Selected design of Japan

Project: Floating vases/Ripple

Designer: Taku Omura

1) Innovation

Most flower vase are make in cylinder shape and put on the table for inner house use or outside uses. But nobody think about a floating vase and so futuristic and fantastic like this design. It is very aesthetic and unordinary compare to the other same type product.

2) Cultural Relevance

This design is very familiar the Japanese garden art, especially the stream, water and pond in this art. It does have the nature, flows of nature (water), simple and purify within it.

On the other hand, if counted the five elements of Fengsui, this design is special. According to the five element theory, the water born the the wood/ plant, this design doesn’t content water, but it is almost invincibly and make the illusion of water surround the flower branch as supporting the plant, overall this make the users have a feeling of purify, well being, supporting. This is special, because it look the water touch but does not touch.

3) Style

There are the factor of in and out of design for the floating vases. Bases on Ram’s principles and element of industrial designs, it contains the factors of aesthetic, simple, long last (acrylic is a very strong and light weight), and small.

This design present the characteristics of Japanese garden art also the Fengsui’s properties with futuristic and fantastic factor (floating, simply, and purify)

4) Design process

Base on the abstractive image of the ripple on the water surface, Omura made a vase from acrylic. When put it on a fist tank a water tank it will be almost invisible. There will be a very fantasy scenery when the user put the flowers on the vase, they will look like they are floating on the water.

5) References:

Japan guide, Garden Elements, viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2099_elements.html

JapanDesign, 2013, Floating Vases / Ripple by oodesign, updated by July 14, viewed 08 September 2013

http://jpdesign.org/product-design/floating-vases-ripple-by-oodesign/

Google wikipedia, Acrylic glass,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_glass

Rosenfield, K, 2012, Dieter Rams 10 Principles of “Good Design”, updated Jan 09,viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.archdaily.com/198583/dieter-rams-10-principles-of-%E2%80%9Cgood-design%E2%80%9D/

 

 

Selected design from Korea

Eco urinal

1) Innovation

This design is a combination of toilet and bath tub, It is simple, geometric, and look very futuristic but realistic. Base on  Geekologgie’s comment:

The dirty sink water is used to flush the urinal, so the tree huggers will like the way it saves the water. It also take up a lot less room than a separate sink and urinal, so they can fit more into a small bathroom reducing the waiting times. Additionally the sink is right there, this might also encourage less hygienically inclined to wash up.

This design also break the traditional way of using toilet, more convenient and more friendly environment are the innovative points for this design.

2) How it solve the water problem

This design, indeed could help the world save a lot of water, therefore could save million of lifes, and ensure the better future for our limited water resources.
Base on the The institute for human rights and businesses, there are still be 2.5 billion people without sanitation  and 783 million without water. Therefore if we can save water for flushing, we could make a revolution for this problem.

In additionally, base on the trend of world population, there will be more people concentrate to the cities in near future. Get more living space is also an emergent problem. And this design is a key for this buy reducing the ordinary toilet by half.  

3) Cultural Rellevance

This design, in my opinion, it is may have impacts from Chinese zodiac and also the the Fengsui’s factor.

Yin and Yang is considered as the balance of universe, positive and negative energy, even within them also contain the properties of the other side to make the balance. So I think this design shows that theory.

People pee out to take away the negative disposal from the body and wash hand to refresh and clean their body. While the toilet, which is very dirty, receive water from washing hand activities as flushing to clean it. This form almost like a circle.

Additionally, base on Wuxing or five elemental theory of Fengsui. There are five elements support each other and also conflict each other. The water born the metal base on that theory, so this design base on the Fengsui’s theory is well supported and it is a good design overall.

4) This design style

The design style is geometrical, modern style. Which is impress the white and shinning silver colour of metal and glass. And it is  applied almost the 10 principles and elements of Ram Dieter. The design is simple, small, useful, environmental friendly and honest.However this only for male users, it need more for female users to access this design.

5) Design process

Yeeongwoo Kim, the designer:

“To save water, Eco Urinal is designed to use the water that was used for washing hands to flush the urine.
By this process, we don’t have to use water twice after using the urinal.
Moreover, it reduces the establishment expenses by optimizing the materials.
Upper space of this urinal is made with glass, and it helps to secure a clear view for users.
It also promotes people to keep their sanitation because people need to wash their hands to flush the urine after use.”

6) Referrences:

Yeeongwoo, K, 2010, Eco Urinal, viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.yeongwookim.com/

Geekologie, 2010, The Future Is Now!: A Sink/Urinal Combo , updated August 30, viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.geekologie.com/2010/08/the-future-is-now-a-sinkurinal.php

Seth, R, 2010, Whoa! Men To Pee and Wash In The Same Stand!, updated August 27, viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/08/27/whoa-men-to-pee-and-wash-in-the-same-stand/

Yeo, D, 2012, Water Security_ a different perspective, updated April 12, viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.ihrb.org/commentary/guest/water-security-a-different-perspective.html?gclid=COm5jvz82bkCFQdfpgodqhUA3Q

Rosenfield, K, 2012, Dieter Rams 10 Principles of “Good Design”, updated Jan 09, viewed 08 September 2013

http://www.archdaily.com/198583/dieter-rams-10-principles-of-%E2%80%9Cgood-design%E2%80%9D/