This design is an award winner from Japan’s Ryoji Takahashi that offers a new look and feel to shredding. The tube-like paper shredder can be held over a waste basket and is less obtrusive than the traditional rectangular electric paper shredder. Seems to be a desk-friendly redesign; now we have to wait until it comes to the States.
I saw this collapsing door design a while back, but thought it was still worth sharing. Pay attention to the final seconds of the video, as the narrator talks about driving into the 21st Century with these hide-away doors. Every time I see this design I wonder why it never made it to a major automobile market.
Scottish-born Robert Gair invented the corrugated box in 1890; that is, pre-cut flat pieces manufactured in bulk that folded into boxes. Gair’s invention, as with so many other great innovations, came about as a result of an accident. Gair was a Brooklyn printer and paper-bag maker during the 1870’s, and one day, while he was printing an order of seed bags, a metal ruler normally used to crease bags shifted in position and cut them. Gair discovered that by cutting and creasing bags in one operation he could make prefabricated paper boxes. Applying this idea to corrugated boxboard was a straightforward development when the material became available. By the start of the 20th century, corrugated boxes began replacing the custom-made wooden crates and boxes previously used for trade.
(Information taken from Wikipedia.com)
Corrugated cardboard is what Lincoln’s famous top hat was made from, along with beaver fur. Everyone has had pizza delivered in a cardboard box. Amazon’s ever-present brown box with smiling logo is corrugated cardboard at its best; shipped worldwide thanks to the lightweight design and structural integrity of this recycled paper wonder. And as you just read, invention can be stumbled upon and its effects can change industry as we know it.
Designers often deal with materials with a ‘let’s worry about that later’ attitude. We firmly believe that in order to come up with innovative solutions it’s an absolute must to think about materials right from the beginning of projects.
I was recently introduced to the website of Chris Lefteri, known for being one of the best authors concerning new and existing materials. A great resource when considering the materials of your next design, Lefteri has published a number of PDF printable resources as well as books for students and designers.
By using strong imagery accompanied by detailed explanations of materials you may or may not already know, Lefteri makes sense of every material imaginable. He even references some everyday objects to help explain those unpronounceable materials and chemical compounds we read about but that never really sink in. Invest some time to peek into what may be one of the most comprehensive collections of knowledge concerning materials today.
According to this article, Twitter may be the great-grandchild of the Notificator, born in England in the 1930’s. This public messaging system allowed users to post messages for two hours behind a glass window for a small fee. Once a coin was dropped, a strip of paper with your hand-written whereabouts, appointments or place of destination could be left for all to see.
The ‘Notificator’, as it was known, seems a lot like what people are doing today; short messages, set behind glass, left for all to see. What a clever invention of its time and a funny thing to know, that Twitter is a little older than we may have thought.
Johnny Strategy is the pen name of the author of Spoon & Tamago, a Tokyo / New York based design blog. Raised in Tokyo and educated in New York, Johnny holds a unique design perspective and shares it with viewers by providing a collection of beautiful and inspiring images from Japan, the United States, and across the globe.
It is easy to see that you are influenced by your upbringing in Japan and your higher education in the U.S. What was your first impressionable moment that involved design as a child? I was never that into art or design as a child, at least not consciously. It wasn’t until high school that I took a ceramics class with a really inspiring teacher, Mr. Nimori. That was when I first really discovered the Japanese aesthetic and everything about it suddenly made sense to me. He set me up to do a mini-apprenticeship with a Japanese master and even sacrificed a weekend to take me into rural Chiba to introduce me. That was an amazing experience.
What is it that you wish to bring to your American viewers that can only be found in the Japanese culture? I guess I’m just trying to share high-quality undiscovered work that I’m sure would inspire people around the world. It would be rad if someone saw something they liked and decided to incorporate a certain theme or concept into their own work.
It can be difficult to scour the online design world and find content worthy of blogging about. How do you seem to find a selection of such interesting finds for Spoon & Tamago? It is a difficult task and I couldn’t do it without my wife. Ninety percent of what we write about comes from our own independent research. We have an extensive database of designers, design shops and art galleries whose websites we frequent. And everything is so intertwined now that one thing usually leads to another. We are also associated with boheme, an artist collective based out of Tokyo, who we talk to occasionally and exchange information.
Are there designers who you work with or know in Japan that use your blog as a catalyst to their cross-cultural work? There are a couple gallerists and design collectives that we talk to, but we don’t work with anybody. However, designers have contacted us after we wrote about them, telling us how previously they had close to zero exposure and now have a couple interviews lined up with magazines. Correspondence like that has been one of the more rewarding things about running Spoon & Tamago.
What is your view on cutting-edge design in the United States compared to the work of Japanese design? I believe that the success of a designer lies in their ability to grasp and understand the future needs of people. And to look into the future one must first turn to the past. Therein lies the advantage of Japanese designers. An accumulation of culture and tradition rests in the past and is an immense resource for creativity and innovation. Their land is overflowing with stories of the past. There are arts and crafts, skills and techniques, religions and practices, all of which have been passed down from generation to generation. Some have complete historical records while others are known only in their current state. Nonetheless, they are all tools of the designer.
Blogging can be a great release for writers who need an artistic outlet or a great way for designers to share inspiring and creative work. What is Spoon & Tamago for you? It started out as a journal; a tool to catalog everything that I liked and was inspired by. If you go back to my earlier posts you’ll see there is much less geographic bias. However, my blog eventually took on a life of its own. I began to understand that I could really add value and make meaningful contributions because of my background in art (I majored in Fine Art, minored in Art History) and from growing up in Japan. I was able to place these designers in context and that’s when people really started to respond to my posts. And that’s when I started writing not only for myself but for others, as well.
Who or what inspires you to create and drives you to discover new things? I’m inspired by a lot of things. Lately I’ve been inspired by literature. I’m also inspired by food and the presentation of it, nature photography, animals, rust and other forms of deterioration, just to name a couple. I’m also inspired by my wife and two kids. Having kids has been great because they pull you into their world and you’re able to reunite with your childhood imagination; the stuff you thought you misplaced many years ago.
Is there any genre of design that interests you more than others – product design, fashion, photography, architecture? I suppose my background in ceramics inclines me towards sculpture. Industrial design, as well, because of the sculptural characteristics.
I can imagine that seeing art and design firsthand is more fulfilling in person than clicking links and searching online. Do you travel much from Asia to the States for your work? I do. I travel to Japan at least twice a year. And I’m always making new discoveries. During my previous trip to Japan I found myself in the corporate headquarters of a company in Shinjuku and I saw they had a small museum. Not thinking much of it I decided to kill some time there. As I was concluding the tour I arrived at their prized possession, which turned out to be the original Van Gogh “Sunflowers” painting! It’s been hiding there for the last 20 years. I thought that was pretty crazy.
Italian manufacturer Boffi is reissuing Joe Colombo’s Minikitchen, a monobloc kitchen on castors, designed in 1963. This is more proof that good design does demand relevance in new times. The all-in-one design would still fit into any small dwelling, or any museum, for that matter.
One of the more famous Colombo pieces is his 5 in Uno nesting glass design. I have seen this before but was just reintroduced to the designer when reading that the Minikitchen was being produced again. I think both of these designs are timeless and deserve recognition for their unique and inspiring qualities.
Joe Colombo’s 5 in Uno glass design.
Judson Beaumont is owner of Vancouver-based Straight Line Designs, established in 1986. Known for his custom wood, fiberglass and mold making, Beaumont enjoys offering a whimsical view into his world through furniture and exhibit design. Much of Beaumont’s studio work has been displayed around the world and on numerous design sites.
What was your first impressionable moment that involved design as a child?
I never did art classes as a child, it wasn’t until graduating high school that I started to look into it as a profession. I then began to look at design more seriously and decided to take the concept farther by attending art school.
It is easy to see that you are influenced by your childhood; what are the things from your childhood that you wish to pass on to others through your work?
I try to pass on the ideal of never limiting yourself or your creativity, take chances and hold onto the childlike fascination with the abstract.
You attribute your style to people like Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Warner Brothers, Pee-wee Herman, as well as designers like Philippe Starck and Frank Gehry. Have you had the opportunity to meet or correspond with any of these cultural icons?
I have met both Frank Gehry and Philippe Stark at various trade shows. I admire the fact that they push the limits more than any other designers, always reaching forward and defying limitations.
How did you make the transition from student to business owner, creating Straight Line Designs out of design school?
I never wanted to leave art school; for me it was the greatest thing I had every experienced. After going through a short trial in the movie industry, I decided to venture out on my own and start my own studio. My plan was to create my own art school environment.
What is the key to your success in your design studio, having worked nearly 25 years with so many clients on so many projects? Is it the atmosphere, the content of your work, or maybe the end result of seeing people enjoying your finished work?
I think it is a little bit of everything combined. The talent of my staff, being able to create such unique products and getting to enjoy the reactions afterwards.
How important is it for you to have sketches and renderings to communicate to your clients before you create your finished designs?
It is one of the most important aspects of design. It is very important for me to visualize the project with the client on paper before it ever begins being built.
You have said that you try to incorporate elements into your designs that make each project un-intimidating, interactive and fun. Is this difficult when working with a medium such as wood?
No, we work with many different techniques to bend the wood and create unique shapes, we definitely push the medium. We also incorporate fiberglass and mold making into our list of materials, as well.
Giving talks and slide shows must be rewarding, but how do you make time for speaking engagements; do you travel to schools and businesses or do they come to your studio?
It is definitely a little bit of both. I enjoy going to schools and events and talking with students but it is also great to get them down to the studio so they can see everything in a real working environment.
What should an aspiring designer do every single day, with the intention of becoming a better designer through habit?
I would say sketching, and researching are definitely the most important stepping stones to becoming a better designer. Looking into other artists, getting inspired and seeing what others are doing around you.
Joel Escalona of Mexico studied Industrial Design at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Azcapotzalco in Mexico City (2008). Since 2006, he has been designing conceptual award-winning products, as well as home accessories and furniture pieces. He leads his own virtual studio developing simple, practical and innovative designs, always driven by storytelling concepts. Joel is currently working on various furniture and product design projects.
What was your first impressionable moment that involved design? I think I had a lot of impressionable moments, obviously, when I was a kid. For example, at school learning something new, at museums or even when I used to help my dad fixing the car.
For some people, there is a single person or a single moment that changed how they see things as a designer. Who would you attribute to you seeing things with a designer’s eye? It’s pretty hard to say; a lot of people influenced my design thinking. Even things I see or read change my way of seeing objects and, of course, my way of thinking on design.
Do you believe studying Industrial Design at UAM in Mexico City makes your work unique in the design world, opposed to a European or North American influence? I really cannot say with exactitude. Mexico’s Industrial Design is very young; we are talking about 50`s. Obviously design teaching has a lot of influence from Europe and North America. In UAM they have a technical approach to design, which helps me a lot.
What do you consider to be your strongest area of design — architectural, furniture or graphic design? I would say furniture and interiors, as it is the area I work in the most. But I’m very interested in working more in product design; I would love to get involved in technology.
What has been your greatest honor to date, as far as awards and recognitions? I have a lot of great experiences, like winning a contest by Volvo – they took me to their factory in Sweden, which was amazing; and also going to New York in order to show my work in ICFF as a part of ICFF Studio. I have been invited to Milan, and they just invited me to Maison & Objet in Paris. I have had a lot of great experiences in my short career.
Your work seems to have a very clean, polished and glossy appeal. What do you consider an influence in your design style? I don’t know, it is like my design territory.
Do you have any intentions of evolving from product design into any other genre of design work? Yes, of course. I’m thinking architecture; I would love to design houses.
Do you use Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or any other communication networking sites to promote your work or stay in contact with other designers? Yes, yes and yes, I use that a lot. I’m very into networking and, actually, I think I have never used normal mail.
What should the ideal designer do every single day, with the intention of becoming a better designer through habit? Studying and practicing. A creativity killer is ignorance.
Arne Van Oosterom authors the Weblog that accompanies Design Thinkers, a strategic design consultancy in Amsterdam that specializes in business, service and social innovation/ transformation. Oosterom is also a lecturer and chairman of the Service Design Network Netherlands.
1. What was your first impressionable moment that involved design? I grew up in a family of artists, illustrators and designers. So I guess creativity is in my genes and design has been a part of my life as long I can remember. Drawing, photography, writing and making music were things that played a major role in my life while growing up. And they still do. Being creative is a way of life for me. It’s the way my brain works… quickly bored, constantly wanting to be stimulated and always restless.
2. What is service design? Service design is designing and organizing the interaction between (service) provider and end-user using creative tools and methods. An important service design principle says: co-production leads to co-ownership, which turns customers into ambassadors. Meaning: organizations and governments should empower the consumer. Easily said, but in reality most marketers and communication managers have no idea where to start. They are used to only dealing with the cosmetics — the outside. Implementing ideas using this service design principle has major consequences for the internal organization.
But all the new developments happening around us are pushing us to take a look beyond boundaries of traditional media, top-down structured businesses and marketing techniques. Even though organizations and governments usually play it safe and are not easily persuaded to move into another direction, the necessity for change is getting stronger.
This is where service design can be instrumental. While using service design methods, organizations are forced to look into a mirror and deal with realities. Besides that, service design offers methods to use newly found insights for developing ideas, concepts, prototyping, building and implementation. Service design is a holistic approach and looks at the whole system. The back stage and front stage of a service organization.
I believe that service design is a natural response to the changing world, which is fueled and accelerated by new technological developments.
3. What is social innovation? To me, it means adding real value to people’s lives by designing better systems. But personally, I don’t like the word ‘innovation.’ It’s one of the most misused words ever and has lost all meaning. I feel attracted to the word ‘transformation.’ So I would use ’social transformation’ (through the design of systems) or just social design.
A few months ago I started the Social Design Task Force in collaboration with people from agencies and universities in France, Finland, Austria, Scotland, England and the Netherlands. Our aim is to use our creative talents, networks and recourses to improve people’s lives. This means we are involved in a very wide range of projects. For example: We are trying to find a way, a system, to get people (living in cities) to use their bicycle for trips up to 5 kilometers. If the project would succeed it will dramatically reduce traffic jams and improve safety, health and air quality in larger cities. Another project is a crowd-sourcing project for Greenpeace where we try to get young people actively involved in climate change issues.
We are trying to find solutions to problems that affect our lives in a very personal way.
4. You spend a lot of time traveling and going to speaking engagements. What is the benefit of attending these forums? We, at DesignThinkers, are pioneering and want to be at the forefront of developments. This means we are searching all the time, always hungry for more knowledge, new insights and meeting new people. Being connected and having conversations with professionals from many different disciplines is the best way to keep learning and growing.
In some ways it’s almost an addiction, but I have to keep moving and keep challenging my ideas. I refuse to believe that I know all the answers. Like most people, I don’t know much. But I’m working very hard to find out what the questions are.
If I stay behind my desk there is a chance I would start to believe in my own delusions. I’d start running round in circles. Putting my ideas to the test in the real world, with people who might not agree with me, is very hard, sometimes painful, but always of tremendous value.
5. If you go to just one design conference anywhere in the world, which would you recommend? This is very difficult to answer. In fact I don’t like going to conferences as a spectator at all. Especially those conferences aimed at people like me. Usually the programming is about telling us stuff we already know by people we already know. There is always a lot of agreeing.
That is why I primarily go to conferences to meet people. Initially I go to meet up with people I met before, in real life or online, and I always end up making new friends.
But if you are interested in service design and want to meet and greet the professionals, I have to recommend going to the service design conference 2009 held in Portugal. The conference is organized by the International Service Design Network (http://www.service-design-network.org/), of which we are part, and is a great opportunity for me to meet up with all my friends and colleagues from around the world. But be warned: they are agreeing with each other all the time…
6. Much of what you talk about on designthinkers.eu has to do with innovation and creative thinking. Who is a good example of executing good business sense pertaining to innovation and creative thinking in the Netherlands? My first thought is TomTom. They showed that with creative thinking and a new approach you can create a whole new market and even be world changing.
And I am a big fan of the way Phillips is trying to integrate creative thinking in their organization. Phillips is a very large and complex organization, so implementing new ideas is not easy. But I applaud their courageous attempts and I’m expecting great things from Phillips in the future.
7. As a product designer, you have to meet the demands of consumers. Do you believe consumers are more conscious, or ‘smarter’ than, say, the consumers of even 10 years ago, and are demanding smarter designs from today’s designer? People have the same basic needs as 10 years ago. That has not changed a lot.
What I find more interesting is the amazing impact the Web is having on our world. Internet is upsetting the balance in a major way. It makes companies and governments more transparent and vulnerable and it enables people to self-organize.
Everything in our world is organized and structured by the law of networks. And Internet is a new kid on the block, but it is going to have an unparalleled impact. We are witnessing the first symptoms of a much larger phenomenon that is going to restructure everything we know.
The opportunity the Internet gives consumers (or ‘prosumers’) and citizens to self-organize into influential peer groups is going develop into one of the biggest social and economical changes of our time.
8. What separates the designer from the average consumer, and how do you bridge that divide? A good designer is a translator or intermediator (much like an artist).
The designer is the bridge. But in the end we are all just people, and consumers and all people are extremely creative.
I would like to add that I don’t think designers should be put on a pedestal. Lately, people are trying to convince me that designers have super powers. Well, they don’t. As far as I know they are no smarter than the next person.
9. You use Twitter and are registered on LinkedIn. What do you feel is the best way to reach designers around the world in regard to communication technologies? I do not target designers per se. So I wouldn’t know. I like to connect and have conversations with people. People I can learn from or have fun with.
I’m on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo and everything else because it’s part of my job. I advise customers about social media and so I must experience it first-hand.
I’m always trying to connect all my social networks together. But in general they are unsatisfactory and just crude versions of what is yet to come. I can’t wait for web 3.0 to break down all the walls.
But I must say I’m enjoying Twitter… against all expectations.
10. What should the ideal designer do every single day, with the intention of becoming a better designer? Work hard and make lots and lots of mistakes. If you don’t experiment and try and try again, you won’t grow. Even the most talented and famous designers had to work long and hard and fail miserably many times before becoming world-class.
And last but not least: don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Think for yourself.
