Designers and designing Brian Russell

Exam expectations Issues associated with how we design and the work of famous designers are regularly tested in the written paper.

Design Methodology There is no such thing as the design process Empirical designing Intuitive designing Systematic designing

Empirical designing Trial and error designing Modelling most likely route Dyson use modelling and testing as their preferred method of designing

Intuitive designing Sum of past knowledge Often very specialised areas

Systematic designing Separate discreet stages Sub-systems often dealt with by others Teamwork most common

Where do we get new ideas? Nature Geometry/mathematics The man-made world Other designers Other products Rarely from looking at a piece of blank paper!

Nature Patterns and texture Structure and form Colour

Observational work of plants Designers such as William Morris have used detailed drawings of plants to create new designs

Looking at anatomy George Carwardine designed the first Anglepoise lamp in the 1930s based upon how the human arm works

Geometry & mathematics Geometry and mathematics is all around us

Islamic design Mathematics is a strong influence Based on grid patterns

Celtic design Still a popular influence today Based on geometric grids

Fibonacci series A series of numbers to create well proportioned rectangles 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89 Any adjacent numbers

Geometric form Particularly used in architecture and some domestic products

Grids Often the starting point for textile designs

Geodesic domes Very strong structures based on geometric shapes

Existing products Which came first? Ideas are often developed from existing products

Retro design Modern products based on styling from the past

Design Icons Classic design Innovative Often copied

Philippe Starck Often unusual Always fun Not always practical

James Dyson Best known for the innovative cleaners Strong use of colour and form

Jonathan Ive Senior VP at Apple Innovative styling and micro electronics

Robin Day World’s best selling chair Developed polypropylene moulding techniques

Mary Quant Led the sixties look Short skirts Geometric designs

Philip Treacy Unusual forms

Richard Sapper High Tech Post Modernism

Giorgio Armani Softer suits Lightweight fabrics Well tailored

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Mix of geometry and stylised natural form

Vernon Panton Exciting plastic furniture

Henry Beck London Underground map Format copied around the world

Arne Jacobsen Futuristic at the time Laminated plywood

Design movements Arts & Crafts movement Art Nouveau Art Deco Bauhaus De Stijl Modernism Memphis Post Modernism

Art Nouveau Nature a strong influence

Art Deco Geometry a strong influence High glamour

Bauhaus First real attempt to train product designers Form follows function

De Stijl Absolute abstraction Simple slabs Primary colours, black & white

Memphis Surface pattern Strong colours Rebellion

Market Pull The market place creates consumer demand Sometimes the demand is created by the manufacturers

Technology Push R&D labs are constantly developing new technologies Scientists often provide the driving force behind new products

Intellectual property Designer’s ideas are protected by law so that no one can copy them. Copyright, patents and registered designs are some ways in which the ideas are protected. This is called intellectual property. The brand logos created and displayed on products and their packaging are good examples of intellectual property and are always defended by the businesses which own them. This is sometimes referred to as design protection.

Copyright Copyright is the simplest way of saying "hands -off, this is my idea" but it can be difficult to prove ownership but is commonly used for publications, building plans etc.

Registered designs Registered designs offer proof of ownership. This is sometimes accompanied with the registration number and is used to protect the form or style of a product or logo.

Trade marks Trade marks are also registered and become a major part of the brand as they protect names, symbols and logos.

Patents Patents are used to protect inventions, new technologies or new processes. These might be worldwide patents or restricted to certain countries. For example, James Dyson holds numerous patents for his cleaners.

Licence agreements Many ideas are allowed to be used by others through a license agreement. This is a contract between the owner and a manufacturer and will be linked to payments. Disney, for example allow products to be manufactured which use their cartoon characters but have strict license agreements in place which protect the image and maintain the quality associated with Disney products. This is an essential part of maintaining their brand.

Your own work Whilst there is nothing wrong with using existing logos and cartoon characters in your own designing you will need to explain the licensing issues which would need to be followed before you could consider going into commercial production.

In the style of…. It is much better to design “in the style of…” rather than to copy or reproduce the design.

In the style of…. Lamp inspired by Philippe Starck’s Juicy Salif

In the style of…. Hat inspired by a Philip Treacy design