Design Sojourn

I wonder is it more convenient to simple use your hand or this. Ha it is definitely a interesting work, but one without a lot of purpose or real use. If this is to be used at home, why don’t u simply use a glass? Look at the wastage of water. It doesn’t look like one designed to be brought around. I can only imagine the amount of toothpaste stuck in the tunnel and the happiness of bacteria living in it.

It’s funny. The idea of saving the use of disposable cups or letting access water drip off from your cupped hands, seems to be made irrelevant with the amount of water falling by the sides of the toothbrush.

Perhaps creating a hygienic story would have been a much better scenario.

This might be ego or professional pride talking, but I found your comment “Nice work coming from a designer that surprisingly does not even have a background in design. He was trained in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering.” to be dismissive at best and arrogant at worst.

Have you taken a recent look at how engineers are being trained and the extent to which design, and in particular the user-centered model, has been integrated into their education? The engineering design education community has been working diligently over the last 30 years to demonstrate and teach that engineers are designers first and technical specialists second. By definition a background in engineering means a background in design.

From your comment, it seems that designers (whoever they are) bring the design perspective to an activity while engineers bring some other non-design perspective that you might choose to incorporate or draw inspiration from. I would prefer to see a practice in which all participants bring in design perspectives that focus on different issues and approaches.

Of course I may be reading in too much and reacting too quickly…

Hi Jason,

Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback.

I have to say, this is NOT my intent to ridicule or imply engineers are any lesser individuals in the design process. I wrote:

Nice work coming from a designer that surprisingly does not even have a background in design. He was trained in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering. As they say you get many different perspectives from people with different backgrounds.

I’ve highlighted that last bit in bold to explain, in contrary to what you have indicated, that engineers do great creative work as they come from a different background and able to apply their different perspectives.

My last paragraph in my post credits his creative mind behind his work:

Do check out the rest of his experiment work from his website Amron Experimental. His engineering focused concept work, belies a soul of a designer.

I’m happy to accept that I may have reacted too aggressively to thoughts that weren’t being expressed. There’s no doubt that you’re saying that engineers have a lot to offer and that they have a different perspective that can contribute to creative activities.

What I’m reacting to, I think, is the initial statement that a background in engineering is not a background in design. This might be quibbling over definitions, in the sense that from my perspective the moniker “designer” implies only “one who reflectively creates”. Engineers reflectively create, as do chefs, doctors, lawyers, sculptors, etc. Engineers certainly tend to focus on specific aspects of the creative endeavour, and to describe their work using particular languages and models, but they are still designers.

That’s one of the tricky things when discussing design… what exactly are we talking about?!

Hi Jason,

Not to worry this is a great discussion.

You have some valid points most people think design comes from designers. It is true, but designers come from many backgrounds and I think the point of this post was to highlight that.

But you also have to accept the fact that there are many stereo types of engineers, unfortunately and sadly the majority do not buck this trend. But hey it is call Mechanical Design right? Regardless, you be surprised the amount of money that people will pay for very creative engineers!

Thanks for visiting!