http://www.designsojourn.com How to do good industrial design, create clever products, and master the business of design. Thu, 08 May 2008 12:40:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 en http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/10/11-the-beautiful-game-of-foosball/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/10/11-the-beautiful-game-of-foosball/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:10:22 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/10/11-the-beautiful-game-of-foosball/ Donn, a former student of mine, and an Intern at Gro Design recently sent me notice of a very cool foosball (link to what is foosball?) project he was part of. Finally someone is sitting up an taking notice! ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/10/11-the-beautiful-game-of-foosball/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/07/philips-design-probes-into-our-future/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/07/philips-design-probes-into-our-future/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:01:35 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/07/philips-design-probes-into-our-future/ ...a dedicated 'far-future' research initiative to track trends and developments that may ultimately evolve into mainstream issues that have a significant impact on business. The Probes generate insights from research in five main areas; politics, economic, culture, environments and technology futures. The end result are a range of "narratives", industrial design concepts and scenarios that are not predictions but instead are meant to stimulate discussion and debate. There are quite a number of projects on display, but the two most recent ones are:]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/07/philips-design-probes-into-our-future/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/solar-panels-inspired-by-leaves/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/solar-panels-inspired-by-leaves/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:44:05 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/solar-panels-inspired-by-leaves/ Biomimicry at its best! ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/solar-panels-inspired-by-leaves/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/a-cross-pollination-of-creative-ideas-at-blueprint-2008/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/a-cross-pollination-of-creative-ideas-at-blueprint-2008/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:34:14 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/a-cross-pollination-of-creative-ideas-at-blueprint-2008/ Yesterday, at the height of the Singapore Fashion Festival, I was invited to view a wonderful fashion show that was unlike any other. Called Blueprint 2008 the show was a result of a cross-pollination of ideas between fashion and industrial designers. What I liked about it was that the work was part sharing and part collaboration of ideas between fashion and product designers, with both inspiring each other to greater heights.]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/04/03/a-cross-pollination-of-creative-ideas-at-blueprint-2008/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/28/get-around-earth-hour-with-the-lightway/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/28/get-around-earth-hour-with-the-lightway/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:55:18 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/28/get-around-earth-hour-with-the-lightway/ Image Source: SMH. Photo by Andrew Meares. Damien Savio, an Australian Industrial Design student, designed for his final year project, a window panel that can absorb sunlight during the day, and at night become a light. Apparently his design is able to convert 4 hours of direct sunlight to a 60W light source for 6 hours. Very clever. The design is a finalist for Australian Design Awards-Dyson Student Award which will be announced in May. I'm rooting for you mate! With this product you now don't really have to switch off for tomorrow's Earth Hour. You have heard of the Earth Hour happening tomorrow 29 March at 8pm right? Via: Sydney Morning Herald ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/28/get-around-earth-hour-with-the-lightway/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/11/how-well-designed-is-the-macbook-air/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/11/how-well-designed-is-the-macbook-air/#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:01:27 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/11/how-well-designed-is-the-macbook-air/ ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/03/11/how-well-designed-is-the-macbook-air/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/21/modus-modular-mobile-phones/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/21/modus-modular-mobile-phones/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:00:58 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/21/modus-modular-mobile-phones/ Image collage from Modu Recently we covered Bug Lab's modular mobile phone, where it was essentially a CPU "brain" that you can attach modules that you would purchased as you require it. Modu's modular mobile phones takes this same concept but looks at it from another point of view. They start with a fully functional "brain" unit, and you then buy sleeves or what Modu calls "Jackets" which you slide the modular phone brain into it. ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/21/modus-modular-mobile-phones/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/19/celebrate-ubiquitous-and-unsung-designs-with-this-iconic-sugar-shaker/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/19/celebrate-ubiquitous-and-unsung-designs-with-this-iconic-sugar-shaker/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:00:15 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/19/celebrate-ubiquitous-and-unsung-designs-with-this-iconic-sugar-shaker/ Image by: KAREN TAPIA-ANDERSEN / Los Angeles Times With, over 35 Million sold with just as many copies I'm sure, this Sugar Shaker is, according to Bill Stern an Art Historian, "the very essence of modernism, a perfect meld of function and form."]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/19/celebrate-ubiquitous-and-unsung-designs-with-this-iconic-sugar-shaker/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/14/get-your-own-human-powered-fred-flintstone-car-right-here/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/14/get-your-own-human-powered-fred-flintstone-car-right-here/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:00:20 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/14/get-your-own-human-powered-fred-flintstone-car-right-here/ Image collage from Ecoble Check out this amazing and inspirational feat of engineering called The HumanCar. A human powered car that is I am sure inspired by the famous Flintstone mobiles.]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/14/get-your-own-human-powered-fred-flintstone-car-right-here/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/06/awesome-new-motion-controller-may-just-kill-the-nintendo-wii/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/06/awesome-new-motion-controller-may-just-kill-the-nintendo-wii/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:32:23 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/06/awesome-new-motion-controller-may-just-kill-the-nintento-wii/ Motus Games, a subsidiary of Motus Corporation, has developed the Darwin Controller of which they tout is the future of Motion Based Entertainment, and the natural evolution of the Wii Controller. Using their R&D experience in developing motion sensing gear used in Golf and Medial applications, the Darwin Controller is apparently a lot more refined in the sensing of your motion thus giving you true 6 degrees of freedom.]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/02/06/awesome-new-motion-controller-may-just-kill-the-nintendo-wii/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/30/share-your-favourite-creation-moment-on-legos-50th-birthday/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/30/share-your-favourite-creation-moment-on-legos-50th-birthday/#comments Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:33:23 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/30/share-your-favourite-creation-moment-on-legos-50th-birthday/ Happy Birthday Lego! Image From: Gizmodo. Click on the image for a larger version.
Being extra busy early this week, I totally missed taking a "moment" on January 28 to wish Lego a Happy 50th Birthday! Check out the very cool time-line above created by Gizmodo, and their collection of "Best Lego Sets in History"! ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/30/share-your-favourite-creation-moment-on-legos-50th-birthday/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/28/do-these-award-winning-designs-infringe-patents/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/28/do-these-award-winning-designs-infringe-patents/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:52:14 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/28/do-these-award-winning-designs-infringe-patents/ Muji Award 02 Judges' Prize: Chronotebook By: Wong Kok Keong
Patent 6593942: Event programming guide By: Dennis Bushmitch et al ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/28/do-these-award-winning-designs-infringe-patents/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/26/finally-a-pc-that-every-designer-has-dreamed-about/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/26/finally-a-pc-that-every-designer-has-dreamed-about/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:41:22 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/26/finally-a-pc-that-every-designer-has-dreamed-about/ Check out this very clever Napkin PC designed by Avery Hollerman that is perfect for collaborating designers. Using e-ink and RF technology it allows designers to draw in colour and skip the very tedious stage of transferring the sketch into a digital format. ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/26/finally-a-pc-that-every-designer-has-dreamed-about/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/24/good-design-award-2007/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/24/good-design-award-2007/#comments Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:01:50 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/24/good-design-award-2007/ What a nice way to end 2007 and roll into 2008 with a flying start! My team and I have won a Good Design Award 2007 from the The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design for our Dragon Electrostatic Speaker Product Range. This product was also recently featured in Wired Magazine issue 15.03 ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/24/good-design-award-2007/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/19/jonathan-ive-design-genius-or-something-else/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/19/jonathan-ive-design-genius-or-something-else/#comments Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:18:04 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/19/jonathan-ive-design-genius-or-something-else/ Image Source: Gizmodo There is an uncanny resemblance between the great work of Dieter Rams to the work of Jonathan Ive head of Industrial Design at Apple. ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/19/jonathan-ive-design-genius-or-something-else/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/16/macbook-air-disgustingly-thin/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/16/macbook-air-disgustingly-thin/#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:01:09 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/16/macbook-air-disgustingly-thin/ ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2008/01/16/macbook-air-disgustingly-thin/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/12/03/is-the-amazon-kindle-product-20/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/12/03/is-the-amazon-kindle-product-20/#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:30:28 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/12/03/is-the-amazon-kindle-product-20/ Image Source: Newsweek via engadget The latest buzz on the Internet comes in the form of the Amazon Kindle e-book reader. I had first initially dismissed it as another e-book reader, but with time it has come to interestingly reminds me of the good old "Internet Appliance" product that was all the rage in the late 1990's. Launched about 2 weeks ago, it was, according to Engadget, sold out in 5.5 hours! ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/12/03/is-the-amazon-kindle-product-20/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/25/the-un-p3-project-update/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/25/the-un-p3-project-update/#comments Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:28:35 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/25/the-un-p3-project-update/ It has been a good number of months since the I've last updated my readers on the status of this project. Firstly though I like to apologize to a few of this project's supporters for this delay but I have not been idle and was working on it during my spare time. I really was waiting for this time to finally give you an update. Most of you astute readers would have already noticed that The Un-p3 Project is currently being exhibited at the Dandelion Industrial Design Exhibition. Unfortunately due to the entry criteria, that exhibition is really only for "show". Therefore I thought to continue and expand upon the "tell" part here at Design Sojourn. This will be a great opportunity for you to ask any additional questions or make comments of any kind. Also I get a chance to explain how I went from the Haptic concept, and came up with the Wave one.]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/25/the-un-p3-project-update/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/20/the-dandelion-exhibition-launches/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/20/the-dandelion-exhibition-launches/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:00:09 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/20/the-dandelion-exhibition-launches/ Ok the secret is finally out and one of the reasons why I have been "extra" busy during my down time! After months of work sorting submissions, we have officially launched the Dandelion On-line Exhibition featuring work of designers from Asia and beyond. It was really great experience, and interestingly enough it felt more like a bunch of friends getting together to show our Industrial Design work. So before I forget, I like to thank all the people who submitted their work to the Exhibition! Also I like to personally thank py for all her hard work in helping me get the exhibition up and running. It was a great process getting to the end, and we hope you enjoy the Exhibition as much as we did setting it up. Please do let me know what you think? Now on a high lets get back to regular programming at Design Sojourn! ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/20/the-dandelion-exhibition-launches/feed/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/02/build-your-own-product-with-bug-labs-open-source-hardware/ http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/02/build-your-own-product-with-bug-labs-open-source-hardware/#comments Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:20:59 +0000 DT http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/02/build-your-own-product-with-bug-labs-open-source-hardware/ I'm floored. This is not a trick, nor is it a story out of Star Trek, and best of all its not even a concept. Yesterday, November 01, 2007, Bug Labs launched for the first time to the public, pictures of what to me would be one of the biggest break through in platform product design I have seen to date. I have to say the potential of this product will be endless. ]]> http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/11/02/build-your-own-product-with-bug-labs-open-source-hardware/feed/