Saturday, July 24, 2010
National Design Awards
...The award winners and finalists attended a special luncheon at the White House, hosted by the First Lady. It was a very festive event and the setting reinforced the tremendous amount of design talent that exists in this country. Mrs. Obama's speech emphasized the importance of design and arts education, and celebrated the value of the work of the award winners.
Wayne Clough, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, introduced the National Design Award program and thanked the sponsors, and I showed slides of the winners and their work, naming both finalists and winners, you can see them here. I was lucky enough to sit next to the First Lady for lunch, so we talked about expanding the opportunities for high-schoolers to study design and develop their creative talents.


Monday, July 12, 2010
10-10-10
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Thursday, July 8, 2010
I wish I could take this class

There are still openings left in Natalya Pinchuk and Dana Sperry's Penland class this summer! I would LOVE to take it. I took an enameling workshop with Natalya in Russia. It was a blast! Some of the best memories ever!
DESCRIPTION:
Aren’t you curious about what stands behind snap judgments of beautiful and ugly? All of us at some point uttered: that is so ugly! Let’s face it, aesthetic judgments are not only biologically determined but are tied to social values, whims and fashions. In this class, students are invited to examine motivations behind their and others’ aesthetic preferences. Stepping out of our comfort zone and expanding our aesthetic choices is empowering, especially when we wish to transmit and deliver messages through the jewelry we make.
What affiliations and restrictions have you put upon yourself in your current aesthetic preferences? What happens when you look for answers in a seemingly wrong place? Can you learn from objects that you find ugly and empower your making through this knowledge? How can you harness the power of the ugly and co-opt its logic for your own jewelry?
Instruction will focus on idea generation, discussions, exercises and making of prototypes. Students who sign up for this class may be contacted during summer with a request to do a bit of brainstorming before arriving. Basic metalworking skills and approaches to working with alternative materials will be covered. Some metals experience is recommended, but the class is open to students of all levels.
Natalya: exhibitions: Galerie Rob Koudijs, Netherlands, SOFA Chicago and New York with Charon Kransen Arts, Jewelers’ Werk Gallery (DC)
Dana: assistant professor at Youngstown State University; exhibitions: Bridge Art Fair New York and Miami Beach, Gardenfresh Gallery (IL), Les Salaisons, France, Electronic Language International Festival, Brazil


Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Objeti
Objeti is a Cleveland based furniture design and manufacturing company, focusing on creating beautiful, honest, functional objects that are environmentally conscious.
Objeti was founded in 2009 by Joseph Ribic (Designer) in collaboration with brother John Jr. (Production Manager) and father John Sr. (Production Engineer) The partnership brings a combination of talent and experience that enables Objeti to produce precision crafted, modern, functional furniture.
The name Objeti is a Slovenian word meaning embrace. We demonstrate the importance of this idea though our objects by inviting the user to explore and discover.












Monday, July 5, 2010
The Attenborough Design Group
The Gesundheit Radio from James Chambers on Vimeo.
Floppy Legs Portable Hard Drive from James Chambers on Vimeo.


Friday, July 2, 2010





Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
ring



Monday, June 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Genius of Design ep1 from Genius of Design 1 on Vimeo.
thebetacup: 60 Seconds To Save The World from the betacup on Vimeo.
Every second there is more waste as a result of the non-recyclable paper coffee cup problem. And every second there are more resources misused in their creation. But take heart, because every second is also an opportunity for change. An opportunity to solve the problem and save the world.
Please share this video (created for the betacup by Good Day Monsters in partnership with Denuo, and Waveplant Studios). Together we can find a solution, it can’t wait another second.


Thursday, June 10, 2010
Cool Hunting: 37 Or So Ingredients
37 Or So Ingredients
A beautifully shot deconstruction of the Twinkie offers a scientific look at its contents

Breaking down the deleteriously toothsome Twinkie, photographer Dwight Eschliman documents the Hostess confection by exposing all of its ingredients in a simple format. From mundane sugar to the alien Red 40 (above), the petri-dish-style portraits offer a concerning view of that old adage, "you are what you eat."
Highlighted on Good, the photos are also available in his book "37 Or So Ingredients."
See selected images in the gallery below.
Sent from my iPad


Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cool Hunting: Soft Sensors
More stuff on the go
Soft Sensors
A student crafts literally warmer and fuzzier computer interfaces

Lara Grant just graduated from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU where she literally crafted out her own niche in "wearable technology."
"It's not a real major, just my interest," the 28-year-old Brooklyn resident explains.
Her thesis, Soft Sensors, fuses the digital world with physical experience by creating computer controls out of felt. With so much anxiety about an increasingly digital existence, her project refreshingly points out the potential for truly warm and fuzzy interfaces. Using soft circuitry, Grant made an array of felt housings that—when stretched, squeezed, prodded or poked—change the electronic resistance which feeds into a computer.
Possible applications are varied and aren't limited to just one field—ideas include video game controllers and reactive costumes triggered by a the movements of the wearer.
"There is a lot more exploration to do and these techniques from this project can be used in many different arenas," she says.
Grant, who has six years experience as a fashion and textile designer, sees Soft Sensors as only the beginning for what could be a new field of digital interfaces.
"The four felt sensors in this project is not the end to the means either, they are simply the body I found suitable as a first introduction to the techniques used to create them with."
Check out videos of some examples on Vimeo and track developments on her blog.
Sent from my iPad


Cool Hunting: Komforte Chockolates Tortilla Lime + Salt Bar
Komforte Chockolates Tortilla Lime + Salt Bar
Artisan chocolates meet savory south-of-the-border tang

Subtly crunchy and with its palate-challenging mix of salty, sweet and sour flavors, one of our office-mates put it best when she called Komforte Chockolates' Tortilla Lime + Salt bar a "super stoner snack." The treat expertly balances a difficult combo of tangy lime, small bits of tortilla chips and a rich milk chocolate base, all nicely punctuated by a hit of salt, even pleasing our tasters who initially thought they "would hate it."
Other reviews included "exotic yet approachable," and nearly all were taken by the "mouth melt" which comes from a soft texture that's closer to a ganache than traditional firm bars—and definitely speaks to the "comfort" side of the experience. The quality comes from Komforte's commitment to artisinal production methods, making their chocolates in small batches and sourcing all ingredients locally and nationally.
Their debut line also includes Ramen Noodle and French Toast, and all flavors start at $3 per bar, selling online as well as from retailers nationwide, which you can locate on their site.
Sent from my iPad

