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Art & Design

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60 Seconds in the Life of Windows

Part 37 in an ongoing series of 60 Second Films at ironicsans.com.

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I See Beats

Cell phone-based beat sequencer, a small-crowd improvisation interface. Developed with a webcam, projector, and Open Frameworks. Squares of the video are thresholded for average brightness, and when the line reaches them MIDI notes are sent to Reason.

I See Beats on Vimeo

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One night in Beijing

Video filmed by Guardian photographer Dan Chung entirely on a production Canon EOS5DmkII and adapted Nikon and Zeiss lenses using manual focus. The camera was purchased to use solely as a video camera with existing Nikon kit. The film was shot an edited in about twelve hours directly after picking the camera up from a Beijing camera store and charging the battery.

More of Dan Chung's work.

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Films made with post-it notes

Is there nothing these most common of office supplies can't be used for?

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Field - Ephemeral Structures

Marcus Wendt of field is interested in interactivity and social dynamics within groups. His film switches between a macro and a micro perspective on networks, exploring the invisible space between two people. 'Beautiful in that sense means to me: elegant, lightweight and almost effortless.' Marcus Wendt

Part of Nokia's launch effort for the E71.

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The Polite Umbrella

Polite Umbrella is a shrinkable umbrella that enables users to morph its shape in order to reduce occupied space and to increase user maneuverability. Users can easily adjust their umbrellas anytime by pulling a handle so that they can protect themselves from harsh winds or bumping into others.

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LG Bluetooth Speaker

LG’s red dot “Best of the Best” winning product is a easy-to-use portable speaker with a swivel hinge and free-form design. The unit can be easily connected to music devices and mobile phones via a Bluetooth wireless connection. Users can twist the stick-like speaker into a variety of positions to either stand up straight on a flat surface or be hung on a wall. In addition, LED lights on the unit blink in a unique rhythm, bringing a visual element to the listening experience.

LG Press Releases

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Rebraun MP3 Jukebox and Server

The ReBraun is an MP3 jukebox based on the Braun “Audio 1 Kompaktanlage” designed by Dieter Rams in 1962.

Designed in 1962 by Dieter Rams, the “Audio 1 Kompaktanlage” is a milestone of german post-war design. It embodies, even more than its predecessor, the famous “snow-white’s coffin”, the design ideals of the rationalist “Ulm School”. These sober paradigms of utility and matter-of-factness are playfully remodelled in the “ReBraun”: Two TFT-Displays take the place of the radio scales, the lettering on the anodised front plate ironically quotes the lingo of the radio era. A randomly positioned button, labelled “Zufall” (Randomness) stands for the freedom from mechanical constraints. The antenna does not receive any FM radio, but is used to connect the system to the internet via Wireless LAN. The case and acrylic hood were lowered by several centimetres for sporty reasons (think: hot rod!), and the window that formerly contained a signal strength readout now becomes a tabernacle for the old Braun nameplate.

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Chinese architecture stamps

I've had a love of Chinese stamps for years. This stamp set, by husband and wife team ITIS Edition, recapitulates the elements of Chinese traditional architecture, such as ridge of a roof, lintel of door and ridge animal.

I love red and black on white and natural paper colors.

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Calder suitcases

The five suitcases in which Calder transported his ‘Circus’, 1926-1931. Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926 - 1933, at the Whitney Museum of American Art

From John Commoner via Monoscope.

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Innovation through observation

With an eye for brushing up on pertinent literature, I am trying to reread some key books from my small library. Some like George Lakoff's books are very valuable but so academic I wonder if I will ever get through them. Others from Donald Norman and Tom Kelly are full of ready to use practical tidbits that allow me to at least start talking about them in my practice. I'm going to try to share some of these tidbits (writing aids in memory and I need all the help I can get).

I have Tom Kelley's latest book, The Ten Faces of Innovation, on order but his book that I do have, The Art of Innovation, is full all kinds of great ideas which have proven relevant to me in the past and now.

I do like to watch people. If I had a wish it would be to be able to be involved in more projects that allowed me to observe the way people live, work, and play. So interesting and so many insights to be found.

It's a general principle of humankind. Scientists, industrialists, anthropologists, artists, and writers have understood this for centuries, and many entrepreneurs understand it intuitively.

Once you start observing carefully, all kinds of insights and opportunities can open up.

Sometimes-if you are lucky-you can find inspiration for innovation by observing yourself. In many parts of your life, you go through steps so mechanically. so unconsciously, that this is not possible. When you are off the beaten path, however, you are open to discovery: when you travel, especially overseas; when you rent an unfamiliar car; when you try a new sport or experience a new activity. AT those times, you are more open to ask the childlike "Why?" and "Why not?" questions that lead to innovation. ... take notes about your impressions, reactions, and questions, Especially the problems, the things that bug you.

New ideas come from being seeing, smelling, hearing-bing there.

Focused observation can be a powerful source of innovation. As you observe people in their natural settings, you should not only look for the nuances of human behavior but also strive to infer motivation and emotion. Good, insightful observation combines careful watching with occasional well-chosen "why?" questions to get at the underlying psychology of a persons interactions with products and services.

Some of my most inspiring moments came when our daughter Catriona started to explore the environment around her. In our house at the time most of the storage was via wire storage shelving with all the heavy pots and pans sitting at the bottom. Instead of discouraging her from touching or playing with them, we used to sit every night on the kitchen floor with pots and pans and other kitchen tools in an effort to make music. Sitting with her I was able to see the limitations placed upon her by her physical development , how she compensated, and was still participated.

In short these nightly playtimes/observations led to a continuing interest in tangible interfaces, a masters thesis, and a number of projects since.

Basic observational research can lead to all kinds of insights and inspiration.

From Chapter 3, The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm

Originally appeared in Kelake.

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The Mao Phone

Travis Coburn's 'Emerging Middle Class' is a commentary on China's middle class' new found wealth.

More here.

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The future of the book

Designer Kyle Bean's paper based concept of the future of the book - an amalgamation of book and laptop.

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From the director of ‘Helvetica’

“There’s very, very little discussion on how these things really, really affect us.”

Via Qrator.

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