Teaching Design in High School: Something More Important Than The Curriculum?

The curriculum developed by the Central Orange County, California ROP (now CTE) for teaching industrial design to high school students, is fantastic. It includes a wide range of projects intended to engage and motivate high school students that includes: a skateboard project, a computer mouse project, a water bottle project, a speaker project, a display design project, and more.

Industrial design is the perfect vehicle for teaching problem solving, critical thinking, and design process to high school students. And industrial design curriculum in high school is the perfect cross-trainer, combining math, science, history, English, and art in every project. The CTE Product Design Studio curriculum is this vehicle, and the vehicle is raring to go. 

Yet, immediately after I started teaching Product Design Studio (in Santa Ana, California), it occurred to me that there was something vastly more important than the curriculum itself. I had initially assumed that high school students would engage industrial design curriculum, much the way I had in college. That is, with a combination of wonder, and a desire to learn the skills I needed to succeed in the profession. But only a small minority of my high school students seemed to think that way.

How could I have expected high school students to engage in this way? Out of control hormones, a million distractions, social interaction and social standing at the top of priorities, tough economic realities, family issues, and a climate of "its not cool to learn", present themselves as just a few of the many obstacles to engagement. College and career seem to be a distant destination, that many do not see a clear path to.

I first had to ask myself, what was it that I wanted my students to learn. Or more precisely, what did I want my students to get out of or come away with, from my course. Was it my love of design? Was it the sense of accomplishment I had discovered in college? Was it the experience I had of realizing I could solve complex problems? It was all of these things and more. And I decided to try to make my passion for design contagious. 

But my display of passion, would not be enough. What did I discover that was vastly more important than the curriculum? Simply put, it was "how I engaged my students". How I engage them, far and away transcends, validates, and authenticates everything I try to teach. And amazingly, the tools of engagement that I employed were incredibly intuitive and natural. A fellow teacher of mine, Don Isbell who has taught in Santa Ana for over 17 years, confirmed my intuitions.

1. It all begins with respect. Respect for students, respect for their current existence and experiences, respect for their being. My training in non-violent communication taught me that respect is a powerful peace maker. How could I expect my students to respect me or what I was trying to teach, if I didn't genuinely respect them?

2. Secondly, respect is derived from a genuine sense of caring. This is not the act of saying "I care about you" to students. Caring is something that I can only communicate to my students through my actions.

3. Thirdly, my respect and caring is driven by a over riding sense of empathy for my students. This is something I also learned from my non-violent communication training. We must empathize with those with which we engage. We must understand that students suffer, feel, are frustrated, are moody, etc. as we are too.

4. Fourthly, I try to use humor as much as I can (even self deprecating humor). Humor lightens the mood, diminishes the seriousness of the moment, and can be a great tool for learning. I have found humor to be an incredibly powerful tool for dissipating otherwise uncomfortable situations. When things don't go quite right, humor is sometimes the only way out.

5. Fifthly, I've discovered that I need to possess an enormous degree of flexibility in my teaching. Sometimes a lesson plan that I've spent an entire prior night developing - doesn't seem quite right the next morning. The students aren't in the mood for the lesson, perhaps I judged their enthusiasm wrong, or perhaps I planned the lesson with myself in mind - and not them. Projects sometimes need to take a necessary twist or turn. I think of every project as an experiment with an unknown outcome.  

These 5 tools of engagement that I am using are just a start for me. I know I will discover many more, as I learn as a teacher myself. I only know that these tools are essential to engage my students, and without them I would stand no chance of reaching them. In the weeks to come, I'll share details about the projects my students have completed, along with examples of how these tools and the Product Design Studio curriculum have helped reveal the inner genius in each and every one of my students.

  

Teaching Industrial Design in High School: Curriculum that can Energize, Inspire and Motivate

I've recently embarked on a new design adventure! While continuing to design body worn products for my many clients, I've taken a day-time gig teaching industrial design to high school students.

Traditionally, industrial design education has begun at the college level. But recently, the principals, skills, and methodologies unique to industrial design have been discovered  by school districts nation wide, as curriculum that can energize, inspire, and motivate high school students as well.

The Regional Occupational Program in Central Orange County, California has begun a pilot program in each of its three school districts (City of Orange, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana) called "Product Design Studio".  A project based learning program, students embark on real world industrial design projects that include: designing for a real client, doing upfront product research, mood boards, concept sketching, model and prototype building, and final presentation to clients.

In the upcoming weeks, I'll describe my new design (teaching) adventure in detail (which takes place at Valley High School, in Santa Ana, California). Spoiler alert: My students are simply amazing!  

How Scuba Diving Equipment is Designed and Developed: A Case Study For Product Success

Have you ever wondered how the diving gear that you own is designed and developed?

The product development process for dive equipment is incredibly creative, exhilarating, and exciting. While dive equipment designs can take on a limitless number of shapes and forms, one must remember that dive equipment is essentially underwater life support equipment. This realization drives a product development process that is not only creative and imaginative, but also serious and rigorous.

The process is essentially the same for every piece of dive equipment I've designed. There are eleven developmental steps. Each step is essential to acheiving product success. To illustrate the process, let's dive into to the one I used for the design of the award winning Impulse 2 Snorkel for U.S. Divers:

Phase 1: Goals and Specs
The design process begins with the creation of a set of goals and specifications. What will the new gear do? How will it be better? Who is the user? What is the cost? What specs need to set the bar for performance, ease of use, and most importantly life support? The goals and specs need to be agreed upon at the highest levels of the manufacturing company.

For the Impulse 2, my goal was to improve on the the success of the original Impulse, designed by Mark Faulconer, and invented by Tony Christensen. The new Impulse had to weigh less, cost less, be more streamlined, be easier to use, look snazzier, and meet or exceed the performance of the original.

Phase 2: Schedule
Here, it is necessary to identify as many tasks in the process as possible, so there are no surprises. Each task is assigned a responsible party. The designer estimates how long each task will take, which can occur at the same time, and which need to be done in succession. Again, this needs to be agreed upon at the highest level.

The schedule for the Impulse 2 needed to be as streamlined as the snorkel itself. The time for the majority of the steps would be limited, because the required time for injection mold tooling was estimated at 16 weeks (4 months)! The mad dash across the water had begun.

Phase 3: Research
Upfront research is a necessary step in product development of any kind. Its here where the designer learns about the product and the user in detail, looks at existing designs and patterns of use, and projects improvements to be made.

For the Impulse 2, I examined every snorkel in the market. I tested the snorkels in the ocean and in the lab, and collected a list of usability and performance data for every competitive model. This "benchmarking" told me what already existed, and set the bar for the new design. By testing users, I learned the experiences they were craving: improved comfort, ease of use, and pride of ownership.

Phase 4: Concept
The concept phase is one of my favorites. Its here where a designer can explore every option. This is where it really gets creative, exhilarating, and exciting! The phase begins with brainstorming - creating as many ideas as possible. Very soon it becomes apparent which ideas are more viable, and those that are not. Usually a minimum of 10 sketches are generated by hand, brought into the computer, and rendered in color.

For the Impulse 2, I needed to maintain a number of design elements established by Mark Faulconer with the earlier Impulse. The "cone" at the top would still be a key element, and some remnant of Mark's famous louvers needed to stay. Everything else was on the table. The result was an "evolutionary" design. After a number of quick foam mock-ups it was on to the next phase.

Phase 5: 3D Modeling
Creating a 3D model of the "concept of choice" in CAD is key to evolving the design, and solving the many fit and function challenges that are part of any design. We modeled the Impulse 2 in Pro-E, but increasingly Solid works has become my software of choice, and I use it exclusively.

The 3D CAD model is the vehicle for communication from design to production. It must include all of the elements necessary to use and to manufacture the product. This is because the 3D model is used to produce rapid prototypes for testing, AND tooling that will be used to mold the product.

It is in this phase that the design process becomes quite serious and rigorous. The designer must balance design creativity with a constant concern for the safety of the diver. The design is no longer conceptual. This is the actual design of the equipment.

Phase 6: Prototypes
Finally, we are able to make parts and assemblies that can be dived. Rapid prototypes are virtually indistinguishable from the eventual production products. The advantage is, they are relatively in expensive, and avoid the time and expense of making a mold to test a design.

For the Impulse 2, I used the SLA (stereo lithography) process for my prototypes, but increasingly, I've used FDM and Objet rapid prototyping. For all of these processes, the parts are laid down in multiple layers. Since my rapid prototypes were rigid, I needed to create molds in which I could cast flexible tubes for testing (for the main tube and flex tube). It was these SLA and cast prototypes that moved on to the next phase.

Phase 7: Laboratory Testing
Phases 7 and 8 are performed at essentially the same time. These two steps are the first time the scuba product can truly be checked in the real world to confirm whether and how they work. Again, the process is both serious and rigorous.

For the Impulse 2, lab tests included inhalation and exhalation testing, pull testing, UV testing, and saltwater testing. It was here that I was able to establish that I had achieved decreased inhalation and exhalation effort - that is, it would be easier to breath through the Impulse 2!

Phase 8: Immerse as User
Scuba diving gear needs to be tested in the laboratory, but it must be tested in actual diving conditions as well. I believe it essential that the designer do the primary test diving, and take on the role of the user, to gain the insight necessary to evaluate scuba design. I call this Immersion as User.

Of course the prototype needs to be dove by others. The U.S Divers / Aqualung test dive team dove Impulse 2 prototypes at Catalina Island in California (on our monthly test dives), and at the company pool for several weeks, before giving the design their thumbs up.

A little know fact: Jacques Cousteau himself, test dove the Impulse 2 Snorkel on one of our Catalina test dives. You can read about my dive with Jacques Cousteau in a previous blog entry.

Phase 9: Detail Drawings
An essential step in communicating the final design to the manufacturer, is providing a set of drawings that identify critical dimensions and specifications. The 3D CAD file includes all of the product's dimensional information, including surfaces - but there dimensions that must be held within specific tolerances, to ensure proper function. For the Impulse 2 a simple two sheet drawing was all that was necessary.

Phase 10: Production

It is in the production phase that an efficient and repeatable manufacturing process is established. The phase begins when the 3D CAD file is finalized by the designer, and it is handed off to the manufacturer.

The designer typically travels to the injection mold maker, and to the factory where the molding and assembly will be performed - to ensure the integrity of the design is maintained. It is only fitting that the designer make these assurances - who has a bigger stake in the success of the design than the designer themselves?

Phase 11: Launch Success
Once a representative sampling is tested again in the lab, and in the ocean - the new scuba product is released for production. If the designer has done his or her job, the result is Launch Success and sales of the new scuba product meet or exceed all expectations.

In the case of the Impulse 2 Snorkel, the result was the largest selling professional snorkel in the world, an IDEA Award (Industrial Design Excellence Award), and safe and fun diving for scuba divers and snorkelers all over the world.

9000 Full Face Mask Named OH&S 2012 Product of the Year

Occupational, Health, and Safety Magazine has announced that the 9000 Full Face Respirator Mask has won the OH&S 2012 New Product of the Year Award. The OH&S press release reads as follows:

February 3, 2012; Culver City, CA
Congratulations on Moldex-Metric's 9000 Reusable Full Face Respirator winning the OH&S 2011 New Product of the Year award!

Technologically advanced features position the 9000 full face respirator as the leader in its field. The exclusive over-molded lens design eliminates the usual heavy clamping metal frame to create an innovative full face with lighter weight, fewer parts, greater field of vision and minimal maintenance. The 9000 is also completely free of metal parts and completely PVC-free.

The 9000 full face mask respirator and 7000 half mask respirator share a full line of cartridges and filters. Workers will appreciate the ultra-lightweight comfort. The stand away head harness with extra wide opening makes putting on and taking off quick and easy. Strap buckles are securely molded directly to the facepiece for rugged use and ease of adjustment. Lens is coated for scratch resistance.

All this at an economical price. The 9000 series adds up to simple, comfortable and economical respiratory protection that is just plain easy to wear. The OH&S editorial team will be distributing physical awards to the winners during the National Safety Council Congress & Expo in Philadelphia. We will be featuring editorial coverage of the winning products in the December issue of OH&S magazine. In addition, the winners are highlighted on the OH&S website at:
http://ohsonline.1105cms01.com/pages/2011-npoy-winners.aspx

My Dive with Jacques Cousteau: Advice to a Designer

It was in the spring of 1997 that I had the honor to dive with Jacques Cousteau. After three years of promises that he would join one of our test dives to Catalina Island, we received confirmation that Cousteau would dive with our team.
For a scuba diver, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. For a designer, this was an opportunity to meet the man that had invented the sport of scuba.
Although Cousteau had founded U.S. Divers, by 1997 he was no longer taking part in its day to day business. He did however still take part in many diving related activities with the company. Among these was the occasional dive with the U.S. Divers test dive team.

On this spring day, we set off from our usual port in Huntington Beach, California. U.S Divers always chartered a small dive boat for its test dives, and this dive was no different.
Joining us on the dive along with Captain Cousteau (at U.S. Divers, we always referred to him as "The Captain"), were his son Jean-Micheal along with Dominique Sumian. Sumian had sailed with the Calypso, and had recently become a member of the U.S. Divers sales team.

By the time we dropped anchor at Ship Rock, we had already donned our wet suits, prepped our regulators, and were preparing for our first dive. Cousteau still dove with a double hose Aqua-Lung, with the second stage mounted on the chest (as opposed to a tank mount). He still held his original invention close to his heart. We spent the next 2 hours diving Ship Rock, then moved on to Bird Rock some distance away.
It was on the return trip to Huntington Beach, that I had the chance to talk with The Captain. The boat trip back from any day dive is always a time to reflect and talk about the day's diving. You are tired, and still in of awe of what you have just seen and experienced.
I asked Cousteau what he thought of the gear we were testing that day, and what he thought about the future of diving gear. He thought for a few moments and pointed to the ocean.
"You see the ocean?" he said, with his French accent. "Diving equipment should reflect the design of the sea's creatures, smooth and purposeful. And it should enable man to swim like the fishes with as little effort as possible."

In those few words, he summarized the essence of scuba design, and in part of industrial design as well.
Jacques Cousteau died later that year, but his design advice is still with me. I suppose I could say, there's a little bit of Jacques Cousteau in everything I design.

Designer Immersion: The Advantages of Designer as User

Industrial design methodology has always dictated that industrial designer's "get to know" or "understand" their users. The premise is that the better the industrial designer understands the user's wants, needs, desires, and behaviors, the better the product design will reflect these attributes and meet (or exceed) the user's expectations.

This statement is of course true, but traditional methods of "getting to know" and "understanding" the user can be limiting, and may result in incomplete or slanted user information. Examples of these methods include user observation, user testing, user scenario analysis (including knowledge of where, when, and how the product will be used).

What is limiting or missing from these traditional methods? It is the desirable ability to "get inside the head" of the user. Traditional methods work primarily from the "outside" or by means of observation. While the results of observation are vital, they are only part of the picture. But how can industrial designer's truly "get inside the head" of the user?

The only way for a designer to "get inside the head" of a user, is to become a user. Only by thinking and acting as users themselves, can designers complete their understanding of the user's wants, needs, desires, and behaviors.

I've coined the phrase "Designer Immersion" to describe this process. Designer Immersion implies that the designer completely immerses themselves into the role of the user. Designer and user essentially become one.

What are the advantages of using Designer Immersion compared with the use of traditional user observational methods alone?

First, industrial designers can verify (or refute) from first hand experience, any or all of the user observational information gathered. Designer Immersion is therefore a key verification tool.

Second, through first hand experience, designers can make subtle observations in: product behavior, environmental conditions, user tasking, or product fit that can drive design, and would otherwise be missed.

Third, Designer Immersion can help designers develop a higher level of user "empathy" that can heighten their concern for the well being and success of the end user. By experiencing product use, as well as product risk and consequence of misuse first hand, designers are in a unique position to support design concerns that include appearance, comfort, fit, tasking, and safety.

And when you really think about it, as a customer would you want to use a product that was not designed by a user of that product? Would you want to dive with dive equipment not designed by a diver? Would you wear a respiratory mask that was not designed by a mask user? Would you want to use a medical device not designed by someone intimately involved in the first hand use of that device?

As users and customers have come to expect this relationship between their products and the designers of their products, Designer Immersion can effectively be described as an essential and necessary user requirement.