Bill Moggridge states that everything that is not naturally formed and has been altered or changed by man, is designed. In his talk about “ What is Design” he outlines and describes the design process, design styles/genres their target markets and etc.
Moggridge begins his talk by describing what is good and bad design listing different designs and iconic products that have won international awards and recognition. He specifically talks about how designs that have been targeted for people with disabilities/difficulties are usually well designed for that market but are also well designed for people without disadvantages and disabilities. The company that was used to illustrate this idea, was the hand tool company called “Smart Design” their designs are made for people with arthritic hands and disabilities but turns out they are well designed for everyday people to use too.
A clip of Michelle Obama is shown to highlight the importance of educating students about design. She discusses how children in America haven’t been shown their (America’s) rich cultural life, and stresses that the wants to open up new opportunities for children to come into contact with their cultural lifestyle and enter into the culture of design and understand how it surrounds their lifestyles. Which further iterates the importance of design in our lifstyles.
Moggridge moves on to show designs of Architecture, Industrial design, Multi media design. In these examples he informs us of the differences between good and bad design. Some designs and designers that were listed included,
- · Frank Lloyd Wright, designing the Guggenheim Museum
- · Frank Gehry and his interpretation of the Guggenheim Musueum
- · Charles and Ray Eames and their “Lounge Chair”
He then brings up a very peculiar bad design, “I Mode” which is part of the early Japanese internet mobile platform. Though this design had many users the extent of using this particular platform for a suggested use has been poorly designed. A clip of a Japanese woman buying a drink from a vending machine by her mobile phone, illustrates how difficult and complex this process is. Moggridge explains that the lack of prototyping and testing of a product in real time situations could lead the design into being effect or ineffective.
Moggridge talks about the process of design. You begin by understanding people, when you have an aim to design for other people, of various ages, ethnicity, gender or occupation. The process of design is to find out what the target market needs.
- · Observation, by watching people to find out what they do
- · Asking, engaging and conversing with people to find out what their needs are
- · Trying, by experimenting with people to get a grasp of their needs
Moggridge explains that prototyping can be done by making both physical and virtual designs and these come about in three stages: inspiration, evolution and validation. He explains that making models and virtual platforms can do prototyping but it can also be anything that allows you to communicate your ideas and intention for your project effectively and literally during the stages of your project.
Moggridge also explains expanding concepts of design and how design is mainly in three categories,
- · Personal, expanding personal ideas into design to incorporate their designs in light of health or interests.
- · Social, expanding design into social activities and how there are connected to different ideas of design
- · Environmental, expanding design so they are more eco friendly, and sustainable
Bill Moggridge’s video is very enlightening as it shows and explains how there are different aspects of the design process and design thinking that can change and influence how a designer forms their ideas. It shows that by understanding your target market and using different models and prototypes and testing a design can be pushed to its maximum potential. This video really enriched my ideas and thoughts as a budding designer and made me realise and understand that a design is a designer’s “statement” to what their personal, social, environmental factors has posed on them
