Kodak Brownie

[James Coleman]

Dear all,

My name is James Coleman and I'm a Product Design student at the University of Brighton.

I have decided to base my next university project on the Kodak Brownie camera range, and what it would look like today if there was a special edition made for the 2012 London Olympics.

I would like to know if there are any experienced Brownie users who would be kind enough to share there opinions of the Brownie camera in its many forms, and what classic features of the Brownie design would you like to see included in a modern version of the Brownie?

[Michael Pritchard]

The designs look great. I hope the project leads on to bigger and better things for you...

All the best

Michael Wong said:

Well done ! Looks like we've got either a Jonathan Ives or Philippe Starck in the making ! Bet the products look even better in the flesh. All the best with the rest of your degree and look forward to seeing it in the Design Museum soon ...
James Coleman said:

Hi guys, just thought I'd pop in and say that my design has been featured by Yanko Design:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/04/12/kodak-brownie-revived-for-the...This is really big news for me and I'd like to say thank you for the feedback you provided. (BTW, I'm sorry that the hyperlink to British photographic history on the Yanko article is broken, this is their mistake and not mine).

[Michael Wong]

Well done ! Looks like we've got either a Jonathan Ives or Philippe Starck in the making ! Bet the products look even better in the flesh. All the best with the rest of your degree and look forward to seeing it in the Design Museum soon ...


James Coleman said:

Hi guys, just thought I'd pop in and say that my design has been featured by Yanko Design:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/04/12/kodak-brownie-revived-for-the...

This is really big news for me and I'd like to say thank you for the feedback you provided. (BTW, I'm sorry that the hyperlink to British photographic history on the Yanko article is broken, this is their mistake and not mine).

[James Coleman]

Hi guys, just thought I'd pop in and say that my design has been featured by Yanko Design:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/04/12/kodak-brownie-revived-for-the...

This is really big news for me and I'd like to say thank you for the feedback you provided. (BTW, I'm sorry that the hyperlink to British photographic history on the Yanko article is broken, this is their mistake and not mine).

[Michael Wong]

Sorry ! Yes it does. Up in Bradford. Good luck !

James Coleman said:

Thanks for the positive response Micheal, but just to clarify, is the NMM the National Media Museum?

Thanks again.
James

Michael Wong said:

Great interpretation of a classic camera for 2012 ! Does make you want to smile when a photo is taken with it.
You should try and get it placed alongside the No. 1 Brownie Camera at the NMM come 2012. Good luck with the rest of the project and your degree.

[James Coleman]

Thanks for the positive response Micheal, but just to clarify, is the NMM the National Media Museum?

Thanks again.
James

Michael Wong said:

Great interpretation of a classic camera for 2012 ! Does make you want to smile when a photo is taken with it.
You should try and get it placed alongside the No. 1 Brownie Camera at the NMM come 2012. Good luck with the rest of the project and your degree.

[Michael Wong]

Great interpretation of a classic camera for 2012 ! Does make you want to smile when a photo is taken with it.
You should try and get it placed alongside the No. 1 Brownie Camera at the NMM come 2012. Good luck with the rest of the project and your degree.




James Coleman said:

Thanks again for your input guys, the project is done now and I can share my rendered images with you. Please can I make it clear that these are CAD renders and that this project was simply a design study, no product has materialised as a result of this work. All copyrights remain the property of their rightful owners.

[James Coleman]

Thanks again for your input guys, the project is done now and I can share my rendered images with you. Please can I make it clear that these are CAD renders and that this project was simply a design study, no product has materialised as a result of this work. All copyrights remain the property of their rightful owners.

[James Coleman]

Thanks for replying Michael, I for one had no idea there was a company specialising in miniature versions of old designs. And yes, I'll keep it simple. As for colours, there was always going to be a huge range, it's not expensive these days to use different colour plastics in the same mould.

I'll be sure to post the finished designs on this thread for everyone to express their opinion.

Michael Wong said:

No expert here and also not sure which model you have in mind, but I think the UK-made Brownie 127 was the most popular.

You can do what Minox did with the Leica range and produce a miniature version of it (http://www.minox.com/index.php?id=19&L=1) - a retro style digital design, keeping it real simple with just one button (as in their sales slogan - You Press the Button, We do the Rest).

Also, have them in a range of 5 different colours (as all things are these days ! - representing each colour of the Olympic ring - blue, yellow, black, green and red), and perhaps with a silhouette of a particular Olympic sport on the front. Make them limited edition and launch each one only on the day when that particular sporting event is on. You might even want to consider throwing in a photocopy of the Kodak camera patent (ebay item: 380174063773) with each of your modern Brownie, for nostalgia sake !

Alternatively, if this is a 2012-based camera, you might consider incorporating the Olympic rings into the front of the body; one the the rings can hold the lens, one the viewfinder, other the flash etc. Though it might look odd :-)

[James Coleman]

Thanks for replying Michael, and thanks for reminding me about the huge advertising that Eastman was committed to, it had slipped my mind. It will certainly now feature in the project.

Michael Pritchard said:

I would suggest that looking at some of the contemporary texts about the Brownie and historical sources would be useful. They would explain the principles behind the Brownie which should influence your future design. There's plenty of material around.

I guess my suggestion would be simplicity of use and low prices are the key factors. In the past Kodak supported the Brownie with extensive advertising which might be relevant too.

[Michael Wong]

No expert here and also not sure which model you have in mind, but I think the UK-made Brownie 127 was the most popular.

You can do what Minox did with the Leica range and produce a miniature version of it (http://www.minox.com/index.php?id=19&L=1) - a retro style digital design, keeping it real simple with just one button (as in their sales slogan - You Press the Button, We do the Rest).

Also, have them in a range of 5 different colours (as all things are these days ! - representing each colour of the Olympic ring - blue, yellow, black, green and red), and perhaps with a silhouette of a particular Olympic sport on the front. Make them limited edition and launch each one only on the day when that particular sporting event is on. You might even want to consider throwing in a photocopy of the Kodak camera patent (ebay item: 380174063773) with each of your modern Brownie, for nostalgia sake !

Alternatively, if this is a 2012-based camera, you might consider incorporating the Olympic rings into the front of the body; one the the rings can hold the lens, one the viewfinder, other the flash etc. Though it might look odd :-)