Furniture is one of the most important parts of a room. Furniture provides a place to sleep, eat, relax, etc. Everyone knows what furniture is. When you walk inside a space, you will almost always find furniture as soon as you walk inside. For example, when you walk into a public space, you will usually find a front desk. The front desk is an important part of the space because it serves as a space for many different functions. Good furniture is multi-functional. An example of that would be a chair with a table and cup holder attached to it. Good furniture is comfortable. Anthropometrics are important for the furniture to be comfortable for human use. It has to match normal human scale. Comfort is something most people sought after in furniture. When someone wants to buy a couch or bed, they always sit on it to test it’s comfort. Another important thing in furniture is its durability. If the furniture has durable materials and finishes, then the piece of furniture will last long. Furniture is also about aesthetics. The look of furniture helps to tie together the overall look or theme of the room.

Materials make-up the basis of the built environment. Popular materials include brick, metal, drywall, concrete, etc. Materials and finishes are very similar things, that’s why I will be combining these two topics together. Finishes include things like paint, carpet, coatings, tile, wood, etc. But those things can also be called materials. Basically, these two terms are interchangeable. Materials/ finishes are what you see, feel, and walk on in a space. They are very important in design. Materials and finishes are both functional and sometimes aesthetically pleasing. They add importance to the overall function of an interior/exterior. They also help make a space achieve its overall look and feel. When picking a finish/material, there are several things a designer has to consider. One thing would be price. The price of a project is important to clients, so designers must pick materials that aren’t very expensive. That’s where faux materials/finishes come in. Hard plastic countertops that are made to look like granite are a good example of this. Another example is brick wallpaper. Brick has become more popular for interiors, but, it’s somewhat expensive for a client with a lower budget. Vinyl is a flooring that is cheaper than real wood but some types of vinyl are actually made to look like wood. Durability is an issue that designers must think about when picking materials/ finishes. Vinyl may be cheaper but real wood will hold up for years and years. After the wood stain starts to wear off, it can be repainted again and again. Another very durable material for an exterior would be brick or even concrete. Another important consideration to make when choosing a material would be safety. An example would be at a pool. The deck becomes slippery when wet so designers need to choose a flooring with a grainy and non-slick finish.

Representation can mean different things in design. One thing is how a design concept is formed. When a client wants a space designed, it needs to represent their brand. For example, a coffee shop wants their atmosphere to feel warm and welcoming, as well as represent their values, through the design of their shop. With the invention of virtual reality, a design can be showed to a client as if they were seeing it in person. This is changing interior design because you can experience your design concept in 3-D. This can make your design even better and make the client able to give even more feedback. 

In this putting it together post, I will be talking about principles and elements, light + color, technology, experience, and scale. The principles and elements of design can be used to describe just about anything around us. They could be found in man-made objects or from nature. Principles and elements are the basis of design and art. When you analyze design, you look at the key points of the design. Therefore, understanding the principles and elements in design is crucial in order to analyze art and design. All designers use elements and principles. Good designers utilize different elements together to form a product. In most designs, such as interior design, you will find line, form, color, light, and harmony. In my projects in studio, we almost always drew an abstract piece that would utilize principles and elements. The drawing would then be integrated into our design for other aspects of the project. Even some of the earliest buildings made showcase principles and elements, such as The Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. You can see that line and form are most prominent there. As well as emphasis on the face with texture and shape. The shape of the triangular pyramids are symmetrical. In the pyramid, you will see proportion between the statue and the pyramids.

Scale is very important to design. The objects designed must be usable for humans. For example, a couch is scaled to be used for people to sit on comfortably. If the couch is too big, then people would have trouble getting on the couch. Scale for exteriors is also something that can be important to the design. A large building can be large for many reasons. One reason would be to represent something or someone. For example, the Salisbury cathedral, and other cathedrals, represent faith and God’s glory. They are made massive because they represent something big and important to groups of people. They also show the creativity of their time period. In terms of urban scale, the buildings size is very important. For example, in New York City, they have lots of restrictions on how large a building can be. Not so much the height, but the width of the building is very important so that one building doesn’t take up too much space. A building can be analyzed and described by scale alone. If a building is very tall you could speculate that the building is used for many different things. You could also assume that the building is important if it’s very large. In an interior if an object or space is large, such as a buildings’ atrium, you will know that the atrium is an important gathering area for people. This idea goes back to that humans and scale are taken into high consideration in design and are one of the most important things in design and in describing design.

In ancient times, technology was basic compared to today. There were basic technology pieces such as a calendar and books. As time went on, technology kicked off. Roman architecture particularly stood out because of the arches, long lasting concrete, and aqueducts. The National time period, was a big change from The Ancient time period. New building materials such as steel were being used. Transportation such as railroads came about. Also, new energy sources such as light were introduced. Modern times has yet again brought new materials. Architecture is starting to take the environment into consideration. LEED certified buildings are being implemented. Technology today, is changing interior design and how designers can design spaces for clients. For example, virtual reality allows you to see a room like you would in real life except it is digital. The client can personally experience what their room will look like before actually remodeling or making the room. Technology has also changed the way designers and clients communicate. Instead of describing or drawing what a potential room could look like, designers can make it on their computer or tablet and show it practically in real life form. 

  Technology, light + color is connected in a few ways. Lighting is a technological advance itself. In 1878, Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, and then it was used for many years solely for functionality. But, nowadays lighting is both functional and can be aesthetically pleasing. For example, Christmas lights are decorative as well as lamps. There have been some notable new developments for lighting throughout the years. For example, a recent invention is that there are sheets of plastic that can be put on your walls and used as lighting. There’s also lighting inventions that look at how to save electricity. Passive solar design minimizes energy use by saving energy through the use of solar technology. Technology like this poses new opportunities for saving money on bills and it helps conserve energy. Light changes the color or look of things. Natural light vs artificial light will have a different color to it and therefore objects in a room may look a different color. Color in interior design is important because it sets the feel of the room. Color needs to be strategically placed in order for it to look good. For example, you shouldn’t have many different colors in one small area, or it will overwhelm you.

What you see, feel, hear, touch, encounter, all contributes to your experience of a space. The experience of the user is a very important aspect of interior design. The topic of experience in design is a more advanced aspect of design compared to others listed above. It requires much thought by the designer. Designers have to take many things into account when designing for the user’s experience. Because, in order for a person's experience in a space to be enjoyable, the space must be designed correctly and well. For example, at a shopping mall/store, there must be enough space for people to move around without bumping into each other. In a place such as a shopping mall, the user experience is important for a variety of reasons. One reason would be that they want people to remember how nice the place was so that they come back. The goal is for users to have a pleasant shopping experience. An example of an experience oriented place is Disney World. It’s a place that the user is supposed to feel like they are in a fantasy world. Disney world is all about entertaining (of some sort) and the designers worked hard to convey this “magical” place. 

Climate change, pollution and other environmental issues are largely due to human behavior. This is an ongoing issue that isn't talked or thought about among many peoples' daily lives. For example, some people deny that there's a climate change going on, even if its right in front of them and happening where they live. Other people may not care enough to acknowledge the problem. Some people may recycle, or they may be too lazy to recycle so they just throw it away. Designers need to be aware of all of these issues and they also need to be aware of the impact of buildings. Reducing energy use is very important. Fossil fuel based energy plays a huge role on the environment. As designers, we can come up with alternative solutions for reducing energy consumption. Things like automatic lights that turn off, and solar panels, make a huge difference. If designers do this more and more, that will help our environments future.

Sense of place means different things to different people. The kind I will be talking about is the spiritual one. That means ones feeling of belonging. For example, one could feel drawn to a certain area, such as a beach town. They could feel as though they belong there, so they choose to be there.

branding

This brand follows a strict color scheme of green and brown. The design is very simple. As you can see, it is half green and half brown. The main shape of it is a square. The square makes up two different triangles because of the color. You can tell this is a professional business. This is because their branding design is very simple and "clean".

anthro

The seat I will be talking about is my seat in my room. This seat is unsuccessful to fit for humans. It is very uncomfortable to sit in. Making it hard to sit and do homework at my desk. So, I don't sit in this chair because it is so uncomfortable. The seat is short in height, which makes you have to bend you knees quite a bit when you sit in it. The back of it is made of a cheap plastic liner that is supposed to support your back. The chair has metal parts that make up the structure. The metal sticks out and pokes your back, so basically you are leaning against a thin piece of metal even if you sit up straight. The liner is in the middle of the chair so that the metal is on top.

The most basic of needs are safety and security needs which is 2. Security needs and 1. physiological needs. The technological advancement of a lock on the door, provide safety and security. A home also provides those things. Other basic things such as rest, are needed to survive. In order to rest properly, you need a bed, and a chair. Preferably, those things would be made out of a comfortable padded material. 

The design process + aging materials

"The Design Cycle" is made of 4 steps. Investigate: identify the problem, plan: plan/design the solution, create: create whatever you are making, and evaluate: evaluate how the design works, do testing, improve things for next time. I agree with brands' thesis about how some materials change more quickly than others. For example, brick is pretty resilient compared to cheap lap siding made of a plastic material. Brick lasts longer than the lap siding. Other things that are resilient are bucco, stone and metal, these are very long lasting materials. All of these materials will give a building a different look of course, and some are more neutral than other in terms of fashion.

Representation can mean different things in design. One thing is how a design concept is formed. When a client wants a space designed, it needs to represent their brand. For example, a coffee shop wants their atmosphere to feel warm and welcoming, as well as represent their values, through the design of their shop. With the invention of virtual reality, a design can be showed to a client as if they were seeing it in person. This is changing interior design because you can experience your design concept in 3-D. This can make your design even better and make the client able to give even more feedback. 

Memorial Hall

This mural is very large in scale. As you look at it, you can see different things happening. There are different pictures that capture a different moment in time. These different stories were all placed in Central Kentucky. It shows what life was like at that time. You can see to the top left a depiction of downtown Lex, and those buildings are still there today. I think it’s interesting how there are a lot of building being made out of logs. On the bottom half of the mural, it looks like it’s depicting an earlier time than the top of the mural. I wonder if that is on purpose?  Different things you will see are women doing laundry, slaves working, men building things, town gatherings, people dancing, and people traveling.

              This mural makes me feel curious as to what each day was like for these people. Who liked living here? Who didn’t? What did these people do for fun? What kinds of fun events happened in Lexington during this time period? This mural in memorial Hall serves as a dedication to those who died in WW1. I think this piece is a good piece of history. 

World fairs present new architecture and design ideas to the public. New technology is a huge part of world fairs. They also bring new furniture, and lighting ideas. New furniture also means new materials. In the Great Exhibition of 1851, the crystal palace is a good example of new technology and materials being incorporated into design. This place used iron and glass which allowed natural light to come in. Designers then can incorporate these new ideas into their own design. The New York worlds fair of 1964, produced a unique experience for viewers. It was called "Peace Through Understanding". Users felt as though they were in a futuristic place with the different things that were found at the fair.

When you think of the word fair, you think of something like a county fair with food, amusement rides, and games. But worlds fairs/expositions are more about showcasing achievements. Worlds fairs were more popular back in the 20th century. They focused on inventions such as architectural, artistic, and technology. Today, they focus more on other things such as improving the hosts' countries' image. I find it interesting how at the fairs they build buildings for it and then showcase them. Some of the buildings built for the fairs are still standing today, which is something that is very interesting.