Gas Stoves

Gas Stove cleanliness is tricky as it deals with lot of foods - from wet to dry; super viscous to free flowing; colorless to saturated color. The spills and drops near the burner get glued up with the stove with the application of heat. Companies around the world are continually working on creating outstanding products to help people clean their gas stoves and keep them sparkling clean. These products work most of the time only if used daily and immediately after the cooking – before the food cools down and sticks to the metal.

My friend who is living in a rental apartment decided to save both on cleaners and energy. He is single and working, therefore, cannot spend lot of time cleaning the stove everyday. If the stove is not clean at the end of his rental lease, he is supposed to buy a new cover for the stove.

To avoid replacements, he decided to tackle the situation creatively. He covered the entire stove with aluminum foil. This prevents the spillage to contact with the metal and also does not require him to clean it daily. All he needs to do is to clean the stove once a week and replace the foil when it becomes really dirty.

An innovative solution, indicating a need of a new product in the market.

Where am I?

Employee safety is considered as first and foremost criteria in any organization a becomes stricter when we talk of developed countries like USA.

The pic attached in the post is taken at one of the client sites that I worked in USA. It clearly explains why "Where am I?" clue is important. Notice there are multiple "You are Here" signs in the printout.

A wrong navigation design can be a matter of life and death in real environment. However, on web it can be a matter of successful or lost transaction. People who undermine User Experience Designers role need to learn from this picture.

Roads for All

I shot these pics on my way to my office in Gurgaon from Delhi. One of the roads in the pics is a highway connecting the states and the other a 4-lane bypass. Both the roads attract a lot of high speed traffic most of the times. Despite of the speed of cars and other vehicles, the cows are undeterred and eager to use the same road space.

The problem of stray animals in India is a big problem and shall be addressed intelligently. If the government cannot stop cattle owners to let their animal loose, then at least they should re-design the road to accommodate both type of traffic - Human and Animals. No wonder, as designers we always wished for sustainable development and eco-design. Now is the time to design.