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Open Magnets Brief: Rationale: Practically apply the theories of open design, communities of practice, co-creation. global sharing and local fabrication. Practically demonstrate that open innovation, as commonly applied to product design, can also be applied to graphic design communities. Background - Fridge magnets are an example of a mundane, commodified object that could be creatively improved through the application of an open design model. Magnets have standard sizes that can inform restrictions on the design process and spur competition within the community. Simple Brief: Propose an open community website for the creation of fabricated typographical and illustrated fridge magnets. Aim: Demonstrate how this system could work and indicate the roles it would provide for the designer and consumer. Brand the website and produce clear documentation for the community. Demonstrate how commercial and open models could co-exist in this environment.
Evaluation: The system I have designed is an open, community-driven website based around the design and distribution of laser-cut fridge magnets. Files are available to download directly and would be manufactured at the consumer’s end, giving them options about where it is made, what materials are used and their origin, the scale and colour of the final fabricated design. Open Magnets demonstrates practically the shift in the role of designers as discussed in my essay. By considering the success of mammoth open design networks such as Thingiverse, I have created a niche community site focussed around one specific product: The fridge magnet. I have taken inspiration from what Open Structures was able to achieve for modular product assembly and extended this kind of thinking to something more inherently created by a graphic designer. In this way I have tried to consider the future of graphic design as a specific profession within the Open Design movement.
I have structured Open Magnets to empower the consumer to
have an input in their consumption of a product, something which goes beyond merely a list of customisations and actively involves them in the process of fabrication. The designer of the downloaded file recognises that their product is not complete, and that while recommendations are made as to materials etc the downloader is free to alter, experiment and ignore this advice as much as they wish to suit context, taste and budget. This is something that is not possible through traditional manufacturing, but which easy global fabrication makes possible. Open Magnets demonstrates, as discussed in my essay, that while this seems like a limitation on the designer’s control, it is in fact a huge opportunity to change the way we think about design for the greater good of innovation, creativity and the consumption of goods. Importantly, I have indicated through this practical experiment, one way in which commercial and open systems can co-exist. The ability to monetise networks such as this is a challenge inherited from Web 2.0, but for which I have tried to find a solution by including a ‘premium’ section of the site, where commercial type foundries will be able to make their graphic products available on the network as downloadable fridge magnets for a fee. I feel that I have been able to create a feasible proposition as to how a service such as this might function and in doing so have proven that concepts such as open design, communities of practice, cocreation, global sharing and local fabrication can be just as valuable in the field of graphic design.
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Audience/Users In this Open magnet system, there would be 3 types of users with different aims: User 1 - The originator Creates a design Takes a photograph and uploads to the site Adds description and category tags and saves User 1 represents a traditional user of community sites such as vimeo or flickr. They are viewed as the sole or co-creator of a project and upload content which is categorized and rated by others in the community to ‘rise up’ and gain visibility amongst more users. As a community of practice, my theoretical system would allow user comments to help provide feedback within the community and foster virtual relationships that might lead to collaboration. User 2 - The fabricator Finds a design they like Downloads package Chooses a material and colour that suits their taste and meets their budget Has it made at a local fabrication facility or sends away to have it made online (optional) Photographs the magnet in context and uploads to the site User 2 is an engaged consumer of the post-digital age. They recognise the importance of open systems and are empowered to make choices about which processes, materials and locations they would like their products produced through. My system would provide them with a range of designs to choose from and download, rated and categorised by the community, whilst giving them everything they need to have the digital file fabricated however they choose. Threadless (a community t-shirt design website) has a clever way of engaging these types of user by having them photograph their purchases in creative ways and rewarding them with incentives. User 3 - The Remixer Finds a design they like but wants to improve Downloads package and makes alterations uploads to the site as a derivative (giving credit to the originator) Adds new description and category tags and saves
User 3 is the ultimate open designer, and the key creative that is easily ignored or misunderstood in other community models such as flickr. The creation of this user profile is informed by the examples of Thingiverse - Who have specific transparent systems for tracing back derivatives to the work of others. This makes all parties happy as User 1 does not feel that their work is being ripped off as credit is provided, while User 3 does not feel that their creativity is being inhibited. The Open Design Contest (formerly the (Un)limited design contest) has a specific category and prizes for those that create fusion products by combining two or more projects. It also encourages the users to build on one another’s work to win the award. I will be looking to implement these ideas in my theoretical system.
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Home
Project Page
This page presents the user with a selection of
The project pages present the suer with more detailed
designs to download and fabricate. Each project is
information about the fridge magnet design. A short
given a large banner image with their profile picture
description accompanies every project, as well as
and name overlaid. A bottom bar houses the rating and
recommendations of materials and scale that the
download buttons.
downloader could use in fabrication.
This page is designed to allow the user to begin
Users are encouraged to upload photographs of their
viewing and downloading as quickly as possible. The
fabricated downloads to help others in the community
muted background and large typography allows user
see the product in context.
content to pop and catch the attention of browsers. Projects can be sorted by top rated or recently added,
Open Magnets would place a huge emphasis on open
found within tagged categories or found using the
design, encouraging designers in the community to
search bar.
alter and expand on existing uploads and upload them as derivatives. This would allow an upload to credit
Clicking any of these project titles will take the
designs that they are developed from in a way that is
browser to an individual project page for additional
transparent to all users. In this page I have used the
information.
example of an adapted ‘Medusa’ design which has been uploaded as a derivative of the project ‘Snake’. A comments system is an integral part of communities of practice, Allow users to provide feedback and encouragement to each other and aid improvement.
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User Profile
Premium
Active members within communities of practice such
Open Magnets would build relationships with
as this are recognised by their profiles. This page
established type foundries to provide commercial
is simplified as much as possible, but indicates the
font alphabet sets to its users for a fee. This
number of uploads by the user, their name and web
service would coexist with the open designs of the
address, plus a short description. Thumbnails of
site, providing a curated selection of magnets from
projects are displayed in a grid at the bottom of the
recognisable names that can be personally fabricated
profile.
without purchasing a full font license. This is implemented to illustrate that open/ commercial hybrid systems are viable and could become increasingly prominent in the next few years. Working with copyright holders to introduce commercial products to the system helps to eliminate imitations entering into the community to satisfy demand.
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About Open Magnets would be very clear about its aims: ‘By allowing anyone to upload original work or build upon an existing design, Open Magnets aims to provide a platform that encourages open innovation and creativity amongst designers to rethink how the traditional fridge magnet can be designed, distributed and manufactured.’ The about page lists the four key activities that the site’s users will engage in: Download, Fabricate, Share and Remix. These descriptions can be found in the submitted handbook.