Consumer Electronics: Aesthetics, Design, Functionality.

[Orpheus]

Man, I'd love to visit that shop and see his gear. Next time I'm in NYC, I'll need to make a point of it. That sounds awesome.

You really should. John is a music (primarily straight up rock & roll) fanatic and he left much of the CBGB venue as is (grime and leafelets on the wall and all). He has much of his personal collection on the walls and the selection of vintage kit there is very respectible considering the guy is a clothier. There is also a stage there and bands perform time and again.
I have yet to meet John but everyone I have spoken to who knows him says the same thing: "he's such a nice guy". I should be meeting up with him soon (memorial day maybe) so that I can have him hook me up with who he uses for a/v restoration (I have some vintage 70's Marantz pieces that need a "pick me up") as well as clothing alterations/customizations.......plus I want a print or two that he has hanging up in CB's......I want them shits bad.

 

[Curt]

I think this thread is elitest designfag nonsense. KA: I would like to see your apartment, and see what you deem acceptable.

In terms of design many companies are still pushing hard, consumers do want beautiful and efficent products. The recent resurgence of Apple as the top brand in the world proves this. Design is king, but it comes at a premium. If the company can survive as a luxury brand they are ok.

To fully exploit design, you need to be fabuluously wealthy. Although it's true that normal consumers can still make informed and capable design decisions based on what is availible in the marketplace.

If you can stomache something being "Piano Black" Here's what I feel is the best demonstration of impressive design at work. Sony's "Monolithic" TV Design. (Now in LX, NX series etc)

Truly inspiring.

 

[fake]

lol wut?

What is a designfag? How is this thread nonsense? I'm not being defensive, I'm seriously wondering.

 

[Curt]

A designfag is a friendly perjorative. During my time at Art school many of us would admit our strangeness, and just call each other artfags. The same goes for designers. It has nothing to do with sexuality.

The thread is nonsense because Kid Aphex and Buro Destruct have always seemed to have a elitest design based mentality, from their forum signatures, to their podcast etc. A "I'm better than you" vibe. And this thread just emphasized that.

He states that it's a time of horrible design. And I wholeheartedly disagree. Beautiful design, design that exceeds any past era, is there if you look for it. Even in times of economic hardship.

 

[evil wasabi]

From a functionality standpoint, the iphone pack in earbuds are failures. The sound is initially decent, but if you expose the control piece under the right bud to fluids, it will short and from then on, the earbuds will either activate voice control, speed up the playing of songs, and turn off music randomly. Definitely not well made. ade in China in fact. Unsurprising craftmanship from a failure of a society based on slavery via impoverishment. Problem is that Apple carries such shit products. What would fix this is waterproofing the pcb inside the little control device.

But the price wouldn't be as cheap...

Yeah shut the fuck up and die. What a stupid argument. Price would only move a cent or two. No need to gouge the consumer in response.

 

[NipRing]

i worked on the construction of this

 

[Curt]

The ultimate in space, eco, and price conscious architechtual design? Maybe.

 

[Kiel]

The ultimate in interior design? Maybe.

I really dig this place

 

[LoneSage]

here it is, the most beautiful thing

look at that fucking 16-BIT

it's telling you


no


YELLING at you


fuck yeah we are 16-BIT


in gold motherfuckers

 

[fake]

A designfag is a friendly perjorative. During my time at Art school many of us would admit our strangeness, and just call each other artfags. The same goes for designers. It has nothing to do with sexuality.

The thread is nonsense because Kid Aphex and Buro Destruct have always seemed to have a elitest design based mentality, from their forum signatures, to their podcast etc. A "I'm better than you" vibe. And this thread just emphasized that.

He states that it's a time of horrible design. And I wholeheartedly disagree. Beautiful design, design that exceeds any past era, is there if you look for it. Even in times of economic hardship.

Gotcha. I definitely agree that today's industrial designs are amazing, but I think you phrased it wrong. Rip on the members you have an issue with, not everyone in the thread. I think there are some good contributions in here.

From a functionality standpoint, the iphone pack in earbuds are failures. The sound is initially decent, but if you expose the control piece under the right bud to fluids, it will short and from then on, the earbuds will either activate voice control, speed up the playing of songs, and turn off music randomly. Definitely not well made. ade in China in fact. Unsurprising craftmanship from a failure of a society based on slavery via impoverishment. Problem is that Apple carries such shit products. What would fix this is waterproofing the pcb inside the little control device.

But the price wouldn't be as cheap...

Yeah shut the fuck up and die. What a stupid argument. Price would only move a cent or two. No need to gouge the consumer in response.

Am I missing something? Did you forget to add quotes to the first paragraph, because it looks like you're having an argument with yourself. And I don't see that first paragraph posted by anyone else...

The Apple earbuds are terrible. They're iconic, and that's that. Otherwise, they're the same thing you get at the convenience store for $5. They're packed in so the device is ready to go out of the box. That's it.

 

[Jedah Doma]

Saw the documentary "Objectified" a few months back and enjoyed. As a designer I'm pretty familiar with the inner workings of industrial design, but seeing some of these products taken from concept to reality is still fascinating. It should still be on Netflix for those interested.

 

[Yodd]

I generally dislike form over function. While I want it to look good, at the end of the day it has to actually function correctly as that should really be the most important thing.

I blame Apple for most of the electronics design nonsense we see nowadays. Not that there is a problem with their stuff, the problem is that most of their items are so well designed and have set the bar so high that everyone else is too busy with trying to trump Apple in design that they totally forget that the fucking thing has to also be user friendly and work as intended. And in the end Apple still bitch smacks them on both design and functionality.


I ABHOR unnecessary use of glossy material in devices intended to be extensively touched during regular user. Modern Smartphones are a perfect example of this with their fingerprint magnet screens. Please for the love of GOD come up with some type of coating for these things that will keep the screens looking bright/high contrast and minimize finger prints. Same thing applies to handheld game consoles.

 

[fake]

Saw the documentary "Objectified" a few months back and enjoyed. As a designer I'm pretty familiar with the inner workings of industrial design, but seeing some of these products taken from concept to reality is still fascinating. It should still be on Netflix for those interested.

Check out the miniseries "Genius of Design." I think it's from the BBC. It's on the Smithsonian Channel sometimes if you have FiOS.

I generally dislike form over function. While I want it to look good, at the end of the day it has to actually function correctly as that should really be the most important thing.

I blame Apple for most of the electronics design nonsense we see nowadays. Not that there is a problem with their stuff, the problem is that most of their items are so well designed and have set the bar so high that everyone else is too busy with trying to trump Apple in design that they totally forget that the fucking thing has to also be user friendly and work as intended. And in the end Apple still bitch smacks them on both design and functionality.

I certainly wouldn't say I "blame" Apple, but yeah other companies shamelessly copy their designs. And then the anti-Apple tards like TerryBogard1 say Apple copies others. Apple is unarguably the leader in industrial design when it comes to electronics. And I think their influence reaches further than the world of electronics. The whole damn world was Enamel White in the 2000s.

 

[LoneSage]

abhor


usually idgaf but you capitalized it so meh

 

[Jedah Doma]

Check out the miniseries "Genius of Design." I think it's from the BBC. It's on the Smithsonian Channel sometimes if you have FiOS.

Thanks, I'll have to check that out.

 

[Loopz]

Agreed that the glossy/piano black style finishing on consumer electronics these days needs to die. Beyond this, consoles are designed really badly anymore. I wish MS or Sony would license their technology to other manufacturers, so perhaps you could have the equivalent of a Panasonic Q or WonderMega, some alternate version of the current gen systems that would be built to a higher spec. They all feel so damn disposable now.

The Neo is indeed a beautiful machine, I also will always love the design of the Super Famicom.

 

[Yodd]

WonderMega...

Probably my fave console design

Its just so bad ass. JVC fucked us with the inferior X'Eye design.

 

[fake]

Probably my fave console design

Its just so bad ass. JVC fucked us with the inferior X'Eye design.

Agreed! I wrote this list almost exactly a year ago and the WonderMega came out on top.

http://thebbps.com/articles/content/the-six-sexiest-systems-ever.html

 

[evil wasabi]

abhor


usually idgaf but you capitalized it so meh

It's so sad witnessing your decline into complete anonymity. It's time for you to migrate elsewhere.

 

[LoneSage]

It's so sad witnessing your decline into complete anonymity. It's time for you to migrate elsewhere.

nah man he spelled it ABORE the first time and i knew that well someone had to say something. 'evil exists when good men do nothing' and all that y'a know just being a hero

 

[RabbitTroop]

The ultimate in space, eco, and price conscious architechtual design? Maybe.

Now that is a brilliant use of space... Very cool. As an aside, I was apartment shopping today and was told at this one place all they had was a studio. Now, I've lived in some wonderfully setup studios before. I lived in one in downtown LA that was tiny, at just under 400sqft, but had such a great layout it felt closer to 700sqft. Most people were shocked to hear it was only 375sqft! I know a few members here visited it and could attest to it not feeling like a closet...

Regardless, I was speaking to the person at the complex and they told me they had a studio. I wasn't really interested, but I asked them how big it was... 120sqft. I didn't tour it. I probably should have just to see it. I wanted to make sure I had heard the guy correctly... I repeated it twice, but sure enough, 120sqft. Price: $1,850 a month. Moving along...

 

[Orpheus]

Hats off to Curt for being a diesel wearing douchefag and trying to bring down a fun thread.

Seriously man: coming off like your trying to shit on the the entire thread and all those who post in it when you really only have a gripe with one or two of the members posting and a few of their viewpoints.

Besides, it's like the pot calling the kettle black a bit don't you think?
Weren't you the one posting pictures of yourself years back in your (trying to be) minimalist room (really just bare/sparse) with nothing but neo home cart shit that you were trying to show off, topped off with your hipster haircut and diesel jeans.
You got the same shit back then: people calling you out, saying you came off all high and mighty.

Not trying to start shit with you but it's a valid point. Your first post in this thread was sloppy as hell and makes it look like you were laying some bait.

EDIT: And what the hell is this about:

I think this thread is elitest designfag nonsense. I would like to see your apartment, and see what you deem acceptable.

So what do you want, a picture book dick measuring contest now?

 

[Curt]

I was baiting Kid Aphex, not you Orpheus.

It's in my nature to be facetious, contrarian, and rouse the rabble.

I think the thread could have a good complementary thread with truly terrible design.

This thread is good for posting design favorites, and i'm all for that, I just didn't like the way KA worded his chastisement.

And I didn't shit on the thread, I added quality content.

Moving along...

 

[Orpheus]

Stuff

so be it man. I'm not looking to dig deeper into it.

Your O.G. post signified otherwise, but obviously you like to see things your own way (that or your just not good at getting these so called character traits of yours across via print)

In the end your just as flawed as KA and others that you rail against, i mean, thats definitely how you come off.

 

[Curt]

Always take my posts with a grain of salt. Let's get back to posting some great design, and not derail the thread further.

New Commodores and Amigas!!!!! (More Black, I think they'd look good with Silver Aluminum but it would be compared to Apple, not that thats a bad thing)

They had a nice little ad in the Tron Legacy Home Video packaging.

http://www.commodoreusa.net/

Commodore VIC Slim:

Amiga 1000: