Make sure you caught all of our most read articles, and learn a little more about who reads the BYU Design Review.
Design Lessons from Movies: The Polar Express
It’s now December and we’re entering “the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s also time for my annual analysis of a Christmas movie. Today I want to share some interesting facts and thoughts about The Polar Express. I’ll also share lessons I believe we as designers can take from this movie.
A Brief Overview of Manufacturing Processes
As designers, we should be aware of as many manufacturing processes as possible. The more processes we know about, the more effectively we are able to manufacture a good product. This article will provide you with a short list of processes in which you can find inspiration for how to best make your product.
Holiday Gift Ideas for Design Engineers— 2023
The holidays are coming up, and it’s time for our fourth annual gift list for design engineers!
Cushions, Keyboards, and a Customized MRI - Lessons in Human Centered Design
You, as the designer, want people to like your work. Especially if you have already done the work. And especially if you have reason to believe your idea is what’s best. But familiarity and comfort remain, for better or for worse, critical considerations in product design.
Design Thinking Part 5: Tips and Anecdotes
In this final part of the Design Thinking series, I highlight empathy development as a distinguishing factor in the Design Thinking approach and describe 6 reasons why some people fail to find success with Design Thinking.
Halloween, Tradition, and Design
How does Halloween connect to design? Let’s turn our attention to the intersection of tradition and design. As tradition has affected the celebration of Halloween, so too has tradition affected design practices.
Good Design: GAN14 Maglev Speed Cube
Humans are obsessed with speed. This need for speed can be found everywhere, including the world’s most high-tech Rubik’s cube.
Solar Eclipse Glasses: Design Considerations
A solar eclipse is an amazing phenomenon and truly unforgettable - just be sure to wear the correct eye protection when viewing one. Solar eclipse cardboard glasses may be cheap to buy, or even free, but don’t settle for a low quality design. Your eyes will thank you.
Quaker Oats and The Design of Everyday Things
I’m positing that this Quaker Oatmeal container is an example of good design. I’ll use some ideas from Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman to show you why.
Book Review of Tim Harford's "Adapt"
If you want to succeed, you need to get some failures behind you. For anyone interested in how to fail better, fail faster, and fail successfully, Adapt is a great place to start.
The Power of Designing a Networking Plan
The job search is a lot like a game. The challenge is to figure out the rules of the game and then to come up with a winning strategy.
Good Design: Bicycles in the Netherlands
Join me on a journey through the tulip-adorned countryside as we explore the Dutch art of bike design.
Back to School with the BYU Design Review
As the BDR editorial board, we asked each other which articles we could re-read to get ready for another school year. Here’s a list of 7 articles that could give you a kickstart on your next school year. Good luck!
Being the best in the world is easy
When I came to BYU, I wanted to be the best at something. It didn’t matter what, so long as I was better at it than anyone else at the university. I wasn’t going to be the best juggler at BYU, I was going to be the best joggler at BYU, juggling and jogging at the same time. And I think I did it. Out of everyone I have ever talked to, I am the only one who can run an 8-minute mile while juggling three balls.
Design Thinking Part 4: Framing and Reframing Design Problems
Problem framing is about uncovering the actual problem worth solving – which is often hidden to everyone when the design process begins. A key part of framing and reframing is to see the problem from various perspectives and to search for best match between the problem frames and the solution candidates. This article provides the basics of problem framing and positions it as the backbone of Design Thinking.
Blind(s) to Design
The window blinds installed by the owner seem to meet our needs perfectly. I will briefly describe some of the main features we enjoyed and why I consider this a good design.
Good Design: Silly Putty
It squishes, it bounces, it breaks, and it occupies a spot in the Smithsonian museum!? Most of us have played with Silly Putty, the iconic pink goop, but few know its origin story and the lessons it has for designers and engineers.
How Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Engineering Design
Have you thought about how AI will affect your design work? I’m excited for the ways that AI can facilitate product realization work, and in this article I describe why.
Beyond Paper: How to Make Origami Out of Thick Materials
Many people either know about origami, have seen others fold origami, or have folded it themselves, but very few people can translate origami crease patterns into 3D objects and designs. That skill is necessary to take origami from a hobby to an engineering tool. I want to push your origami knowledge and exposure just a little deeper and go beyond the paper pattern. Specifically, after reading this article, you’ll be able to make an origami tessellation pattern out of materials thicker than paper.