Reflection

EARTHQUAKE RESCUE WATCH

Indonesia Earthquake

REFLECTION

Design helps the people to have a better life, even in the disaster, designers are trying to invent and design the product to help the people in disaster. During this project, I realise that a designer not only designs the product to improve the life standard, but also design the product to “save” the human life.

There are many people around the world who needs designer to design the product to make their living standard better.

For my life saving locator, I try to design a product that helps the people to get out from the danger as soon as possible. From my design, it helps the people who are trapped under the debris to be rescued in the prime time, which is the main function for this locator, and it is very important during the disaster. During the earthquake, the time is valuable and limited, so this design helps the rescue team to save the time on finding survivors, therefore not waste time on any unnecessary events and people have more chance to survive.

From this project, I understand that the designer cannot only consider the functions of the designed products, but he/she also needs to consider a lot of different issues and environmental impacts. For example, whether this product suits the people in the area or not. Design needs to be eco-friendly, so it will not cause pollutions to the environment.

People in different countries have the different cultures and backgrounds, and they will have different needs within the designed products. So when designing the product, as a designer, we need to consider the design according to the consumers’ needs and wants in different area, and then design the products that suit the taste of the people over there. For example, to design for Indonesian, I place the different traditional Indonesian images on the watchband parts of the locator, which fit in the country.

As the designer, I need to think of all the possible negative situations that will occur when using the locator. Therefore my design can be improved, and reduce the negative situations when using the locator.

If I can do this project again, I will improve by designing more functions to my life saving personal locator. For example, design some functions for the wearers to protect themselves before the rescue team arrives. Also I will design the hand-crank power generator or solar power to function the life saving locator, so no battery is needed and no need to worry if the battery will run out.