Ide@s 2008 at UTM Skudai

Winners

Salam. I’ve been the head for IIUM contingent for the Industrial Designers’ Saturday at UTM Skudai. The event was organised by the ID Club UTM from 16 to 18 February. We departed the night before on Friday and it takes more than 12 hours to reach. I don’t know why we need to depart on Friday night. Instead we can depart on Saturday morning. I hate it when I have to sleep in the van. Oh yeah. There are only 13 students, 2 lecturers and 2 drivers with 2 vans.

MIXING AROUND
What are the activities down there? In the ice breaking session, they mixed all of the participants into smaller groups and have some group binding activities. And on the next day we have telematch with 5 checkpoints. Its fun and interesting I guess when we are mixing around with all industrial designers students. I hate it when seeing architecture and interior design students are having their students workshop. I wonder if there’s any of IDE students workshop. At least I know that I’m not alone in this world, I mean in Malaysia because there are lots of interesting people in this field.

TALKS AND DINNER
Next, there are 2 talks, from Orca Design and Motorola Design Integration team. On Sunday night, we have ide@s Nite. It’s my first time having Chinese Set in a dinner. I’ve always wanted to experience this set because last time when I’m doing part time as banquet at Renaissance, I serve them chinese set and since then I’m wishing for having one. Maybe its because most of the Ide@s committee are chinese students. FYI, the dinner took place at Pulai Spring Resort, which I can say its kinda like Awana Kijal or Genting.

DESIGN COMPETITION
Now the best part of the whole trip. They also have organised 2 competition which is semester project and open title product design. Fortunately, for the former, I’ve won the first prize with the StepMovr design while my colleague Hisham won runner-up with his Camel Active Chair. The latter competition, the first prize of RM500 also won by my colleague Farhan with his Magna Rack. That made us the overall winner that bring back home the Piala Pusingan (how to translate that?). Despite our lack of discipline in time punctuality, I guess its some kind of bless because we’ve won both categories. Imagine, UIA doesn’t produce any graduates yet in IDE, ID and conservation, but we manage to go up to the standard that allow us for the victories.

WHY AAD?
Its just some of my own point of view based on the observation its just that my department AAD in UIA was lucky compared to the ID in UTM Skudai. I can say this because of the location. UIA was situated in KL suburb and its easy for part time lecturers to come and teach us. Besides that, basically design activities like exhibition and seminars usually took place in KL. So students near Klang Valley can appreciate the exposure and design awareness in this city. Unlike in UTM where their only design awareness city is situated in Singapore. Yeah, at least you must have a passport and extra cash to have a trip down there. I’m sorry for UTM because many lecturers especially part timers don’t interested to teach them. Location is very crucial in this situation.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Moreover, as in the design competition, I’m wondering what are the judges are looking for. According to my lecturer, its the idea itself. I do awed by the fine workmanship of the prototype but as a designer, it goes back to our idea on how do we becoming creative in problem solving. Industrial design is not just about making good design but the main point is the functionality and practicality. I’m not saying that my design is the best because the workmanship is not good enough. As I mention earlier, from now onwards, I’ll try to love doing design and sketch even more, and the main thing is identifying problems and ideas.

Too much of design lately. This week is the finalising design crit session. I hope I can get through all of this because the submission is just around the corner. Wish me luck.