Dean Takahashi of the Mercury News has written an article on the growing differentiator of design in the corporate world. As more services become commoditized often the only thing companies have to set themselves apart is good design.
Given the recent October 28th "Design" issue of Newsweek it looks like the value of Design is reaching the mainstream.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/7171782.htm
Last weekend I had the opportunity visit an amazing postmodern house in Pebble Beach. In a neighborhood filled with giant monstrosities of architecture, lives Lee von Hesseln. She was kind enough to show us around and tell us all about the special materials, glass, rock, and solar power, that make her house actually "earn" credits from PG & E (Pacific Gas and Electric).
The best part is that she designed the house herself. It is part of a Northern CA. solar home tour. Read more in the Monterey Herald Article.
Links:
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/6875665.htm
http://www.norcalsolar.org/tour/
I've seen more of these on the road these days. Very cool, about 52mpg on the freeway, cleaner burning, only about 20K, and a $2,000 tax write-off to boot.
Link:
http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/prius/
CCAC has launched a web log covering a variety of product and environmental design topics. Also see the "brain food" section for other related resources.
Links:
http://www.ccacid.org/blog/index.html (web log)
http://www.ccacid.org/brainfood/index.html (brain food)
CRADLE TO CRADLE: REMAKING THE WAY WE MAKE THINGS is a new book out by architect William Mc donough and chemist Michael Braungart. I have found a nice informational article about their book and design practices online at DesignBOOM.
In their book they advocate for a new approach to green product design. An approach that acknowledges economic and business constraints. Instead of traditionally divisive arguments between business and environmentalists, MBDC (their design studio) would like to show that "saving the planet can bring economic benefits as well." The book revolves around the main idea that waste in nature is equal to food. They would like to see products placed within their biological or technical metabolism, and consider longer-term consequences of how products will break down as biological or techincal "food" for reuse.
In place of traditional recycling practices that require a lot of energy and work to produce inferior products they suggest making products such that materials either biodegrade or can be re-used at the same or higher level, rather than "downcycled".
(left) Diagram illustrating the importance of Ecology, Equity, and Economy in the product lifecylce. (right) They devised a toxin-free blend of wool and organically grown ramie, a linen-like fiber, in a process so clean that it generates potable wastewater.
Links:
http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/cradle.html (Article)
http://www.mbdc.com/ (Design Studio)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/... (Book at Amazon)
Trained in art, architecture, and engineering, Santiago Calatrava is a nice reminder of things past. One of his most recent works, The Cathedral of Christ the Light, will be built in Oakland, hopefully soon.
He was talking about the influence of the ancient Greeks on modern culture--architecture, art, language--and he commented that when we talk about 'important things' we use Greek words. He chose two words to illustrate his point: pragmatism and enthusiasm. I think that probably provides some insight into the values he holds dear.
Link:
http://www.metropolismag.com/html/urbanjournal_0203/calatrava.html
http://www.metropolismag.com/html/content_0601/cal/
Found this by way of Adam at V-2. Treatments by IDEO of mobile phones (devices) that would make you more aware of the detrimental effects of the technology.
The case shown delivers an electric shock to induce users to speak more quietly.
Links:
http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/SoMo/html/somo1-1.asp
http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/SoMo/index.html (Main Index)
Leave it to two design driven companies like Apple and Burton to team up and make an integrated weatherproof snowboarding/ski jacket. It's a bit pricey, but made with top of the line Gortex waterproof fabric and has controls for your iPod integrated into the jacket arm exterior. Controls are provided by SOFTswitch and utilizes an interactive textile data strip.
Links:
http://www.apple.com/ipod/burton/
http://www.softswitch.co.uk/SOFTswitchAbout.html
After hearing William Massie speak at Berkeley last spring I couldn't help but think how his process could be applied to interactive design. Massie builds cheap experimental modernist houses by skipping the documentation and blueprinting phase, and going directly to machining molds by using a PC 3-d software and CNC milling maching.
For those in Vancouver he will be speaking at UBC January 30, 2003. Also found a business week article on the subject. Can't help but agree with the article, I think we'll hear his name more frequently.
Link:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jun2002/nf20020618_3300.htm
http://www.lecturesonarchitecture.net/
http://www.uedesignlab.com/uelog/archives/000012.html#000012
Adam of v-2.org points out that it has taken a mere month and one week for the topic of "moblogging" (or mobile web logging) to hit mainstream media. The UK-based Guardian has picked up on the topic with an article by Jane Perrone.
>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/webwatch/story/0,12455,858719,00.html
Personally, I think the quick uptake can be attributed to the critical mass (acclaim) that web logs have already acquired. Mobile web logs are another form of web logs, but with more immediate and ubiquitous implications. There are both mundane and earth-shattering implications of use with these devices and logs. Earth-shattering implications arise with addition of (seemingly fadish) phone cameras providing users a ubiquitous capture and publishing device whereever they go.
Oliver Thylmann of infoSync foresees the day when millions own mobiles with integral cameras, and "journalists will almost never be the first on the scene anymore" - they will be beaten to it by keen mobloggers sending pictures to their sites. (from Guardian article)
This can be seen already with users on Hiptop nation reporting realtime on the New York city transit strike.
>> http://hiptop.bedope.com/index.php?FILTER=zyrr@gznvy.pbz&GIMME_ENTRY=2037
Some of the Devices
T-Mobile Sidekick - a handy gizmo that boasts email, web surfing, SMS and AOL Instant Messaging.
>> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000078VYT/ref=ase_bedope/103-6734736-6216607
Nokia 3390 phone from Voicestream with AOL instant messenger.
>> http://www.cnet.com/wireless/0-1923403-8-7798446-1.html
Another practical use for duct tape. As is apt to happen in Mex our rented suburban (which one needs for miles of dirt road on the east cape) was provided sans radio. Being industrious, we designed our own solution. 20 minutes and some duct tape and we had tunes ...
enlarge
...seen somewhere in the "Land of Freedom".
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Links:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1550462849/...
Already the leader in stand-up pouches, the pet food division of Heinz was looking to re-establish its position as category leader.
The opportunity came with the introduction for their new "Savoury Bites" line. They wanted an innovative new packaging concept – and they needed to launch it quickly.
Article at a great online resource for consumer food product and packaging information. I haven't explored this site much, but seems of interest to good and sustainable product design. Gives good coverage of what large food packaging cos. are doing, like Heinz, Kraft, etc.
Links:
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/ingredients/presentation.asp?id=5
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/
General Motors is looking at introducing two world firsts with their latest prototype -- an environmentally-friendly hydrogen fuelled car that allows drivers to change the chassis design according to their mood.
The Hy-wire, named for its combination of hydrogen and drive-by-wire technology, is an alternative to gasoline or diesel fuel.
Skateboard chassis holds all power and mechanics.
And because just one wire connects the chassis, which contains all the electrical controls, to the car body, substitute body designs can be swapped whenever the driver feels like a change.
Interior shot, no-pedals or steering wheel.
Hy-wire is not scheduled for release until 2010, but it will be introduced to the public at the Paris Motor Show on September 26.
Article Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/09/19/hywire.cars.glb/
Every thought of buying that killer spot of land on Baja's east cape and parking your trailer?
Well, the new Airstream is just the right piece of equipement.
Checkout the article at the AIGA's new issue of GAIN.
Link:
http://gain.aiga.org/leadfeature/
Architects, frustrated with the rebuilding in Lower Manhattan after 9/11 take things into their own hands.
Great article in the NYT Sunday magazine describes:
The pattern, a privatized version of city planning, routinely excludes architecture from the formative stages. Planners chop up the development sites into parcels, develop guidelines for each one and then hand them over to developers, who subdivide the building project among an assortment of specialists, including lawyers, interior-space planners, retail consultants, construction companies, architects and construction managers. In this way, large building projects of potentially major civic importance are delivered into the hands of competent but unimaginative firms. The assumption is: Anyone can do it. Just follow the guidelines.
Interactive Flash Piece
Detailed models and sketches
Article Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/08/magazine/08REBUILD.html
Interactive Flash:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/magazine/20020908_911_PLAN/index.html
Recently in Las Vegas I met Jeffrey Huang of Harvard GSD. He gave an excellent presentation about a site-specific project in Boston that he (and others) designed and built.
This is an excellent example of design really converging to form a complete experience from various touch points like offline-built environments to online environments like the web, or "information spaces" if you will.
"... the Swisshouse is a prototype for a new generation of learning space that understands the dynamic interplay between physical, face-to-face learning and technology-enhanced teaching, discussion, and community formation. It redefines the “learning experience” in ways both familiar and new, traditional and innovative—and overall may represent a harbinger of more such hybrids in the future."
Interior of loft space
Sketches for knowledge cafe - learning table
The Virtual wall is a mirror peering into other distance learning location (switzerland). Video conferencing on steroids.
Links:
http://www.linezine.com/3.1/features/jhmwsh.htm
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/courses/7301f00/description.htm
According to Rich "Gordo" Gordon, managing editor of Stoner Architectural Digest, Donovan may be the breakout superstar for whom the profession has long waited.
"Sadly, the field of stoner architecture is usually dismissed by conventional architects, who insist on clinging to such tired, ossified notions as functionality, coherence, and basic structural integrity," Gordon said. "Someone like Donovan can go a long way toward dispelling the myth that stoner architecture is all just arrested adolescents scribbling whacked-out bullshit in dimly lit basements while turgid '70s prog-rock plays in the background. I mean, sure, it definitely is that, but it's also so much more."
Gordon then lost his train of thought.
Link:
http://www.theonion.com/onion3627/stoner_architect.html
Inventor wins patent for wearable keyboard.
Link:
http://www.iht.com/articles/67604.html
The sky may be falling, but not everyone is sitting back and waiting for it to come crashing to the ground. Here are 30 people who are using technology to clean up the planet. by Ian Connacher
Some interesting pieces over at shift.com.
Link:
http://www.shift.com/print/10.2/262/1.html
http://www.skyscraperpage.com/index.php
Great article about process of desiging good products. Q& A with profs from Carnegie Mellon. Vogel is a professor of design and Jonathan Cagan, a mechanical-engineering professor at the university. Talk about the "Fuzzy Front-end" and challenge of making opportunity of innovation, creating a new and useful product/artifact that is a step forward (innovative) not merely, it works: enginneering, or it looks cool: design
Link: http://www.fastcompany.com/online/60/chalktalk.html
I've been saying this for a while, and actually prompted the direction of my site:
"The disciplines of human-computer interaction, product design, and architectural design are converging". -John Canny
Try to make connection between this method used by Razorfish and William Massie's use of CNC for designing and building houses in Montana. http://www.boxesandarrows.com/archives/002695.php
Idea of WORK > BUILT PROTOTYPE. Skip or combine process of WORK > (Document/Blueprint) > BUILT PROTOTYPE.
Ever wondered... well the guys at www.gracenote.com have licensed their technology to Apple and others.
Check out this article > http://www.fortune.com/indexw.jhtml?channel=artcol.jhtml&doc_id=207110
