A session on 'Design and its impact on every day life' at IISc, Bangalore, Feb 2014

1. Design…
IISc. Bangalore, Feb 2014
Vikram Rao
User Experience Specialist

2. We see it everywhere…
• Design is all around us... everything manmade has been designed, whether consciously
or not!
Philips Wake-up Light Plus
The Philips Wake-Up Light Plus HF3485 provides a
more pleasant and natural way to wake up in the
morning.

3. Making it count!
• Companies like Apple
are changing the way we
look at design.
• They are making design
impossible for people
and companies to
ignore.

4. Design Innovation
• Companies like Tesla have design at the core of their
business. And their success speaks for itself…
Tesla Motors, Inc. is an American company
that designs, manufactures and sells electric
cars and electric vehicle powertrain
components.
http://www.teslamotors.com/
From $35 - $45 to $171+

5. Design Innovation
From the Tesla San Jose
showroom - 2013!

6. Implicit Design
• It is now becoming implicit in our lives... we
expect good design everywhere!
Bonobos - an online men’s clothing shop
Oral B Professional Care
Smart Series 4000

7. But what is ‘Design’ actually?
• Is it a logo?
• Is it a painting?
• Is it that cool website?

8. But what is ‘Design’ actually?
• It’s so much more than that… people call it a
state of mind!
Form meets function
Form meets creative/
customized needs (while
also meeting its function)

9. But what is ‘Design’ actually?
• Design is a method of ‘problem solving’.
Idea / Problem
User / Audience

10. But what is ‘Design’ actually?
• Design links creativity and innovation to meet
a human need.

11. But what is ‘Design’ actually?
• Design is constantly pushing us to do better,
improve our experiences!

12. Design Process in action
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66ZU2P
CIcM

13. Design disciplines
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Applied arts
Architecture
Communication design
Engineering design
Fashion design
Game design
Graphic design
Information Architecture
Industrial design
Instructional design
Interaction design
Interior design
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Landscape architecture
Lighting design
Military Design Methodology
Product design
Process design
Service design
Software design
Sound design
Transition Design
Urban design
Visual design
Web design

14. Design disciplines
• Graphic Design
Graphic design is the art of
communication, stylizing, and
problem-solving through the use of
type, space, and image.
Examples:
All print related design –
magazines, posters, etc.

15. Design disciplines
• Industrial Design
Industrial design is the use of both
applied art and applied science to
improve the
aesthetics, ergonomics, functionality
, and/or usability of a product.

16. Design disciplines
• Interaction Design
Software Product and Application
design which uses concepts and
techniques of human-computer
interaction (HCI).

17. Design vs. Art
• People refer to art and to design
interchangeably, as if they were synonyms.
• While Design must convey a given body of
information, its functioning, etc., the essential
function of Art is to “intensify one's
perception of reality”.

18. Design vs. Art
• Fundamentally Design is utilitarian in a way
that Art is not!
• Art is primarily used to communicate a design.
• Art has a strong visual/ aesthetic presence!
Wireframes
Visual
Mockups

19. Putting Design and Art into perspective…
• Kites
Titbit:
In ancient Chinese
documents, kite flying was
listed as one of the "annual
folk customs".

20. History of Kites
• China is universally acknowledged as the birthplace of
kites over 2000 years ago.
• Legend has it that the wooden bird made by the
ancient philosopher Mozi was the earliest kite.
• Later, his disciple Lu Ban made some improvement on
the wooden kite by using bamboo as the material.
• Kites were flown largely in the Spring and Autumn
period due to the required weather conditions.
• The creation gradually evolved into current multi-line
kites.

21. Form and Function
• Kite flying has been a festive entertainment activity or
recreation since ancient times
• But there is also early evidence of kites being used for:
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Human Flight (early aircrafts)
Military Applications (signaling/ observation)
Science & Meteorology (study of lightning)
Radio Aerials / Light Beacons (transmission)
and many others…
• With the introduction of modern technology and
sophisticated tools, kite flying has been reduced to a
recreation sport

22. Evolution of a Kite…
Early reference of a kite:
Woodcut print of a kite from
John Bate's 1635 book, The
Mysteryes of Nature and Art in
which the kite is titled How to
make fire Drakes

23. Today’s Kites come in various
colors, shapes and sizes…

24. Conclusion
• Reiterating the link of design and art to folk
and its importance…

25. Questions?