CCDN 271

Assignment One

Tools For Investigation - Assessing and Critiquing Sources

The Everyday

Michael Graves Designs: The Art of the Everyday Object is the inside account of Michael Graves one-man revolution. The acclaimed architect has elevated everyday objects from toasters to toilet brushes into enduring icons that have redefined how we look at them today. With his resounding successful work for Target Stores, Michael Graves has become a household name. Graves states that one of the most important characteristics of many of his projects is “domesticity”. Although he mentions that we flourish in surroundings that support our spiritual and physical needs, well designed products tell stories about the way we live and what we care about. He liked designing things that were efficient to use but at the same time, made everyday tasks more enjoyable through careful design and shapes and colors. Because what looks good often feels good, he developed stylish knobs and handles as an example, that fit well in our hands. Therefore the object and our body have a relationship with each other.

Patton, P. (2004). Michael Graves Designs: The Art of the Everyday Object.
New York, NY: Melcher Media Inc.

Critical Design

Bucsescu and Eng’s book examines the relationship between the built form and culture and serves as an introduction to thinking philosophically about design theory for students in design and architecture. It is targeted at first year students, and also be resourceful for advanced students who can return throughout their design training. The text starts off with the first chapter asking - “What Is Critical Thinking?” with a separate part on how to critically think in design. The book is cleverly written where 2 different people are talking to each other, one philosophical (Philo) and the other architecture (Arch). Philo stated, “the student should learn how to edit his work (i.e., reflect on it in more than one draft), and that the editing process should be imagined as knowing on the walls of a structure to see which parts of the structure were sounds and which were hollow. This was merely an architectural metaphor, which could be employed in design as a way to test how designers conceptualize their projects.

Bucsescu, D., & Eng, M. (2009). Looking Beyond The Structure: Critical Thinking for Designers and Architects. United States of America: Fairchild Books.

DIY

Do it yourself (DIY, D.I.Y.) is a term that focuses on people creating things for themselves. It is encouraged by DIY subcultures that people should take technologies into their own hands and “explicitly critique” consumer culture. Zapata explains that in order to find new terminology in sustainable design, with recycle, reduce but mostly reuse thinking (Zapata. pg1.). The focus is in contemporary “do it yourself” culture and it’s creative incorporation in academic experiences of architectural self construction. Zapata also signifies the benefits of DIY, with the low energy costs of it, and the practical learning that takes place. The use of manuals along with graphical instructions expresses the “How to” and the “ready made” building elements, which make new frontiers to conceptual design.

Zapata, A. F. (2007). 21st Century D.I.Y. Architecture.
Retrieved from http://www.unaus.eu/pdf/T013.pdf

Google Warming

The text starts off with Solove claiming that “We are in the midst of an information revolution, and we are only beginning to understand its implications” (Solove, pg. 1.). During the past few decades, we have changed the way we do our day-to-day business; the way we shop, bank, social interaction. This has resulted in an unprecedented amount of records and data of individuals. He then mentions dossiers, which is a collection of detailed data about an individual, and how dossiers are used in European courts to assemble information about someone to reach a judgement. On page 7, the writer talks about “Orwell’s Big Brother”. He states that Big Brother is the “dominant metaphor” for modern invasions of privacy, oppressing it’s citizens, spying on everyone in their own homes, resulting in a “cold” and “grey” world with no creativity. 

Solove, D. J. (2004). the digital person: technology and privacy in the information age.
New York, NY: New York University Press. Retrieved from
http://books.google.co.nz/bookshl=en&lr=&id=_bodvczXUIsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=the+digital+person&ots=wotu0tWmST&sig=FmPF0Vi2QRnnDgoQjfeBsJ9Co0A#v=onepage&q=the%20digital%20person&f=false