1) What is the TED organization about?
TED is a small, nonprofit organization that is devoted "to spread ideas worth spreading".
2) What is the purpose of their website and how does the functionality of their site support that?
The purpose of their website is to direct you to videos or web articles from the people they have come in to spread their ideas. And the website helps to support that by making it easy to find the videos. Cause they are ssperated into catagories. And same for the articles they have.
3) As Engineers and Problem Solvers, which topic areas (the choices from the "Show talks related to:" section on the sidebar) are of most interest to us? Justify your answer.
I think the topics that would be most interesting to us would be, Things involving computer, Engineering ideas, Or just thinking in general. Cause many people here are able to think like engineers. And we are able to come up with ideas and also overcome problems that might otherwise block us.
4) Based on your previous answer, what are 3 talks (videos) on the site that appear like they would be of most interest to you as an Engineer/Problem Solver? Justify your choices.
Steven Johnson: Where good ideas come from
Bill Gates: How state budgets are breaking US schools
Tim Berners-Lee: The year open data went worldwide
These would interest me because i care about out school system, and Bill Gates who we all know to be one of the most famour people in the world is talking about how it could be breaking.
The steve Johnson video was interesting because it is cool to know that most good ideas might takes year, even decades to form. And when they do it is usually not done in solitary Eureka moments, but when you are being affected by some outside stimuli.
And lastly the Year open data went wolrd wide sounds interesting because with the internet we are now able to share and talk with most everyone on the planet in almost and instant. And only 20-30 years ago that was a lot harder.
5) Each student will watch a unique video. Select a video to watch and inform Mr. Olson of your choice. If no one else has "claimed" the talk, you will be allowed to proceed with it. If someone else has already chosen the talk, you will be asked to pick another one. Watch the video. Create and post a bulletized outline of the key issues presented in the talk.
6) How could you get involved in the field/technology/issue you chose to hear about? What experience/skills/training/education would you need to learn to get involved with this field?
I am not sure about how i could join this guy in this field. But i imagine it might not be to hard. You would just need to go to a decent collage and choose the right majors. And if you do well you could try to apply for what ever organization he is part of.
1. What is the purpose or primary function of the object?
The Primary function of the object is the measure the weight of an object.
2. Make an educated guess as to how this product operates. Use simple machines’ terminology to explain the object’s sequential operation.
If i had to guess how it does this i would think that when you stand on the plate it might pull don on some wpring which in turn pull donw on a guage calibrated to measure up to a certain weight and then it will give you a reading of the weight.
3. Identify the system inputs, intended product function, and outputs. Use power point to create a "black box" graphic like the toothbrush example discussed in class. Save the slide as a .jpg image and post it to answer this question.
The inputs for a scale would be when you put a weight on the scale, it sends a signal to the computer which does some math to calculate the weight.
The outpur from there would be that the computer sends a signal to the screen so that is can display how much the object weighs.
4. What mechanical components are visible?
For the scale i chose for the last blog post (which is the scale ive been talking about for this blog post as well) the visabel components are the plate where you put the object for measuring. And a few buttons as well. And if you take the plate off. You can see a small hole where the plate fits too. and i assume that is where all the weight is transfered for measuring.
5. What is it about this device’s function that you cannot identify, because the mechanical components are hidden from plain view?
What i can't identify would be exactly what it uses to measure the weight. I can not tell if it is done by spring, mechanicly or even electronically.
I chose to do a Scale.
Here is the front of the scale.
Next is the back of the scale.
And finally the side of the scale
This product is exactly what is sounds like. It is a scale, it is supposed to measure the weight of objects placed on top of it.
The scale has a very smooth design. It does not have many hard edges. Most of the lines and edges on the scale a rather smooth, which can feel pleasent in the hand as opposed to hard lines and edges. The way the fron of it is pointing to the user also helps to use it. Because it is coming out at you it seems to make reading the numbers that is posting much more easy to read. Which can help someone who is in a small rush, or someone who is trying to be 100% accurate.
The function of the object is to take the mass of an object and put a number to it so we can do calculations withe the weight. this specific scale has a max load out at 400g. Which is not very much, it is roughly...12oz or almost a pound that is can measure. which leads one to think that it might be used for smaller measurements. like somthing a scientist would use.
The target audiance i think would be scientists and/or students in a science class. Because it is a good shape, and only can measure up to 400g.
The good thing about its small measurement is that is a pretty accurate. Which a scientist would need.
For this opt in assighnment i chose to watch the video. The guy talked about how vdeo games are coming more and more into our lives. And i think this is true. We are supposed to make 3 questions for our selves and answer them in the opt in. So here it goes.
What do i know of that is starting to have more video game like elements in thier products? Well i think one of the biggest would now be cars. I can not remember the model of the car. But i do remember that it revs so quickly that a normal machanical revcounter could not keep up. So they had to put an electric one into it. Which apperently makes it feel like you are playing a video game.
What do i think will be the next thing to have game like elements in products? hmm... If i had to take a guess i would say that... Places like malls and any other place where people gather to socialize will have video games like elements in them. I am not sure how, maybe we'll have lit up floors in certain colors to bring to to certain shops, or maybe we'll have somthing like a point system in a mall. But i think it might be coming there next.
Do i want to see video game elements introduced into everyday life? Well to be honest no. I think video games need to stay where they are. Because that is one thing tat attracts people to video games. Because they are an outlet for life. Though i can see the benefit for having video games like elements in everyday life. I think that if it does happen( which seems almost 100% likely) it needs tp happen slowly. To much to quickly will cause people to get confused i bet.
1. The image came from Servo which is a popular electronic/robotic magazine
2. What is being marketed is the ability to make a careen out of electronics. Because it is a website where you can learn about electronics, and from what it looks like take online courses as well.
3. A. the message is very clean, and short as well. It says “Open the doors to a career in Electronics, get your key today!”.
b. The whole advertisement is very small. It is roughly a quarter of a page big. But it is a nice shape, people always like hard angles and this is a rectanle, which has 4 hard angles
les.
c. It is very easy to read. The yellow font on the brown doors makes the writing kinda…pop.
d. It wouldn’t really meet the needs of my school. Cause many of us already are going to go to collage, or something similar. And so we have a plan. This might help some one more who likes electronics, but never got to go to school for it. .
e. what is follows from the design principles and elements would be. Well it follows rhythm because the doors repeat nearly equally.
Color is also well done. Cause I think most people like the color brown and this a full of it.
One last element might be balance. There is small and very little text and both ends of the image. But right in the middle the text is in big bold letters to grab the readers attention.
Conclusion
1. What are trends? Why is it important to identify them prior to graphic design?
Trends arw what humans all seem to follow. Such as when being a “gangster” was popular. When some people see it as cool, others will follow. And when a large enough group follows it companies will morph their ads around it. Which in turn effects graphic design.
2. How does human nature play a role in how a product is marketed to a specific demographic group?
Human nature can change how something is marketed for many reasons.
Biggest is country to country. Because every country has different morals and taboos. So while something may be o.k to do in one country, just the niegboring country might hate it. So when the company advertises in the other country they have to change their strategy so they can sell all they can.
Next might be state to state. While some things like surfing and skatebording are popular in California. In Arizona those might not be. They might have wind sailing and dune buggying as the popular things. So companies might try to change how they advertise from state to state as well.
3. How is a potential audience identified?
A potentical audience might be identified through surveys. When a company does these they can learn where their product might do well, and where it might not.
4. What must you discover about the target audience prior to graphic design?
What you must discover might have to be something like. What does the cuty like, or what does the group of people you are trying to market to like? Like a food company wont advertise well to a group of vegitarians unless the company is vegtarian as well. Or a beauty company might not advertise to a region where people don’t care to much about their looks( I know this doesn’t exists but you know what I mean).
the 6 visual design elements we talked about are.
1. lines
2. color
3. space
4. texture
5. value
6 form and shape
And the visual design principles we talked about were.
1. balance
2. rhythm
3. symetry
4. emphasis
5. proportion.
A few things around my room that have the elements are.
And the controler Is well designed. It is very curved. And it is a good size for the average persons hands. The smooths texture helps to cut down on sweat. And the circular thumb pegs have slightly rougher texture. which adds nice grip. there are other design elements in it as well as lines. such as color. Most of them come in black. which i feel is a good color for the conroller.
With this project we having to slove 1 of 4 problems. The problem my partner and i chose was one where we have to create a storage container for a car trunk. It can only be 14" wide, 10" long and 12" in depth. And i has to be composed of at least 4 parts and need to hold 7 or more items.
I would post my sketches but i do not have them any more. If i can find them i will post them in another post.
These are all of the peices i have done. Plus the comlpeated assembly
