How devices are making us rethink our seating positions?

Who would have thought that something as simple as just sitting on a chair has evolved over the recent years due to the ubiquitous use of tablets and other similar devices. No longer are chairs being designed just for the desktop or laptop-centric workplace environment. With the recent convergence of other smaller form-factor devices being part of our daily routine, there is a need to rethink our ideas of what a chair should be. This is where I thought the rethinking of the design of the humble chair is a step in the right direction. It just reminded me of a blog post that I did once before, about the need to standardize finger and hand gesturing across all devices, something similar to what signing does for the hearing and/or speech-impaired.

Taken from: http://bit.ly/Z0Hk31

Have a look at a short video:

When technology stupefies you!

Taken from: http://www.citroenchat.com/showthread.php?t=2816

I was driving home the other day and a thought just struck me. If I was caught in a traffic jam but am in a very familiar road situation, would I still need a GPS system to guide me out of the jam? Would I be able to make that dynamic decision to perhaps change my route, that could perhaps save me from being stuck unnecessarily in an avoidable jam?

Perhaps when one talks about such a technology as the GPS system, one can't help but be thankful that such a technology exists, but I do feel that the convenience of having one does stupefies the user a little.  Now let me qualify my statement that no, it doesn't mean that using GPS confines one to a state of stupidity. It is just that the very fact that one knows that one has it, and can depend on it, would lead to a tendency of its users from moving away from thinking through their decisions, and solely based their directional judgements on a machine, which might not be able to perhaps see the jam 200 m ahead of you!

But on the other hand, I do feel that the GPS is a godsend in certain contexts and situations, more so in a situation where you are in an unfamiliar road condition or routes, or you are simply driving through a location that you have been a long while back, but have somewhat changed over the years. I do think that GPS is a good 'friend' to have by your side in such situations, but having them to make that judgements for you when you are on familiar ground, just seems a little 'not using your brain and letting it to rot' kinda of moment for me.

But then again, this is just my personal opinion.

Hingeless bendable speaker: #MadeWithPaper

A visual of the proposed hingeless, bendable speaker.

Inspired by the need to be simple, the hingeless, bendable speaker idea sketched above works on the idea of simplifying the practise of customising the users' experiences with their current portable speakers. Allowing the speakers to bend at almost all angles for customisability, whilst at the same time, leveraging on a flexible material type that one would use to clip excess wires of extension cords, I thought these ideas could converge to form the above design quite simple. The speaker itself is envisioned to be curved for added acoustics, and aesthetics.

ForkSpoon+Knife: #MadeWithPaper

Version 1: ForkSpoon combination

Version 2: ForkSpoon+Knife combination

Inspired from my own personal experiences with my children, I think that there is a lot of potential for a combined Fork+Spoon+Knife utility product. With the advent of magnets in a lot more product uses, I thought the use of such adhesive-able element in the above combi would play nicely with making the combination more useful and utilitarian, but at the same time, without sacrificing the simplicity of its function!

In search of that perfect stylus

I am currently into sketching, digital sketching to be precise, and am furiously looking out for that perfect stylus for my sketching style and medium. I sketch mostly on my iPad tablet, for digital media, and on any piece of paper, for the more traditional alternative. I am hoping that my recent purchase of a moleskine would help to discipline myself to start to compile all my sketches into one book, but that would be for a post on another day.

Now back to my hunt for that perfect stylus. It hasn't been easy, and like others who also sketch on a digital medium, I have seen my fair share of ones that perform well in certain areas, but still fails miserably in general. My last one was an AlumPen, a Red-Dot Design award winner, and I must say it has not dissapoint, well almost, in enabling me to sketch out my ideas and thoughts.

Until that is...the Bamboo stylus came along. I've just gotten myself the Bamboo stylus solo version, (the duo version comes with a pen, but I don't quite like the dual-functionality of such styluses, but that's just my personal opinion) and I must say it is one of the best so far. Not that it would help me to impove my sketching skills by leaps and bounds, but it definitely has a slightly better feel in my hands. It just feels more balanced in my hands, and lengthwise, it is of the right one for my hand size. The front tip is also of the right degree of softness and sensitivity to the tablet surface, a perennial problem that seems to affect the first generation of styluses in other brands. I hope to be able to sketch more with this Bamboo stylus, and hopefully, get to work on levelling up on my sketches too.

To those still in search of that perfect stylus, if you can, do try a few, and do try the Bamboo too. You never know...you might end up liking it too.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Desktop Stand/Organiser

A desktop organizer inspired by the humanistic influences, the idea here is to use the 2-dimensionality of the standing position shown of a human to iterate possibilities of organizing the desktop.

Though it's main use is on work tables, possibilities for its use are endless.

I can envisage it being used to just organize about everything else...e.g. placed on the dining table to hold the dining set and napkin, bookshops using them to make the promotional books stand out from the other books on sale, etc.

Cardboard Digital Camera by IKEA

Introducing a cardboard-based digital camera by IKEA. No, it's not for sale, but I love the tongue-in-cheek approach to the idea of zooming and image-stabilization functions.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Umbrella-stand

A redesign of the umbrella stand, this idea looks at how the stand can be made to be more adaptable to varying umbrella and any other similarly-sized objects.

The use of a heavy base that acts as a stabilizer and collator/air-blower would enhance the experience of using this stand too.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Modular Traffic Lights

An idea inspired by changes in the traffic directions and conditions near my place, the modular approach to the traffic design above takes its leaf from the idea of Lego-connections. This allows for ease of connecting and reconfiguring.

The programmable nature of each of this cubic units also allows for interchangeability, and minimizes downtime when repairs or maintenance works need to be done.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Curver blades

Redesigning the blades of a fan, and adding greater curvature to allow for greater coverage angle. The proposed ball-and-socket design aims to give a greater degree of motion capability, for those occasions when it is needed.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: 2-way container

Redesigning the humble container access points, to take into account the fact that one would usually do a refill even before the current supply runs out. The use of a 2-way filling-in points enables the user to still access the 'old-stock' of his supplies.

The design also uses a square cross-section for ease of storage, and flushed bottom caps to help with stacking should there be a need to. Definitely something worth considering for those who loves their kitchen to be neat.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: the Holey Chopping Board

The chopping board design takes into account the motion of users chopping on their raw food products, with the idea that the separation of the chopped pieces should be a one-flow motion. The use of the jigsaw-puzzled hole adds to this convenience. With the ability to add an attachment for cups or containers to hold the chopped food items, this will add another layer of convenience to the users.

The detachable nature of the holed section allows the user to vary the hole size, to fit and suit the sizes of the chopped food items that they are working on.

The final touch of using a wood-based material adds a little bit of nostalgia to users, who are more inclined to feel the warmth and earthiness of having a wood-based chopping board, compared to a plastic version.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: the iProcessor

The idea of the iProcessor is to remove the clutter of a regular food processor, and to give it a more minimalistic look and feel. The swinging out aspect of the food bowl gives added space to the food processing experience, with a possible attachment that makes the internal space hemispherical for a more atypical food-processing experience.

The hidden controls and handle also adds to the degree of minimalistic look and feel, with the idea of making the use, operation, wash-up and storage of the entire iProcessor unit more pleasant and a worthwhile experience.

As a final touch to aesthetics, the usual colours are offered, so that users can mix and match the colour of their iProcessor, with those of their other current utensils.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: The Tiltable Umbie

Drawing my bad experiences of using the umbrella during the monsoon rain season, the tiltable umbrella design above takes into account the shifting wind directions in a typical rainy situation, to allow for maximum protection of the user against getting wet.

The off-centred design allows the user, especially those who are tall, to still be able to keep themselves relatively dryer, compared to current designs. The proposed wind/moisture sensor at the tip of the umbrella allows the user to have greater control and knowledge on the shifting wind directions, especially when on the move. It allows for a pre-emptive change of the cover to happen, to offer better protection.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Modular Wardrobe Hanging system

With constraints in space within the wardrobe, the modular hanging system proposed above aims to leverage on the differing sized of clothing items to optimise the space. Using a modular pole-like system that is detachable and can be set up modularly, the redesign allows different users to customise their wardrobe experience by setting up the space within their wardrobe to cater to the usage patterns, or/and the kind of outfits that they have.

The system also takes in to account the use of the depth of the wardrobe space to optimise the usage rate better, allowing the system to be aligned in 2 axes/directions.

The possibilities are endless with a modular system, and if further work could be done on the design of the wardrobe itself, the possibilities are even more wide open for further customisations.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Clipped-on Laundry Pole

Uniting the cloth-peg and the laundry pole usually used in Asian countries to hang laundry, this redesign takes a look at eliminating the pegs, and infusing a clipping action into the pole itself.

By redesigning the cross-section of the pole, and using alternative material, the redesign allows for a more secure clipping action, coupled with a better cross-section area for a more effective handling.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: whiTeboard sTand

A re-modified design of the portable whiteboard/butcher-sheet stand, the design modifies the frame to cater to a landscape and portraiture layout. It also allows for easy placement of butcher sheets via using a magnetic attachment method, versus the current designs that uses clip!

The icing of the design is on the ease of storage. The intent is to allow the user to hand the frame after use, to allow for greater use of the floor space. Hanging allows for a more optimal use of space, especially for those in which space is a premium. With more items 'off' the floor space and left to hang instead, it allows for greater flexibility.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Baby carseat

Inspired by the limitations of the current designs of some baby car-seats, this redesign takes a look at making the infant's experience of being cocooned up in the car seat that much more comfortable, while also allowing the adults ease of using.

The rotatable and retracting handle system makes it easy to use. The angle of choice is also intentional to allow for ease of carrying by the parent/adult user.

Other features are also considered to allow for a better 'cocooning' experience by the infant.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Rehal 2.0

A rethinking of the 'rehal', the small connecting elements usually used by Quran-readers to position their Qurans for ease of reading and page-turning.

The above redesign looks at what more can the 'rehal' be redesigned into, and aims to unite the holy book itself within the folds of the 'rehal'. This gives the users a cleaner look and feel when they hug the rehal and the Quran around, the usual method that Quran readers would carry theirs.

An extension of this redesign would be to relook at in-building a height-adjustable elements to allow for users of varying height and age to use the 'Rehal 2.0' with ease.

An-IDEA-a-DAY: Mod-Vase

A modular system of vases, leveraging on the efficient design of the hexagonal shapes. Different heights allows for some degree of configuration. Magnets are used as attachment tools for ease of arrangement.