Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Functional/Non-Functional Product Project



Non-Fucntional: The Baby Ball!

Perfect for babies just learning to craw, the Baby Ball allows your child hours of safe exercise on any hard surface! The hard plastic bubble keeps you baby free of the dirt, cuts, and bruises many toddlers fall victim too. It also keeps baby's hands and fingers off of expensive items and dangerous objects. The ball has a large, clip locking door on each end for easy access to the child, is well ventalated, and is made of highly durable acrylic.


Functional: WindGROW

The WindGROW city farming system helps bring fresh produce to the urban area. The large imitation wood box anchors securely underneath any window, and can hold up to one ton of soil. Unlike conventional window planters, WindGROW is large enough to grow large crops and root based vegetables, as well as house small breed trees. WindGROW's patented draining system keeps roots well oxygenated and holds water reserves for up to a week, ensuring large, healthy crops.

Friday, February 7, 2014

How to Ruin a Great Design

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/arts/14iht-design14.html?src=me&ref=arts&_r=3&

Much like the street signs and car logos this article focuses on, I have seen product packages butchered when a new design is introduced. The most memorable example for me was the recent change in Tazo brand tea bag packaging. A few years ago the company was bought out by the hot beverage titan Starbucks; and with the change in management so came a change in style. Pre-Starbucks the tea company had a distinctive, classy packaging scheme, and a very memorable logo. It was memorable and iconic to avid tea drinkers like myself, it truly separated Tazo from its competition (if only in style). However, the new designers completely remade the Tazo box image, taking the distinctive look and trying to simplify and modernize the look by removing the textured background and signature logos. The new design is strikingly similar to many store-brad packages and strips the illusion of classiness the company once had. What was once a good design now blends in with the rest of the grocery store tea bag selections.

Tazo packaging, before on the left, after on the right.