Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Design Observer: What Everyone Wants

"Perhaps design is the field of mindless prettiness. But hasn't it always been so? After all, most of us entered the profession not because we've determined after long thought that it represented a more effective way of influencing the course of world events than, say, law or medicine. Instead, somewhere along the way, we discovered we liked making things look good, and that we were better at it than other people."

"interestingly, almost every designer I've ever met has been serenely confident in his or her ability to make things look good, thank you very much. No, what designers wanted then and want now, more than anything else, is respect. Respect from clients. Respect from the general public. We want to be seen as more than mere stylists, we want to set the agenda, to be involved earlier in the strategic process, to be granted a place at the table. In short, just like the Chaste Clarissa, we want to be taken seriously."

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Nathan Sawaya - The Art of Brick


Click on the image to view more...

I don't think there was another solo activity I did when I was little that was as enriching and well-spent as when I was constructing Legos. Playing in the back yard, riding my bike, sitting in front of the television - for shows or video games. All of these activities seem inferior when I think of the calm I used to feel when I played with Legos. In fact, there are times when I think I might be better off now if I just had a carrying case of Legos to fool around with.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Paper Cuts: Peter Callesen

Click on image to see more.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Zune Planes

At the Bust Magazine Holiday Craftacular in NYC last year, I had a chance to play with the Zune, Microsoft's answer to the iPod. I wasn't floored by Zune. Unlike the iPod, I didn't feel an intense need to own one after holding it. But, similar to Apple's ads, Zune commercials make me want to buy. Check out this great ad by Fulltank:

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Plain Mary: High Retailers

In the September 2007 issue of Dwell magazine, the following ad appears on page 250:

"Plain Mary is an iconic baby brand that merges utility with keepsake quality design. Our standards are high, as should be the retailers who carry our line."

I think their tagline should be: "Plain Mary: High Standards, High Retailers, Sober Babies."

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Full of Beauty

A conversation that just took place over IM about the above paper sculpture by Richard Sweeney:

Coworker [2:41 PM]: so this is paper?
Me [2:44 PM]: Yeah. I read somewhere that it's the 3D expression of a geometric equation in a CAD program.
Me [2:47 PM]: (after finding the information online) it's a "Paper structure exploring the principle of fractal geometry, upon which forms in nature are generated."
Coworker [2:47 PM]: it just goes to show that math is beautifull
Me [2:48 PM]: So is spelling.
Coworker [2:48 PM]: Huh?
Me [2:49 PM]: Nevermind.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Arthur Ganson

Take a look at the incredible work of an industrial artist named Arthur Ganson, who makes these unbelievable sculptures that mingle life with machine.

[VIDEO] [VIDEO]