ID [PNW]

Industrial design has become wider and deeper in scope.  Strategy, environments, innovation, form, branding, emotional, design thinking, product, interaction, vehicle, soft goods, furniture, research, sustainable, it’s getting huge!   And I think that it’s time to evolve. We’re trying to cram so much into a 4 year degree, that it’s taking 5 years or more to do it.  If our students are spending 5 plus years in school anyway, then why not just make it an even six?  Is an engineer expected to study mechanical, aerospace, electrical, fluid dynamics, civil, architectural, industrial production and manufacturing?  No, the engineering community realized that these are all related but distinct focuses of engineering, so they created separate programs. Since we think that we’re so special and are worth a lot of money and we want more respect,  we should require professionals to have a masters degree. Raise the bar of entry.   The base ID education with core courses   in undergrad and

2 years ago I wrote about how industrial design will be affected by personal fabrication or desktop manufacturing.   The prediction was that due to the advancement of rapid prototyping technology that products will be manufactured in your own community  and perhaps in your own home with desktop manufacturing machines.   This is an exciting idea because it revolutionizes the traditional product development process,  which is full of waste, management overhead, shipping containers, distribution, and over production.   And it's beginning to happen today, although in a different format than expected.   Web-based companies such as Ponoko , Zazzle, CafePress , Blurb, Lulu are making this a reality.   You design something, upload it, and they display it, sell it, make it on demand, and ship it to the customer.  And you get paid for each sale.   The material limitations that we see now are really just temporary and it's only a matter of time before a company with a FDM machine and a

(Since some people asked for a copy, this is the speech that I gave at the IDSA Western District conference, Santa Monica, CA, April 25th, 2009.  This is the first point, the second and third will be on separate posts.) 2 questions were posed as a theme for this conference:  What must designers do to survive today?   And What can we do to thrive internationally? Here are 3 issues that I think are important right now: 1.  D esign for the BOP 2.  D esign for make-on-demand 3.  Encouraging graduate education for designers   1.      Learn how to design for people at the bottom of the pyramid A World of Unreliability One revelation to me in my brief time in Africa that really put my view of the world in a new perspective, was that nothing is reliable in an East Africans world.     Politicians are corrupt and expected to be.   Being bit by the wrong mosquito could means contracting malaria and dying a week later.   Drinking the wrong water could mean a life threatening di

Somehow, my documentary, Hoima Bicycle,  won Best Documentary Short at the Northwest Projections Film Festival 2009.  It was up against three other very interesting and quite different docs.  Sonic Healing, Hope Art, and The Best Medicine. Thanks to: Thanks to Wilson Large and everyone who organized the festival and gave us an opportunity to show our work.  Thanks to Mark Hardin, who without his presence and camera work, the documentary wouldn't have been possible.  Thanks to my mom, Shirley Morris who planned, scheduled and prepared for the trip to Uganda.  Without her, the whole project wouldn't have been possible.  And thanks to my wife Karen, who was my assistant editor by watching earlier versions and suggesting changes.  She also tolerated me working through the summer, unpaid, editing the movie for hours and hours. Thanks to Western Washington for supporting the project with grants.  And thanks to the members of First Presbyterian church for supporting the project th

You’re a invited to the a showing of  Hoima Bicycle  (along with other documentaries and local films) at the  Northwest Projections Film Festival . Dates: Friday, April 17 th  at 4:30pm and Saturday, April 18 th  at 4:30pm. Here’s a description of the Festival: NW Projections Film Festival 2009 NW Projections is back!   The  annual film festival  that proves local filmmakers have great stories and the chops to tell them. From the streets of Bellingham and  Seattle  to dirt roads in Africa, there are moments both real and relevant to whimsical and timeless. Come see how NW filmmakers have painted the world on our screen. Tickets:   Unless noted, all films are regular Pickford prices: Regular $8.25/Matinee $6.25/Member $5.25. Documentary  Shorts: 4.17 @ 4:30pm/4.18 @ 4:30pm @ The Pickford The Best Medicine (Lisa Spicer) Follows the work of the Slum  Doctor Program  in Rabour Village and Hama Bay, Kenya and the effects on children's lives left empty by the cruel hands of  AIDS . 16 mi

HOIMA BICYCLE from NW Projections Film Festival from ENW with Deb Slater on Vimeo . Here's a short promo clip for the Festival.  Be sure to check out the other documentary and narrative clips on Deb Slater's channel.

IDSKETCHING.COM : Flashlight Sketch from Industrial Design Sketching on Vimeo . I just found this blog called ID sketching by  John Muhlenkamp and Spencer Nugent, designers at Astro in SF.  Some great tutorial videos and tips.  I'll be sending links to my students.

Here's a some track/fixed gear bike shirts and stickers that I just designed... http://www.zazzle.com/ treadwater $2 per sale will go to the Hoima Bicycle Project in Uganda.  We're designing a bicycle along side Uganda bike couriers, and  hoping to set up a micro business frame shop in Uganda. With  the goal of bringing these young men and their families out of poverty. The Hoima Bicycle Documentary film will be shown at the NW Projections film festival on April 17th and 18th at 4:30pm at the Pickford Cinema!  "Documentary Shorts: 4.17 @ 4:30pm/4.18 @ 4:30pm @ The Pickford The Best Medicine (Lisa Spicer) Follows the work of the Slum Doctor Program in Rabour Village and Hama Bay, Kenya and the effects on children's lives left empty by the cruel hands of AIDS. 16 min; Hope Art (David Albright) Questions election time art inspired by Obama. 7 min; Sonic Healing (Dean & Dudley Evenson) Explores the use of sound, music and vibration to enhance the healing process. 23

Because I'm proud of my Western ID students I wanted announce that: Western Washington University junior Justin Lund recently won the Gold Award at the 2009 Northwest Design Invitational for invention.   Here's an article in the Bellingham Herald... And the press release... It's a clever concept that stemmed from an issue that Justin had with his own daughter's computer usage.  Although the form could use improvement, it's a great idea.  Justin works insanely hard and isn't afraid to take risks in his work. Nice Job Justin! click here for his Coroflot portfolio.