From Taiping with Love!

Salam Sem06,

I know that all of you are busy with your first project - reHUB. So good luck and give your best!

Have fun this weekend in K.Kangsar and Taiping. Ask the locals why the term From Taiping with Love is popular there?

DrN

Boutique Hotel - The Brief

Salam Sem06,

Here is the Brief:

The lodging industry since the beginning of the 21th century had focused on brand selling hotel names such as Holiday Inn, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton Hotels etc to cater to travelers who prefer the traditional concept of a hotel, i.e. : a lodging accommodation for travelers.

Since then a new breed of travelers have evolved in which accommodation is no longer their only concern, these travelers want to be ‘surprised’. When planning their trips, these travelers seek hotels that are somewhat different in character (look and feel) from branded hotels. These B-hotel seekers consider themselves to be highly fashionable and hip.

You and your FIRM are required to fulfill the following requirements;

• To carry out and effectively present appropriate research on Boutique Hotels - Under the guidance of your tutor, you and your FIRM are required to carry out and effectively present all related research information required to complete this project.

• To carry out site analysis of selected site and effectively present findings - Under the guidance of your tutor, you and your FIRM are required to carry out the required analysis of the chosen site. Presentation of these findings must be effectively delivered.

• To design a boutique hotel on a selected site with the following basic space requirements - Administrative Area; Accommodation Area (25-30 rooms of various types); Food preparation areas; F&B consumption area/s; Boutique-themed area, etc; - Under the guidance of your tutor, you and your FIRM are required to design a boutique hotel based on your own SOA, chosen site and a predetermined working schedule (see appendix A)

• To prepare a topical report of a predetermined design area - Under the guidance of your tutor, you are required to complete a topical report of a chosen area of interest. This is an A4 size book type report that compiles your findings and its usage in your design.

• To effectively communicate the design to prospective ‘clients’ - Under the guidance of your tutor, you and your FIRM are communicate all your design ideas and suggestions via any appropriate media.

• To work collaboratively and independently in solving problems - Under the guidance of your tutor, you and your FIRM are required to work collaboratively in solving problems related to all phases of the design process

• To manage and carry out group and individual learning - Under the guidance of your tutor, you and your FIRM are required to plan and carry out your own learning scheme to fit your area of interest.

Date of Commencement 02/08/11
Date of Submission 31/10/11


Best of Luck, Let the creativity flow

DrN

Perbincang 1: Think Like a Designer!

Salam SEM06,

Baca dan bincang mengenai perkara dibawah. Markah bonus akan diberi pada mereka2 yang memberi pandangan/soalan/komen. Tarikh tutup perbincangan adalah 27/07/11.

OK, Something here for all of us who enjoys doing design:. I found this 10 rules on the web and you can download them if you like from: Click on the "Think like a designer" slide to see the 10 tips in slide format on Slideshare.net — feel free to use them if you like.)

The 10 rules are as follows:

(1) Embrace constraints Constraints and limitations are wonderful allies and lead to enhanced creativity and ingenious solutions that without constrains never would have been discovered or created. ...There's no point complaining about constraints such as time, money, tools, etc. Your problem is what it is. How can you solve it given the resources and time that you have? (Gunakan apa yang ada untuk menyelesaikan masalah)

(2) Practice restraint. Any fool can be complicated and add more, it takes discipline of mind and strength of will to make the hard choices about what to include and what to exclude. The genius is often in what you omit or leave on the editing room floor. (Sering kali kita nak masukkan semua yang kita fikirkan dalam design kita, jangan overdo!)

(3) Adopt the beginner's mind. Designers understand the need to take risks, especially during early explorations of the problem. They are not afraid to break with convention. Good designers are open minded and comfortable with ambiguity early on in the process, this is how discoveries are made. (open mind)

(4) Check your ego at the door. This is not about you, it's about them (your audience, customer, patient, student, etc.). Look at the problem from their point of view -- put yourself in their shoes. This is not easy, it takes great amounts of empathy. Get in touch with your empathetic side. (Pentingkan pengguna rekabentuk anda dan bukan diri sendiri)

(5) Focus on the experience of the design. It's not the thing, it's the experience of the thing. This is related to #4 above: Put yourself in their shoes. How do people interact with your solution? (Selalu bertanya bagaimana orang ramai akan menggunakan rekabentuk anda)

(6) Become a master storyteller. Often it's not only the design — i.e., the solution to a problem — that is important, but the story of it. This is related to #5 above. What's the meaning of the solution? (Pastikan anda dapat menceritakn penyelesaian yang anda rekakan untuk orang ramai dengan jelas)

(7) Think communication not decoration. Design — even graphic design — is not about beautification. Design is not just about aesthetics, though aesthetics are important. More than anything, design is about solving problems or making the current situation a little better than before. Design is not art, though there is art in design. (Rekabentuk adalah sebenar penyelesaian kepada satu masalah, bukan hanya mencantikkan rekabentuk anda)

(8) Obsess about ideas not tools. Tools are important and necessary, but they come and go as better tools come along. Obsess instead about ideas. Though most tools are ephemeral, some of your best tools are a simple pencil and sketch pad. These are often the most useful — especially in the early stages of thinking — because they are the most direct. Good advice is to go analog in the beginning with the simplest tools possible.(Idea itu penting, bukan penggunaan teknologi semata-mata)

(9) Clarify your intention. Design is about choices and intentions, it is not accidental. Design is about process. The end user will usually not notice "the design of it." It may seem like it just works, assuming they think about it at all, but this ease-of-use (or ease-of-understanding) is not by accident, it's a result of your careful choices and decisions.(Fokus kepada masalah yang hendak diatasi)

(10) Sharpen your vision & curiosity and learn from the lessons around you. Good designers are skilled at noticing and observing. They are able to see both the big picture and the details of the world around them. Humans are natural pattern seekers; be mindful of this skill in yourself and in others. Design is a "whole brain" process. You are creative, practical, rational, analytic, empathetic, and passionate. Foster these aptitudes.(Pemerhatian itu penting kepada para designer)

OK, itu dia sepuluh perkara yang dikatakan penting untuk para designer. Saya tahu 10 perkara ini mungkin rumit untuk difahami. Walaubagaimanapun, Apa pendapat anda semua? Setuju/Tidak Setuju dengan 10 perkara ini??? Bincang/komen/pendapat???

DrN

Rehub - Brief & Schedule of Work

As salam sem 6,

Attached herewith pls find the project brief and schedule of work for your own reference. pls arrange your time properly and try to enjoy the learning process...

Have Fun..!!!!

Transforming REHub

Salam SEM06,

Above is a rough idea of REHub. Transformation, Flexibility, Transportability, Practicality and Beauty are vital elements in your design.

Lets Roll Out!

Questions, Comment? BM BI??

DrN

The FIRM: First Class

Salam Sem06,

Welcome to the FIRM!

First of all, let me begin by congratulating all of you for making it to the final sem. This semester is going to be another interesting time for us as there are mind blowing plans in store for our design class.

Yes, THE FIRM is back, with improvisations and a more focused approach. This also means that you will be working in firm-like groups of 7 or 8 members, so start practicing your collaborative skills. SDP, our architect's firm partner, has again agreed to assist us in ensuring that our graduates are industry approved but more of that later...

There are two projects in mind. The first one is a mini get up and go Transformers Rescue Hub and the other project (main project) is a 20 - 30 room Boutique Hotel. Below is an image of a Boutique Hotel in Beijing called the G Hotel. Start doing research on B type of Hotels.


So again, Welcome to the FIRM! Welcome to transformation, time to change your thinking from mere students to future employees!

The FIRM: First Class is on 11th July 2011 at the Dataran Senibina PUO.

Till Then

DrN