I have been interested in the idea of “open source design” since my introduction to the field of design, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that the concept itself remains somewhat nebulous in definition. My ideas about open source design are founded in my understanding of open source software and that development model’s applicability to the design, manufacture, and use of physical products. In recent weeks I have been pleased to come across a number of direct and tangential references to ideas which help to solidify this concept.
March 2006
Monthly Archive
Wed 22 Mar 2006
Tue 14 Mar 2006
I’ve formally submitted and received approval on my thesis (creative work project) proposal. The title is “Redesigning the PC as a Home Media Hub”. Here it is in PDF format.
Introduction
Since its introduction in the late 1970’s, the home personal computer (PC) has evolved from a hobbyist’s garage kit to a major component of everyday domestic life. The rise of the Internet is thought to be one major factor driving home PC ownership. The most recent US census data indicates that as of October 2003, 61.8% of all domestic households had at least one personal computer, up from 56.2% in 2001 and 36.6% in 1997 (U.S. Dept of Commerce, 2004).
The continuing rise in home PC ownership and broadband Internet adoption has brought with it a change in the basic role of the PC in the home. Whereas the PC’s primary purpose may once have been tasks such as word processing and personal accounting, and later email and web browsing, today’s home computers have the speed and capacity to serve as full-fledged media and entertainment centers. Even today’s entry-level home PC is able to play, store, and record high-quality photos, video and audio, making it suitable for use as a photo album, home jukebox, or digital VCR.
The term “media hub” has emerged recently in the computer industry to describe the idea of a home device that serves as the nexus for digital media. The media hub then works in conjunction with what some observers are calling media “spokes”—devices that transport multimedia from the hub to entertainment-oriented devices such as TVs, stereos, and game consoles over the home network (Blecher, 2005). Many industry players, including Microsoft, see the PC as the natural incarnation of the home media hub (Rosoff, 2004). Market research on the subject suggests that “consumers believe digital home applications revolve around the PC, with entertainment-centric solutions being relatively unpopular” (Blecher, 2005). Although there have been some early attempts by manufacturers to develop and market dedicated (non-PC) media hub devices, I generally agree with the notion that the bulk of consumer adoption of the media hub model will place the desktop PC at its center. (more…)
Wed 8 Mar 2006
The Whirlwind Wheelchairs project at San Francisco State University, led by wheelchair design pioneer Ralph Hotchkiss, conducts research in wheelchair design specifically targeted towards local manufacture in small factories around the world. Initially conceived as a reaction to the poor quality of wheelchairs produced by Everest and Jennings, a company that held a virtual global monopoly on wheelchairs from the 1950’s through the early 80’s, Whirlwind wheelchairs are designed to not only to withstand the rough environmental conditions of use in the third world, but also to be produced and repaired using commonly available materials and tools in those markets. I believe that Whirlwind serves as an excellent example of the success of participatory design for low-income communities in the post-industrial product design world.
