Pigment Lab Process + Long Life Design

 

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2) Watch the following video on Long Life Design   (Links to an external site.)and answer the following questions on your LP:

1)How would you describe Nagaoka’s “non-designing” design practices?

I think it is really brave action in today’s society. As Nagaoka mentioned in the video, People nowadays prefer new things, even the old stuff still works, people throw them away. Nagaoka, as a designer, stopped design new things and he tried to look design from different angle which is to recollect those long life designs by not just focusing on the appearance but also the material which made the piece long lasting.

2) How do your opinions of “good” design compare with Nagaoka’s?   Would you define good design differently, how so?

A good design depend not only on the appearance, but also the materials. I completely agree Wirth Nagaoka’s opinions of “good”design. A good design can be long lasting which requires it to meet many of different standard, it is not just about form, proper function is also super important. As the video mentioned: anything that it is hard to use, is bad design.

3) Nagaoka says that we have entered a new era where people want to buy things that mean something to them, that truly matters, and that we have entered a new era. Do you feel these ideas are specific to Japan or are applicable to other countries too? What evidence do you have of your opinion (what makes you say yes or no)?

I certainly feel these ideas are not only to Japan, it also applies to other countries too, to everyone. Take ‘Apple’ as an example. Whenever the new product come out, people always tend to buy new models, most of the time, because it is a way to be cool, be more advanced than others, this means something to them. Another example would be my mom’s customer. During summer time, I had chance to go into my mom’s business and stay there with her. Many of the customers came in ask for specific color scarf. I remember one said something like “I want to look at only red, because my husband gave me a red scarf when we first met.” We have so many choices of the same items nowadays. The same design sometimes have multiple colors for customer to choose, and I felt like people are tend to choose whatever means the most to them, and can relate them to something else.

4) What kind of design do you think appeals to young people today?

Designs that are advanced and cool. Things that other people don’t have. Things that is one of kind.

5) Near the end of the program, the host of the program says the future of design could be, “people who make things with care and people who use them with care” and that this could be a new form of prosperity. Do you agree? Why?

I wouldn’t say that I completely disagree with this. I think there is definitely a chance that this could happen. But to me, my opinion is that with the fast technology nowadays, new product, new ideas are keep coming out. People also tend to buy new things even the old one still works. The business on the other side, try to get more money from their customers, thus, they keep design new stuff every year, every season, meanwhile not give too much care about the quality of their product.

6) What do you think of the student projects shown at the end of the program?

One project really got my attention was a piece of garment.The student used material that all grown by her, the cotton and the thread. I thought it is really meaningful and educational.

7) Do you consider yourself a long-life designer? Would you like to become one?

I WOULD LOVE TO BECOME ONE.

3) Review the ten Long Life design criteria. Which criteria might assist in meeting the challenges created by climate change and how? How would you describe them compared to Dieter Ram’s 10 Principles of Good Design (Links to an external site.)?

Out of ten LONG LIFE DESIGN CRITERIA, I picked four key words that I think might assist in meeting the challenges created by climate change . They are Repair, Function, Safety, and Environment. A lot of devices and items we use nowadays are certainly not environmental friendly, and that is one the mean reason why we, humans, are the biggest cause of climate change. Relating to the  Dieter Ram’s 10 Principles of Good Design, a good design needs to be environmentally-friendly,  long-lasting, honest and understandable.

4) Reflect on your process in the science labs this week:

1. 1. Which bacteria did you use and why?

—I mostly used E.coli, because I want my result to have the color blue.

1. 1. How does the genotype of the bacteria constrain or expand your ability to “paint” with it?

—because the bacteria is not affective, the color is also limited which means that I can’t do a lot of different and crazy design with the bacteria. But on the other hand, because the bacteria is not affective, I can have more ways to play with it.

1. 1. Did you consider how temperature might influence how your paint would appear?

—temperature would definitely affect how it turned out. I am assuming the higher the temperature is, the color will be more strong in its appearance.

1. 1. Which petri dishes did you use and why?

—I used two LB and two LB + Xgal because I want to see how might the bacteria turned out differently.

1. 1. Which components can be varied and which must remain stable?

—the materials we use to draw can be varied.

—the bacteria strain can be varied.

—the temperature can be varied.

—the bacteria must remain in the dishes.

1. 1. Which applicator(s) did you use and why?

—I mostly used toothpaste because I want to draw detailed designs. Later on, I also tried paintbrushes and beets to see different results.

1. 1. What effect does the application have?

—The toothpaste is more time consuming but it can draw detailed design whereas the paintbrush and beets seemed more random.

1. 1. How did you control the amount of paint distributed?

—it is hard to control. Again, with the toothpaste, I have more control on the details.

1. 1. Do you think your work can keep growing? What would make the paint “die”?

—I do think my work can grow as long as the alcohol doesn’t touch it because the alcohol can kill the bacteria.

1. 1. Hypothesize about the results of your choices in the lab. What do you expect to occur?

—I expect different colors and some sort of patterns.

1. 1. Are you enjoying the lab so far? What feedback do you have about the experience? 

—I enjoyed it, and think it is really fun. I wished we can do this more often.