Oscar Lee's Blog

Individual Outcome Reflection
After brain storming, it's considered improvement can be separated into three different phrases for the IVAR chair. The first one is general improvement. This can be either redesigning the chairs, adding function and vales onto the chairs or simply can be a retail reorganisation.
The first concept is to add cushion seat and padding on the IVAR chair. Since it's a dining chair, a reasonably long using time is expected out of this chair. Comfort can be an issue and base on the current design, it can be assumed that it's not too comfortable. By adding cushion, on the seat and backrest, it will certainly improve the life of the chair. Secondly, make the chair foldable and easy to store away. This concept needs to be investigated more due to strength and safety regulation issues. The final idea for general improvement involve selling the individual parts instead of the whole package at IKEA store. The chairs contain different material. Stress over strength will create a different life-span on different parts. By selling individual parts at IKEA store, user can replace broken part instead of throwing the whole chair out. IKEA has already setup a similar system for other furniture e.g. BILLY series bookcase. Implementing this idea on the IVAR chair would have little to none cost.
The second aspect of improvement involves physical-attachment to the IVAR chair. This can be the ergonomically advancement of the chair. It can be extra function of the chair or changing the physical using context of the chair. Concept 1 is adding more authentic cushion and padding to the chair. This cushions and padding are highly customisable. Concept 2 adds value to the current chairs and change the using context of the chairs. We may as well use the fact that it's a uncomfortable chair. By adding a adjusting table to the chair, It can be turned into a lecture chair. It helps keeping student awake during lecture. However, the OH&S issues need to be investigate deeper in this situation. Concept 2 attaches a sophisticate backrest to the chair. This backrest is made out of memory foam thus allow best comfort for different users.
The last aspect of improvement involves emotional-attachment to the IVAR chair. Concept 1 turn the subject into a drawing canvas. Allow children to elaborate their creativity onto it. Second concept added a acrylic photo frame to the seat. User can put their treasures moment to the chairs. Concept 3 made use of the space underneath the chairs by adding a toy-box to it. Children can now store their toys in this treasure box.
After attaining this Charette, I realised a lot can be done in order to maximise the life-time of the chairs. As a conclusion, "designing for what have already been designed" seems like the goal for our generation.

After participated the Charette as an industrial student, I realised the important of product life-cycle. As an industrial designer, it's critical that he must understand the general product life cycle of its kind. It's through this understand, an industrial designer can pro-long the life of his design either through physical-attachment or emotional attachment. It's a trend that designers are expected to be able to design for what have already been designed. It means adding value, adding function without reducing the form aspect of the already existed product. We're at the tipping point of harvesting nature resource, sustainability has became the top priority in today's design consideration. Some designs, however due to current limitation e.g. economic aspect, political aspect etc are creating problem for our environment. It's our generation goal to reduce these problem when we're designing beyond these products. Again, "designing for what have been designed" is what I believe in.

Secondly, group work in this Charette provided me an insight of what can be done as a team. Through the time limit given, it's impossible for a single man to complete every tasks. However, with some level of management, tasks can be best allocated to the people who are skilful at that aspect. Also, it's through this management process, people who are more willing to accomplish their allocated tasks. In this way, we can minimise wasting of time due to the fact some member don't know what they're doing. We can control the quality of the outcome by establishing a team foreman. By communication between the team foreman, we can let the process run smoothly. Only the foreman is needed when modification occurs during the process while other group members can keep on working on their allocated tasks. At the end of the day, it's all about effectiveness and efficiency that counts.

Just how much longer can our mother nature survive? From the documentary "The 11th Hour" we can see all the cause and result that heavily affect our mother planet. We can see the "globalisation created by the human mind, the mind that have evolved and have the ability to reflect back onto ourselves; to take stock from our own existence." However, if all the evidences are so obvious, why are we doing anything to reduce our carbon emission. That questions have many elements. Anyway, from the micro view, seems like we can't do much. How about if we start from a micro view to save the planet? Things like recycling, things like efficiently using electricity, things like using minimum water resource to do our laundry and dishes. I personally think that we really can make a difference if we do care our day to day living. If we pay attention to our daily consumption of nature resources, looks like a lot of things we are having are luxury. It's time to ask ourselves, do we really need that to survive? Again, as an industrial design student, I think it's time to consider helping in saving "the collapse of our eco-planet system and the search of out sustainable future". As a new product come out, it has its own life-cycle. Can we not created a new product but rather extended and reuse the old things instead? Can we bring old product into a new life-cycle? We're at our "tipping point" as Malcolm Gladwell suggested. It's at risk that we are affecting our next generation' life. "They're shouting at us, what are you doing!" I believe that our generation, as an industrial designer can really make a different. I believe that our priority design goal is to design for the already designed. I believe that as long as we're part of nature, we always need to respect her, help her and sustain her.