In 2028, the Earth’s climate has changed rapidly. The ocean has receded and rain has become almost nonexistent. The Redondo Beach Pier had to be moved several times as the ocean receded. Society has developed a new appreciation for water as it is in high demand. Thankfully, skilled inventors have developed a simple household machine that desalinates ocean water. The pier becomes the town’s distribution point for water rations. People anxiously wait in line to receive their water rations, hoping they will not run out before they get their rations. As they approach, they get their identity cards ready for inspection. Something starts falling from the sky, someone yells “it’s raining!”. Schools close so that everyone can celebrate this auspicious event. A large festival is held on the pier to celebrate the day!
Located several miles south of LAX, the Redondo Beach Pier, located in Redondo Beach, CA, offers dining, shopping, and entertainment. The pier is popular with locals and tourists alike and has a long history with sports fishing. Currently, there is very little to attract children to the pier. Our proposal, Play & Learn, offers children and families an opportunity to learn about ocean conservation through play. Our mission is to offer a fun learning experience that is accessible to all.
Victoria heard about a fun new playground at the pier that is wheelchair accessible and teaches kids about conservation through her support group Parents of Children with Disabilities. Her son John uses a wheelchair and it is so hard to find a playground that both he and his sister can play together on. On Saturday, Victoria and her family go to the pier and the children are excited once they see the life-sized whale above the water. As the family approaches, they see the friendly sea turtle character leading the way onto the playground, the kids turn excitedly and ask if they can go in. Mom and dad excitedly enter with their kids and are intrigued by the technology being used at the playground. The family plays for the day and the kids are excited to learn about conservation. After playing, the kids are tired but still talking about what they learned on the way home, at one point John remarks “Did you see how big the whale was? It was huge!”. They can’t wait to tell their friends at school the following Monday.
Being vegan is great. Really, people never believe me, but I feel so much better being vegan. I’m healthier, I lower my carbon footprint, and I don’t hurt adorable innocent animals. I mean, really, who can look at an adorable black and white calf, or a baby lamb and want anything but a wonderful life for them? But when those cravings come, they come hard. There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of mac and cheese, a piece of pie topped with a creamy sweet swirl of whipped cream, or a cup of hot cocoa with those little baby marshmallows—all things vegans don’t get to have. Vegans everywhere wish they could just go to their local grocery store and pick up vegan substitutes to fill those sad desperate cravings, but that would be too easy. Off to the local health food store we must go. Good luck if you can make it out of there with a dime left in your bank account. It’s all worth it though to get home and have that delicious treat that you usually don’t get, that fills that craving, no animal products necessary.
I started my mapping from my house which in hindsight may have been a poor decision. My neighborhood has large blocks and plenty of gated communities that you can’t turn into, forcing you to walk endlessly to a turning point. I definitely got my steps in though! It was nice to explore different streets too. Having a dog I tend to repeat the same handful of patterns when I walk her and rarely feel the need to venture beyond those patterns. This assignment had me walking down streets I otherwise wouldn’t have reason to go down. My neighborhood is pretty densely populated so there were so many things to look at and see while walking. It was interesting to try to pick out what I considered noteworthy from the chaos of stimuli.
I have to preface this by noting that my neighborhood seems to only be interested in a small number of candidates which left few options. Of these scarce options, the following, which are not particularly strong or poor, are my choices.
Sign I Like:
Although I wouldn’t say I love this sign, I like it for a couple of reasons. First, the use of color. The designer uses red to highlight “Re-elect” and “State Assembly” which are both important for voters to know. Second, the letters of his name and background have a good figure-ground relationship, creating contrast and drawing attention to the name. A nice addition to the sign is the QR code to the campaign site. Although this would only be useful for someone on foot that could scan the code, it’s something not commonly seen on campaign signs.
Sign I Dislike:
So, this sign isn’t terrible. It has a nice hierarchy, identifying the name first, then the election, and third the three principles of his campaign. It chunks his campaign into three easy to remember groups; “Success”, “Safety”, and “Stability”. I don’t, however, believe that the typeface choices are suitable. They’re pretty “old school” and I would argue that more modern typefaces would be more appropriate. Possibly the biggest problem with this sign though is its poor visibility from the street, the subtext is too small to be legible unless you’re standing right in front of the sign.
Located several miles south of LAX, the Redondo Beach Pier, located in Redondo Beach, CA, offers dining, shopping, and entertainment. The pier is popular with locals and tourists alike and has a long history with sports fishing.
Restaurants
The Redondo Beach Pier features many restaurants. Fishing boats bring freshly caught seafood to the restaurants each morning, making the pier a great place to sample some of Southern California’s best seafood.
Bicycling
Los Angeles’ Marvin Braude Bike Trail runs over 20 miles of Los Angeles’ scenic coast and runs directly through the Redondo Pier near the southern end of its route. Any day of the week, the bike path is busy with traffic. Whether riding through or taking a stop, the pier is one of the many notable destinations on its route.
Parking
Unlike several other popular piers along the Los Angeles coast, the Redondo Beach Pier offers ample parking. There are several parking garages located directly behind the pier as well as several parking lots with metered parking a short stroll away. If you’ve stayed at the pier longer than planned, have no fear, if you parked in one of the garages you can extend your parking permit through text.
Seating
No matter where you are at the pier, public seating is within sight. Public benches and tables are along all of the pathways. Even on the busiest weekends, benches remain available.
Recreational Activities
At the Redondo Beach Pier, there are ample recreational activities to choose from. The pier is popular among local fishermen and has a cleaning station located at the end of the pier. Sailboats sail from the Pier’s marina daily; boats and boat tours can be rented from the same marina. The pier’s protected waters are a popular place to paddleboard and on the other side of the pier, surfers can be seen regularly hitting the waves.
This beautiful folded map was designed by Herb Lester Associates and was commissioned by ONE.org, an international advocacy organization fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease. This map was delivered in 2015 in Westminster for the election of the UK’s new parliament.
This design uses a limited color palette of 3 colors: orange, navy blue, and white. This simple palette utilizes the complementary colors orange and blue, adding to the aesthetic of the design.
Ockham’s Razor:
The map exemplifies the principle of Ockham’s Razor by simplifying the map to avoid unnecessary information. Minor street names and buildings are removed to create a simpler and easier to read the map.
Wayfinding:
The wayfinding system in this map is clear. The designers use recognizable landmarks such as Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, and the Westminster Clock Tower (Big Ben) to aid in a user’s wayfinding. The map also keeps the River Thames central to the map as it is easily recognizable and a tool in wayfinding.
This is my desk chair. It’s an inexpensive metal and cloth chair yet it is quite comfortable. The slight curve of the backrest and the stretchable mesh fabric supports my back while also forming to the natural curve of the spine. The armrests are nice to have, especially when leaning back and reading on the screen; they’re also a good height, not too low that they’re uncomfortable and not too high impeding the chair from being pushed into the desk. It would be nice if the chair was more adjustable, but for the inexpensive design, I can’t complain.
Bar Height Dining Chair
This is my bar height dining table chair. It is made of wood and extremely uncomfortable. The lower supports between the chair legs are an awkward height for resting your feet; not resting your feet at a bar height table is very uncomfortable. The back is also too straight making it very uncomfortable to sit on for long periods. Because this chair is so uncomfortable I rarely sit at the dining table.
Reading Chair
This is my reading chair, which I also bring out when we have guests over for additional seating. I originally chose it for its mid-century modern design. It is fairly comfortable with a good amount of seat cushion. The downside to the design is the low back, although alright for short periods, it becomes uncomfortable if I sit for a long time reading a book.
Footrest
This is actually a footrest but is very handy to move around as a short stool. I will sometimes craft on the coffee table and sit on the footrest which is a great height. It’s comfortable but of course, lacks back support. It’s perfect for moving around in a pinch but I wouldn’t want to sit for extended periods on it.
Couch seat
This is my seat on the couch. I almost always sit on this side of the couch because I have two cats and a dog who are very particular about where on the couch they nap. We actually got this couch from a family that was moving and didn’t want to bring it along. We had low expectations because it’s an inexpensive, plain couch, but it’s extremely comfortable (as I said, we have pets, so dark colored inexpensive furniture is a must). It’s so cushioned it feels like it absorbs your body in a cushioned embrace. Never sit on this couch if you have work to do, it is a napping hazard.
Driver’s seat
This is my car’s driver’s seat. I drive a blue Toyota Camry also known as Blue Bell. I’ve had Blue Bell for almost 10 years so I definitely feel quite attached to her. I have made so many memories driving her around, including moving from New York to California with two unhappy cats in the backseat. This seat has adjustable back support and can be adjusted forward, backward, as well as up or down to make the right fit for a person’s height. Having sat in this seat for very long periods of driving at a time, I can say that it’s quite comfortable. If my back starts to feel fatigued while driving, I find that adjusting the back support can help alleviate the tension, at least temporarily. This photo can be found here.
A design I love is my DeWalt Cordless Drill. This cordless drill with rechargeable battery is easy to handle and understand. To be honest, power tools are not my strong point so being able to use the cordless drill like a pro is a great feeling. This design allows any beginner to just pick up the drill and use it without the need for online tutorials or lengthy instructions manuals (do people actually read those?).
DeWalt Cordless Drill with battery removedDrill set in the reverse modeView of unselected forward drilling control
The DeWalt drill has great visibility. The affordances indicate settings and activation which are easily located and understood, making the drill easy to use even for beginners. The semantic mapping of the settings is clearly indicated, affording easy adjustment. The battery has clear tactile indicators of where to hold and press in order to release the battery. The battery’s physical design also creates a physical constraint, indicating the position the battery should be in when reattaching it to the drill. The iconic representation of the forward and backward arrow clearly maps the direction the drill will turn. The arrow can be pressed in only on one side at a time, physically constraining the possible outcomes.
A design I Hate: Samsung TV Remote
A design I hate is my Samsung TV remote. I have to give the designers props for simplifying the remote compared to the traditional button-loving style of remote, however, their design is not intuitive whatsoever.
While the semantic mapping of some buttons clearly affords each action, the design breakdown is in the circular control, and the volume and channel controls. Perhaps my (and most Americans) prior use of the Apple iPod’s original design utilizing a wheel to control the device influenced the way I perceived the remote. This circular control, however, is not a rotating wheel, it is simply a four directional button– up, down, left, right. This is incredibly confusing, especially without any semantic mapping.
The volume and channel buttons are semantically mapped; however, this is where the second breakdown occurs. The first time I used this remote I did not understand what to do. I first tried to push it as a button. Unfortunately, in regards to the volume control, this just mutes the TV. Albert Einstein famously said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”. Well, I must be somewhat insane because what did I do over and over again but press the control like a button. After several minutes of this, I finally figured that you had to push these tiny devices up or down to change the volume and channel. After much time wasted over a remote, I was finally able to watch one TV episode on Netflix… OK, or maybe a bunch.
Two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger two quantities.
The formula for the golden ratio
This ratio can be found throughout history in art, architecture, and even nature. The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Parthenon, and Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man all illustrate the golden ratio. Whether this ratio is a subconscious preference or a beloved design tradition has yet to be proven. There’s no question that the golden ratio still influences design today; however, designers should not design with the golden ratio as a priority. Instead, designers should only consider the golden ratio if it doesn’t compromise other, more critical, aspects of the design.
Examples of the Golden Ratio:
The Parthenon’s architecture uses the golden ratio in many of its proportions.
The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), one of many spiral galaxies that match the shape of the golden ratio.
The Toyota logo is designed within the golden ratio.
Reference:
Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (n.d.). Universal Principles of Design. Rockport.
Color can be used to improve the aesthetics of a design, create visual interest, and even assign meaning. Color may aid in creating a visual hierarchy, or in drawing attention; however, if used improperly color can detract, distract, and cause confusion within a design. When designing with color, consider using a limited color palette—using too many colors may detract from the design. Instead, a designer may consult a color wheel to find aesthetic color combinations. These color choices should not, however, communicate information, as a large portion of the population has limited color vision [1].
These color combinations correspond geometrically on the color wheel.
The saturation of chosen colors should also be considered. Saturated colors—or pure hues—can be used to attract attention and create visual excitement, whereas desaturated colors may create a more serious aesthetic. When choosing appropriate colors, consider that certain colors may have different connotations in different cultures; consider the audience and what significance each color may have for its members. For example, in Western cultures the color yellow is generally associated with warmth, summer, and hospitality; in Eastern and Asian cultures, members of the ruling class frequently wear yellow and it is considered sacred or imperial; in Latin America many times yellow is associated with death and mourning. Consider the implied meaning of the chosen color in relation to the audience [2].
Cultural Significance of Yellow:
Hanging scroll of Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming dynasty.A Buddhist monk in traditional yellow robes.Dia de Los Muertos display with yellow marigolds.
Color Used to Draw Attention:
This sign uses the color red to draw attention to the sign’s message.Fire extinguishers are red to draw attention in an emergency situation.
Color Combination in Nature:
The bird of paradise flower has a triadic color combination of orange, purple, and green.
References:
[1] Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (n.d.). Universal Principles of Design. Rockport.
The Barns & Noble Classics collection was designed by American letterer, type designer, and illustrator Jessica Hische. The books are leather bound and foil stamped, each using one metallic and one non-metallic stamp. These vintage-inspired book covers, primarily focus on lettering while achieving an elegance and cohesion that spans the entire series; it includes titles by classic authors such as Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and other beloved novelists.
The primary focus of the cover designs is the lettering. Lettering on each book is unique to that novel and portrays a style corresponding with the theme of the book. For example, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen displays a soft, flowing script lettering that reflects the romantic nature of the novel. In contrast, the Gothic horror novel Dracula by author Bram Stoker uses the lettering style blackletter, sometimes referred to as Gothic script to portray the dark, Gothic plot of the novel. Despite utilizing a variety of lettering styles, Hische achieves a high level of legibility in the text and a sense of consistency between the novels.
Hische uses lettering, color, and iconic representation to inform the reader of the tone and plot of each novel. The joyful, romantic blue of Pride and Prejudice, the rich, blood red of Dracula, and the natural, countryside brown of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn set the tone of each novel before a reader even opens the book. Each cover is decorated with subtle iconic representations of the plot in a beautiful rotating and reflecting design. The cover of Dracula depicts ivy dripping blood and leaves which morph into bat wings; subtly cluing the reader into the vampiric plot of the novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is decorated in cattails and ship’s wheels reminiscent of a Mississippi riverboat’s wheel, depicting the setting of the novel in southern antebellum society along the Mississippi River.
The decorative symmetry of each cover along with the alignment of the titles and authors on each bookend aid in the aesthetic consistency of the collection. Hische successfully turns a series of seemingly unrelated classic novels into a cohesive collection. These novels compliment any bookshelf and bring new interest to some of the best known and most beloved classics.
Bar Height Dining Chair
Reading Chair
Footrest
Couch seat
