James Dyson is most famous for his vacuum cleaner design, but he also hosts a design challenge that yields very interesting inventions, as you can see from the examples below. Glance at the pictures then take a look at the video demonstrations to see how each design works.
Chance and close observation are sometimes the catalyst to the wonderful inventions we find all around us. Gizmodo recently listed the Top 10 Greatest (accidental) Inventions of All Time. Yes, of course they are, comically, not the greatest of all time, but they certainly include great stories of inventors discovering that what they stumbled upon was more successful than what they had intended on creating.
Work can be so much better when you are helping people and making a difference. Dean Kamen spoke at TED and shared a very challenging, yet rewarding, design project he was given by a senior at the DOD. See how he approached his challenge and made a tremendous difference in the lives of many.
See how this man has invented a way to harness the energy from wind to power clocks, lights and radios. Using the non-turbine wind alternative on a micro level, he shares how, for under $5, you can capture energy to power items that require little energy to operate. Then, he imagines the possibility of spanning the gaps of canyons with “wind belts” to do it on a large scale.
Did you know that sticky rice was used in the design of ancient Chinese and Tibetan architecture? Using the glutinous properties of rice in their mortar, they were able to preserve tombs, pagodas and city walls, all of which have withstood the test of time. I can not imagine the number of earthquakes the rice-fortified structures have endured since first introduced during the Ming Dynasty!
Nathan Martin is CEO and Art Director at Deeplocal, Inc. but he has also worked with clients like Palm Computing, Brodia, Panasonic and Nike. Nathan has shared his passion for art and design through public speaking engagements as well as teaching at several universities. Nathan recently found some time to share his thoughts on creativity and design with Davison Creators in his Pittsburgh office.
We recently met at TEDx at CMU. You have also appeared on the BBC television show “Beat the Boss,” and in Washington, D.C., speaking before a panel of the FCC. Do you enjoy public speaking? Yes, I do. In the last three months, I have had five big themed speaking engagements; of those, TEDx at CMU was by far the most nerve racking. I am comfortable talking about many things, but speaking about being fearless was a hard topic. That’s saying a lot because I have joined forces with Mark Cuban when speaking before the FCC, and I have even followed speakers like the COO of Twitter at large events. I made the topic fit to me, though. TEDx was one of those events I really enjoyed attending because I got to view many speakers as an audience member and then meet after their presentations.
I thought I was going to follow this older guy talking about a seemingly boring topic (finance), which would have been easy. In reality, this CMU finance guy actually did this hysterical rap to close his talk, and I was thinking ‘I have to follow this guy?!’ He’s great, I am actually meeting with him later; I really connected with him even though we do very different things. I love sharing ideas, having a conversation with people. Speaking engagements are a great way to meet people, hear ideas and share my thoughts with others.
Beat the Boss was a cool experience. It was filmed locally in Pittsburgh, and I teamed up with other entrepreneurs to compete against a team of kids to make a new condiment for Heinz. I told my team, “if you want to win, just mix cheese and ketchup.” We went that direction and it worked. We won by the largest margin in the history of the show, actually.
As CEO of Deeplocal, you have many projects running at one time. How do you manage to work in a creative designer mindset when you have to worry about the business side of it all? How do you fit in with your design group? I have to remind myself of the role I play, growing to accept that I am more of an art director than a designer. But I am better as an art director than a designer so it makes playing that role easier for me. I have surrounded myself with great employees which also makes it easier for me. Our environment also has a lot to do with our productivity at Deeplocal. So much in fact, that everyone was asked to sketch out what they would want their new work space to be as far as lighting, layout, sounds; pretty much a list of what you want and why you want it.
We are expanding, but we’re still small; we still afford the time to meet one on one and consult each other. We also try meet as a group outside of work at art events or pick-up kickball games (hence Pickupalooza). I have had the compliment of being told that Deeplocal is a culture. I want to further that culture by growing our design team and creating our work environment together.
Much of your creative work relies on using already existing technologies, assembled as new working parts in a system. What is the prominent advantage to developing designs using simple technologies? Oh yeah, repurposing items, yes! This is the value of being an amateur versus being an expert. You see things stripped down and basic. Like this (points to a fan), this is not just a fan. This has a motor; can I play a record on it? Can I put a needle on it? Can I use it to spin something else? You almost are squinting at everyday items. When you are a specialist you presume a lot of things to be true. By being an amateur, you see things as source materials. As you squint, you see things not as how they are, but as how they can be.
Inventors are the same; they find new ways to use old things. And as a consumer, people only care about end results. They don’t care where the motor came from, where the speakers or buttons came from. Chalkbot is a collaboration of a lot of already invented components, assembled as a new device. That’s why we want to expand and create a bigger workspace with more ‘things’, and ask ourselves, ‘why can’t I use a power drill using Twitter’ or any other challenges we want to ask ourselves.
Your most famous work to date, at least in the eyes of the design community, is Chalkbot. Chalkbot was debuted at the Tour De France in 2009 as a pneumatic powered painting robot with a software system that brings Twitter feeds to life in real time. In the process of bringing this project to life, did you have any other ideas? What is going on with Chalkbot now? Nike is going to run it again this year for the Tour de France! Chalkbot has since been recognized as a CLIO gold and silver award winner and also won an Andy Award and a One Show Award this spring. At first we were going to use powdered chalk to paint the road, but the nozzles limited what material could be used. We then tried environmentally-friendly spray paint, and it seemed to work.
What ever happened to the test run sprayed in the alley behind your house? The first thing Chalkbot wrote was, “hello world,” the famous words written by programmers. I actually did a test run behind my house about a mile from here. My new neighbors were curious to say the least about what was sprayed in the alley, but I don’t think they really know what Chalkbot is or understand the graffiti. Hey, it may be a historical landmark someday!
You helped in the creation of BikePgh’s new 2010 edition trails map. What can riders expect to see in the new layout and design, something that has been added since the last printed edition? We have created new icons and have updated recommended paths with newly created bike lanes; neighborhoods have changed and the bike paths are growing! There was over a decade between when we picked up on the bike map project, so now we are looking at three consecutive years where people have come to see Bike PGH map as expected. Once we get feedback, probably in the fall, we will get started on the new map. Of course, the cover was new, and we will do a new cover for the next edition.
Where do you go for creative content? For some people it is a short list of blogs or websites, or maybe a group of creative people that stir their creativity. Where is your creative drinking hole? I find myself getting sick of new media. I read a lot of print; the New Yorker, Post Gazette, plenty of books. I get a lot of links from friends and colleagues, but I try to spend less time online. My functioning computer is at work, so when I’m not at work I try to stay active and off of my computer. I hike, I bike and I run. Not that each one defines me, like I am a ‘hiker’ or a ‘runner’ but I pursue qualities that I want to encompass me. My creative input comes from picking and choosing what things I am a part of: music, time with family, outdoor activities. I go beyond blogs and online new media for creative input.
Are there any new projects you can speak of that you are excited about and looking forward to launching in the near future? We are looking to expand to create more room – possibly acquiring a nearby store front. It would be used to host Waffle Wednesday, have a working lab with kind of a gimmicky appeal. We are also working with Nike and EA Sports, too. We have a project in the works for World Cup 2010; I really can’t speak about that now, but you’ll see it soon enough. But watch for more things to come from Deeplocal!
Thank you so much for your time!
The most expensive balloon experiment, ever! Take a look at this domino-style fan arrangement that passes a single balloon through what seems to be a never ending sequence of Dyson Multiplier fans in an oversized warehouse.
Japan- The Strange Country, gives a quick 10-minute view of Japanese culture using a fast-paced illustration technique. Our friend, Johnny Strategy at Spoon & Tamago, posted this video, and I thought it was worth sharing to help viewers better understand the culture of Japan, home to so many creative people and products.
Chase Jarvis recently spoke at TEDx at CMU in Pittsburgh. Chase was gracious enough to conduct an interview with his tight schedule and share a few thoughts with DavisonCreators before his visit. Chase not only is a world renowned photographer and film maker, but he is the creator of thebestcamera.com, chasejarvis.com and is the mind behind thebestcamera app.
You are soon to be welcomed into Pittsburgh as guest speaker at the TED conference at CMU. Have you ever been to Pittsburgh? Yes and No. I had a layover in Pittsburgh but have not been to the city; but I am looking forward to it.
Do you have any specific plans to seek out any location or attraction for photographing while visiting? With a packed schedule and being a speaker at TEDx, I have no planned events. Travel has me stopping in Pittsburgh for this speaking engagement and then flying to New York City for business, then back to the West coast. I have been super swamped leading up to this event, so no camera crew; but I will have my iPhone. Look at the Best Camera website and I am sure I’ll post some pictures from Pittsburgh.
What is the oldest photograph you own; one that you had taken at a young age? And who played a role in you taking pictures early on? Oh my goodness, I have a pile of pictures I shot with the square flash bulb camera, from maybe around 1974. My family took a drive to see relatives in California. The action of the flash was intriguing to me, just as much as the pictures I was taking. My father is a hobbyist photographer, my grandfather was a photographer, so I am a third generation photographer.
In my life I have seen the progression from Polaroid, 11O, 35mm, disposable cameras, digital cameras and now cell phone cameras. What are your thoughts on how we take photographs today? You know, growing up we would have a camera with a roll of film on it, take 4 pictures over the holiday, a couple more on my mom’s birthday, then spring break take a few more, and then finally develop it over summer. With my photo app, Best Camera, people from 170 countries around the world are able to share their photos in real time, right as they take them. There is no reason to take a picture if you are not going to share it with people. You no longer have photos hiding in a roll of film. That’s amazing to me. I have a huge sense of excitement for me to be able to see and share pictures so easily. Before my app, there was no way to share your pictures with others after you took it on your iPhone; it was revolutionary.
Are you as tight knit with your creative staff as you appear to be? You seem to have a core of dedicated people working with you that support you in your creative ventures. Very much so. We have all been friends for some time, they help me to manage my time and help in running the great studio we have. Especially the handling of my tight schedule and blasts of emails; it would not be possible without my staff.
Where is your next destination, and what future work are you currently planning for? I am traveling to New York, and then to the west coast like I had said earlier, but I am not at liberty to speak about the work I am working on. Short films and commercial ventures are always in the works though. My Seattle 100 Project, a documentary I am working on for a book and a gallery show that profiles the underground culture of Seattle; musicians, scientists, bartenders, computer programmers, and everyone who makes up the culture of Seattle. Songs for Eating and Drinking is another ongoing project of mine. Hosting good friends in the music industry so that we can document a gathering of good food and good music. My phone is always ringing with a new project.
Does your travel schedule allow you to blend your work travel into leisure? Well, without making it more complex than it is, my schedule is very hairy. The reality is that my time is very packed, which is the way that I like it. That is where my creativity comes from. My life is so immersed in art, and it is a dream come true. So there is no line I draw between work and leisure. I am just 1OO% engaged. I fly 150,000 miles a year, work 18 hour days. Being a professional creative, I never really disengage. Quiet time allows for me to relax and to maybe work on my fine arts after a commercial shoot, but it’s not like I schedule two-week vacations. All I need for leisure is quiet time to sketch, or dream or think.
Any words of wisdom for our viewers who want to seek out to be as creative and adventurous as you? For me, my day starts early; I try to get outside first thing, usually with my coffee. I have a mole skin sketchbook I sketch in and, obviously, I use my iPhone to snap pictures for the Best Camera. But here’s more broad sweeping advice for the viewers; just do something creative everyday. When you sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on your cappuccino, do it in a pattern, whatever it is. Be mindful of being creative. I want to see an awakened creative consciousness of creativity in our culture. I am getting a ruler waved at me; I have to click over to line two. But thank you for the interview!
As good as having a wealthy uncle foot the bill for college, Chase Jarvis has offered to pay for your creative classes – at no cost! Seriously, no catch. Just enroll online and livestream the best the industry has to offer in creative genius.
CreativeLIVE offers free online lessons in creative design and fine arts courses like photography, programming, image editing, design and fine arts. So there is no excuse for not having the means to be more creative; Chase has truly helped to democratize creativity.
