Accident Prone

Week 4: Injury and Prevention

Yup. This is me. (Source: http://mrmen.com/)

I am by far the most clumsy, forgetful, accident prone person I know. I can't remember the amount of times I've fallen over because of my 2 left feet or dropped and broken things because "Whoops, I forgot I had this on my lap." I have broken (expensive) cameras, phones, and a whole set of dishware (in 1 go), I now have a Nokia phone because I kept breaking all my other phones. 

Others have also described me as clumsy. Maybe I just have poor judgement or future planning, but I just happen to get myself into these situations. I trip all the time. It's unnatural how much I tend to trip. The worse time I tripped was when I was running on a trail, I tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground and I ended up scrapping my entire right side of my torso and both forearms (from elbow to wrist). I've dislocated my shoulder, bruised the nerve from the funny bone to my ring finger, endured a groin injury and bruised a pelvic bone from horseback riding. 

Image: That's more or less what the floor looked like (Source: http://lasvegan.files.wordpress.com/)

Not only that, the worse injuries were the ones I inflicted onto others. I always end up accidentally poking people in the eye (Hide your eyeballs). I've accidentally caused a full rack of dishware to fall on someone's head. I've indirectly inflicted a 6" cut into a co-worker's arm that required stitches. All because I didn't ask for help when I needed it. 

I've also had my fair share of working in warehouse room that was unsafe. I worked at a furniture store for a year or 2 and they always had us bring heavy items up and down a ladder. I've fallen from these ladders while carrying heavy ottomans and large lamps mostly. Thankfully none of these falls were serious.

Besides these examples of bad work safety, are some people more accident prone than others?

According to Sigmund Freud, there's no such thing as a true accident and that it all relies on our inability to be aware of our surroundings deeply rooted in child development. Some believe that the 4 pillars of accidents, hurry, worry, multitasking and stress are to blame. The British experimental psychologist Donald Broadbent, believes that mental cognitive failures contribute to accident proneness. To test mental accident proneness, Broadbent developed a Cognitive Failures Questionnaire. Let's see how I do:

Image: I knew it! My scumbag brain is at fault! (Source: weknowmemes.com)

1. Do you fail to notice signposts in the road? (No)

2. Do you bump into people? (Yes)

3. Do you fail to notice people's names when you are meeting them? (YES! ALL THE TIME! MY BRAIN PURPOSELY BLEEPS OUT PEOPLE'S NAME)

4. Do you forget where you put something like a newspaper or book? (Yes)

5. Do you find you forget appointments? (No)

6. Do you drop things? (Yes)

7. Do you fail to hear people speaking to you when you are doing something else? (Yes)

8. Do you say something and realize afterwards that it might be taken as insulting? (Yes)

I think I've solved it! This is why me and some other people are accident prone! 

But in reality, all of us can be accident prone due to circumstances we put ourselves in. Lack of sleep, distractions, and stress can all lead us to be unaware of our surroundings which could lead to a minor fall or a major accident. Alcohol, drugs and medication can also alter our mental and physical accuracy. The rise of smartphones also increase the rise of distractions and accidents. As interior designers, we can prepare for these hazards by putting more signage on the floor instead of up high. That way, even if the end user is moving through a corridor while staring at their phones, they can catch of glimpse of the floor change to signify a transition or exit. 

Image: Padded lamp post (Source: gadgetpics.com)

Image: The design solution that will change everything! (Source: news.cn)

Sources: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201310/clumsy-put-away-the-band-aids-and-take-out-the-mind-aids

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30710797/ns/health-behavior/t/walking-disaster-why-some-are-accident-prone/#.VDsapPldWSo

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-mind/mind-body/article/accident-prone-personality

Experience at Dark Table Restaurant

Week 3: Sensory, Perception, Cognition

Outside Dark Table Restaurant in Kitsilano, Vancouver (Image: theepochtimescom)

When this topic was first introduced, I immediately thought back to my dining experience at Dark Table Restaurant a few weeks ago. This was an experience I wanted to try for some time even though the review from friends have been luke warm. The main criticism I've heard was the mediocre quality of the food and how it doesn't "rival some of Vancouver's best restaurant" as claimed on their website. This begs the question; is taste affected by what we see (or don't see)?

Exterior Waiting/Ordering Area (Image: 604nomnom.com)

When my friends and I first arrived at the restaurant, we were seated outside in the dimly lit waiting area. The outside servers took our order from the picture-less set menu (deliberate move I believe). We then waited for a good ten minutes before our table server, Laticia, greeted us and lead us to the interior vestibule. The anticipation of waiting could be a move to increase the feeling of exclusivity to those passing by. The dimly lit atmosphere set the mood for the rest of the night as it help adjusted our eyes to the approaching experience. 

How we looked walking in and out of the restaurant. Please note, this was not a wedding.(Image: toxel.com)

Laticia got us to all form a line and put our hands on the person shoulder's in front of us. Inside the vestibule, it was completely pitch black. The only light was from the glowing exit sign and even then I couldn't see my own hands in front of me. Laticia explained to us the rules and premise of the restaurant and what was going to happen. I felt a sense of anticipation and excitement but also felt scared. When Laticia was guiding me to line up with the others, she felt my hands shaking. She reassured me that there's no need to be scared. I must admit that I'm a bit afraid of the dark. So voluntarily going into a dark room made me feel uneasy (Yay! Survival instincts!). 

The first sense I heavily relied on was touch. I was touching everything. I'm sure I accidentally felt up a friend or two. There was an urge to know my sense of place. My hands were infront trying to find our table. When I found my chair, I gripped onto it as it was going to be "my space" for the next couple of hours.

Image: What I imagined the place settings looked like but without the plates (Source: defogitall.com)

The table setting was differentiated by contrasting textures. The place mats were weaved and were against a glass table. That change in texture allowed me to assign where I ate and put my cutlery. The glass had to stay at the edge of the place mat to Laticia knew where to put my plate of food.

Image: What we looked like trying to feed each other (Source: diaryofanafrican.blogspot.ca)

We started off with bread and we even attempted to feed each other. It was an awkward and intimate experience. More butter ended up on faces then on the actual slice of bread. I was sitting beside one of my girlfriends and we developed a system where we would touch and hold the other person's face first before putting the bread in their mouths. It was an intimate gesture that I wouldn't have ever done if I could see. The boys across from us didn't develop any kind of system and just tried to match the food to the mouth. The bread didn't' taste any different even without a sense of sight.

The texture and taste of the food made it obvious to tell what I was eating. From the texture of the kale to the tartness of the pomegranate seeds, each dish had varying textures and tastes. Even the smell gave away what I was eating. I ordered a dish with shrimp in it and I could smell the butter garlic before it was served to me. These sensations were heightened by my lack of vision and was an interesting experience to have.

These heightened sensations might also be the downfall of Dark Table Restaurant. The food itself was tasty but was nothing spectacular. The appetizer salad was the most interesting in terms of taste because of the sweet and sour combination. It had the most difference in texture and taste. My main entree had textures and tastes that were too similar and lacked stimulation. I guess when it comes down to it, I have never broken down why certain foods are enjoyable. Just like visual stimulation, contrast is a big factor when providing excitement to our other senses. Since taste encompasses the other senses into the experience, I can't really tell whether or not sight has anything to do with it. I felt like even if I could see what I was eating, my opinion wouldn't have changed.

When it came time to pay, Laticia had to bring us to a closed offed curtained area with a dimly lit cash area (that was also closed off with a curtain). The waiting area for the cash helped us adapt to the light (even though it was still pitch black). The cash counter was blinding regardless of how much prep time we had. It was a shock to be able to see something. I thought they could have decorated the cash counter better since it was place the patrons would be able to remember. When we went out of the restaurant into the streets, it was another shocking experience. The streetlights were blinding. The visual stimulation was a lot to take in. Walking in the street felt like such a dynamic experience. The movement of my body and the surroundings felt unnatural to me.

BCIT vs. KPU Classroom Comparison

Entry 2: Introduction to Human Environmental Factors

As some of you may or may not know, I went to BCIT for Interior Design for about 3 years now before recently transferring to Kwantlen. There was the obvious changes of going from a technical institute to a university (ie. way too early morning classes, dedicated department areas, younger student demographic)and not so obvious ones that I now realize will affect my learning experience. First off let me say that after being in a technical school for 3 years, I have minimal patience for things that I deem "non essential" to whatever I'm majoring in (I'm looking at you English 1100). The technical school mentality is efficient, straight forward, and fast paced. There's no dilly dally when it comes to lectures. This reflects the ergonomics of the classrooms.

Image: BCIT drafting classroom

 The overall seating arrangements are all facing towards the front of the classroom. With personal belongings on the table, 2 people are still able to sit next to each other (although a tight fit if you're a larger person).

 Image: BCIT table and chair setup

If you're leaning on the desk for an extended period of time, the lack of tabletop bevel/profile can cause something I like to call "short of breath." "Short of breath" is when the sharp, 90 degree edge of the desk digs into your abdominal area which causes the feeling of difficulty breathing. The hard plastic chairs allow for increased focus (in the first hour) before the students start to fidget.

Image: Drafting chair and table

The tall, slit windows allow for minimal natural light (Hey, no glare though!).

Image: Typical BCIT classroom in NE-1

Now on to the interior design department, year 2 class at Kwantlen.

Image: RM 2050 Interior Design, year 2

Even if most of the desk are still facing the front, the U-shape formations promote interactions with other students. This is extremely useful when working in groups or just discussing common interests. The desk sizes are wide enough to put your supplies on and still have room to work. The bevel on the edge of the desk allows the students to lean on it for a long period of time without getting "short of breath" syndrome. The comfortable ergonomic chairs are capable of adjusting seating heights, arm rest heights and tilt which grants the students to comfortably move around when sitting for long times.

Image: RM 2050 Interior Design, year 2

Most of the classroom also have lots of natural light provided by windows. Roller shades can be accessed by the students/faculty to control the amount of light penetrating the space (not the mention the expansive view!). With bigger windows, there's an increase connection to nature which increases levels of happiness, productivity and accuracy.

Environmental Human Factors-Intro

Long time no talk to you who actually follow this (which I think is just me). I've decided to post school work on this blog. AND I GOT INTO KWANTLEN PEOPLE YAAY! 

If you're my Environmental Human Factors instructor, Dr. Dan, Welcome! 

Official Welcome + 10 Random Facts

Hey Ya'll!

Pardon my manners for that first post. This is the official "Welcome to my blog" post!

1.) I am super lazy.

I live by a work hard, play hard rule. And when I play hard, I mostly mean sleep until noon and spend the rest of the day on the sofa watching Netflix. I don't even shower sometimes because I just don't want to get up. If I could pee into a bottle, I would.

2.) I work well under pressure.