Exercise 3: Design in Daily Life

In this exercise I had to choose products from daily life, define 3 good experiences and 3 bad experiences with them and define witch of the design principles were apply or not to these particular products.

Design Principles:

3 Good Experiences:

Leatherman:

• Innovative: Yes, was a revolution in the pocket knife industry.
• Useful: Yes, Is it’s main purpose.
• Aesthetic: Not specially.
• Understandable: Yes.
• Unobtrusive: Yes.
• Honest: Yes.
• Long-lasting: Yes, life warranty included.
• Thorough to the last detail: Yes.
• Environmentally friendly: With it’s life warranty prevents obsolescence.
• As little design as possible: Yes, every part of it has a duty.

Mini Pump by Xiaomi:

• Innovative: Yes.
• Useful: Yes.
• Aesthetic: Yes.
• Understandable: Yes.
• Unobtrusive: Yes.
• Honest: Yes.
• Long-lasting: Yes, product and battery.
• Thorough to the last detail: Yes.
• Environmentally friendly: No, is build in plastic and uses batteries.
• As little design as possible: Yes.

Baun alarm clock:

• Innovative: No.
• Useful: Yes.
• Aesthetic: Yes.
• Understandable: Yes.
• Unobtrusive: Yes.
• Honest: Yes.
• Long-lasting: Yes, good manufacturing.
• Thorough to the last detail: Yes.
• Environmentally friendly: Yes, a product build to last is good for the planet.
• As little design as possible: Yes.

3 Bad Experiences:

Motorcycle phone mount:

• Innovative: Yes, in the way it retacts when not used.
• Useful: Yes.
• Aesthetic: No.
• Understandable: kind of.
• Unobtrusive: Yes.
• Honest: Yes.
• Long-lasting: No, cheap materials have been used.
• Thorough to the last detail: No, some parts can be improved.
• Environmentally friendly: No, is made in plastic an it doesn’t look is going to last long.
• As little design as possible: Yes.

Fixie Pizza cutter:

• Innovative: No.
• Useful: No.
• Aesthetic: Yes, but depends on you ask for.
• Understandable: No, the function has to be explained.
• Unobtrusive: No, there is not a good way to hold the cutter.
• Honest: Yes.
• Long-lasting: No, the wheel broke after a while.
• Thorough to the last detail: No, some parts can be improved.
• Environmentally friendly: No, is not is going to last long.
• As little design as possible: Yes.

Flat tyre foam:

• Innovative: Yes.
• Useful: No, works only for very small holes.
• Aesthetic: No.
• Understandable: No, the function has to be explained.
• Unobtrusive: No, is very hard not to get dirty and sticky hands.
• Honest: No, does not always work.
• Long-lasting: No, once applied need to change wheel ASAP.
• Thorough to the last detail: No, some parts can be improved, like hose screew.
• Environmentally friendly: No, is only for one use.
• As little design as possible: Yes.

What have you found from this exercise?

The way is a product designed can make a big difference in a life experience.

If my flat tyre foam fixed my wheel I didn’t had to call my car assistance and I wouldn’t have been late to my next meeting.

When my knife stays sharpened for years it makes it trustworthy and gives me confidence when I have to relay on it.

Design can be useful but also con fix other problems like saving life in natural environments. If we take Design principles seriously, we can make a good product and also make sure we are being responsible with the planet.