Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog

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I don’t really do this sort of thing often, but check out this worthy forehead slapping idea that really makes one say “why did I not think of that”?

I just wanted to celebrate this concept with my dear readers, as anyone who lived in a hostel or communal living environment would have experienced major problems with refrigeration. I think I like to see one module with an option for a pad lock! From someone drinking your juice or Coke, pinched yogurt tubs or fruits, to expired and spilled food, this fridge idea will be a god send for people with terrible roomies.

Finally no more having to tell your roommates that you spit into your milk!

Fore more info on the winners check out the Electrolux Newsroom.

Via: Official Press Release

Fellow Designer (FD): So you bought the iPhone?

Me: Yeah.

FD: So how do u find it?

Me: I don’t really like it.

FD: Why!

Me: Well it’s…eh…too simple.

FD: What? You don’t like the iPhone because it’s too simple and easy to use?

Me: Ah…well it is so simple that I find it does not perform to my expectations and needs. I should have done more research before I bought it. It does not even sync my Outlook notes and to-do lists!

Perhaps, to me it is simplistic rather than simple…the iPhone has applications that are very singular and specific.

Most of you loyal readers would know that I have written a lot about the iPhone on this blog (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and even secretly lusted after it! And so I’ve finally decided to buy an iPhone over the weekend. It was sort of an impulse buy, as I spent the last 2 months deliberating on getting a Nokia E71.

However, in the last week, I had a change of heart and went with an iPhone instead. The main driver for my decision was that I wanted a device, other than my PC, to be a central hub for my media consumption. The iPhone, to my limited testing so far, does this and only this job well.

Don’t worry Nokia, I’ll be back, but I just really wanted to find out what all the iPhone fuss was about!

Domus Magazine has recently launched a signature edition offshoot called Domus d’Autore. This first issue, entrusted to Editor-Architect Rem Koolhaas, was designed to allow readers to listen “…to the voice of those who know how to look beyond current confines and have the strength to direct and influence our way of perceiving the city and the spaces beyond it.”

As usual the magazine focuses mainly on Architecture, but Imomus has highlighted one of Rems theories that can have an interesting application in Industrial Design.

Very well put. Furthermore my regular readers would recognize “Post-Occupancy Design” as similar to, amongst other things, what I have been exploring in my Un-p3 Project (Yes it is till happening!). I wanted to create, through the use of materials, an object that reflects this process of “time and decay” and how it can be beautiful, something that I think iPod/iPhone owners lament angrily over when they are clean polishing their shiny screens or chrome backs.

But is this another trend coming full circle?

It is funny. Our shiny PSP/Mp3 Player/Mobile Phone/Laptop products of today seem to prioritize looks over product engineering fundamentals of case-part protection from the environment, long term usability and product life deterioration. Even more surprising, is the fact that these are portable products. Perhaps that is why the protection accessories market is big business? But hey, would you want to use the heavily textured, dark grey plastic Palm PDA of ages past?

Well, my curiosity is piped, and I’m off to get the Magazine…

Image from Flickr

Sometimes there comes a design so simple and so clever that I just have to share it with all my readers!

Check out the Ringshot slingshot designed by Shira Nahon as part of the 2008 Holon Institute of Technology (H.I.T) Industrial Design department “Next Exit” Exhibition, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ah…this brings back memories of me slinging a rubber band between my thumb and first finger and shooting paper bullets at unsuspecting classmates. I believe this product elevates this stunt to the next level, now with greater power and accuracy.

Every school boy or girl will be dying to get one. Nice work Shira!

No sure about you, but I do quite like it, in a strange Monday morning way. The world’s first boom-box or all in one lifestyle stereo perhaps? Nice emotional advertising layout iPod style eh?

So what happened to this so-called design icon?

Check out the rest of the article here at Nova Scotia News.

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!

This design was a collaboration between Gro Design and Tim modelmakers and will be exhibited during the Milan Design Week 2008, 16th - 21st April, Via Forcella 8, Milan, Italy.

Great stuff guys and Donn, thanks for the heads up.

For more information, photos and video of the model, check out the official site: 11thegame.com

In the same spirit as Visions of the Future Project, Philips generously shares with us their research findings of what our possible lifestyles could be in the era post 2020. Called Design Probes it is:

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:

SKIN: Dresses

SKINTILE: Electronic Sensing Jewelry

I am glad that a company like Philips understands that sharing their research and ideas is much better as it actually encourages the “seeds” to grow. Sometimes it is better to share than to protect. I find this it makes the design world a much better place to work in. Check out the rest of their ever evolving and growing project list at Philips Design Probes.

Image source: SMIT

It is really Biomimicry at its best!

Samuel Cabot Cochran, as part of his final year thesis, and SMIT or Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology, has developed an awesome Green energy generation device. Obviously inspired by leaves, and aptly named Grow, the product can generate power from sunlight (photovoltaics) and the wind (flexible piezo generator).

Also it’s not a concept, as they have figured it out how to make it:

This leaf like design also fixes the problems we have with traditional solar cell slabs. It is just not as efficient, and the reason why you don’t see trees in nature that have only one big leaf. Now if we could some how turn the entire shape into that of a real tree…anyway in it’s current incarnation, it is a happy blend of practicality and inspiration from nature.

The other great thing about this design is that it is modular in nature (no pun intended). This means you can create a “wall” of generators as big or as small or in any shape you want! How clever is that? We have finally moved from “Green is Boring” to “Green is Damn Cool!”.

Via: CIID

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 conceptual 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.

Organized by the Design Singapore Council the objective was as Director Dr Milton Tan said:

The exhibition is currently on display at the fashion festival’s Tent@Orchard outside Ngee Ann City until April 6. From April 10 to 28 it will move to the Samsung Flagship store at VivoCity from. For our friends from the rest of the world, the work will be presented at the Milan International Furniture Fair from April 16 to 21, so check it out there!

Meanwhile here were some of the more interesting products on show. Enjoy!

You can find the rest of the fashion outfits and products at my flickr set. However I have to apologize as the images are not the best! I’ve also taken some videos as well to give you an idea of the atmosphere during the show and will get them up here when YouTube fixes its uploading problems.

For more information on this event check out the official press release here.

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