Design Brief

1. The Situation The vintage design style has recently made a come back into modern design making products more simple and striped back to basic functionality with a clean, feminine theme. There are very few modern electric appliances that fit in with the simplicity but elegance of the is themes and as such they are often left out of these particular rooms so that the style of the room isn’t compromised. With more people living open planned or in studio flats there is a need for more vintage inspired aesthetics mixed with modern day technology to able to still use must have technology but without compromising their homes design. Design Brief   I am aiming to create an mp3 speaker that will be cohesive with the vintage theme to fit in rooms with that décor, it should compliment the style of the room and the other contents. I will research further into the theme to gain information directly from the target market that this theme applies to most and gather information about what they think are key factors in the design. I will look into existing products and see how I could improve or modify the designs to fit with my theme. It should have the ability to play music from different mp3 players so that the market isn’t limited to just one brand. It should also run from both mains electricity and have rechargeable batteries, the addition of the rechargeable batteries allow the product to be portable but not waste batteries as the ones inside can be recharged by plugging it back into the mains. I will research into whether it is important for the product to be fully portable (e.g. to be taken out of the house). Vintage Theme • Below are listed some of the recurring features in vintage design. • Floral imagery – particularly roses and elaborate flowers. • Bird imagery – either in flight or bird cages themselves. • Neutral colour scheme incorporating creams, pale yellows, pale pinks, pale dusky purples, white, pale greens or turquoise, bronzes or gold – these give a subtle glamorous edge. • Patterns – either floral, baroque or naturally themed. • Curved shapes with flowing lines. • Layered textiles with reference to mannequins and open storage of jewellery. • Plaster cast features – such as photo frames or bed steads. • White or light coloured timbers. • Sometimes these features are offset by striped floorboards (sometimes stained white or darker) to create contrast.