A testiment to my quest
Written as I prepared to return to school, I feel this is appropriate at this moment in my life. It is a relivent today as it was then and I post it as much as a reminder to myself as an inspiration and window for you.
I have to find out why I am really going back to school. I talk about engineering. I do think that I could do that kind of thing. But the reality is that I do not have the natural mind for it. I have spent my entire life training my brain to work that way. In some ways I suppose it is in response to my father. Despite my never having respect for him as my dad, I always was fascinated by his work. Additionally growing up at Tom’s auto shop and hearing him speak (rant really) about the failure and few successes of car design I was instilled with a great curiosity about the process that brings about form, and the person that causes it.
What I want to do is be the bridge between the conception of an object, and the end users of said product. I think there is finally beginning to be less of a gap between these two. As manufacture and materials become better, cheaper, and more durable the user is finally being invited to participate directly in the design process.
I am entranced by seemingly simple innovations; both their flaws and their genius. I have a juicer whose plug has a finger hole between the prongs. Such a simple thing really, but connected to a much bigger picture. I grew up in a house that regularly salvaged power tools, lights, extension cords, vacuum cleaners and other such items from our neighbor’s trash. In most cases they all had the same problem. At some point the plug had been yanked, and the wires inside had grown thin, until the current passing through them melted the wire and broke the continuity. The result of this for the neighbors was that their previously functional vacuum no longer turned on, of would have to be wedged into the socket to stay on.
Despite having no previous trouble or dissatisfaction with the vacuum or appliance, this sudden interruption in functionality generally seemed to call for the household to update, and get a new one. After all, this was normally a problem that only happened after a long enough ownership that the owner did not necessarily express extreme surprise at the sudden demise of their tool. The old one went to the curb, and they were soon to be found in their minivan watching the K-Mart boy load a shiny new box marked Minimal assembly required into their tailgate. They never thought twice when Tony or I ran across the street and disappeared into our basement with their old appliance.
A moment spent determining if two or three prongs, 12 gauge or 8 gauge, black or white was required left us in isle 8 of Dorn hardware selecting a $2-$5 plug off the rack and hurrying back home. Plunging into the basement under strung up utility lights we would cut off the last 8 inches of cord, carefully peal back the outer insulation with a utility knife (stopping only momentarily to bandage the inevitably nicked finger tip) strip the two or three wires inside and carefully attach them the proper terminals checking the setscrews twice for tightness. Sliding the cover over the plug and snapping it in place we slid the still shiny prongs into an outlet. With great anticipation and hope I flipped the switch; returning the flow of electricity to our newly rescued and repaired blender. A grand smile and look of camaraderie would ensue between us if a whirr of life resulted. Almost without fail we were then looking for a place to store our new drill, or wondering what it might fetch at a garage sale.
It all sounds like a very complicated process that surely must require much experience, a large tool chest, and many expensive parts. However the job was generally not more than 30 minutes start to finish and required only a flat screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, a $3 utility knife, and a wire stripper which can normally be had for about $5. Even having none of these things handy in your toolbox, all the necessary supplies and tools can be had for well under $20, about the same price as couple new vacuum bags.
Unfortunately this does not seem to be common knowledge or practice among most consumers today, and surely millions of kitchen appliances, fine Milwaukee drills and other such things are tossed every year only to be replaced at much greater expense. Many of these tools are now taking up space in already overflowing landfills simply because their owners found it too difficult to unplug the appliance without yanking the cord, and thus shorted out their tool.
Looking at this plug, attached innocently to a $200 juice machine by a generic black cord I seen genius. I see the man who saw the plight of a consumer pressured into abandoning juicer after juicer when their cords failed from over use. This man must have seen the pain the user felt, their helplessness and frustration at not having the confidence to attempt a remedy. His response was a simple one, a subtle one. By splitting the wires early in the plug, routing them around a small hole molded into the plug housing, ensuring that said hole was sufficiently big enough to hold an index finger he answered the call and alleviated the plight of consumers across America. Now with ease and comfort I can unplug my juicer from the wall, without fear of damage to my plug, socket or finger. This simple change in the design and manufacture has probably doubled the average useable life of the juicer.
Take a step back, really let’s get some perspective. This juicer on my counter started out as metal ore and crude oil billions of years old. Millions of watts of energy, and gallons of oil went into turning that ore and petroleum into the shiny metal, strong plastic, and rubber feet that make up this thing. Even more energy was spent in the manufacture of its parts. Not to mention the human cost of feeding, transporting, and paying all the workers that brought it into being. By extending the life of this product even marginally incredibly amounts of energy is being conserved. Not to mention saving the consumer the time, money and hassle of finding a replacement.
It is the genius in these small things that fascinates me, motivates me, and inspires me to return to school, earn a degree and hopefully have the privilege of causing such incredible change and progress in our world. This is my mission as an aspiring mechanical engineer.
Kai Fernandez
I have to find out why I am really going back to school. I talk about engineering. I do think that I could do that kind of thing. But the reality is that I do not have the natural mind for it. I have spent my entire life training my brain to work that way. In some ways I suppose it is in response to my father. Despite my never having respect for him as my dad, I always was fascinated by his work. Additionally growing up at Tom’s auto shop and hearing him speak (rant really) about the failure and few successes of car design I was instilled with a great curiosity about the process that brings about form, and the person that causes it.
What I want to do is be the bridge between the conception of an object, and the end users of said product. I think there is finally beginning to be less of a gap between these two. As manufacture and materials become better, cheaper, and more durable the user is finally being invited to participate directly in the design process.
I am entranced by seemingly simple innovations; both their flaws and their genius. I have a juicer whose plug has a finger hole between the prongs. Such a simple thing really, but connected to a much bigger picture. I grew up in a house that regularly salvaged power tools, lights, extension cords, vacuum cleaners and other such items from our neighbor’s trash. In most cases they all had the same problem. At some point the plug had been yanked, and the wires inside had grown thin, until the current passing through them melted the wire and broke the continuity. The result of this for the neighbors was that their previously functional vacuum no longer turned on, of would have to be wedged into the socket to stay on.
Despite having no previous trouble or dissatisfaction with the vacuum or appliance, this sudden interruption in functionality generally seemed to call for the household to update, and get a new one. After all, this was normally a problem that only happened after a long enough ownership that the owner did not necessarily express extreme surprise at the sudden demise of their tool. The old one went to the curb, and they were soon to be found in their minivan watching the K-Mart boy load a shiny new box marked Minimal assembly required into their tailgate. They never thought twice when Tony or I ran across the street and disappeared into our basement with their old appliance.
A moment spent determining if two or three prongs, 12 gauge or 8 gauge, black or white was required left us in isle 8 of Dorn hardware selecting a $2-$5 plug off the rack and hurrying back home. Plunging into the basement under strung up utility lights we would cut off the last 8 inches of cord, carefully peal back the outer insulation with a utility knife (stopping only momentarily to bandage the inevitably nicked finger tip) strip the two or three wires inside and carefully attach them the proper terminals checking the setscrews twice for tightness. Sliding the cover over the plug and snapping it in place we slid the still shiny prongs into an outlet. With great anticipation and hope I flipped the switch; returning the flow of electricity to our newly rescued and repaired blender. A grand smile and look of camaraderie would ensue between us if a whirr of life resulted. Almost without fail we were then looking for a place to store our new drill, or wondering what it might fetch at a garage sale.
It all sounds like a very complicated process that surely must require much experience, a large tool chest, and many expensive parts. However the job was generally not more than 30 minutes start to finish and required only a flat screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, a $3 utility knife, and a wire stripper which can normally be had for about $5. Even having none of these things handy in your toolbox, all the necessary supplies and tools can be had for well under $20, about the same price as couple new vacuum bags.
Unfortunately this does not seem to be common knowledge or practice among most consumers today, and surely millions of kitchen appliances, fine Milwaukee drills and other such things are tossed every year only to be replaced at much greater expense. Many of these tools are now taking up space in already overflowing landfills simply because their owners found it too difficult to unplug the appliance without yanking the cord, and thus shorted out their tool.
Looking at this plug, attached innocently to a $200 juice machine by a generic black cord I seen genius. I see the man who saw the plight of a consumer pressured into abandoning juicer after juicer when their cords failed from over use. This man must have seen the pain the user felt, their helplessness and frustration at not having the confidence to attempt a remedy. His response was a simple one, a subtle one. By splitting the wires early in the plug, routing them around a small hole molded into the plug housing, ensuring that said hole was sufficiently big enough to hold an index finger he answered the call and alleviated the plight of consumers across America. Now with ease and comfort I can unplug my juicer from the wall, without fear of damage to my plug, socket or finger. This simple change in the design and manufacture has probably doubled the average useable life of the juicer.
Take a step back, really let’s get some perspective. This juicer on my counter started out as metal ore and crude oil billions of years old. Millions of watts of energy, and gallons of oil went into turning that ore and petroleum into the shiny metal, strong plastic, and rubber feet that make up this thing. Even more energy was spent in the manufacture of its parts. Not to mention the human cost of feeding, transporting, and paying all the workers that brought it into being. By extending the life of this product even marginally incredibly amounts of energy is being conserved. Not to mention saving the consumer the time, money and hassle of finding a replacement.
It is the genius in these small things that fascinates me, motivates me, and inspires me to return to school, earn a degree and hopefully have the privilege of causing such incredible change and progress in our world. This is my mission as an aspiring mechanical engineer.
Kai Fernandez