Browsing by Author "Thilakarathna, KCM"

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item: Conference-Full-text
Identification of functionality and usability aspects of traditional paathraya’ in sri lanka
(2018) Thilakarathna, KCM; Ranasinghe, WMND; Samarawickrama, S
Functionality and usability can be identified as main key factors under the field of Product design. Traditional products have survived for many years in the history of a particular region or culture. In the perspective of product design, traditional products have gone through stages of designing and tested continuously with actual context. Therefore, those traditional products can be identified as well-designed products even though there is no any particular person to identify as a designer for them. Sri Lankan culture is believed to be more connected with the nature and sustainable concept according to social scientists, historians, archaeologists and folklore explorers. `Paathraya` is a traditional identical product that used by Buddhist monks not only in Sri Lanka but in other countries also. Therefore, it has a psychological platform combined with its physical characters. Paathraya is known as alms bowl in English, Patra in Sanskrit, Patta in Pali and Hatsu or Hachi in Japanese. As Product Designer, researching about traditional Paatraya of Sri Lanka gives exposure to the design principles and elements, material identification, product functionality and usability. The Research is carried out as an ethnographic research. Empirical Data is gathered by observing Museum collections and Paathra, which are currently used, interviewing archaeologists, Buddhist monks, artisans, potters, designers, scientists, sociologists by experimentation and analysing chronological development of Paathraya. Secondary data are collected through books and journals to enhance the functions, interpretation and design theories. Research will be based on lay Paathraya to explore the importance of material ,design and its usability. Research Findings are behaviour of the product in tradition and in practise, character, norms and the message it conveys. It was found that Paathraya provides knowledge to define functionality and usability with its physical and psychological character.
item: Conference-Full-text
Results caused by the existence of disposable products: with reference to plastic straws used in Sri Lanka
(2017) Thilakarathna, KCM; Ranasinghe, WMND
Design is for a better world. The stages in the life cycle of disposable products have caused problems to the world. The designer or the inventor of every product should be responsible for each and every direct or indirect consequences caused by the design. Disposable is a concept, which means those products are only for one-time use. There are few main disposable products; those can be identified as straws, cutlery, cups, lunch packs, bottles and bags. Mark C. Stone has introduced modern straws in 1888, which was made out of paper. Straws can be manufactured out of different types of materials such as Glass, Metal, Bamboo, Pasta, Paper, Plastic, etc. According to the usage and functionality straws can categorized as Wide straws, Spoon straws, sanitary straws, and Miniature straws, etc. The objectives are to make a world free of garbage and waste, to acknowledge people, to protect living beings and nature, to prevent disasters and world crises, encourage and provide suitable design solutions to answer existing and future problems. Every product has direct and indirect ways of affecting to the user, society and the world. Caring about those factors and consequences is necessary towards a better world. Study about Straws is the main research sample and the research is based on grounded theory method. The factual data collected from quantitative research method and survey done with observations focusing on Colombo district. The research findings explore that the current usage of straws, the methods and methodologies for a better product, the effect on the society and how it should be updated to the present as well as to the future social contexts.