http://d-antonio.blogspot.com/ Dio - Antonio

http://pluwia.blogspot.com/ Patrick Luwia

http://jnham01.blogspot.com/ Josh Nham

http://liah90.blogspot.com/ Hae - Lin Kang

http://japhop.blogspot.com/ Yue Yue Jin

Upcycling

Design Rationale

The target market I have chosen for this project are artists who like to carry around visual diaries to write down notes and scribble down ideas anywhere they go.

For this project I decided to make use of unused aluminium cans and tossed out hard cover books to make a notepad and sketch pad duo. I chose aluminium cans because they are extremely common in landfills and as garbage everywhere and I thought that there was a lot of potential to manipulate something exciting out of them. To make the covers of the diary I needed a material that was strong and sturdy, and so I decided that using an old hard cover book that had its pages damaged and was no longer readable would be the best choice.

I separated the front and back covers from the spine and took down measurements on the covers dimensions. From that I determined that 4x4 cm square pieces were the most suitable size to stick onto the cover, and use rectangular pieces folder over the edges. The aluminium pieces were stuck down using super glue, and once all surfaces were covered with aluminium I went over everything with clear contact, to protect the surface form scratching and also to reinforce the glue in sticking the pieces down.

I used recycled paper pads, one with lines for writing notes and the other plain for drawing. I used an electric drill to drill the holes thru the paper and the covers and used a rubber wire to bind it all together.

I believe that the product I have designed will work for a beneficial use in reducing the waste build up in landfills for aluminium cans and hard cover books.

Philippe Starck: Design for Life

The video focuses only on America’s contribution to the waste and toxic that is being produced, having only four percent of their forests left and forty percent of their rivers undrinkable, it makes you think how much resources is left worldwide with all the top powered, manufacturing countries combined.

What surprised me about the video is how direct Annie attacks the big corporations and the government, going so far as to show the government wiping corporate shoes. Although the animation is very direct, the message it portrays is clear as day, the powerful nations treat the third world nations as their own property, and are doing as they wish with those resources with little regard to the natural habitants of that area and the natural wildlife.

What was an interesting piece of information to me was the process a product goes through to achieve low costs, when Annie explained all the sacrifices made by people to achieve a low cost radio, it made me feel a bit of discomfort as I think of all the products I buy without realising the cuts other people have gone through.

I feel that it is very unfair that people are forced to work in the harshest of environments, having to work in areas where they are exposed to harmful toxins and chemicals, for a corporation that has claimed their resources. It is also slightly alarming that just recycling is not enough to make a critical difference in the usage of resources, as manufacturing plants produce so much more.

Overall I enjoyed the video and found it very informative and detailed in the lifecycle of products. I feel that actions must be taken by everyone to minimise the damage done to the Earth and to preserve its resources. The video has also made me aware of the products that I buy and inspired me to help design towards a less wasteful future.