tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58724085224283527252024-03-12T21:55:05.807-07:00Amparo del Rio Design BlogDesign Ideas and InspirationAmparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-56087322932340581612019-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:002019-10-21T12:53:57.862-07:00There is a story to tell in every project I create.<b><span style="font-size: large;">There is a story to tell in every project I create.</span></b><br />
<br />
Frank and Angela Bathroom is a classic example. Dealing with my clients wish list and knowing what they like is what makes a project exciting and fun, and part of a good design of course.<br />
<br />
I think I’m really good at dealing with my clients in a patience way. I love it.<br />
<br />
Here is a very <b>Traditional Bathroom Design</b>. Shows a good example of the kinds of people Angela and Frank are. Their beautiful house nested in the hills of San Mateo have all the makings of an old house. And this bathroom had to be specially design to fit their style and home decor.<br />
<br />
Frank and Angela wanted the Carrera marble look and custom built cabinets. They wanted a built-in stereo system to be remotely controlled with the iPhone. All the gadgets included for an amazing shower experience.<br />
<br />
I measured Frank so that the jets would hit exactly where his soar points in the body.<br />
<br />
The process of design was easy with them.<br />
<br />
The 3D movie was start of the project. (see below)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--43gUaml-MM/Xa32WK84jqI/AAAAAAAA234/E3dQ4_CANLMJcurmC1Csy40BYgQHtJbbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/angela%2Band%2BFrankBath.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--43gUaml-MM/Xa32WK84jqI/AAAAAAAA234/E3dQ4_CANLMJcurmC1Csy40BYgQHtJbbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/angela%2Band%2BFrankBath.jpeg" width="363" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzPE0_qm8Zw" width="480"></iframe>Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0San Mateo, CA, USA37.5629917 -122.325525437.462288699999995 -122.4868869 37.6636947 -122.1641639tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-47037460709312281072019-10-21T13:25:00.000-07:002019-10-21T11:50:36.553-07:00Beautiful Cars, A source of Inspiration<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The Many SOURCE OF INSPIRATION</span></h2>
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QePnaJtIfYQ/U9axkgBq73I/AAAAAAAAnu4/QEeTTGz0xXs/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QePnaJtIfYQ/U9axkgBq73I/AAAAAAAAnu4/QEeTTGz0xXs/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Often use beautiful cars for inspiration, when choosing colors for whatever I’m designing. FOR EXAMPLE: I created a kitchen using these colors. The cabinet doors where a rich beige color, with black homed granite for the countertop. And of course, stainless steel appliances where a nice combination to the look-and -feel of the modern and cozy kitchen. A deep fruit bowl in yellow was placed in the middle of the counter top.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Color is relative when putting all the finishes together. Most people today want to stay very safe by choosing mutted colors.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-67637208219385373642019-10-21T10:40:00.002-07:002019-10-21T12:52:40.511-07:00<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">Designing a New Kitchen</span><br />
<br />
Design a kitchen probably is the most fun and complex design project I have encounter.<br />
There are so many details to make a kitchen like this one.<br />
<br />
I was lucky to design this beautiful kitchen and master bathroom, kids bathroom two years ago for my client in Lafayette. Working with them was fun and rewarding.<br />
<br />
A few details... The lighting was a challenge because of the vaulted ceiling.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Steps I took to do it:</span><br />
<br />
1. Measuring the space and creating a proposed floor plan approved by client was the first task.<br />
2. Creating a 3D drawing in Sketch-Up for them the visualize how the kitchen will look like.<br />
3. Create elevations and details drawings for the contractor to built it.<br />
4. Materials Selections, included cabinets, and finishes.<br />
5. Getting permits.<br />
6. Finding a contractor that you trust and will built the proposed design is a challenging thing.<br />
7. Getting the construction going and finally building the kitchen was a job.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAsK2cKfqOc/Xa31F_dE-rI/AAAAAAAA23s/8CIeV2pjKNoU_sDC6LjvyWTT6dnbnVmcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lafayette%2Bkitchen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAsK2cKfqOc/Xa31F_dE-rI/AAAAAAAA23s/8CIeV2pjKNoU_sDC6LjvyWTT6dnbnVmcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lafayette%2Bkitchen.jpeg" width="476" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LqcTiJUfBw/Xa3vr--VWdI/AAAAAAAA23g/MwKdqvrbtVE96k0K-Sa2WCrXd-79-28hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2018-05-19%2B11.18.02-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LqcTiJUfBw/Xa3vr--VWdI/AAAAAAAA23g/MwKdqvrbtVE96k0K-Sa2WCrXd-79-28hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/2018-05-19%2B11.18.02-2.jpg" width="400" /></a>Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-84035386359866713472019-07-28T13:06:00.000-07:002019-10-21T12:50:36.175-07:00Being Original<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R58aKAoyIFE/U9atnwVg-MI/AAAAAAAAnuI/0g2vVS1fEt4/s1600/where+did+you+get+those+shoes%3f.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R58aKAoyIFE/U9atnwVg-MI/AAAAAAAAnuI/0g2vVS1fEt4/s1600/where+did+you+get+those+shoes%3f.tiff" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQXdw3AaLso/U9atsuHWPnI/AAAAAAAAnuQ/sxF1ijaa4_Q/s1600/where+did+you+get+those+shoes%3f2.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQXdw3AaLso/U9atsuHWPnI/AAAAAAAAnuQ/sxF1ijaa4_Q/s1600/where+did+you+get+those+shoes%3f2.tiff" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiFaoexXJpE/Xa4KpJMyXCI/AAAAAAAA24Y/mIOn4ZM6p8gm5dhqYvyGH9f3BuKqH0pAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kobi_leviBicycleShoe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="452" height="187" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiFaoexXJpE/Xa4KpJMyXCI/AAAAAAAA24Y/mIOn4ZM6p8gm5dhqYvyGH9f3BuKqH0pAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/kobi_leviBicycleShoe.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Being Original</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"To be original, seek your inspiration from unexpected sources. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Footwear Designer Kobi Levi, Tel Aviv. creative approach to shoe styles is amazing to me. The Bicycle sandal — bicycle-chair heal, a Union Jack T-strap. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div>
Another good example: When designing a dress, do not look at other dresses. Instead, look at the world around you for true inspiration. Inspired by Paris Eiffel Tower, fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier dresses. (the DeYoung 2012 exposition, photo by Amparo) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I could find millions of examples that show inspiration from art around us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UhOBITv9j7I/U9atlRJbjyI/AAAAAAAAnuA/RtTNQLP2lvA/s1600/jean+paul+gaultiereiffelTower+dress.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UhOBITv9j7I/U9atlRJbjyI/AAAAAAAAnuA/RtTNQLP2lvA/s640/jean+paul+gaultiereiffelTower+dress.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-23441423557713013132019-01-17T01:08:00.000-08:002019-10-21T12:07:35.075-07:00Kitchens As A Focal Point in Your House.Kitchens As A Focal Point in Your House.<br />
<br />
The kitchen as the center of our homes in no longer in news. We know that is the way everyone wants the house plans to be.<br />
<br />
The kitchen, The room where we live. As a result, kitchens have to be carefully planned for food preparation, TV viewing, gathering place for the family and friends, and entertaining.<br />
<br />
All my kitchen remodeling jobs are about opening up the kitchen and making the living/family room all connected. As a designer. I love to comply. Because I know what a family needs. Having my own children and making the hub of the family gathering was the key.<br />
<br />
I always tell people. Is not the amount of space you have, but how you use it, and the way you arrange it.<br />
<br />
When I design a kitchen, I learn as much as possible, how the homeowner cooks in the kitchen and their everyday habits are important in my design. . Some people bake a lot, some people entertain a lot. Its different with everyone. I like to ask a lot of questions. So much of good design is about putting myself in the clients shoes. And asking myself, if it was my house what would I do.<br />
<br />
In the old days, most houses where designed to have little compartments. Many walls separated the family spaces. As you can see the <b>before floor plan</b> of the kitchen and the master bathroom.<br />
<br />
I love to update spaces, and make them so much more efficient and beautiful. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_MKKfkNrgY/Xa3_3ELKdtI/AAAAAAAA24M/uZi6y1t26voMvMsfQNNqeuqremYSZBDvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/OpenFloorPlanKitchen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="802" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_MKKfkNrgY/Xa3_3ELKdtI/AAAAAAAA24M/uZi6y1t26voMvMsfQNNqeuqremYSZBDvACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/OpenFloorPlanKitchen.jpeg" width="496" /></a></div>
<br />Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-91828234210239810692014-07-28T13:17:00.001-07:002019-10-21T12:55:15.804-07:00Poster My recent work in Interior Design <a href="http://amparodesign.com/remodeling_services.html" target="_blank">http://amparodesign.com/remodeling_services.html</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7vJ5_-QcG0/U9avTkg4L9I/AAAAAAAAnus/MUc5e1oeN7U/s1600/poster_final-LowRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7vJ5_-QcG0/U9avTkg4L9I/AAAAAAAAnus/MUc5e1oeN7U/s640/poster_final-LowRes.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
<h2>
</h2>
<br />Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-22063280286772139392014-01-10T11:52:00.000-08:002014-01-10T11:52:25.627-08:00Innovation vs. Invention. What is the Difference?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jHL1YWtHyCs/UtBOjAj_TdI/AAAAAAAABpo/WpE_QInZIe8/s1600/SteveJobs.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jHL1YWtHyCs/UtBOjAj_TdI/AAAAAAAABpo/WpE_QInZIe8/s1600/SteveJobs.tiff" height="275" width="320" /></a></div>
In today’s global economy, there is a constant drumbeat to come up
with something “new.” But you don’t need to invent something entirely
new to be successful. Invention is wonderful, but you can be very
successful if you focus on innovating on something that already exists
rather than inventing something entirely new.<br />
<br />
What is
important here is to separate invention and innovation. Take a look at
Apple’s ubiquitous iPhone, for example. Apple took a stagnant product
category - the mobile phone—and completely rethought how it could be
used. They took an existing product category and existing technologies,
but still somehow reshaped modern society. Apple’s innovations in design
and user interface sparked a tech revolution.<br />
<br />
Innovation
is really what drives economic growth. This is a theory of Joseph
Schumpeter, who was a professor at Harvard University. Schumpeter was
one of the 20th century’s major economists. He said that innovation was
the product of new combinations, and he proposed five combination
patterns: 1) the production of a new good; 2) the introduction of a new
method of production; 3) the development of a new market; 4) the
acquisition of a new source of supply of raw materials; and 5) the
emergence of a new organization of any industry. The advent of the
Internet has created yet another platform for new services to be created
through the combination of new things in complex ways.<br />
<br />
In
the end, innovation does not need to mean inventions like induced
pluripotent stem cells or anything else. The emergence of new
discoveries is absolutely a good thing, but even without inventions, a
country or company can still come out ahead. After all, Japan didn’t
invent the car or the TV, but it certainly innovated on them and built
world-leading companies and economies.<br />
<br />
What do you think are some of the most important innovations this century?<br />
<br />
<i>Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/68357007@N02/" target="_blank">jobstribute</a> / Flickr</i>Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-7793703328593544882013-12-04T12:23:00.001-08:002013-12-04T12:25:20.199-08:00Design Comes in a Package<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><b>"I always thought everything we design comes in a package". </b></i></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A magazine for example is a package of many pages, having similar looks, like a brother and sister. A website is also a package of pages that contained in a url. A kitchen is a p</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">ackage of cabinets and appliances where everything looks good and goes together perfectly. Design is about finding the right solutions so that everything fits nicely together.<br /><br />Make new promo image is a box, containing some of my publishing work and my recent work as a kitchen and bath designer. I will refine it later... But could not wait to show and tell... <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=255751557771154&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amparo-Del-Rio-Design/255751557771154?directed_target_id=0" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Amparo Del Rio Design</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6Jq1qBPpXc/Up-PPTh7zdI/AAAAAAAABoI/OykkDMhero4/s1600/amparoMagBox.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6Jq1qBPpXc/Up-PPTh7zdI/AAAAAAAABoI/OykkDMhero4/s400/amparoMagBox.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-35820042178600504842013-08-06T13:02:00.001-07:002013-08-06T13:03:12.025-07:00WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NugRZGDbPFU" width="480"></iframe>Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-53570398875423509032013-08-04T13:05:00.002-07:002013-08-04T13:05:39.798-07:00Looking at the Past <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<br />
<header class="post-header"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr8RJ4rU59g/Uf6bSye0oRI/AAAAAAAABgM/D0-Md5u8alM/s1600/horse_forBlog.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr8RJ4rU59g/Uf6bSye0oRI/AAAAAAAABgM/D0-Md5u8alM/s320/horse_forBlog.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<h1 class="post-title" itemprop="name">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking Past the Horse</span></h1>
<h2 class="post-field subtitle">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finding space for meaningful innovation</span></h2>
</header><div class="post-content">
<div class="post-content-inner">
<div class="post-field body notes-source">
<div class="grid-breaking-override" name="d77a">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There
comes a point in discussions about innovation where someone trots out
that Henry Ford quote: “If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they
would have said, ‘a faster horse.’” It’s become a staple of the
designer’s quote library, a handy defense against skeptical clients who
question our iron-clad intuition. And let’s be honest, every time we say
it, we feel a little better about ourselves. We’re not like those
cowering luddites standing in the tracks as the innovation train rolls
through.</span></div>
<div class="grid-breaking-override" name="d77a">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="ac98">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast-forward a hundred years or so,
and we have Steve Jobs, apparently the modern incarnation of Henry
Ford’s self-assured genius. As the story goes, he ignored the customers,
descending from the stormy heights of WWDC to bequeath his
divinely-inscribed tablet (multi-touch, of course) to the teeming
masses. Or something.</span></div>
<div class="" name="ac98">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="eb00">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In both cases, there’s a
pervasive misunderstanding about the origins of great ideas—a
misunderstanding that has worsened the class warfare between the
“creatives” and “everyone else”, and stood in the way of more frequent
creative breakthroughs. It’s time to set the record straight.</span></div>
<h2 class="" name="50fb">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Horses & Cars</span></h2>
<div class="" name="749d">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let’s
start with Henry Ford. If he had asked his customers what they wanted,
they would have asked for a faster horse, because they knew they had a
problem that a horse seemed to solve (transportation), and they could
only think in terms of what they already knew (a horse, but faster). Did
Ford really ignore his customers? Not really. He just understood their
underlying need better than they did. He realized that what they really
needed was not a horse per se, but convenient, affordable
transportation. So he threw out the assumptions, reframed the problem at
a deeper level, and found a way to bring an emerging product category
to the masses.</span></div>
<div class="" name="749d">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="2321">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s <em>not</em> that he didn’t pay attention to the customers, but that <em>he paid more attention to the customers than they paid to themselves</em>.</span></div>
<div class="" name="2321">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="32c2">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While
we’re at it, there’s no reason why a car has to be the ultimate answer
to personal transportation now, any more than a horse was the ultimate
answer then. And one day, a future innovator will ask the important
question: what’s the underlying need for transportation in today’s
society? And why should it be a car?</span></div>
<h2 class="" name="5471">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apple & Magic</span></h2>
<div class="" name="56de">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What about Steve Jobs? I think he <em>was</em>
a genius in a sense, or at least a rare businessman who got a few
important things right and had the guts to build everything around them.
But I think the image of Jobs as genius (or evil genius, if you prefer)
misses the point.</span></div>
<div class="" name="56de">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="b44c">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apple Creative Services director Tim Brennan once used this graphic to explain Apple’s creative process:</span></div>
<figure class="" name="ce38"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img data-action-value="0*VCWLuRPsez0sxXKM.png" data-action="zoom" data-height="623" data-id="573500123802" data-width="1084" height="402" src="https://d233eq3e3p3cv0.cloudfront.net/max/1084/0*VCWLuRPsez0sxXKM.png" width="700" /></span><figcaption class="image-caption" data-image-id="573500123802"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">C’mon, man. Really.</span></figcaption></figure><div class="" name="e8df">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s
not helping anything. Selling the idea that Apple’s products are just
“magic” might be good marketing, but it’s mostly nonsense.</span></div>
<div class="" name="e8df">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="9380">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take
the iPad, for example. The iPad wasn’t “magic” so much as it was the
logical (and inspired) outcome of human-centered computer interface
design. Computers, as we have come to know them, have too many steps in
between what you want to do and actually doing it: desire → mouse
movement → on-screen button → button click → result. Most of those steps
are workarounds to deal with the limitations of technology. But few
people stop and think about that interaction carefully enough to realize
it’s built on assumptions that aren’t timeless. The iPad just took
advantage of emerging technology to remove those in-between steps, and
package it in an intuitive, affordable package. We never <em>needed</em>
a mouse, except as a crutch. Tap what you want. That’s it. Of course
it’s the future. And someday, someone will challenge the notion of
needing a tablet at all, dig beneath another layer of human needs, and
invent a new product category.</span></div>
<div class="" name="9380">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="8dfc">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think people actually <em>did </em>want
a new tablet product category (like the iPad), but they didn’t know it
yet, because they didn’t understand their unfulfilled, underlying needs
that made their previous way of using a computer incomplete. Apple
tapped into that unarticulated desire, unified the hardware, software,
and developer community, and the market confirmed it. Innovation is much
more than the idea—you still need everything that goes into turning
that idea into a viable technology and business. But it’s the insights
into deeper human needs that set the stage for the breakthrough.</span></div>
<div class="" name="8dfc">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="2970">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jobs
once said, “It’s not the customer’s job to know what they want.”
Perhaps a less catchy, but more precise, way of putting it: don’t always
take a customer’s request at face value; work hard to thoroughly
understand their experiences and values that led them to conclude their
request is the solution. It’s often their way of expressing a need that
we haven’t yet understood well enough. <em>Usually, customer requests are the clue, not the answer.</em></span></div>
<div class="" name="2970">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><br /></em></span></div>
<div class="" name="2bd2">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Sohrab Vossoughi <a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663453/innovation-always-starts-with-empathy-look-at-zipcar-and-even-apple" target="_blank">points out</a>, there’s a reason Apple “doesn’t listen to their customers”; they <em>are</em> the customers. They already understood the experience from the inside, and made something they knew they would love.</span></div>
<h2 class="" name="4c93">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Real Question</span></h2>
<div class="" name="122f">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
decisions of great designers are certainly based on intuition,but
they’re not magic, or even purely subjective. Design choices can be
traced back to observable human needs, and explained.</span></div>
<div class="" name="122f">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="c54a">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So
should we listen to what customers want, or not? Should we trust that
“the customer is always right” and do what they say? Dismiss them? Or
compromise, and try to make everyone (no one) happy? Wrong question. A
better one is: what do they really <em>need</em>, and how might this be a clue?</span></div>
<div class="" name="c54a">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="2e6e">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Neither Ford nor Jobs ignored their customers. They just understood their underlying needs better than the customers did.</span></div>
<div class="" name="2e6e">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" name="30a5">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether
they can articulate it or not, what customers really want is the answer
to their underlying problems, and it’s the designer’s job to uncover
those problems with empathy, careful observation, and patient listening.
We have to look past the horse and challenge the assumptions until we
find the underlying needs—and design for those.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-7793872094373042282011-11-24T18:22:00.001-08:002011-11-24T18:44:45.672-08:00Beauty in DesignBeauty and Well-executed Design comes to our minds in many shapes and forms. The only way to achieve the perfect details of your design, is to keep up your search for perfection. The most important part of finding a Design Solution is to rule out the ugly, leaving us with a fine tuned execution. When I design a logo, practice truly does make perfect. I like to discover as many solutions for a logo as possible, and then single out three options for my client to choose.Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-29384854091666744162011-11-05T20:25:00.000-07:002011-11-05T20:28:04.170-07:00The Power of Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JXScvom_o0/TrX-ET6PfrI/AAAAAAAAAr0/NgYWZBc1j4M/s1600/Design.Design.Design2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JXScvom_o0/TrX-ET6PfrI/AAAAAAAAAr0/NgYWZBc1j4M/s320/Design.Design.Design2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-18423012273224672452011-11-05T08:32:00.000-07:002011-11-07T08:36:46.298-08:006 TYPES of WEBSITES IN THE INTERNET<br />
<ol>
<li><b>WEB-BASED SALES</b>—All about Shopping and getting a shopping cart rolling. </li>
<li><b>OFFLINE SALES</b>—Getting people to sign up for a subscription. </li>
<li><b>LEAD GENERATING</b>—Offering something free if a visitor submits a name name and e-mail addresse. </li>
<li><b>MARKET AWARENESS</b>—Getting people coming to your site to learn about you. Important if you are selling a service like adwebart.com.
</li>
<li><b>INFORMATIVE OR ENTERTAINING</b>—Oprah.com is a good example, Visitors come to be entertained and get information. </li>
<li><b>INFLUENCE OR PERSUASION</b>—Sites designed to influence and teach your visitors.</li>
</ol>Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-46848363853515001702011-11-05T08:07:00.000-07:002011-11-07T08:42:47.003-08:0010 Steps on Planning a Successful Website<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">When we first meet with clients, they typically want to know how much their site will cost and how soon it will go live. However, answering these questions accurately usually requires going through a thorough planning process based on the following 10 steps:</span></b></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>1: Determine the Purpose of the Site:</b> Is the purpose of your site to sell products or services online, or is it a “brochure site” designed to generate interest in your company and have visitors contact you for more information?</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>2: Determine Your Audience:</b> Who do you hope to target with your site? “Everyone” is too general. You must define your audience precisely so your site will speak directly to them.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>3: Research the Competition: </b>Analyze your competitors’ sites. What works for them? What do you want to do differently? What will make your site stand out?</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>4: Brainstorm:</b> List the types of content you want on your site—jot down anything that comes to mind.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>5: Determine What Dynamic Site Features You Want What can be animated?:</b>What can be made interactive? Does your site require online estimating, a shopping cart, an interactive calendar, blogs, a photo gallery, newsletter signup, a portfolio, contact forms?</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>6. Develop a Site Map:</b> Create a “site map” by taking all the content and features from your lists (steps #4 & #5) and organize them into a flow chart, outline, or spread sheet indicating what content and features will be on each page and what sub-pages will branch off each main page.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>7. Provide Some Direction for Design of Site: </b>If you already have a brand identity, provide this information to us. You can also provide feedback on sites you like and don’t like. The more information we have, the better we can create the perfect site for you—often at a lower cost.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>8: Anticipate Content Changes:</b> If you anticipate making changes to site content regularly, all you need to do is make a call and we will make the changes within 24 hours.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>9. Develop a Timeline:</b> Set up a project timeline and make sure you reserve enough time to provide feedback on our work, including making decisions, providing content, and editing and proofreading pages.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: -3px; text-align: left;">
<b>10. Determine Your Budget:</b> Know your budget. If our bid comes in higher than what you anticipated, talk with us. There may be alternative ways to achieve what you want while stay within budget.</div>Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872408522428352725.post-81878852286770199142011-11-04T13:58:00.000-07:002011-11-04T13:58:29.516-07:00Web Designer Amparo Del Rio Paints on the Internet<br />
Much like painters express themselves on canvas, <a href="http://www.adwebart.com/" target="_blank">AdWebArt</a> works with visual elements, typography, and words to encourage visitors to click through the site and stay, whether it’s to sign up for something, buy something, or learn something. Our intuitive navigation structures keep visitors no more than three clicks away from the information for which they are searching. We ensure that your site will be well organized and easy to read.<br />
<br />Amparo Del Riohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641071140643576718noreply@blogger.com0