Descom Winter 09

I think we learned more in this descom class than in any other, and I think my work reflected that. I really enjoyed the USB project, especially the illustrator rendering. Our storyboarding project helped us think of how we were going to communicate our HP project. One of the only complaints I would make is that the tea kettles came at a very stressful point in the quarter. The amount of work necessary for them really made us either put the HP project on the back-burner or not put as much work into the tea-kettles. All and all they turned out well but maybe if the tea-kettle project and the storyboarding project were switched it would have been more feasible to handle. Well I don't want to end this post on a negative note so.......your awesome
Mike Roller!

Blog: Tool for Communication

I think the blog is a great tool for communication, it is also nice to have a more permanent place for our work and thoughts after it is printed and presented. It is more casual than a portfolio and quick way to get feedback from our classmates. However, I think a community blog would be a much better way to communicate between our peers because it would act more like a running discussion. I feel like it is too hard to keep track of 22 or so individual blogs, along with the professional ones that we already follow. I am a pretty lazy web user, it is not where I like to spend my free time.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a very broad term that includes many phases of analytical thinking. At first, the goal is to think broadly with both crazy out of the box ideas and with practical solutions. Some ideas are discarded, some ideas are explored further. When a few ideas are decided on, detail oriented thinking takes place. Where do buttons go, what emotion should the form relate, how exactly should it function, what color should it be, does it match the companies form language, etc. When these details have been decided, the designer must think of how to tell the story of the product and explain the choices he or she has made.

How did I do?

Looking back at my goals from the beginning of the quarter, I didn't really accomplished any of them, but I think I still think I accomplished a lot over all this quarter. While my sketching did not change as dramatically as I would have liked, other form of visualization greatly improved. For the first time, I am really proud of some of the work I am doing in Descom and it is the first time where I have felt like I can put some of it in my portfolio. I definitely did not accomplish last goal of not over-exerting my-self and getting regular exercise, but I figure I will be getting lots of exercise in Europe!!!

The Echo is designed for the contemporary tea drinker in the comfort of a home or in a quaint cafe. The kettle enables a time of relaxation, a time to loose yourself in your own thoughts or a time to socialize with others. Inspired from Hungarian culture, especially from the city-life of Budapest, the Echo is designed to be eclectically modern. It is designed to be simple and elegant but with a little surprise. The city of Budapest is filled with hundreds of nooks and crannies. Many small tea houses are located in these alcoves where people migrate towards for five o’clock tea. The Echo symbolizes this place, where the space is a unique source of inner contentment. It is a place that others may not know about but will bring them joy as well if you show them to it.


The larger outer ring of the Echo is a ceramic electric tea kettle. Resting inside the outer ring is the glass milk warmer. The thermal barrier created by the ceramic of the tea-kettle and the glass warms the milk with out scalding it. This makes the milk perfect to pour into the tea cup after the tea has steeped. The Echo tea kettle uses materials that have been proven to last the test of time including ceramic, glass, and stainless steel. The echo is meant to be left out on the counter or table to be used as decoration or for a source of conversation like the people of Budapest would do.



Here is my final process book!


http://www.daapspace.daap.uc.edu/files/download/meyermg/Uz3GK64a1YTCTJ4uJXkdRzA1QgmUdy3YAImPl9F9ki0