Functional Design: Piet Indoor Firepit

An indoor “fireplace” sans chimney.  Clever, simple, useful!

* Courtesy of Core77 *

True Love: Wedding Moves

Another quick post that demonstrates how wonderful it is when we allow a little creativity to lead us to something really wonderful:

If you haven’t seen this gem…well, it will make you smile…Awesome.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!!!

Inspiration: In Three Bits

There is a lot of stuff going on in the world these days and much of it seems to be stress-inducing.  Think about your friends and family:  You can probably recall a number of conversations that you’ve had with them in recent days and weeks in which one of you lamented this or that, or tales of woe were exchanged.  Perhaps a small sampling of inexact quotes from these discussions might include:

• “Did you hear [enter name of designer/architect] got laid off last week?”
• “[Name of business] closed down – I loved that place!”
• “[Name of guy] broke his femur!”
• “No more caramel macchiatos…had to downgrade to americanos.”**
• “I can’t afford my [dog/kid/car/shoe habit] anymore.”
• “I am sick of [enter name of politician]! He [or she] is ruining the country!”

**OK, this one was me.  But, it was still very traumatic!

Despite this steady stream of Things To Be Concerned About (and no matter where we seem to be going in a handbasket), I maintain that there is something contagiously joyous in seeing others tenaciously pursue their passions and talents.  It is in this spirit that I note a few bits about those who have inspired me these last few months.  Three bits, to be exact…

BIT | ONE

PENTAGRAM -

This firm has been mentioned here before, of course.  Their constant stream of unique new projects is remarkable in its variety of type and style, and it is evident that the people of Pentagram are passionate about design and take it seriously. I have included the firm as an inspirational bit because of their consistent ability to address design challenges with truly thoughtful solutions – solutions that invite the viewer to take in every detail of the design, relating each element to the overall concept. Thankfully, we can all benefit from Pentagram’s vast portfolio, and design students the world over can continue to look to this storied firm as a reminder of why so many of us pursue a profession in the creative arts.

BIT | TWO

DAVID AIREY -

He’s just a guy in Ireland…designing and loving logos, sharing his knowledge.  In fact, speaking to the last point, I actually emailed David Airey a couple of months ago to ask some advice on blogging.  He wrote back in just a couple of hours, offering some well-considered comments.  Little did I know that Mr. Airey is a bit of a legend in the graphic design world.  Yet, he made time for a question from me – and countless others – thousands of miles away.  David’s attentiveness to individual relationships demonstrates how one young designer can manage to inspire thousands of strangers:  In the simplest of terms, he pursues what he loves and takes the time to tell us why he loves it.

BIT | THREE

TWITTER -

I know there are many people who don’t quite “get” Twitter.  Three months into it, I can’t say that I have mastered it either.  If there’s a “correct” way to use it, I’m probably failing miserably.  And don’t even get me started on TwitCam – this fun little application just debuted this week!  Nonetheless, one thing that I have managed to appreciate about Twitter is the ability to connect with so many interesting, talented, and passionate people in one place.  In 140 characters or less, they have taught me a thing or two, made me laugh, kept me informed, and, yes, inspired me in a variety of ways – sometimes by doing nothing more than being themselves.  Below is a brief list of a few of my favorites who excel in, well, being themselves:

• Logo designer - @imjustcreative
• Political commentator –  @glennbeck
• Deep thinker - @dailypoetics
• Web designer/Tweeter of life – @meaganfisher
• Blogging guru - @problogger
• Printing company with personality - @overheardatmoo

“What we leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments but woven into the lives of others.” – Pericles

Design Mind: Daniel Pink

Energy.  Healthcare.  Sustainability.  Economics.  There is no shortage of daunting issues facing the country these days.  If you’re like me, you are thinking that you don’t necessarily like the way things are currently going, but you’re not quite certain how we’ll solve the challenges at hand.  As soon as we think we have one thing figured out, a mutation pops up and we have a new issue to deal with.

Having said that, though, we can and should continually work to progress in areas where improvement is needed.  More often than not, lasting success results from creative thinking that looks at issues from a variety of viewpoints, leaving open the possibility of more than one effective resolution.

Great minds think Design

Those of you familiar with Dwell magazine recognize it as a publication that seeks to make the design world accessible, and legible, to a broad audience.  In a nod to this philosophy, this month’s Dwell On Design conference in Los Angeles will host business writer Daniel Pink as its keynote speaker.  

In his evolution from law school grad to speech-writer to business consultant, Pink wrote a book called A Whole New Mind:  Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future in which he discusses the importance of creative thinking in business and society.  Mr. Pink, like Dwell, realizes the value in sharing design-centered practices with those outside of the design community.

As a preview to his presentation at the DOD conference,  Dwell interviewed Mr. Pink to inquire about his own journey to “design literacy,” and the ways in which designers can help their own cause to achieve far-reaching success.

…to be in business, let alone to be a fully-functioning member of a democratic society, you have to be numerate, you have to know a little math. I think the same thing is true now about design thinking: You don’t have to be a great designer, but you have to be design-literate. I think the capacity to explain what design is, to show what design is, to tell stories about design, to educate people about design, does a hugely important service.

As creative problem-solving continues to positively influence business, politics, and society, the conversations Mr. Pink promotes in his work will become increasingly important to those who strive to expand the reach of design into arenas beyond the creative community.  The ability of designers to effectively communicate the value of their chosen discipline will ultimately determine the success of this effort.

MORE INFORMATION:

• The full interview with Daniel Pink
• More info on the Dwell On Design conference – June 26th – 28th in Los Angeles

Designers Without Borders

Photo by Pentagram

There is a great new exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in the one and only NYC:  Design For A Living World.  A project conceived by The Nature Conservancy, the intent is to examine the nature of the products we use – where they come from, how they are made, and how they impact the world we live in.  From the project description:

The Nature Conservancy invited ten designers to create new objects from sustainable materials sourced from around the world.  Wood, plants, wool and other organic materials were transformed into intriguing objects, revealing extraordinary stories about regeneration and the human connection to the Earth’s lands and waters.  Together, designers and consumers can reshape our materials economy and help advance a global conservation ethic by choosing sustainable materials that support, rather than deplete, endangered places.

Create | Conserve | Inspire

From Kate Spade to Hella Jongerius to Maya Lin, the participating designers are among best in their chosen crafts and the thoughtful products they developed for the project are both beautiful and elegantly functional.  Each of these talented artists, and I use the term deliberately, exhibit the ways in which design can address world-scale issues.

The desire to conserve materials reflects a general awareness that wasteful consumption, in its many forms, is not only unnecessary but irresponsible.  When the materials we use have their genesis in struggling communities whose very survival rests upon their ability to make a living from the lands on which they live, it is imperative that we allow these communities to manage their resources wisely so that they are long term assets.

There is a remarkable store of creativity that exists across the globe, ready and willing to be challenged with the issues of our time.  Design For A Living World is an inspiring example of the wonderful solutions that can result from re-imagining the uses of materials we encounter on a daily basis.

There are too many photos to include all of them here, but take a look at a few of the raw materials below and try to re-imagine for yourself what they might inspire you to create.

(All of the beautiful photos are by Ami Vitale) 

 

 

 

MORE FASCINATING INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN’T RESIST.  TRUST ME:

• An in-depth review of the projects across the world – from Alaska to Australia – by Pentagram
• Photos from the exhibit at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum – by Pentagram