So we get this assignment in my first college design class. “Make a prototype,” the professor says, “of something that you wish you could find at the store.” I am instantly and completely stuck. I have to get the project done tonight because my sister’s wedding is this weekend. I need to pack, I need a suitcase, I need a beer. I go home and bury my head in the Internet. Not helpful.
My roommate comes home and puts on Star Wars – the Friday afternoon ritual. I am already frustrated, giving up, just spacing out on outer space, and then I see it: the little wheelie dustpan robot that scuttles around the polished halls of the Death Star. It reminds me of something and that reminds me of something else and I am suddenly on my feet. The cliché is that inspiration strikes while you’re shaving, but we at Design Faktion know: great film, art, architecture, even music, will, in turn, inspire a thought that leads to an idea that leads to an invention. NEEDS V. WANTS But wait! Isn’t necessity supposed to be the mother of invention? Sure – but let’s face it – some popular designs aren’t exactly solving epic problems! See also: trendy athletic pants designed specifically to show off your fresh sneakers. We need to wear clothes (in most states). We want our clothes to look cool (in most states). Like Johnny Cash, the designers at DF walk the line between form and function. We’re industrial designers and engineers. We don’t make art, but we make functional objects as beautiful as possible. Needs and wants can be friends. BAUHAUS BUT… STILL BEAUTIFUL Design Faktion also sees beauty in the mundane: a couple days ago, one of us discovered a humble gas station coffee cup so well-designed, she took it home, rinsed it out and put it on her desk. It was insulated, reinforced, had a one-size fits-all molded plastic lid with a tab that locked open or closed. Thoughtful, efficient, made of quality materials, obviously the latest of many generations of to-go cups that burned, splashed, and crapped out on distracted drivers. That is the journey of beautiful design. The results of hardcore iteration inspire: they make complicated objects appear very simple. ROLL WITH IT So, my roommate wakes up. He asks, “what the heck are you doing to your skateboard?” I am holding my trucks and wheels in one hand and an old garment bag in another. My trashcan is between my knees. “I’m building what I couldn’t find in the store.” I spray paint my expandable rolling beer case silver (sister’s wedding color) and get an A. Design Faktion is inspired by simplicity. We are inspired by our needs, our wants, your needs, your wants, great films, great teachers, and some mad iteration. We’re always looking for new ways to approach aesthetics, solve problems, or just create delight – and we bet you are, too. SHARE THE LOVE We want to hear your stories! Where have you found inspiration for your designs? Where do you run when deadlines are looming and creativity runs dry? What films do you watch on a Friday? Email us or leave a comment below and share! Heck, give us your addy and we’ll even send you a postcard or a sticker or maybe just a bad haiku.
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