Son of Salt & Pepper

[Big Frank]

Sorry Jens, didn't mean to debase your excellent design concept! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Anyway, the next time I post a salt 'n pepper set to this forum will be when I have accomplished it in XaraX! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

(naturally, not wishing to give those Xara snobs an opportunity to eat their words, oh no, not me missus...)

TTFN

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Big Frank was


[This message was edited by Big Frank on May 10, 2001 at .]

[Bob C.]

Big Frank:

It looks very classy to me. So much so I thought the holder was made from quartz!

What do you think jens, is quartz a viable option for a holder?

Bob C.

[gwpriester]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> (naturally, not wishing to give those Xara snobs an opportunity to eat their words, oh no, not me missus...) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I suppose you think that by making your version bigger than mine, it is somehow better [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I love what is happening in the sides of the plastic. And the chome colors are rich and subtle.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Rarely So Humble...

[Big Frank]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I suppose you think that by making your version bigger than mine, it is somehow better <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Um... well, I mean, yes! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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Big Frank was

[Ross Macintosh]

Now Boys! Everyone knows not to judge the xartist by the size of his shakers. (It's how shiny your shakers are that matters).

Keep buffing! Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Egg Bramhill]

..but somewhere in the design / concept stage one simple fact has been overlooked....which is the salt and which is the pepper..normally the salt has a single hole and the pepper several. As great as your designs look (3D or Xara) as a consumer which is which?
Egg

[gwpriester]

Simple. Give each a test shake. If salt comes out, then it's a salt shaker. Likewise if pepper comes out, then it's a pepper shaker.

And if nothing comes out, it's an empty shaker.

No need to make life any harder than it already is, Eric :-)

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Rarely So Humble...

[Big Frank]

here's the XaraX version, (for Egg, just one hole for salt!) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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Big Frank was

[jens g.r. benthien]

Hi guys,

it's great to watch all your attempts to modify, enhance, improve, texturize, render, raytrace etc the salt and pepper shakers, but - sorry to say this - none of you actually improved the product idea and product design.

Of course you can write books and render millions of images about the product - but the design idea behind the product will remain hidden.

In addition I have to mention that some of you didn't understand the concept:

01. people use more salt than pepper
02. thus the salt shaker MUST be the larger one
03. in addition, the two shakers differ in size and material
04. if you reduce the number of holes in the pepper shaker, you are going to repeat the same mistakes as gazillions of people before you.
The reason is quite obvious to a product or industrial designer who PLAYS and EXAMINES existing products BEFORE he starts his development.
I've researched that more than 70% of the people are not satisfied with the 'one hole' solution, because in many cases pepper grains differ in size, which results in the bare fact that one larger pepper grain (Murphy's Law) will congest the single hole, forcing the user to shake back and forth to get rid of the large grain (hoping this bug will strike the next user, but not him again).

Don't just look for the obvious - the solutions are in most cases hidden behind the scene and require a rock solid research and x-ray eyes.

BTW, you've focussed on the 'shell', the surface - which is only natural, because you are artists, illustrators, 3D freaks etc.

You won't guess how I mount the shakers on the caddy - this is the MOST important feature of this product, because once you come up with an outstanding product development and design you have to make sure it will look identical to the one people see in the advertising or on the shelf - which means the shakers will always have to be 'in line', so that the slanted top of the salt and pepper shaker always match.

In addition you have to develop a mechanism that prevents the shakers to drop off the caddy accidentially while being carried from the kitchen to the table and vice versa - without adding too many steps in the production process, and without destroying the smooth (visible) surface(s).

If you would have considered all variables, you would have discovered that the plastic or quartz caddy wouldn't be able to qualify for an elegant and STABLE solution (not to mention the manufacturing process and it's problems with these materials) - an extremely important factor for people who will spend up to US$ 100 for this massive, heavy weight design object...

Don't get me wrong - I am very impressed by the many solutions to present the object, be it in 2D or 3D. And I enjoy that you picked up the idea to show what's possible with different software packages. It's great to see you jumping in, because your interest in this object showed me that it is somewhat outstanding and meaningful for you. Which led me to the conclusion to contact a manufacturer to investigate the production possiblities, market acceptance, production costs, possible retail price and - of course - to finance the patents (plural because he has to patent it in every country where he wants to sell it...)

The manufacturer is excited, fascinate by the simple mounting solution. So am I. And while we were discussing the product, I added two other complimenting and matching objects to 'complete the product line' - now it's a complete set of design objects for the breakfast table.

Keep going!

jens

[Big Frank]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> none of you actually improved the product idea and product design <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's because we weren't trying to. This is the XaraX forum, not the Scrapheap Challenge forum.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> some of you didn't understand the concept <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It really very much depends upon what 'the concept' was. This thread started out as a design which you translated into a drawing and we all we were trying to do was draw it as well so that it looked good - we weren't trying to make the design any better - just your original artistic interpretation of it as a Xara drawing. It all started out with trying to show you that you hadn't quite got the chrome/brass effect right. In fact if I recall, everybody has complimented you on your unique and striking design, which nobody felt compelled to improve on.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> The reason is quite obvious to a product or industrial designer who PLAYS and EXAMINES existing products BEFORE he starts his development <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You're absolutely right, which is why it wasn't quite obvious to us mere Xartists, especially as all we were trying to do was draw the wretched things!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> The manufacturer is excited, fascinate by the simple mounting solution <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's great news! I'd love to see the whole set you have designed - but this time I promise not to interfere, not one bit, not even a little bit. I will look but not touch... promise! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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Big Frank was