Sinead Burke’s TED Talk covered accessibility from a very different perspective. As a little person, I found her input very inspiring in terms of designing for ALL. While she covered airport security, bathroom stalls, and coffee counters, some inaccessible designs in everyday life that came to my mind include the non-adjustable height of school desks, and the standard low height of wall outlets.
John Cary’s talk inspired me to consider a different kind of design intervention. Rather than heights of outlets or desks, I thought about his example of the clock directly across from his wife during labor. It made me think about the struggles of my nearly micro-apartment. Where to begin. The door of the fridge is too close to the entry door and is unable to open far enough to even access any drawer inside fully. There is a gap between the wall and the back of the refrigerator, which also happens to meet the counter. Often, things fall between this gap and are lost behind the fridge. These are just a few design flaws that could easily have been prevented.
Rene Polin and Daphne Fecheyr’s talk was more lighthearted than most Ive seen. I learned more about the relationships between different designers and how they sometimes must find a common language in order to be successful. I have always found biomimicry very interesting, and would love to incorporate it somehow in my Bridge 4 project.
Jeanne Gang spoke of a similar method to design, as she discusses her experiences with blending building into the natural landscape with unique curves and inspired design. I found the curvature surprising as it seems to push boundaries that have not yet become commonly used.
