“Blue Dot Studio put 25 of their chairs on the streets of Manhanttan, and then followed the chairs through a combination of GPS and video surveillance as people picked them up and took them home–which, by the way, the public could follow in real time on Twitter. Then they interviewed the chair-collectors. This is the film.I love the friendly use of hacked mobile and surveillance technologies to enhance the shared nature of urban experience, and the exploration of how today’s brick-and-mortar cities are fused with real-time electronic interactions. I love the way these people talk about how the chairs intersect with their lives, and the passionate way they speak of “curb-mining” and upcycling the things they find on the city streets.”
Happy Holiday to everyone. I’ll be out in Hong Kong for the break and will be back with some goodies to post most likely dealing with food, shopping, and culture.
If you have not already, please join the Facebook Fan page here which I post to often but write less and it’s open for fans to post to as well. I’ll post a few goodies I shared on the fan page below recently for the holiday break:
This weekend (thanks vimeo) I’ve been enjoying the TV series Design for Life (mentioned before) featuring design guru Phillipe Starck.
Unlike many other design reality shows that I’ve seen, Design for Life dives into the reality in design thinking. Most people outside of the design community generally perceive design as purely aesthetics which in some industries is true, but in a majority of the ones I know, aesthetics is perhaps the last 10% in design.
Design is a method, a process, a way of life, a means to adapt. One breaths every aspect in design while eating, walking around, watching people, sleeping, or typing as I am now. There is a intricate pathway in researching, understanding, inventing, presenting, developing, trying, and broadcasting before one even touches how an project finally looks. Designers want to encapsulate an experience from A to Z and not just elements of a product. One must understand how to observe and learn about a project, then have the ability to influence and push forward a direction upon these observations. Then the deep dive into sketching, communicating, collaborating, interacting, and executing several steps within design. A large understanding in manufacturing techniques, engineering, material properties, transportation limitations, cost, client definitions, brand awareness, business, marketing, users, and trends are all aspects which all designers should be knowledgeable of.
Design for Life is an entertaining glimpse into Starcks personality and philosophies while watching his team educate young individuals into their process. It would be nice to see more shows like this. Watch the 6 episodes after the jump via Vimeo…. which does not include commercials =) ( a better user experience) (more…)
Oh my, luggage that flips into a scooter while your waiting in the airport. A little bored, or tired lugging your gadgets around? Stick them in, flip out the wheel, and ride them around! ha! pretty sweet and has a I want One vibe. Not sure if this is just a concept or actually going into production, but I think I’d buy one for 80-90 bucks and have some fun in the airport.
OOoo, I love magnets, an I think I’m loving wooden magnets even more now from Tegu! Clink Clank, but no broken magnets…. just wooden dings here and there! I think this would be a great holiday gift! Really interesting company story, their sustainable, into education, and SOld out currently! yikes, How am I suppose to get my hands on a few sets to play with and show off my blocknetic creations! Check them out at www.tegu.com.
“Michael Wolf took 100 photos of people living in Hong Kong’s oldest public housing estate. Each flat is 100 square feet. Almost every room has the same kind of metal bunk bed. They almost all have a TV, electric fan, and rice cooker.
As the Thanksgiving holiday nears, tables full of food, drinks, and discussion with family from afar gather to learn about each others lives and news. If you have nothing new to say, here’s a video trick ya’ll can share while eating wings…. how to eat a wing correctly…or at least how to perfect deboning it.
Cool!
“A project of Audiochmura (Audiocloud) was inspired by the concept of Audioarchitektura (Sonicarchitecture) – brainchild of artist Piotr Adamski and mode:lina. It is a sonic installation using corrugated pipes as amplifiers emitting sounds gathered around its actual position. The shape of a cloud relates to something ephemeral, almost non-existent and likely to move.”
via modelina-architekci
Dupont sent designverb an iPod Touch to test out their new MySurface app which has a catalog of Corian and Zodiaq materials. It’s a pretty simple app with a library of images to flip through and a gallery of environments. Though I personally find materials like Corian and Zodiaq very tangible, a quick glance at colors and texture visually with this app can be quick filter in selections before grabbing real samples to feel their weight, temperature, light refraction, and vibe.
And yup, I’m giving away a brand new iPod Touch (thanks dupont) to a reader that sends me the best improvement for this app or any other general cool design must have app that does not exist. Send ideas to designverb (at) gmail.com . I’ll pick a winner in a few weeks.
I’ve got a few suggestions for this particular app:
1. For iPhone users, let them use the camera, and augment the materials in their real space.
2. Let the materials be custom adjustable to augment onto their cameras view like a table.
3. A details page about the material like hardness, texture, cost, colors, uses, weather, etc.
4. Options in sorting, not just by color, but by hardness, texture, weight, grain, cost, etc.
5. Have a gallery of images for each material, not just a separate gallery.
6. I know Corian has some translucency . Maybe show what the material looks like when thin and back lighted.
7. Add an adjustable bar to have light go across the material. See how it reflects, moves, changes.
8. Maybe add some filter options… dark, marble like, textured…search.
A few pics of the app after the jump of the app. (more…)
