Image Source: Listen to ME! One of the key skills I noticed great designers have is the ability to engage in Active Listening. I was lucky. I managed to pick up this skill 6-7 years ago in a training seminar and it has been vital in helping my access situations quickly, make good decisions, [...]

+ The Ideaco & Muku collection of brings together a lovely collection of wooden desktop accessories.

+ Tokujin Yoshioka's Venus chair will be the centerpiece of the "Second Nature" exhibition at 21_21 Design Sight. Via Dezeen.

+ The Good Design Award 2008 "Best 15" has been announced. JS

Nice deck from Adam Cahill on Obama and social media. Lots of lessons here, many already known and recognized, but well worth a timely reminder.

Recently St. Lucie County in Florida announced that it has teamed up with Geoplasma to develop the United States’ first plasma gasification plant. The plant will use super-hot 10,000 degree fahrenheit plasma to effectively vaporize 1,500 tons of trash each day, which in turn spins turbines to generate 60MW of electricity - enough to power 50,000 homes! Cutting down on landfill waste while generating energy is a pretty win-win proposition, and the plant will also be able to melt down inorganic materials to be reused for other applications, such as in roadbed and heavy construction.

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I think this would have done the rounds in the design blogosphere by this time. Sorry, it is a little late as I completely forgot to post it. But here it is, and all I can say is I WANT THIS! ILoveSketch from Seok-Hyung Bae on Vimeo. ILOVESketch is a 3D curve sketching system that [...]

+ The new Ripple table from Jason Phillips Design is a smooth and inviting design that is bound to be a conversational centrepiece.

+ Among the new designs from Switzerland's 366cm are the flapacked Fibonacci silicone lampshade by Alain Jost and the PVC Cheers coaster set designed by Vincent Schertenleib and Sergio Streun.

+ LXL is the new extendable walnut table from Salamander Designs that opens to any size between 71" and 84".

+ Axis, from Australia's Snack On Design, is a laser cut fruit dish that comes with a serving tray in a contrasting colour.

+ The Sale Tag for luggage identification by Antrepo is light-hearted way to spot your baggage on the carousel.

+ Atlason, a new design studio based in New York, introduces the Victoria Butler coat rack above, a seemingly random arrangement of dowels that has been put together in perfect order and is as glossy as a grand piano. The Victoria Butler is joined by the slipcast porcelain Bomb Vase below, like something out of a cartoon.

alissa and carly at coe and waito have launched a beautiful new series of ceramics. their existing collections have been smash hits and i have a feeling these pieces will be welcomed with the same enthusiasm. i love their coral vase (above) and the sweet scalloped bowls below. they would both be perfect for holiday gifts and they’re all between $56- $200 so there’s something for everyone. click here to check out their new collection and place and order.

‘work no 878’, 2008 & ‘work no. 876’, 2008

artist martin creed may be well known for his neon light text installation, but in 2008 he has been working a lot
with stacking. creed has been exploring the concept through both sculpture and painting. in his paintings,
creed applies broad brush strokes accros the canvas in a single colour, each one grower smaller or large
than the previous. he applies this same principle to his sculptures. instead of bruish strokes he uses boxes
and furniture. in one such piece, he stacks a dinging chair on a plastic folding chair, on top of a wooden chair,
that sits on a white leather arm chair.

http://www.martincreed.com


martin creed - I like things


‘work no. 903’, 2008 & ‘work no. 958’, 2008


‘work no. 928’, 2008


‘work no. 925’, 2008


‘work no. 916’, 2008

This svelte steam powered car was created using salvaged parts (including tea kettles) and is capable of achieving speeds of 170mph! Developed by Edward Montagu and created by a team of graduate students in the University of Southampton, the car will soon attempt to shatter the record for the fastest steam powered vehicle in the world - previously set in 1906.

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Finley Residence

Architecture & Interiors by: Avroko
Location: New York, USA
Specialty: Restaurants, Hotels, Residential, Convept Development, Furniture
Project Highlights: Sapa, Quality Meats, European Union, Park Avenue Summer
Interior Photography: Avroko



Park Avenue Summer

A shot of the corner of the living room today from the owners of the OK Tray House. They are moved in, but not unpacked, and they promise more photos to come once they are settled.



So what do we have here. Well open up the catalog page so you can look at the floor plan. This photo is taken from the living room, looking into the study. We can see a stone wall which is flanking the fireplace, and above it we can see the gridded window wall which sits above the fireplace. I'm real excited about that since it looks like they did a really great job with that. Out the window we can see more of that nicely stained siding. To the left we can see the front door and the entry vestibule. In the study we see the side windows, and a couple of modern chairs? Man after my own heart! And upstairs some cable rail, and a glimpse of the bedroom ceiling. It looks awesome - can't wait to see the rest of the house!

And don't forget the flickr set of photos of this project from start to finish.

Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house, Tray House

Good case on how the idea of a 'Blue Ocean Strategy' can be applied: "The heart of a company’s business model should be game-changing innovation. This is not just the invention of new products and services, but the ability to systematically convert ideas into new offerings that alter the very context of the business."

I don’t really do this sort of thing often, but check out this worthy forehead slapping idea that really makes one say “why did I not think of that”? Stefan Buchberger, from the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria, has been chosen winner of the Electrolux Design Lab 2008 competition for inventing Flatshare. Flatshare is a [...]

London textile designer Kathy Schicker's light-reactive woven textiles appear to be beautiful white jacquard fabrics, but when they are exposed to sunlight, the light brings out colour and pattern. At the same time, the sunlight charges the fabric, causing it to glow in the dark. The effect is usually quite subtle, but will vary depending on the time of day and season.

+ kathyschicker.com

In general I find the conferences organized by Trendbüro Hambug quite corporate and too often the same players (aka speakers) show off. However Tim Leberecht from frog design pointed me to a slideshare summary on the key findings of the German Trend Day 2008 conference. Have a mind on your own and browse the slides: "In May this year, frog design founder Hartmut Esslinger spoke at the German Trend Day in Hamburg. The Trend Day is an influential annual forum that gathers thought leaders from business, media, and academia to discuss emerging social and cultural trends. This year's theme was "Identity Management," and other speakers besides Hartmut included Richard Florida, Danny Choo, and David Bosshart."

the interactive design group sounds butter wanted to create a new way to make sound visible. while things
like equalizers and sub-titles already visualize sound, they sought to find a way to make sound physical.
using an old sewing machine as a basis, they conceptualized a prototype, which would take sound input
and convert it into a sound wave of thread on textile. the sewing machine is synonymous with producing
products in industry and thus served as a fitting analogy for the project.

http://www.soundsbutter.com





via infosthetics

I recently got an email from Steve Cameron with the sketch shown below that he had drawn of a concept for filling and forming earthbag tubing into a uniform rectangular form on the wall being built.
Steve asked for any comments that I might have about this idea, so I wrote:

as part of the second nature exhibition held at 21, 21 the campana brothers created 'cristalina'.
curated by tokujin yoshioka the exhibition focusses on fusing nature with technology.


'cristalina'
image © designboom

for 'cristaliana' the brothers used the idea of nests of birds to create a seat with branches interwoven.
craftsmen worked for hours using various wood structures to create this unusual design.


sketch of 'cristalina'


the making process


craftspeople weaving the seat


image © designboom


image © designboom


branches woven into the seat
image © designboom

more:
http://www.campanas.com.br

designboom interview with campana brothers

on now at the instituto tomie ohtake, sao paulo is the first solo exhibition of designer karim rashid in brazil.
it is the institute's hope that by showcasing rashid's work, they will generate a discussion about the aspects
of contemporary design and its impact on daily life. upon entrance into the exhibition you are greeted by a large
painting-like, computer graphic, 300 square metres in size which acts as a backdrop to the furniture on display.
this virtual component within the exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to encounter the designer as a
life-size avatar, playing between reality and the artificial, something which is prominent in rashid's work.

the exhibition is an international cooperation with munich's design museum, die neue sammlung. it is curated by
german art historian and critic dr. albrecht bangert in collaboration with brazilian-born designer and architect
camila tariki of karim rashid's new york studio and organized by instituto tomie ohtake. most of the pieces on
show are from the munich collection.











designboom interview

karim rashid
karim rashid at milan design week 2008

rashid global: http://www.rashidglobal.net
instituto tomie ohtake: http://www.institutotomieohtake.org.br
die neue sammlung: http://www.die-neue-sammlung.de

Breathing life into antiques.

The design week activities just came to a close in Tokyo and amidst the background blur of networking, parties and the traipsing back and forth to venues, what stood out as a highlight? For me it was the Lloyd’s Antiques store in Aoyama, who in collaboration with Ito Masaru took the theme of trompe l’oeil to design forms of the Union Jack for their installation.

While not a new concept, it was the execution that was so special. Mr. Uichi Yamamoto, well known for his work with famous cafes, catered the event with baskets of fish and chips and other ‘UK’ foods. For dessert, red, white and blue macaroons were used to form the Union Jack on a tray, and once one had been taken and devoured, there was a hostess on hand to replace the missing macaroon. The Union Jack was never eaten out of existence! UK rock songs filled the air – from The Kinks to Bloc Party – as the precious stuffiness of an antiques showroom went out the window. Rather, the antiques became the perfect backdrop for a thoroughly modern Tokyo style party.

This is a post by David Report contributor Kristina Dryza.

Ping Intressant.se

Andra bloggar om: design, tokyo, japan, antikviteter

For those of you who would like to create a modern and high-quality living environment in their bathroom, here is something you might want to take a look. Called “Oasis of Balance” this bathroom vanity design by Joerger is characterized by three dimensions that create the perfect balance : function, form and fascination. The most interesting part of this design is the black washing area that gives you a sense of quality and style. For those of you who are interested in this piece you can find it here.

a

Oasis of Balance, a Beautiful Bathroom Vanity from Joerger

There's an interesting new study that suggests male commuters who suffer road rage brought on by tough commutes, take that stress and frustration into the workplace. Corporations will be impacted by lost productivity and damage to working relationships.

What could companies do that are located in cities with tough commutes?

1. Encourage use of public transportation- if it works and is reliable
2. Build decompression chambers in the office
3. Create employee transportation systems- like Google's bus
4. Stress management advice- teach employees how to be less angry about their commutes
5. Yoga classes for commuters

It's not entirely surprising that road rage makes its way into the workplace, but I am sure very few companies pause for a moment to think about it and what it could be doing to their employees.


Posted by Ed Cotton

Here is a link to a recently held design competition for Florida home designers. Its very developer oriented, and the house designs reflect that, but what is remarkable is that many of the designs shown as the "best of the rest" are overtly modern.

The Florida Homebuyer Home Design Challenge

On one level I'm very gratified to see modern shouldering its way into this mainstream platform. At the same time I'm discouraged because the homes, while modern, seem to have the same issues as typical developer homes. They are dressed modern, and some I think look nice, but they are bloated and pseudo luxurious in a way that makes my skin crawl. Its not just look and feel, its statistical as well - there is an alarming bedroom count to square footage ratio in most of these homes. 3 bedrooms in 3,500 sqft?

The discussion of "modern" on LiveModern all the way back to the Dwell messageboards always involved doing more with less, as a lifestyle, as a design dictum, not even driven by sustainability, but as a personal value and as an aesthetic. This stuff is really stepping on that for me.

What do you think? Please check out the link and comment.

Technorati Tags: modern design, modern house

We are pleased to announce a new promotion for November and December of 2008 - Order Design Prints in Nov or Dec 08 and receive double your Design Prints back on your qualifying Construction Print Order in 2009. Its our Kick the Crisis promotion and this is how it works:

Anybody who buys Design Prints in November or December 2008 will be eligible for a rebate equal to twice the value of the Design Prints if they order the corresponding Construction Prints before the end of 2009. So if you purchase a set of Small Design Prints in November for $100, and purchase Construction Prints in 2009 your prints will come with a rebate of $200. If you buy regular Design Prints for $200 and follow up with a Construction Print purchase in 09 they will come with a rebate for $400. Its double your design prints back! I hope that's not too confusing, its really quite simple. If you are kicking around the idea of building in 2009 or even 2010 or 11 then make sure you order Design Prints for the house you want in November or December 08 and purchase your Construction Prints by the end of 2009 to earn the rebate.

Jump over to our site to read the details. Well, actually we just copied all the details from our site and posted them here, but you should go and read the fine print on the offer.

Kick the Crisis Promotion

Technorati Tags: modern house

Such legendary negativity. There are professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a very few of them. And possibly only one profession is phonier. Advertising design, in persuading people to buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, in order to impress others who don’t care, is probably the phoniest field in existence [...]