1.
a. I think his idea of immortalizing classic design objects is a very awesome way to preserve history and keep things simple in their roots. I personally don’t like the throwaway design as a fashion type of movement and I really like his concepts.
b. I am between simpler more preserved designs and newer more innovative designs. I appreciate the more socially conservative look on life and design. With simpler colour choices and overall construct. I think good design should be able to withstand the forces of time and trends.
c. I have Japanese friends who do say that they are more caring of what they buy. It’s like this pretty much throughout many parts of Asia and many things people own can be passed down or bought to be very significant to an individual. I think in western cultures such as America, there is a greater throw away culture. Looking at fashion and even furnitures. There are more out of the norm fashion and design that can get out of trend eventually.
d. I think that this might no be the case. With the ever persistent rise in consumerism, there is a growing culture of just having better things, better looking things. And with the rise in social media there is more awareness on what is the style of today. Due to this I think we are not moving toward a more caring society for design.
e. I think the students are very considerate of not just the history but also the environment. The recycling of things such as beer bottles really seem more essential today and looking back in time for inspiration is a very bright way of going about it.
f. I would like to be more of a digital designer so I would like to know how some of these values can be applied to me, for me to be more sustainable and aware of good design.
2. I think the design criteria really cover everything that needs to be said. I think when it comes to sustainable design, sacrifices will have to be made in costs and also perhaps quality and function. For example, maybe biodegradable plastic bottles will expire significantly faster than plastic ones, and the cost of synthesizing them would be higher as well. This would not do well in terms of sales as well as people in general do not have the mindset yet to sacrifice convenience and lower prices. Also one point that I disagree with is that the design has to be beautiful. I think some designs just need to be functional and have no need for form, and it will not really effect profitability.
3. I actually wanted to make some unexpected designs and did not dive too deeply into the different petri dishes. For designs that I want to have brighter colours, I set them to be at a higher temperature of 37C. I think that temperature consistency is the most important factor in the development of the bacteria. I used the sticks to scratch the surfaces so that bacteria might have different transparency based on the deepness of the scars. Furthermore, I used the glass beads to create more abstract patterns.
