ID [PNW]

This is a design for museum visitors using Pranav Mistry's concept of augmented reality technology. Designed by Ian Mayhew of Western Washington University Industrial Design.

Winner’s Announcement Pay It Forward Furniture Design Western Washington University June 7th, 2010 Four judges have reviewed and selected their favorites among 22 designs.  In addition to our panel of judges, students voted on their peer’s designs to decide a “students choice” award. The objective is to design and construct a unique furniture solution for storage.  The storage is to be designed specifically for another person or organization for their current needs.  The furniture will be then given to that person or organization as a gift. Mount Baker Products has generously donated all of the high quality FSC hardwood plywood for the project and has also donated $6000 for scholarships for the winners. Here are the winners: 1 st        Noah Jack , of Corvalis, OR. for Pitter Patter, an umbrella drying stand for the Whatcom Children's Museum.  $2000 scholarship from Mount Baker Products. ...

Here's the final edit of Form Function... Form Function , by Jason Morris and Western Industrial Design students.  This purely visual short film shows an industrial design creative process that starts with abstract sculpture and ends with a   functional object .  Music by Moby. Creative solutions are rarely found by using conventional problem solving methods.  Students must be encouraged to try alternative processes for attacking a problem.  Professional industrial design projects begin with a design brief, but because of preconceived notions the brief itself inhibits the designer’s creativity.  This creative process removes hindrances to creativity by restating the design problem in abstract, non-objective language.  This process begins with abstract form creation without knowledge of the design’s purpose. The form creation is done with guidelines made by the instructor, who creates the rules to correspond with the design’s objectives.  ...

Another design concept for SixthSense designed for those with autism. Tim is responding to the concerns of his brother, and sees an opportunity for this technology to meet those concerns.

Senior Industrial Design proudly presents, Vessels A Libatious Design Exhibition Presented June 3rd at 6PM by Western Washington University at Mithun Architects, 1201 Alaskan Way, #200, Seattle, Wa.

Here's Kyle's SixthSense concept for driving, focusing on amateur car racing, yet useful for everyday driving.

I was excited to learn about Pranav Mistry's invention, SixthSense, which is a gestural computer interface that turns the relationship between the computer and the user inside out.  Instead of people staring into a glowing screen, the computer is required to look outward at our physical world.  By cleverly combining a digital camera , a mini-projector, and a smart phone, Pranav has introduced a new future of information accessibility and of human/computer relations.  See his presentation on TED.com if you haven't already. However, this is still a prototype, albeit a brilliantly engineered one, it is clunky, awkward and heavy.  Seeing this opportunity, I challenged my Junior (3rd year) industrial design students at Western Washington University to design the SixthSense for ergonomics, ease of use, and aesthetics.  They were to focus on a specific user scenario and they had to use currently available components, which were fixed in size.  (No imaginary min...

My documentary about design for the other 90%, Hoima Bicycle , was just released on DVD on Amazon.com.   It shows the process of designing a bicycle for and with Ugandan bicycle couriers, known as Boda-boda. Filmed primarily in Uganda, it shows the realities of current day East Africa, from the chaotic streets of Kampala to the inside of gritty mud-thatched homes in rural Hoima. The intent was that it could be used in the classroom as a point of discussion about designing for social impact.  The project had it's successes and it's shortcomings, but many lessons can be drawn from it.  Especially a look at the culture of modern day East Africa for those who might want to do work there.It's only 30 minutes long and I'll be posting a list of discussion questions here and on the WWU ID site. I'll be presenting on the project at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) annual conference "Open" in San Francisco on March 26th, 2010.

Here's is Part 3 of 4 of Hoima Bicycle.  An experience in designing a bicycle with Ugandan bicycle couriers.  This part shows the reaction of the first prototype.

A Biographical Documentary about Walter Dorwin Teague begins Development. Walter Dorwin Teague (1883 - 1960) is considered one of the founding fathers of industrial design as well as one of the most prolific American industrial designers in history.  He established his design office in the late 1920’s, which continues today as one of the important design institutions in the world.  His most notable design work includes all of Kodak camera’s from 1927 to 1957, Texaco’s art deco gas stations in the1940’s, the Boeing Stratocruiser and the 707 aircraft.  His legacy led to the design all subsequent Boeing aircraft including today’s 787 Dreamliner.  He directed the design and architecture of the 1939 World Exposition.  He was also an architect whose work includes the Texaco exhibition hall at the 1935 Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas, Texas, the Ford pavilion for the California Pacific International Exposition (1935) in Balboa Park in San Diego, and the 1961...