Abstract
In this paper, the writer reviews the book, "What Designers Know" where the author, Bryan Lawson, explores the research techniques that designers use to come up with their creations. The writer examines how each of the nine chapters explore the techniques that designers use to create their forms and express their ideas. The writer posits that Lawson is successful in making the process of design accessible to the average reader and recommends this book for prospective designers as well as prospective clients.

From the Paper
"In his book, What Designers Know, Bryan Lawson explores the research techniques that designers use to come up with their creations. Lawson is mainly concerned with is explaining how designers are able to create highly functional forms and how they communicate these ideas with their clients. Each chapter explores a different technique that designers use to create their forms and express their ideas. For example, in chapter four Lawson explores how designers use all different types of drawings and computers to develop their ideas and then express them. With his analytical style, Lawson is able to describe how designers arrive at their decisions and what knowledge they use to come to those decisions."

Tags:computers, forms, buildings

Abstract
In this paper the author highlights the field of interior design and how it has developed over the past decades. The paper looks at the education available for interior designers without having to gain a bachelors degree and the needs of the markets with respect to people with higher disposable incomes who can afford to spend more on their homes. In conclusion, the author estimates that the popularity of interior designers will grow as will their potential earnings.

From the Paper
"As such, courses in interior design cover not only interior design, but also art, architecture and technology. Also required are two years' minimum of post-graduate work experience in the field, followed by passing the interior design qualifying examination monitored by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. In his or her first role, a new designer is generally hired as assistant to a more senior staff member. Some common tasks include being put to work updating research and sample libraries, performing project research and drawing plans."

Tags:wallpaper, decorating, certification, creative, furniture

Abstract
The case study examines the problems involving employees of a designer company. The business analyst defines the problems one by one and offers alternative solutions and recommendations.

From the Paper
"The commission only system is one of the major problems effecting morale. One option is to pay a base salary instead. This would assist in communicating to employees that they are important to the organization. By improving morale, efficiency would be improved. The benefits of this solution is that morale would improve, costs to the organization would be fixed, employees would feel more secure and employee turnover would be reduced. The problems with this solution are that employees may not be as motivated to work as hard and that the organization will be paying employees more, even when there is not enough work for them."

Tags:salary, turnover, morale, motivation, commission, job

Abstract
The paper offers an introduction to postmodernity and postmodernist designers and explains how they have the capacity to benefit society by illustrating what once was, and where things are going. The paper looks at the birth of the postmodern era and focuses on the practice of pastiche. The paper discusses how pieces created by postmodernist designers are felt to directly influence the culture and society within which they interact and concludes with the belief that postmodernism will continue to advance and evolve.

Outline:
Introduction
Body Paragraph I
Body Paragraph II
Body Paragraph III
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Being a designer or producer of media is a hugely important position from a postmodernist perspective. Postmodernism is the position from which all judgments are a matter of human-made consensus, that there is no universal truth to be found in science or in any other human activity. Postmodernism is founded upon an unrealistic view based on subjectivity, where the element of humanity is always central and rationality is an illusion that plays into the hands of oppressive power. (Pigliucci) Some examples of modern postmodernist designers who have achieved notoriety would include Andy Warhol with his pop art, the pop building of Robert Venturi, and in the field of poetry a more simple style which came as a backlash to the academic modernist poetry of the '60s. Jameson characterizes both modernity and postmodernity in relation to the producer or the artist/author to the masses or audience, then shows how these two parties are linked to the economic arrangements of the market. (Clark) This synergy between product and consumer is what grants the designers reach and influence."

Tags:pastiche, culture, society, consumerism, products

Abstract
This paper explains that the process of applying the instructional technology knowledge base to the education and training needs of the work force is referred to as instructional design. The author points out that as instructional technology, and more specifically, instructional design, has evolved, there have been efforts to more effectively meet the needs of business through the training of instructional designers who provide the instructional products business and industry what it needs to train the workforce. The paper concludes that there is a skills mismatch between school and business, representing a cultural shift, which is the result of a significant paradigmatic transference within the educational organizations that has not occurred correspondingly in the business culture; therefore, it is important to create instructional design artifacts that adequately meet the needs of the student and of the businesses in which the students will build careers.

Table of Contents
Instructional Design Competencies
Introduction
Evidence for Skills Mismatch
Reviewing Current Educational Preparation through Instructional Design
Case Study of Attempts to Institute Competency Measurement and Curriculum Change
Identifying Common Goals
General and Specific ID Strategies
The Foundation for Competency Measurement and Human Resource Practices
Bridging the Skill Mismatch with Competency Testing and Instructional Design
The History of Instructional Design and Instructional Technology Development
An Important Missing Link
Conclusion
Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology
The Evolution of our Understanding of Human Nature and the Beginning of Human Behavioral Studies
Maslow?s Hierarchy of Needs ? a Shift in Understanding
Triangulation as a Resolution for the Dichotomy
Educational Culture and Business Expectations
Are They Speaking The Same Language?

From the Paper
"Information can be processed either consciously or automatically, and conscious processing requires more working memory resources than does automatic processing. (Kalyuga , Chandler , and Sweller 1998) Schemas which are stored in long-term memory, with varying degrees of automaticity, form the basis of the conscious thought process. A schema, thought, paradigm, or concept can be stored and retrieved from long-term memory either in fully automated form or in a form that requires conscious consideration of each of the elements and their relations. If a schema can be brought into working memory in automated form, it will make limited demands on working memory resources, and thereby leave more resources available to the person. If a fully automated schema incorporating the problem solution is available in long-term memory for transfer to working memory, solution will proceed easily and smoothly."

Tags:phenomenological, mismatch, measurement, goals, paradigm

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is an evaluation of playgrounds, with specific attention to how playgrounds promote fine and gross motor development in children aged 3-7. The intent of the study is to review previously designed playgrounds and assess their efficacy at developing fine and gross motor skills using a five point check list. In addition, the results of the study are used to develop a theory regarding ways that designers can improve on the traditional playground design to make a playground more likely to help develop children's fine and gross motor development.
This study focuses on whether traditional play equipment is appropriate for the natural play of children and for encouraging fine and gross motor development in children.

Outline:
Methodology
Research Design
Data Analysis
Definitions of Dependent Measures
Statistical Analysis
Anticipated Results
Conclusions/Discussion
References

From the Paper
"To assess teacher perceptions of activities that may enhance gross and fine motor development, the author also proposes surveying no less than five teachers working with children at the elementary level to assess their views regarding gross and fine motor development in children at the playground. To achieve this the researcher proposes use of a short semi structured interview questionnaire that will prompt teachers to provide open ended responses to questions assessing the efficacy of current equipment at enhancing gross and fine motor development in children. The primary focus of this research will be to gain ideas for insights as to design improvements that may be made to help promote greater fine and gross motor development in children. The researcher will compare the information gathered from this portion of the research with information gathered from the Meta analysis to provide a well rounded discourse on proper design enhancements for promoting development in children using playgrounds."

Tags:motor, development, designers, features

Abstract
This paper examines the U.S. women's designer shoes niche, identifying major designers and characterizing the niche's place in the market. It discusses why designer shoes are not just footwear but a status symbol. The paper looks at prominent shoe designers.

From the Paper
"Women's designer shoes-the top brands in the country-have found a highly profitable niche in the U S market. For the purposes of this paper only non-athletic non-casual designer shoes will be considered ..."

Tags:women's shoes, designer shoes, online shopping, market niche

Abstract
This paper examines the furniture designs of one of the Bauhaus' most famous designers, Marcel Breuer (in the context of the Bauhaus and the modern movement). The paper argues that Breuer's furniture designs reflect the overall Bauhaus interest in the application of industrial mass production to the creation of domestic spaces defined by quality design. The writer explains that although the Bauhaus was to only exist for a few short years before its closing by Germany's Nazi government in 1933, its ethos can be seen to be reflected in much of Breuer's innovations in furniture design. The writer also notes that Marcel Breuer's furniture design would prove so enduring and popular that it came to be characteristic of the modern movement. The writer concludes that in situating Breuer within the context of the Bauhaus, we can see how his modernist vision evolved from an emphasis upon aesthetic principles to a focus upon the primacy of industrial design that may be inexpensively reproduced through mass production techniques. An annotated bibliography is appended.

Outline:
Introduction
The Bauhaus Vision
Marcel Breuer and Modern Furniture Design
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The Bauhaus School that came into being in Germany in the wake of the First World War represented arguably the single most influential school in the history of modern design. Headed by figures such as Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe, and defined by a socially egalitarian ethos that envisioned industrial production as the key to presenting quality designed products for the general public, the Bauhaus was to play a critical role in the shaping of how the twentieth century perceived modern design."

Tags:industrial, design, modern, interior, design, modernism

Abstract
This paper analyzes the topic of ergonomics in office design. The paper recognizes the importance of the physical and mental well-being of the office employee and therefore explains how interior designers need to be aware of methods of possible stresses for employees. The paper discusses how ideas of psychological, anatomic and physiological well-being all relate to ergonomics in the workplace.

From the Paper
"Ergonomics is a field which stresses the combination of the sciences of psychology, physiology and anatomy when designing objects and spaces that humans will utilize in order to provide the greatest levels of adaptability and comfort for the human beings involved. It involves the capability to fully understand responsibilities at hand and the methods and means to which humans will be most proficient in ensuring their completion. Once the equipment necessary for the achievement of these tasks is more suitable for interaction with people, then it is safe to suggest that the people involved will experience fewer stresses or anxiety and thus the ultimate result will culminate in successes for all involved."

Tags:ergonomics, office, design

Abstract
This paper discusses design issues, specifically the influence of Egyptian hieroglyphics and other ancient symbols on 18th, 19th and 20th century surface pattern design and their influences now on contemporary design. The paper examines the impact on design practice of digital techniques today. The paper presents a discussion of designers from these periods, illustrating their work. Suggestions for critical analysis and an examination of possible philosophical questions are provided in the paper, as they relate to future professional practice. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
Outline
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Egyptian Hieroglyphics in Design
18th Century - 20th Century Designs Elements
Assessment of Influence on Contemporary Designers
Conclusion

From the Paper
"According to Pile (1979), because alphabetic symbols do not represent true analogs for the sounds they actually represent, alphabets have become arbitrary codes that have no meaning until a user receives instruction; this can be readily discerned by a casual review of the sample Egyptian hieroglyphics in the figures below. In fact, "Once the code meaning is unavailable, it cannot be rediscovered by any logical means. The well-known story of the role of the Rosetta stone in unlocking the mystery of the lost meaning of Egyptian hieroglyphics is a good illustration of this" (Pile 112). The discovery of the meaning of the hieroglyphics was recorded in 1847 by Morrison and Von Schlegel: "For more than a millennium and a half had the hieroglyphics of an ancient race remained unintelligible to and undeciphered by a posterity of aliens, when at last, amid the recent commotions and tempests of the political world, a happy accident brought the secret to light" (55). "

Tags:signs, drawings, codes