From: Veronica Karlsson Subject: Re: i'm stuck on this product design problem! Can anybody open my eyes? Date: 2000/11/29 Message-ID: <3A24526E.7B5E@hotmail.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <4gCU5.65304$Ae1.953950@zwoll1.home.nl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Mime-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: misc.creativity Martijn Kuitert wrote: > I am a product design student and I have to design a urinal voor public > places. It's purpose is especially for daytime use: the 'shopping public'. > The main requirements are: > protection against vandalism, > maintenance friendly, > recognizable and > last but definitely not least: the user has to feel at ease, which > automatically results in a good shield or cover for the user (isnt't it?) Are we talking about a complete "restroom" or the actual "cup"? If it's a restroom, how many people should be able to use it and how much space are you allowed to use? What kind of building is it for? (you say "shopping public", does that mean it's a shopping center?) Is it a big toilet with somebody working there full time? Or are you looking for something more general? And what does the women's toilet look like? > I really got stuck on this problem, because no matter what I think up, it is > always some case with a urinal in it. The problem with this case/box/closet > is that it's an elegant solution, not 'a step forward'. Why do design students think they have to be so bloody original all the time? Have a go at making something that *works*. When I buy Christmas presents I think "Is this something *I* would like to *get* for Christmas?" and if the answer is "No." I usually put it down and look for something else (unless I know that it's something the person it's for wants). Do the same thing, try to make something that you would like to use yourself - every day for the next 30 years! (and remember that "plain" is not a synonym to "ugly" or "bad") > To have a good > protection of the user, it is often necessary to use a door, which makes the > case vulnerable for vandals. On the other side, a case is difficult to > recognize as a urinal. I had several ideas to cope with this problem, like a > 'watercurtain' as protection/cover, but it's not feasible. I think the best > solution is a one-piece design, but how? You want protection from curious eyes and a feeling of privacy as well as protection from vandals. How about protection from thieves? It's easy to grab a bag and run from somebody who's busy... (which is why tiny doors that only cover a bit "in the middle" are bad!) (Probably just because I don't HAVE TO come up with one) I got an idea: <\ /> \\ .-. // \\_/___\_// .-/\\ //\-. ( / )`-.-'( \ ) _____Y_.' `._Y______ two next to each other: <\ /> || <\ /> \\ .-. // || \\ .-. // \\_/___\_// || \\_/___\_// .-/\\ //\-. || .-/\\ //\-. ( / )`-.-'( \ ) || ( / )`-.-'( \ ) _____Y_.' `._Y______||_____Y_.' `._Y______ or "back to back": <\ /> \\ .-. // \\_/___\_// .-/\\ //\-. ( / )`-.-'( \ ) _____Y_.' `._Y______ -----.-. .-.------ J \ / F ( \ ).-"-.( / ) `-\//_____\\/-' // \ / \\ // `-' \\ Or, for even more privacy, place some cupoards in a strategic place: ___ ___ | | | | |__ | .-. | __| \\_/___\_// .-/\\ //\-. ( / )`-.-'( \ ) _____Y_.' `._Y______ They don't have to be square: .--. .--. / ) ( \ \___( .-. )___/ \\_/___\_// .-/\\ //\-. .-. ( / )`-.-'( \ ) .-. | \__Y_.' `._Y___/ | \ /--.-. .-.---\ / `-' J \ / F `-' ( \ ).-"-.( / ) `-\//_____\\/-' ___// \ / \\___ / ( `-' ) \ \ ) ( / `--' `--' [I think I'll go to alt.ascii-art next and post this one as "a snowflake"] The image in my head: []-. .-[] [`--.__|| `-. .-' ||__.--'] | || `-.__.-' || | | || || | | || || | | || || | | || || __ | | || ||(_ \ | | || ||/") ) | | || ||} '' | | || ||/ } | | || || } | | || || / } | | || ||/ } | | || || } | | || .========. || } | | || | _()_ | ||____] | | || | /____\ | || ) ) | | || |(( ))| || / | | | || | \`--'/ | ||| | | | || | `--' | ||| | | | || | || | ||| | | | || | || | ||| | | | || | || | ||| | | |__.---|| _| || |_ |||__|__| [__.---||.-'_|---||---|_`-.||+__)__] [].-' `-.[]' From the side: _________________ [_______________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | /| | | .====' <----- this bit here is a | (| | | shelf which one can | _/ | | | put a bag on. | ( | | | | \ | | | | `-| <------ (one might be able | || | | to use this space | || | | as a cupoard?) | || | | |_______|| | | [_______||______|_| [Of course, somebody probably already did something like this] > I know I'm thinking in circles here, but I can't get out of this circle. What do your ideas so far look like? > I've tried several creativity techniques, but it didn't work. One reason is > that I'm very busy (stressed) and I have some kind of a creativity block. Is > there someone out there who can help me open my eyes? You have come to the right place if you want to get replies like "Do you have a kitten?". (Hmmm... DO you have a kitten? What does the kitten think about your project? Does your kitten like mousies?) -- (, http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/cgi/asciichat/ /|__--__ . __--__ |\ '__ /|\ _{ _ `.' / `.,_ _________ | _________ _,.' (/ `. / ||``._.' ASCII ART CHAT! `---'|:||,/ .' /| /|:| \ .' /\ \ __ __ _ `/|'\' ` `,/ /`,\ \ \ / /__ _ _ ___ _ _ (_)__ __ _ /,'\ \ .'.' /| \ V / -_) '_/ _ \ ' \| / _/ _` | |\ `.`. ,' / / | \_/\___|_| \___/_||_|_\__\__,_| | \ \ `, - `- -- `-'- -ejm-------------------------------------VK-- -`-' -- -' -