bathroom again >> the man came back

I really have to apologise for the obsessive bathroom stuff it is just it has been something that has been bugging me for months. I should have done it really but I was and still are having major treatment on my shoulder and can't really lift stuff at the moment. (even though I did have a little game of rugby the other day).
I/we are so fussy about the look of things at home. it took a few weeks just to decide the colour of the tiles.
so out side of work where heaps is going on, it is very important for me to have other design colour problems to think about in a but is a respectful way as in world context it really is not that important.


I have had some very sad personal news in the last 24 for hours so writing about the design of a bathroom does seem futile, however I still do it.
as that is the way I get through stuff I suppose and it is important.

I really like the colour of the tiles and they haven't even been grouted or cleaned yet when the white grout goes on it will look stunning.

Still loads to do though as the new toilet an shower are yet to be put in.

what a day >> designing for mobile communities

what a day, I really have to mention carol, first she left early this morning to drive to an interview, probably the most important in her working life to date. then she is back home after lunch when she received a call to say that she didn't get the job. next she called me very disappointed and I promised to get home as soon as I could which I did.
next early evening they were on the phone again offering her the job, quite rightly in my opinion she excepted, and got a good deal.
and there I was thinking the design/academic world was fickle.

I spent some valuable time on designs for 'the hub' today which is coming together a bit better than last week. I did take some pictures very quickly before I had to get home, but in my haste I had the camera set on macro which obviously meant that whilst the pictures are interesting they do not mean anything, I will try to get more pictures on tomorrow.

whilst looking at more stuff on the internet I again was drawn to cati's blog because I remembered a link to jeff axup who finished his thesis on 'methods of understanding and designing for mobile communities'. it sounds a bit heavy but I took it upon myself to read a large part of it. I am famous for not really liking reading a huge amount of text on screen. so as bad as it is if I have to consider an examination criteria for a new exam course I will be teaching I print it off to read it in a quiet corner somewhere at home, usually because the text has not been specifically designed for reading on screen so doesn't work.

however looking at jeff's thesis or the sections of it that I have considered and read, make it different and easier to see on screen.
the understanding of the first user seems to have been thought through in a way that suits me at least.

It would be silly of me to try and explain all that jeff axup has considered and written about but I will show a couple of screen shots and explain a little of way I think it works. obviously splitting the thesis up for download is nothing new, (the complete thesis can also be downloaded).
I like the way jeff has done this because for me anyway it makes the most important part the subject matter easier an clear to grasp.

I would be very interested to see what you think.

been busy working on sound >> but found this picture as well

I seem to have spent all day trying to get the sound right on some audio work I have been doing as usual the best laid plans have gone out of the window.
I expected to spend some time on the project I mentioned yesterday but I haven't even looked at it. probably a good thing as it has given me a bit more time to think.
I have still not managed to create the sounds that I was preparing but still I have a few hours of the day left.
for no other reason than I really like it I wanted to post this picture I was going to create a web template based on it. I still might do that I certainly will use it in my work somewhere, (ooops I am back to flowers again) .

'the hub' >> a working title

I am rather absorbed in thought at the moment I have been doing a lot of thinking and looking over the last few days. sort of hinted at it in yesterdays blog, but I am try to plan a layout for an educational space that is very different from the usual. I have a whole lot of work to do as I want to be able to present some complex (interesting/exciting) plans for 'the hub'. this is a working title as I would like to treat it as a hub of fact finding, learning and communication.

the main aspect of the design is a central 'hub' of the work space is an interconnected bank of five stations/computers all equipped with, well I will explain that at a later date as I am not sure of the spec yet. all I have is a head full of ideas I can almost see it in there but I need to be able to explain it that needs some more work. all I have so far is the first scribble (left).

I have obviously looked at and visited a whole bunch of places, along with my experience of both working in design studios and in schools and colleges I hope to be able to draw the many different elements together to produce a 'zone' of enjoyment and learning that is a great place to be as well as a great place to learn.

I have added some of the research I have been doing to this blog. looking through other schools with amazing buildings but tending to conform to the use of the inside space as in the picture (left). as you can see the desks and chairs are formally positioned. , chumleigh community college, classroom of the future, chulmleigh, devon. devon property, county hall, exter, devon. riba awards 2005. I want to move away from the formality of rows of tables and chairs.


absolute designs a design company based in falmouth, cornwall, uk have produced some design solutions, showing an inspiring use of interior space. you can see a couple of projects they have worked on. pictures (left) of falmouth college of arts and cornwall centre for professional development (right). for a better view have a look at their website its quite an amalgam of design from interiors to branding, packaging, design for print and more.

I still have plenty of planning and more thinking to do yet but a sensible proposal will hopefully come, whether anything will actioned is another thing completely. as a designer/ideas person you kind of get used to that. whatever happens the creative side of problem solving is often enough to fuel me to move on to the next project.

presentation? >> its not over

it will all make sense, it is still presentation. as used in teaching and learning. here is just a little look at some little things.

I promised to watch the rugby RBS six nations with my (8 year old son) ben today rather than spend it here, so please come back for a look later.

long day >> blog - presentation >> myearthdream

it's been an interesting day, seems that I could have actually introduced a whole new (small) group of people to blogging. in a short presentation I gave this morning I used dgthekneelo (blog) to illustrate a form of communication (blogging). the reaction that it got actually surprised me as I was presenting to the bebo generation for whom myspace, youtube, (msn) instant messaging are part of daily life. they went very quiet and became very interested while I was speaking and within minutes of being able to log on to the computers in the teaching room where creating their own blogs. I genuinely had no idea that a brief mention of blog-land would have this effect.

mike who is working with me on this two day enterprise education project I think was equally surprised at the speed of which blogging was received almost as if it were new. for me I was surprised that they weren't doing it already.
having said all this I have to refer back to davidthedesigner's blog of a few days ago questioning why people stop blogging in remains to be seen how long their newly created blogs last?


I had originally meant today's blog to be about
myearthdream I have for along time been a fan of F1 cars and motor racing (many years ago while at art school my friend ham would drive up and we would go to thruxton in hampshire to watch motor racing) but in the last years I have felt uncomfortable about liking it. even though have I always watched the grand prix on the TV and will be getting up in the middle of the night to watch the australian GP this weekend. I feel a little guilty, as even watching people driving very fast in cars that cost millions of pounds (to develop) round and round for an hour and a half does seem a little silly especially as I can't see it being very carbon friendly. however myearthdream have come up with a nice idea to help me think that it is not so bad and I would image thousands of others feel a little less worried about liking motor racing. I have made a pledge.
N.B.I am not fanatic I just like the way the cars look!

a walk to the shop >> then I noticed the signs

it is funny that I genuinely have no idea what i am going to add to this blog for day to day.
today I was at home with my 8 year old son ben it was a lovely sunny day in cornwall. ben decided it would be nice to go out for a walk in the sun, good idea.
we walked along the road, very near where we live the road I drive out of every working day. strange that you notice different things when you walk, as soon as I saw the first sign a real cast metal sign (top left) that is probably older than me I thought of davidthedesigner he would have approved.
we went to the shop and bought some lunch and ice cream I even had a milk shake as it was buy 1 get 1 free (won't be doing that again) at least ben loved his strawberry milky thing.
we left the shop to be met by the second photo (top right). already i was thinking again of david and also ben of noisy decent graphics.
when we turned into the road we live in another sign greeted us (bottom left) I was amazed that I have driven, sometimes walked by these signs nearly every day and not really noticed them before (& I consider my self visually aware!). at least as I walked towards my home I was reassured that my chimney that I really like (bottom right) I know many in the area don't like delabole slate used in this way and regard it as is ugly, but ugly or not the craftsmen that made it as the craftsmen who made the first sign actually cared. the same can't be said of the other signs.

another week >> scandinavian design

I thought some scandinavian design was long overdue an airing on dgthekneelo for no other reason that I like a lot of it. 2Krogh as I am sure some of you will have heard of them. they produce some really good stuff, this is (left) their entry page logo I like it, (right) is the index page designed for the sculptor peter hesk moller's website.

it is a very neat clean/clear website. I find it relaxing to browse, as it uses a lot of flat colour making it nice for me to get away from the flowered themes that have been going through my head of late. can't seem to get flowers out of my head, even dream about them!

on the scandinavian theme I had to add this blog 0645am. I really do like the logo it not flowery but it is surfy, very simple and very swedish.
it is the blog of a swedish surfer! it use to run as a website but now runs as a full time blog.
I have linked through to it from my surf site surf98 for years, and have watched it evolve, perhaps it is the way forward, I am not sure. what to you think should we all use blogs instead of websites?

looking up >>

in addition to the post below we went to see our nearest and favourite professional rugby team play on saturday and it was really good as they won and are through to the semi finals, great weather, great atmosphere. but I do sometimes think people might consider me a little odd as I try and look up at the skyline as much as possible even at a sporting event looking for shapes and colours. I have a whole load of these kind of pictures taken over the last 25 years .


when I say skylines it is perhaps more where the sky meets the buildings I was doing this on the very short walk from the car park to the rugby ground as well as in the stadium. when I noticed this to my mind beautiful building in amongst newer occupied flats. I have walked the areas before and never seen it doing this you really do see the most amazing things each time something new.


I love walking round places slowly and looking up. in the last two years I have spent time in Nimes in southern France and that really is a place to look up in. having said that I keep finding new parts of my city that inspire me and show me that you don't always have to go far to see, moreover it's about how you look. some of the architecture and ornamentation across our local city is so beautiful is just largely unseen.

a bit strange >> design ?

it has been one of the days/weeks really the best way I can describe it is in the pictures I have posted today. this roundabout I love the colours and enjoy the use of colour even enjoy watching it wizz around. the trouble is that is like so much design, teaching and every day talk the ideas can be poor but people think by wrapping it up a bit you have a good product but you don't.

when style not design becomes the substance of a product it doesn't work so any amount of random colour (or non-colour) can sometimes create pleasing effects but rarely gets noticed in a positive light, strange that me a one time textile designer famous for getting a degree in colouring in would believe this! (though I have since added to my studies and become a teacher of ICT/enterprise and business studies). I have always had strong feeling for colour and perhaps more the correct use and interpretation of it. even to the extreme of thinking the apple design teams cool use of colour annoying with its smugness at times. however Jonathan Ive as an inspiration beyond compare.

I am in no way presenting a tin german-made children's toy (that has a warning on it not suitable for children to play with!) as a design classic rather that it shows that all the colour in the spectrum will not save this piece from being anything but 'nice'.

Oh dear that got a bit heavy perhaps I should write about surfing next time, or perhaps I should explore this a bit more?

it has been a >> headache

I wasn't going to post anything today as I have a touch of man-flu (where did that saying originate? please leave a comment if you know), headache, feeling pathetic and tired and annoyingly ill you (know the feeling). even had to miss an important meeting tonight.
so here is a picture of something nice instead. 17" MacBook Pro

oh yes, this is an interesting blog to have a look at (the author got in touch with me) webtechlog

late >> long day > fruitful?

funny the day has just got away from me I had so many things planned for the time. I did them but never imagined that at 12.45am I would be doing this and I still have my surf site to update yet. I spent over three hours working on a work colleague's wireless network at his home. trying to get the same application running on two computers. I got it sorted in the end, but as carol (my wife) says 'why don't I do the bit at the end that sorts it rather than waste all the time fiddling around first' very clever, that is after she has asked me if I have turned it off and on again! so we went shopping and I was so struck by the colour of everything. having some time off this week has made me slow down a bit. I'm sure the staff at the supermarket thought I was a little strange as I was staring as the fruit enjoying the colours. did have time to check a few sites/blogs for work next week here a just three; rwillustrator, blogs.adobe and creative boy.
so it's fruit that I like to look at tonight.

I didn't go to the beach

I didn't go to the beach but ben and the others did, when he came back he had brought me this stone. I thought he had found a TV remote as we find all sorts of stuff washed up. so we made it in to one anyway. he insisted that it had a button for subtitles, coincidence then Robert Adler the co-inventor of the TV remote died at age 93 today. I think it looks like a rune stone or something any way that's about it really. funny it seem I do less the more time I have!

saturday >> shapes & colours

must have be to eden 25 times perhaps more each time I see new things I don't mean their events but shapes and colours that are always there. it was a cold day and not crowded it made interesting as I could see the buildings and the shapes of the structures rather than the people. I do like eden, it usually looks better in very bright light but today it was dull and things glowed rather than being bleached out by the sun. I love the colour of the tables and chairs in the right hand picture, it was starting to get dark when I took this one. I do realise that it carries is own message about sustainability, and eco-friendly living that is not lost on me, however colour, shape and form have an important place in living. get this for a change the coffee was very really nice today.