Design Paper 1
Conception, Design and Engineering
This paper suggests why it is necessary to re-work images to improve their functionality and usefulness.
An Oil Painting
An oil painting submitted to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition today or one hundred years ago is rarely finished on hanging day. The artists use the day to put their finishing touches on to their creations. Hanging day itself is a short period prior to the public opening and the gaze of the admiring public. Most of the greatest works of art need work and re-work to achieve perfection. Many an artist has left a legacy of trouble for conservators working years after. The Last Supper needed to be retouched within the lifetime of Leonardo da Vinci. The conception and design are manificent the implementation less so. Elements not seen caused the problems. The backing on which the pigments were applied did not securely hold the paint layer. Implementation was flawed.
Buildings
Buildings conceived and designed by architects are implemented by engineers. The best evolve over time. A finished form suitable for one period is re-worked and re-moulded to fit new times and new uses.
There are many examples of prestigious buildings that have had to be reworked during and after build due to poor implementation. Elements not usually seen cause the greatest problems. Roofs leak. Air conditioning fails. Cladding bindings loosen and fail.
Images
The conception and design of a particular image can be implemented in a host of ways. Those who care how images will be used, those who care how images might evolve over time should care how an image is implemented.
Le Corbusier was attributed as saying that people should adapt to working and living in his buildings. An image designer could equally claim a user should adapt to a wait of fifty seconds to download rather than have the same image download in five seconds.
Image Engineering
Engineering is the process of taking a concept or a design and implementing it in a form appropriate to the needs of the users of the engineered product. Engineers apply rules and standards to ensure that the best all round implementation is achieved.
Image engineers take an image as concept and initial design and implement that image in the best way appropriate to its use. Most image software concentrates on the creative and design aspects of this process. In a large number of cases an unfinished product is produced which when used is flawed and unsatisfactory. Image engineers using image engineering products produce the best implementations.