Five Principles to Design By

by Joshua Porter

Technology Serves Humans.

Too often people blame themselves for the shortcomings of technology. When their computer crashes, they say “I must have done something dumb”. If a web site is poorly designed, they say “I must be stupid. I can’t find it”. They might even turn to a book for Dummies to get it right.

This is horrible! People should never feel like a failure when using technology. Like the customer, the user is always right. If software crashes, it is the software designer’s fault. If someone can’t find something on a web site, it is the web designer’s fault. This doesn’t mean that the designer has to hang their head in shame…they should see this as a learning opportunity! The big difference between good and bad designers is how they handle people struggling with their design.

Technology serves humans. Humans do not serve technology.

Design is not Art.

Art is about personal expression. It is about the life, the emotions, the thoughts and ideas of the artist. It matters very little what observers do, their activity is not required, only their appreciation. The practice of Art doesn’t require them. It is a necessary activity for the artist, and the artist alone.

Design, on the other hand, is about use. The designer needs someone to use (not only appreciate) what they create. Design doesn’t serve its purpose without people to use it. Design helps solve human problems. The highest accolade we can bestow on a design is not that it is beautiful, as we do in Art, but that it is well-used.

Unlike Art, Design is always contextual. It matters when a design was created because of the context of its use: what problem is it supposed to solve? And for whom? At what point in time? This is why design is so related to technology, because technology changes so quickly, so must our designs. A design that worked ten years ago might not even be worth considering today. History is littered with wonderful designs that are no longer necessary.

Great Art, on the other hand, is always in style. We appreciate Michelangelo’s David even though we could recreate a million of them because it was the toil and expression of a single man. That will never fade. Great Design is dependent upon the age in which it is made and the problem which it is meant to solve. But not Art. Art is timeless.

The litmus test. When people enjoy Art, they say “I like that”. When people enjoy Design, they say “That works well”. This is not by accident. Good Design is something that works well.

The Experience Belongs to the User.

Designers do not create experiences, they create artifacts to experience. This subtle distinction makes all the difference, as it places the designer at the service of the user, and not the other way around. This doesn’t rule out innovation, it doesn’t prevent a designer to leap beyond what is accepted as state-of-the-art. It just means that the experience of a design doesn’t happen simply because the designer says it does, it happens when a user actually reports it.

The ultimate experience is something that happens in the user, and it is theirs. They own it.

Great Design is Invisible.

An interesting property of great design is that it is taken for granted. It works so well that we forget that creative effort was involved to bring it about. Sometimes, like with the lowly spoon, the object is so simplistic that it seems obvious, and we disregard that at one point in history it wasn’t. Other times, like with the automobile, the object is so sophisticated yet easy-to-use that we’re blinded to the fact that millions and millions of human-hours went into getting it to this point. That’s a shame…every great design has a rich history. And every design has behind it a designer or designers who tried to make the world a better place by solving some problem or another.

Bad design is obvious because it hurts to use. It is awkward, difficult, and complex. In a great irony of the world, bad design is much easier to see than good design. It raps us on the head like a bully. Because of its success, great design is often invisible.

Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication.

As Saint Exupery said, “In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when
there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.” Simplicity is treading a line: knowing what to keep and what to throw away…it comes across as magic when it works, because none of the complexity is transferred to users…only simplicity. That is the highest achievement for a designer.

Share your views and thoughts about interior design industry in Penang

Hi Mates!

Regardless of years of experience in Interior Designing field, what do you guys think of the interior design industry particularly here in Penang??

Do you guys still think that there are still hopes and dreams to bring up Penang as one of the toughest Interior Design contender compared to other states and country??

PGCC - PENANG GLOBAL CITY CENTRE

Future development at Penang Turf club.

An exhibition and conference centre, shopping complexes and hotels.

Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), will be built over 15 years

RM25bil project, covering 104ha, brainchild of Equine Capital Bhd.



The Architect:

A S Y M P T O T E
New York firm with international portfolio, their projects range from spatial experimentation and installations, to building and urban design, ...www.asymptote-architecture.com/

What next??

PENANG TIMES SQUARE

PENANG TIMES SQUARE, an urban village within the city, is where the historical events in the past will be retold and future events will unfold, a place where Georgetown will relive its glorious past.

Perfectly located along Jalan Dato Keramat, with Jalan Kampung Jawa Baru as the future link to Jelutong Expressway, Birch The Plaza at Penang Times Square has one of the most exclusive addresses in the heart of Georgetown. Being an address of one of the future monorail station, it will be just as accessible either by road or rail in the near future.This inevitably makes Penang Times Square the perfect location in Georgetown's city centre.

It is a large development project. Hence, the development plan is divided into 4 phases.
Phase I – Birch The Plaza
Phase II – Birch Regency
Phase III – Commercial, Cineplex, Exhibition and Serviced Resident
Phase IV - Hotel

As the PGCC issue has been brought to peace, one of our giant leap from the conventional building designs hope and future have been shattered. I heard from someone is that our very own Penang Times Square developed by Ivory Properties Group, the number shops doing renovations is very limited.

It might have been affected by the economy and people are becoming more skeptical in spending. Unlike during the 90s, people are willing to give in huge budgets to design interior spaces, now it is like everyone is paying 20cents for a BMW!

What can we do to bring back the 90s thinking into the present??

Save the future of designs!!

Please feel free to comment

Which one to choose?? Which Interior Designer??

Which one to choose?? Which Interior Designer??

My advice:
1. Do not go for the cheapest. Question yourself why they charge so cheap? Is it using the same specification that you wanted? Materials? Brands? Coz different material brand cost differently..

2. Ask question whatever you are unsure or you dont understand, especially on the material selection. Some brands especially those from China aren't durable and reliable. So, they are much cheaper compared to those local ones.

3. Never go for contractor. Contractor wouldn't know the designs and concepts that suits your house or space. Designers do..ask where do they graduated from? Contractors will do according to your needs, however, it'll be pretty messy if you don't know what sort of design theme you are looking for. So, at the end, it'll turned up like a horror home!

4. Never go over your budget, its very important. Reserve at least another 50% of your intended renovation cost for loose furniture, some hidden renovation cost( eg. additional electrical points, lighting fixtures, extra stuff that you intend to do after seeing your neighbour's house) A good designer should work within your budget. Tell them your budget, don't pretend that you have that much money but actually you do not have it, then tries to reduce it one time more than the other. It'll be time consuming and probably you dont have enough time to move in.


5. A good designer will give you suggestion and advice on the design, but not asking what do u want. (Of cause they need to know you first before they design for you, communication is very important). They need to have a brief meeting with you to get to know your lifestyle more in order to design effectively. Not just to provide them the floor plan and will eventually come out with something great, I DOUBT THAT KIND OF DESIGNER. SO FAR THERE'S NO DESIGNER WHO CAN DESIGN GREAT SPACES WITHOUT GETTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE!

6. You are not only buying furnishing but knowledge as well. A good designer should be able to answer you why they fit perfectly into the space. LOOK COOL, LOOK MODERN, LOOK NICE... is NOT an answer!! That type of designer aren't qualified enough yet. Maybe a newbie will say like that...sorry to say.

7. Do not waste too much money on those ideal that are useless, unless you are staying in a showhouse. The most important thing is to live in a practical environment which you are comfortable with. Do not overdo stuff.

8. Do not compare the price only, quality is very important to you also. A lot of firms outside charge cheap prices, but you need to be aware of the quality that they are producing. How reliable are they?

9. Please make sure you understood the design only you made the decision.

10. REMEMBER: GOOD DESIGN DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE. But cheap stuff won't guarantee it will be an outstanding design too! Cheap...what to expect?? Don't worry we can still work things out with what ever budget that you give!


Drop me a mail at joeygoh8@gmail.com or you can log on to www.xiedesign.com for more information. We would like to express our regrets as we are currently working on the new website, so the current website is quite outdated.

Interior Designers VS Interior Decorators

Hi there dreamers!

There are a lot of interior designers and decorators now everywhere! Even contractors sometimes call themselves designers...aww, man! My 3 years of hardships just similar to the ones who did not study...haha!

Let me explain who calls themselves interior decorator and who qualifies to be an interior designer..

Interior Designer or Decorator: What's the Difference?

The terms "interior designer" and "interior decorator" are often used interchangeably, as if they were identical professions. And while both may have the ability and talent to create beautiful rooms -- as well as roles that often overlap -- the two are not synonymous.

Okay, then what's the difference between interior design and decoration? Webster's defines interior design as "the art or practice of planning and supervising the design and execution of architectural interiors and their furnishings." But, under interior decoration it states, "See interior design." No wonder so many people are confused. Let's take a brief look at both and then try to clarify the differences between interior designers and interior decorators.

Interior Designers

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) defines an interior designer as one who "is professionally trained to create a functional and quality interior environment. Qualified through education, experience and examination, a professional designer can identify, research and creatively resolve issues and lead to a healthy, safe and comfortable physical environment." At it's heart, interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior in order to create functional spaces within the structures that architects design.

Interior designers are responsible for a wide variety of tasks including: organizing a space to suit its function, making sure that designs match are in compliance with building and safety codes, managing the construction and installation of a design, and even designing for appropriate acoustics and sound transmission. An interior designer is also responsible selecting and specifying fixtures, furnishings, products, materials and colors -- but note that is just one of many responsibilities.

Interior designers are also -- in some, but not all states -- required to have a license (usually acquired by completing the NCIDQ exam). This licensing certifies that the designer is a qualified professional who has the background and schooling required to make complex decisions about interior spaces.

Interior Decorators

Interior decorators, on the other hand, are primarily concerned with surface decoration -- paint, fabric, furnishings, lighting and other materials. Decoration is often characterized as the furnishing or adorning of a space with appropriate (often fashionable or attractive) things.

"But wait," you say. "Don't interior designers do that too?" The answer is often yes, but the biggest difference is that the interior designer typically has a number of other issues on his or her mind. For instance, when it comes to floor coverings, an interior decorator will probably be responsible for choosing the type, color, texture, and pattern. The interior designer, on the other hand, will make the selection based on those criteria, with an additional eye towards the appropriateness of type, usage, sound transference, acoustic properties, flammability, off-gassing properties, static electricity requirements and flammability.

Separating the Two

Decoration, although an undoubtedly key element of an interior, is not solely concerned with human interaction or human behavior. That is primarily the realm of the interior designer. And while both an interior designer and interior decorator provide input on aesthetics, the interior designer typically goes beyond that to provide further input on the functionality, efficiency, and safety of a space.

Interior designers and interior decorators both perform important jobs -- but it's important that we don't continue to confuse the two. To do so is a disservice to both of professions. So next time you see your local interior designer or decorator -- make sure you call them by the right title!