Product Design: Toy Exercise Bike

Fighting childhood obesity or promoting childhood consumerism?

Is that really necessary? No wonder it was out at the trash. Just take your child outside and teach them to ride a real bike.

Pin-Up

I created these collages using an application called Collage Creator Lite.

I made these collages to be like a "pin-up" critique, so that I could see them all at once. I wanted to see which angles I am missing, and which techniques need to be improved. 

These are the original images before I did any editing in Photoshop.

This is what I've got right now. I think it was helpful to do this so I could decide which ones I want to improve on.

5 Views of a Teapot

This is the first look at my first project for design school. We were supposed to draw an object that shows "good design" as defined by Dieter Rams of Braun's fame in this article. I chose the teapot because it is simple, useful, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally-friendly, long-lasting, honest and unobtrusive. I am assigned with drawing the object I chose using different techniques, materials and viewpoints, and then I will compile them into a digitally generated poster of multiple images of the same object. These are my favorite sketches so far.

 

The drawing above was created with fine-point pen using a scribble-gesture technique. This drawing is successful because it shows the teapot with perceptual accuracy, but the scribble technique gives it interest through the texture. This drawing communicates the shape of the object as seen from the back.

 

This drawing is successful because of the shading used to show the form of the objects. The contrast between the black and the white, and the shades in between give the viewer a good feel for the object. This is the view of the object that I tend to be motivated to drawn the most. It shows the spout, the handle and the lid in addition to the "pot" of the teapot.

 The drawing above is successful because it communicates the outside shape of the object. It allows the viewer to see beyond details and focus on the form.

 

This drawing is successful, because I really let go of precision and just give a feeling of the form. Doing the blind contour really brought out some beautiful, effortless lines. It communicates a whimsical quality of the object.

 

This drawing of the teapot is successful because it shows the teapot in a different viewpoint, and I used a combination of techniques to show it in a new way. It communicates to the viewer what the inside of the pot looks like.

Goal Update

5.   Learn Adobe Suite
6.    Have a computer to use Adobe Suite on
7. Redesign my blog

I can cross out the above goals with a definitive Yes! First of all, I bought myself a laptop that I can do graphics editing on. I used the little "Kindle with Special Offers Deal" that I heard about from a friend, and I got 20% off my new laptop on Amazon.com. 

Me using my laptop w/built in camera and headphones cause I'm waiting in a noisy airport!

As for the goal to learn Adobe Suite, I wouldn't say I've done that per say, but I did enroll in a graphic design program at the University of Kansas. And I'm realizing I have more Photoshop skills than I gave myself credit for. But please note, I will be posting entries for school assignments, as well as work in progress. 

As far as redesigning my blog: you will see the new header with the pencil-drawn wren, and the wooden side-paneling. Enjoy!

My Outfit: Ouch!

I ran into my friend Nate after suffering a vicious bicycle crash. He snapped some photos of me in my post-accident shock....Ok, luckily I wasn't injured very badly, but I did get some scrapes and bruises and a little shook up.

Outfit details: Tanktop/borrowed from roommate (What am I going to do when I move out?), Skirt/thrifted Peruvian Connection $7, Sandals/GoMax via Eccentricity $30, Necklace/gift from my mother, Belt/gift from my sister, Scrape/dumb $free!

Today's maxim: Don't bike in long flowy skirts without securing them out of the way of moving parts!

A Handmade Valentine

I covered a cardboard packaging box with magazine cut-outs to create a valentine present for my dear Mommy this year (in February). The box was originally for Laughing Cow cheese wedges. I gave it to her with little chocolates and bon-bons inside. I wrapped it all up with a piece of vintage lace tied in a bow.

Goal Update: #9 Organize my pattern collection

Out with the old...

Well, with only 4 more months in my 25th year, I suppose it is time to start documenting my progress, successes and room for improvement on my 25 Things To Do Before I Turn 26 goal list.

We will start with goal number 9: Organize my pattern collection

This goal really only took one morning. The first step was to weed out all of the patterns that I have never used and honestly will never use. This is important because it allows me to more easily find the patterns that I would like to actually use.





For example, I bought some patterns because I liked the design lines, but produced in sizes 14-16, I won't ever be inspired to grade that pattern. Yes, I suppose if I wanted to start designing my own patterns, I could use it as inspiration, but I prefer to just use well crafted patterns in my own size range so that I don't have to deal with a whole array of problems of drafting and fitting.

Another area of mass weeding was patterns that essentially all had the same design lines. How many patterns do you need of a seventies power suit or a sixties jumper, when really the only major difference is the illustration on the front? I chose the best out of the selection and discarded the rest.

The second step was to sort them into different sizing and genres. My categories are: children's, men's, household, accessories, lingerie/swimwear, outerwear, women's pants, women's skirts, women's blouses, multi-garment patterns, and women's dresses (split into size range).

I am now housing my patterns in a filing cabinet which is attached to my sewing/work desk. Each category of pattern has it's own hanging file folder. In spite of weeding out close to 100 patterns, the patterns still take up two drawers total.

I had originally thought maybe I could sell them on Etsy, but I don't see a whole lot of value in the ones I am getting rid of. There really isn't much money to be made there since they are probably worth 25-50 cents a piece. I'd be better off asking a price for the whole lot of them to get them out of my hair or just taking them to the thrift store.

I could keep going with the goal and preserve each one with cardboard backing and plastic protector sheets, with a catalogue binder for pattern searches, but we'll save that for another year...