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Word to Ponoko

For those of you unfamiliar with WGSN, Worth Global Style Network is the “leading global service providing online research, trend analysis and news to the fashion, design and style industries.”

Basically any large corporation at all concerned with style, trend, product or design subscribes to this behemoth of a trend source. And this morning, Ponoko got a little mention from the Think Tank team. For those of you without the $25k per year access, here’s the article via WGSN.

WGSN identifies a growing DIY approach to design and technology, from lo-fi, home-grown technology and design for community benefit, to personalising anonymous product and anti-corporate open-sourcing.

WGSN has been tracking a shift in the boundaries between consumer and creator for some time - whether it be consumer-generated content on the internet or the shunning of specialist skills and tools needed to create.

The focus for creation and consumerism is heading more and more towards an ‘integrated’ experience. Consumers will expect to make, create or be involved in the development of products, and will bypass - even ‘hack’ - traditional methods.

Maker culture

The digital world has a lot to answer for when it comes to DIY-ism, spawning a culture of people who can claim, “I make” rather than “I buy”.

Silicon valley entrepreneur Andrew Keen’s book, The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing our Culture bemoans the user-generated nature of Web 2.0. Yet there is a new creativity developing that is moving beyond design dilettantism.

The Etsy crafts portal is one particular site that illustrates the trends for make-it-yourself and sell-it-yourself enterprise.

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With its “Build, Craft, Hack, Play, Make” tagline, US-based Make magazine and its sister Maker Faire epitomise the trend.

Unashamedly geeky, it celebrates a “growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements and garages”, and it informs readers how to relate to technology on their own time.

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Swedish design group Front’s Sketch Furniture concept also shows how technology can enable easy, instant design.

Pen strokes made in the air are recorded with Motion Capture and become 3D digital files; these are then materialised through Rapid Prototyping into real pieces of furniture. Watch the video here.

Other design innovations include Fab Labs, an MIT project offering facilities such as a laser-cutter and 3D printer to creators, while Ponoko offers users the chance to upload a 3D design and make use of professional tools to manufacture - and then sell it.

Meanwhile, design comes to your doorstep with the imminent launch of the Desktop Factory, a 3D printer that builds objects through layers of plastic.

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Homemade technology, often trivial (see the internet-enabled coffee maker), is nevertheless throwing off its chemistry set image.

Tom Igoe’s book, Making Things Talk: Practical Methods for Connecting Physical Objects, relishes in connecting home-based devices to create a tech-geek’s ultimate domestic environment.

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Everyday genius

The DIY trend has also spawned everyday scientists - proof that anyone can be a maker.

These everyday geniuses cobble together simple but effective machines and objects using the lumpen cast-offs of hi-tech Western products, such as Chinese farmer Mr Woo, who taught himself to build robots from junk.

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The maker sphere was recently abuzz with news about a young man from Malawi who built a wind generator for his family’s home using instructions from a primary school textbook.

William Kamkwamba has even documented its construction in a blog.

A Nigerian college student also was recently reported to have crafted a helicopter from a Toyota and parts from a crashed Boeing 747, complete with push-button ignition and ground-vision camera.

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This celebration of common sense design for social benefit is summed up by Yves Béhar’s design for the One Laptop Per Child scheme, which has just won the Brit Insurance Design Award for 2008 at London’s Design Museum.

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Anti-corporate

There’s more than a hint of a corporate backlash in DIY culture. The internet is full of images of the inner workings of consumer products - or ‘teardowns’ - such as the naked mechanics under the shiny skin of an iMac.

George Holz, the 17-year-old teenager who became the first person to hack the much-hyped iPhone received international media attention - and a not so firm slap on the wrists; he traded in the hacked iPhone for a new car.

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Speaking of the iPhone, we like the array of imitations on offer, such as the clay iPhone and even wooden iPhone cases (as seen at miniot.com), all of which are an attempt (consciously and unconsciously) to negate or individualise the iconic image of this mass consumer product.

There’s a tongue-in-cheek irony to this hack culture, whether its Republicraft’s Department of Homeland Security Blanket or the H3 toy hacking workshop.

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Open-source

Open-source culture is moving into the mainstream and bringing with it an egalitarian mindset.

In a wiki culture, collaboration is key. Ubuntu, a community-developed, free Linux-based software, is now available on new Dell PCs and offers all the applications needed on a standard computer.

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Open-source sewing is the latest online project for pattern-maker Burda, while Styleshake is a new site offering collaborative fashion and facilities that enable users to create their own clothes.

Threadbanger offers video content informing makers how to create their own fashion and even their own art collections. The recently launched MyDeco.com site meanwhile enables consumers to become their own interior designers, offering an easy-to-use 3D design facility.

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Teeny, Tiny Printed Table Makes Doll House Furniture Jealous.

Tiny Table Compared to a Quarter
Kikkerland Design, with the help of designer Jozeph Forakis, created a miniature version of a large table they presented at ICFF, for display at ICFF. It’s layers within layers, people. The table was created digitally and printed with a special resin to produce the highly detailed, 7.924mm long model. The table is so small, you can only see the details with the aid of a magnifying glass. (more…)

Free 3D Tools pt. 2: Cosmic Blobs Model Pro

Following on from the previous post about Dassault Systèmes 3D tools is another, (re)introducing Cosmic Blobs Pro
cbmp
Built around the idea that surfaces should be manipulated directly, Cosmic Blobs Model Pro is an entry level tool for 3D content creation. Developed by the creators of Cosmic Blobs, with a slightly less cartoony interface, but still basically aimed at kids. This is the Beta version so perhaps the next iteration will be more suitable for design applications. Models can be exported as a triangular mesh into several 3D formats, including standard STL, VRML, and OBJ formats. VRML and OBJ output also includes texture coordinates and images.
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CBMP, as I will now refer to it, is available for both Mac & P.C. You only need fill in a basic form to get a key to register the 15 day trial to an unlimited version.
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They have a gallery of (lame) examples and their is also supposed to be a community forum, and a dedicated fan blog site. How much of this is ground up is yet to be seen. As Jesse Louis-Rosenberg mentioned in reply to the previous post, I do not believe that Dassault Systèmes are looking to democratize the 3D design process, but more likely simply trying to stake out more territory for themselves. I doubt that anyone will use it as a tool to produce the next DIY design innovation, but at least it is a free tool to get a basic idea about 3D modeling organic forms with a simple, limited interface.

Cheers to Matt from We Don’t Do Retro for letting me know Cosmic Blobs is back in action.

Origami Lamp: Everything You Need, Except For The Light.

Origami Lamp
Which technically makes this an origami lampshade that is folded from pre-scored .8mm steel into a shape that somewhat resembles a closed flower, or maybe a crumpled piece of paper. Designed by Thomas Hick, all one has to do to make this lampshade is fold along the dotted lines, the idea being that people are free to choose in what order to fold their new purchase. (more…)

Water jet cutting for the greater good

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One of the designs appearing at the ICFF this year (international contemporary furniture fair) was Orange 22’s Botanist project. Orange 22 produced a flat piece of aluminium that acts as a blank canvas for artists and designs to water jet cut their designs into. The designers then receive a royalty for each piece of furniture sold and an equal amount is donated to the designer’s charity of choice.

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Dario Antonioni, founder of Orange22 says “When we began thinking about the Botanist™ Blank Canvas project back in 2006, we knew we wanted to produce more than beautiful furniture. Botanist is about entrusting our colleagues – each of whom we admire, to do what they love and give back in the process. Botanist is simply a unique business model that serves as a catalyst to empower design for positive change,”

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Designers such as Yves Behar, Margo Chase, Milton Glaser, Kahi Lee, Karim Rashid, Joe Ricchio, Massimo & Lella Vignelli, and Claude Zellweger have all designed a piece of water jet furniture for the Botanist range.

Liverpool: The Open Source City

Open Source CityAs you may or may not know, Liverpool is European Capital of Culture 08, which means that this year there’s even more than usual going on there.

One such example is Open Source City, “A micro-festival of open source practice in the production of media art and music”. This from the organisers’ newsletter:

20th - 22nd June 2008


Booking is now open for _Open Source City, folly and SoundNetwork’s exciting micro-festival in Liverpool this June. Most of the art and events are free and you can just turn up on the day, but for the programme of workshops and masterclasses you need to book in advance.


Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment..!


Open Source City tips its hat to Liverpool’s pioneering spirit by offering a programme of art, workshops, masterclasses, talks and concerts that shed light on the growing impact of Free/Libre Open Source Software on the creative practices of today, in particular in media art and music.


Download the full programme and find out how to book your place on the workshops at folly’s website http://www.folly.co.uk/click/1060/11

Although there are a lot of events aimed at programmers and music makers (great!), there are talks discussing open source culture and particularly its continuing effect on art and design. Tom Chance’s talk Copyright and freedom – a brief philosophical tour looks to be good, as does Daniel James talking on his experiences of the effect for users of open sourcing in the Indamixx hand-held studio project.
Folly are really active and every year put on their own festival for the Northwest, Velocity which always has a good showing of innovative digital manufacturing in both visual and interactive art pieces, as well as a good line in hardware hacks. Would recommend getting along to either festival if you can.

Ponoko Product of the Week

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This weeks Product of the Week is from DSCulp and I really love it. I’ll let him describe why he came up with it:

The Monarch butterfly truly is an inspirational creature. Like most butterflies these beautiful and delicate creatures usually have an adult lifespan of only four to six weeks. But once a year, a special generation is born; one with a mission. Somehow these chosen few manage to fly over 2000 miles, to congregate in a place they have never seen before; a remote region in the Mexican mountains. There, by the millions they wait for the warm breezes that will awaken them and signal their journey home. Scientists cannot explain this miraculous journey.

The monarchs were a part of my childhood. We collected the caterpillars and watched them emerge from their jewel-like chrysalis. Watching them fight the breezes they inspired me with their delicate tenacity.

It seemed natural to me that some 30 years later they would re-emerge in my life and take this new form.

A layer of shimmering copper foil is sandwiched between 3mm black acrylic. Laser cutting and etching create the delicate patterns of the wings.

Brooch is 74mm x 47mm (approx 3” x 1.75”) and each is signed and numbered.

Limited edition of 100.

Brilliant stuff! Congratulations DSCulp for being the Ponoko Product of the Week.

When Birds Attack

Amuneal Manufacturing has been awarded the “Best in Show” award by Display & Design Ideas for its booth at Global Shop. The island booth, measuring 20’ x 30’ x 14’ is a unique installation showcasing Amuneal’s design and custom fabrication expertise.
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The multidimensional structure features aluminum walls and ceiling laser cut with a custom pattern inspired by birds in flight.
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“Inspired from a scene from nature, our in-house graphic designer created a striking motif for the walls of the installation. We then “wrapped” it around a digital 3D model, which generated the laser cutting files required to connect over 3,000 square feet of aluminum. Once fabricated, each lightweight panel received a hand-patinaed finish to contrast the exacting accuracy of the cut pattern.”

This is not Amuneal’s first foray into laser cut steel for their exhibition spaces but it is definitely the best contemporary realization to date.
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Found via NotCot

The industrial version of craft

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We first wrote about unto this last here: they design and manufacture a wide range of furniture products using their in-house CNC machine. The name comes from “a book written in 1860 by John Ruskin. He advocated a return to the local craftsmans workshop, right when the Industrial Revolution was raging… We like the idea that technology today allows us to recreate this dream of local, distributed manufacturing”. I was very impressed by the Facet chair; it’s one of the more sculptural pieces of CNC machined furniture I have ever seen. The design seems to take the whole concept one step further and uses the illusive third dimension much more then most CNC designs.

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The CD/DVD rack is an interesting design that seems to sort of pop out of the wall. Those of you that have been following this blog might recognise the shape. It looks very similar a clock in one of my previous posts: great minds think alike I guess.

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The wine rack is another eye catching piece. It’s a flat pack design that slots together. Again it has a really interesting architectural form. It’s available in a four or nine bottle version.

Free 3D Tools and Community: 3Dvia from Dassault Systèmes

3DVIA is the newest of the Dassault Systèmes brands. (currently include SolidWorks, CATIA and the now defunct Cosmic Blobs [RIP]) Its mission is democratizing the usage of 3D so that everybody can use it in their everyday life, either at work or at home, through the web. Leveraging all existing 3D technologies of Dassault Systèmes, as well as developing new ones, to deliver new types of innovative 3D services, online.
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3dvia.com will be the meeting point for all the communities wishing to improving everyday’s life with 3D. It will provide both 3D content and 3D services, either very generic or more dedicated to specific goals. It relies on dedicated infrastructure, leverages real-time display and behavioral 3D technologies, and provides services for everyone to imagine, create, share, experience or play in 3D. Not all of the tools are free, and the gaming engine has not been released yet, but it is a step in the right direction.
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Online tools include:
3DVIA Shape is a free online 3D modeling application that allows any user to create 3D models and publish them directly to 3DVIA.com.
3DVIA MP - The premiere authoring platform for high-quality 3D game production on multiple platforms including PC, Xbox 360™, PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and online.
3DVIA Composer will change forever the way you create, update and distribute rich product documentation.
3DVIA Printscreen - brings you for the first time and in one unique tool the ability to create and save 3D Scenes on the fly from any 3D application.
3DVIA Live, 3DVIA Live delivers a breakthrough lightweight 3D paradigm for on-line collaborative intelligence, leveraging enterprise 3D and PLM information
There is also a tool for sharing/showing off 3d models on social networking sites like 3Dcollage on Facebook
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All of the software is currently P.C. only, and supported 3D file formats are currently limited to:
.3ds,
.prj (3D Studio R1-R4)
.obj (Wavefront OBJ)
.wrl (VRML1, VRML2)
.ply
.off
.stl, .stla, .stlb
.3dxml
.dae (Collada)
.kmz
and 2D formats include
.jpg, .jpe, .jpeg
.tga
.bmp
.png
.pcx
.tif, .tiff
.dib
.gif
.dds
Which is really quite reasonable.

Users publish their 3D models under “Creative Commons Licenses” which are the best dedicated to a 3D models sharing community. It is the responsibility of the user to choose the suitable copyright to associate with its model. You can also choose to mark your model as “All rights reserved”.

Looks like this is a case of the very big end of town making a decent go of creating a series of open tools and a community around it.
They have also opened it up for commerce including Mass Customization applications such as Lumec3D allowing you to create your own luminaire (lamp) assembly from a large catalog of possible configuration and immediately experience it in real time within different 3D environments.

Here’s one I “designed” in about 8 seconds.. including placing it in a 3d walkthrough environment.
luminaire 1luminaire 2luminaire 3
You will need to have Virtools plug in to make it all happen.

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