Book Review: Imprint, by Daniel Eatock

Article link: Book Review: Imprint, by Daniel Eatock

This article is reviewing the book Imprint by Daniel Eatock.

I honestly have no idea what the review is trying to say, but after reading it, I'd like to at least check out what the book is about, because hearing about the pictures, and circles and projects has me wondering what the book is about.

Stackable apartments. Um...what?

Article link: Stackable apartments. Um...what?

This article is about a Sky Village, whose "main concept is centered around a system of individual units that can be stacked in various configurations to maximize available space and allow for easy structural changes in response to market demand," and goes on to explain:

If a retailer wants more space or if the village needs more office or residential units, "pixels" can be easily added to reconfigure the structure. Each pixel is about 60 sq meters and they all are arranged around a central core. The inclusion of retail, restaurants, and offices in a residential development allows people the ability to live where they work and play, making this in a true village, albeit a vertical one.

Though the article is a bit skeptical about how this will work, I'm excited about the idea of it! It sounds very futuristic, and appealing. Even the renderings look like we're living in the future.

Saint-Etienne Design Biennale 2008: Citrus Clock, by Anna Gram'

Article link: Saint-Etienne Design Biennale 2008: Citrus Clock, by Anna Gram'

This article is about a lemon powered clock.

I thought the idea was great; spending money on lemons has got to be less than batteries or electricity. I wonder, though, if the lemons run out of juice and you have to put another lemon on there, do you have to set the clock all over again? Because that would be such a hassle.

Bringing in the Exterior Decorators

Article link: Bringing in the Exterior Decorators

This article is about a curator named Hugo Martinez hiring street artists and a design team to renovate and decorate his apartment.

This is such a great idea! I love that he is offering his own home open to the public, so that people can see the result of the outside being in. I also love that he himself is an inspiration to street artists, so that naturally, he would be open to the idea of having his home decorated in the same way.

Three new jobs you might want to consider

Article link: Three new jobs you might want to consider

Here's a copy of the article, since it's rather short:

Every company that works online today ought to consider hiring three amazing people to lead these projects:

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER. Find and connect and lead a tribe of dedicated users that contribute to and benefit from the work you do.
STATS FIEND. Measure everything that can be measured. Do it efficiently and consistently. Find out what metrics are important and cycle until they improve.
MANAGER OF FREELANCERS. Find and hire and manage the best outside talent in the world. If it can be defined as a project, and if great work defeats good, seriously consider having the MOF get it done.
With three superstars doing these jobs, it's possible you can create almost anything.

I think that last idea, Manager of Freelancers, sounds really interesting, like, an agent for freelancing designers and artists!

My Home, My Self: Photography as Art Project

Article link: My Home, My Self: Photography as Art Project

This article is about a photographer named Todd Selby who takes pictures of people in their homes. He says it's "because of his curiosity about the ways personal space reflects personality." The article also talks about the people whose pictures were taken, and describe how and why they decorated their homes.

I think it's a really interesting subject that Todd Selby has come up with. I love relating people to the things around them, like their bed, their pets, and their friends, so this project really appeals to me.

HP rises to Walmart Design Challenge with packaging-reducing idea

Article link: HP rises to Walmart Design Challenge with packaging-reducing idea

This article is about how HP is coming up with an idea to sell laptops in laptop bags instead of a box (or other packaging), in response to Walmart's Design Challenge.

I do love this idea, because when I was shipped to me, it was 40% packaging, 10% paperwork, and only half of it was actually the laptop. However, I think that customers would need to be able to choose the laptop and the bag, because variety is everything these days.

Autodesk University 2008: Other things you can do with rapid prototyping

Article link: Autodesk University 2008: Other things you can do with rapid prototyping



This video features examples of rapid prototyping, including casting positives and the actual finished products. I know I have no idea what they're talking about here, so I'm not even going to pretend to understand, but last year, when I took my course in 3D Design, we were asked to find packaging and cast positives of it in plaster. After the cool designs from everyone in the class, I think it's always interesting to see what the positives are.

AccuWeather's YouTube Channel - Videos of weather forecasts for possible second video

Possible second videos:
Southeast (Raleigh)

Northeast (NYC)

Northeast (NYC)

North Central (Fort Wayne)

Expandable bookcase design

Article link: Expandable bookcase design

This article is about an "expandable bookcase" design, where the bookcase can be stretched out to fit more books, or pushed in to save space.

This is so cool! I think this is an amazingly thoughtful idea, and would be very useful if you plan on starting a library, or something. The only thing is that you'd have to leave that entire space open to the possibility of expansion, so it might look empty.

Max Lamb at Design Miami

Article link: Max Lamb at Design Miami


3rings >> Max Lamb at Design Miami from Jacob Slevin on Vimeo.

This video features designer Max Lamb, talking about his work. I like the white, bronze chairs, and I like the idea of his Delaware bluestone furniture, but I'm not a huge fan of black rubber while I'm sitting at my dining table.

The difference between a show and a story

Article link: The difference between a show and a story

Package Design: New way of evacuating the last drop of toothpaste, in search of a manufacturer

Article link: Package Design: New way of evacuating the last drop of toothpaste, in search of a manufacturer



This article is about a new toothpaste package design that helps get rid of the last "drop" problem.

I love this idea, because it really is hard and frustrating to get to that "last drop" in the tube!

Boomers Vs. Gen Yers--What I'm Learning From Students At Parsons.

Article link: Boomers Vs. Gen Yers--What I'm Learning From Students At Parsons.

This blog entry asks an important question: Can "Baby Boomer University" administrations effectively teach students who are from Generation Y? Here's a video that Bruce linked to:



I think that was a very great mind opening video. I mean, I don't think all of that is necessarily true, but that might just not apply to me. Then again, 200 Kansas State University Students don't make up the entire college student body.

Think London Logo

Article link: Think London logo

This article is about the new tourism logo for Think London. It was designed by Johnson Banks. According to the article, "The reflection shows elements from the real London skyline, whereas the upper skyline contains the new symbols." I've also included the video from the article below.



I think, as an ad to bring business into London, this works really well. It's a fun little fact video giving short bullet points of what Think London does, and reasons for you to bring your business to London. While the logo is too detailed, I think it suits them pretty well.

Spacesick’s Retro I Can Read Movie Series

Article link: Spacesick’s Retro I Can Read Movie Series

This article is about an artist whose screenname is Spacesick, and his redesign of movies into vintage paperbacks of the 50s and 60s.

I really love this idea. To me, it looks like those Choose Your Own Adventure! books I used to read as a kid. Like the article, my favourite one has got to be the Highlander. It's hilarious, and even though I've never seen the movie, I know "There can only be one!"

Another Giant Trainer Marks Onitsuka Tiger’s 60th Birthday

Article link: Another Giant Trainer Marks Onitsuka Tiger’s 60th Birthday

This article is about the birthday of the Okitsuka Tiger brand in Japan and the ad campaign based around the occasion. An Amsterdam company called Amsterdam Worldwide designed this 1-meter long sneaker, covered in shrubbery, trees, a mountain and rivers, to illustrate the "Made in Japan" idea. Also in the article is a video, illustrating the classic myth of the zodiac race, in which 13 animals raced to the Emperor's finish line in order to gain a spot in the Emperor's calendar.

I really liked the skill that these designers shows, not only to be able to come up with something so fanciful as a sneaker island, but also to transform that model into the basis for an entertaining movie. I also really liked the movie, because I love the Chinese Zodiac, and the story behind it, so seeing another version of the race was just a delight.

Narrative

General Description
This portable wireless device caters to the specific needs of the professional and recreational aviator. The functions that this device performs essentially aids the pilot in planning his/her course. It has a cell phone, text and video messaging, and GPS navigation. It even includes a TV-like weather channel made especially for this device, with updated wind currents at multiple heights and weather patterns that apply specifically to the user. The device also interfaces with your aircraft and will tell you your plane's status on voice command, as well has a built-in mp3 player called WingThing.

All of the functions performed by this device exist to prevent dangerous situations from occuring, such as getting stuck in poor weather conditions, traveling too high or too close to fellow pilots, getting lost, or losing touch with someone on land.

Scenario
John wakes up one morning to get ready to fly him and couple friends from out of state to a party in North Carolina. Right away, he sees that there is a text message from Carmen, one of his friends. Carmen writes, in the text message, that she also sent him a video message, so he switches to his Video Messages. In her video message, Carmen tells John she is in New York City that day and gives him the address for John F. Kennedy Airport. She also gives him the address of the party in Raleigh and the airport in the city.

Then, John calls Rodney to ask which airport he'll be at, and what would be a good time to pick him up. Rodney tells him he is in Toronto that day, and gives him the address for the Toronto airport.

After the call, John pulls up his map and puts a dot at the Toronto Airport, the JFK airport, and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The map feature on his WingThing automatically plans his flight path for him. John then checks the weather report on his WingThing to make sure the weather is okay. He lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, so he checks the weather for Fort Wayne, Toronto, New York City, and Raleigh. The weather report says that they are all alright, so he begins to pack his things and fly out.

Global Business "On Hold" Is What They Say At Davos

Article link: Global Business "On Hold" Is What They Say At Davos

This small article is about how Bruce Nussbaum talked to William Kelly, the CEO of NetJets, who told Nussbaum that business was "on hold." Nussbaum commented, saying that "It feels as if the global economy was 'on hold'" and wonders if it will "evolve into a political crisis?" Now, I don't know about you, but all of that seems so scary. I mean, I was already reluctant to enter the intimidating "Real World" but now, with the economy even worse than before, its much more terrifying to go out there now.

What is school for?

Article link: What is school for?

The article is a list of things that schools do for children and their future. I particularly liked #7: "Give kids something to do while parents work" because it reminded me of what I used to do when I wasn't at school and my parents were at work, which was explore every nook and cranny of the house for something interesting. The list also made me think about what school does for me personally, and give some more thought to whether or not I should go to grad school or not.

Fastronauts - Powered by Play

Article link: Fastronauts - Powered by Play

This article is about a rechargeable toy that is powered by exercise or playing outside. I think this is a great, cute idea to spark the minds of younger kids to try to get them more active. The article also says that the toy could be aged up or down; I wonder if there could be something like that for teenagers? Or even for adults?