Filed under: September 18 | Tags: Data Collection - New/Alternative Technology
I was on one of my favourite design websites today and stumbled across a link to a new product called the Rag Chair. It is not necessarily design in hopes to enhance comfort for the sitter, but it is a really neat idea. The chair is made nearly entirely of rags, or if one chooses, they can have their own old clothing incorporated into it as well. What a cool new way to recycle.
LINK: http://www.droog.com/products/furniture—objects/rag-chair/
The chair is such a simple object at first thought. A lot of the time the person sitting in it doesn’t think twice about it. I found it quite interesting when Jerry commented about how important the design of a chair is. I never thought much about it before, but although it seems like making a chair fit someone perfectly would solve many problems, it is not actually that simple. There needs to be a healthy balance between comfort and functionality. Even with all of this worlds knowledge, I’m not quite sure we have discovered the perfect design yet, if there is even such a thing. I will continue searching though, and keep you posted.
I realize that a percentage of the class disliked the treatment of the baby chicks in the film Baraka shown today. I found that the chicks really relayed a message to me. I felt as if humans were being compared to the chicks. We are a large population, living in a very controled machine. This was apparent in the scenes of the intersection; the flow of cars, then heard of people, the repetition. We may not realize that we are all doing the same actions and going through the same motions, like a well oiled machine almost. The chicks also a large population following the same “flow” of traffic, moving down the same chutes, moving through this machine assembly line. The film made me realize how repetative our motions are, and how we are a part of the machine of society, which we don’t even consciously think about.
On the front page of the HOMES section of the Winnipeg Free Press Sunday, September 14, 2008 is an article about a condominiom complex in the works for the corner of Grant Avenue and Niagara Street. I found one quote from the article particularly interesting “It’s taken this long to get the zoning and other technical elements of the project done. We also got the neighbourhood involved to ensure that the project fit into the area.” It’s an interesting concept of consulting the neighbourhood, something i have not heard alot about. This ties in with Jerry’s presentation today, designing to suit people’s need. For example instead of mass producing one chair that doesn’t work and expecting people to fit into the design, its better to design for the people.
In this same article there is mention of using ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) a green invention for making walls. A product new to me. The Nudura Corporation is doing some intersting things with ICF. More infromation on ICF can be found at www.nudura.com.
