Design Triggers 1

Random Object

You are in a rush to park your car in your driveway and the gate invariably doesn't stay in place. You look around and find a a stone, wedge it to the gate.
This quick solution and the hero of the event, the stone have put together an essential detail. Also the selection of the device is not random, you tend to identify one which is jagged wedge like and fits well into the gap.
The random nameless object lying around in your garden for years has now become a product, your tool. You realize it was your buddy when suddenly one day you find it missing, and you would always crib to your self, ' that was a perfect piece' and shout at the gardener for it.

Metaphor

U have finished your work in the kitchen and look around for something to latch the old weather worn door in place. You find a spoon and just slip it in the latch. Done.
The object, the spoon has done the job of locking as it has an appropriate shape to slip in and stop. Also a nice finger grip to pull it off.
The object besides all this is saying something more.....maybe about the contents of the room and the activity.
This casual spoon act can trigger bundle of ideas and thoughts to work on.

Applied science

The rear view mirror is one of my favorites. It fascinates me. Its just a convex mirror fitted to the incredible complex machine doing a life saving job. Science and simplicity at its best.
Its a twin of the wind screen capturing everything behind , sincerely doing its job, engaging yet not looking back at the driver!
Very soon technology will out date it taking away its buddy relationship with the driver.

Mark

The grand and mammoth temple of Tanjore must have engaged several stone and wood carvers, temple artisans & architects working on dedicated modules of the structure.
In the orderly proportions and measurements of architectural elements was freedom of expression in the figurative carvings seen on the walls, pillars, gopura, etc.
But this off beat carving in front at a random location is vague and doesn't fit a pattern.
Was it a mark to ward off an evil eye, or symbol of luck or superstition or was the carver playing a prank.

Walk-in Rack

It was in Tanjore temple premises I found this interesting system of footwear leaving method. The designer, the shoe-keeper himself thought of this numbered grid idea.
Though there is scope for improvement, the idea is intelligent and lateral which can trigger many parallel concepts for other domains.

Thinking Mason

If the door was not visible in the picture would you see it as the doorway! You would. A deliberate and conditioned pattern of laying by the mason suggests that he is a thinking man. Does he want you pause at the entrance to check whether your feet are clean or pause to view and check out the room or is it simply his signature style in flooring art.

People Friendly

When ever I went to an MNC bank the chained barricades to form ques put me off and a red line at the end of it telling you to wait for your turn was intimidating. While working on visual merchandising solutions for a bank I decided to tackle this (though the client ignored it). This was one of the solutions I cracked which would, guide people, allow for branding/ promo and liven up the space.

Mindset

This door mat I found in a guest house in Delhi.
What would be your first reaction. Depends on beliefs, context, culture.
Whoever the designer, has challenged the mindset, maybe, or just done it for Fun!!

Romantic Thought

My friend Dhuli in college applied for a design competition for which the topic was WIND.
He chose to work on Paper Weights. This selection I believe is a totally lateral thought.
Solution: A regular form with a flag, when there is wind the flag would flutter and the paper weight trys communicate with you.