the pool table closest to it. Jazzman's Cafe should also be connected I think, because it would allow students to purchase food and still be able to play, instead of having to leave the room and wait, interrupting whatever activity they were involved in.
2. Briefly describe the following:
a) The room is a decent size, and manages to fit a lot of different things into one room. Although it may appear small, this gives a comfortable atmosphere. There was just enough room for all of the things inside, and enough room to move around comfortably.
b) In the front of the room are couches and chairs set up around a table, all centered around a large flat screen tv hanging on the wall. The chairs and couches are pretty comfortable and big, accomodating a good number of people. Along the wall is a small counter with tall chairs lining them, and there are two tables by the pool table on the left wall, each with the same type of seating. These chairs are not meant to be comfortable, but are a place to rest while playing pool/they give observers a place to sit and watch the games. When I was observing, the room was busy, and there seemed to be no shortage of seating. However, there is not so much seating available that it takes away from the overall feel of the room. There are also large ledges in front of the windows along the back wall, providing window seats.
c) Although I observed the room in what would be imagined as a peak time, it did not seem too crowded. The set up of the room allows the students to mingle and converse with each other, but also allows them to have private games with the people they were originally with.
d) The floors are a standard linoleum/tile it seemed, but were kept very clean and shiny. In the couch/television area, there was carpet, which made that part of the room seem more homey than the rest.
e) Recently added to the game room is a juke box that allows the students to pick and choose different types of music. That, combined with the sound of the students, games, etc, makes the room rather noisy. However, it is a game room, and nothing less is expected. The only problem I see with that is if someone is trying to use the tv, because they probably won't be able to hear it unless they turn up the volume, which ends up creating a struggle of what section is louder.
f) Clean, durable, and trendy looking materials were used to construct the game room. The game tables are all brand new and viscerally appealing, the counters and window seats are a marble or granite (albeit probably not real), and the tall chairs are wooden. Although the materials probably aren't the highest quality (due to budget constraints and the fact that they will probably get beat up over the course of the year), they do the trick, and make the objects easier to replace.
3. This area projects a fun, carefree, comfortable image. The couches, rug, and tv recreate a living room feel, and the game tables, old fashioned juke box, and randomly placed tables with chairs give off a casual atmosphere. It seems like a place where students can go to relax and forget about the work and stress they have, and just hang out with friends and socialize. This is the image the school wants to project in a recreation room, because the elements incorporated are objects of fun that don't involve schoolwork or responsibilities.
4. Everyone in the room seemed very relaxed and like they were enjoying themselves. They were having fun playing the games, talking with each other, picking songs out on the jukebox, watching football on the tv, and just sitting around talking and joking around with each other.
5. What I found interesting about the design of this room was how concentrated everything was. I don't necessarily agree with the setup, such as how the ping pong table is so close to a support beam and it is fairly easy to hit the ball over the stairwell. Also, the counter is in the way of the pool table closest to it. Jazzman's Cafe should also be connected I think, because it would allow students to purchase food and still be able to play, instead of having to leave the room and wait, interrupting whatever activity they were involved in.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Third Place
1. According to Ray Oldenburg, a "Third Place" is somewhere aside from home of work, where a person can go to relax and socialize. The whole purpose of a third place is to build a sense of community. it is an intimate, comforable place where regulats can go to decompress, relax, and forget about problems that may carry over from the home or workplace. The main activity of a third place is conversation and to enjoy the company of one another.
2. Design elements contributing to third places rely on a special type of visceral design. The place must be homey and intimate, not filled with bright, stark colors. Most third places, such as pubs, are painted and colored with browns and other neutral colors and shades. It must incorporate comfortable seating in order to keep customers coming back. The most important aspect of a third place is comfort, and the designer must strive to make the space inviting and welcoming in order to gain more customers to build up the community. Exclusivity cannot be allowed in any aspect of a third place, including seating, location, and accessability.
3. I think that Trowbridge's lounges could be made more useful. The lounge on the first floor usually has a steady amount of traffic in it, and sometimes the basement lounge has people, but for the most part I only see a few students, if any, at a given time. The second and third floor lounges hardly ever have people in them, from what I notice. In order to make them more successful third places, different events should be held in them, and the seating should be made more comfortable. The couches and chairs aren't comfortable at all, and the drab colors make them less inviting. Appearance is where the first floor lounge excels, since it has large windows that allow natural light to shine in.
2. Design elements contributing to third places rely on a special type of visceral design. The place must be homey and intimate, not filled with bright, stark colors. Most third places, such as pubs, are painted and colored with browns and other neutral colors and shades. It must incorporate comfortable seating in order to keep customers coming back. The most important aspect of a third place is comfort, and the designer must strive to make the space inviting and welcoming in order to gain more customers to build up the community. Exclusivity cannot be allowed in any aspect of a third place, including seating, location, and accessability.
3. I think that Trowbridge's lounges could be made more useful. The lounge on the first floor usually has a steady amount of traffic in it, and sometimes the basement lounge has people, but for the most part I only see a few students, if any, at a given time. The second and third floor lounges hardly ever have people in them, from what I notice. In order to make them more successful third places, different events should be held in them, and the seating should be made more comfortable. The couches and chairs aren't comfortable at all, and the drab colors make them less inviting. Appearance is where the first floor lounge excels, since it has large windows that allow natural light to shine in.
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Design of Spaces
1. A main point of Whyte's article is that supply leads to demand. He also mentioned different plazas in New York, and that the main focus any designer should have when constructing a space is the people that will be visitng it. Location and seating were large factors in this, because the space must be in an accessible and safe area, and the customers or visitors must have sufficient and comfortable seating. Chairs were not the only type of seating discussed, because people can sit on ledges, or a more viscerally appealing option, which is grass. Another point was the idea of concentrated crowding, in order to make an area appear more crowded than it actually is.
2. The design of urban spaces is similar to the design of consumer products because both rely on the image conveyed to the consumer or user. Each type of design incoporates visceral design to sell its product, and must focus on whether or not the product or space is optimal for the user. Spaces and products require the designer to construct their respective product in a way that catches the attention of the user in a brief period of time. If a space does not look inviting, clean, or comfortable, chances are that it will fail. Likewise, if a product looks too complicated or not complex enough, it will have a poor record. Space and product design differ mostly on the aspect of usability. A product is physically used by a consumer, where as a space is just an area occupied by them. All it necessitates is comfort and a pleasant atmosphere, where a product must be easy to operate.
3. A public space should be analyzed based on comfort, whether or not the atmosphere is inviting, location, seating (both types and its location), cleanliness, where the space is in relation to the street, crowding, and the traffic flow of people to the street.
2. The design of urban spaces is similar to the design of consumer products because both rely on the image conveyed to the consumer or user. Each type of design incoporates visceral design to sell its product, and must focus on whether or not the product or space is optimal for the user. Spaces and products require the designer to construct their respective product in a way that catches the attention of the user in a brief period of time. If a space does not look inviting, clean, or comfortable, chances are that it will fail. Likewise, if a product looks too complicated or not complex enough, it will have a poor record. Space and product design differ mostly on the aspect of usability. A product is physically used by a consumer, where as a space is just an area occupied by them. All it necessitates is comfort and a pleasant atmosphere, where a product must be easy to operate.
3. A public space should be analyzed based on comfort, whether or not the atmosphere is inviting, location, seating (both types and its location), cleanliness, where the space is in relation to the street, crowding, and the traffic flow of people to the street.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Downtown Kalamazoo
1. Downtown Kalamazoo's business area is well designed, and creates a contemporary, welcoming atmosphere. Sidewalks along Kalamazoo Mall Avenue/Burdick Street were all wide, allowing acrowds to pass through if necessary. There were tables set up with umbrellas and chairs, inviting those on the street to stay and enjoy the surroundings. Benches were also set up along the paths. However, the benches tended to attract some people that otherwise wouldn't be on the street, just as Gibbs said they might. Bricks were laid into the sidewalks in a clean looking design, and on the parking areas in the street as well. A variety of shops and restaurants lined the street, which means that the downtown can appeal to different types of people.
2. In order to improve the downtown area, there should be more water fountains on the street for customers. Although the current setup may force walkers to make a purchase in one of the cafes or restaurants, if there are water fountains they may be more willing to stick around rather than leave in order to go somewhere else for hydration. I noticed that underneath the small trees located on the sidewalks, there were flowers. However, the flowers appeared to be wilting, and were closer to a light shade of brown rather than a golden yellow. Either the flowers need to be taken care of better, or they should be removed. Something needs to be done about the empty storefronts. Even though businesses may go under without prior warning, there should be a plan in place in order to at least block out the windows with either reflective covering to put on the windows, or in order to create a makeshift showcase in the empty windows. There was an empty storefront that had construction going on inside, right next to a visually unappealing Chinese family restuarant. This was next to Sprout, a newer and nicer restaurant. However, the surrounding area may distract customers, and cause them to look in a different direction for food.
3. "The same people who tell Gibbs in focus groups that they are tired of malls complain that many small towns are, well, too small. Why drive half an hour to browse through only a handful of stores? Gibbs's rule of thumb is that a town needs at least 200,000 square feet of retail space, about the same amount as in a small mall, to become what retailers call a destination--a place that people are willing to travel to."
As I was walking around downtown, I noticed this aspect. Although the stores and restaurants in downtown Kalamazoo carry upscale brands and items that would attract customers, they are not large stores at all. What I saw was variety. There was V&A Bootery, which sold shoes, different men's and women's retail stores, a sports store, and a rock climbing facility among restaurants each catering to a different cuisine. However, the shops are only so big, and therefore cannot carry a stock that rivals the stores in the malls. People may be willing to travel to the downtown every once in a while, but as far as consuming, they would be much more likely to hit a department store or the mall.
2. In order to improve the downtown area, there should be more water fountains on the street for customers. Although the current setup may force walkers to make a purchase in one of the cafes or restaurants, if there are water fountains they may be more willing to stick around rather than leave in order to go somewhere else for hydration. I noticed that underneath the small trees located on the sidewalks, there were flowers. However, the flowers appeared to be wilting, and were closer to a light shade of brown rather than a golden yellow. Either the flowers need to be taken care of better, or they should be removed. Something needs to be done about the empty storefronts. Even though businesses may go under without prior warning, there should be a plan in place in order to at least block out the windows with either reflective covering to put on the windows, or in order to create a makeshift showcase in the empty windows. There was an empty storefront that had construction going on inside, right next to a visually unappealing Chinese family restuarant. This was next to Sprout, a newer and nicer restaurant. However, the surrounding area may distract customers, and cause them to look in a different direction for food.
3. "The same people who tell Gibbs in focus groups that they are tired of malls complain that many small towns are, well, too small. Why drive half an hour to browse through only a handful of stores? Gibbs's rule of thumb is that a town needs at least 200,000 square feet of retail space, about the same amount as in a small mall, to become what retailers call a destination--a place that people are willing to travel to."
As I was walking around downtown, I noticed this aspect. Although the stores and restaurants in downtown Kalamazoo carry upscale brands and items that would attract customers, they are not large stores at all. What I saw was variety. There was V&A Bootery, which sold shoes, different men's and women's retail stores, a sports store, and a rock climbing facility among restaurants each catering to a different cuisine. However, the shops are only so big, and therefore cannot carry a stock that rivals the stores in the malls. People may be willing to travel to the downtown every once in a while, but as far as consuming, they would be much more likely to hit a department store or the mall.
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