If you look around you I’m sure you can find plenty of great advice on how to write a good design brief. Therefore I will assume that most of you would know what they are and how to do so. However I have...
Image by: tamachanhaazarashi.
Designers these days face a lot of pressure to not only do good design, but also to do the right thing. Indeed the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly products cannot and should not be underestimated. However,...
Image by Balakov
This is my second article, that I wrote for Yanko Design (YD). As I know some Design Sojourn readers don't really frequent YD, I have decided to republish and keep a record of the article...
This article was originally published on Yanko Design. As I know some Design Sojourn readers don't really frequent YD, I thought it might be a good idea to republish it here as well. I have also re-edited some of the text to...
In a blink of an eye, a potential buyer would have entered a store, quickly scan the different products on the shelf and then make a decision to engage with a particular product. All this happens in just 3-5 seconds! A product’s external housing is one of...
The background of this article stems from my interest in how Strategic Industrial Design forms the backbone of thinking in the very best designers in our field. Therefore I have been quietly spending some time studying and observing strategic designers and their “modus operandi”....
In short Industrial Design has evolved into a holistic expression of "everything" that is required to create the product. Expanding on this, the Industrial Design of these products were inspired by the product's manufacturing processes or materials and specifically designed to express it as...
Originally published on 20 April, 2006. Edit 1: Updated 25 Aug 2007 Edit 2: Updated 16 Nov 2008. This has to be one of the "classics" here at Design Sojourn, and a post that got me noticed in the blogosphere! Here it is updated again for 2008!...
Image Source: Listen to ME! One of the key skills I noticed great designers have is the ability to engage in Active Listening. I was lucky. I managed to pick up this skill 6-7 years ago in a training seminar and it has been vital in...
October 15, is Blog Action Day 2008! This is where bloggers from around the world get together to talk about a common theme or topic. This year's topic is about Poverty, and as Design Sojourn is a design blog, it will be about...
I finally got the time today to sit down and really think about the impact of these troubled times. It has been a very hectic month since I officially started my new role, as a result, I really only hovered around the global impact from...
We have an interesting Design Article contribution this week by Chris Nobles, an Industrial Designer working for HJC Design in the UK. He write today about Rapid Manufacturing and its impact on our product development process. A great read with lots of technical...
A couple of months ago we had an open call for guest bloggers, we had a few responses with some great ideas. This week's Design Article, written by MB, was one of them. MB has written a very powerful article on a side of design...
Thanks for all the great comments and input you have left from Part 1. It has really given me a great insight to what you want to see here on Design Sojourn. So onwards to Part 2! In the Part 1 we looked at the hierarchy...
Edit: Spelling and grammar checked and re-checked as per popular request! One thing that I believe many designers, managers of designers, or buyers of design talent will struggle with, is the understanding of a Designer's Lifecycle within the design industry. Dealing with Lifecycle problems come in many...
[Edited: Grammar and Phrasing]
I really was not going to write much this week, being sick and all. But after a blog post and comment exchange, I cannot help but feel fired up to share...
Image source: Cab Ride (Ecstasy)
So what, you may ask, is "Mental Masturbation"?
Well the first logical assumption that comes to mind is procrastination. Actually, though, it's not quite what I would call procrastination. Let me explain.
A design lecturer friend coined...
Image Source: Books by ijsendoorn.
As requested and suggested by a few loyal Design Sojourn readers, I have compiled what I think are the essential books that Industrial Designers should either own or read.
Now I have...
I often like to get myself into a spot of teaching, collaborating with and critiquing students. I find it enhances and consolidates what I have learned in my career in Design. I do recommend that designers, especially the senior ones, take some time...
Image by pmorgan
There often comes a time when designers gather around, give each other hugs, pass the tissues, and say farewell to the fruits of their labor. Saying farewell to designs that did not make it.
Kidding aside, this is one...