David Černý is a Czech-born sculptor famous for his unique and eclectic artwork. Černý was most famously known for his public sculptures, which were prominent in not only the Czech Republic, but worldwide. The majority of his artwork showcase simplistic designs, alongside an eccentric twist. Černý’s artwork is meant to interact with its viewers, causing them to question the functionality of the sculpture as well as the pure concept behind it. Many of his sculptures require a thought-provoking process, making them a perfect example of Fuad-Luke’s third slow design principle of “reflection.” In addition to incorporating reflective ideals into his artwork, Černý’s sculptures are eye-catching, motivating collaborative participation to help further the understanding of his pieces. The collaborative effort required to understand his work is reflective of the fifth slow design principle of “participation.” His adaption for complexity, alongside scarcity, leads the viewer of these distinctive pieces to question the intentions posed by the sculpture. Černý’s sculptures truly depict Fuad-Luke’s slow design principles, for they are a perfect blend of simplicity and detail, all combined into one.
Frank Lloyd Wright: “Fallingwater”
“Fallingwater” by Frank Lloyd Wright (1935)
Frank Lloyd Wright is an American architect most famously known for designing the architectural masterpiece “Fallingwater”-originally designed for the Kaufmann family. Wright had believed that architectural design could spark just as much controversy as any other artwork, especially when tied into elements relevant to current and popular design concepts. What distinguished Wright from other artists is his emphasis on nature as the sole foundation of the majority of his projects. His incorporation of modern home design alongside the neutral and simplistic ways of nature is exactly why his creation “Fallingwater” appropriately ties into the second design principle of slow design-“expansion.” Instead of creating a main focal point for the “Fallingwater” home, Wright had instead chosen to draw attention to the entire aesthetic of the home-from the material used, to the distinctive and captivating placement of the home itself. His holistic approach on the “Fallingwater” home is parallel to the fourth slow design principle, “engagement.” Combining distinctive features of both complexity and modernistic design, Wright reflected the concept of holism throughout all of his designs.
Designs
#1: Blossoming Fan- Ceiling Fan Design
My first fantasy design is more innovative rather than inventive. I had decided to use the common ceiling fan in order to create a more nature-reflective concept. Intertwining two diverse concepts of nature and modern design, the aesthetic of the design is meant to stimulate a calming, yet thought-provoking concept. Engulfing both modern aesthetics of design as well as the simplicity of nature, the design is meant to mirror nature itself, but this time with a modern twist. In order for the concept to be as pure and true to its actual, real-life comparison—which is a blossoming flower—I was sure to incorporate a modified versions of it’s natural beauty into the design. In order to accomplish this, the flower itself would use solar panels in order to capture light that is to be used by the fan itself. Much like an actual flower, which needs sunlight in order to flourish, this ceiling fan contains solar panels which capture light energy from the room. The energy from the solar panel is then conserved and used when necessary by the user.
“On” Setting
The design of the fan is simple, yet it’s beauty is defined by exactly it’s simplicity and uniform design. The ceiling fan itself is composed of the typical ceiling fan concept, including a set of 4 light fixtures mantled onto the center of the fan base itself. These 4 sets of fixtures work simultaneously to produce light and convey the stamen of a flower. The actual blades of the fan will be representative of the petals of a flower, acting as both a useful feature for cooling (air will be fanned out of the ends of the actual blades), as well as the necessary component of the composition of an actual flower. In order for the blades to mimic a flower petal, they will have automated hinges which will snap on/off securely, dependent on the setting the fan. When at the off position, the hinges will lock in place, creating a curved shape, meant to mimic the natural curvature of a flower petal. At the end of the hinged blades, small LEDs are placed sparingly, which will shine light in accordance to the season.
“Off” Setting
The three slow design principles I believe this design mimics are: reveal, expand, and participate. Ceiling fans are not unordinary. They are quite bland and rarely draw any attention—apart from their intended use. This fantasy fan creates not only an aesthetically pleasing basis, but it causes the user of the object to interact with it’s design, by altering light as well as changing settings. Changing the aesthetic of the basic, day-to-day fan into a more-user friendly and collaborative design helps to create unity, reflective to that of the first slow design principle. The second principle of slow design is thoroughly expressed in this design, for it proves the concept of “symbiotic dependency” amongst the components of the design itself. The ceiling fan would not be the design it is if it were not for the structure of every component it is comprised of. Yes, the aesthetic design of a fan can change, but the overall design cannot be mimicked or repeated in such a collaborative and workable way as it is in now. This means the fan itself would not be able to work the same way it does if the parts it is comprised of now would be separated of interchanged—this is where the concept of symbiotic dependency comes into play. In order for all these objects to work, they must all share a common functionality—which, concerning this design alone, is to create both an aesthetically pleasing piece, as well as creating an environmentally-friendly and useful appliance. The fifth principle of slow design is incorporated into the design through the interaction between the user and the appliance. Much like the first design principle, the fan would serve no purpose if it weren’t for the human-object interaction necessary in order to make the mechanical objects within it work. The user of the appliance is forced to interact with the object, but in a non-intrusive manner. The object is rather stimulated by the environment around it, specifically the environment it’s user confines it to. The beauty of it’s natural design shifts the user to visualize the object in a unique perspective; In turn The creation of something living out of man-made materials is what causes the design to become almost alive. The nature-mimicking aspect of the object itself provokes the user to participate in an interaction with the object, for its simple, yet graceful design is what is reflective most throughout.
#2: Traffic-Alerting Phone Case Concept
Oblique Angle of Case
My second design stems from a personal problem I myself face as a commuter. Often times whilst commuting, I find myself distracted by the chaos and commotion of the city itself. Although this problem can be solved by simply becoming more aware to one’s surroundings, there are innovations—such as this one—that can aide in safety of your commute. This phone case serves the exact same purpose as your typical phone case, but with the added objective of helping the user acquire an almost “fifth-sense” of awareness. When the case connects to the user’s phone charging port, the case can assist the user in perceiving traffic patterns, which is especially useful when crossing busy crossroads and intersections. The phone case would be comprised of motion detectors well as wifi capability, to not only detect traffic, but also accurately predict it through the use of traffic satellites, similar to those in a regular phone’s GPS. When in use, the phone case will illuminate in either one of the three colors: yellow, orange, or red. The colors themselves will illuminate the outer shell of the phone case causing the design to be less distracting, yet at the same time provide the user with an accurate depiction of the current traffic pattern. Change in color will vary with traffic, of course, yellow indicating caution, orange indicating extreme caution, and red indicating extreme warning. The transition between these colors will be smooth, to not cause further distraction to it’s user. In addition to the change of color, the phone case has varying vibration intensities-which are also dependent on traffic patterns. The composition of the item itself is simple, it is a transparent phone case with an added bumper which holds not only the LEDs, but also is the center of the vibration stimulator.
The three main design principles relevant to this design are expansion, engagement, and evolution. The point of this design is to maintain its originality, yet add a useful feature for users to be able to partake in and use to their advantage. Including a light feature and syncing the otherwise “lifeless” phone case creates not only interaction with the user, but gives meaning to, “…expose the life..,” of the product (Strauss and Fuad-Luke 5). Giving the case “life” does not improve the actual design of the object, but it permits the user to draw a closer bond to the object, letting it serve a different purpose than it was first intended to. This intimacy between human and object is exactly why this phone case is a great example of Fuad-Luke’s second principle of slow design—expansion. The main feature of this phone case would be useless if it did not interact with the environment, which leads me to Fuad-Luke’s fourth principle of slow design—engaging. Engaging the user with the environment not only increases safety, but it establishes a symbiotic relationship between product and user. Interaction with the case forces the user to interact with the environment around them as well, causing them to become more alert and cautious of their surroundings. This interaction between human and inanimate object creates positive dependency, causing the user to trust the product’s instructions, in turn efficiently putting it to use. Increased use of the product creates a somewhat bridge of trust between man and object. This “bridge” creates engagement between user and object, mirroring the fourth design principle. The added feature of this product, which is it’s motion-sensor ability as well as GPS capability, is exactly what differentiates it from all other designs. The beauty of the phone case is there is not one design that is created equally, they all differ in their own way. One could say they “evolve” into different sub-categories, but all derive from the same “species.” Evolving designs from their original prototype is actually encouraged, for new concepts and ideas are introduced everyday, consequently changing our perception of previous designs. It is important to keep a design relatively simple, so later down the road it can be adjusted and altered to suit society’s current needs.
