Sheirlf, the Shelf Chair

This is a couch that can also double as a bookshelf. Its used to sit down and relax and to store books, allowing for more space because it gets rid of the bookshelf. It is intended for readers of all ages, maybe the target audience would be teens to adults. This is because the couch looks more luxurious, and gives a sense of classiness as well as intelligence. A professor would probably own this couch, because it's sophistication may fit with the art decor of their living room or study. The materials were chosen to make it look sophisticated and to store the books within the couch. Since production it may haven only changed in that people didn't use it to it's max capacity. It has changed the original purpose if people are buying it and not really storing books in it. It could be because many people don't have enough books. Another thing that maybe was the purpose of this chair, was to get the people to read more. However it could be that they don't have enough time to read due to other obligations, which would change the original meaning of this chair.

The idea is to store books underneath a couch/chair to make more space in a room. It may have been a crowded room that lead to the creation of this couch; or it could be that there was no room for storing books anymore which lead to a combination of both. A combination of a couch and a bookshelf is a good idea for people who own lots of books. It's a place to both read and store books. The only thing that should be made better is the reinforcement of the book to sustain the person sitting down. At first glance at the picture it may seem like there is a thing layer between the cushion and the books. If a person were to sit there that maybe over the weight limit, that layer would give out and the person would just have a bookshelf shaped like a chair. A solution would be to make that particular layer out of a different material that can sustain more weight. Or to make that layer much more thicker so that it can be able to handle more weight.

I'm in distress, they've made a mess

This is called a gyro bowl, it's a bowl for toddlers that guarantees they will not spill anything. The function is simple the blue part is the handle and there are two bowls with in the middle. You put food in middle bowl, and there is another bowl like container that moves with the blue handle; which causes the middle bowl to move in an opposite direction. Because the bowl moves in the opposite direction this causes it to cover to prevent spillage. This product is marketed to mothers and fathers to make their life easier by preventing messes made by their child. However this is specifically for toddlers, because they tend to make a mess when they eat. Children are curious when young, they play with everything even their food, this is a toy and a bowl. It is intended to be used at home, in the car, basically anywhere you take your children. It's small enough to be portable, however because it is an awkward shape it may take up some space. The materials that were chosen were to keep it from breaking due to being played with. It has not changed from production, the concept and the way it is designed has remained the same.

The idea for this bowl is to prevent snacks from falling out, creating a mess. What could have brought this invention into development is someone who just got tired of cleaning messes and tried to find an easy way to prevent it. It is a good idea, however it does not work to its full potential. If this bowl were to be thrown and/or dropped it will make a mess. If you turn the blue handle slowly or at a medium pace it won't drop anything, but if you move it around in a faster motion you will have spills. They can design it for this bowl to be able to handle faster motions, that way they can stand behind their claim that this bowl does not spill. It can be done by changing the material that it is made from. Something that will be able to make the top bowl cover the bottom one faster, preventing all spills.

Travel Express

This is a travel bag with a reinforcement plastic around the front of it to protect the valuables inside of it. It is a rolling bag that uses wheels that rotate 360 degrees, therefore whichever direction you walk, you won't have to turn the bag. This bag is for travelers that must take a lot of luggage with them wherever they go. It is intended to be used on the street or the sidewalk; it works best with concrete or a flat surface. The materials that were chosen were chosen for the purpose of making a good quality travel bag. One that can easily be taken anywhere and have reinforcement to protect valuables. From the production of this travel bag, the designer may have had one specific target audience which are people who go on vacation, business trips, etc. People can use this bag for anything. They can carry supplies, store important items, or transport fragile items. It does change the meaning because they are travel bags used for the purpose of travel. However, travel may not always mean flying.

The idea is to make a better design for the perfect travel suitcase. The problems that may have came  from this were that some suitcases may have broken or gotten the luggage inside wet. Other problems that might have happened in the past are that this specific bag has 360 degree rotation for the wheels. On other bags the wheels where static and only moved in one direction making it a problem once you turn. The wheels would come across a crack on the floor and may tip the bag over because its balance is disrupted. The idea of fixing these problems are great however when it comes to the amount you must pay for these bags, that's where this great idea falls short. These design problems can be fixed without making the cost of the bag expensive. It can also be made from light weight material that way it won't affect the weight of the luggage, if it were to be weighed when going on a plane.

Correct Me If I'm Wrong...

This is a spell check that is on the Microsoft Word, which was one of the first programs to have this feature. Basically, it helps with correcting any misspelled words that are written on the program. It's supposed to make proof reading a much faster process. It is intended for anybody that needs to write on Word, specifically students. Students are always writing papers, therefore it would be something specifically for them. It is intended to be used in the actual program, however many writing programs or applications carry this component. As long as this component is programmed into that specific writing application/program then it will work. Ever since the beginning of it being made it has help people correctly spell words, however it has also made people lazy at correcting and too dependent on spell check. The original purpose of this was to make people better spellers and make proof reading a little faster and easier. However, because it does all the work for the individual, they don't necessarily learn from their mistake.

The idea was to make correcting spelling and proof reading faster and less of a hassle. Most likely before spell check, it was very time consuming to go through multiple pages to correct the spelling, especially if it was more than twenty pages. The developers wanted to make this tedious task a thing of the past. Upon first development of spell check it was a brilliant idea, because it worked as it was supposed to. But after being exposed to for over 20 years people just seem to be dependent on it. Now a days this feature is found in phones that auto corrects for you. People don't even need to press the correct button anymore. This can still exist but in a manner that involves the user to learn from their mistake, not solve their problem. By having the user actually learn and correcting mistakes will prevent them from using spell check.

Following Light

 

 This is the Simpson Tower building overlooking the 10 freeway at Cal State L.A. You know that it's the school because of the giant letters that say Cal State L.A. In the day time one can see them as simple white letters with a yellow/gold outline. At night the white part are lit up very brightly, that it illuminates on to the freeway. It's function is to make people aware that this school exists. Everyone who drives on the 10 freeway either west in the direction of Down Town L.A. or east in the direction of San Bernardino will see this sign and be able to read it. Everyone will know that there is a school that is in this area. This is a way that the school can get more people to attended here. While everyone passes by they will keep getting reminded of Cal State L.A., especially if they commuters. Once they get Cal State L.A. in their minds they will mention it to their friends, family, co-workers. And from there the word will spread, and bring in perspective students. This sign is intended to be used exactly where it is, it's right in front of the freeway where hundreds of thousands of people pass by everyday. The materials chosen where some sort of LED system where the brightness can extend onto the freeway. Since it has first been installed the letters have remained the same and illuminated. Although, lights do tend to go out either through power failure or because the lights burn out. Once this happens it will change the original purpose of the sign. It will still be able to be seen in the daytime however at night if there is at least one letter that is turned off, it will not be effective. It will look tacky and cheap, whenever someone drives by a store with a lit up sign and one of the letters is burned out it is seen as a joke. Since this is a marketing technique for the school, they do not want to look like a joke; or that they have cheaply made signs. This can be improved or prevented if they monitor the power monthly. Usually some sort of power gauge would be connected to this sign to view the power levels. Also knowing how long those specific bulbs or lights last is one way to prevent that. 

The idea is to put Cal State L.A. on the map, meaning making everyone aware that this school exists. There was a sign there before it was illuminated, however it did not light up at night. There were however spot lights that would cast light on the letters. This method was not as successful as the current installation. The current sign that they have installed is a much better idea then the previous one. The sign stands out from the black background. It does what they intended on doing with the sign, people can read it from the freeway and it gets their attention. If this sign was duplicated on the other side of the building to display on the north side of the 10 freeway, people would see it as a landmark. Therefore spark more interest about applying to the university.

You'll love the way you look

This is a two-piece suit the blue jacket and the blue pants. This suit's main function is to look elegant, and/or professional. This suit is intended for anyone who can afford this $2000 dollar suit. It is for the people who enjoy style when they are either in the office or at a social gathering. This is a designer suit that can be used for any occasion. It's a suit, so it is intended to go where ever the person wearing it goes. The materials chosen when designing this suit were primarily for comfort. Its made of wool so that would make it warmer, or to be warn in colder weather. The suit itself has not changed from when first manufactured. It has remained the same, therefore the meaning of this suit has remained the same. The creator, Albert Hammond Jr. shares his original purpose of this suit in an interview:

'I want to make suits that I’m going to have for myself,” Hammond told New York Magazine. “They’re for the person who needs his one suit for a wedding. He’d rather get something like this than go to Men’s Wearhouse, pay the same amount, and look like an out-of-date parent.' In this aspect the suit visually stays the same, therefore his original vision and purpose will still fit the buyer; they won't look like the out-of-date parents he proclaims.

The idea is to make the person wearing it more fashionable. Albert Hammond Jr, had noticed that too many suits make people look like they are older and don't have a flair to them. It is a good idea for the purpose of what Albert is trying to accomplish. If he can help someone look better than someone that would buy a regular suit from somewhere else, then it is a good idea. The only problem is that this suit is way too expensive. It's probably double what a regular three-piece suit would cost at a regular suit shop. If he were to lower the price or sacrifice some things that make the suit expensive more people would be able to afford it, and by it being affordable more people would be able to buy it. Also another thing that doesn't work for this suit is that is way too exclusive. It is only offered at a boutique store. If it was offered at multiple places, this suit would be easily accessible to most people. 

iPost

This is a white apple, that has a bite taken out of it. It is the newest logo for Apple that goes behind the Mac Book Pro laptops. It is used as an identity marker, anywhere you look and see this logo it will indicate Apple. On a Mac Book Pro the apple is illuminated once it is on. This is attention grabbing it tells everyone who walks by that this is our product. Because it is a successful company this logo has become renowned. This logo is specifically targets students and people in professional fields of visual design (film, graphic design, photography) and music. It doesn't mean that they are the only target audience, it is just that their computers service to those specific fields. Apple's target is everyone that needs a computer. They have desktops that are usually not portable and can be used at a school, office, or at home. They also have iPods, iPhone, and Mac Book Pros that are portable and can be taken anywhere. Apple seems to use the same material for all their products they use plastic, glass, and carbon fiber. This is to make it close to quality product, however these devices seem to break fairly easy. Since this logo first came out it has gone through multiple changes, it used to be more colorful. When it was colorful it didn't seem to work, because of the multiple colors. It had to be a simple color so that it wouldn't be too distracting. Although the color changed the same logo stayed the same, with the bite mark and basic shape. The bite mark helps it's marketing by indicating that the product with this logo is desirable. Or it could say that one bite is all it takes to get you hooked.

The idea is to represent the company name which is apple. The point of using an achromatic logo is to make it simple. And the use of whites, blacks, and greys are futuristic and modern. For example, many of the expensive modern homes being build are grey and white or black and like they are made of stainless steel. The Apple logo very closely resembles those modern homes. It is a good idea, however Apple had already made a name for themselves before they switched to this achromatic logo. If they first started off with this logo it wouldn't have caught on and people back in the late 70's would think it was boring. In today's time it works because it's about the simplicity and elegance that this logo displays. This logo can be improved by bringing it to the third dimension. It's always been a "profile" view, it would be much more interesting to see the actual bite mark and if it was a three-quarter view of the apple. It would give it a much more unique take on the old simple logo. There can also be a design inside of the apple. Something that would give it a textured look or something that makes it look more futuristic. Since Apple's idea for the products represent futuristic representation.