Do A Darn Good Job

I WANT to

"‘I WANT to do a darn good job’; that is encouraged.

‘I NEED to do a darn good job’; that is acceptable.

‘I HAVE to do a darn good job’; that is tolerable.

‘I CAN’T BE BOTHERED to do a darn good job’; that is not acceptable.

‘WHAT THE HECK about doing what job’; what’s the difference between trash and you?

SO if you do DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY, CHOOSE to do a DARN GOOD job".

Daniel Lim (2009) Chief Design Warrier

I'll never want to post any products on my blog cause that will be free advertisement.

This time I violated this rule because I found a mechanical pencil so 'WOW' I gotta share it with you. For those who pays attention to penciling details, you will be able to appreciate the innovation behind this. Simply simple and wonderful piece of invention that changes the way ANY mechanical pencil works. What can I say...

This is not a mechanical pencil. This is the mechanical pencil.

I'm not going to reveal too much here. I'd rather you check it out on your own and experience it.

Shrek & Princess & Cat

Made up of three different images taken many years apart. The background and a separate photo of my wife (originally on the beach) was taken in Mauritius (2006). White Kitty was taken from the void deck of the HDB flat in Jurong West (2008). The portrait photo of myself was taken by a professional photographer in my school.

Put together using Photoshop CS3.

NYPS Girls' Brigade 12th Coy Banner Making

I was asked one day to help the Girls' Brigade from Nanyang Primary School to design a banner for their drill competition I was a little apprehensive. I never designed a banner before.

Thanks Juliet for the wonderful experience!!!

When I stepped into the classroom on the Saturday morning on 7th March 2009, I was shocked to see some 30 little blue uniformed girls sitting patiently waiting for my arrival. All of them were waiting for my instructions. I didn't know where or how to begin. I thought they had some ideas and all I need to do was to give some comments and make some modifications on something that was partially done, etc...

Laid on the ground was a very large blank cloth to be turned into a banner. Sitting on the chairs were little kids waiting for further instructions. Walking around were teachers wondering when I would arrive. I turned up 15 minutes late you see...

Anyway to cut the story short, I found a working visualizer and got some children who are good in drawing to draw what they think would be appropriate for the banner. So they drew on a piece of A4 paper which I gave them.

After collecting their drawings, the next step was to select both the better drawings and those that represents the theme well. And I proceeded to 'copy' and compiled their individual drawings on a seperate piece of paper under the nose of the visualizer.

The kids could see their own drawings reproduced stroke for stroke on the projector screen. You should look at their faces when they see that happening real time... hehe...

Next was the challenging stage. I had to reproduce what was drawn on paper onto the large black cloth on the ground with chalk. I had not much of a choice cause it seemed that I might the only person most suited for this job. Got down my knees I sketched the outlines and some borad details leaving the minor details for the children to fill them in.

Then come the coloring stage. The children did some of the coloring on that Saturday morning and completed the rest ALL on their own during the March holiday. I did nothing.

Today I got a picture message from Juliet showing the end product. I was thrilled to see what wonderful job they had done.

It was the children's work because the drawings were their own drawings as each of the character represents the person who drew it, the coloring were done collectively by them.

I merely transfered and enlarged their ideas on a piece of cloth.

What an experience...

Design & Technology Conference 2009: Designerly Thinking

Design & Technology Conference 2009 (Singapore) . 16th March 2009.

I conducted one of the two-hour concurrent session on a two-stage ideation approach as a follow-up from the presentation on "The meaning of designing is meaningful designs" last year during the Design & Technology Seminar (Singapore) 2008.

In the previous presentation I touched on the overview of a lower secondary design approach. This year's focus zooms into the actual ideation process which emphasises on the attitude of an 'ideator' rather than merely a teaching of a certain technique to generate ideas quickly.

Learning or simply being aware (now) of such approach does help in generating ideas very quickly and efficiently, however, the quality mass of ideas at the end of the day still reflects the attitude of the thinker behind the ideation process.

Close to 30 Design & Technology educators from various schools got to understand the mechanisms to the approach as well as experiencing it via actually working on the process; hence the presentation title: "ACTUALLY DOING IT"

The second image shown above are some of my Secondary 1N(A) students who completed the note holder design just in time to be showcased during the presentation. It was pleasant to hear comments from fellow educators that they were amazed that the Secondary 1 normal (academic) students could design a note holder with such quality in terms of design.

Why not?... but not without the persoanl attitude to want to think and to put in the best effort.

Tools and techniques are but just tools and techniques...

Happy 'NIU' Year; Bye Mousy...

Happy Chinese 'Niu'(Cow) Year 2009!!!

Copyright © 2009 Daniel Lim

Cartoons on the Reality of Self Affirmation AND Technique for Relaxation

All Art Copyright © 2009 by Daniel Lim.Use of graphics is prohibited without prior written consent.

It is one thing to tell yourself to be positive and another to act it out. Self -affirmation as taught by many trainers (and teachers) only tell you to be positive and think positive. They often fail to emphasize the ACTION bit which happens to be only ingredient that make things work. It is no wonder that there are so many people who go (or forced to go) to a motivation talk, get emotional, and then after that move on with nothing changed or improved.

But I'm sure the trainers are happy, they got your MONEY!!! =)

All Art Copyright © 2009 by Daniel Lim.Use of graphics is prohibited without prior written consent.

Sitting down and belly (not 'barely') breathing with soothing music is one technique to relax. I learn it when the trainers shared this with the 4N(A) students in a motivation talk session.

Not sure if the students got the message cause I can see that they are already talking among themselves. While I keep myself busy conceptualising the talk and then 'cartooned' it. =)

Ang Pao Box & Wedding Card for a Friend

An Ang Pao Box for my wife's good friend's wedding on 27 December 2008.

(Caricature) Wedding Card

Design and Artwork by Daniel Lim (2008)

Copyright © 2008 Daniel Lim.

Central Japan Tour

Central Japan Tour Briefing @ CTC HQ on 7 December 2008.

Central Japan 18 December 2008~ 25 December 2008

All Art Copyright © 2008 by Daniel Lim.Use of graphics is prohibited without prior written consent.

For more comic sketches on interesting observations and highlights of our Central Japan Tour, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/

Caricature - Daniel Lim

All Art Copyright © 2009 by Daniel Lim.Use of graphics is prohibited without prior written consent.

Can you recognise this guy???

Caricature Artist: Daniel Lim

For more caricatures, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/

Taking Notes on DESIGN THINKING

Mr. Steve Chiu, Creative Director of Pencil Box IDP, shared his experiences as a practicing designer in a 'Meet-a-Designer' (M.a.D) session organised by the Design & Technology Educators Society (DTES) Singapore.

I was there on time. We all had a worksheet each.

Most people took notes.
Some summarised in a few sentences.
Few managed to write key words.
One "cartoon'ed". =)

Here are few lessons to share with you from today's M.a.D session.

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I know... you don't really understand. That's because you were not there! Then try interpreting them in your own ways and perhaps you may gain alternative insights! Share with me if you have!

The buddy-stool design was conceived in Oct 2007 in sketches.
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Now drawn using the Windows PowerPoint applications.

Nothing fanciful. At least something done.

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So what's next? Illustration and Rendering in a professional 3-D software? Or...

Perhaps very soon in the near future, you'll see some of my designs made and on sales.

The last one sounds more exciting.

For more Design Samples:

'Simply' Cylinder Tower Clock

Tower Clock

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All Art Copyright 2008 by Daniel Lim.Use of graphics is prohibited without prior written consent.

For More Design Concepts take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/

Clock Design Sketches

Sometimes this is what I do during meetings... good place for inspirations.

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Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/ for sketches / doodles / designs to feast your eyes or for some design inspirations.

Cartoons by Daniel Lim

Ever wonder how a cartoonist come out with their cartoons? Beats me.

How do I come out with my cartoons? I'll take you through my experience of cartooning...

Sketching & doodling & experimenting how 'silly looking bird' would look like.

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Adding a punch line and tickling story to tell. I'll leave the interpretation to you.

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The Final Copy!

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A final copy in ink.

Oh ya, I changed the punch line.

In the ideation and the development stage of a design process (in this case cartooning), anything can change and must change for improvement, given the time.

For more cartoons, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/. Enjoy!

Early Bird Gets the Worm

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For more cartoons, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/. Enjoy!

Chair Concept by Daniel Lim

Here is an extract of a chair design concept which I created in October 2007. The habit of always searching for alternatives got me this...

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This design shows an alternative design of the flexible back rest by repositioning and transferring the damper mechanism to the legs of the chair. The 'V' shape at the front or back leg at the base, connection the back rest, as shown in the two variations above provide the dampening effect as the user leans backwards.

With a simply relocation of a pivot point, it has also contributed to the overall form creating a new look. Strength and durability at the pivot point need to be looked into.

The concept of a one piece chair is proposed to be made entirely of acrylic or laminated wood. It would definately need some modifications to the one piece idea, move on with some compromise and hopfully which need not drastically alter its initial form.

For more Design Samples, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/. Enjoy!

Second is not an Option, Neither is First

SECOND is not an option;
As if being FIRST is.
FIRST does require exceeding efforts;
As if being SECOND doesn’t.

Being FIRST or SECOND is actually neither good nor bad;
Until unhealthy competitions and comparisons becomes the fad.

Be the FIRST to love,
Be the FIRST to serve, and
Be the FIRST to give & contribute;
Be the LAST who contradicts.
As if these are important. They actually are.

Composed by Daniel Lim, 06.12.07

The Second Mouse Get the Cheese

The Early Bird Gets the Worm.

TRUE . BUT on the other hand...

IT is the Second Mouse who will Get the Cheese

There is no need to hurry to be first.
It is common, but not necessary;
Sooner could be bitter; later could be sweeter.

There is a need to slow down to be later,
It is not common, but necessary.
Later could be better; sooner could be disaster.

Fine, if someone gets there before you in a hurry.
“LOOK! ...” The first mouse grabs the cheese in a scurry. “…SNAP!!!”
Who is wise if “The Second Mouse Get the Cheese”?

The shallow says it is due fate and a mere coincidence;
The wise recognizes that it is due deliberate efforts and due diligence:
There can be no wine; if there is no fermenting.
There can be no mayonnaise; if you ignore emulsion.

The world is rolled flat for a rat race;
Progressing fast and furious for all its worth.
Recognitions and rewards set the pace;
Accumulating awards and achievements set his worth.

A mouse trap for many,
A sounding warning to detour for few;
For the returns of gratifications and pleasures are high,
But for the latter, the returns of contentment and joy are higher.

But this I know, this other little thing about being first;
It is necessary to be first,
If you know what is to come, but not from you,
That might be bitter and not sweeter; disaster and not better.

Composed by Daniel Lim, 01.12.07

Concept Innovation: Gravity Works on TAP

Existing tap designs work on pressing the top and spring mechanism within the cap activates thereafter to shut off the water flow. The more advanced and modern designs come with levers and sensors. The tradition taps which requires rotating the handle is becoming obsolete.

There could be a simpler way of working a tap. One which will cost less to manufacture, less maintenance and one which neither rely on mechanisms nor electronics to work and minimize water wastage.

This tap innovation concept was created and presented in the Jurong Medical Centre on 6th September 2007 as part of an Experiential Innovation Protocol Workshop Program is shown below.

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The valve within the cap is shut when the cap of the tap is at the rest position. The user lifts up the cap and water will start flowing. The rate of fall of the cap will depend on the rate of flow of water. Research needs to be done to make sure that the cap will continue to fall at a rate to facilitate a complete hand washing process of approximately 10 seconds taking in consideration the average water flow rate of a HDB flat. The user will have a choice of shutting the tap earlier by adding pressure to the cap hence shutting the valve. Otherwise, the cap will fall slowly via gravity to shut the water supply valve internally.

Recommended usage: Toilet. Not suitable for dishwashing area due to the 10 seconds gravity shut off.

For more Design Samples, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/.

Enjoy!

Probably the Origin of Sub-Standard Behaviours in Schools

Why some students cannot do what is required of them in class...

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For more Design Samples, take a stroll to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickylife/.

Enjoy!

Bills Sorter

Designed and realised in May 2005, the bill sorter design was planned to sort out unpaid bills. The concept is simple, if there is nothing on it, that will mean no unpaid bills. Below are sample sketches at the CONCEPTUAL & IDEATION stage.

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The ability to represent ideas in the forms of quick sketches in a variety of appropriate drawing perspectives helps the designer to further explore and evaluate the idea. I name this process 'Paper Talk'. Exploded views are presented frequently and act as valuable visual aids to show how parts interact and how they can be assembled.

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The actual (not assembled) paper cut out model according to the proposed dimensions is also shown above. The image below shows the actual product.

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