6. April 2009 by justdanika.

Here is the DL

Beijing is amazing.

I got to spend 8 days in Beijing with 11 others students from Stanford and 12 Peking University Students for my Cross-Cultural Design class I am taking this Spring.

My team is working with Adobe learning about self-expression in China, how they use digital media and how they differ from American’s in how they present themselves online versus how they are in person.

You want to learn about the Chinese culture, this is how to do it.

As a culture they differ from us in where they place their priorities, and what makes them an individual. The majority of young adults also have no idea what it is like to have a brother or sister as the majority are products of the 1-child law. They also think its rude to be loud on a train(rush hour and it was nearly silent).

My stereo-types were destroyed. I didn’t see haglers and thousands of bikers or anything old either. Debatable if this is a good thing, but everything was very modern. Their public transit worked like a dream, it rivaled my Europe experiences in clenliness, ease and reliability.I felt safe, everyone was friendly and inquisitive and happy to help us with food, traveling and directions.

I am thankful very much to my new 12 PKU friends as well as my new Stanford X-Cultural friends.
It is going to be a great quarter really diving into the culture and needfinding and designing for this awesome culture!

Posted in Design | No Comments »

6. April 2009 by justdanika.

Hey Team-

1) I updated my portfolio on my website so you can see a few projects that came out pretty awesome from last quarter.

www.theorangeengineer.com

Go to Recently Added and let me know what you think.

2) Last quarter was intense. I think I slept a total of 8 hours the entire 10 weeks.

3) This quarter is not so intense. I will blog more, I promise and let me know what stuff you like and what you don’t so that I can make sure I am keeping you updated on what you care about.

4) Next blogs will be dealing more with design and my cross-cultural design class.

Love Danika

Posted in Blogroll | No Comments »

3. February 2009 by justdanika.

Assignment: Design 3 pens in the style of 3 different designers.

We had to research designers, archtiects,  artists and whoever we were interested in in order to really get into their style. Then we designed pens in their “style” as if they were going to create a pen.

My three designers & renderings below. I am building them now.

Richard Rogers - Architect, Lloyds Building (London), Pompidou (Paris)

Hella Jongerius - Dutch Industrial Designer

Ralph Lauren - Rugby

Next I need to actually manufacture 2 of the 3. Stay Tuned.

Posted in Design | No Comments »

14. January 2009 by justdanika.

Assignment Art160-Design a Cake

Really you are going to give me a masters in engineering to design and make a cake?

Works for me…

Chocolate Stout Cake…made with Guinness. Covered in a chocolate Guinness glaze topped with a cream cheese frosting. Served upright in a pint glass (or shot glass) and eaten to your hearts content.

Happy St Patty’s Day…just a little early.

Posted in Design, Art60 | 2 Comments »

12. January 2009 by justdanika.

Classes are up and running…and its going to be an amazing semester.

Not only have all 3 of my professors let me know that their class is the most important, but they all are passionate for the students to succeed.

This semester I am going to:

1) Learn how to turn a wooden bowl on the wood lathe

2) Perfect the Art of Needfinding

3) Build a Lamp

4) Make a Cake

5) Build a Personal Statement

6) Find My Voice

7) Go to Beijing

Wish me Luck!

Posted in Design | No Comments »

23. December 2008 by justdanika.

Hot!

I’m reading the Art of Innovation…

Teams…literally, I couldn’t sleep the other night because I was so enthused by what I had read. Thinking about the work I had done at Pratt & Whitney and how our team worked I was inspired to pick it apart.

What was wrong with how we did work? Was it the fact that no one was passionate? There were negaholics? We were really spread out? We all worked as individuals? Lack of challenge?

Yes there were issues but one thing the Measurement Center had right was the right mix. We had young engineers who were all really good at their jobs and were actually really smart. If you weren’t great, everyone knew it from day 1 that you were never going to cut it designing instrumentation.

The Right Mix is a hard concept to hit on the target. People interviewing sell themselves with words/writing, not action. I think a temporary job to feel out an new employee works great…but then you end up like some of our BEST employees, contractors, that get kicked to the curb regardless of the fact that they really did hit the mix just right.

Posted in Design | No Comments »

18. December 2008 by justdanika.

So I made it back to CT safe and sound.

I missed the east coast.
I missed getting flicked off when driving.
I missed the deli at the supermarket.
I missed my moms cooking.
I missed my friends.

I did not miss snow.
I did not miss my fingers being freezing when I’m typing.
I did not miss JFK.
I did not miss having to drive every where.

Regardless. I am happy to be home and look forward to seeing everyone hopefully sooner rather than later.

Posted in Blogroll | No Comments »

18. December 2008 by justdanika.

Festivity, Ceremony, Anger

This a video compilation (its a little furry) of an art60 project I chose to do.

Assignment: Take a simple repeating shape to create 3 compositions that represent festivity, ceremony and anger.

So I took this, did some research and then used a bunch of squares to create a 3D composition that reacted to light. Whats neat is that as the light transveresed over or under or around it, the level of of festivity, ceremony and anger changed.

Check it out, its not the best video (well photography) but it gets my point out to you.

oh yea, if you have any recommendations on sound/music i could add, I would love to hear it.

Posted in Art60, Blogroll | No Comments »

16. December 2008 by justdanika.

Ok…so it turns out that when given a few days off + a good work space I can stay on top of my scrapbooking.

I am actually scrapbooked up through Portland….um…yea…thats yesterday

I ROCK

If you are anyone who is anyone…you are going to want to see this.

RAD.

d.

PS…back In CT on Wed Morning…NYC on Friday through Sunday….Help make my return…EPIC

Posted in Blogroll | No Comments »

16. December 2008 by justdanika.

Ok so classes ended…whoa finally.
I owe everyone an update on everything.

Lets just start with ME203….the coffee table.

Yes…i finished it and it totally looks hot.
My welding by the last day was almost non-shilant…
NEXT…aluminum!

Regardless…my table looks great
and although it has a slight moment (much smaller once i tightened all the bolts and added an extra brace) it works surprisingly well. It looks great and if I actually had an ottoman I would get to use it.
Until then….

Posted in Blogroll | No Comments »