Convergence.

This will be my last post about design. There are no pictures needed for what type of design I am going to talk about because you cannot quite capture the new world's culture. This is not design as thought of like the color of a room, or the lines on a car. This is design based on the world that we live in. The design of our lives and what our culture is currently creating. One of the meanings of the word design is organization or structure of formal elements in a work of art; composition. That is the meaning when you use the word as a noun. Design in general. What about the design of our world? The world itself is a work of art or a canvas that we are all currently painting. I feel that we almost had it ruined but, with the current green movement we are pushing back the end. This is a piece of art that will never be finish but, will always be added too. One idea of design I'd like to touch on is the design of our convergence culture. In the last few product designs I talked about they were about video conferencing in your bedroom without a computer or watching movies on your television from just one box and without the need of tangible DVDs. This design is based on the world as being connected everywhere. The world is quickly coming together as one culture and products like these are the reasons that it is coming together. The less products we have to buy to be able to communicate with our families at home or friends across the sea, the more we will adapt to those new products. This will change the design of our lives completely. The difference in this design is that there is no end goal. Nobody knows what the design of our lives or our culture will turn out to be because by the time we realize it our culture has already changed and we are simply reading history. I find the critique of this design 1. very hard and 2. completely astounding. The thought of every persons culture being able to be one with everyone is great, and hopefully will lead to greater dreams that we could ever begin to imagine. I like the fact that technology will help bring the world closer together, when you shorten those borders between two cultures you open up your eyes to see that they are the same as you and I. This is the one design that needs no change.

I feel that this is what I have been self educating myself about, not different ways to design products but where those designs are taking us as a culture. It may be because of what I chose to discuss and analyze as designs which were mainly gadgets but I feel that is what a lot of the world is today. You can educate yourself on architecture, paintings, or furniture. Whatever you choose but, I feel that I got the most education out of learning about new products and the lengths designers are going to just to create products that we "need." While doing these blogs I never felt like I was learning about much but, as a reflection I feel like I have figured out how we are becoming just one culture and converging all our ideas and beliefs into one.

iRiver Wave Home

And just when you think you would have no reason to make calls without the assist of a computer anymore iRiver creates the Wave Home. This is an all in one hub that allows you to make calls over the internet, stream music from your computer, and video conference. There was a past thought that everyone wanted to hide their unsightly electronics with all their cords and ugly chunky designs. The day of that thought is now gone. The iRiver is very sleek and would work on any desk, in any room. The simple look and minimal design allows you to place it in places you wouldn't usually associate technology. Like the nightstand or kitchen perhaps. The goal of this device is to bring the connected world deeper into the home, and it is succeeding. Say hello to the future Mr. Jetson.

Vudu

The Vudu has been around for a couple of years but, it is a great sensation. It basically battles Netflix but, it has a certain advantage. No monthly fees. For those of you that do not know Vudu is an Internet connected 1080p high definition movie player. It lets you download movies for 24 hours at a time to rent and watch them. It also has access to Pandora, flickr, and YouTube all for a small price. It also has the capability to store movies that you can purchase separately. As far as the design of function this one device is bringing what your computer can already do to your tv, and its doing it better than anyone else. The design is very stylish yet simple. The box is small enough to fit along side your other television peripherals but, pretty soon you won't even need a DVD player or blu ray player as the vudu will take over that spot. So say goodbye to your tangible DVD collection and say hello to the vudu.

Vaio

At first glance this may look like any other Sony Vaio laptop. It is in fact a lot different. This Sony Vaio's shell is comprised entirely of Carbon Fiber and weighs in with the battery at less than 3 pounds. It is also only an inch thick. Seems pretty incredible. I love almost anything made out of carbon fiber, if you can make something stronger and lighter at the same time then why not? This laptop is created using cutting edge technology. It has a battery capable of watching dvds for 4 hours. The laptop is also equipped with a fingerprint reader, webcam, and an instant mode that allows you to play media without fully starting windows. This design can be describe in one word, Versatile.

Electric Assist Is Not Just For Cars Anymore.

I am a bit of a bike hobbyist/aficionado, builder/collector. I currently own around 6 bikes, which might not sound like a lot but it is when you live in a one bedroom apartment on the third floor of a small building with no bike racks. I am currently more of a fixed gear type of rider but this bike caught my attention. It looks like a classic schwinn which has already won me over in the looks department. It is rocking the classic schwinn fenders and 21 speeds. Something else different than most other bikes is that it also has a battery on it. This electric driven bike has a "plug n'drive" system on it. This system basically has pedal assist for those riding it. I really like the idea and I know builders have been putting small electric motors on their bikes for years. I'm glad its getting more mainstream.

Yamaha Surround

In the New Media major we talk about all the elements that go into a project, as much as it is visual it is audio too. Surround sound is obviously a must for any audiophile but I am picky about designs of speakers. I hate the idea of having 7 speakers and a sub woofer with cords dangling all around my apartment, well Yamaha has thought of an idea to fix that. This is the Yamaha YSP-3000 surround sound system. The design is very sleek and low profile, unlike bulky surround systems before. The way that this works with only one large box is that the Yamaha YSP-3000 has a sound projecter and IntelliBeam technologies that allow it to read your room and then bounce signals off the walls to replicate a multi speaker setup. If it looks good and is even more functional than just the aesthetic department, I will like it and this speaker system does just that. Looks good and sounds even better.

Stackable Bowls

The stackable bowl system is a design created by Ferran Adria. It features 7 bowls that can be used for a number of kitchen tasks. From mixing to straining to serving, this space saving system does it all. I like it because it comes in a very stylish space saving design. It beats those plastic bowls that you're using now to do all the same tasks and waste all of your cabinet space on. The reason I don't like it is because it costs $350 for 7 bowls. Seems a little outrageous. When space saving is cost effective that is when I will jump on the band wagon, until then I will just look and appreciate good design mixed with good materials.