Understanding and Re-Understanding

I’m not re-designing a lock, but rather a latch.
They are different mechanisms and concepts.

How small or how large should I be thinking? The whole system of the room, or just one latch?

Subject: public restroom latch
Problem: decreasing the emotional issues associated with public restrooms (fear, embarrassment, confusion) while making the mechanism itself simpler, more obvious, and easy to use.

Focus on: feedback (audio, visual, tactile), comfort, materials (utilitarian, but nice), ease of use (won’t get stuck, easy to slide, fool-proof, safe)

Concepts vs. “Conceptualizing”

I spend way too much time “figuring things out” when I need to just CHOOOOOSEEEEEE something, and then work on that.
This has been a problem for me all of school.
It’s hard for me to correct it, even though I’ve identified it so many times!
It’s horribly frustrating.

I’m also bothered by what I feel is a miscommunication on drawing styles from my teacher – do I need to know how to draw “artsy”? I thought we were all about quick concept sketches, that are line drawings? I recognize we need to do more “rendered” and “finished” drawings, but I thought it was ALL about concepts?

Quicker, more solid decisions.
Get things done.
Be confident.
Have things researched.
Test it out.
Don’t cry, don’t panic.

On a very separate note, I’ve begun a true personal website AND I’m very excited about the direction I’ve coerced R2D2 to take for the year; a blend of the concept of Viva, but over dinner!

Glad this weekend is here so I can take the time to improve my life (practice drawing, do laundry, bake cakes, make dinner, etc.)

Mechanism vs. Machines

New project – lamps over.
I don’t really know what we’re actually doing for this project yet; no one can define a mechanism (or a machine?) [no one knows what the real assignment is]. I wanted to redesign locks on doors, but I have to defend how that’s a mechanism [lever, yah?]

Don’t know, really, what’s about to happen yet but one thing I need to improve is choosing concepts and details sooner, to model sooner, and have something more complete in the end (surprise, surprise).

I’m trying to make a mitered-spline jointed heptagon (seven sides!!!) wooden jewelery box for my wood manufacturing class. Figuring out the perfect angles and cuts shall require all of my patience before I even begin to sand things!

Also trying to work on using free internet websites (tumblr) to mimic SK’s ‘personal website’ – interesting work; time consuming and sort of “hack coding”.

Clearly need to think things through more.
Follow through, like with basketball – right?

on “KISS”

Keep it simple, stupid.

Need to make everything sleeker, simpler; less parts, less $$$. What about materials? No cloth. Metal. Does that get too hot? Where is the most comfortable place to put that handle?? How handy is it really for a lamp shade to flip around? Stark stark stark. Simple simple simple! Simple shapes, simple parts, simple light. Don’t feature creep. Don’t add hinges. Shapes.
Figure out a “business plan” for this; ‘Tom’s style?? Price, market, audience.

Simple, Shine, Sustainable, Stylish, etc.

I’m still going in a kinetic-energy direction for my desk lamp. My goal is to create a crank-powered ‘task’ lamp that is both stylish enough for home owners, but could also probably be used in under-developed countries that need simple light sources when the sun goes down.
Most of the lamp would be durable and made of metal; haven’t figured out what I want the handle to be like yet. There would be no on-off switch, which would hopefully eliminate both parts and energy waste [prolonging the whole product because even though it’s meant to be “forever”, LEDs will still die eventually…] Playing around with cloth lampshades right now; I found some really interesting felt lampshades online and I love the way that they look – but most likely not the best direction for this particular project (bummer). One of my original ideas was to have a shade that pivots, with one side more direct and one side more diffuse for different lighting needs.