So here I was 10pm Sunday night, right out of the shower standing in front of the mirror with shaving foam on my face. Even though I was freshly showered, I was slightly panicking. My razor had a rust spot on one of its 3 blades after not using it for a week and I was having a mental debate of whether to use this blade or not. After giving my cheek a few swipes, the fear of getting tetanus made me see the light and I chucked the blade and proceeded to rummaged through my toiletries box for another razor.
What you see above was what I would find and hack together. I noticed visually that the neck connector (between the blade housing and the stem) looks very similar, so I gave it a go and it works! I also thought that if it works on a bikini line, why not my chin? I am strangely quite excited to try it again tonight, because my chin was really smooth after the shave!
Check out this cool Retro TV inspired iPad dock by frog Creative Director Jonas Damon. What is even more interesting is his rational behind his design.
I’ve heard designers lament the end of industrial design for some time now: single-purpose products like calculators and alarm clocks are being replaced by smart devices, leaving nothing more than a screen in a minimal enclosure. Another woe is that design is increasingly being offered by off shore OEMs and ODMs, leaving design quality to suffer at the hand of the cheap cost.
I’ve got a different way of looking at it: all this advanced technology is actually enabling industrial design. A product’s form used to be dictated by its mechanical function. Products had distinctive shapes largely because the composition of the internal components mandated a certain form. But, as mechanics are being replaced by microchips, these constraints are disappearing. Designers have more opportunity with form now ; ergonomics and expression no longer need compromising.
I have to admit that I have often pondered (via: The Future State of a Product’s Existence?) on the “disappearance” of tangible products, due to technology convergence and a heavy emphasis on digital interfaces. I have lamented that products will eventually become all screens and Industrial Design as a profession will disappear. Or will it?
However what Jonas said threw me, and I have to admit that he is one smart man. I will need to ponder on this a lot more. Meanwhile lets enjoy how this TV has no wires!
Interesting. However, I think it could be a lot better if it was designed into the packaging itself, rather than as a throw-away (though recycled) add-on. What do you guys think?
I have been waiting for a proposition like this. The moment Apple launched the new Shuffle, I had imagined that designers would be jumping all over themselves to create jewellery accessories or wearable housings for this product. I have to say that it took awhile; until Michiel Cornelissen came along. Check out more click-able images of Michiel’s Pod à Porter Neckband Accessory after the jump.
I like the simplicity of the design and how it applies the natural flexibility and texture of Silicone.
Check out this cool umbrella and stand installation by Outofstock for FiftyThree, a restaurant in Singapore. Outofstock Design is an outfit set up by Gabriel Tan, one of my former students when I was lecturing part time at the National University of Singapore.
Outofstock was recently commissioned by Singapore chef Michael Han to design a set of umbrellas and umbrella stand for his restaurant, FiftyThree. The items are designed with the restaurant’s philosophy in mind – understated and an intimacy with natural materials.
The umbrella’s solid beech wood shaft and carbon fibre ribs reflect the elegant austerity of the restaurant interiors, softened by the warmth of a carefully sculpted handle. The handle’s cross-sectional shape facilitates a comfortable grip, while the gentle indentation is a defining detail which provides security and solace for one’s thumb.
Propped by offcuts of guava tree branches, the umbrellas rest on an umbrella stand of made of a bent corian sheet over a maple wood base. The curved ledge channels remaining rain water from the umbrellas into a small, concealed container within the base.
Please take a moment to admire the beauty and elegance of Deglon’s Meeting Knife Set.
Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
Done?
Why not take another minute?
Ok, ready? Let’s continue.
Designed by Mia Schmallenbach, this design is a wonderful exercise of merging utility with aesthetics. A sublimely beautiful design that stopped me dead in my tracks, and compelled me to study how to lines and shapes worked together. Furthermore this design is not just “form for form’s sake”. The knives cleverly tuck back into each other like Russian dolls thereby organizing and removing clutter on your kitchen counter. Some people have concerns on the functionality, but I’ll reserve judgment on this until I get a chance to hold one myself.
Here is what Mia had to say about her design.
Meeting is a set of kitchen knives: paring knife, carving knife, chef’s knife, filleting knife and their block. They all seem to be sculpted out of one piece of steel. The proportions are determined by the Fibonacci sequence with as its base the average width of a hand.
It is refreshing to see old school design methodologies, such as the Fibonacci sequence, given a new lease of life by combining the thinking with modern manufacturing technologies. Found everywhere in nature, we know that Fibonacci sequences work well in design, as proven by the Renaissance masters in the past. And it looks like it is still relevant in today’s context.
A big thanks to Shang Lee for this wonderful find.
It might not come as a surprise to most of you, but this design blogger has an alter ego as a design professional during the day! While it may seem that way at times, especially at 2 am, my life does not revolve around Design Sojourn. I don’t really talk much about my professional work on this blog, as I do like to keep my blog and work separate. Design Sojourn is a blog about my own personal views on design, and not about work. (Seen the disclaimer on the right?) However, from time to time, I make exceptions partly because the information is now in the public domain, and partly because I just can’t resist sharing it!
During the day, I’m actually a Senior Design Manager at Philips Design. I spent most of my time leading strategic design programs in the Philip’s Home Cinema Sound global portfolio. I have also been known to take care of DVD/Blu-Ray players and Remote Control programs as well. In a nutshell, I look after the design activities for most of the peripherals around the TV introduced in the second half of 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Working closely with Creative Directors (or Leads) and Program Managers, my role is to craft design strategies and business focused design solutions that shape meaningful and (hopefully) successful product propositions. I am also responsible for creating a comfortable “playing field” for the design team by ensuring the all the proper budget and operational processes are in place.
Without further adieu, I would like to share with you two of the many designs my team and I have been working hard on in the last two years. The videos of the designs below are part of “Obsessed with Sound” launch campaign and have also been officially released on the Philips YouTube channel. The images are from the Philips Corporate Communications News Center set up on Flickr especially for online media and bloggers.
HTS9520 Philips Immersive Sound home theater with 360Sound
Product in Focus
Campaign Clip
Philips HTS9140 SoundBar Home theater with Ambisound
Product in Focus
Campaign Clip
I hope you share our excitement after watching these product launch videos! At this time I would also like to applaud and congratulate the awesome design team that put their hearts and souls into the designs. Well done guys, you know who you are! So what do you think of our labor of love? I would love to hear your feedback and comments?
So on this really high note, I thought you might like to know that come end September 2010, I will be leaving Philips Design. I won’t go into too much details now, but do stay tuned to Design Sojourn as I will share more about this and my future plans. Talk soon!
Oh the nostalgia! Designer Shira Nahon designed this range of classic toy weapons all in the name of fun! Aptly called “Piu Piu”, it is a nod towards the sounds we make when we pretend to “shoot” our friends. Actually now we can!
I really like the simplicity of the designs as it really highlights the functionality of the toy and allows users to implicitly get how it works. (Well, maybe not the boom ball…)
Break
Boomball
Rubber
One Shot
ClipGun : here’s one you may remember, as the laundry clip on a stick design has been around for quite a few years. I remember wanting something like this when I was about 10 years old, wanting it SO BAD. This one’s a bit more refined, incorporating the clip into the stick. One less ingredient – a designer’s most basic goal.
Beak: What! A paper airplane? No way. This is a stainless STEEL airplane. Made to fly… right into your neighbors eye.
BoomBall: A boomerang-like device which is made of strips of thin, flexible steel. You might remember these strips as “slap bracelets.” When this crazy object makes contact with any other solid object, it curls up into a sphere (if you’re lucky, it ensnares the target object inside!) Very wild.
Rubber: Not THAT kind of rubber. This Rubber is packaged as the rubber sling part of a slingshot only, encouraging the user to find their own perfect bit of tree branch to shoot with.
OneShot: A single metal rod twisted and turned into an ingenious neu-form rubber band shooter. Totally and completely intuitive. So simple, a baby could fire it.
It is really nice to see designers mature in their profession! Do check out, long time Design Sojourn friend, Saikat Biswas’ awesome Holga D digital camera concept. You would probably have seen it, as it has been all over the internet, but I still want to share it here with you because firstly, it is a very cool concept and secondly, I want to thank Saikat for his long time support with a little link juice back to his new website.
Check out more of his images after the jump and do click on the images for a larger view.
I really like the flip-able trigger panel as this really resonates with a lefty like me. But Saikat, my friend, where is the viewfinder! I know you are hoping for a minimal design and a delayed gratification in viewing the shots, but you still need to see what you are shooting at right? Aren’t Holga cameras really all about imperfections in the photo capturing and reproduction process?
Regardless, nice concept development sketches and do check out the rest of the images at Saikat’s personal blog.
I’m not sure how useful or practical this notebook is, but it is sure to get your creativity juices flowing by helping you think, or write for that matter, out of the box! It was designed by Marc Thomasset.
More images after the jump.
However, I do wonder why Marc calls his notebook a pad?
Hey if you happen to be looking for notebooks or sketchbooks, do check out my Spaces for Ideas: Expandable Sketchbook, specially designed for people not afraid of big ideas!
Click for a bigger image!
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