Lockdown - what's changed?
Busier than ever
Many Industrial Designers (especially those with a few grey hairs) have worked remotely and independently for years. The recent change to home-working for many previously office-based people has meant that many of us seasoned cave-dwellers now have more people around during the day. That has led in my case to actual coffee and tea breaks, lunch and, most importantly, shared insights and the opportunity to talk things through and reflect. I'm convinced this has had an impact on my work and that of my wife and daughters, all who work in different fields. It's akin to having an in-house product test and review community - excellent when User Requirements Specifications and user testing are on the cards.
More scrutiny of my daily mucking-about has also meant that, at the time when I'd normally be chewing the cud of a design conundrum, I have needed to-be-seen-to-be-doing-something. Fortunately, I have avoided the unending stream of Zoom meetings, so the net result has been a complementary set of activities. One of these has been regular live-streamed radio and band broadcasts. A great excuse for buying more records and revisiting the thousands already making our shelves sag. Also, it has led to a design-led critique of my old record decks resulting in the purchase of superior equipment. (Still avoiding fixing the Pianola - my first eBay purchase in 2007.)
The loss of the home during the daytime as my exclusive solitary working domain has meant a list of jobs that need doing and vigilance as to their progress. Not surprisingly the past few months have seen garage door repairs, bedroom refurbishments, window replacements, actual gardening, scientific composting activities plus a whole spate of fixing workshop equipment, computers and appliances.
The skills and knowledge acquired during this period have not been insubstantial: single-phase induction motors and how to fix them, live broadcast over the web, identifying and sourcing spares for things you broke years ago, stereo mic techniques for live jazz transmission, refurbishment of a water-blaster, casework repairs to HP Pavilion laptop, design and construction of fitted bedroom storage units, access tower design and installation, remedial joinery in a conservation area, high-end coffee simulation and batch-brewing fine ales and fruit wines - all vegan-friendly.
As well as all the above, projects have included automated cleaning systems, post surgery underwear, vascular access devices and mentoring for grant recipients of the Knowledge Transfer Network. Basically, it's business-as-usual!
