May 30, 2012 Leave a comment
The New Statesman has been taking a look at the top 10 best (worse) Jubilee products and it really is amazing what people will buy.
A crown pizza from Pizza Hut, a solar powered waving Queen or even a loaf of Kingsmill renamed for the weekend!
See the top 10 here.
May 27, 2012 Leave a comment
Review by Samantha Dawe, Director, The Think Tank
Clerkenwell Design Week 2012 basked in some very welcome warm sunshine but that didn’t stop us being inside and having a good look around. Particularly this year it seemed that lighting was at the forefront of some intriguing design options and what was being shown would certainly create an impact in any space.
As part of an expanded programme for CDW, a new site was included for exhibition space – the buildings and grounds of the Order of St John. Upstairs the light streamed through the stained glass windows but that did not dim the impact of Vessel Gallery’s display of unique and limited edition lighting.
Whilst Tsai and Yoshikawa’s sculpted piece ‘Blooming Spark I’ was centre stage, each piece displayed was a work of art in its own right.
While big is not always best, Guinness Book of Records holder Beau McClellan’s (world’s largest chandelier) eponymous company had presented a stunning large-scale lighting installation which hung in the Farmiloe Building and appeared to change colour.
Looking down from the upper tier of the Building on this installation and the Anglepoise stand was a moment to savour.
The heat was rising but we took the plunge and continued to climb where we spotted Lightyears’ elegant lamps, highlighting the best qualities of minimalistic Scandinavian design. Simplicity is beautiful.
Alongside this Swedese, exhibiting we were told for the first time at CDW, was showing pieces launched at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair but again it was the lighting that caught our eye. Maybe it was that the pieces lent themselves so well to creating atmosphere and intrigue in this quirky building where they seemed right at home.
May 22, 2012 Leave a comment
This great little kitchen gadget was created by Taiwanese designer Chih-Ching Yang. ‘Gasper Pad’ is a dish pad shaped as a ghost.
Creating a decorative piece, that could be displayed on the worktop, whilst providing a heat protective mat it stands as a ghost when not in use and when a hot pan is placed on it the ‘Gasper Pad’ stretches down and outward into a protective mat.
Great practical design with a fun twist.
See more here.
May 15, 2012 Leave a comment
The design of the ‘2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion‘ has been unveiled and is a collaborative work between Swiss based architects Herzog & de Meuron and Chinese architect Ai Weiwe.
It will officially open on 1st June and be open to the public until 14th October
Visitors will go five feet beneath Kensington Gardens to see the hidden history of previous pavilions, represented by eleven columns. A platform roof with a reflective surface of water floats 1.4 meters above the recessed floor plane and is visible to people on the lawn of the park above. Apparently the water may be drained at times transforming the roof into an impromptu dance floor or event space.
See more of this pavillion on Design Boom.
May 14, 2012 1 Comment
The New W Hotel in Koh Samui is just stunning. In an amazing retreat round lounge spaces emerge from the water to create a spectacular place to relax.
The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Thailand and this beautiful escape was designed by MAPS Design studio as a collection of imagined spaces shaping a welcoming paradise.
See more of the New W Hotel on FresHome.
May 14, 2012 Leave a comment
In an attempt to boost its ad revenue and improve the quality of advertising, Facebook’s measurement team is making public its research on the types of ads that work best on its platform.
After talking with marketers, Facebook identified six elements of ad creative that impaceted upon recall and purchase consideration including two visual elements of focal point and noticeability and four that looked at messaging and a range of things, from whether it’s easy to see the brand to whether the ad is succinct and to the point.
They then asked 109 marketers to rate around 400 ads on each of the six elements. All were from the Facebook premium-engagement format, which appear on the right column of a Facebook page and is restricted by image size and copy length. All of the ads chosen were brand or product ads rather than direct response.
The results for recall highlighted three factors that were particularly important: Images needed to have an obvious focal point, the brand had to be clear and the ad needed to fit with the brand’s personality.
Not rocket science but at least an indicator of best practice winning out.
Failing focal-points were fairly common, due to the lack of space for images, however this was increased by brands which opted for small product images on cluttered backgrounds. This got in the way of consumers recalling brands – therefore simplicity is best.
The ads should also be clear about the brand they’re promoting, which may sound obvious but many brands were obscured in the ads or missing associated brand colours.
When looking at purchase consideration the main aspect was whether the ad rewarded the viewer. Very important in encouraging interaction.
“Ads that were rewarding tended to be pretty clear — there wasn’t an overload of information,” said Mr. Bruich, who conducted the study with measurement researcher Adrienne Polich. “But [the] rewarding ads also seemed to connect. The information seemed meaningful.”
The importance of offering a reward was the single-biggest creative predictor of an ad’s success, which apparently surprised the Facebook team.
The full study will be presented in the US next month however those that believe that bright colours or crazy fonts would create noticeability will be sorely disappointed as the survey found that this was not predictive of either recall or purchase consideration.
So it’s goodbye to psychedelic Facebook ads and hello to minimalism.
May 7, 2012 Leave a comment
When Georgia built a new road connecting the Republic of Azerbaijan with the Republic of Turkey they commissioned architects J.Mayer H to design a series of 20 rest stops (or service stations).
The result was were these stunning structures that are located on selected scenic viewpoints along the route. They serve as activators for their area and neighbouring cities, including not only a gas stations and supermarket, but also a farmers market and a cultural space for local arts and crafts.
See more on Contemporist here.
April 30, 2012 Leave a comment
Woods Bagot, a leading global architecture and design practice, has recently published a report into airport design and the future implications of global travel.
The report, called WARP Speed: Mach 1, covers a range of topics that will influence the way that airports are designed in the future including technology, efficiency, passenger numbers and collaboration. The report seeks to understand the near to medium term trends that are shaping the design of airports so that we can all build the IATA vision of “sufficient and efficient” infrastructure in a sustainable and future proofed way.
By 2050 it has been estimated that 16 billion passengers will fly every year along with 400 million tonnes of freight. The implications are immense and this first stage report attempts to highlight and tackle some of the core issues.
The report was compiled by a team of senior experts and identifies emerging trends in the aviation industry that will be critical to the future success of airports. It focuses on airports as well as their tenants – airline carriers, retailers and concessionaires.
In the report introduction they say, ‘Woods Bagot’s WARP Speed: Mach I is the first in a series of research investigations that identify emerging trends in the aviation industry that will be critical to the future success of airports. From wild science fiction to grounded realities, WARP Speed: Mach I makes forecasts by exploring the various wants, needs and aspirations of airports and their tenants. Most importantly, WARP Speed: Mach I recognizes that change – fast change – is the only constant in the aviation industry.
Throughout WARP Speed: Mach I, we are taken on an exploration of the often-tenuous relationship that exists between airports and the airline carriers, retailers and concessionaires with which they sh
are both dependence and competition.’
This is an important insight into the issues facing the aviation industry in the coming decades and makes interesting reading.
You can download the full report here:
April 24, 2012 Leave a comment
This may be taking experiential activities a bit far but an intertesting take on community engagement in Mexico.
Mexican internet portal Terra is offering free wifi for dog owners who poop and scoop. Piloting the concept in 10 parks across Mexico City, when people throw away their bags of poop in a special contraption in the park, it calculates the weight and then Terra gives everyone free minutes of Wi-Fi in the park.
The greater the weight, the more minutes — they have even supplied a chart that estimates the number of minutes by dog type.
An interesting concept but not sure whethe rit would work in the UK.
April 22, 2012 Leave a comment
If you fancy a night out at the cinema then you will have to get your swimming trunks on to see the first edition of Film on the Rocks at the Archipelago Cinema.
Designed by German-born and Beijing-based architect Ole Scheeren, VIP guests were taken by boat through the darkness to arrive on a glowing raft in the middle of the quiet waters of Nai Pi Lae lagoon on Kudu Island.
This beautiful setting is surrounded by a dramatic landscape of towering rocks and the audience experience combined film with nature.
“The thought of watching films here seemed surprising,“ said Ole Scheeren. “A screen, nestled somewhere between the rocks. And the audience… floating… hovering above the sea, somewhere in the middle of this incredible space of the lagoon, focused on the moving images across the water: A sense of temporality, randomness, almost like driftwood. Or maybe something more architectural: Modular pieces, loosely assembled, like a group of little islands that congregate to form an auditorium.“
The design of the Archipelago Cinema was based on techniques used by fishermen to construct floating lobster farms. It was built from recycled materials in modules that allowed flexibility for its future use.
A fantastic experience. Find out more on Arch Daily.
April 17, 2012 Leave a comment
If you thought that TV reality programmes could not get much worse than ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ then think again.
Cable TV programmes in the US beat us hands down for niche and outrageous content. Here are a selection of unbelievable programmes:
“Hillbilly Handfishin”
Some amazing people catch catfish by hand and feet. A net is a lot easier.
“Cajun Justice”
Crazy times with Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana, that promises a range of reports including one of a shape-shifting swamp creature called the Rougarou. It must be a swamp thing.
“Tattoo School”
Following students who take two weeks to learn “what most tattoo artists spend years learning” in Louisiana. Watch out for the spelling mistakes.
“Rat Bastards”
Follow the hunters of nutria, which are large, ecologically ruinous rodents. Set in Louisiana – there’s a theme here.
“Full Metal Jousting”
Medieval jousting is back as an extreme sport with modern steel suits and “big money” prizes. A train crash in the making.
“Texas Multi Mamas”
A programme that follows the lives of mothers of twins, triplets and quadruplets in Texas. Double, triple and quadruple trouble.
“Doomsday Preppers”
Hunting out Americans that are getting themselves ready for the end of the world. An expert joins in advising them whether their survival tactics would work in the face of Armageddon, the Rapture or a mile-wide asteroid. Good to be prepared.
“Confessions: Animal Hoarding”
Visiting people who have a compulsion for accumulating various critters. Move over Doctor Doolittle.
“American Stuffers”
Don’t say goodbye to your pets with the taxidermist in this programme. Time to run away and hide we think.
Bring back Rogue Traders, all is forgiven.
April 17, 2012 Leave a comment
This year’s Milan Design Week sees an installation by Japanese architect Akihisa Hirata who has designed ‘Photosynthesis’, an installation for Panasonic that celebrates the biological process of storing solar energy.
Panasonic wish to show a potential link between nature and man-made materials through the installation and ’Photosynthesis’ will be exhibited at Interni Legacy from the 16th until the 30th April. The installation will transform the Cortile della Farmacia courtyard into a space in which the visitors can experience the natural and technical, futuristic and traditional simultaneously.
The installation creates an artificial ecosystem with solar panels representing leaves, energy storage batteries as the fruits and LEDs and OLED panels represent the flowers.
Find out more on Design Boom.
April 15, 2012 Leave a comment
Hovering like ghostly aparitions of architecture these fabric installations by Korean artist Do Ho Suh create new environments within his exhibition using silk and metal structures.
The artist’s architectural sculptures have been brought together for an exhibition called ‘Home Within Home‘ at the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea.
Previously on display at New York’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery, they explore the idea of home and the sense of cultural displacement that comes with immigrating to a new place.
See more of these beautiful structures here on Design Boom
April 9, 2012 Leave a comment
Experimenting with materials in architecture to achieve environmental benefits has led to the development of many outstanding innovations that have changed the way we interact with buildings.
Now architect Doris Kim Sung, assistant professor of architecture at the USC School of Architecture, is experimenting with how a building can interact with its environment through the materials used in its construction.
Her latest installation, “Bloom”, is 20-foot tall and made from 14,000 tiny sheets of metal that open and close with the sun manipulating the light within the structure.
Sung discovered a new use for a material usually used in thermostat coils that responds to temperature changes. The metal alloy, called “thermobimetal”, is made of two sheets of metal laminated together. Each metal expands at a different rate when heated, curling as the temperature rises and flattening when cooled.
The metal sheets curl upwards with the sun creating moving shaded areas within the installation when needed. Sung believes that it could be used to create canopies that close when the sun is above or vents that open when the air becomes too stuffy and is now working on ways to integrate thermobimetal with standard building components.
It looks fantastic and is a mixture of art and architecture that addresses an environmental need. See a video of the installation below and more can be found on their blog.
March 31, 2012 Leave a comment
Everything you want to know about monsters in great animated video – a fun bit of nostalgia http://bit.ly/Hu0y9I
March 31, 2012 Leave a comment
We found this great ad for Nissan India, called new Star of India, which takes car marketing to a new level with a four and a half minute Bollywood extravaganza.
The ad features Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor and includes a cast of thousands, 100 Nissan Micra’s and an elephant. It tells the story of two star-crossed lovers in true Bollywood style.
Its a bit long but well worth the watch. Enjoy, you can’t help tapping you feet.
Ad by AKQA, San Francisco
March 27, 2012 Leave a comment
This really is a venture outside of the usual remits of a football club.
Real Madrid has announced that it is going to create an island retreat in the United Arab Emirates.
This $1 billion holiday resort and theme park will include beach side bungalows, a 10000 seat stadium, an amusement park and a five star hotel.
With many of Real Madrid’s fans in Asia this will provide an opportunity for their followers to emerse themselves in the brand, literally.
See a video of the resort below.
March 25, 2012 Leave a comment
Ever looked at the Post-It notes on your desk and wondered what else you could do with them?
Well, Yo Shimada of Tato Architects did and decided to create an architectural structure, making a giant installation of 30,000 Post-Its in collaboration with students from the Kyoto University of Art and Design.
This neon cell-like creation is located at the Artzone Gallery in Kyoto and resembles a tiny metropolis.
Let’s hope no one sneezes!
See more here
March 25, 2012 Leave a comment
Carrying on our Lego theme from last week Free Art & Technology (F.A.T.) and Synaptic Lab have teamed up to create the Free Universal Construction Kit.
If you’re the type of person who owns lots of different construction sets, like Lego, K’Nex, Mechano etc, but are frustrated that they don’t fit together then this is for you.!
The Free Universal Construction Kit is a set of 3D adapter bricks that offers complete inter-operability between up to 10 children’s construction toys. With nearly 80 models available for free download, the kit can be printed, one at a time, using open-hardware desktop 3D printers like Makerbot.
Just what we’ve all been waiting for!
March 18, 2012 Leave a comment
These beautiful stairs were designed by Tétrarc Architects for the School of Arts in Saint Herblain, France. They link two floors within the School of Arts – the ‘red conch music and dance theater’ on the first floor and an exhibition space located on the second floor.
The project was finished in 2010, however we felt that this stunning design was worth a mention.
Photography by Stéphane Chalmeau
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