The Growing Bed - Saving costs on sleeping

Growth Crib

The future of waterproof fabrics

It has been a long time since we (society) have tried to experiment trying to find the perfect waterproof clothing. We have succeeded in producing plastic overalls and coats but they are not aesthetically pleasing or very comfortable to wear.

Researchers in Lodz, Poland, have found the solution.

University of Technology in Lodz scientists have developed an ionized gas called ‘cold plasma’ in order to create a fabric that is completely capable of repelling all liquids. Professor Jacek Tyzynski, who is at the forefront of this discovery, explains that this phenomenon known as ‘hydrophobicity’:

“The hydrophobic effect is the observed tendency of non-polar substances to aggregate in aqueous solution and exclude water molecules. The name, literally meaning "water-fearing," describes the segregation and apparent repulsion between water and non-polar substances”. (Courtesy of Wikipedia).

A wax-like ‘cloak’ is created from the cold plasma over the fabric. Note to self, the internal structure of the fabric is not altered due to the fact the waterproof layer is only applied to the surface.

This method will be able to be used for general household items, e.g. tablecloths, and also used for the production of clothes for professionals. The demand from such industry professionals as fishermen and waiters are on the rise, however scientists are only able to turn out such fabrics measuring 5cm x 5cm.

This is certainly a future technology for many industries and be in high demand. Someone somewhere, will become a very rich person.

The short video below explains the discovery further:

Innovative beds

We all have one, we all go to them at any time during the day, and some people go to them when they feel scared. They make us feel safe. We go to them with our other half. What am I talking about?

Yes of course I am talking about beds. Yes we all think of them as just a mattress a headboard and a base – where drawers or empty space (mostly for clutter to be found). Little do we know that designers have done their jobs and designed and manufactured the object that we treasure so much and look forward to so much at the end of each day.

Designers have tirelessly incorporated innovation into beds for decades. For those fortunate enough to have a ‘little bit’ of money to splash out on a really nice bed, here are some that my take your fancy:

# 1 – The Magnetic Floating Bed

It has taken six years of research in order for Dutch Architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars to develop this magnetically levitating bed. There are enough magnets to support 900kg / 1,984lbs – the equivalent of a fully grown giraffe. To ensure the bed does not float away from any hard wind or and weird movements (ahem), it is supported by four steel cables that connect into your walls.

This is definitely an eye-catching feature in the bedroom, but you would have to fork out €1.2 million / $1.53 million / £1.04 million in order to own one yourself. Also you would need to have a pretty large bedroom to fully appreciate the effectiveness of this illusion. It is safe to say, you will not find it in any local mattress store.

Courtesy of www.h-eich.com

# 2 – The Cosmovoide Bed

It has been scientifically proven that we all spend approximately one third of our lives in bed asleep. Therefore we would ideally like to be sleeping in a nice bed as possible. How about spending $60,000 / £38,200 / €45,300 to ensure your comfort is attained. It is, I would agree a much more reasonable price in comparison to the Magnetic Floating Bed, but still, it is rather expensive.

For all that money, you do however get wrapped up in a cosy ‘cosmic’ harmony in this luxury bed that is shaped like an egg, whilst suspended by hammock-like springs, with a telephone, theatre / DVD set-up, a television at the foot of the bed along with several rainbow coloured lights to emphasize the relaxed atmosphere once one is ‘inside’.

Do not be alarmed the bed itself can be customized, according to its French manufacturer’s – therefore you won’t be stuck with the rather garish looking yellow suede external colour you see in the picture.

Courtesy of www.bornrich.com

# 3 – The Rocking Bed

When babies are rocked or cradled, they always seem to fall asleep. Why does this technique have to stop once we get too old for our parents to pick us up? Manuel Kloker has designed, a patented ‘rocking frame’. It is essentially a bed that rocks back and forth similar to that of a rocking chair.

I suppose you will be able to alter the orientation of your lying position to depend whether you are ‘rocked’ forward-and-back or side-to-side. I personally may find this a novelty that interest would disappear rather rapidly as some days, I just want to lay there on my bed and not having to worry about having a roller-coaster ride to sleep.

This is available, on average, about $6,800 / £5,130 / €6,070 but that may increase or decrease depending on the size you order. This bed does come without a mattress, so add that onto the already extraordinarily high bottom line.

Courtesy of www.toxel.com

# 4 – The 'Scoop' Bed

I thought this was an ‘interesting’ name for a bed myself too.

As apartments and houses are being built smaller and smaller these days, space saving devices are becoming an essential part of furniture hunting. Saba Italia’s designer Guido Rosati, designed the ‘Scoop’, which is an innovative answer for the demand of space saving furniture combining both the bed with the sofa.

When connected together, the feature looks like a circular bed – a different design in itself. However, the bed can be pulled apart resulting in two stylish sofas.

A great surprise for your guests.

Courtesy of www.i-cdn.apartmenttheraphy.com

# 5 – The Computer Bed

Another space-saving innovation for you. This is an ideal solution for student accommodation, guestrooms that you want to use an office, or for apartments that are on the small size, making intelligent use of the space under the bed.

This was invented by Lino son Francesco, a European designer, using gas and hydraulic pistons to enable the computer table doubling up as a bed. The design is available in a variety of different woods with prices starting at $3,650 / £2,326 / €2,750

Courtesy of www.i1.wp.com

# 6 – The Ceiling Bed

Now this is the bed that in my opinion tops the chart for not only innovation, but for saving space also. Using only 4 square metres of your apartment, the ‘BedUp’ model is stored in the ceiling during the day. When the bed is required, it can come down as a manner of a lift system and stops at a height that you have previously programmed. Therefore you won’t have to clear any furniture that is underneath it.

When it is raised the option of having lighting embedded into the base of the bed which will also provide a fantastic light feature when the bed is down.

Courtesy of www.i2.wp.com

All of these designs and features may seem a little far-fetched or slightly out of most of our price range. One designer, Robin Dodwell, who I am proud to call my good friend, is a product designer who specializes in innovation, idea generation and excellent problem solving solutions. He has designed a few beds of his own. Feel free to check out his own design page at Robin Dodwell Design.

As one can imagine, designers have created so many bed designs and features, obviously the more elaborate, intricate or fancy the design is, the bigger the price tag. The designs featured in JB Design Blog can be seen as possibilities for the rich, but hopefully would provide inspiration to the designers out there to invent cheaper, flexible more effective and less costly beds to suit the average bed user.

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The meanings behind logos

Whenever someone creates their own company, the most important factor to consider is its name. You will need something that is catchy, memorable, sophisticated and at the same time, represent the product or service.

I have always been passionate about logos, names, designs and the reasoning behind why they were chosen to be at the forefront of companies. For example, ‘JB Design’ is an anagram of my name – James Boynton. Having my full name would be a bit too lengthy and not be an extremely original and ‘out there’ name and logo. I have been called ‘JB’ by my tennis coach from the United Kingdom and many of my tennis collaborators for over 10 years. JB almost felt like an alter-ego of mine. Therefore the name has meaning to a deep level for me so I named my Blog and company ‘JB Design’.

Some companies choose pictures to represent their brand – Apple, Jaguar, Orange…You may instantly know and recognize these brands but where did they come from. Just like I explained with JB Design there must have been a reason why they were chosen.

Below are some explanations of what I have come to understand from a selection of famous companies you will recognise:

Apple

Courtesy of www.breezycreativedesign.com

The apple is said to be taken from the story from the Bible about Adam and Eve. The apple represents the ‘Tree of Knowledge’. There is also a nifty pun related to the “bite / byte” taken out of the apple. This to me indicates the extent to which an individual will learn from using a Apple product.

Amazon

Courtesy of www.your3dcenter.com

One may think the orange arrow poses no apparent purpose. But amazon.com says they have everything from ‘A to Z’. Take a closer look as to where the arrow is coming from and going to (a to z). Also the arrow can be seen as a smile, a smile brought to the faces of their customers.

FedEx

Courtesy of www.99designs.com

Hmm, blue writing, orange writing, nothing seems to be occurring in this logo. Wrong. Look closer. There is a hidden symbol embedded within the FedEx logo. There is an arrow in the space between the E and the x. Part of the positioning of this company is precision and speed, this arrow symbolizes this rather well.

Eighty 20

Courtesy of www.crunchpost.com

For all of you boffins out there that understand binary, you will understand this one. This company is a sophisticated financial modelling consultancy company. Their work is highly quantitative and rather a lot of computational integration. This logo certain shows it. So what is so special about this logo? Please, read on.

At first glances, the common guess is 20% of the squares are dark. Incorrect, nice thinking, but incorrect. Think of the dark squares as 1’s and the lighter squares as zeros. On the top – 1010000. On the bottom – 0010100. These ‘images’ represents 80 and 20 (respectively) in binary. Clever 'Eighty20', very clever.

Toblerone

Courtesy of www.logodesignblog.com

The magical word is Swiss. Toblerone is from Bern in Switzerland which is called ‘The City of Bears’. Look closer at the golden mountain peak there is a silhouette of a Bear.

Sony Vaio

Courtesy of www.blog.corporatelogos.ws

We all know someone who has a Sony Vaio computer, perhaps you own one yourself. There is another ‘computery’ meaning. The V and A represent a basic analogue signal and the I and O represent the digital signal. Clever huh?

Formula 1

Courtesy of www.blogcdn.com

An easier one for you now. At first glance you would see Formula 1 underneath. Then why would there be just an ‘F’ with some red stripes. In between them both, you should see the number 1 within the negative space. This does look like a fast logo communicating speed.

Carrefour

Courtesy of www.findlogo.net

For everyone who has traveled abroad, you may recognize one of the biggest retailers in Europe Carrefour. All of you budding linguists will know the name of this retailer means ‘crossroads’ in French. Therefore the two opposite red and blue arrows make sense. Those with attention to detail will have also recognized the first letter of the company within the negative space between the two arrows.

I am positive I have highlighted my initial statement of explaining there must be hidden meanings behind the logos, names and designs.

Have you noticed every car has a logo? Some embody the manufacturer’s heritage or mission for the company. Below is a link to an intriguing website explaining the story behind a selection of popular car logos:

Car logos and their meanings

Edible Spray Paint

Once again I am left wondering “Why has this not been developed sooner”?

Edible spray paint will not only make your food look amazing at parties or even just at dinner to entertain everyone around the table but also be rather amusing. I will elaborate.

Imagine you have invited friends or family to your place and you bring out a spray painted chicken. I would imagine they would be thinking “wow, nice decorative feature”, but low and behold you start carving and consuming. Their facial expressions will be all the entertainment you will need that evening.

Most people recognise the famous ‘gold woman’ scene in James Bond – being English myself, and being called James, I am obviously a big fan! So why not provide the same ‘opportunity’ to your food.

The innovative product ‘Ess Lack’ or ‘Food Finish’ is exactly like a spray paint coming in a variety of colours – blue, gold, red, silver, and from what I am to understand, there are more to come.

So for those meals that are slightly too brown or too ‘well done’, this is a perfect remedy to provide an aesthetically pleasing meal without nothing known of the contents below the coloured layer. Once sprayed, give it some time to dry, and you are ‘good to impress.

According to Arne Taegen from ‘Deli Garage’, the food company behind Food Finish, Gold is the best seller. The spray is flavourless however it does contain food dyes and ethanol. But those ingredients are essential to provide the desired result. However the Food and Drug Administration has concluded that there is no concluded evidence connecting food dyes and hyperactivity in children.

So far, there have been no complaints from this product. Personally I cannot see how or why there would be. For all who is interested, this product is available only in Europe right now for just over £20 / €24. Expansion in the distribution is imminent.

Check out Deli Garage's production:

Deli Garage

 

 

Courtesy of Deli Garage

Innovative designs for the handicapped

I know it does seem that I have been blabbering on a lot about 3D Printing. So for your benefit, JB Design has decided to blog on the innovative products that are on or nearly on, the market for people with disabilities.

Blindness

This must be one of the most terrifying, unsettling and less-understood handicaps. I personally have no idea what it would be like to be blind. I can barely go 10 minutes with walking around my apartment with my eyes shut. It is true, that if you lose one of your senses, one or more of your others increase in sensitivity. One of the most heightened senses for the blind is the sense of touch.

A team of Harvard undergraduates understood this first hand. For many years, a young man called George helped a visually impaired school back in his home country of Greece. At Harvard, George had a roommate who on many occasions brought 3D Printed objects back to their room.

I apologise, I thought I could get away from the 3D Printing for one blog, but this is a truly inspirational story so please bear with me.

George loved paintings, and he came up with the idea of “Midas Touch” - ‘translating’ paintings in to a form that the blind community could appreciate. A simple technique of ‘relief’ allowed the idea to become a reality, protruding the images out from the wall.

His Harvard team have successfully created many reliefs, a couple names you may recognise – the “Mona Lisa” and “Starry Night” – are two representations. They won several funding’s and awards amounting of approximately $75,000 / £48,200 / €57,000.

When one goes on the internet and searches 3D Printing, one would most likely see a “3D Printed gun” it really is amazing to think that resources are allocated that way than rather to use the resources to more ‘socially responsible’ issues.

Courtesy of www.vrvis.at

An absolutely superb website to see the future of innovations for the blind is on ‘Trend Hunter’. This trendy, art, design and innovation website have highlighted a whopping 53 innovations for the blind. Take a look. It is fantastic what is here already and what is to come:

Trend Hunter

Sport

Being a lover of sport, I find it inspirational of the many people who embrace their handicap and play sports. Tennis personally being my first sport, I find it fantastic to know that the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) – the main tennis body of Great Britain – is helping provide the service of the sport for the visually impaired. The following link explains how the LTA are including everyone within Great Britain to enjoy Tennis. Some more inspirational stories:

Tennis for the Visually impaired

Courtesy of www.lta.org.uk

There are many other sports that have the facilities to include the visually impaired – Archery, athletics, football, cricket, ten pin bowling, swimming and many more.

Timekeeping

This may seem a silly question. But how do the blind tell what the time is if no-one else is around?

Yes there are a couple timepieces that come to mind initially. Talking watches – however these may be hard to hear in some situations. Secondly, analogue watches that have removable covers, but the drawbacks are that they can be difficult to use and quite expensive to repair.

Yes you have guessed it. There ‘is’ a solution / a product / an invention out there that combats all of these drawbacks. It is called the ‘Bradley’ watch. It is a watch that allows blind people ‘feel’ the time. I mentioned the word “combats” in a previous sentence. There was no pun intended but this device was created by a Lieutenant Brad Snyder – who worked as a bomb defuser expert in Afghanistan.

Unfortunately he lost his vision in an IED explosion. But that did not stop him lead a normal life. Oh no. He won not only one, but two Gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics. The stylish timepiece he invented uses small ball bearings instead of the conventional hands. One ball for the minutes and another signifies the hours. There are raised bars to indicate the positions of the numbers.

The ball bearings are held in place cleverly with magnets (that is all that is revealed from the schematics of the watch I’m afraid). So with a shake of the wrist, the ball bearings wobble back effortlessly into place.

The video in the JB Design Blog below shows the watch in action.

It is clear that the visually impaired, or any other handicapped persons for that matter, should not feel separated.

Innovation is the future of bringing society closer together.

The 'Bradley' Watch for the Blind Demonstration

3D Printing...continued...

Was it wishing? Was it knowledge of the industry? Or was it foresight? Soon after JB Design’s post about 3D Printing was published, there was a whirlwind of stories regarding the subjected topic intensely within the month that followed.

I am referring mainly to my closing question of a previous blog entry – “Who knows what is to come? It certainly excites me to wonder!”.

True to my word, I am excited, as it appears in the industry we all know what the next thing was to come. A desktop 3D printer that is available to the public. Yes you did read that correctly, I had to pause to see if I wrote it correctly! I am referring to the BBC report in August regarding the ‘Makerbot Digitizer’.

People like you and me - members of the public, not just industry companies, can now buy a 3D printer of their own. It is a fantastic creation and a marvel to modern technology. It does come at a price of £900 / $1400 / €1061. The fact of the matter is, this technology is not limited to designers, artists, architects, engineering companies, it is available for experimenters, visionaries and everyone who wishes to be a pioneer in 3D Desktop printing.

Of course having just come out on the market, expectations should not be too high. Intricate designs are not suited to this first (of many to come) products. One scan will take just over 10 minutes to complete. But if I had this on my desk at home, time would not be an issue (within reason) as I would just marvel at the phenomenal fact of me 3D printing anything of my desire in the comfort of my own home.

The video in the previous blog highlights reasons and pretty much tells us why we will need 3D Printers at our homes, not only in the future, but now.

“You can get what you need, at the size you need, at the configuration you need, instantly”. Steve Caplin, Editor at 3dgeni.us

Courtesy of Makerbot

NASA

Yes you have also read that correctly. NASA is in the same section as 3D Printing? We would think this was ludicrous, but it isn’t really as why can’t NASA not get into the 3D Printing world also? If it saves them money…why not?

I do not know fully the ins and outs of NASA and their going’s-on, but with a report recently released stating they are testing a rocket engine fuel injector that has been 3D Printed, it really makes oneself sit up and pay attention to this technology. WOW!

A Californian based company ‘Aerojet Rocketdyne’ successfully created an injector using a technique called Selective Laser Melting (SLM) - (Google it for full definitions (other search engines are available)). NASA has recognised the potential of this technology and has invested undisclosed amounts of money to explore ‘other avenues’ for it to be used.

The SLM technology has reduced the price by more than 70% and manufacturing time, a whopping four months less.

Crazy as it may sound, NASA are researching different materials used for 3D Printing. One source of mine has indicated that researchers from Washington State University are experimenting with the possibility of Printing in 3D format using lunar rocks.

Many companies are getting into the 3D Printing world. General Electric is hosting a competition for third parties to successfully design a 3D Printable aircraft engine bracket. With a $20,000 / £13,300 / €15,145 cash pool prize. This is pocket money change for such a global organization.

They too are using this technology within their upcoming LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) turbofan family. Having previously required 15 to 20 widgets, they now only require one. Not only cutting the weight, but also boosting the efficiency of the engine fuel.

Courtesy of www.entrepreneur.com

Well there you have it. The future of 3D Printing is already here.

Absolutely fantastically flabbergasting.

3D Printing comes to the High Street

The World's First 3D Printing Pen

As was said in JB Design's previous blog, the advances in technology are phenomenal. The following video really emphasizes this point and hit it home as to how fast technology is growing.

What is the future of printing? The 3D version is here!

Everyone in today’s modern society is aware of the capabilities of printing. Yes I mean whether it is a contract pictures, maps, anything. But can the possibilities of printing actual ‘products’ be an act of realism in the future. The answer is no, and I will tell you why. 3D printing is happening NOW!

The potentials of this technology are phenomenal. Massive manufacturing costs could be avoided. Just think about it. All a company would need is a small warehouse to house a handful of 3D printing machines, and hey presto, no long manufacturing processes, a reduction in workforce, a great reduction in overheads for companies.

For those who are not aware of what 3D printing is, it is the process of making 3D computer generated models into 3D physical objects. 3D printing technology can, and already is, incorporated into many varying industries – architecture, automotive military, fashion, footwear, dental, biotech, jewellery, eyewear, industrial design. The list does go on.

For all you budding car enthusiasts out there, It would be pretty cool to know the Audi RSQ was manufactured with the use of this rapid prototyping technology.

The Guardian newspaper has got a fantastic selection of articles, news and stories relating to this topic and is a well recommended read:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/3d-printing

Many of you I presume heard recently on the news about a young individual law student in Texas who created the first 3D printed handgun. This file was downloadable from the internet, hence him having the blueprint to manufacture it. There are many advocates of manufacturing who believe that this sudden arc of development in technology will most likely counter globalization.

But where would society be if the invention, discovery and development of new technologies were not practiced? Classic example, Da Vinci. Without this Italian Renaissance Polymath’s ideas and inventions, we would not nearly be a close to advancements as we are today. It is thanks to these individuals that society continues to develop.

As long as the integration of the new technologies complements the traditional subtractive methods of the past rather than displacing them entirely, then 3D printing has an incredible future

Who knows what is to come? It certainly excites me to wonder!

What is Industrial Design?

The following video explains what I am motivated about and explains what I have the capabilities of doing:

Websites and Blogs out there.

There are many ways – places, books, magazines and websites – that you can gain inspiration to design products. Some may discover improvement needs themselves or read what others are doing, and gain visuals from there.

Me, I do both. I am a big believer in ‘if I think a product can be improved, I will design what I can to improve it’. I get rough pieces of paper and start sketching any ideas that come into my head and develop them from there.

On the other hand, I do like to keep up-to-date with what is going on out there in the design world and what is being created. It is necessary to do so. There are many Design Institutions, companies or individuals that are moving forward in the design world.

One website I am particularly fond of is http://www.suck.uk.com/. 'Suck UK' was established in London last Century. They create unique gifts, items and accessories for your home. Some of the designs are phenomenal, often making me wonder why some of these designs were not created sooner:

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www.ied.org.uk. 'The Institution of Engineering Designers' (IED). Yes this is a rather formal site. But this institution issues a monthly magazine with the latest insights to the future of Engineering Design:

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www.designcouncil.org.uk. The 'Design Council' is a great believe in designs regarding improving lives and making things ‘better’. They are an enterprising charity. So for all you budding designers looking to ‘meet tomorrow’s challenges today’, check this site out, they could help you:

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http://www.monkeedesign.com/. For those high-end products and a place where designers can contribute their own visual works and opinion regarding designs that are needed to solve problems, 'Monkee Design' is the site:

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http://www.distortstudios.com/. Do you require online, print and electronic advertising? 'Distort Studios' provides advertising campaigns for all sized companies and proving to be a success within the advertising industry with it's fantastic design solutions:

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http://www.fastcodesign.com/section/innovation-by-design. Here, 'Fast Company’s Co. Design' unveils brand new designs highlighting great examples of innovation and design from around the world:

As you can imagine, there are an unlimited number of creative websites and blogs that suit everyone’s needs, requirements and tastes. These are just a few of my favorites.

Social Network active

Good news everyone...

JB Design is now active on Facebook and Twitter social networks:

https://www.facebook.com/jamesbdesign

https://twitter.com/jboynton86

Want to stay creative?

In the ever increasingly competitive design world, it is essential for one to remain creative, inspired and motivated in order to stay one cut above the rest.

Everyone has their own ways to achieve all of the above, but there are, I have experienced and also created, actions that can be applicable for all in order to achieve the required mental and physical state for you to do what you do best. Create.

1. Make lists – This may sound silly and laborious, but is a must, to stay orderly and succinct with your tasks. You will feel good crossing tasks off when they are completed.

2. Carry a notebook – You will get inspiration and ideas when you least expect it. Be prepared.

3. Do not force yourself – If you are having a ‘dry spell’, take a break. It will replenish your mind.

4. Write your idea down – This may sound obvious but it is amazing how much we forget quickly.

5. Clean your workspace – There is an on-going joke; a messy workspace represents a lot of brain activity, so what does a clean and tidy workspace represent? This is not scientifically proven. In my opinion, clean, tidy spaces help me concentrate and be more focussed with fewer distractions.

6. Work collaboratively – Initially this may sound bonkers, but discussing ideas, questions, theories with a few (selected) individuals does in fact develop with a greater direction as ideas are ‘bounced’ between everyone.

7. Take a break – You may want to work work work, but taking breaks regularly also refreshes the mind and concentrates the flow of information to your brain.

8. Be open to suggestions – Some people may have a completely absurd comment or suggestion, but it may lead you to a new and improved route, that you had not previously thought of towards completing your task.

Other quick suggestions:

·      Do more things that make you happy

·      Visit somewhere new

·      Finish something you started

·      Listen to music

·      Drink your favorite beverage

·      Get feedback

These advice's may sound obvious when you read them, but how many of you actively do them? Think to yourselves which are the most important.

As you can probably tell, there are many links between these ideas, most are intertwined with each other. Take them on board and you will be a well-rounded creative inspiring motivated individual.

Thinking of designing?

It is my understanding, if one wishes to truly make a difference to designs and innovatively create solutions with them, it is a necessity to get into the ‘world’ of the product. I love redesigning, anything in fact. What I most have a passion for is questioning design concept potentials. 

On many occasions I have been asked to design products smaller, cheaper, lighter, or decrease the number of manufacturing processes, but until I truly get myself into the mentality of a design then it won’t happen.

Yes I am talking about ‘using’ the objects that you feel, your family feels, your friends feel that could be changed somewhat to make them easier to use, or cheaper to manufacture, which subsequently means a cheaper purchase for the end user (theoretically).

Buy the targeted product. Use it. Let others use it. Make notes on its functionality, cost weight – all the factors related to product development. Once you have immersed yourself into the world of it, only then you can begin to understand what or how it can be modified – ‘if’ it can be modified.

Next is my favorite part, and of course the clever part - coming up with any, many, silly, rough designs as possible. All designs are welcome in my book. I have been assured many times it is often the most basic, amusing, silliest designs that are often the best ones, or the ones that provides the most inspiration for entrant designs to progress through the many stages of sketching, computerizing, prototyping, and manufacturing.

I believe the length of time to produce a product from concept to shelf is not always appreciated. Whether it is designing packaging, a stage for a music concert, or an everyday product (all of which I have been a part of), an integral time management structure must be maintained throughout the ‘creation’ of the product in question.

On a personal note, I am most innovative when I am in a motivated positive mental state. So I joined a tennis club and played lots of tennis meeting many inspirational people who gave me lots of ideas to look into the redesign of a few products. I played so much tennis in-fact, I had no time to fit in designing or creating. It only took a slight arm injury to give me the time to write and design. Which is a perfect example leading me to time management.

As with my tennis schedule, life and also applying to the start of projects, it is essential to be aware of the time restraints they will entail. I have been brought up, in my design career, to use Gantt Charts to effectively manage the projects’ lifespan, whether it is a sole design, redesign, consultation, these will all take different time spans – this is the only guarantee. Without this incorporated within your projects, then anything could happen, at any time, and you need to be like the Cubs - prepared.

Useful tips for Gantt Charts and other project scheduling advice I have found are very in-depth from the teachings of Mind Tools - http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_03.htm

The more experience you gain, the more you will understand what is required in projects regarding time management and know the approximations of each task within the project. This is another guarantee.

If you just stop for a few moments and think. Everything could be redesigned. Whether it will drastically change the function, or enable easier operation of the product, one way or another it can be done. You must get yourself into the correct frame of mind to be most effective. The more effective you are with the end result, the more enjoyment you will experience from the magic of creating something from something.