RSS Feeds:Last week, debutante-user-experience blogger Michael Grossman gently ripped on NYT tech columnist David Pogue for his less-than-sophisticated humor. His barely-out-of-diapers blog got the attention of The Pogueanator, who aimed the barrel of his next video's less-than-sophisticated humor directly at the semi-hapless Grossman. Pogue makes great use of the classic rhetorical technique of repeating someone else's words in a duh-duh-voice (I had a boss who used to do that) and manages to make the word blogger sound like a filthy insult.
Isn't it funny (a word I choose carefully) that if you don't like someone's particular style of humor, you must therefore have no sense of humor yourself? If you aren't with us, you're against us! Grossman demonstrates his humor and pretty fair mashup chops in his potentially viral response video.
.
M Coleman Horn
Santa Barbara, CA
Any urban soldier will agree that hitting the black-top requires a keen arsenal of apparel and accessories. Whether you are running for the train or throwing down over a cashmere top at Saks, your hectic life needs accessories that say ''Don't Tread On Me!'' The next time you hit the streets, make sure M Coleman Horn is on your side, or better yet, on your feet. But your artillery doesn't need to end there, and Horn's collection certainly has a plethora of options for the young and hip who live and play hard. Hardcore watches from Nixon, military inspired bags for Adobe, and rugged boots for UGG are just a few of the goodies Horn has rolled out.
Horn's eye for competitive advantage and long-term sustainability has lead him and his design collective, Medium Design Group, to campaigns for companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, K2, Morrow Boards, and Apple. His products often fuse durable materials like nylon with supple leather, and take inspiration from the functionality of military and athletic apparel. Take for example The Minimalist LUX, which is constructed out of durable nylon with accents of the finest leather. The design for the loafer/sneaker hybrid was taken from early 20th century athletic sneakers.
The advantage of Horn's forward thinking and hot design isn't limited to urban folk. His design for K2 and Morrow Boards will make for a sick air-to-fakie.
Posted by: core jr | Comments (3)
Office pranksters are impishly rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the upcoming free-for-all harass your coworkers day, otherwise known as April Fool's day. AFD is on a friggin' Sunday this year so cube and office-dwellers will have to figure something out by the end of the day today, or for those of us with nothing better to do, visit the office on Sunday so that it's still technically a legit prank. If you're at a loss for ideas, Wired's got a great list going -- you can even add your own prank and vote ideas up or down. Here's a nice razzer to get you started:
This works best on people who dont know much about computers, but will fool anyone at least for a minute. If you have a wireless mouse, plug the usb transmitter into a port in the back of someones computer. When they are sitting at the computer make sure you are close by, and just move the mouse around. They will think it has a mind of its own. Go crazy, right click and everything.Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
For those of you designing personal electronics, iLounge has a fantastic roundup of a variety of different headphone styles, with tons of pictures. A must-see if doing headphone research.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
We're all up ons Helvetica -- how could you possibly not be? MoMA's decided to celebrate the 50th anniversary Max Miedinger and Edouard Hoffmann's illustrious typeface with an installation of posters, signage, and other items that show off this loved-by-all modern classic. The exhibition will also include an excerpt from Gary Hustwit's documentary "Helvetica," which we previously covered here.
50 Years of Helvetica
April 6, 2007 - March 31, 2008
Museum of Modern Art
Architecture and Design Galleries, third floor
Sega's apparently decided to blow lame digipets of the past out of the water with its new interactive snuggly, cuddly, fluffy, baby chicken robot. When held, the Dream Chick flaps its wings and even makes peeping noises when you stroke its fuzzy lil' noggin. At an affordable 1,507 yen (about $12.90), the robo-chickie makes an ideal companion for the cute-obsessed crowd, those who are too irresponsible for real pets, and children who don't know their own strength.
akihabara news via plastic bamboo
Finding Cheska's ceramic Lung Ashtray is undoubtedly attractive and elegant...okay, it's straight-up too pretty to be defaced with raunchy ashes and ciggie butts. The Taiwanese tabletop design group's take on the smoke disposal vessel is a clever and direct correlation of what we do to our real lungs when we inhale those nasty cancer sticks. And a clean Lung Ashtray signifies the path to respiratory health, unless, of course, you've decided to just use one of your other motivational ashtrays.
via design crack
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Zieak likes to recycle things which often don't get recycled. His latest discovery? The circuit sheets in keyboards make durable wallets. If you don't have a keyboard you can spare, wait until one of your coworkers goes on break.
[Via Instructables.]
If you're lucky enough to be in the hood, this is not to be missed! Celebrated minimalist fluorescent lighting artist Dan Flavin will be featured at LACMA in May with a dedicated retrospective show that includes over 40 of his original works.
Dan Flavin : A Retrospective
May 13 - August 12, 2007
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Modern and Contemporary Art Building
Earlier this week c,mm,n (website in Dutch), the world's first open-source car, was revealed at AutoRAI, the Amsterdam car show. The initiative and vision behind the c,mm,n (pronounced "common") comes from the "Stichting Natuur en Milieu" (The Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment) and the three technical universities of Delft, Eindhoven and Enschede.
The vehicle's technical drawings and blueprints are freely available online, and everyone is invited to add their own ideas and modifications, provided of course that these are shared again with the community.
Environmental sustainability was a key factor in the development of the c,mm,n: the vehicle is therefore a zero-emission, hydrogen-powered 2+2 family car. c,mm,n drivers can also easily share information on traffic conditions, route planning and parking availability.
(There is, as some readers may know, another open source car project, called OScar, but this is according to Bruno Giussani still "in an early conceptual stage".)
Posted by: Mark Vanderbeeken | Comments (6)
I know it's hard to get excited about a hinge, but Japanese cell phone manufacturer Kyocera's latest (on the E5000) is pretty slick. Some clever marketer has dubbed it the "S" hinge.
[Via iTech News.]
Kyocera's also got some PR copy up here. Excerpt:
“...The focus on organic elements in nature and attention to detail prevalent in Japanese culture will be reflected in the design of our products..."
--Tom Maguire, vice president of global marketing, product planning and design at Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Tonight (late notice I know!) there will be an auction of 100 vases at the Alessi store in SoHo. These are part of the 100% Make-Up project from 1992, produced by Alessi and Alessandro Mendini. 100 artists and designers were invited to decorate a porcelain vase designed by Mendini, with each participant producing 100 copies of their work, for a total lot of 10,000 items. Participants included Philippe Starck, Brian Eno, Milton Glaser, and Ettore Sottsass Jr. among others. You can read some background about the project here. RSVP to "RSVP15-at-bdeonline.biz" if you are interested in attending.
Alessi - 130 Green St. - SoHo, New York City
6-8PM March 29.
Romain Duclos
Paris, France
Featured Project : Jardin a la Francaise
Romain Duclos lifts austere technical drafting associations from the french curve tool and implements it into the garden as a decorative element. His "French Garden" captures the essence of French-ness not because it's in France, or because the designer is French, or even because open-mouth kissing might take place there, but simply for the fact that it's composed of a bunch of classic french curve shapes.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has posted an interesting way for you to experience a life-size whale right on your screen -- just drag the screen around to get some more o' that whale. Now if we could only get all designers to post their work full-scale on the web...
thanks Kris!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Driven by frustrating "jam" sessions when attempting to stow his guitar on planes, airline pilot and guitarist Fredrik Johansson, went on a serious mission to develop a compactible, travel-friendly axe. The fruit of his labor, the Centerfold folding electric guitar, is the breakout product for DeVillain Guitar Company and debuted earlier this week. The $3,370 guitar doubles over at the neck via an aircraft-grade aluminum mechanism while the strings retract into the body. When you're ready to rock, the instrument unpacks and unfolds in about 20 seconds.
via gizmodo
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Fred & Friends get cheeky with the Boost telephone directory spoof booster seat. After a few seconds of camp-value appreciation, we realized that it'd be a shame if the impostor was used instead of the real thing -- we have no idea who still uses a physical telephone directory (or has a land line for that matter!), but for some reason, they're still wastefully pumping them through the presses to our doorsteps. Phone books would definitely do toddler tots justice height-wise, but not so much bum-wise. So here's where Boost has the extra tail bone-friendly advantage, composed of washable, cushy foam with a mini butt-shaped molded seat.
via swiss miss
This is great. According to their website:
In it's simplest form, The Gowanus Studio Space is a workshop for designers, artists and entrepreneurs.In a bit more detail, designers and artists can apply for membership and get 24 hour access to the studio space, access to a shared shop and gallery space, and private storage and workspace. They also will facilitate access to funding and other means of support for emerging designers. All for as low as $125 per month. Take them up on the offer now while space is still available! Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)
Last summer, the PBS series Design:e2 explored the "economies of being environmentally conscious" through interviews with sustainable design experts like William McDonough, Sergio Palleroni and Susan Szenasy, and narration from none other than Brad Pitt. After the success of the first season, a second season about design is currently in production, which will be followed by future episodes focusing on topics like water, energy and transportation.
The vision behind Design:e2 originated with kontent>real, a production company founded by Karena Albers and Tad Fettig to create entertaining and engaging programming about issues important to them. Cinematic-quality production makes Design:e2 one of the smartest documentaries to cover the current green movement. But by simply using the familiar medium of television, kontent>real has launched a new chapter in the way that we share and absorb messages about design, sustainability and the built environment. Karena Albers spoke with Alissa Walker about kontent>real's mission while on location in Santa Monica, California.
You can buy Part I of Design:e2 at the PBS shop or look for it in reruns. And stay tuned for Part II, premiering on PBS this fall.
LISTEN NOW (22 min.) | Download 20.3MB (right-click) | More Broadcasts
Posted by: core jr | Comments (1)
We've expressed our own affinity for Ctrl+Z before, but it looks like the masses have become shortcut-savvy enough for Saatchi & Saatchi to slap it on this Olay ad. If the promise really is to zap wrinkles in a Ctrl+Z jiffy, let's hope Olay sprinkled some miracle dust up in those jars.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
So you might think you're extra special if your power strip is eco-conscious, has tentacles, or sails the high seas, but in the end, we all have trouble figuring out which wire goes to what device. To save your sanity, ID Pilot stickers offer an all-too-simple solution of labeling devices right on the plug. You can obviously make your own DIY versions, but these pre-made pinpointers sport sweet illustrations of exactly what those dang wires are connected to.
via lifehacker
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Operating out of Japan, Surface Bait Libertaria's collection is abound with all sorts of gear for the subversive fisherman. We've seen signs pointing towards an uprise in hipster fishing before, but this trend-focused fishing supply company really "takes the bait" with its limited edition street-pop lures -- sure to attract only the most stylin'-est fish dinner.
via boingboing
The TT Movement is an Australian artist collective whose exhibit, going up at Sydney's MoCA in April, will display art inspired by the iconic Audi TT. Click their link for a cool intro video.
The exhibit is in fact a contest, with first prize being an artist's grant and usage of an Audi TT--for one year. Just a year! That's kind of like winning the lotto and finding out it was only a loan.
[Via Josh Spear]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
In a bid to reduce crime in Tepito, Mexico, the government is offering to swap gaming consoles for illegal firearms. If you give up your gun, you can get a free X-Box. Problem is, if you hang on to your gun, you can get free anything.
[Via Engadget]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
This year's Winterhouse Awards for Design Writing & Criticism is open for entries... (Wait, that's not a very good sentence right there.)
Write on! (You've gotta be kidding.)
There's nothing that both scares and delights a designer more than a blank sheet of paper... (This is getting worse.)
Ugh. Here it is from the site:
The Winterhouse Awards for Design Writing & Criticism seek to increase the understanding and appreciation of design, both within the profession and throughout American life. A program of AIGA, these annual awards have been founded by Jessica Helfand and William Drenttel of the Winterhouse Institute to recognize excellence in writing about design and encourage the development of young voices in design writing, commentary and criticism.
5 Grand for the top prize; 1 Grand for students. Deadline is May 31, and you get to pick up your award at the swank-city AIGA Design Legends Gala in NYC. All info at the site--link above. (Wait, that was awkward too! Help!)
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)We predict that the toaster will become the new chair for the creative set, as evidenced by the ongoing enthusiasm for the RollerToaster, the Glide, and other iterations in myriad design studios and schools. Conveyer toasters go back a long way, in actuality: There's the original conveyor toaster--the awesomely-named Toast-o-lator (patent filed in 1934). But today on YouTube we see a new toaster design, Lift, all wrapped up in quite-the-animation folks. You saw it here first.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (3)Just super: scientists have developed some sort of assassin robot that climbs ladders and can jump rope. The motions it demonstrates in the video clearly pave the way to forced entry and garrotting someone from behind.
Also, check out how the impudent little automaton angrily hurls the rope across the stage as he gets fed up with following orders.
[Via Engadget> and Robot Dreams.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (1)
The MADA Caimes semi-acoustic guitar is no regular axe; the organically molded body is made from hemp and, ironically, lacks joints.
A new spray-molding technique, specified by designers Adam Wehsely-Swiczinsky, Luthier Andi Neubauer and Norbert Schmid of the AWS Designteam Studio in Vienna, precludes edges and provides the smooth shape you see above (available below in different colors).
Seven years in the making, the MADA Caimes launches this June. Check it out here.
Not the recommended usage.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
Plastics News Blog has some great posts on...well, plastics. But they also concentrate on how plastics figure in culture, politics, and the environment. Recent posts include news on yesterday's San Francisco plastic bag ban, securities fraud, and water wasting. Spicy!
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)
Via Treehugger and Inhabitat, no empty promises of wall-size plasmas and counter-top fab labs. Bell Travers Willson Architects is building The Digital House using some sophisticated CNC action to nail (sorry) both the 3D and the labor parts.
From Jill:
The Digital House brings high-tech building methods to a broad housing market, providing a high quality, well designed and more sustainable alternative to traditional housing. Just how does it work, you ask? The structure is produced using a detailed 3D computer model that includes specs for every single construction element, from entire walls to tiny screw holes. This information is then transfered to a CNC machine (Computer Numerical Control), which cuts the components from engineered timber. The components are then packed and shipped, ready to be assembled into a house of your very own. For some of the larger components, the pre-cut timber sheets are assembled into lightweight hollow “cassettes” , which can be filled with recycled newspaper for insulation and air tightness.
From Lloyd:
The technology behind the Digital House allows every part cut to be different than the next, so that houses can be customized to each individuals requirements. This moves away from the standardization that has previously been an economic driving force in prefabricated systems that are criticised for being inflexible in their designs and visually repetitive.Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)
If you've ever worked at a McDonald's (raise your hand, there's nothing to be ashamed of) you know the deep-fryer gets nasty quickly, as all that gunk builds up on the bottom.
Well, this has to be the weirdest design solution we've ever seen for that particular problem: A deep-fryer with a goldfish cleaning solution. Goldfish, as in actual fish.
You know how oil and water doesn't mix? Oil sits on top. So this guy in Japan (sorry, name unavailable) figured out he could make a deep-fryer with fish in the bottom, and they could eat all the fried food flakes that drift down to the bottom. It's good for him, and bad for those goldfishes' cholesterol levels.
[Via Tv in Japan.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (1)
This Broadcast is brief, but oh-so-sweet. Maira Kalman, children's book author, illustrator, product designer, librettist, and critical mass of inspiration, innovation, and imagination, teaches a class at the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author program, where each year she conceives new ways of telling stories. This year, for her "suitcase project," students are invited to create three-dimensional, autobiographical visual narratives. Steven Heller, co-chair of the MFA program, caught up with Maira during the formative stages of the project.
After a rundown of some of the suitcases (one emits light and sound; another telescopes out to tables and chairs), the conversation moves to the take-away. "And what are YOU getting out of it?" Steven poses. Maira responds, "A headache."
Perfect charm.
Oh: Special thanks to Randy Hunt for co-production on this Broadcast; Photo: Rebecca Pollock.
LISTEN NOW (10 min.) | Download 13.6MB (right-click) | More Broadcasts
Posted by: core jr | Comments (0)
Something for you interface designers to think about: as things get tinier--witness Samsung's new camera chip and Texas Instruments' new 1.5 inch projector (via Engadget and Gizmodo)--they're not getting any easier for us to use. Take a look at this article on shrinking tech vs. interface design.
The active ingredient in aspirin is an extremely small percentage of the actual pill, which is something like 95% powder. Why? So you can actually pick it up with your fingers. Seems this principle may soon apply to our tech products.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (2)
Scientists at Bristol University are messing around with wearable cameras that you wear on your shoulder, like a pirate and his parrot. They're hoping they can get the camera to track your gaze or your hands in order to "identify a wearer's activity and offer assistance."
I love how people think up some seriously stupid uses for technology, like how every article about hi-tech refrigerators boasts their product can "track when your milk will expire, and automatically wire the grocery store!" Because that's really what we as a society need.
This shoulder-mounted camera has similarly lofty ambitions--it will be able to tell if you are cooking or eating, to "warn a computer to reroute phone calls to avoid interruptions." Or you could do this other crazy thing and (gasp) turn your phone off.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)Over at SpeakUp, Marian Bantjes posts a piece on our favorite topic these days. It's all great, but here's the paragraph we picked to pique:
The response of most designers is to downplay the active, creative part of their work in favour of the strategic, results-oriented, business-minded part. A scan through most design websites will reveal an emphasis on "forming partnerships," "sound business objectives," "industry leaders," "distilling information," "marketing communications," "story telling," and a great deal more that hints at "creativity" contained in a controlled and mindful environment (i.e. the back room, out of sight). But Graphic Design's embarrassment of its artistic roots threatens to do away with the very thing that makes it unique and valuable. In this sense, the computer becomes the perfect icon for design today, as Design begins to look a lot like what everyone else does in the vast market of business consultancy. As designers increasingly promote themselves primarily as strategists, consultants and business-people first, they do so often by sacrificing the one thing they have that separates them from their clients: the ability to think and express ideas visually. And at some point, you have to wonder: if you look like them, and act like them, and talk like them, and think like them, and use the same tools as they do...well, what the hell would they need you for?
Read the entire post here.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (1)
Last summer the team at Roth//Tevet> Experience Design unveiled "Soundscapes", an installation computer-controlled musical instruments, mostly realized at a giant scale. The dramatic lighting and setting enhances the muli-sensory experience of the project. Starting in April the exhibit will re-open in the courtyard of the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem and will run through the summer of 2007. According to the designers 'the instruments are played automatically and controlled via a computer, yet keeping a natural and acoustic sound.'
Posted by: StuCon | Comments (1)
The reviews of the Craftsman CompuCarve are very uneven, and the only ones that seem to make it work are really dedicated users. Not to mention that they also can invest $1900 to buy it in the first place. But the important thing is that this product is available at all, from Sears, and is being marketed as a tool for the layman. It is just one step closer to the Jetsons lifestyle, where you push a button and a finished product comes out of an opening in the wall.
Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)
The lasting influence of the pictograms Otl Aicher developed for the 1972 Olympics in Munich may still be seen in European airports and public facilities to this day. Using stark white and black geometric forms arranged on a grid, Aicher developed a comprehensive visual language that could be easily be understood by viewers of all nationalities.
For graphic designers interested in the history of visual iconography, Markus Rathgeb's monograph of Aicher's life proves a valuable resource, but it deserves a wider audience. Since designers don't have the opportunity to see their own career through the lens of a retrospective until its end, this elegant account of one designer's life provides ample lessons for those of us at the beginning.
Much of the design of the seventies almost invites ridicule when seen through modern eyes, and regrettably, some of Aicher's graphics share those traits. Though his Olympics posters easily betray their age, some other pieces of his work exhibit a timeless harmony. Clearly, the question of why some designs retain their charm while others seem out-of-touch is something that designers should hold in their subconscious throughout the entire design process.
Posted by: Robert Blinn | Comments (0)
For those of you with technical skills, a set of tools and some time on you hands (we know there are a lot of you), check out the projects by Limor Fried, a NYC-based engineer who focuses on open source hardware projects. She is a partner in a laser etching company that we noted a few weeks ago. Her projects range from from a simple bike stand (beginner's welding) to cell phone signal jammer (beginner's espionage), and all are extensively documented for the DIY engineer. Some of the more complicated projects are available as kits to save you the time of ordering the various components. Shown above is the x0xb0x, a full reproduction of the original Roland TB-303 synthesizer. She's got a nice set of photos documenting the assembly on Flickr. Fun!
Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)
Here's a nice competition that came across our desk yesterday. Good 50X70 is a communication design competition focusing on five of the burning social issues which the UN recognizes as the plagues of our millennium: AIDS, Environmental damage, Human rights violation, Underdevelopment and War.
Designers are invited to submit a 50cm X 70cm poster design addressing one of the categories above. The international jury will initially shortlist 30 entries from each category, ultimately choosing 10 winners from each category. There will be one outright winner, "The Good 50X70". An exhibit of all the entries will follow the conclusion of the competition.
Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)This is a good idea. If you can get over the insane amount of energy it will consume pitching vodka to an empty bathroom. Oh, and it's probably a bad mirror, too. [via freshcreation]
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (2)
For years this has been the dream of design students everywhere. Now LumiGram makes it a reality: plastic fiber optic woven alongside synthetic fibers, forming a luminous fabric. All info at LumiGram.com
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (4)Some intriguing work here; make sure you check out Nacho Carbonell Ivars's "Pump It Up, Furniture & Animals" piece.
Talk about slow time-to-market: 500 years after being developed, Leonardo Da Vinci's transmission hub is finally going into production with Ellsworth's The Ride bicycle.
Da Vinci, the Original Industrial Designer (sorry, Raymond Loewy) developed a transmission based on independently rotating spheres. The NuVinci hub offers a smooth transmission of power without the jerky clunks that come with changing gears on today's chain-and-derailleur bicycles. I guess if your beard was three feet long, you'd look for a way to get rid of the chains too.
[Via CoolHunting.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (7)
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the gas-powered taxi in NYC, the Design Trust for Public Space will be debuting new cab concepts at next month's NY International Auto Show.
On display will be concepts for taxis that:
- are battery-powered
- can accommodate wheelchairs and strollers
- have improved passenger cabins
- are hydrogen-powered and can reportedly hit 200 m.p.h.
Good luck finding a clear stretch in Manhattan to pull that last one off!
[Via Engadget.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (1)Ever wonder how CD's are made? Click the link If you like watching manufacturing processes in action.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
Philippe Starck may have famously said "I believe in general that my job is absolutely useless" at the last TED Conference, but the designer-at-large is at it again: witness his new grommet-like watch for Fossil, which retails for $110.
[Via ProductDose]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (7)There's an excellent post in TreeHugger about Biomimicry, the science (art?) that entails observing how nature's design solutions are often better than ours, and trying to learn from that.
Why can birds fly so easily, while we have to dump millions into developing fiendishly complicated helicopters? Why do spiderwebs trump any cable suspension system we've ever devised? How is it that geckos get up walls so easily, and we have to rig window washers up with these enormous contraptions?
Learn more about the course (May 23-29):
Janine Benyus, the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature , and Dayna Baumeister, are running a six day intensive course to train biologists interested in applying biomimicry to design.
Click the topmost link for more info.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell, an anime and series of movies set in a dystopian future, has long been renowned for having some of the best and most through anime industrial design in the genre. Everything from guns to cars and parking meters to telephones have been well-rendered and thoughtfully considered to convincingly depict what objects might look like in the future.
Now, those rendered objects may actually be accurate. The next Ghost in the Shell movie, Solid State Society (released last year in Japan but not due to hit American shores until July '07) features actual Nissan concept cars: The Sport Concept and the Infiniti Kuraza (both below) are both driven through the film by principle characters.
From an article in World Car Fans:
"This is a revolutionary collaboration made possible by direct exchanges between both young and more experienced creative talents from both companies and is different from product placement," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan's senior vice president and chief creative officer. "Japanese animation is being taken more seriously as art every year around the world, and the concept cars in this film are rendered with particularly high quality; they're just wonderful."
[Photos via World Car Fans.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (5)
Many packaging designers have broken their heads on getting a spoon integrated in the pack to support our 'on the go' lifestyles. The industrial design company Inveratek now launched an interesting alternative, whether you eat with or without spoon, it's up to you - which is probably the best of it all.
Inveratek's CEO Paul Adams notes: "It can be manufactured on existing form fill seal or pre-forming equipment and requires no special tooling or materials. In fact CrushPak's unique design means less plastic can be used than a conventional container, up to 36% less."
Fonterra (their New Zealand licensee) is currently surprising the locals with this packaging innovation. Inveratek also licenses major manufacturers in US and Europe, so probably coming soon to a supermarket near you.
via verpakkingsmanagement magazine
Posted by: Aart van Bezooyen | Comments (5)Say goodbye to the next hour of your Friday. (Bonus: Donal Fagen reference!)
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (1)Dan Saffer over at Adaptive Path posted a short, absolutely perfect piece a couple weeks ago on the state of design education. With Dan's permission, we're reposting the entire piece here. Required reading. The original AP link is here. Dan's site is here. His book, Designing For Interaction is here.
[No blockquote on this one--we need the pixels!]
Design Schools: Please Start Teaching Design Again
It's that time of year when Adaptive Path wades through stacks of design school students' resumes, looking for summer interns and potential hires. As I was doing this, a trend that that I had suspected became clear to me: quite a few design schools no longer teach design. Instead, they teach "design thinking" and expect that that will be enough.
Frankly, it isn't.
I was taught that design has three components: thinking, making, and doing. (Doing is the synthesis, presentation, and evaluation of a design; the bridge between thinking and making.) If all design schools are teaching is the thinking, well, they are missing the other two thirds of the equation. They have abandoned craft for craze. Thinking without the making and doing is almost useless in the job market, unless you want to work at Accenture or some other big consulting firm. It probably won't help you get a job as a designer in a studio environment. You'd be better off getting a degree in Humanities; at least you would be well-rounded.
D schools are doing a serious disservice to their students by only teaching them "design thinking" when a class in typography or mechanics or drawing might not only give them a valuable skill, but also teach them thinking and making and doing--all at the same time. For design to be truly useful as a profession and as a discipline, designers can't just use "design thinking" to come up with strategies and concepts. Dare I suggest that those are much easier than building a product? Some notes on a whiteboard and a pretty concept movie or storyboard pales in comparison to the messy world of prototyping, development, and manufacturing. It's harder to execute an idea than to have one, genius being 99% perspiration and all.
What gets lost without the making is the detail work that makes us designers in the first place, the small parts where we earn our paychecks. Details are also where we earn the respect of the developers, businesspeople, and manufacturers who make what we prototype real(er). Details often get overlooked in just "thinking" projects, as do constraints. Constraints are somehow less solid in the world of thought than they are in the world of making.
What we're going to end up with is a generation of "innovators" who are MBAs in MFAs' clothing, who can neither create or run businesses like entrepreneurs can, nor design products and services like designers can. It's the worst of both worlds. What we as employers are searching for are people who can do as well as think. This isn't to say that we're looking for glossy stylists either: we want designers who create thoughtful, meaningful designs: designs that pay attention to details, and have emotion and craft in them, as well as reason and cleverness. The world desperately needs those designers. Start making them again.
The Intel Challenge is the latest attempt to get away from the boring boxes that house our PCs. Vote for your favorite new design at the website, and five of you will win $100 certificates. But the rules are strict--unlike the Presidential elections in this country, you are only allowed to vote once.
While voting might win you a C-note, coming up with the winning design might net you a cool million (although it's hard to say, as the details on the website are mysteriously worded). So in this case, design pays. Maybe.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (4)Holy cow. The Japanese are known for constructing elaborate obstacle courses for their variety/game shows, but I have to say this one takes the cake.
First Stage is above, Second Stage is below.
[Via Japan Probe, click the link to see other contestants and the "unconquerable" Third Stage.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
I came across a great review of a presentation from the Shimano marketing team at the National Bike Summit, where they detailed the background of their Coasting program. Shimano worked with IDEO to develop a strategy to get more of the 161 million Americans who don't ride back onto bikes. This research led to a revisiting of cruiser bikes, and subsequently to a series of new bikes from Trek (the Lime is shown above), Raleigh and Giant.
In any case the original post I found goes over some of the findings that IDEO uncovered, and the resulting product strategy. But the comments, from bike mechanics, enthusiasts, lawyers and others, are the best part. The only thing missing from the conversation are the designers and product strategists.Personally I'm not convinced that the strategy will get more people onto bikes. The cultural issues raised in the comments are significant. But it's a great product design conversation, from a group of 'non-designers'.Posted by: StuCon | Comments (5)
You know Design Festival season is upon us when you find a pile of last years Interni guides dumped on the street in the hi-end furniture retail neighborhood of Soho, NY. Here's a couple of upcoming notables on the Core77 radar and don't forget to check the calendar for a full listing.
Milan Design Week
April 18 - 23, 2007
Designmai, Berlin
May 12 - 20, 2007
New York Design Week
May 19 - 22, 2007
Istanbul Design Week
June 14 - 24, 2007
Sure there could be other factors at play but it is fun to think that Austria's high burglary rate is due to marauding aesthetes. Kinda Prison Break + Top Design w/Todd Oldham. Or Martha +, well, Martha Stewart.
via kottke.
update: The crime data that post cites is from 2001 and the prison was finished in 2004, so there is no correlation really, but who knows, it is a damn attractive building - time might still prove him right! ;)
Posted by: shaggy | Comments (0)
Talking about flying cars is nothing new but making it really happen is a different story. Many earlier attempts to do so have failed but with new regulations and perspectives on personal flying Dutch amateur pilot John Bakker seems to make a good chance with the Personal Air and Land Vehicle
"The PAL-V ONE is a hybrid of a car a motorbike and a gyrocopter: a personal air and land vehicle. A solution to increasing congestion in our cities, highways and skyways. On the ground, the slim line, aerodynamic 3-wheel vehicle is as comfortable as a luxury car but has the agility of a motorbike, thanks to its patented cutting-edge 'tilting' system. The single rotor and propeller are folded away until the PAL-V ONE is ready to fly."
The PAL-V Europe company is currently raising the capital to get the first flying car on the road, or better in the sky within four years time. For us locals, this might be the end of ghost ship stories with John Bakker as the new Flying Dutchman
via design.nl
Posted by: Aart van Bezooyen | Comments (3)
In response to yesterday's post about iPod theft, Robert Nightingale sends along images of his iBook project that builds on the
Idea of Product disguise, playing on the concept of the "ibook" and inspired by recent trips in developing countries where one doesn't really want to advertise the possession of an ipod, And who steals a book?
If you want your own, try MAKE's Hollow Book, a project we learned of during an in-home interview, where our participant was using it to store her iPod!
(actual fieldwork image!)
Meanwhile, Jon Stewart reported yesterday that the books behind President Bush in a recent press conference are in fact used for candy storage.
5 Senses of Istanbul is the name and the theme of a four month project from the ID department of the Istanbul Technical University. 22 designers developed concepts reflecting on the theme, including the Seven Hills seating concept shown above. The ball has seven points around the bottom, which requires the user to balance, reflecting on the balance found among the people who inhabit the seven hills of Istanbul. The entire collection will be shown at Salone Satellite in Milan next month.
Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)
Holy cow. As more proof that humans will buy anything, Josh Spears reports on the latest movements of Justin Gignac, a guy who collects NYC trash off the street, puts it in clear boxes, and sells it at NYCgarbage.com.
Thus far Gignac has sold over 800 cubes in 20 countries. His latest project? "Producing" "100 limited-edition garbage cubes from St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, Ireland."
I am in the wrong line of work.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
The web site says it perfectly:
Rock and Royal's core business can be described as “providing personalized advice to help you with your choice of exceptional chandeliers and photo realistic mosaic designs.”Forget the mosaics, I want the Core77 logo rendered as a chandelier. The group is based in Rotterdam, and launched at the Millionaire Fair in Cannes last fall. Check their site for pictures of their impressive display, and attire. Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)
Bouf presents a collection of limited edition/niche products made by designers and for sale to the public. The UK based Bouf caters more to furniture and houseware designers than the to the craft crowd serviced by Etsy. Shown above is a loveseat, by Jake Phipps, carved from a solid block of English oak. Shipping to North America is a modest 150 British pounds.
Posted by: StuCon | Comments (0)
Steve Portigal speaks with Debbie Millman, partner at Sterling Brands and host of the scrumptious Design Matters radio talk show.
Steve and Debbie traverse a lot of topics in this one, with stops at cultural anthropology, behavioral psychology, commerce, and creativity—and a nice discussion on the commoditization of the term "strategy"...bringing it back to Michael Porter's classic definition, "deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value." (Debbie asserts that strategy is ultimately owned by the smart people in the process: smart designers, smart brand people.)
Around minute 27, she talks about the monologues at the start of the DesignMatters shows—always a highlight for listeners, and, in our opinion, reason enough to tune in to her weekly show: How does she prepare them? What makes for good topics?
Then things wrap up with a discussion of Maira Kalman and her recent work at the Times. Ironic, since next week's Core77 Broadcast will be with Maira, hosted by Steve Heller. Thanks for the perfect segue Debbie...always a great audio host!
LISTEN NOW (39 min.) | Download 35.3MB (right-click) | More Broadcasts
Posted by: core jr | Comments (0)
We are greatly looking forward to the results of ApartmentTherapy's "Smallest, Coolest Apartment" contest, now open for submissions. There are a ton of prizes (well, 106, at any rate) with the top four being $1,000-and-up gift certificates to the ironically-named Design Within Reach.
Have a cool crib? Click the link to find out if you qualify. Results will be up by May.
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (0)
Discovering Design is a tragically unusable and annoying waste-of-pixels from Herman Miller, who can't be the design leaders they claim to be if they can't manage some basic interaction design principles. What the hell is that thing? The What Is This? link tells you nothing about the Cube-Zero-Beckett nightmare you've clicked upon, instead it is a quiz for you to perform. Does your very survival depend on success, or merely the last fragments of what passes for sanity in this place forsasken by all others? We don't know. Skip the questions and go back to the Tholian web of people and stuff. A big egg? A funny face? Rolling over one makes links between others. Roll over the face on the left, but the words underneath the face in the middle change. Perhaps by rolling over one man's face you can magically change the name of the other man. It certainly wouldn't be the name of the man who's face you've rolled over because of course that info belongs under his face. Yes? No? Ah, for that way madness lies, we daren't think it, let alone utter it aloud. And under this face , we see text to tell us that these are people. Click on the word and - egad - a mystical layer cake circle appears and rotates, bringing 3-D hypereality to bear. What Magick be this? Click the word again and the circle rotates once more. Oh, did you move your mouse slightly, oops, it rotates the other way now.
And why, why, why. Why are we here? Oh, cruel fates, please release us.
Moving on, taking the bullet, so you don't have to. It's why we're here, folks.
Update: link fixed
Posted by: Steve Portigal | Comments (1)
A collection of customized bikes from NYC's own Trackstar and Dave's Quality Meats. I want to see Nicole Kidman reprise her BMX Bandits role with the one pictured here... 25 years later and Judy, now a NYC bike messenger, stumbles into another bank heist plot! various antics and slow-mo bunnyhops ensue. via hypediss via hypebeast
First Bellperre announces they're making no-plastic cell phones (above) out of precious metals, now these companies are making computers, LCDs and keyboards out of wood (below).
If we don't watch it, soon landfills are going to be out of business.
[Via Textually and the Times.]
Posted by: hipstomp | Comments (3)
That's not a sexy blog post title, but the competition is great: Tricycle, Bentley Prince Street and Floor Focus magazine have teamed up to produce the Ample Sample 2007 design competition, and it's worth a shot for sure. Here's the pitch, in its entirety:
Down the hall in your resource library, a shelf is overflowing with carpet samples. Rethink these beautiful, fashion-forward textiles...they aren't trash, destined for the dumpster. They're design materials.700,000+ carpet samples will ship this year, helping designers move closer to choosing the perfect carpet for their projects. Our SIM from Tricycle sustainable sampling is a fast, accurate, eco-savvy way to narrow pattern and color options before requesting a physical sample, (and so reduce oil use & landfill waste), but SIM is not meant to replace all samples. Physical strike-offs are still important for final decisions and client presentations.
So what to do with these samples? After they've served their purpose for your design project, we say re-use them to make a design product. Recycled materials became design elements because designers chose to see them as such. Why not carpet samples, which are high style, high performance, and wonderfully 'reuseful'?
Create a design that will transform these textiles into a beautiful and/or functional fixture, piece of furniture...or any interior product you dream up. The winners will be promoted at NeoCon and in Floor Focus, and have blueprints of their design posted for free download, to forward-thinking designers around the world.
All info here.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)
This industrial case pops open to reveal an easy chair, and you'll definitely need to sit down after seeing what you just paid for it: US $5,192. It's Maxwell Smart meets Le Corbusier, as financed by Richie Rich.
[Via TreeHugger.]
Nothing like the San Francisco to publish a front-page article with some stunning new concerns exploding on the local scene today
As the supremely portable devices have spread across the Bay Area, the number of iPod robberies has soared. Listeners, often lost in the music and oblivious to their surroundings, tend not to realize how attractive a casually protected high-tech device worth hundreds of dollars can be to a criminal, police say.In San Francisco, an increase in iPod robberies over the past two years prompted police to run undercover stings. BART officials have begun placing flyers at stations warning riders that the telltale white earbuds could make them targets for iPod theft.
Yes, folks, it's 2007, and this stunning non-new news is splashed all over the front page of today's breakfast reading. In other non-new news, our nation's children are struggling with obesity; some say it's an epidemic! OMG! Posted by: Steve Portigal | Comments (0)