Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Note to Self

Don't eat a bag of prunes as a "snack" and expect to escape the consequences

Overwhelmed

I'm hiding in the dark atm, trying to work, but it's pretty hard

I'm in the dark because I don't want to get trick or treated tonight - I don't ahve anything to give - last 2 kids ended up with a pound each - now thats a lot for a student!

I had a minor freak out today and cried a bit, I'm feeling really overwhelmed by all the work, and its getting me down. even listening to my angriest music didn't help, which isn't a good sign.

There must be something in the water - Mark is feeling up, down and round about at the moment, and even offered to stab me in the leg with his biro today, during a lecture. I declined.

Housemate Kate cut my fringe the other day too, so I paid her back today by cooking a big lasagne, first time I've done it, and it was pretty god damn good!

Mark has challenged me to a cook off, but I just know I'm going to win, he doesn't stand a chance and I think he's realising that now, especially after the masterpiece that was Sunday roast.

I'm working away and hopefully can have a fair bit of time off this weekend to see my parents, I know I need to catch up with my dissertation stuff, and I'll do that after the interim hand in for RSA on Thursday, then there's the research for the government legislation on landfill, my internet site, flash assignment, those interim hand ins for next week, CADing up my RSA, modifying my Heated Seating - all for roughly a weeks time...


Argh, I'm crying again, this is not good...I'm going to go drown my sorrows in Innocent Smoothies...

Fact of the Post: I have had 2 "panic" attacks today and cried 3 times

Monday, October 30, 2006

Tarmac and Bad Jokes

I have got nothing done today. This is the problem with awarding yourself a day off - you just can't get started again - I think I'm gonna have to just work continually until Christmas - it sucks!


I've just started learning Flash and its a bit crazy, I'm sure I will fail my assignment as its all far to complex for a little bod like me, but never mind!

RSA is going ok, I haven't done anything for a while, but I'm still in a strong position, so I'm not stressing too much and I'm even hoping for a good nights sleep tonight...I've been finding that I'm so focussed and switched on to my projects all the time that I dream about them and wake up in the middle of the night obsessing about them...its a little scary!

I'm also going out with the Engineering crowd on Wednesday night, it should be fun - I'm trying to blend in with the crowd and wear one of their gorgeous t-shirt...Sponsored by Tarmac...yes, Tarmac.

Que loads of jokes about ID&T t-shirts sponsored by a fictional company "ProEngineer is sh*t"...

oh the fun of Design jokes....*yes I'm really sad*...you'll only get that if you "know"


Fact of the Post: the Average man orgasms after 2 minutes, isn't that right David...?

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Swordfighting, and cookery

Well its a lovely Sunday morning, and I've been up for hours taking advantage of the "extra" hour from Daylight Saving to do the housework, and still be finished before midday. It's a nice feeling to still have the majority of the day left after cleaning the house for 5 hours!

And the hosue was a state. When we moved in the landlord said everything was professionally cleaned. My arse, it was! I swiped the cloth behind the toilet and it came back black...YUCK, needless to say that the whole house has had a deep down clean - I hope my housemates notice when they get back!

I'm also just about to start cooking Sunday roast for Isabelle, which will be really nice, Honey and Lemon roasted chicken with roast pots, creamed celeriac, cumin carrots and fresh garden peas!

I had to ring my brother for the cooking tips (he's the worlds best chef ;)) and he unfortunately informed me that my Nana has now been put in a home, and so he was there with my parents visiting her. Apparently she's been there for 4 weeks. It upset me really, my Mum sometimes doesn't see fit to tell me important things about my family... a distant uncle died, and I only found out THREE years later when I casually inquired as to why we hadn't heard from him.

Then November last year, my Mum told me my cousin Steph was 2 weeks overdue on her baby...errrr...what baby...?

And now this...nice one, Mum.


Anyway I should really try to dig myself out of this angry mood, my friend is coming over to pick up the sponge cake I promised to make him, that is sitting in my fridge. He offered to take me out shopping, but I need to cook for Isabelle, it was a nice surprise tho, don't often have friends offering just to hang out - it seems that there always has to be a reason to see people - I assume due to the fact we're all so busy!

Well cooking is a calling...


Fact of the Post: It is possible to sword fight or ride a galloping horse, whilst holding a baby

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Blast from my Past

So you might be wondering why I have a photo of loads of milkshake on my blog.

Well...these are my babies!

No I'm not going mad, but yesterday I was cycling along through campus and saw a girl drinking Galaxy Thick Shake (the one in the middle with a big "G"), which was my last project before I left the anonymous confectionery company I worked for in my placement. But not only that, there is Mars Thick Shake (my first big project), and Bounty (one of the redesigns) and Maltesers (that I implemented at the very beginning).

I'd like to point out that although I'm an Industrial Designer, I was working in the recipe development and R&D team, so if you ever are lucky enough to buy them and they taste yummy, you need to come tell me!!

Not only were all my products there, but the entire Mars Drinks range, which we all lived with day in day out trying to get the artwork right on... (well done Clairabelle*!)

So anyway there's a bit of the excitement in my life - I did jump up and down and nearly wet myself, but I'm not sure its having the same affect on you...


I had a quiet night in last night, after a full day in the Studios - I got a proposition and a product, I just need to develop it over the next week, and I'll be all set (that's today's task!). Tomorrow is reserved for my internet site and dissertation research - oooo talk about the exciting life of a designer...*not*

Actually, I am going to a Halloween Party tonight at Isabelle's but I don't know if its fancy dress or not...

I had a nice night in last night, watched the re-run of Robin Hood on BBC Three, and I'm thinking about staying in to watch it tonight too, even tho I've missed the first 3! hehe

My matchmaking efforts went well the other night, although I think they both were a little awkward and I abandoned them and went home to my bed. They still haven't forgiven me, or rather Hilda* hasn't, as she gets a bit shy!

Incidentally, it was Hilda who got me into Robin Hood - I blame her!


Well my RSA is beckoning and I've got to get a load done today! wooooooo *not*



Fact of the Post: All plastic bottles that we "recycle" in the refuse, are actually shipped off to China to be burned - how nice are we - dump on your doorstep.


*Not her real name - do you see a pattern yet?


Thursday, October 26, 2006

Love your Mozilla

I've not posted for a few days as I've been writing my project proposal for my the heated seat.
I might even put it on here, although I'm not sure anyone would be interested!
I managed to finish with 15 hours to spare before hand in and I'm just about to go into the department to hand in all my work! YAY!

Then its gonna be knuckling down to the old RSA today and tomorrow and will hopefully have a proposal by the end of Friday WOOP!

I've also downloaded the latest Mozilla Firefox 2.0, and it's just amazing. It automatically spell checks everything you type into boxes, so for web-based email, blogging and searching, it's a lifesaver. I've also been experimenting with the Plug-ins, and have a fantastic little one that open up links when you hover over them, and a status bar at the bottom that links in with iTunes so you don't have to keep changing back and forth when you change your music!

It also has this clever trick that if you accidentally close a browser page, when you open up the Browser again, it shows you 2 tabs, one for your homepage and one for the last page you were on...

It just makes me wonder why people even bother with IE7 when there's software out there that has a much more user-friendly interface and "gadgets" you actually need!

I'm baking tonight for the Studio Days, its should be fun - they already look like they're kicking off nicely and I'm just about to head back in to get going on my RSA.

I'm also looking forward to tonight, I'm heading out for some drinks with some friends *and also a spot of matchmaking* which will be really nice to have something to celebrate even if it's only worth 2 credits out of 120....

I've also just found out what the title music for Syncronicity was - Take What You Take by Lily Allen. I never watched that programme, but I always used to see the advert and liked the music.

(I may be big into my British Indie, but I do lurve Lily Allen...she's me, only with less education and a lot more money...)

Fact of the Post: The UK government has come up with yet more seemingly good laws, which will probably be really difficult to implement and will be applied to silly situations, and not the real ones they're designed for.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Innocent Addiction

My name is Rachel and I'm a addict.

I'm addicted to Olbas Oil. Seeing as my life is dominated by colds and flu, it seems only fitting to get an addiction to cold relief - it smells nice too :D

I'm writing my interim project proposal at the moment, its going very well, it's fairly easy to write 1000 words on what your whole life is based around. Hand in is on Thursday so I'm trying to have it pretty much finished by Wednesday night, then I can switch back some focus to the RSA project. We have Studio Days for RSA on Thursday and Friday, hopefully they'll actually go a lot better than the major project ones last week!

I've also just had a lecture on prototyping by Tony, and I've realised that a main portion of my work this semester is going to have to be lashing up a heating system that I can get users to test - it also means that I might be able to make a few minor modifications and wack it straight into my final design, thus removing some pressure later on! Genius.

On a slight downer, we still have to sort out our council tax! (Eeek...I don't want to go to court!)

But on a brighter note, my matchmatching seems to be going well...they actually like each other so far *crossed fingers*

Fact of the Post: Airplane is the best comedy, ever, closely followed by the Naked Gun series.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Bonus

I've just popped into the Careers Fair that was on up at the university, and bumped into my old housemate, Ben who now works for Accenture.

He tried to convince me to apply, although the motive of this soon transpired that it would get him £500 as a bonus!

I'm not sure I really want to be an IT consultant, especially as I have problems with figuring out my own IT issues let alone a company's! And typically the information about the company is woolley and describes nothing that actually is meaningful, so I've no idea other than its an IT consultant company.

Ben had a good point that I don't have any backups to my graduation plans at the moment, and if I don't get a design job I'm gonna have to do something else.

Well it's food for thought.

Fact of the Post: 72% of ideas turn up when you least expect them.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Guilty

I feel sh*t.

Sorry for swearing, and I know I promised not to moan again, but I just feel terrible. This cold of mine seems to have graduated into my sinuses and has given me the world's most killer headache.

My housemates also had 6 friends to stay over this weekend in our tiny 3 bed terraced house, there were bodies everywhere, I was a little annoyed by all the people, especially as I'm quite private when I'm in my own home, so it felt like we were being invaded for the entire weekend.

But my housemates cleaned up as soon as they got home, and I emerged from my room to a sparkling living room, kitchen and bathroom.

Its so nice, they even made me a cup of tea :)

I've put my washing on, and I'm all happy about that anyway. Although I'm torn between resting and getting better, or working. It tempting to rest, but stressing me out the more I put the work off (the guilt gets to me).

Something has got to give.

On a happy note, my Mum and Dad are coming to visit me on the 4th/5th November, it'll be nice and hopefully, they'll look after me!


Fact of the Post: 1 in 10 internet users have a blog

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Ouch!


Its Saturday and I haven't had the day off.

Yesterday I shut my finger in the door. It hurt. A lot.

David has been staying with me, and its been good fun, showing him round Lufbra and getting up to awful mischief! He got me drunk last night and I was home and in bed by 10! Disgraceful!

We've been in the Library today, managed to sort out a fair bit of the energy calculations I needed to do for the heated seat, now I need to estimate power usage over a 24 hour period, that will tell me how big the battery needs to be, and how big the turbine needs to be to re-charge the battery.

My housemate, David and I went out for a late lunch with Joe*, he graduated last year, so it was nice to see him, plus I explained what i wanted to do and he drew the circuit diagram on the back of a napkin for me! Apparently it isn't totally correct but will point me in the right direction, and I'll be able to communicate what I want to do to the technicians who'll be able to understand it and point me in the right direction.


I'm also really impressed with a company that I requested some sample off! I emailed them at 4.30pm on Friday, and bright and early this morning the samples I had requested landed on my doormat!

Talk about efficiency!

The samples I'm looking at are made by a company called
Smile Plastics and they sent me some samples of their recycled coffee cup material. Its really beautiful and looks a lot like granite!

I think if I wasn't GRPing my prototype I'd use that, however it is really expensive, however is recycled and recyclable.


I'm off out with Isabelle, David and Isabelle's housemate Rob* tonight to a houseparty of one of our coursemates. Not sure we'll stay long coz I'm sure we won't know anyone, however we need to improve our image as complete geeks!

Fact of the Post:
Blogging is cool


*ooooo guess what, another fake name....

Friday, October 20, 2006

Belief

I'm feeling really down today.

My major project is going ok, but I went to see my electronics tutor and he was really negative.

Normally I can take it, but not today.

I've had a week of being worn down by people telling me I can't do my project coz it's too much for me. I don't think I can take much more.

I'm gonna call my dad and see if he will help me on my electronics, no-one else seems to be bothered at uni, and I really need to sit down with someone who knows what they're talking about and work through things step by step.

The electronics tutor seemed really p*ssed off to see me, I barely had a chance to get out what I wanted out of the meeting before he was telling me that it wasn't his problem and that it was all about physics, not electronics.

I know its about physics, I've worked out a lot of the energy calc, but I need to know how to actually put a system together, which, correct me if I'm wrong, equates to electronics.


I'm trying not to sit here and cry, but its all a bit overwhelming.

I know this is big, and its going to be hard, but I know I can do it.

I wish other people believed me too.

Fact of the Post: You can be struck by lightening 30 mins after the storm has passed

Thursday, October 19, 2006

For One Night Only

Today I had my "Dragon's Den" with a nice tutor called David. My idea was well received although they pointed out that it was huge and complex giving a bit of a risk of not finishing.

They also wanted me to take into consideration wind chill and shelter for people. I think they are both valid points but I'm not sure how I can incorporate them into the seat without making it absolutely massive!

...How am I going to make it...?

Well I've got a few things to think about, but I think its very obvious now that as much as it would be great to have a fully working prototype, its more feasible to have a partially working one that is powered off a car battery per say for the degree show, although that will come clearer when I see the electronics tutor, tomorrow.

As I was sitting in my tutorial I was also wondering what people think of my blog, one entry I'm loving my ideas, next I'm down in the dumps, and that made me realise why design is so draining and stressful...

you are on a 3 year long emotional rollercoaster

You can feel so positive about your work, then someone comes along and points out all the bad things, then you plummet, and pick yourself up and carry on, only to come crashing down later on.

And I'm not talking about this happening once every now and then, this happens daily, hourly even, I think I get through about 4 or 5 ups and downs a day, on a good day.

Multiply that by up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, for at least a year at a time, and I've suddenly realised why the dropout rate is one of the highest in the country, and why a lot of my peers have gone into management - anything is easier than this!

I don't think people appreciate how personally and emotionally involved you become with your projects, they are your babies, your life, your passion, physical manifestions of you, and you can't get away from them - I wonder if this is what parenthood is like to some extent?

So I've decided to get a babysitter in for the kids and have a night off, Isabelle and I are going for a drink at the Orange Tree, the most brilliant place on earth. I promise
And I shall try to forget the turbines for one night only.

Fact of the Post:
Bad things happen to good people - although despite what you may think, it was quite hard to find enough "bad" stories. Maybe the world isn't so nasty after all...

Another Day at the Office

I'm in uni for the studio days, but being realistic all the studios are taken up by first years and second years so there's actually no-where to work, plus everyone's scattered to the wind off at tutorials, so I thought I'd take this time to write an entry

I'm feeling better, Day Nurse works a treat and hasn't made me sick like the Night Nurse so I'm functioning somewhere close to 85% capacity.

I've also managed some calcs for turbine size and power requirements and requested a meeting with the electronics tutor tomorrow to get some further guidance on the circuit diagrams and hardware required.

And I bumped into Sam, the ergonomics tutor who has said she'll help me out with the part of my brief which is all about making the seating comfortable enough to sit on, but uncomfortable to sleep on.

I need to switch some focus back onto the RSA, I need a product finalised by next week, which means that after the studio days I'll be getting my user research sorted. Hopefully that'll help!

I'm a bit stumped as to what form to make my seating into. That sounds really stupid but I just feel like a lot of my sketches so far are all variations on the same theme, nothing groundbreaking and a fair bit of "me too" in there - I need some inspiration from some friends which I was hoping to get from today, but as the studio day seems to be going down the pan, I think I'll just wait until tomorrow and then hopefully, after some more sketching on my part, and some help from some other people, with the electronics getting under way I might be in a better position.

The meeting I cancelled yesterday was for materials options but tbh for the prototype I'll be going for GRP*, so I'll just get a flavour for the options available for mass production.

Fact of the Post: More than 200,000 people are reported missing each year in the UK, where it is not a criminal offense to fo missing



*GRP is a resin and glassfibre cocktail that is sometimes used for children play equipment or boats, and is fairly easy to use and hopefully versatile enough to make my seating shell.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Three Million

I'm feeling a bit better, thanks for all the texts wishing me well! Shame on you who didn't text! ;)

I've been working a bit on and off today and actually got through a fair bit, I've got a whole load of sketchwork I should have done but I'm not inspired at all, so I'll wait until tomorrow, and render them quickly on photoshop before my Dragon's Den tutorial...pretty much as it says on the tin.

I'll be going in to present to a tutor and a post-grad, plus the rest of my group. My group are really supportive (or rather they just don't say anything bad...or good...or in fact much at all!)

I've got a tutor called David and he's really nice, he's actually a practicing Industrial Designer so I trust what he has to say a lot more than any of the full time lecturers - most of whom are over 40, and haven't working in the real world for at least 10 years...hardly cutting edge.

My brother failed his driving test so he's a bit gutted, I haven't spoken to him yet coz he's not answering the phone :(

well its time for me to brave the Night Nurse - Mum's told me to buy some Day Nurse too...oh yeah she also reckons you can buy turbines for £40 from B&Q - I think it might be the B&Q in her head coz I can only find one for £1498...

I had mashed potato with fresh basil from my plant Foxy...(get it, Basil the Fox..?), hmmm it was yummy and made me feel better even if the housemates took the piss!

Fact of the Post: More than 3 million people in Ranipet, India are affected by pollution from local tanneries

Bed Ridden

I'm ill again, only this time I think its really bad - I was just getting over the last cold, but now I have shakes, fever, pain in my legs and arms, sore throat, banging headache and I can't hear properly.

I'm going to stay in bed today, I might venture out as I have a meeting but more than likely I'll cancel and try and reshedule it. I have to be really careful nowadays ever since I contracted glandular fever when I was 17, resulting in being bed-ridden for over 6 months. My glands are already huge and if I don't rest, there is a possibility of it coming back to bite me in the arse. As much as I love my course, I don't think I could deal with dropping out and coming back next year.

I think thats decided it, bed rest for me, and hopefully I'll have enough strength for the studio days tomorrow and Friday, that I really need to go to.
Also looks like baking is off the cards, don't want to make any more people ill.

Back to bed for me

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Prone to Exaggeration

Wooop!

My iPod just arrived, I've plugged her in and I'm waiting for her to charge :D
I ended up having "Rach in three words: Prone to Exaggeration" engraved on the back - anyone who knows me exactly what I'm talking about!

I went swimming this morning, and although my lungs decided to delightfully attempt to expel all the reminants of my chesty cough in the middle, it was good. Up nice and early and I feel all refreshed too! I've been treating myself to the day "off" between lectures, as I only have a couple of hours here and there, and inevitably I will be working late tonight anyway, I thought I should get some "Rach time" now!

ahhh, just finished Neighbours - yes I love the trash TV - its the only soap I watch and it forces me to eat lunch and have a break in any other day, so it can only be a good thing

well that's it for the moment, got to head into uni for a dissertation tutorial...

...some time later...

back now, had an interesting few hours, managed to chat to a few people which was nice - networking is really gonna help this year!

right I have an engineering mate coming over for some help with some POS (point of sale) designs, so I need to crack on with my work

(and go shopping!)

Fact of the Post: There are no glass recycling plants currently in existance in the UK, all glass collected for "recycling" is crushed up and stuck in landfill, and in the cases of good councils, in a designated area, so it can be dug up in the future and recycled if ever someone builds a plant...

Well done Isabelle for getting the permission you needed to go ahead with your project!

Monday, October 16, 2006

BookCrossing

Sometimes I find myself dragged towards the blog with the compulsion to write, even if I don't have anything to say.

Today is no different, however on of my lecturers mentioned a "happening" for want of a better word, that really caught my imagination.

Its called Book Crossing.

When you've finished reading a good book that you enjoyed, you print out this label, that you stick in the front cover. You leave your book ina public space, in the hope that someone will pick it up. Once they've read it, they *should* leave it for someone else to find, you can plot your book's travels over the country and indeed the world!

It just really struck me, that in this age when we all communicate through email, text messages, and blogs for that matter, that there is this silent communication going on. You ever meet the next reader, yet you've shared something with someone so distant to you.

So I think I'm going to join in, but I'm not going to tell you where I leave my book, you might go and get it yourselves...

Fact of the Post: Painting people's rooms pink, prevents violence

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Horse Dander

I've put a counter on the site, just to check if anyone is actually visiting - but it only seems to go up when I come on! This is not good...no-one is reading...

I'm feeling stressed out - my moodboard is taking much longer than expected and I've still not finished it. I'm going to a mates for some Rhino training at 6 so I don't even have the whole evening.
Plus I'm hungover. Yes I drank last night.

Before all you non-existant readers laugh and say I've failed in my tee-total adventures, let me point out that I was using the term tee-total to remove the pressure to drink from certain situations. I've had some great nights recently, stone cold sober, I've had some great night where I've fancied a beer, had one then switched to soft drinks, so no, I haven't fallen off the wagon, but last night I chose to drink and it was nice.

Saying you're tee-total to people stops them pressurising you into drinking - they soon get tired of trying to force a drink down your throat, and it means that when I drink, I drink because I fancy a glass of wine with my meal etc.

This is all part of me reclaiming my life.

Sometimes I feel that everything I do is so governed by other people, and I don't see why it should be, and plus it makes me feel bad. I'm not a control freak *in my opinion* but I like to have control over my life, which I think is a fair enough point.

One of my other decisions has been to wait. I've decided that I'm not going to be getting myself attached to a guy who likes me, if I don't really like them back.
I'm not looking to settle down right now, but why should I waste my time with someone I don't really like?

This seems totally obvious when stated like that, but I think a lot of people fall into the trap of being lonely and feeling like its expected that you are in a relationship.

I think its very important for me now to be single, alone, and be happy.

Its hard at the moment, I have darker times when I think about how the possibility is there that I might be on my own for a long time, possibly years, if I don't meet anyone who is good for me.

My friend David*, has been a real help to me recently, as he feels like he's going through the same thing, or has in the past. Its helping talking it through with someone who is facing the exact same situation and is more than a little daunted by it too.

I know he reads this too, so thank you, David, I hope you know who you are!


Fact of the Post: 18% of people are allergic to Horse Dander



*not his real name...what a surprise...

Saturday, October 14, 2006

The Christmas Card List

Ahhhh, I have a brand spanking new printer!

Although ParcelForce think its ok to delivery at 6.45AM on a SATURDAY!!


I've decided that it might be fun to do a little "Fact of the Day" every day - or maybe every post as I don't post everyday.

"Each person sends an average of 55 greetings cards a year"


Well, I send zero, I don't "do" cards. My Mum must be taking up my slack, what with the Christmas Database, Black Book and mail merging system for label printing.

Mum is a little obsessive with Christmas Cards - she sends approx 500, in mid-November, to all the people who sent her one the year before - this is marked down in the Black Book which tracks card exchanges for the last 15 years or so, god forbid that you get struck off the Christmas card list!
If you have been struck off and send her a card, she will then send out a second batch in the early stages of December so she doesn't get struck off your Christmas card list for the next year
*oh how terribly British*

The Christmas Database contains information on each family, ages, children's names, wedding anniversaries, notable events, enabling her to personalise each one of the 500 cards, without making a mistake, and seemingly as if she's not sending them out en masse.

Then there's the Christmas letter, apparently last year I joined the army (yes, this is how much she really knows about me...even though she knew I was working for a major confectionary company, somehow reality and fiction doesn't tally up in her brain).
The Christmas letter is sent out to only the top 100 recipicents of the Munday Christmas Card - and is the ultimate priviledge.

My brother has worked out how to trick her into discluding himself - he'll "proof read" it just before the printing, and delete all reference to himself, let Mum print out all 100 and then tell her, and she won't re-print all 100...she falls for it every year!

*I wonder what I'll be doing this year...*

Friday, October 13, 2006

Matchmaking a To Do List

I'm on a bit of a posting frenzy today, I keep thinking of things to write, and it's also because I've been home for the majority of the day!

I had a tutorial this afternoon for the major project (heated public seating), and surprisingly Kevin was very confrontational about everyone's work. I thought I was up-to-date and not doing too badly, but he slated my progress. I guess it's just to keep us on our toes but my To Do list for this weekend has grown out of control!

It goes something like this....

MPD (Major Design Project)- Public Seating
Redefine User/Task/Environment
Use SWOT analysis
Create Moodboard
Collate influences and current designs
Calculate energy requirements...
...and therefore figure out what to power the heating with
Analyse the "6 issues of design" (Aesthetics, User Need, Uniqueness, Feasibility, Technology, Market)
Produce 3 A3 boards covering the "6 issues" plus all other material covered

RSA - Wellbeing
Conduct interviews with allergy sufferers (housemate, Dad and Isabelle), a doctor (my cousin, thank god!), and a human biologist (my friend Tammy*)
Create moodboards
Brainstorm ideas
Go back and fill in the areas of research I couldn't do without the printer**

Dissertation
Assemble Aims/ Objectives
Create directed research questions

So there we are - thank god I've managed to cross that Vanadium essay off my list!



I'm heading out tomorrow night to an Olympic Housewarming Party - Lycra ahoy!
I'm not technically invited, but Isabelle won't go without me....

*I feel special*


Plus on a cheeky note, I've been trying to matchmake 2 of my friends, *crossed fingers*

Although my track record stands at 100% failure, when I matchmade a work colleague, Fraser with a girl I knew - he stood her up...

...in Central London...

...on a Friday Night...

...lovely, *not*



*Again a ficticious name, unless she hates it
** We're not supposed to go back and do retrospective work, but I haven't had much of a choice, but on the plus side I got an email from Amazon a little while after my rant about logic saying my ink was on it's way...whoever said being demanding didn't get you anywhere...

Silk Happiness

No sooner had I posted that last blog entry did a rather odd looking parcel arrive for me from India. Made out of a cloth sack it was stitched up one side. I was perplexed and took a photo to share on here

*yes I've blanked out the address, I'm not stupid*

On opening said parcel I found 2 of the most gorgeous silk sarees, they have raw edges but they really are beautiful - one's blue and gold, and the other is a deep pink/red and gold.

It took me a while to realise why I had been sent them, but I remembered how much I loved my Mum's silk drapes in her house in Jordan, and she must have bought them for me and had them sent straight to me! I'm so happy :D

All I need to do is finish the raw edges off and then I'm going to hang them over my doorway (my room was originally a "frontroom" of the terrace, so the front door goes right into my room)


I'll put another picture up when they're all finished :D

The Love is Spread

iPod lovin'

I've actually had a complaint that I haven't been writing enough blog entries!

So here is another installment of the Rachel Saga

I had my RSA tutorials yesterday, which is the real reason I haven't posted yet, I was try to let the information sink in. Basically I was told my ideas were rubbish and that I needed to start again - there goes 2 weeks of work.

I'm now 2 weeks behind as I'm starting again from the beginning. I'm still looking at Wellbeing, but I'm going to be looking at preventative measures for allergies, under the whole idea "hayfever ruins my summer/ sleep". So far my research suggests that the only real way to treat it is to medicate.

However, shockingly, did you know that over-the-counter hayfever reliefs stunt mental growth and learning in children?

There must be a better way - I'm going to find some ways of treating and preventing hayfever - hopefully I can build that into some kind of product.

My friend, Isabelle*, has been looking at "food miles" (about how far food has to travel to get to you, and the implications on the environment), and she's discovered that they inject fruit and veg with preservatives to enable it to survive long transport - a good a reason as any to go organic, which I am now seriously considering (maybe once I graduate, and earn a wage...)

I'm also considering buying an iPod. I've held out for so long, but as someone pointed out "why deny yourself something that is so good?".
I used to use the principle that I wouldn't go near it because everyone else has, and applied that to everything from Harry Potter to skinny jeans (both of which I'm still holding out on)

Now the biggest dilemma for me is what to have engraved on the back..."Rach" is obvious, but I need a slogan or something - I think I have one, but I'm not sure I'll still like it in a few years time! I'll let you know when I've decided!

I also went out last night, for a few quiet drinks with Isabelle, plus a few others who haven't featured in the blog yet, but it was lovely, and I came home at a lovely reasonable hour and watched the end of Forest Gump *always makes me cry!*

I bought a printer yesterday, off amazon - a Canon iP5200 and I'm really excited about getting it, only they're sending me the printer and will send me the ink cartridges (all 5!!!) "soon"

*rant mode on*

"Soon"?!?!

What use is that to me, I need to p-r-i-n-t, and I can't do that without them...

Seriously they could at least have figured that out - ok I love technology but seriously its time someone put some proper thought into how they do things. Logic is a fine thing, and I'd love it if someone could actually apply that to the real world and business models.

I know its all computerised in warehouses now, and that the ink cartridges are probably coming from another warehouse, but seriously...if they put all those sorts of things in the same warehouse they could send it all out at the same time...clever or what?

*Rant over*

Right I need to get on and achieve today, I have much designing and researching to do before my major project tutorial where I find out if Kevin likes my heated seating...

Spread the love baby


*fictional name, although it may change if she doesn't like it

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Six Beautiful Things and an Expensive Option

I'm drugged up to my eyeballs at the moment, so a little scatty ....ooo look at my balls...*
I'm going to write myself an agenda for this post - hopefully it'll mean I don't forget anything...

Bolognese
First things, first.
I make a mean Bolognese, involving a bottle of wine, 3 hours and a lot of beef.
If you're ever around, give me a shout and I'll make it for you

Accessibility
We've been learning about accessibility of websites and I thought I would try to "do my bit" so I might try out writing in bold...

Walking Chairs
I have been doing some research on my heated public seating and whilst in the library found a brilliant public art installation called Benches and Bins by Greyworld, who did also did The Source.
Benches and Bins is a fantastic project which uses artificial intelligence to have these lovely benches and bins that rove around a piazza in Cambridge. The reference I found said that it was finished in 2005, but I've found out that they only just finished it - which would explain why I never saw it when I was in Cambs.

I'm tempted to go and have a look for myself, but not sure if I can afford the expense, not now I might have to buy...

Solar Panels
I'm looking at sustainable energy sources for my public heated seating, and obviously solar its a fairly obvious choice, only it costs approx £150-£200 per m2 - I'm not sure thats going to be a viable opinion for me!

I'm going to speak to one of my tutors in the Engineering department about the materials side of things - I wonder if there's anything I can use that will absorb the IR heat from the sun and release it slowly. The problem with that is it will release all the energy, all the time, so it would have to be a top up along with a solar/battery set-up.

Also, whilst browsing Greyworld's other works I found they have "Colour Stops" in Bradford. These are brilliant bus stops that sing to the waiting commuters about the colours they are wearing. What none of the articles I found mentioned (and I found in a video clip), was that they also incorporate heated seating...powered by a hugh wind turbine.

Now, I'm not sure the turbine would be viable either for this project, however I am more than slightly gutted that someone got there first.

Major Project
Well my project is going well, I've got a fair few ideas about how to power/discharge the energy required and have even managed to dig around in my brain

*ok ask my friend for her first year notes*

to work out the energy required for a lightbulb as a brief exercise, in requirements.

I'm starting my sketching tomorrow, I was going to do it tonight, but have been finishing that damned Vanadium essay, so all in all I'm getting on quite well.

Three Beautiful Things
So although I feel a bit gutted about my project, I found this lovely blog that is all about 3 things that made the author happy that day.

Compliments
Got a nice compliment today, on my fine choice of accessories, and, being a lady of fashion I was quite pleased.

*Today, I shall mostly be toting a Soft Cream 2ply Andrex Roll, "with Puppies on the paper"*




*and I'm not a lune, honest. Hang on, isn't that what lunetics say....

Monday, October 09, 2006

Just what I needed

Have just made an awful discovery.

Night Nurse makes me vomit.

3 hours sleep in last 48 hours...

How To Get Disciplined By The Police

Step 1. Go to university library
Step 2. Find a desk

Step 3. Go to find a book, leave bag, take wallet and phone
Step 4. Ensure you are gone for at least 5-10 mins

Step 5. When you come back police will be on scene, going through your bag

Step 6. Deny the accusations of terrorism
Step 7. Deny accusations that your bag contains a bomb

Step 8. Stand and take the lecture that you could have been kidnapped/mugged

Step 9. Deny ringing the police saying there is a "disturbance" at 9.30am on a Saturday

Step 10. Go back to your work, and watch with bemusement as the police run round the library trying to find said "disturbance"

Mystery

So I think I have the flu and I'm not happy at all, I feel awful! (ok I promised no more whinging, but seriously, this hurts!)

It's only the second week of uni so hopefully I'll be able to take it easy for the next few days without actually harming my work, and at least the lecturers have started putting presentations etc on the internet, so even if I do miss a bit I won't get behind *ahhh the comforts of modern technology*

Last night was a terrible nights sleep for me, I woke up continually not being able to breathe, it was horrible and quite frustrating/scary, I'm starting to wonder if the allergies I've just been diagnosed with were actually the build up to me getting very ill - although it's being going on since the beginning of summer...its a mystery.

I posted my last 50 "About me's" yesterday, I'd been saving that up, but in retrospect it wasn't as funny/light hearted as the first part - maybe that's just a manifestation of the fact that I'm getting down to work, and not really seeing the funny side of life that much right now! *don't get me wrong, I have a GSOH, I'm just "in the zone"*

I went to see 2 really good mates from my course yesterday too, it was nice to see them as they've graduated and it feels weird without them around - it makes me feel fairly lonely without them, but it was nice to hear that one is trying to get a job up here in the Midlands, and that the other is going to stay in Lufbra - I feel a bit bad that I hadn't seen her at all in the last few weeks and she lives here!
They've also decided that as I have recently come back onto the market, that they want to matchmake me - they've been doing that since the very first time I met them, so it was slightly hilerious hearing their ever increasingly crazy strategies for getting me a boyfriend! Tbh I'm perfectly happy on my own right now, I need to focus on work and know I wouldn't have any time to see a guy let alone nurture a relationship, plus it would be too cruel on my ex.

Well I'd better get my hair dry (I can't imagine that it's helping my current condition) and then get ready for the 3 mile trip to uni...have lost a shocking half stone in a week with all the walking...need to increase my calorie intake methinks...*not into dieting thankyouverymuch*

Sunday, October 08, 2006

About me 2

51. I’ve seen a girl break her neck on a bouncy castle and it was on my “watch”

52. …I’ve been in an ambulance with a girl with a broken neck

53. I’m addicted to Pride and Prejudice and own all versions on film and TV

54. My dad was once offered 4 white racing camels in exchange for my hand in marriage (he said no!)

55. I love photography, but spend so much time doing design I’m too tired to bother anymore

56. The first film I ever loved was Speed

57. I’m so addicted to BBC news, I have the RSS feeds on my mobile and PC, desktop shortcuts, and watch BBC News 24 when I’m bored…

58. …I earnt myself a reputation for my BBC News addiction

59. I have 113 contacts on my MSN, but only ever speak to about 15 of them, and only about 3 regularly

60. I only buy Sony Erisson phones – all others are inferior and impossible to use

61. I’ve learnt to live with the annoying little bugs that occasionally crop up in my K800i

62. I think Britpop was the best era in music, even if I don’t l like half of it

63. Mashed potato is the comfort food of the gods

64. My favourite colour is a deep azure blue

65. If I was a shape I’d be a rectangle *I think*

66. If I was an animal I’d be an lion, strong and powerful, but ultimately just a big kitten

67. If I had a dog I’d have a German Sheppard, and call him Bernie

68. I own 9 pairs of shoes, and don’t feel the need for any more

69. According to my friends, there’s a “Rach-smell”…

70. …my “smell” is Ralph

71. I fancy Ron Wheasley from Harry Potter…even though I know it’s so wrong!

72. I remember when penny sweets really were a penny

73. My favourite place in the whole world is The Orange Tree

74. I was born in Scotland

75. I have a birthmark on the back of my leg that looks like a raspberry

76. If I’m out at night, I look for the constellation Cassiopeia, and it makes me feel less alone

77. I complain about *everything*…

78. …but when I stop complaining that’s when something’s really wrong

79. I once told one of my teachers I was in love with him when I was drunk…with his wife stood next to him…even though I hated him!

80. I’m very lazy and will do the minimum that I need to get me through

81. However, conversely I’m hugely competitive with other people and will raise my game if I think they’ll “win”

82. I have 3458 songs on my iTunes, which is 9 days, 5 hours and 16 mins or 15.57Gb

83. I love war films or anything thought provoking like Battle Royale, or Amelie

84. I hate horror films

85. I use Firefox because IE drives me crazy – I wish I had time to understand Linux

86. I score ISTJ on MBTI testing

87. Most people think I’m incredibly outgoing, but in fact I’m petrified of new people

88. I have Grade 1 Trumpet

89. I love walking but I don’t “do” hills

90. Brussel sprouts taste bitter to me

91. I listen to BBC Radio 1, but am considering moving to Radio 2, as the current affairs and news coverage aren’t good enough

92. I’m not scared of spiders

93. Pearls are my favourite necklace

94. I’ve suddenly become allergic to everything

95. I like a guy but he doesn't know I exist :(

96. I live with a couple and a guy off the internet!

97. I’ve just given up alcohol

98. I love strawberries

99. I love champagne

100. Did I mention I’ve given up alcohol…

There we go I did it...!

Friday, October 06, 2006

Homelessness and the Designer

I finalised my major project and my dissertation today, all of which feels incredibly final at this stage - although I have it on good authority from my housemate (who graduated last year) that I can still change...not that I want to - I'm the kind of person who makes a decision and runs with it. I tend to think that's a good quality, but I'm starting to learn that certain situations just aren't good for that!

I've decided that I'm going to investigate the changing use of public spaces and the effect on design over the last 50 years *working title* for my dissertation, and almost by coincidence my major project is a heated seating arrangement for public spaces - ever felt so cold you could knock on Death's Door, just waiting for a train? And that's just England for you!

The Heated Seating has lots of stuff for me to work out - from energy sources, security, comfort, human factors, all the way through to encouraging people to sit on it, and discouraging tramps from sleeping on it.
In regards for the tramp issue - I have a lot of sympathy for the homeless and there is an excellent blog here, which addresses the issues of "normal" people falling into that life, however as a designer, I know that companies don't feel the same way about it, and thus I have an ethical dilemma.
I support Samaritans and I always try to do charitable things, however I have to accept that the world at large doesn't want tramps sleeping on their luxury heated seating whilst waiting for the 9.02, Kings Cross to Glasgow, and therefore if I want to have my product used I've got to play to the consumer's wants.
This doesn't rule me out from designing in the future for the homeless, in fact it's given me some ideas for my RSA Wellbeing...

And there was me thinking I was going to go to bed* and have a lovely early night

Oh yes and I've given up alcohol and will be tee-total for the next 9 months - I'll let you know how I get on!


*Yes its a Friday, yes it's 10.33pm, but I don't care

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Decisions, decisions

So the internet it broken at home, or rather the internet I was piggy backing has gone down, so I'm in the department.

I've been trying to get my head around the RSA topics and I think I've finally settled on the title "Wellbeing". Its a brief set by GSK so I'm hoping they're going to be thinking fairly broadly when they judge - I'm trying to come at this from "the other direction" which is mainly going to be centring my work around ritualism, and culture, and what people do to make themselves feel well. This is just my starting point, and I'll be tracking my progress on the project over the next 7 weeks, until submission.

On the other side of the coin I'm feeling positive about my major project ideas, I'm not going to reveal them yet - not until I've had my initial reviews, and maybe refined them a little more. But I have one design that I definately think could be commercially viable (I'm not going to be selling this idea, unless someone asks me too, however I think that if it could be produced and used in the Real World, then the likelihood is that it's a good idea *obvious really*)

Also this weekend I'm going to venture into the Library for the third time in my university career* and knuckle down to research and compose my 1500 word essay on "Vanadium". I need to get this out of the way, as come the submission (week 7...we're in week 1) I'll be too busy with the RSA to give two hoots to an engineering essay!

Well The Automatic are coming to the Union tonight, which is a nice change and I'm having the night off, so I'm going to bumble home, try and get some work finished before my mate arrives!

Plus hopefully my washing machine will have been delivered and I can get on with being clean again!


*I'd like to point out that this lack of library visitation, is due to my rights being restricted by the courts.
On a serious point, most of my work is project based and therefore comes "from within"

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

The Final Whinge

Nothing particularly ground breaking happened today in my lectures, although I did actually find some of the "motivational" stuff about getting on with the major design project quite inspiring and I've been working for most of the day getting on with brainstorming.
I'm doing it on my own at the moment, but I'm not feeling too good about it. I'm worried that everyone else has got into good groups and has started the brain storming already, whereas I only have 1 person so far! I'm thinking about trying to nudge in with another guy, but his group seems pretty full :S
I'm just panicking I'm sure, but still, it's an unsettling feeling.

Today we were all piled into the Art Shop for a bit of a rugby scrum to the logbooks* and everyone was diving for the A3 ones. I went straight for the A4 ones, and for some reason totally freaked out that I was the only one going for those ones, and immediately started to doubt myself and think everyone else was in on something and was making a better choice than me. I'm not normally like that - I tend to do what I want and ignore other people...except in design.

I'm incredibly insecure about my design abilities. At school I was a very big fish in a minute pool, so coming to Loughborough (which is generally considered one of the best for Industrial Design) was a bit of a shock to my little 18 year old self, and I've still not really come to terms with it.

I'm convinced I'm rubbish at it and I totally lack any confidence in myself. Now this poses a problem - designers are supposed to believe in themselves and their work - how else do you sell your work and make money if you don't even believe it?

So I've come up with a pretty good front, the same one I use to pretend I'm an outgoing person, but still get caught out every now and then - and I always feel really embarrassed, like I've exposed myself in public.
I guess that comes from the way I am in general about others knowing about the deeper darker parts of my life, I'm actually quite a secretive person. The outgoing "front" will reveal many trivial facts, but the reality never surfaces to many people.

Right, must stop whinging - from now on, upbeat posts only!

* Designers use logbooks to record all work, ideas and conversations etc, to prevent law suits, plagerism and to claim ownership of ideas. At the beginning of every new project you start a new logbook, hence the dash to the art shop!

Monday, October 02, 2006

"Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink"

So every year there is an international design competition run by the RSA, and as part of my degree I have to take part.

Now this is a fascinating competition full of opportunities, which almost as importantly has the possibility for some big prizes, which, as I tend to be fairly pragmatic, will actually give me something to eat (no I obviously won't eat the money)

Unfortunately, the briefs for the competition are really broad. Ok so that shouldn't be a problem, I'm supposed to be a creative person, and I'm supposed to be able to think outside the box, etc etc, but to be honest, I'm sh*tting myself.

Now the reason why I'm so worried is because so much hangs in the balance for this final year - the RSA, my major project, another design exercise called "Design Week". All of which will either make or break my ability to get a job.
If my design idea isn't creative enough, or forward thinking enough, then I'm threatened with the possibility not getting a job.
Jobs getting into design are nothing to do with your CV, its all about your portfolio.
So have a bad project and you screw it all up for yourself - now that's a lot of pressure and will set the undertone of this next year.

So right now I'm trying to translate the words "Water, Water" into a meaningful concept brief and failing miserably.

On the plus side tho, I'm "groupped up" with a great girl who's really dedicated, hard-working, and comes from a really arty background (unlike me) which means that our brain-storming should help me out a bit, and hopefully we'll be able to see things from other angles and get new perspectives. Just need to find some more people to put up with me...

So despite all the rubbish that I've just spouted, I'm actually looking forward to getting stuck in!


Revelation

Well my first "day" at uni went well - I was all finished by 11.30, and now have a pile of work I'm going to start sifting through and planning, oh the joys of Industrial Design and Technology!

The first main lecture was a lab session on a module on the internet. We were asked who had a blog, and although new, I decided not to reveal this blog (no-one else claimed one either meaning they're all liars, or technologically inept, or just can't be bot
hered!), and that got me pondering on why I want a bit of anonymity and whether if I reveal my university, my direct peers will work me out.

I guess my main fear would be the ridicule that I might expose myself to - after all blogging is essentially a fairly geeky thing to do, and people on my course tend to have an air of "cool". I wonder if they would leave nasty comments, or openly mock me in the department, or whether they would find it offensive (not that I'm going to be writing na
sty things!)

Also another point is that I was very nearly caught writing this blog during the second post, by someone who is very close to me, and I denied it. I think that I want people to share my thoughts and have something interesting to read, but at the same time I don't want people to know it's me - with the tiny number of girls on my course, it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to guess.

But maybe if it's the only way to help get people reading it would be to reveal which uni - then when people search they might find it.


So here it is....
Loughborough University

...I wonder how long it will take for someone to (a) notice this blog (b) know who I am (c) actually care...


***Update*** I am adding my "WeeMe" to this post so I can link it to my Profile picture...


Sunday, October 01, 2006

Love:Hate Relationship

For long and boring reasons I had to take my car home to the West Country (which was eventful, but I’ll write about that later) and take the train back up to Universitytown.

6 hours.

This is why I hate public transport.

Ok, I use it a lot and I wouldn’t be able to cope without it, but charging me £75 for the privilege of 4 changes, 6 hours and a lot of pushing and shoving is just stupid. And the government wonders why people don’t use public transport as much and I can see why, I’d much rather take the 3 hour drive over the (frankly tedious) 6 hour train journey.

Although having said that, I was mildly amused and entertained at the heroin addict stood next to me daintily sipping her methadone straight from the bottle.

I was slightly less amused when she ran off to vomit.
Lovely.

I got chatting to a little old man from Leeds who had been to see his baby grandson for the first time down in Cornwall, his wife was no longer with him, but he showed me photos of his son and grandson, and it was really nice to see them including him in their baby’s life.

There was a girl who was going to surprise her friend for her birthday, having travelled all the way from York to Poole that morning, just to be with her. It was really sweet and touching, that coupled with the Welsh lady going to see her daughter getting married, it was all in all one of the better journeys I’ve been on, and nice to see the world enjoying itself.

That’s why I love public transport – you can be so isolated and alone in your own car, and sometimes its nice to be able to let someone else do the driving and watch the world go by and interact with it.