PHASE1: INQUIRY AND EXPLORATION
TASK 1: Pre Work
Reason for choosing the object
Lipstick has been an object of fascination since I have started using it. I remember the time of my childhood when I was afraid to wear lipstick in public in the fear of judgment. Lipstick is not just a cosmetic that enhances your beauty. A particular brand or color of lipstick can make a lot of difference. For some women, lipstick is a way of self-expression while for others it could be a way to feel confident. Also, the urge to find a perfect shade unites a couple of women from different cultures together
Lipstick is not just a mundane object. I wanted to study and explore its history, its form. I was sure that I will learn something different from this object. Therefore, I thought of selecting a "LIPSTICK".
Description of the object
-FORM: The lipsticks are enclosed in a two-centimeter-long cuboidal box. Inside it, there is a cylindrical tube that holds the colored wax.
-FUNCTION: Removing the lid of the cylindrical tube. Afterward, clockwise rotating the lower half of the tube.
-PURPOSE: Lipstick is a cosmetic product that helps to enhance the beauty of someone. It is applied to draw attention towards the lips and make them stand out. Some lipsticks also help to protect and hydrate the lips.
-SMELL: A sweet fragrance is always added to lipstick according to the shade.
Sample collection
I have collected 5 samples of the same object. Each one of them has a different form and brand.
Different types of lipsticks
Task 2: Slice and Dice| Identifying available material
Our project began with this activity, we had to observe our object carefully and list down the key attributes of it.
Various attributes
Variations of the object
The more we slice and dice our challenge, the more attributes we will be able to improve and work upon. The way we use something is not inherent in the object itself it grows out of experience and observation.
For Example- Lipstick's primary function is to enhance our beauty. But after studying the properties of lipstick, people started using it in the form of eyeshadow or eyeliner.
Task 3: Stakeholder Mapping
A stakeholder is anyone, as an individual or an organization, that has an interest in or concerned with the activities of our project to the extent they are affected by or can influence it.
Initially, we brainstormed all the stakeholders which are affected or concerned with our object.
Step 1: Brainstorming
Exploration of various stakeholders
Stakeholder Engagement is the level of involvement and influence each stakeholder has in the business or project. Therefore, it is important to identify, since some stakeholders actively engage and positively support the plan, while others only get influenced by the product.
In the second step, we have categorized stakeholders according to their level of engagement with the object.
Step 2: Segregation
Categorizing the stakeholders according to the level of engagement
Stakeholders manage dependent and mutually beneficial relations. These networks can have a united voice towards a particular product.
Step 3: Exchange between the Stakeholders
In this step, I have found relationships between different stakeholders and how they are interdependent on each other.
Identified relations between stakeholders
TASK 4: Evolution
Design is more than surface treatment and it goes well beyond "prettification".It is a process that is present from the very inception of the project. As an activity, the design is as old as humanity itself. The history of ab object tells us how and in what circumstances that object come into existence and how it changed and why.
For Example: After doing some research, I comprehended how lipstick is evolved from a powered color over the years due to certain materials and needs.
Collecting the information
Arranging the information
Reference Table
TASK 4: Evolution of the Object | Culmination
In the fourth task of the day, we had to identify the factors influencing the design of the object through the process of funnelling.
Individual list of factors
Afterwards, we collated everyone's list together to arrive at a refined list of factors.
Group List of Factors
Common Factors that influenced my object
Reflection
Design as a socio-cultural phenomenon.
According to me, design is essentially about problem-solving. We design to make someone's life easier, add meaning and aesthetics to it. Whereas socio-culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behavior; which is a person's learned, accumulated experience through social learning.
Design shapes the culture and lifestyle of modern society but at the same time is shaped by it as well. It is a continual cyclic process of designing and getting designed. While reading about this, I came across a term called Ontological Design.
By observing closely, my object is designed according to the period and culture of the society of that period. For Instance, red lipstick was first invented in Mesopotamia. It gained popularity because it was applied by both men and women in order to show their social status.
Later, lipstick became a symbol of prostitution in Greece. Cultural rituals and beliefs started forming around the object which gave meaning to people's lives and helps them to form a cultural identity reflected in those designs' forms and their functions. During world war 1, red color lipstick became a symbol of feminism. By taking advantage of the situation, manufacturers started adding weapons like knives at the other end of the stick for the safety of women.
Nowadays, through globalization and a number of other key factors, there are growing multicultural influences on national identities. People are gaining similarities of perceptions and lifestyles of different societies. An example in India was that, after independence, the economy was shaky. Upper-middle-class women were spending valuable foreign exchange on western cosmetics like lipstick and kajal, while the more middle-class women had no access to quality makeup. As a result, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru approached JRD Tata to set up its own cosmetics company in India, later named Lakme
History/Evolution of Lipstick along with the history/evolution of humanity
Evolution of object and humans
PHASE 2: FORM STUDY
The form is a three-dimensional composition or object within a three-dimensional composition,
TASK 5: Pre Work
We had to observe our object carefully and draw it from an angle from which the entire form or most of the details of the object are visible.
Object drawing
TASK 5: Observational Drawings
Drawing
Annotations of the object
INSIGHTS
Every curve and edge of the object is well planned.
Every element in the form has its importance.
The color of the form differs according to the function.
Materials are used according to the pressure, usage, and functionality.
The object's form is similar to our day-to-day objects.
TASK 6: Ergonomic Study
Ergonomic Study is continually in search of ways to enhance and better communicate the design with the user. Ergonomics actually bridges the gap between analysis and synthesis of a design product.
A user's experience in interaction with a product is a complex phenomenon. IT depends upon the attributes of the product itself- its behavior, logic, sound, feel, look and smell.
Since my product is lipstick, I have tried to analyze the ergonomics of it.
Photographs
Outline of the hand
Whole process
TASK 7: Ergonomic Study through Making
In this activity, we had to explore the grips (handles/surfaces) to create intuitive, comfortable, and safe 3D models of the selected object.
Making with clay
Document the process
Problems: Handling material
Solutions:
Reflect and discuss the challenges you faced in acquiring the right form, proportions, curves, edges, texture, and while adding details. Eg. why the designer used that particular curve, or angle of the curve. What will the slightest change do to it?
Write 3-5 insights based on the reflection.
depressions for grip
Edges
Thickness
clay
pop
USER OBJECT ASSOCIATION
Task 7: Pre Work
Categorization od Users
Story Narrative
1: Lipstick really enhances my beauty
2: Lipstick is just a formality
1: Your lipstick is not so visible. Why do you apply nude colors?
2: It's like a makeup look without makeup. Yours is so dark.
1: I am going out with my friends. Therefore, it is appropriate
2: I am going to a family gathering.
1: ok. I'll look up for some nude colors on my way. It's easy to find shades on online platforms.
2: Hmm. okay Bye
VISUAL ORGANIZER
UNDERSTANDING MAKING
Poster
REFLECTIONS
REFLECTION 3
FORM OF AN OBJECT DRIVEN BY THE NEEDS OF ITS USERS
A good design makes a product useful. Taking care of the functional and emotional needs of a product is an integral part of a good design. Because the product we use every day somehow affects us as a person and our well-being as a person.
In functional need, according to a user, the intended purpose of the product should be kept in mind before developing the form. According to the functional needs, the form should be user-friendly and at the same time simplifies the life of the user. It should be made sure that a user should have a minimum amount of steps. It should be easy to understand the product and easier to use product. For instance, in my product lipstick, while interviewing the users, both the users were concerned about the manageable functionality of the product that comes along with the form.
In the activity of observational drawing, it was clearly visible that much thought has been put on the functionality need of the user to make their work easier.
The emotional needs of the user are another aspect that is kept in mind for a product.
The form of a product is designed in a manner that makes a user feel comfortable. The form should have some kind of value attached to the user. The value could be cultural or professional.
The form of the product should make them feel different in one way or another.
One of the users mentioned that she feels confident and valued when she applied lipstick. Whereas my other user notices a change in the people's treatment in regards to applying lipstick.
REFLECTION 4
FACTORS THAT INFORM THE AESTHETICS OF AN OBJECT
Aesthetics is the power of beauty in design. It somehow satisfies our senses, it gives us pleasure. The aesthetics of an object can be in its
Physical Factors: Form of an object
If the design is ergonomic, it feels comfortable and doesn't overload the user's senses. Example: The form of lipstick is mostly cylindrical which is similar to a pen or a brush. It makes a comfortable grip.
The form is made while kept in mind the elements and principles of design.
The form is visually appealing.
The material used to make the product look useful and engaging. For example, lipstick is made up of a material that is unbreakable but at the same time lustrous.
Psychological Factors: This factor depends on the feelings derived from the form
Completes the intended purpose easily.
the feeling of controls and safety. Example: Lipstick works on the instructions of its user
the feeling of comfort when the product is user-friendly.
Social Factors: Other people's interaction with the object
Context of the users. Example: In some cultures, red lipstick is a sign of prostitute whereas in others its is a symbol of feminism.
Communicates with other people
REFLECTION 5
ROLE OF MATERIAL IN A DESIGN
PHASE 3: REALISATION
Realization 1
Realization 2
Realization 3
STAKEHOLDER MAPPING
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