The Portafilter- Why Baristas Love It

 Since I work as a barista I thought it would be a great idea to analize the portafilters we use at the espresso machine. Portafilters are the devices used on an epresso machine that holds the grinds and allows water to flow through to create a delicious drink. The portafilter has to be a device designed by coffee lovers who understood the importance of what was needed to produce the best espresso shots and who would be using them. There are five areas of research that makes the portafilter a design worth sharing.

When any product is being designed the first that crosses the designers mind is the products safety. The portafilter gets put into the group head which is part of the machine itself. The group head is where the water flows out and drops into the portafilter when attached. The water is hot which means the group head is also very hot in turn making the portafilter hot and that is what creates the best tasting espresso. In order to keep all of the pieces hot they had to be made out of metal, but that could cause a problem for the barista handeling it. In order to prevent hands being burned a rubber piece was added to the handle. Not only does this protect the barista from burning his or her hands, but it also gives the handle a better grip. Some portafilter handles are shapped with a thicker piece of rubber at the end to be sure that it would not slip out of the barista's hand and some, like the one I use everyday at work, are shapped with ridges to allow the fingers to sit inside the handle better. This idea of differnt handle ends also comes into the second area of research which is comfort. The rubber ends are soft and are easy to hold, but also gives balance to the whole portafilter. Also the metal grips on the sides allow the portafilter to be locked in place when placed into the group head and is also compatable with some automatic grinders. Inside the portafilter is a little metal filter which looks like a disk with little holes poked through it. This little filter allows the espresso to seep through while the coffee grounds stay inside and away from your beverage. Now, the fifth and final area of research, and one that seperates each variation of products, is the aesthetics of the product. The portafilter is a product worth looking at and anilizing because it does so much for our huge generation of coffee lovers and most of them do not know just how wonderful the portafilter is. The rounded shape allows the ease of taking the portafilter in and out of the group head so the designers must have used that main focal point throughout the entire design. The handle and rubber pieces are all rounded and smooth to complement the main piece of the whole design. The way that the handle is shapped to fit your hand makes the barista want to hold it and constantly touch it which is good if the barista is making drinks all day. These differnt variations of the portafilter are only to modify the comfort and ease of using it on a daily basis.

Image Links: http://www.jimseven.com/2007/01/03/want-a-teflon-portafilter/, http://www.partsguru.com/GaggiaAchilleLevermodel.html

some links to buy espresso machines: http://www.peets.com/shop/essentials_espresso.asp?cm_re=essentials-_-feature1-_-Image, http://www.starbucksstore.com/products/shprodli.asp?DeptNo=8100&ClassNo=0036&SubClassNo=0950&CCAID=SBPTPAHP1SHEQ&Redir=/products/shprodli.asp?DeptNo=8100&ClassNo=0036&SubClassNo=0950

Word and Image: Advertisments

Earlier today I watched a commercial for the new video game Call Of Duty: Black Ops that I thought was interesting as a visual image, but at the end of the video one line of words came on the screen that discribed the whole clip and provided a humorous closuer. If I had watched the commercial and not seen the words at the very end, it would not have made very much sense to me and on the other had, if I were to have just seen the words, but not the images I would have not had the same understanding as having them combined together. This commercial was a great way to advertise to all audiences because of how the characters were dressed. The basic message was that anyone and everyone can play this game and it doesn't matter how professional you are. The companey is already able to target a younger audience, so they took a different approch to include older more business type audiences. The visual aspect is able to cetch the attention of the professional business man or woman, and keep their attention based off of the actions each character is proforming. By the end of the commercail, all audiences are attracted to the interesting behavior of the man in a suit and tie and the chef walking around with guns in his hands that they have to read the last bit of information to make sense of it all. When I had finished watching this commercial it made me realize how much words and images rely on each other to deliver a message that one could not without the other. Important pieces would be missing from each other if they did not work side by side. In advertising this is very true because people don't want to read, so having images provided grabs the attention while the words finish the translation of information to the observer.
Image found here: http://geekcentricity.com/2010/11/call-of-duty-black-ops-not-your-fathers-fps.html
Here is the video for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pblj3JHF-Jo

Word and Image: Business Cards

Business cards are a great way to promote your business and get important information to your clients and customers. A combonaion of words and images or a logo help give visual interest while also giving important information. Some desgins, however, are poorly designed and can confuse the consumer or potential client. Logos design and logo choice can also become confusing if used improperly. There are a few tips to help avoid these issues and give impressed feedback from the clients.
When trying to get the information of the business onto a little card, it can sometimes be difficult to fit it all together properly that gives a visual appeal and organization. When designing a business card it is important to remember to keep the lines with the address in close proxcimity to each other to show that they belong together. This tactic will avoid confusion of what the address is while being within the proxcimity of other important information, such as a phone number. Another helpful tip is to keep all of the text in the same alignment. If the lines of text are not aligned, whether it be flush left, flush right, or centered, it could cause unorganization to the point that the mind to feel stressed which is not something you want a potential client to think about, but rather how amazing the business sounds.
Logos are wonderful tools that help the public quickly identify a business or service. For example, a unique logo for a hair salon could be a dandelion flower made out of salon sissors. The public would be able to identify the sissors and get a general idea of the services the business offers. Other businesses choose to use more of a design approch rather than use a logo, which also works very well. For example, a business that provides waxing, facials, and other skin asthetics wanted to use an african theme for her business, so she decided to have brown zebra stipes with an orange squares. Her business has the same brown and orange colors painted on her walls along with various african art. Some businesses dont have very successful logo designs even though their intentions are sinser. For more information on bad logo design, check out my past blog post: http://ashleysworldofdesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/logosthen-and-now-good-and-bad.html. If these tips are kept in mind a bad business card desgin will become a rare occassion, especially if another person looks at the desgin and gives positive critisism. There are even books written to help avoid simple mistakes when designing.
Here is one book that has helped me in the design processes: http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0321193857
The two examples I gave are desgins that I have done for small businesses

Pumpkin Carvings

Even though it is November already, I still wanted to show my Halloween spirit. Pumpkin carvings have been a tradition that many familys practice on or around Halloween. The idea of putting a silly face or skull on the pumpkin gives it character. Throughout the years many have made this tradition into a contest to see just how skilled these carvers really are. Some contests have restrictions on what to carve while others are open to the artist's creativity. When the winners are announced, you can see just how much work, thought, and design goes into each carving. Other meterials are used to create a unique design, such as paint or colored lights.

The details that go into the work show just how much planning goes into each design. The right pieces need to be carved from the right spots to give it a believable silhouette and some desgins, such as the werewolf, can give the illusion of texture.

Then there are designs such as this that give not only texture to a piece, but values to the whole pumpkin. When this little kitten is lite up, the light will illuminate different shadows and give the carving life. There are other methods to give shadow other than carving into the pumpkin to give it a three- dimentional look. These talented artists have used principles such as line, value, texture, form, and of course silhouettes to create an image that is beliveable and almost realistic.

Here are the links for the photos: (Day of the Dead pumpkin) http://www.illustrationmundo.com/wp/1947
(Three pumpkin carvings)http://www.charlesandhudson.com/archives/2009/09/enter-the-toh-pumpkin-carving-contest.htm
(Cat pumpkin) http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=104132&currentpage=All

Here are some carving contest sites with amazing and uniqe designs: http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/community/contests/pumpkin2010/winners.html

http://www.extremepumpkins.com/pumpkincontest.html

http://agoodson.com/pumpkin/

Industrial Design- The New iPod Touch

Apple has designed many versions of mp3 players called iPods throughout the years, but the one that sticks out the most to me is the iPod Touch. A few weeks ago Apple introduced the new iPod Touch with new features that the old version never had. The change in updates was so quick and drastic that it makes the older version obsolite now. They have designed the new version to have a camera able now to take photos and even video. This was a feature only the iPhone has had, but now brings appeal to those who do not own an iPhone. The new iPod also has the same micro chip as the iPhone 4 and the iPad, devices with much more to offer than a simple iPod. Right now Apple's biggest marketing feature for the new iPod Touch is the ability to have video chats with friends and family. By adding these new features to the iPod Touch's design the popularity will skyrocket for fans who want the features of an iPhone, without using AT&T's crappy service. This little device is everything you would want in a phone, but without the phone. Before all of Apple's updates to the iPod Touch, it was a popular product, but now it has become a product that iPod Touch fans will purchase to replace their previous Touch. This method of updating or changing already popular products gives desginers a way to improve the lives of the public. For example, with all the new features that the iPod Touch now comes with, there is almost no need for a computer for video chats and you no longer need to carry around a camera or video camera. All of these fetures are compressed into a slick slim device that can be easily carried to all of your favorite places.
Here is the site with all of the new feature information: http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/
Image site and additional information: http://newtech.aurum3.com/tag/ipod-touch/

Objectified- Content vs. Form

On Thursday our Design 001 class watched a documentry film called Objectified which is about designers talking about design, howit works, how it effects the public, and even designs purpose. What makes this film so interesting and effective is not necessarily the content because any designer could talk about desgin, but the form. Each designer's imput and interpritation helped contribute to the content of the film. but small details such as camera angles and choice of images inhanses the impact of each statement that each desginer makes throughout the film. When they talk about the importance of design or even in the very beginning of the film the viewer is forced to see everyday objects such as a toothbrush or chinese toothpicks up closeand in a way that is different from the everyday. We tend to look at objects very quickly and dont usually take the time to look at how it was designed. Objectified's main goal is to show the problems desginers go through on a daily bases that the public takes for granted. By showing the thought process along with sketches of their designs and how they come up with their ideas to improve the lives of everyone. The viewer does not realize just how much thought goes into design until they hear and SEE it for themselves. For example, one desginer explained how their desgins don't last forever and will eventually end up being thrown away. The images of computers and other products being crushed and thrown away in a dumpster show the impact of the former statement. Any desginer can talk about design and the impact it has on society, but in Objectified they SHOW the impact.
If you liked Objectified check out this film: http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi2961047577/
Image above from: http://intothedustbowl.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/objectified/

Compare and Contrast: Generic-Brand vs. Name-Brand

Comparing and contrasting generic brand products and name brand products is simple, but the major question of why do consumers buy more name brand products. When you look at the products you can tell immediately which product is which. The most important aspect of this major question is that consumers can recognize the packaging of a name brand product and know that it "works", so they would naturally go with that particular product. I have heard every excuse and the most popular being, "it works better." This excuese is only to justify their purchase without looking at the ingredients label or active ingredients. If you look at both products you will notice that they contain the same exact things. When it comes to food, however, there may be a slight difference in taste, but that doesnt change the fact that the products are vertually the same. The major aspect that sets these products apart are the logos and the packaging. Even between different name-brand products packaging design is what catches the consumers eye. Some packaging designs look similar to name brand products, but will sometimes instead have the store logo or colors printed on the boxes, bottles, and wrappers. Through television, billboards, and advertisments name brand logos are ingraved into our brains so much that when it is time to make that big purchase, consumers buy what they know, what they have seen.

Here is some information on the differences between products: http://www.life123.com/career-money/frugal-living/ways-to-save/generic-versus-brand-name-nonsense.shtml
Here is an artical with a great photo example and suggestions on when to buy generic or name brand products: http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/generic-vs-name-brand-products-19-recommendations/
Here is the site where I got my photo for this blog: http://www.walletpop.com/specials/generic-vs-brand-name-products/

Logos....Then and Now, Good and Bad

Logos are a great design idea to make your business know and easy to recognize. Logos are supposed to be a way for the public to recognize who your company is and what your business is all about. For example, the rainbow colored apple with a bite taken out of it is a symbol for Macintosh (or Mac for short) computers. Macintosh being a type of apple it only seeemed perfect, but instead of going with the traditional red for the apple, they decided to use a rainbow to set it aside from a fruit stand selling apples. Some logos are even more simplistic than that, just using the name of the company and a simple typeface. Like the Gap logo, that had a very simple logo, eveyone loved how simple yet upscale it looked. It was only recently that Gap had changed their logo, and the public was so upset from the changes that the company decided to go back to their origanal logo within a few hours after releasing the new one. This is a perfect example of how important logos are to a company.
Some logos on the other hand can be poorly designed and give the public a completley different interpritation of your business. The intension to create something origanal and effective for a business is in every logo design, however the effectiveness is not always one that is achived. For example, the logo for this Junior Jazz Dance Class shows two people dancing, one male and one female. However, when you look at the bigger picture it becomes an image not suited for any dance class. However, these designs are not usually sent out into the public, many different people review the design before it is released to the client.
Then there are some logos that are perfect and have been with the company for such a long period of time that the public can recognize such an image. For example, the one logo that has been imbeded into out culture is the famous yellow McDonald's "M", so much to the point of young children recognizing the giant "M" and assosiating that with hambergers and french fries. Even through the years famous logos need little teaks and changes to update their look and continue to be in the current "hip" century. To go back to the Macintosh logo design, the new logo for the 21st century is the same bitten-into apple, but instead of the rainbow design, it now looks more matallic with a little starburst shine.
To check out the then and now logos and see the apple "now and then" image: http://theroxor.com/2009/03/26/old-vs-new-great-logo-redesigns/
To check out the poorly designed logos: http://www.artistmike.com/Bad-Logos/BadLogos.html (WARNING: most of these are sexual related)
And to see examples of cleaver logo designs: http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/hidden-logos-in-graphic-designing/

Design IS a Conversation

Design is supposed to convay a message in a way that is quick and easy to understand...sometimes. Sometimes, there is no intended message, in the case of our Stone Soup Day, and at other times the message is one that simply makes the interpreter think. In any case, design is a method of communication, a language, between the designer and the public. It is a way of taking the viewer through a journey of understanding everything from what is beauty, to where to turn, to apritiation. We use design to communicate everyday just by deciding what to wear. Whether you know it or not, every morning when you get up, you make a decision on what message you want to send out by the pieces of clothing you choose to wear together. Even graphic tees with messages on them tell others, whether it is true or not, that you believe what your shirt says is ture. Even if your clothing does not have writing on them, you are still giving out a message with the style you choose to wear. You can also change your message just by adding different accecories to your atire. This gives a person a little flexability and can give individuality or a seprate identity from others with similar or even identical accecories. Without having to tell someone directly, design communicates a message directly, indirectly, or even delivers a message that is up for interpritation. Any way you look at it, design is a language that is visualy pleasing to viewers while sending a message, however important it is. Photo link: http://www.balconyshirts.co.uk/Womens-T-Shirts/Local-Celebrity-T-Shirts/p5028_sc1407.aspx(By the way, I do own a shirt that has this saying...and it is true)

Stummbling Upon Creativity...

A few days ago, while going through old papers, I stummbled upon some notes I had written for a photography class for a presentation on night photography. I had remembered trying to get the perfect night photography pictures which were difficult considering you had to "try it out" before you knew what you wanted to take a picture of. I had know the basic rules and went to experiment in my own front yard. Until I had gotten the pictures onto a larger screen, I had not know how beautiful my front yard was at night, until I had taken those pictures. I had also, earlier today, stummbled upon a book at had purchased on different activities with photography. One in particular that I had found was on finding a adjective and going out into the world to take photos that describe that adjective. I thought, "What a great way to explore outside yourself. You would have to 'search' for things to discribe an adjective." I have decided that I will go out with my camera and set out on a random adjective quest. If you would like to suggest an adjective, do so in the comments or let me know personally. I hope to update this post with a slideshow on flikr. I will ask random people to suggest a adjective to me to search for creative photos to best discribe each adjective. Updates coming soon...hopefully.
Here is a link to how to create night photography: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/night-photography-tips-for-dslr-users (watch the video)
Here is a link to the book with this cleaver idea: http://www.amazon.com/Photojojo-Insanely-Great-Photo-Projects/dp/0307451429
For more updated photo ideas: http://content.photojojo.com/
The photo is one that I took at about 9:15pm last year. I was experementing outside and took this really cool picture. By the way, it was pitch black outside even though it does not look like it in this photo.

Creativity From Without

I remember last year I had a calander with several art pieces in nature and some from everyday life. The front cover had a beautiful design of a huge nest made just from the metierals found in nature. Nils-Udo, a Bavarian artist, created this piece from what he found around him. He had begun like most artists do, creating pieces that came from within the artist, pieces that matter to the artist. He eventually ventured out into the open, into nature, and started to create pieces that inspiered him. Like Andy Goldsworthy, he would set out with no goal in mind, but would rather venture out to have his work find him. For him to just be in nature and look around him helps to inspire the art he has created. Once Nils-Udo begins his work, he uses his senses to souround himself within his work. He remebers the smells and the sounds, how each branch or stone feels, and how he works each tiny detail into his main ephemeral desgin. I will never forget his piece The Nest because I have kept the beautiful calander (although at this point in time I am unsure of it's exact location) and it has also inspired me to look into nature for insperation, even if I am unsure of what exactly I am looking for. (If only that would work to help me find this calander...) Here are a few links including one on his book.

http://greenmuseum.org/content/artist_index/artist_id-36__nosplit-z.html

http://www.amazon.com/Nils-Udo-Art-Nature-Nils-Udo/dp/2080108913

Images provided by: http://www.global-ecovillage.com/2009/03/eco-artnils-udo-turning-nature-into-art.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Udo

Stone Soup...Design Style!

On Tuesday October 5, 2010, in my Design 001 class, each student was told to bring items from home to "create" with and to use the Stone Soup concept to make something, anything. Our group brought everything from paper, to buttons, to bottle caps, to paint, to string, and much more. We used everything we could, including collections of other media found around the area we worked. We at first started slowly, trying to figure out what to use and in what way, however once we came up with one idea, it seemed to snowball into a collection of wonderful ideas that came together to create a beautiful design. It took everyones imput and everyones ideas to create this wonderful "Stone Soup" design style. By collecting not only our different meterials, but also our ideas, we were able to create something from almost "nothing." We did not think of a purpose for our design, we just simply created and we had found a purpose through the process. We were able to have not only other groups, but other students passing by between classes stop and look at what we had created. We were all very proud our work and kept adding to our "tree" until we realized that class was over and we had to clean up our creation. I think that by using this exercise through out our design carrer and beyond we can come up with new ideas and expand our knowledge of the creative process. Try this with others and decide for yourself if you think the "Stone Soup" theory works. It was a major success for our group. Here is a link to more photos of our piece if you missed it or if you were not at UC Davis last Tuesday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26643781@N04/sets/72157624999142491/

Virtual Windows?

After completing my last post I decided to check out some sites on different ceiling designs. The one that I found the most interesting is a site where a company called "The Sky Factory" designs windows and ceiling panels that depict nature in different was. Some of their designs include animations of clouds going by and even waves upon the shore. I thought their ideas were so creative that I would share the link. The Sky Factory's design target are customers who have a passion for nature and strive to expereinse it within their home or business. Nature, which is not considered part of design, is the main focus to create images so perfect that the windows and ceiling panels look as though they were NOT designed. A great quote from their site to discribe their purpose for their designs in our society: "It is our opinion that Sky Factory SkyCeilings™ and SkyV™ are not just pretty pictures. They are not just innovative or stylish design elements. In the deepest sense, they are not even about the sky. We think of our work as technology - an artistic technology - whose purpose is to introduce the power and purity of nature into human environments."
Here is the site:
http://www.theskyfactory.com/products/?gclid=CNKwqfDwuqQCFSQEiQodJgc4ww
Check out their portfolio too, these are some pretty talented people and partners.
http://www.telovation.com/articles/winscape-virtual-window.html- image of a virtual window

Look Up...

Have you ever been standing in a long line or waiting for help and just decided to look at the ceiling? While I was standing in line at the finacial aid office something told me to look up. I noticed that the lamps had such an interesting design that it reminded me of the beach. Each lamp was unique and individually designed to look like a plant that grows in the ocean. I almost half expected to see a shadow of a fish swim by and it got me thinking about what was the purpose of putting such a design in an office that deals with finances and money? Is it supposed to take the student away from the everyday running around campus and have them dream of being on the beach? The first to come up with this clever design was Michelangelo who painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This brings up one of the "big questions" of design. What is the purpose of having such a design in a building dealing with finances? Another question we can ask from this discovery (this is my first quarter at Davis...so sorry if this is old news to everyone) is why put designs on the ceiling?

Childhood Memories of Design

When you hear the words “sock monkey” your mind instantly takes you to the days of your childhood and a little plush friend with a big red smile. To think this wonderful little friend was once just a pair of socks and some stuffing is surprising to young children, but this friendly creation is so much more than a childhood toy. The sock monkey has changed over the years, but the same basic elements are present to identify each variation as a descendant of the once gray, white and red socks.

The original sock monkey, at least from when I was a child, was made from gray Rockford socks complete with red heels and what ever stuffing or “fluff” was in the sewing room. The classic red heel is what created such a memorable feature for this childhood toy. Over time the reproduction of sock monkeys in different forms still carried with it a large, if not red, smile. Another feature that is present in variations of sock monkeys are the simple tube-shaped limbs, although not all sock monkeys carry this same feature. Some have been seen to have very large limbs or even thumbs and fingers. Another feature, at least that I can recall from my own sock monkey, was the red hat and bow to complete his outfit. Just like a snowman, by dressing up your little friend it gave him character and a personality that children can recognize. In some other variations, depending on the sock monkeys purpose or message, other attire would be more appropriate. For example, a large sock monkey, complete with large red smile, might ware a rob to resemble Buddha or a sock monkey wearing a blue suit with a button would represent a political figure. However different the purpose of the sock monkey, one aspect never changes, he is made from a pair of socks and continues to have the large smile.

Some examples of our loveable friend can be seen at these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkTkSyRfDo0 (a Kia commercial with sock monkey and a few of his friends)

http://gingerdead.com/2009/09/23/sock-monkey-scraps/ (this blogger used the sock monkey as inspiration for jewelry designs and even a dress design)

http://www.doobybrain.com/2009/07/21/diy-sock-monkey-kit/ (and just in case you have become inspired yourself, here is where you can buy a kit to create your own sock monkey)
http://cakesbycj.blogspot.com/2010/09/sock-monkey.html (image of sock monkey)