Life would be very different if everyone knew exactly how long he or she would live. People would, no doubt, make many different decisions regarding their hobbies, family, and career. Assuming the life expectancy holds steady at 80 years of age (if it were to decrease, a person’s life would not change much. He would simply get married earlier, enter the workforce earlier, and retire earlier), a person’s life decisions would be influences by the prospect of a shortened life. If a person knew he would only live to be 20 years old, well, he might decide to not finish high school and instead focus on having fun with his remaining years. If a person knew he would die at 40 years, he may choose not to purchase life insurance and not put any money toward a retirement account. Of course, no one knows at what age he will die, so his discussion has no real merit.

There is a certain group of people who believe the world will end in 2012. They are so certain of this belief that they quit work when they had enough money to survive the next few years in preparation for a catastrophe. They stockpile food and rations in makeshift underground shelters in preparation for a global disaster. These people had better hope they are right, because if they are not, they set themselves up for a tough time in 2013.

These people are some of the only who actually life their lives with a definite time frame. They know exactly what they want to do for the next 3 years they believe they will be alive. They do not value work anymore and focus on gathering enough supplies to survive. Of course, this is not the topic that was assigned, but it does offer some insight into how people live when they believe they will not live much longer.

No one knows for sure exactly how long he or she will live. There are people who think they will die young or the world will end; consequently, they spend all they money by living in the moment and have no money in a savings account for use later in life. They must continue to work into their old age in order to support themselves. There are other people who spend their whole lives pouring themselves into their work or building a business from the ground up. They wait for the day when they can retire, sell their business for a huge profit, and relax while living in luxury. However, that individual could easily die in his 40’s from an accident or an unexpected illness. Twenty years of hard work produced no benefit for that person. He was waiting for a payout that never happened.

Maybe the lesson to take away from this is to plan our career with some sort of moderation. I cannot say that my career choice would be much different if I were to live to be only 40 or 50. I would possibly put less into my savings and retirement account and spend more money on luxury items. I would maybe be more apt to take riskier investments because I would know there is not much time for safe, small returns. However, my career choice would probably be much the same as it is now.

While I just wrote on the topic of design, I think that it important enough to devote another post to it. I will try to make this one as different as possible by not focusing as much on specific examples but examining the theories behind those designs.

As I was growing up, my father would always talk about how something was a "bad design." As I got older, we would always talk to each other about what we thought was good or bad about some object. He would tell me how the window switch in his car was a bad design or how the new table saw he just bought was a great design. This has made me more aware of how things are build around me. As I go through my life, many times I see something that I wonder how it was ever passed through a focus group. Of course, as I was trying to think of topics for yesterday’s post, they all slipped my mind. It is always tough to think of things like off the top of my head.

My father used to work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and part of his job was traveling to different wildlife refuges around the country and reviewing the design and accessibility of their features. He would read their pamphlets and drive around the refuges on the tourist roads to see how the average person would experience one of the refuges. Many times, he would point out something that was difficult for him to understand. Sometimes a sign or brochure would be worded vaguely, and he would tell the manager what he thought was wrong with it. Of course, most of the time, the officials at the refuge would say they did not see a problem. This is the attitude that I think contributes to the abundance of bad designs. People do not want to be told there is some problem with their product; they do not take someone else’s advice and a new bad design in introduced.

Sometimes, bad designs are created out of an attempt to save money. When something is made cheaply, corners are cut which can compromise the product. This is the reason for the plastic cases I wrote about yesterday. This is also why many cars are made with cheap materials and shoddy craftsmanship. I have had so many plastic break on cars it is unbelievable. Typically this happens with the interior trim pieces. Just last week I was exiting my mother’s Dodge Durango when plastic covering for the seatbelt snapped off. This is in addition to the several other pieces of the seat that have fallen off since she bought it a few years ago. These changes to the design of car parts has stemmed largely from the cutting of costs by car companies over the last several decades.

I some times wonder about the work of a focus group. Are they not supposed to review new products and give their feedback? With all this, how could a bad design be introduced into the marketplace? I would think that if enough people review a product all the flaws could be worked out of an item. Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that people do not always like criticism. If a person points out a design flaw, the designer may think that it really is not a problem and leave it the way it is. It could also be due to not enough people reviewing the product. Different people use a product different ways. Some people may not notice any defect while others find it unusable.

I cannot offer any panacea for bad design. It is my opinion that the best option is to increase the duration of the testing phase and the number of testers. In addition, the inventors should be more receptive to the criticism of product testers. Reviewers usually do not harbor any malicious intent—they just want a product to be the best it can.

One person’s definition of a beautiful design may be the complete opposite of another person’s. There are some pieces of art that leave collectors in awe, yet the majority of the population does not understand what is so special. My ideas of good and bad designs are probably going to be different from those of my readers, but here is my opinion on 4 designs.

Good:

1. 2005-2009 Ford Mustang
I have a somewhat of a biased opinion toward this example. This picture is of my personal car that I got several years ago. I chose this particular model for its unique design features. This vehicle was developed to resemble the classic Mustangs of the 1960’s. It was designed to appeal to older men who may have owned one of the original models as well as younger people like me who learned to love the style for the first time. This idea of a “retro” design was first used by Ford for the Mustang; however, it has been duplicated several more times with other car companies. Chevrolet recently re-introduced the Camaro and Dodge released an updates version of the famous Challenger. Both of these models are made to resemble the classic muscle cars of the 1960’s. Clearly, the design is one that appeals to many people because those cars have become very successful sellers for the car companies.

2. Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai, U.A.E.
This hotel was constructed several years ago as the tallest hotel in the world. It is the true definition of luxury with the rooms beginning at about $2,000 per night. The restaurants offer some of the finest cuisine available. While originally constructed as a hotel, it has become much more than that. It was designed to look like a sailboat in the middle of the sea. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the region and it is what most people associate with the country. When I tell people I went to Dubai, they say they have no heard of it. I then say it is the place with the sailboat hotel and most people realize that they, indeed, have, heard of it. The Burj al-Arab is even seen on some of the license plates of cars in Dubai.

Bad:

1. Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner
My sister gave me this device that she was supposed to test in her home. I was excited about it as I thought that it would help cut down on the time I spend cleaning my shower. However, after I installed it, a major problem arose. The unit hangs down under the showerhead. Well, I like to stand right under the water, but the unit blocks me from doing that. I have to angle the showerhead in order for me to get wet. Because of this, I do not use the automatic cleaner anymore. I am thinking it might be a good idea to hang it from a hook on the opposite side of the shower.

2. All plastic cases that snap closed
Someone thought these were a great invention. The entire case can be molded out of plastic with no additional parts. This cuts time and production cost. The clasps that keep the case closed are molded right into the case. All that attaches them is a thin, flexible row of plastic. Inevitably, after much use, these clasps become brittle and crack. They then break off a few uses later. Well, after they are broke off, what keeps the case closed? Nothing, that’s what. The case is basically ruined because the manufacturer wanted to keep costs down. This is exactly what is happening to my Dremil case. One snap is halfway broken off. The other one still holds fast, but for how long? I open that case about once a day, so I don’t have much time left before it becomes useless.

The automation of many tasks is seen as no great deal today, but that was not the case several decades ago. Daniel Pink uses the example of John Henry and the machine that was able to put him out of a job. While the story may be fictional, it accurately represents the attitudes of some of the people at that time. John Henry was faced with the real prospect of being replaced by a mechanical drill that was reported to work faster and more efficiently than any man ever could. John Henry wanted to represent the laborer and show the inventor that men would always be needed for work. In the end, he was able to defeat the machine but at the expense of his own life.

This sort of resistance to change is what gives many people grief. They may not want to accept that new technology can perform their jobs more efficiently but, many times, it is true. Think about where we would be today without machines to do everyday tasks. Take our cars for example. Today, only the most high-end automobiles are assembled completely by factory workers. Robots replace most of the people on an assembly line. They cut and stamp the sheet metal, weld the components, spray the cars with paint, check for proper fitment of panels, stitch upholstery, and lift all of the heavy car parts. Workers are usually present to oversee the machines in case of a malfunction and for final quality control. Their jobs have been largely replaced, but that is not al bad thing. Cars are now produced quicker and cheaper than ever before, and while the personal touch of a trained technician are largely gone, consumers do not seem to mind.

Today, people rely on the automation of tasks countless times in their lives. They wake up to an alarm clock, drink coffee from an automatic coffee maker, use an electric toothbrush, let the cruise control maintain their speed over their commute (in addition to many other automatic controls in a car), have en elevator take them to their floor, use a computer to write letters and reports, have the climate control keep them at a comfortable temperature, let a cash register/calculator determine correct change for a purchase, and allow a machine answer their calls when they are away. Clearly, there are countless tasks everyday that we let machines do for us. We have come to rely so heavily on them that if electricity were interrupted for any period of time, we would be lost.

The automation in out daily lives has caused us no real harm. In fact, it has actually led to many benefits to us. We can be more productive in our endeavors because we do not have to worry about the small tasks. Machines can do most everything we can do, often at a greater speed and efficiency than we can. Complex mathematical calculations would be near impossible if it were not for powerful computers which can do them for us. They can perform millions of calculations per second while we can only do a few.

Some people worry about a potential loss of our “humanity” that could come with increased automation. Who knows years down the road what will be done for us? Our cars may drive themselves and our food could be cooked automatically. This is a valid concern. I know there are some circumstances where I would rather do a task than have a machine to it for me. While it may be true that it could be done more accurately and efficiently if left to a machine, I get some satisfaction out of performing a manual task. That keeps me feeling as if I have some control over a situation.

As we discussed in class, it seems that today’s educations system tends to focus primarily on L-Directed thinking. We are forced to sit and memorize so much information that a large percentage of students will give up on their education. That is one of the reasons I believe we have so many high school dropouts. They are feel so much strain in their education that they feel they cannot or will not continue with it. Memorization and regurgitation is a tedious task for anyone, and sadly, that is what much of high school is based on. We are taught to learn important dates in history, memorize patriotic documents, practice our multiplication tables, spit back mathematic equations, and of course remember how to spell. This inundation of information is what leads many young people into special needs education programs.

Maybe if we did not concentrate so much on the mundane, L-Directed tasks, youth would not feel so burnt out. In class, some people brought up the idea how some people say they “are not _____ people.” You could put math in that blank or any number of other subjects. Some people do not excel at reading comprehension, memorization, synthesization, or any number of other skills. This is just how some people are made. Their brains are wired differently from other people. These students may excel at more hands on tasks such as experimentation or manipulation of objects. This is a known fact that I have heard many times in the classroom. People study differently. Some people find the use of flash cards essential for their learning. Others need to read the textbook to glean all the information they can. I tend to just read over my notes many times until I begin to grasp the information. Flash cards and the reading of text usually do not benefit me as much as they do other people.

My point is that people learn differently, and they should be given an opportunity to learn in the way that they are most comfortable. I am a science major and my line of study is very interactive. I am constantly performing experiments to reinforce what I learn in class. This type of activity reinforces what I learn much better than if I was only sitting in a classroom. My high school was very limited in its science department. I did not have any sort of laboratory experience until I was a freshman in college. In high school, I took chemistry and learned from a book. I never actually saw any chemical reactions taking place. When I got to General Chemistry in college, I was a little lost in the laboratory setting. After a few sessions, I began to feel more at ease with the procedures and found that I learned much more than if I was reading from a book or listening to a lecture.

In my high school Biology classes, we tended to look at pictures of anatomical differences in a book rather than actually having a specimen in front of us. A picture can only take a person so far in his or her learning. I took a biology class last semester that involved a great deal of dissection. We would have pictures to look at in an attempt to locate and identify certain structures, but they did not always look the same. I could look at those pictures for hours and not learn as much as I would in an hour of actual dissection. There is something about actually manipulating my hands that makes learning come alive for me.

College provides more experiences for R-Directed learning than high school does. Many times, I work outside for my science classes; that helps me better experience my learning. I have a greater choice of classes to take that are able to better fit my needs. There are some high schools that offer a greater section of classes than I had, but they are not the same as a college. It seems interesting to me to think that in Kindergarten and elementary school we were presented with many hands on activities to stimulate our learning (painting, molding clay, building with blocks, games at recess, etc.). In middle and high school we were weaned off this learning in preparation for book learning. In my college science classes, it seems that the learning is becoming more R-Directed than in my previous schooling. Graduate school in science, I suppose comes with even more experimentation and less lecturing by a professor.

Cell phones. They have become an integral part of out lives the same way clothes and cars have. Several decades ago, people did not use cell phones, and they did not imagine there would ever be a need for one. Sure, it would be a convenience, but a necessity? Today, people could not imagine life without a cell phone. Their use has been so hammered into our lives, that there is not hope of changing it now. Take a walk through a college campus any day and you will see about ¼ of the student population on a cell phone. I was thinking earlier this week how it would be interesting to count the number of students on cell phones as they leave the classrooms. It seems that as soon as class ends, students whip out their phones and either make a call or text someone. It must be drudgery to sit in class for 50 minutes and not be able to talk to a friend. I remember in my FYS class, my professor was talking about students on cell phones, and he said that many of them were actually talking to their parents. I do not know if this is valid or not, but it is something interesting to think about.

What about the students from our parent’s generation? They did not need to constantly talk to people on the phone. They survived college life without texting and talking on the phone while walking to class. It makes me wonder what they did with all their free time. They did not have the Internet, limited access to television, and no videogames. They must have…studied! What a concept. However, I am drifting away from the main point.

Today, we have become too dependent on our cell phones. There are certain places that phones are verboten. They are not to be used in theaters, in the classroom, in some finer restaurants, and at gatherings such as church. However, we have found a way around that. Instead of talking, we can now type short messages to our friends silently. Whew, what would happen if that was forbidden as well? Teachers and professors try their best to prohibit cell phone use in their classes, but it really does not have much of an impact. Students will continue to text and classes will continue to be disrupted.




Because cell phones have become such an integral part of 21st century society, I think that some standards should be set regarding polite use of the devices. Of course, most, is not all, phones have a vibrate function in an attempt to minimize disturbance when a call is received. However, we all can hear the noise anyway, and we know what is going on. Sure, try to cover it up and press on the phone with your hand, we still know it is ringing.

There are also those people who receive a call and talk way too loud. Maybe they think the person on the other line cannot hear them, but we can all hear them. It has a way of ruining dinner when you can hear a person’s conversation from across the restaurant. When a person is talking on the phone, nothing else seems to matter to them. It is if the world around the phone shuts down, and the only interesting thing is what is happening on the other side.




The final problem with cell phone use is that people will drop what they are doing just so they can answer the phone. They could be with another friend or relative, but as soon as the phone rings, that call is immediately more important than the person in front of them. Of course, the call could be very important. There could be some sort of emergency, but emergencies have happened for thousands of years. What happened in the 1950’s when there was an emergency? What if there was a flat tire or an automobile accident back then? People still got along fine and we can too. It is true that cell phones have their uses and benefits, but their overuse is becoming a great harm to our society today.

Thomas Friedman refers to the car company, Rolls-Royce in his book as an example of a company that needed to take advantage of a flattened world. I remember hearing about Rolls-Royces when I was a child. My parents told me that it was the height of motor vehicle technology. That was probably 15 years ago. Today, while they are still known as a luxury brand, there are many automobiles that are superior in price, design, and amenities. I have seen it replaced by the Bentley and Maybach as the vehicles of choice for celebrities and rappers. However, there are few other brands that hold the mystique of a Rolls-Royce.

Because of the extreme price and level of dedication it takes to manufacture these automobiles, there is obviously a very small market. Few people can afford a vehicle costing over $200K, and of those that can afford the price, many people choose to purchase something different. It is for this reason I believe it was wise for the company to spread throughout the world. Think of the people in the UK that may purchase a Rolls-Royce. Few people have the money, fewer people want to spend the money on a car, and fewer still want to spend the money on a Rolls-Royce. Then, think of those people who want one, how many of them already own that brand? This is not a car one replaces every few years. Their price tag and durability ensure that the same people will not be buying a new car very often.



Clearly, the market for extreme luxury automobiles is not very large in the UK. Rolls-Royce has been exporting their fine automobiles for many years, but that can also only reach so far. The company needed to find some way to ensure they would not run themselves out of business.

Before the cars became as popular as they are today, Rolls-Royce was manufacturing airplane engines during the World Wars. I flew to Belize over spring break, and the engines powering the aircraft were manufactured by non other than Rolls-Royce. According to Friedman, the manufacture of engines for applications other than automobiles accounts for about 60% of business (particularly for military purposes). This is one of the smart business decisions that helps the company remain in business.

The main reason it is beneficial for Rolls-Royce to spread out is it enables the operation be closer to the customer. By placing representatives and facilities near the customer, it cuts down on company costs (by not having to ship replacements parts overseas). Rolls-Royce has customers in areas all over the world. The royal family in Thailand are transported by Rolls-Royces, Chinese businessmen prefer them, American celebrities are seen driving them, and of course many European people enjoy this fine automobile. With business spread throughout the globe, there needs to be some way for the customers to feel connected to the company.

A world-wide presence can also benefit the consumer because mechanical technicians can be closer to repair and maintain the automobiles. The complex nature of the vehicle makes it near impossible for anyone but a certified technician to perform work on the automobile. Wealthy individuals do not want to drive their car may miles to see a factory trained technician when something is wrong. It makes the customer happy and ensures good business to make everything as convenient as possible.