Constraints

The lecture was about the constraints in design process, different kinds of them exist. The lecture was based on the paper [1] we were introduced to, environmental, self-imposed, imposed constraints.

Some part of the lecture was about the energy-use/energy-footprint of the existing devices and designs and how we could be more environmentally conscience and not just “slap” a Wi-Fi chip to every design and device.

The constraints are used, by professional designers, to push themselves in the right path and be more innovative.

For me, it comes to the idea and thought of what kind of a designer I want to be, and as Roel said in the lecture, what kind of a world we, as designers, are promoting with and through our designs. A capitalist economy or an environmental friendly one?

The coaching part of today was more about the technical side of the things. We tried to go back to one of our sketches to reflect on it, we ended up with confusion. We asked one of our classmates to draw the wave he sees and interprets from the led light (which we wrote the code for ourselves, inspired by one of the examples on the paper about light patterns). The result was amazing! He recognized the highs and lows but the curve he drew was completely different that the one we intended for the led to have. It might have been some error in the code on our behalf, or it could be that the interpreter didn’t pay attention enough. But also, it could impose the question of whether human eye sees and interprets the exact wave or pattern we, as designers, intend for them to see? This is just a thought and since we only asked one person, it cannot be a reliable conclusion!

References:

[1] Biskjaer, M. M., Halskov, K. (2013). Decisive constraints as a creative resource in interaction design. PIT & CAVI, Aarhus University.