9 months for a slice of toast
Thomas Thwaites, a design student at the Royal College of Art in London has made a toaster – literally from the ground up. Thomas Thwaites has travelled to mines across the country to get the raw materials for his toaster. Processing these raw materials at home, (for example he smelted iron ore with a leafblower and in a microwave).
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Ever wanted to access your 3D models on your iPhone, take a photograph of your surroundings, then place the 3D model in the photo? No, well at least now the option is on the horizon.
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Comparing the trends at NeoCon with independent design.
There is always a design zeitgeist that emerges from the various styles, methods of production, and materials that are popular at any given time. So, I decided to compare what I saw at NeoCon with what I am seeing from independent designers using rapid manufacturing.
the best company at NeoCon 2009
(above: portrait from MetropolisMag.com)
Stephanie Forsythe, along with Todd MacAllen and Robert Pasut, make up molo — a collaborative studio that approaches product design from an architect’s perspective. The outcomes are wonderful, multi-functional structures that can be interpretted for use as furniture, lighting, space dilineation, or custom installations. The molo aesthetic is strikingly unique yet versatile enough for a range of interior styles: residential, educational, corporate, or commercial.
(above: the very popular molo booth at NeoCon 2009)
Most people favor the deluxe permanent showrooms of to-the-trade-only manufacturers and their champaign and hors d’eouvre afternoon hours, but I have to say that the molo booth was my absolute favorite at NeoCon. They were really the freshest company at the event, and their products spoke most to what I think is the artistic vision, environmental outlook, and indie philosophy of today’s young designers.
Keep reading for the story on how molo came about, circumventing the traditional A+D route, and how their amazing designs were inspired by dollar store trinkets.
A mix of design, innovation, a shaky global economy, and an abiding love for hand-stitched, buttery leather
“Craft Punk,” was a collaboration between Design Miami and Fendi, the LVMH-owned luxury goods brand known for its enduring baguettes and keen eye for talent (they signed up Karl Lagerfeld to design furs in 1965 and have held on to him since). In response to new currents in design practice and the present state of the world, Craft Punk is a celebration of tenacious creative expression, unruly experimentation, and brilliantly low-tech design processes.
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Fun Anamorphic furniture designs by Oscar Nunez of Cancun Mexico.
With Oscar Nunez’s playful Fill In The Cat, three characters disappear from large, solid white blocks, and their absence suddenly makes them important. The resulting emptiness is filled with the user’s belongings and through this action the silhouettes’ meaning shifts. The pieces suggest a continuous play between interaction and representation, where daily use generates a continuously changing story: a cat that reads Italo Calvino, a book filled with coins, a living room where birds come to eat the cake’s crumbles…
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CNC Magic by Stanislav Katz
Not much information out there on the work of Latvian designers Katz except for some great pictures on the process of making the 4 Vase Cabinet posted on the Contemporist.
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Rethinking furniture joinery with exposed mechanical fasteners.
German designer Philippe Krzyzek has just released some of his interesting furniture at the 2009 DMY Design Festival in Berlin. What instantly sprang to my attention was his exposed use of metal fasteners to hold what looks like CNC timber panels together. So often with flat pack furniture designs we see the peices slot together (which makes sense) but is becoming a little predictable, even when using digital joints (previously featured).
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Mark Your Calendars for June 29
In celebration of World Industrial Design Day on 29 June, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) invites designers from around the globe to initiate events reflecting this year’s theme ‘Industrial Design: the product of human creativity’.
This international day of observance is celebrated in order to raise awareness about the benefits of industrial design in improving our quality of life.
First declared in 2007 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Icsid, World Industrial Design Day received considerable attention following a successful series of international events held during the inaugural year in 2008. This year, designers and design enthusiasts are once again encouraged to mark the day by coordinating events within their region. World Industrial Design Day aims to provide designers with a collective outlet to acknowledge the merits of the profession of industrial design, as well as provide the general public with an opportunity to appreciate design not just as an abstract, but also as a tangible expression of everyday life.
Share your World Industrial Design Day event plans by posting a comment in the Icsid Blog. Be sure to include the name of the organisers, location of the event and any relevant links.
Congratulations to Carla Sapiain who was the winner of the first student poster competition for World Industrial Design Day, designed to represent nature’s essential role in the imagination, design and creation of products.
I wonder how long before we celebrate Post-Industrial Design day??
Ponoko users unite…
Eco Design for Everyone
Knoend is a design innovation studio that believe that design is a catalyst for change and has the power to create new experiences that will bring enhanced meaning to life. Knoend’s company name was conceived to describe the limitless possibilities that knowledge can bring to the world.
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