david mcmillan - design thoughts

Quriky lock

2012-02-09T09:23:00.001+01:00

seen on core77, smart ideas, using magnets i guess.

old school iphone fun

2012-02-09T09:04:00.001+01:00

Funny

surface detailing

2012-02-07T15:48:00.001+01:00

nice texture in the yellow, rest is a bit blocky (as is the trend at the mo in cameras, pro feel)

scrum management

2011-08-24T09:28:00.000+02:00

I found this string of interesting articles from steve denning, as far as i understand it SCRUM is a fast moving managment strategy found in sofware dev. companies, where they have to compete with outsourcing, this method has apparently huge productivity advatagies upto 400% is quoted. it is based on the whole team moving forward as one passing the ball back and forth, in short dev. cycles . the following approaches are observed, nothing new but as a whole....

Organize work in short cycles:
The management doesn’t interrupt the team during a work cycle.
The team reports to the client, not the manager:
The team estimates how much time work will take:
The team decides how much work it can do in an iteration:
The team decides how to do the work in the iteration:
The team measures its own performance:
Define work goals before each cycle starts:
Define work goals through user stories:
Systematically remove impediments:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/04/29/scrum-is-a-major-management-discovery/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/08/17/why-amazon-cant-make-a-kindle-in-the-usa/

on time + 3min

2011-07-18T08:35:00.002+02:00

sweet
seen on www.core77.com

more ziba writings

2011-07-14T09:45:00.000+02:00

http://www.core77.com/oregonmanifest/2011/07/oregon-manifest-july-diary-ziba-x-signal.asp#more

i really like the ziba story telling, there writing style appeals to me, am not sure how the concept is going to turn out... but am looking forward to it!

elmoto, the light balance

2011-07-13T14:45:00.000+02:00

it's a little too bitty, but the overal look is nice!

The more MTB feel combined with motorcross works well, while not trying to be a motorbike, as weight is key in these products

raw from the mill

2011-06-29T17:54:00.001+02:00

the gear set on a mountain bike has the milling lines still very visible (click/enlarge it open to see better). Gives a rugged industrial yet almost organic like wood grain! or altitude lines on a map (which they are actually, but then altitudjavascript:void(0)e lines of the product surface). cool and cheap

Simplicity 2

2011-06-26T21:00:00.001+02:00

Dust pan which act as a funnel, sweet idea, good to see there are still innovations to be made in such plain sight areas, without getting into high tech. Like the gricic look too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Simplicity

2011-06-26T20:57:00.001+02:00

Simple, not surprising, but still nice

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Gerrit van der Laanstraat,Leiden,Netherlands

iPad sketching

2011-05-31T22:07:00.001+02:00

Strange but fun to do! Feels clumsy and is, like painting with mud on a stick or...

-sketch book alias is really quite cool

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Forum - RetailNews

2011-05-31T21:00:00.000+02:00

Forum - RetailNews
Not my usual read, but an interesting blog, worth browsing for those more marketing orientated

hi precision and sticky tape

2011-05-30T21:46:00.001+02:00

It was a while ago that I did it, but I came across these photos. It was fairly easy to do, following the online instructions, having bought the battery online. I was impressed by the construction it very well put together, great to see that a simple construction done a smart way can create such a high end look and feel! A mix of hi precision and sticky tape, the glass is just poped in from the inside at just the right moment before the pcb is fully inserted and the paper thin, White end caps are glued in place.

So If your old apple is on it's last legs I would recommend an DIY overhaul

2011-04-19T11:08:00.001+02:00

sweet:)
Sonicum seen on ww.dvice.com

scot wilsons smart phone for dell

2011-04-04T22:35:00.002+02:00

i like the rounded character, i am sure it feels nicer than the iphone 4, but still has something outdated about it....maybe to close to old nokia model..

bandits

2011-04-04T22:06:00.000+02:00

simple and useful, just the product you wish you had thought of yourself:)

bike adaptor for street lamps :)

2011-04-04T22:03:00.002+02:00

simple and somehow friendly

pantone case for iphone4

2011-03-31T12:14:00.001+02:00

i kmow there are lots of cases and the pantone thing is not new but still nice

B

2011-03-24T16:50:00.001+01:00

boxee but good, a streaming gadget, square with a twist, i love the coloured kick up edge and the branding is good and simple! wonder if it works too:)

Case Study: Ziba for TDK Life on Record, by Paul O'Connor and Carl Alviani - Core77

2011-03-24T09:29:00.000+01:00

Case Study: Ziba for TDK Life on Record, by Paul O'Connor and Carl Alviani - Core77

Industrial Facility X Margaret Howell: Cycling Jerseys Meet British Tailoring - Core77

2011-03-21T20:49:00.000+01:00

Industrial Facility X Margaret Howell: Cycling Jerseys Meet British Tailoring - Core77

lenovo getting there game on!

2011-02-22T12:07:00.001+01:00

could lenovo profit from 2nd or 3rd mover advantage?
aplle having kick started this market catagory, leneovo is hoping to come in fighting, not a cheap asian copy but a counter offer with some guts

designer - customizer bike build-off in portland

2011-02-22T11:59:00.000+01:00

follow the progress on http://www.core77.com/oregonmanifest/
3 teams including fuse, ideo and ziba :)

true vision

2011-02-21T21:08:00.000+01:00

well............

boxy but cuddley

2011-02-21T21:01:00.000+01:00

i often have this problem (minor) to listen to my apple without using the headphone all the time but still move from room to room. I like this domestisized version of the often gadgety static speacker set ups. fairly pure in form but with friendly character
ziba for memorex

ziba sounds good

2011-02-21T20:55:00.000+01:00

i like the what ziba has done for TDK, as they say bringing the warth of analouge to digital, it's a nice mix of retro portable stereos and and modern apple style minimalisim, looking proffesional, some what raw music kits and in a sleek black package for calss, no white and silver pimp! check there site at ziba.com

the future of cars rises in the east

2011-01-31T12:54:00.000+01:00

interestic article on the worlds largest car manufacturer SAIC, a chinese company which has stakes in GM volkswagen and owns MG, it has also opened a design studio in the uk. iterestingly they focus on the local market at the moment and have a super green concept called YEZ meaning leaf, which has the aim of a negative carbon footprint, thugh future gazing they say it should be viable within 20 years. a long time but at least the intention is there, and china with its\'s mass ubanisation has the greatest need for EV's and is pushing hard. so as the infomative video tells us. the future of cars is likley to be determened in china, developed for the chinese market.
see http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/jul2010/bw20100727_832636_page_6.htm
and vieo on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pObxCXhf9-E

portfolio updated

2010-11-27T23:00:00.002+01:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More product design

steelcase

2010-11-22T13:45:00.001+01:00

I like the principles use here, down to earth and non dictorialJ

1. Less is more -- A small footprint to fit into the real world of healthcare; only the most essential features, creating low cost high value; zero noise (really) and less effort to roll with the best wheels in the industry

2. Accommodate changing technology -- Pocket easily handles a wide variety of technology -- lap tops, tablets, monitors, CPU's, all-in-ones -- even pen & paper

3. People do things differently... let them -- Moveable magnetic accessories allow for quick user configuration; Flexibility - non-prescribed surfaces and light storage ready to be transformed to the work process of the user

gaudi stool

2010-11-22T13:43:00.002+01:00

Bram Geenen's Gaudi stool

Seen on www.core77.com

scot wilson's nano watches

2010-11-22T13:35:00.001+01:00

Seen on www.core777.com

Scott Wilson nano watch

marveland_HINA-THIBAUD

2010-11-22T13:29:00.001+01:00

Nice toy design

screen of tommorow (like realy soon

2010-10-05T18:11:00.000+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7_mOdi3O5E&feature=player_embedded

cool video

TAT screen concept

2010-10-05T18:06:00.002+02:00

TAT technoligy in fujitsu mobile, dual screen tribe technology, sounds interesting, product desaign is less exciting so far ;)

Helmet

2010-08-30T22:26:00.001+02:00

In form, not new but Nice!

Emailing: cycleton one

2010-08-30T16:13:00.001+02:00

Nice electric bike concept, called cycleton.
Seen on www.core77.com

Like the light feel, powerfull open wheel at back, retro low slung headlamp, and wheel rims that give it grounding and power
nice

Zones

2010-08-13T20:58:00.001+02:00

The use of material and colour to define user areas

i want this camera

2010-08-09T15:49:00.002+02:00

A nice balance of old school ceamra design and sleek contemporey, the extra large lens works really well giving the SLR feel.( lens is exchangeable)

Sonyy nex-3

importance of collaberation

2010-07-22T18:08:00.001+02:00

a interesting point on ho trading has exploded the human potential far beyond its own individual reach. "no one knows how to make a computer mouse" no one person has all the knowladge and skills the carry out all the steps!

pritty funky thought

http://metacool.typepad.com/metacool/2010/07/when-ideas-have-sex.html

Watch the TED

attention to detail

2010-06-30T11:52:00.001+02:00

Herman millers medical Furniture system, has edges that make sure any spilled water runs directly to the floor and not into drawers ect, causing hygiene issues. How cool is that!

Seen on www.core77.com

Emailing: reusetoys

2010-06-30T11:52:00.000+02:00

The makedo kit has a few connectors and hinge pieces to allow you to create toys out of found materials.

How nice is that! I want this kit for my-kido J

case et! :)

2010-06-24T14:32:00.001+02:00

Love the camera hole detail

the influence of history

2010-06-24T14:31:00.001+02:00

Gota luv it! J

toshiba, build on ideas

2010-06-23T13:37:00.001+02:00

Logical step but somehow lame. Would apple have done something like this? Probably not though it may be better to use more flexable for applications and more ergonomic (slightly) Ithink it would go against the purist grain, more than needed, even this simple adition of one screen complicates it so much more visually and technically.

What do you think?

apple works like a start up

2010-06-22T08:29:00.001+02:00

A nice article about culture and how jobs ensures that apple has a the same spirit and focus of a start up.

Jobs could have focused on near-term fixes. Instead, he focused on building a high-performance culture by doing three things well.

1. He refocused the strategy to be about one thing. That meant he killed off even good things. I led server channel management at Apple when Jobs returned to the company in 1997, and I was there when he made the decision to shut down big portions of revenue-generating businesses (including my division) because they didn't fit with his vision for the company. Some people thought he was crazy. But he was being extremely clear, and in doing so, he "MurderBoarded"—eliminated many options to get one cohesive strategy—his way to greatness.

2. He eliminated passive aggressiveness and encouraged debate when new ideas were forming. When you are thinking about difficult problems together with exceptionally bright people, there are going to be disagreements. But it is through the tension of that creative conflict that new ideas get born, new angles get explored, and risks get mitigated. Thinking together means you deal with conflict up front, rather than have to counter passive aggressiveness on the back end.

3. He set up a cross-disciplinary view of how the company would succeed. This holistic vision means there is cohesion throughout the company, from concept to product to sales. For example, the retail strategy could have been a separate or disparate part of the whole, but Apple has made its retail strategy part and parcel of its overall promise of ease of use.

None of these three things is easy to do. It would be easy to count any revenue as good revenue, to allow a few people to stay even though they were rotting the culture, or to allow the different parts of a business to act in their silos. Apple's leadership doesn't accept easy. Executives believe that when the company wins, everyone wins. That belief drives the necessary behavior and tradeoffs necessary to achieve success. That's why Jobs has earned the respect of his peers. He has recreated a culture in which the company acts like all the best parts of a startup.

Full article on

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2010/id20100610_525759.htm

additional thought on xbox vs apple

2010-06-16T09:54:00.000+02:00

Discussing with a fellow designer, he said to me but i would much rather have the apple box in my living room than the gaudy xbox, an interesting dilemma, to fit in to the surroundings beautifully or to express the spirit of the product? In this case the comparison is not very fair, a home computer is so general in function, a friendly but precise box is quite ok as a form langague, the xbox on the other hand has a much more outspoken use and spirit making a good candidate for expressive (non blend) form.

divergance of form langague

2010-06-16T09:34:00.000+02:00

www.core77.coms post on the difference of the alienware direction of Microsoft versus the minimalistic approach.

I am not sure if the discussion is relevant, I am glad there are different approaches, as much as I love apple design, I would not want to live in an apple world, I also appreciate the dynamic crips lines of the new x box, a great improvement in comparison to the previous, it,s hard edge dynamic communicates a serious powerfull and ecxiting machine. I like it! (but am sticking to my ps3J)

respect the fuzzy end

2010-06-15T09:31:00.000+02:00

Nice article seen on www.metacool.com

Innovation Principle 18: Learn to orbit the hairball

If the process of bringing new things to life were a living, breathing organism, it would be a nasty beast! It would be unpredictable. It would consume as much as you dared to feed it. Some days, it would really stink. Yucko! And it would have a tendency to chew up people and spit them out. Most of all, though, it would hairy. Really hairy -- think dense forests of tangly, greasy, matted, hair, the likes of which make people run for shampoo, scissors, clippers, straight razors, and a blow dryer.

However, if you shave a hairball, there's nothing left. You know, it's just a ball of hair, right? But in that fuzziness is an unpredictable wellspring of creativity, which -- if left to do what it will in in its own nonlinear way -- is the source of the new and the wonderful. Consequently, one must never give in to the temptation to shave the fuzzy hairball that is innovation. As institutions and individuals, we have to learn how to live with the hairball and respect it. If we get enough mileage under our belt, we may even come to relish being in situations of great ambiguity and fuzziness. I know that I can't get enough of being there, which is why I do what I do.

Organizations need to find a way to let the hairball be a hairy mess. The fuzziness of the innovation hairball makes its very presence uncomfortable for mature organizations. Successful organizations have gotten to where they are by being able to sell, ship, and support things on a regular basis. If the honest answer to the question "When will this be done?" is "We have no idea!" (which is what the hairball always says), a mature organization will be sorely tempted to lend clarity and structure to the hairball. "Let's put you on a firm schedule with staged checkpoints!", it says. "Here, let me clean up that mess of hair." Instead, we have to be able to let the hairball be greasy and stinky, and learn how to celebrate it. This is a hard thing to do, as leaving a pool of ambiguity unmopped rarely not squares well with meeting your quarterly numbers. As to where and how to do that, well there are many books written around those subjects, so let's just leave it that we need to let the hair be fuzzy. Don't shave it. Find a place for it to grow.

To that point, my friend Bob Sutton wrote a wonderful post about his own experience of learning to respect the fuzzy front end. In it he quotes Bill Coyne, who led innovation efforts at 3M for many years:

Finally, don't try to control or make safe the fumbling, panicky, glorious adventure of discovery. Occasionally, one sees articles that describe how to rationalize this process, how to take the fuzzy front end and give it a nice haircut. This is self-defeating. We should allow the fuzzy front end to be as unkempt and as fuzzy as we can. Long-- term growth depends on innovation, and innovation isn't neat. We stumble on many of our best discoveries. If you want to follow the rapidly moving leading edge, you must learn to live on your feet. And you must be willing to make necessary, healthy stumble.

I really like Bob's post because of the way he relates the need for organizations to build up muscles around grappling with fuzziness with his own personal journey as a design thinker.

As I've said earlier, at a personal level, being comfortable with the innovation process is largely a matter of learning by doing. The more you're in hairy, fuzzy situations, and the more you find your way out of them, the more your confidence in your own creative process will grow. At an individual level, if you want to be able to live in more innovative ways, you need to learn how to orbit the hairball. That phrase, of course, is the title of Gordon McKenzie's masterpiece Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace, which occupies a hallowed spot on my bookshelf. For me, McKenzie's masterpiece is a valuable personal "owner's manual", as it helps you find your own ways to avoid the temptation to shave the hairball. It teaches you instead to find ways orbit it when necessary (which may be almost all the time for some folks).

Know thyself. Understanding how to deal with ambiguity at a personal level is the key to unlocking one's creative confidence. An organization which understands how to resist shaving the hairball, populated by people who know how to orbit the hairball, will be capable of bringing amazing things to life.

Know thyself.

This is number 18 in a series of principles of innovation. It is an evolving work. Please give me your thoughts, suggestions, and good ideas

Emailing: chalk-puma1

2010-06-09T14:03:00.001+02:00

Emailing: stoop-bench

2010-03-09T11:44:00.000+01:00

Seen on www.core77.com by Alvaro Uribe

Unexpected double use, different sides of a product can have different functions, resulting in an interesting, curious form. This is a nice thought to apply elsewhere.

asian car makers heavly pumping up the design

2010-03-04T08:53:00.001+01:00

Kia and hyundai both have design centeres in europe aswell as asia. Hyundai showing here a nicely proportioned and dynamic, often a bit too much ‘flaming’ happening, but still expressive interesting and cohesive. The high rear giving powerful haunches and the sweeping roof line down to the dipping nose tiyeng it together with a crouching tiger poise. I think the recess in the hood is to catch the dipping effect but still met the regulations on front end hight? Or is it just to beef up the muscle feel at the front.

All in all something nicely sophisticated about it!

auston martin rapide

2010-02-25T09:16:00.001+01:00

4 door remains difficult, it's so looooong, it loses the power

and forward dynamic of the 2 doors vantage and v8.

the sketch has more aggressive proportions than the production

model which became conservative and unexciting, but it remains

auston and therfore elegant!

telescope

2010-02-01T10:15:00.001+01:00

Nice material combination. Sleak forms…

round shoulders

2010-01-27T12:59:00.001+01:00

How funky is this!

SEEN ON WWW.CORE77.COM

a mouse or a mobile?

2010-01-27T12:57:00.000+01:00

A familar aesthetic, which I like, edgey and spophisticated but could use a dash more sophistication, it’s a touch too ;my first cad model. And is it realy a mouse?

Emailing: 0yujifujimura

2010-01-13T08:57:00.001+01:00

Yuji Fujimura's electric bike concept, seen on www.core77.com , closed wheels rule!

Emailing: Tongue_468

2010-01-13T08:57:00.000+01:00

Hmmm, are we so predictable? I guess so.

nice bench

2009-12-11T08:53:00.000+01:00

designer Alexandre Moronnoz's Seen on core 77,

hooydonk throught the monocle

2009-11-20T10:41:00.002+01:00

http://monocle.com/sections/design/Web-Articles/Adrian-van-Hooydonk/

nice video interview with BMW ‘s hooydonk, notable extracts; the lasting impact of the crisis is that people with think longer about purchases, this also enhances the need for story telling, and better stories to tell around a product.

The future of form is going to be sharp, sharp is surprisingly effective in the wind tunnel. Functionalities will increase, more for your money, well considered purschases. Luxuary will reamin a theme as the experience of products becomes more important than the simple having of trophy pieces.

Bmw expresses engineering precision with the sharp styling lines.

Importance of authenticity, where does the product come from, who is behind it. This will be increasingly important.

nike is serious about green

2009-11-19T08:23:00.000+01:00

http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/16/how-nike-considered-uses-innovation-and-collaboration-to-close-the-loop/

nice article about nikes perspective on turning green.

FW: nissan_fuga_hybrid

2009-11-13T13:52:00.001+01:00

Ouch! Going very much in the direction of the porsche work. Nasty, heavy and bumpy. In particular the nose is going wrong.

lexus goes sports

2009-11-13T13:51:00.001+01:00

Hmm whats lexus up to these days?

Interesting mix of Ferrari and Nissan z. with a pinch of corvette for the USA market. Like the looks so far in this elevation. Stylish and luxurious without being heavy handed

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/10/1021_best_of_tokyo_auto_show/2.htm

see more from Tokyo car show, follow link.

FW: _honda_ev_n

2009-11-13T13:50:00.000+01:00

Sorry more cars!, but this is s osweet, nice retro colouring and the graphic newson-esk front plate is very nice. Looks fun!

Emailing: Peugeot-RCZ_2011_800x600_wallpaper_06

2009-09-29T12:49:00.000+02:00

Emailing: herehook_layout

2009-09-09T13:54:00.000+02:00

This caught my eye

Yankodesign.com

Emailing: onehand2

2009-09-09T13:48:00.000+02:00

The one handed cook aid with loots of help me jigs.

Seen on yankodesign.com

Proving design for the physically challenged can also look very good.

Emailing: bb-hianddry-comp3

2009-09-04T09:56:00.000+02:00

Nice but i must wonder does it need to be plastic base ect. The classic wooden fold out dish rack is also nice,

Seen on core77

FW: cyberpunk funk

2009-09-03T08:55:00.002+02:00

seen on core77

just for fun, a turkish designer did these cyberpunk mobile modifications.
pritty funky!

See all the ways you can stay connected to friends and family

Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! MSN Messenger

new BMW concept

2009-08-31T13:59:00.002+02:00

"efficient dynamics concept"

clear influences from Gina and the M1 concept, thats what happens once chris is out of the picture.

i love the 'fluid control' very expressive whithout being too feminine or aggressive as bmw often is.

link lamp

2009-08-24T13:07:00.001+02:00

the link lamp, very graphical, i particulaly like the eyelet hindge detail.(sorry for the bad pic)

follow the lines

2009-08-20T20:58:00.001+02:00

quite retro, but i liked the line play, looping and interlocking to
create a whole.

metal and wood

2009-08-20T20:56:00.001+02:00

is this a dell?

2009-08-14T13:30:00.000+02:00

shine!

2009-08-12T09:27:00.002+02:00

i love the simplification of the bike down to a single loop icon, which works very well with the coasting, be one with your bike idea.
seen on thecoolhunter.com designed by Teague

Great ideas

2009-06-25T10:31:00.002+02:00

this is just so sweet! a fold flat strainer!!

see josephjoseph.com for more nice ideas and to buy

the game changer

2009-02-03T09:19:00.001+01:00

book review

the game changer

exellent book, if maybe somewhat american, and somewhat repetative, it gives many interesting examples of how p&g have succeded in reorientating there company towards innovation, how a large company can mobelize to be fast and innovative time and time again. gives lots of ideas and insights into how a company should structure it's self for sustainable innovation (as the only way for sustainable growth)

key points were;

-clear management goals that stretch theorganisation just enough.

-one clear rule of all rules "the customer is boss" this seems top settle all discussion, a good consumer trial will beat all opinions.

-indepth "living in research" for the insights then good old hard core quantative reaserch for validation

-grow your product range, add value (thus margin)grow your market

-create a people culture, people need to be comfortable without hirachy to stick there neck out for ideas, and thats what you need. p&G has special locations to take groups out of context and speed develop concepts, in small 'flat' divierse teams

-raipd consumer testing

-courageous

-process frees up creativity ( was that this book??not sure)

innovation makes money, otherwise its invention

-set asside a clear budget for innovation seperate to daily business funds

-people and cominication are KEY

-look look look look test test test test

Amazone http://www.amazon.com/Game-Changer-Revenue-Profit-Growth-Innovation/dp/0307381730/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233648923&sr=8-1

Everyone has a favorite “concept car.” Whether it’s the ‘54 Firebird, ‘64 Stiletto, ‘80 Epcot or ‘88 Sunraycer, these “flights

2008-11-05T10:14:00.002+01:00

This is worth a read, how relevant is concept work if you don't try to make it real?

"Another flashy concept product is the Nokia Morph, the self-cleaning,

self-aware, self-preserving, self-charging, semi-opaque and semi-flexible

mobile device that the company hopes to integrate into handheld devices

in seven years. (This from a company that hasn't even been able to

answer the multi-touch iPhone challenge in nearly two years.)"


Everyone has a favorite "concept car." Whether it's the '54 Firebird, '64 Stiletto, '80 Epcot or '88 Sunraycer, these "flights of imagination" all have one thing in common: they weren't for real. 9/22/2008 3:59 PM from http://counternotions.com/2008/08/12/concept-products/

design is in the blood

2008-11-05T09:56:00.001+01:00

@ Ryder , thanks for the comments, was surprised to hear that youuse the site in that way, it’s a nice compliment. Maybe I’ll drop some more thoughts now and then as a notepad. thanks

radio silence

2008-09-23T13:53:00.001+02:00

Anyone out there wonderign what happend to the blog? I have stopped! No one seems to look or react? I am tempted to go on for my own archive?

but is anyone out there?

I’ll be on the peer at noon everyday, when the sun is at it’s highest J

2008-05-26T11:16:00.001+02:00

“Advertising is the price companies pay for being un-original”

Yves behar ted talks

Emailing: hardcore-composite-468

2008-05-20T08:46:00.001+02:00

Arihiro Miyake's Trush-in Extension Cord above, a cord management solution that looks like it might actually manage cords and be at home next to your desk. nice.

seen on core 77

koolhaas beijing under construction

2008-05-19T10:13:00.000+02:00

see core 77 for more http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/shots_of_beijings_koolhaasdesigned_cctv_building_in_progress_9824.asp

material inovation

2008-05-15T09:49:00.001+02:00

this sandwich steel is as strong as steel but less than half the wieght due to a hollow construction inspired by bird bones! developed by vovlo of course:)

see more material innovations at http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/01/0128_material/index_01.htm

FW: harman/kardon

2008-05-08T13:52:00.001+02:00

nice interview with the designer of thoose i-pod accessories, lots of photos and sketches.

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/14251/

2008-05-05T09:31:00.001+02:00

Bmw ’s concept homage to the 70’s M1, bmw’s only mid engine car designed by lambourgini was a big flop (horribly expensive and plastic body panels) but did start the m series off probably meaning Mid engine but translated into “race” anyways…

new way of drinking

2008-04-10T12:10:00.001+02:00

http://www.jeremybrowndesign.com/

my favorite teddy's

2008-04-03T11:34:00.002+02:00

I have taken to watching TED presentations (in the train on pspJ). many are fascinating and inspiring, usually talking around 10 to 15 min.

“TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.”

Here is a list of my favorites they are all really worth watching (and there are many more on TED.com)

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/104

William McDonough explaning CRADEL TO CRADEL design put into practice

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/5

chris Bangle head designer BMW tells what design management is all abou

thttp://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/172

john meda on the art of simplicity

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/43

paul bennet tells about design at IDEO

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/63

charles Leadbeater small guy versus big companies!!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/140
hans rosling with a fantastic presentation technique and great statistics

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/65

8 min. shows a fantastic multi touch interface

Also see my blog http://design-dump.blogspot.com/

Emailing: ferrari3

2008-04-01T09:40:00.001+02:00

new ferrair

ugly interior

bit porsche ish too!

design is doomed

2008-04-01T09:09:00.001+02:00

Starck denounces design, on the hunt for new career

Monday, March 31

According to an interview with Germany's Die Zeit weekly newspaper, Philippe Starck is ashamed of ever taking part in product design and plans to call it quits as a designer within 2 years.

"I will definitely give up in two years' time. I want to do something else, but I don't know what yet. I want to find a new way of expressing myself ...design is a dreadful form of expression."

Claiming that design is officially dead, Starck predicts future designer types to fulfill the roles of the personal coach, the gym trainer, and the diet consultant. (And here we thought a sedentary life of Doritos and Solidworks was our calling...)

As Starck finds a hole to crawl into, his explosive statements will probably stir the design pot, at least once around ...and we can't say we're not pumped to witness his career twist in a couple years. If it involves being a fitness guru, will his workout studio and exercise videos be well-designed?

Seen On core 77

Apple's design process, a must read!

2008-03-13T11:37:00.001+01:00

Posted by: Helen Walters on March 08. on core 77

Interesting presentation at SXSW from Michael Lopp, senior engineering manager at Apple, who tried to assess how Apple “gets” design when so many other companies try and fail. After describing Apple’s process of delivering consumers with a succession of presents (“really good ideas wrapped up in other really good ideas” — in other words, great software in fabulous hardware in beautiful packaging), he asked the question many have asked in their time: “How the f*ck do you do that?” (South by Southwest is at ease with its panelists speaking earthily.) Then he went into a few details:

Pixel Perfect Mockups
This, Lopp admitted, causes a huge amount of work and takes an enormous amount of time. But, he added, “it removes all ambiguity.” That might add time up front, but it removes the need to correct mistakes later on.

10 to 3 to 1
Apple designers come up with 10 entirely different mock ups of any new feature. Not, Lopp said, "seven in order to make three look good", which seems to be a fairly standard practice elsewhere. They'll take ten, and give themselves room to design without restriction. Later they whittle that number to three, spend more months on those three and then finally end up with one strong decision.

Paired Design Meetings
This was really interesting. Every week, the teams have two meetings. One in which to brainstorm, to forget about constraints and think freely. As Lopp put it: to "go crazy". Then they also hold a production meeting, an entirely separate but equally regular meeting which is the other's antithesis. Here, the designers and engineers are required to nail everything down, to work out how this crazy idea might actually work. This process and organization continues throughout the development of any app, though of course the balance shifts as the app progresses. But keeping an option for creative thought even at a late stage is really smart.

Pony Meeting
This refers to a story Lopp told earlier in the session, in which he described the process of a senior manager outlining what they wanted from any new application: "I want WYSIWYG... I want it to support major browsers... I want it to reflect the spirit of the company." Or, as Lopp put it: "I want a pony!" He added: "Who doesn't? A pony is gorgeous!" The problem, he said, is that these people are describing what they think they want. And even if they're misguided, they, as the ones signing the checks, really cannot be ignored.

The solution, he described, is to take the best ideas from the paired design meetings and present those to leadership, who might just decide that some of those ideas are, in fact, their longed-for ponies. In this way, the ponies morph into deliverables. And the C-suite, who are quite reasonable in wanting to know what designers are up to, and absolutely entitled to want to have a say in what's going on, are involved and included. And that helps to ensure that there are no nasty mistakes down the line.

is mazda showing the future of form?

2008-03-10T10:45:00.000+01:00

http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=2178 a short blog on how mazda is consistently pushing a new form langague "maxmizing" form possible in production techichs!

is this really the way or does apple have it right?

Emailing: 3-6-08-bath-chair

2008-03-10T10:39:00.001+01:00

reddish stuios redymade bathtub chair. seen on 77

Emailing: 2008_NY_toy_19

2008-03-10T10:35:00.001+01:00

how cool are these, if you can get the hang of it?

see video http://www.inventist.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30

seen on core 77 review on toyfair

Emailing: UCS_600px

2008-03-10T09:04:00.001+01:00

how easy does folding need to be?

http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/Urban-Street-Concept-Bike_id_22953_.htm;jsessionid=CF6D191DC71AD61D0559F4900BB477BB

or is compact and neat enough for most?

Ideal for all designers

2008-02-26T14:23:00.001+01:00

Ideal for all designers as the best ideas always tend to come when you are on the loo!

is it a sofa or chair?

2008-02-25T11:24:00.001+01:00

When is a chair not a chair? When it’s a sofa, or a chaise of course. Well that is the idea behind this three-in-one design from newcomer Roel Verhagen-Kaptein. Roel’s take on modern seating just might have been inspired by those lovable, petrol blooded Cybertrons. With the same utilitarian notion built into Optimus Prime, you too can simply rearrange the pieces of this seating concept to transform into a chair, a three person sofa, or a chaise lounger for those nights spent drawing Kate Winslet in the nude. However you look at it, this design has your ass covered. (Golf clap)

Nice phone

2008-02-25T11:22:00.001+01:00

The Edge phone is designed for the style conscious fashionistas. The name has nothing to do with data speed. In fact we don’t even know what this phone is capable of because as with all fashion phones, looks rein supreme and the Edge phone makes sure you notice with its glowing glass keyboard.

To answer an incoming call, slide the glass keyboard out. An embedded LED illuminates the etched numerics via refraction creating a glowing effect. The only visible lines is the microphone wiring which designer Chris Owens has cleverly disguised as a keyboard border.

uno-single-seat-urban-transporter-

2008-02-25T09:10:00.001+01:00

http://nexus404.com/Blog/2007/03/20/uno-transport/

honda dtcs

2008-01-31T16:45:00.001+01:00

<<0108_DETROITCS_038.jpg>>

ford detroit carshow

2008-01-31T16:44:00.001+01:00

http://www.core77.com/gallery/photos_search.asp?tag=Detroit+Auto+Show&context_id=2