Here's a holiday project for those of us DIY-inclined and prone to self-supergluing/mixing up the salt with the sugar. These iconic ornaments, Legoized by Chris McVeigh, are available in build-it-yourself kits. If your house is already replete with plastic stackables, his site offers tons of free downloadable "recipes," too.
Michigan-based designer Susan (Yating) Qiu is exploring the frontier of minimal furniture design with work that features unexpected materials and natural inspirations. They may not catch your eye for being the most practical pieces, but they sure are fun.
Her first series, "Adret & Ubac" may come off as a defective rug (which is partly true, according to the designer), but it's actually a snooze-worthy seating option for those looking to catch-up with a friend or on their sleep.
It's essentially a rug on the floor that elevates at the center to function as a backrest. The form defines dual spaces for both conversation and self retreat. Different tones used on two sides of the ridge signify the adret and ubac of the mountain, the binary nature of the piece, as active catalyst for social interaction as well as for passive repose.
In a world of open office layouts and temporary workspaces, this would fit in perfectly at one of those progressive nap-friendly employers.
If your holiday shopping list includes any serious home cooks, there is probably nothing you can get them that will be as useful, or as appreciated, as a high-quality knife. But buying chef's knives is hardly a straightforward matter—indeed, the world of knife-making is its own complicated and fascinating design niche.
Recently, I set out to learn more about the design of Japanese knives, which have become increasingly widely available in the United States through brands like Shun and Global. [Editor's Note: Our own Hand-Eye Supply offers a few options from the more obscure Midori Hamano.] Not surprisingly, Japanese knife manufacturers take their craft very seriously. Shun, for instance, describes its blade as "a way of life"—and the name Shun (rhymes with "moon") is derived from a Japanese word that refers to the moment when a piece of fruit is at its sweetest, the peak of perfection.
This perfectionist approach trickles down to every aspect of the Japanese knife manufacturing process, which traces its roots back to the blade-making tradition of ancient samurai swords. Companies like Shun and Global pride themselves in the fact that none of their knives leave the factory untouched by human hands, as the final balancing process requires a myriad of hand-working techniques by skilled craftsmen to achieve the ideal weight.
Weight is one of the key areas where Eastern- and Western-styles knives differ. Eastern knives tend to be balanced with the weight in the blade, allowing for quick and easy chopping with no additional pressure. The Chinese cleaver is an excellent example of this, having a rectangular blade and a slight curve for easily mincing and dicing food using only a slight rocking motion. Western knives, more often, are neutral-balanced, meaning that the center of gravity exists at the "pinch point," or where the blade meets the bolster. This allows the chef to pinch the knife between the blade and the handle.
"Think of how a sushi chef works," says Tommie Lucas, the product development manager in the housewares division of Kai USA Ltd., the Stateside division of Kai Group, which manufacturers Shun cutlery. "They swiftly chop tons of fish and vegetables into clean, tiny pieces. That cut needs to be as seamless as possible and, since it's so repetitive, the motion needs to be easy and effortless."
The first result of a Google Image Search for "Technique"
"Is technique an example of overcoming 'bad' design, or is technique itself a form of design?"
So begins Sanjy009's inquiry into "Technique vs. Design," proceeding to illustrate the topic with a couple of examples, which have driven much of the discussion thus far. He starts with an anecdote about driver's ed in Scandinavia: "Sweden teaches drivers to open their car doors with the opposite arm, so their bodies are facing backwards and the driver is better able to check their blindspot before opening the door" (it turns out it might be Amsterdam; no confirmation as of press time), followed by a discussion of the ergonomics on musical instruments.
The latter serves as the primary talking point; to Michael DiTullo's point that "we are due for something new, but even most of the purely digital tools mimic analog inputs," I would note that:
1.) I think the Ondes Martenot is a good example of how an avant-garde instrument still requires an intuitive UI: It's essentially a theremin (i.e. a sine-wave generator) that has a graphic interface, as seen in this video overview (it starts a little slow, but gets pretty cool at 3:55; by the end, the interviewer notes that "It's definitely the most 'alive'-sounding electronic instrument... It has a very human quality to it.") Radiohead fans might recognize the coveted synthesizer, which multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood has played on every one of their albums since Kid A; it also features heavily in his solo side projects.
2.) The Tenori-On also comes to mind—the short write-up on MoMA's Inside/Out blog (they've acquired it in their permanent collection) offers a nice summary of how the 16×16 grid actually works.
Clockwise from top left: Ondes Martenot via Wikimedia Commons; Jonny Greenwood via Wikimedia Commons; Tenori-Onvia Wikimedia commons; Theremin player
Due out in January, the Mimo Baby Monitor shows the softer side of technology trickle-down. The key object is a baby onesie or "kimono" (kidmono! oh ho ho) employing Bluetooth Low Energy, wearable-washable sensors, and turtles. Once you've suited up your progeny in this thing, you'll received real-time information on your babe's position, breathing, temperature, sleep status, and future SAT scores on your phone.
Although it has one proverbial foot on either side of the precious/practical divide, there definitely seems to be a trend towards wi-fying babies. Mimo is just one product in a small herd of baby-applied tech devices poised to crowd the digital shelves.
Never mind tracking your runs and heart rate. You're a new parent now; no time for running, and your heart rate is likely to be higher than healthy at all times. Get used to it, get the app, and get some rest.
In May of this year, 12 Master of Industrial Design (MID) candidates from the Pratt Institute led by Professor Rebecca Welz, had the opportunity to spend two weeks in the town of Malinalco, Mexico, where they collaborated with 13 local artisans to design and fabricate their projects. Each artisan/student pair spent full working days brainstorming, conceptualizing, designing, sourcing and finally fabricating a variety of products, from tabletop to furniture pieces.
Challenging in many ways, it became an incredibly enriching and educational experience for everyone involved. It was a simultaneous exchange of thoughts, knowledge and interests and a walk through the creative process, with two points of view, hand in hand. It was a human experience, which situates the designer in a very humbling and real place—one that is long way, both geographically and figuratively, from a Brooklyn classroom.
Malinalco is a small town located two hours southwest of Mexico City. It is a charming tourist destination, which features the only monolithic Pre-Columbian structure in Central America, the Cuauhtinchan sanctuary complex. As you enter the archaeological site on a typical bustling weekend (weekdays are incredibly quiet in this town), you will run into dozens of little stands selling local crafts. This is how the artisans make a living: Selling leather bracelets, small woodcarvings of mushrooms and humming birds, and handmade books, among various other things. Many of the artisans also join the annual local wood carving competition, where they make larger scale sculptures and sculpted traditional musical instruments. They are incredibly talented and love their craft, even if it often means barely making a living.
Most of the artisans who participated in the Malinalco Project are master woodcarvers, but the locals also included carpenters, weavers and jewelers. The wealth of knowledge and respect towards their craft, marked with a deep sense of humility, was evident from the very moment we met. The particular wisdom and sensibility, a rich inheritance from their Aztec traditions, was also present in their interests and thought process. Through their work, the artisans represent and interpret the natural world surrounding them, with layers of meanings and a system of symbols that has been passed down through generations. As we, designers and artisans, brainstormed on product ideas, we looked for new applications, in form and function, of each artisan's craft. Our path involved working with both abstraction and representation, with surface treatments and variation in scale, as well as new uses of materials and techniques.
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As part of their team, you will apply your design thinking skills on a diverse range of medical, business and consumer products for world markets. Their approach to design will see you involved in the early stages of research and strategy through to concept generation. You must have a minimum of 6 years' experience in product design, as well as experience in project and client management to excel in this role.
We're always interested to see how technology increasingly enables new combinations of mediums for artwork, such as a recent work of performance art that stars a carefully choreographed set of 60 lamps—exposed tungsten bulbs on an arcing wood frame—along with the performers themselves, all set to an electronic score. "A Man Named Zero" is as much a work of performance art as an example of lighting design at its best. London-based lighting experts Nocte created the concept behind this performance piece—a show put on at the London Total Refreshment Centre that's meant to "tell the story of one man's rite of passage as he breaks out of his mental and physical hibernation into discovering himself and his own mind," according to the brand's website.
Performance art definitely isn't for everyone—the slightest detail can spoil the suspension of disbelief that is a prerequisite for an aesthetic experience. But if the photos and video (below) are any indication, "A Man Named Zero" was quite the spectacle.
Sipho Mabona does beautiful things with paper. Not only does he have an awesome job title—Professional Origami Artist—he also has big plans for his hobby-turned-profession. Using a 2,500 sq. ft. sheet of paper, Mabona is looking to create a life-size origami pachyderm, cleverly known as the "White Elephant."
And he'll even record himself doing it, for those of you video-or-it-didn't-happen skeptics—two cameras will be streaming a live feed of the project in progress. The entire project will be completed in a room at the Art Museum in Beromünster, Switzerland with help from three assistants. The team will take on treacherous creases and potential for some major paper cuts to craft an elephant that stands over ten feet tall (with the help of a support structure and white acrylic sealant). Mabona explains:
We're a fan of fire, especially when it comes to DIY projects like a sun-powered grill, an incendiary bicycle, or what is still probably the best IKEA hack ever. But besides its culinary or propulsive properties, fire is really just a source of light, and we also love it when designers come up with new ways to provide this basic necessity.
San Francisco-based designer Hoang M Nguyen has created a lamp design that certainly holds a flame to other lighting designs we've featured. The fixture, LampFire, is a fun play off of a traditional camping silhouette. The design, which is inspired by the act of gathering around a fire to bond with friends, features a bare hanging bulb staged to set the scene of a single source campfire.
BEIJING DESIGN WEEK 2013Now in it's third year, BJDW explores design, the built environment and the future of urban planning.
VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2013An impressive line-up of new and inspiring work was on show this year.
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013We scouted out the best work from this densely packed historic neighborhood full of design showrooms and galleries
OUTDOOR RETAILER 2013The latest products, technology and materials for everything outdoors.
California Dreamin': Jony Ive's Formative Post-Graduation Visit, from Leander Kahney's New Biography, Available TodayReviewed by core jr
What Happens If You Let Two Designers Write Their Own History Books? Spoiler: A Much More Fun (And Beautiful) World History Reviewed by erika rae
Tom & David Kelley of IDEO Talk 'Creative Confidence,' New Book Hits Shelves TodayReviewed by core jr
Beijing Design Week 2013: Drawing Architecture Studio Presents 'A Little Bit of Beijing' (a la Chris Ware)Reviewed by Ray
Case Study: Designing Everything but the FoodBy Greater Good Studio
WHY WE NEED A NEW HYPER-LOCAL MODEL FOR DESIGN ACTIVISMBy Julie Kim
IN THE HANDS OF GOD: INSIGHTS INTO DESIGN RESEARCHBy frog
WHAT THE FUTURE OF FISH CAN TEACH US ABOUT DESIGNING SYSTEMSBy Cheryl Dahle
HarvardxDesign 2013: Event RecapBy Dave Seliger
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