Jabra Stone Headset

Merry Christmas everyone!

I know that you're probably all sick of hearing about and talking about headsets after this semester, but I'm sure that we're all masochistic enough to appreciate the Jabra Stone.

Have a wonderful vacation and Happy New Years, if I don't find more things to post and more season's greetings to give :)

HH

So now that the semester is over...

what will happen with this blog? Has this blog provided any value? If not, then how can we make it any better?

Your Blog(s): Your company is blogging. Congratulations. Is anyone listening? Blogging was the bright and shiny object of 2006-2008 and many companies found out just how hard it is to do well. Good blogging provides value. It is interesting and generates a healthy amount of comments and conversation which in turn generates a good dose of Google juice. It's also terribly difficult to sustain. It requires cultural shifts within an organization, and has to be prioritized (read: made part of someone's job). Frankly, I rarely see outstanding examples of a good company blog. That doesn't mean it's not worth doing (if it makes sense strategically), but doing it well is another story.

Source: http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/

2 IN 1 CHAIR

* Simple and clear poly-carbonated chair.

seems like the chair divides..!

It becomes two~! This chair is good for small spaces and multi-functional

2 in 1 chair of designer name HENRICH ZRUBEC

Idea in Design

We are living in a high-tech world. Instead of meeting ppl, we communicate and have conversation through the internet and net work. And because of the busy life we have, it is hard to get in to a conversation face-to face. These became a problem to most of the coffee company. One of the famous coffee company called DOUWE EGBERTS, designed a coffee cup to make ppl get into a conversation again!

If ppl meet more in face to face and have more conversation will make more chance to ppl to have a cup of coffee!

This coffee cup will choose for you what to talk about. It has categories like, "car, vacation, environment, and relatioship..".

"LET YOUR SPOON CHOOSE THE TOPIC OF YOUR CONVERSATION"

wherever your spoon is, you can start your conversation from there!

Ken Fry’s Manifesto for Industrial Designers

Ken Fry believes that it is time for industrial designers to redefine their profession. In the article posted below Fry outlines his Manifesto for Industrial Designers, which he provides as a tool that will enable this change. The ten key points in the manifesto are:

1. Design beautiful experiences, not beautiful artifacts
2. Stop asking "what" and start asking "why"
3. Start with experience, end with experience
4. Genius will fail, wisdom will succeed. Become wise
5. Keep it simple
6. From design thinking to dynamic thinking
7. Let iteration direct your process: Work more rapidly, change more frequently
8. Have fun
9. Adapt your process to your design goals, not the other way around
10. Preserve the experience, not your own competency

The second point ‘Stop asking “what” and start asking “why”’ stood out to me and made me think of Jamie discussing a project based on re-designing a wheelbarrow in order to transport dirt. Fry states in the manifesto that asking why enables you to open up new possibilities that go beyond the physical product and into the realm of experience. The wheelbarrow is an example of this since, as it turned out, the object to be designed did not need to have wheels, or take the form of a wheelbarrow. The experience of moving dirt changed as the guidelines for the project went from re-designing a wheelbarrow to design a means of transporting dirt, just by having someone ask questions like why does the structure need to have wheels?

http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/the_experience_imperative_a_manifesto_for_industrial_designers_by_ken_fry_15322.asp

End of Semester Party!

Hi everyone,

The semester is drawing to a close and we're having a little get together to celebrate!

WHO: OCAD! Art, Design, Students, Faculty, friends, whoever!

WHAT: Year End Party!

WHERE: The Green Room, 296 Brunswick Ave. ( Near Bloor) Toronto

WHEN: Saturday Dec 12, party starts at 9!


Come one, come all!

And here's a great party-approved tshirt!



HH

To all the car design lovers... Honda P-Nut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ULA3uCUQt4&feature=player_embedded

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/12/03/honda-unveils-ultracompact-p-nut-car/

The Honda P-Nut (Personal-Neo Urban Transport).

A concept design not in production, designed for Low footprint, but large personal space by rearranging components. Kind of futuristic streamline design, I liked to steering wheal and openness, but apparently the driver seats alone, with 2 more spaces in the back

A big boo for isolation

Enjoy!

Incredible recycled paper lamps by Jordy Fu

Incredible recycled paper lamps by Jordy Fu

Yu Jordy Fu, born in 9 August 1982, was an incredible talented artist since her very young age. Jordy has won second prize in China Youth Environmental Art Competition when she’s only on the age of eight years-old.

In 2003, she gets her first class BA (Hons) in Arts and Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, before studying architecture at the Royal College of Art London in 2005.

For a young designer who wish to create better environments for other people, Jordy has good steps into it with her 2008 Cloud Lamps series, a simple and sustainable approach to add magic and intimacy to domestic lighting.

These lamps are made from recycled paper which can be flat packed, and sold with a milky white energy saving bulb. Comes in five different designs.

Angels. Floor or ceiling lamp

more information, visit

http://www.shearyadi.com/myworld/incredible-recycled-paper-lamps-by-jordy-fu/

Interesting and attractive product designs by Shahar Peleg

Shahar, a multi-disciplined designer, designs, develops and produces commercial products in small quantities. His products are sold in design stores in Israel and other countries including Japan, Singapore, and the US and have exhibited in numerous shows in Israel and the world.

Hotman

A creative idea of an iron trivet for your hot pot base.

Key Pete

The magnetic man that hold your keys or any other metal-made things. Connect Pete to any metal surface and he can carry the weights of up to 30 keys.

More information. check this site.

http://www.shearyadi.com/myworld/interesting-and-attractive-product-designs-by-shahar-peleg/

Vostok bathroom design with USSR style

Vostok from ROCA competition. Anything that comes out of the Yar Rassadin’s design idea of bathroom accessories will go back to the pre USSR era. The design overall gives a feeling of nostalgia as the design looks more like the USSR spaceships, which by the designer’s own confession is a tribute to their cosmic style. So the user can have a feel of weightlessness in a spaceship inspired bath tub. Interesting! Don’t you think so? Still the clean functional design does show up nice details. So all in all, it is an interesting concept.

EyeWriter

Neat project that enables quadraplegics to making
drawings simply through their eye movements.
Rather ingenious design that utilizes IR LED's
and open source software like OpenFrameWorks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84H-xLrLvvk

Raymond Loewy: Father of American industrial design?

click here

Structured Procrastination

"Structured procrastination means shaping the structure of the tasks one has to do in a way that exploits this fact. The list of tasks one has in mind will be ordered by importance. Tasks that seem most urgent and important are on top. But there are also worthwhile tasks to perform lower down on the list. Doing these tasks becomes a way of not doing the things higher up on the list. With this sort of appropriate task structure, the procrastinator becomes a useful citizen. Indeed, the procrastinator can even acquire, as I have, a reputation for getting a lot done."

http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/

Dual clock?

this milky looking simple design quite attracted at a glance

take a look and I need someone to teach me how to post on the blog

Thx

http://design-milk.com/long-d-dual-time-wall-clock/#more-20834

Janine benyus: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature

Janine Benyus: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature.click here

Instead of running from environmental concerns, business is embracing them with sustainable design.

Lifeboat Ethics

Essay by Garrett Hardin titled Lifeboat Ethics:  The Case Against Helping the Poor

http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.html

Hardin argues that social equality (on a global scale) is essentially impossible due to lack of resources. Read, think, argue, expand. 

Water Bottle with Integrated Filter

Check it out.

http://springwise.com/eco_sustainability/hydrosbottle/

How to Write like a Designer

Here's an old core 77 article from last February that outlines how to write like a designer, written by William Bostwick, a design writer, editor, blogger and podcaster.

The 5 main points he outlines are:

-Use your skills

-Kill jargon

-Tell a story

-Don't be afraid to put yourself into your writing

-Don't say too much

Full article: http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/how_not_to_write_like_a_designer_5_tricks_you_didnt_learn_in_studio_12363.asp

Fancy cars and flashy birds, who could ask for anything more.

http://www.wheels.ca/newsandfeatures/green/article/783183--cars-mimicking-nature-is-no-bird-brained-idea

Signed copies of Green Design by Marcus Fairs

Green Design

From vast architectural projects to modest one-off pieces of salvaged furniture, “Green Design” shows how the design world is responding to the environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. Emerging trends in green design are covered, such as recycling and ethical sourcing.

more information @ http://www.dezeen.com/2009/12/01/signed-copies-of-green-design-by-marcus-fairs/#more-53979

10 Commandments of (Sustainable) Design

Image credits, clockwise from top left: MichaelMiesser, lepow, oregon and Tsja!

TreeHugger goes on and on about the importance of design; convincing folks to design the stuff we consume so that it better reflects the TreeHugger ethic is an extremely important step in moving our planet to a sustainable future. 10 Commandments of Design, conceived by German industrial designer Dieter Rams, sum this up well enough that we could just about put "sustainable" in the middle and call it good. Designers and fans of where stuff comes from, take heed:

1. Good design is innovative
2. Good design makes a product useful
3. Good design is aesthetic
4. Good design helps a product to be understood
5. Good design is unobtrusive

6. Good design is honest
7. Good design is durable
8. Good design is consistent to the last detail
9. Good design is concerned with the environment
10. Good design is a s little design as possible

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/10_commandments.php

Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design

Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Check this out. http://www.vitsoe.com/en/gb/about/dieterrams/gooddesign

click here

The Guru Of Industrial Design Drawing

Ryan church will blow your mind. Check out his work if you havn't already. 

http://ryanchurch.com/

Art, for a change

All you Mars Volta fans would have seen some of the following work;

http://www.jeffjordanart.com/

wish i knew how to post links... 

Uno

I had to share this with all. It's a project I got involved with over the summer.  

www.bpg-motors.com 

Good design is knowing your user.

A little bit of creativity

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/picture-galleries/6700584/Sparebots-little-figures-made-from-LEDs-resistors-capacitors-wire-and-other-electronic-spare-parts.html

I thought these were fun...and we need a laugh.

Nazi Lawn Gnome

I really couldnt help myself...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8155542.stm

"Restlessness and Discontent are the first necessities of progress."

why not?
http://www.ikeahacker.blogspot.com/

In other news...
Anyone come across IKEA's catalog 2007?

Infiltration?

Imagination?

Filth?

http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2006/08/new_ikea_catalo.html

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/08/29/ikea-insists-photo-o.html

160 million copies printed every year : )

Fun Interactive Sustainable Design Website

Hey all : )
Just found this fun website....
make sure you spin the wheel in the toolbox!
http://www.redesigndesign.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=44&Itemid=59

Repair Manifesto

To continue the discussion on DIY and repairability of stuff check out the Dutch design concept Platform 21
They have made a very knowledgeable Repair Manifesto which ends with something worth remembering in the discussion; Stop recycling, start repairing.
And to quote Allan Chochinov "Stop Making Crap" as the best solution to reach sustainability in design.

Maker's Bill Of Rights

Linus' earlier post about DIY objects prompted me to think about how we can design products that address the current strong DIY movement, or 'trend'.

I was reminded of the Maker's Bill Of Rights, a rather tongue in cheek checklist of commandments to help DIYers (Makers) seek out products that can later be hacked, repurposed, or self-repaired. From a sustainable design perspective, creating products according to this philosophy will potentially extend the 'life' of the product considerably (and decrease the likelihood that it will go into landfill)

The Maker's Bill Of Rights:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/11/owners_manifesto.html

Some highlights:
- Ease of repair shall be a design ideal, not an afterthought.
- Torx(Screws) is OK; tamperproof is rarely OK.
- Screws better than glues
- Schematics shall be included.

Pratt 'Design For A Dollar' Student Exhibition

Here's a great exhibition from the students at Pratt ('Design For a Dollar'):
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/21/pratt-students-design-for-one-dollar/

It's an annual competition that challenges students to design objects that re-use/ repurpose waste materials. Hilights include a beautiful lamp made from egg cartons, scissors laser cut from old rotary saw blades, and stools assembled from old magazines.

Peter Morville On User Experience

Thought I'd post this rather good article by Peter Morville on user experience design methods, as it's quite pertinent to our upcoming final projects.
http://semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/000228.php

In it, Morville outlines various conceptualization/ research techniques to improve design process and make for more robust, user-oriented design. Some familiar methods here, and some not so familiar. It seems to be geared more towards User Interface designers, which gives a slightly different perspective (and also might be useful for those of you who are doing screen-based/ social networking-related final projects)

Paola Antonelli on Designers' role in Interdisciplinary Collaboration

This is a great little article in Seed Magazine, by Paola Antonelli (senior curator at MOMA).
http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/core_principles/

In it, she talks about the burgeoning trend of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the importance of designers in facilitating this cross-pollination between fields, since designers are best positioned as "intermediaries between research and production".
Also, "to cope with this responsibility, designers need to set the foundations for a theory of design and become astute generalists."

And the Pursuit of Happiness ...

I found this charming photo essay the other day on the New York Post
("And The Pursuit of Happiness", by Maira Kalman), and thought it was quite relevant in the light of our recent topic of trends, as well as sustainability:
http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/back-to-the-land/

The main theme of the article is that the ideal vision of a good America, as dreamed up by its founding fathers, was one rooted in democracy, and happiness sprung from living off the land (an agrarian society).However, the development of America has since deviated from that vision, growing instead into the polluted, shallow, fast-food nation we know today.

She then touches on various movements and thought patterns that are possibly bringing America back this simpler, more sustainable, more people-oriented way of thinking -- the slow food movement, organic farming, reconnecting communities through cooperative farming activities. "We could think small and shift to a new(old) way of growing food and eating and being".

DIY

Even though we are in an industrial design programme, is there something compelling about the DIY-approach to making stuff. I found this blog Make the other day and really appreciate it. There are some cool stuff to look at, both low and hi-tech.

http://www.makezine.com/

Trendgruppen

I found a Swedish trend watcher: Trendgruppen It is in Swedish but you can always use Google Translate.

They have a blog and they visited a German erotic fair called Venus in October.

It seems luxury is the trend and the companies want to move into the best room.

Just start turning some dildos for Christmas gifts!

Google's Carbon Footprint

To the credit of Linus Strom who discovered this article, I figured it would be interesting to mention. Each Google search emits 0.2 grams of CO2, not considering the user's computer. That is equivalent to 1kj of energy or the amount of energy your body burns in ten seconds.

The next time you are doing a little research on the web, think of each search processed by Google's data centres.

Just remember how curious we all were when we were kids. We know a lot more than we think, rely heavily on instinct and make assumptions. Write them down on a paper and organize them using the techniques we have learned in this class.

Blog fail... for whatever reason I can not post the link but I'm sure you can find if you searched "Google Carbon Footprint" on Google. hehe

Winners at the iSound headset design competition

These are the winners at the iSound headset design competition in South Korea. \

They are just concept but hope it helps you guys to do the headset project =)

1st place

2nd place

3rd place
4th place

5th place

Cellular phone for the blind

This is another product for blind people. I think it is important to design a product for people with disability for industrial designers..so here it is! (Sorry I know all of us are tired of the headset project LOL)

This cellphone for blind users is designed by Zhenwei You, and it is called B-Touch. It would give blind users the same kind of multifuctional versatility that the iPhone enjoys. Instead of a gossy touchscreen, the B-Touch instead has a Braille interface that will allow sightless navigation through the phones proposed features, including voice recognition and speech, a simple navigation system, and scanner that can read text from a page as well as recognize objects.

The B-Touch is sadly just a concept, but hopely something like this will be invented soon!

Wireless Electricity is here!

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/132/brilliant.html
Wireless electricity is using the principle of electromagnetic induction.
That's totally gonna change the way we charging things, no more annoying tangled-up cords!

Fun Tram Tickets

This idea I think should be brought to the attention of the TTC. It is based off of the Fun Theory everyone has been posting about.

I think it would be cool if every time you swiped your metro pass to ride the TTC you could have a chance of winning some money.

One other thing

Here's a snazzy Social Design Network.
Haven't had the chance to play around with it yet but it looks like fun.

http://www.design21sdn.com/

Enjoy!

Process

Don't get too caught up in the end users and project deliverable...

Remember what we have learned in this class.

PROCESS!

F*ck Yeah Venn Diagrams

Making live easier to understand!

CLICK HERE!

Robots: check out the guy's mutton chops

Hey this is pretty crazy. This guys works on robotic facial expression. There's some mention about studying human expressions, it'd be nice if there was more. Also don't be surprised if Tyco ends up buying a 'zeno'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjW-v0IPT_M

Mental Models

Aligning design strategy with human behaviour. (Illustrations)
VERY INTERESTING STUFF!

http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-models/content/diagrams/

Enjoy!

How's everybody doing?

we're getting close to the crunch time, I thought that could put on a smile on everyone's face!

graphics inspiration

since were getting schooled on our graphics skills; here's a few websites i like to check out for fresh ideas.

http://www.graphic-exchange.com/
http://www.ffffound.com/
http://www.stumbleupon.com/
http://www.stare-at.com/

hope this helps.

Test Your Awareness

This is a fun little number to open our eyes.
Try these two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA

Sometime when I get caught on one problem, it's impossible to see the other ten around it.
It's a good tool sometime to lean back, look for NOTHING, and see EVERYTHING...

Hope it helps,
if not, I hope you enjoy it...

Cheers,
Inbal

Its that time of the year

1. These are some tips to release stress
2. Dont let stress get on your way~! =D
3. Manage Time Wisely:It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to work on your studies if you want to do well, and you can save yourself a lot of stress if you plan ahead with good time management skills. Setting up a schedule for study, breaking up your studies into smaller chunks, and other time management skills are essential. Here are some more time management tips you may find helpful.
4. Get Organized:Have a system of organization for note-taking, keeping track of assignments, and other important papers. Being organized can bring you the peace of mind that comes from knowing where everything is, remembering deadlines and test dates, and clearing your mind of some of the mental clutter that disorganization brings. Keep a calendar, a schedule, and a filing system for your school assignments, and you’ll find it prevents a significant amount of stress!
5. Create a Good Study Environment:Creating a soothing environment can reduce stressand help you learn. Aromatherapy, for example, is a known stress reliever, and peppermint essential oil is said to wake up your brain, so I recommend burning it as you study. Playingclassical music as you study can also soothe you and help you learn (unless you find it distracting). Here's more on finding a good study space.
6. Know Your Learning Style:Did you know that we don’t all learn in the same way? It’s important to know whether you’re a visual, kinesthetic or auditory learner, as you can tailor your study practices around your particular learning style and make success easier to attain. Grace Fleming provides a quiz to help you assess your learning style so you can streamline your efforts.
7. Practice Visualizations:Visualizations and imagery are proven stress management techniques. You can also reduce student stress and improve test performance by imagining yourself achieving your goals. Take a few minutes each day and visualize, in detail, what you'd like to happen, whether it’s giving a presentation without getting nervous, acing an exam, or something else that will support your success. Then work hard and make it happen!
8. Develop Optimism:It’s been proven that optimists—those who more easily shrug off failures and multiply successes—are healthier, less stressed, and more successful. You candevelop the traits of optimism and harness these benefits for yourself, and do better in your studies as a result.
9. Get Enough Sleep:If you want your performance to be optimum you need to be well-rested. Research shows that those who are sleep-deprived have more trouble learning and remembering, and perform more poorly in many areas. Work your schedule so you get enough sleep, or take power naps.
10. Use Stress Management Techniques:Chronic stress can actually impair your ability to learn and remember facts as well, stress management is one of the most important--and most overlooked--school necessities. A regular stress management practice can reduce your overall stress level and help you to be prepared for whatever comes. This self test will help you choose wisely.
11. Learn Study Skills:Here are some more specific study skills and tecnhiquesd that can help you improve your performance. The more prepared you are, the less stressed you’ll be!

Coroflot's 2009 Designer Salary Survey Results

After reading Jason’s post on jobs within Canada, I started to look at other websites that provide information on design job opportunities worldwide. I came across Coroflot, a website aimed at design employment opportunities. On the website designers can post their portfolio, search for jobs by employer, and receive tips on design processes. There is also an analysis of Coroflot’s 2009 Designer Salary Survey that is broken up into categories such as: design salaries by region USA & Canada, design salaries and creative field by work environment, experience and salary by creative field, etc. Since the survey encompasses different areas of design ranging from web design to design management, you can visit the overall results summary to narrow your search. For example, you can select the area of concentration (i.e. industrial design) and select a specific job title within this field i.e. freelance, business development (sales), designer (entry level), and so on.

Check it out!

http://www.coroflot.com/designersalary/default.asp

True North Strong and Free

40 Canadian designs feature in Wallpaper's November issue.

Also links to 40 other worldly designs from other corners of the world.

http://www.wallpaper.com/fab40/fab40canada/

Geography of time

Ever wonder how our biological clocks are tuned into the 24 hours of a day? Quoting Bruce Hinds, "first thing in the day" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. We talked about this book in biomimicry, which sounds interesting, if we just has a little bit of time to read!:

A Geography of Time: The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist, or How Every Culture Keeps Time Just a Little Bit Differently, by Robet Levine.

Tools for creating ideas

great site

http://creatingminds.org/tools/tools_ideation.htm

Jason

Rhino files

hey guys,

a great resource for some models if you need them in your renders

http://www.flyingarchitecture.com/


Jason

http://www.ontariojobfutures.ca/profile2252.html

our future in canada guys, not exactly inspiring...lets go overseas!!!

Jason

Ken Robinson on Education

Ken Robinson believes that educational systems need a different view of human talent and ability, and of the real conditions in which people flourish. He believes that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct and that many brilliant people who he has met did not do well in school because public education is not designed to develop everyone’s talents. In the TED talk posted below Robinson quotes Picasso who believed that “all children are born artists…the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” Robinson believes that educational systems are stigmatizing mistakes and as a result, we are educating people out of their creative capacities since people are not prepared to make mistakes. The idea that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow (or are educated) out of it struck with me since I’ve noticed a lot of articles on how childhood fun and play informs adult design practices. Structures like the “Official Playground” that provide a space for work and play help to facilitate creative thinking in adults who are accustomed to typical adult working environments. Doesn’t it make you wonder why we sit at desks all day long?

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Message socializing

This is pretty cool, talks a bit about online social networking. It's almost good enough to make me sign up for facebook. 

Stefana - How the internet enables intimacy

Are you addicted?

Remembered this when John Deissel commented on my blogging.

Generally interesting to think about how technologically driven most of our lives have become, but also might be something to look into for your trends analysis, or for your 'disruptive technology' research (David Quan's core class).

IAD - INTERNET ADDICTION DISORDER

Image courtesy of toddand.com

Click here for an informative document (first couple paragraphs will sum it up pretty well), or click here if you want to watch a quick movie instead [although... if you don't have a few minutes to read because you are loosing focus and itching to click away in order view other internet content... maybe that's a sign?...]

Supposdly, this is a credible test to measure your level of Internet Addiction [IE. mild, moderate, or serious] (based on studies done by Laura Widyanto, Ph.D., and Mary McMurran, Ph.D.).

Cheers,
Kurt.

Rollable beer cooler... for the beach!

Pretty smart design if you ask me - but even if you don't agree, how about the presentation/renderings? Hard to argue they are not clear, professional representations of both the design's aesthetics and functional specs.

There are more/larger images to check out here:
The HippoRoller



Cheers,
Kurt.

Real Work

Mark Moskovitz's Real Work is a collection of objects and videos that target modern workers who "have lost a meaningful connection to genuine exertion in their daily routine."

For example, an adjustable hammer that allows users to decide how much weight is needed for each job.




Check out these links for other great projects by Moskovitz:

http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/real_work_by_mark_moskovitz_11190.asp

www.fiftytwothousand.com

Cheers,
Kurt.

Plate?... check. Jam?... check. Knife?... check. Ready, aim, FIRE!!!!!

Check this out:



CATAPULT TOASTER ...enough said.

Cheers,
Kurt.

Bridges

Check out this site for inspiration on mechanical structures class. Although these bridges are pretty extreme for this assignment, they give you an idea of the crazy type of structures that can be made.

The Banpo Bridge in south Korea definately takes the cake!

The ultimate invention

Unlike Kurt, this only turns itself off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwasL7sGV6Y&NR=1

This message was approved by Kurt.

Don't mind Kurt, he is being replaced.

http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2005/09/yesterday-at-th.php

Got some extra cash lying around?

Introducing... from Volkner Mobil:

"THE PERFORMANCE"





Quick summary - Luxury RV Has Slideout Garage

Quick clip [2 mins. approx] - Top Gear


Cheers,
Kurt.

Appartently I've been living under a rock...

YEAH, I KNOW... What I just posted was old... most people have seen it - "That's so 2 years ago," blah blah blah... oh well, it's cool, I hadn't seen a video of it before and figured I'd post it in case someone had missed it too... SOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRY!!

Cheers,
Kurt

Materialize freehand sketches... YEAH, SERIOUSLY... CHECK IT OUT!!

Pen strokes made in the air are recorded with Motion Capture, and the resulting 3-D patterns are output digitally to a laser sintering machine. Over several days, the machine produces the object by shaping and hardening 0.1-mm layers of liquid plastic. Sketch Furniture is on view and on sale (about USD 10,500 per piece) at the Barry Friedman Gallery in New York. - [from trendwatching.com]







FRONT - Sketch Furniture

Cheers,
Kurt.

Change by Design

Tim Brown’s book Change by Design explains how design thinking can be incorporated into organizations in order to inspire innovation. One topic in the book explains IDEO’s Diego Rodriguez and Ryan Jacoby’s business knowledge on how companies can manage their portfolios of design-based innovation. The “Ways to Grow” matrix resulted as a tool that evaluates the innovation efforts within an organization.





Innovation efforts are mapped out on a vertical axis representing existing to new offerings (product, system, and/or service) and a horizontal axis representing existing to new users. This matrix categorizes the innovation efforts of a company and demonstrates the balance of these efforts. Brown argues that a company’s best defense against a constantly changing world is to diversify its portfolio by investing in all four quadrants of the matrix.

MANAGE
-incremental tendencies
-important/ majority of a company’s effort is likely to be concentrated in this stream of innovation
-i.e. extension of a successful brand
-secure a company’s base

EXTEND/ADAPT
-evolutionary
-extend existing offerings to solve unmet needs or current customers or adapt them to meet the needs of new customers or markets
-i.e. Toyota Prius is an example of incremental and evolutionary innovation (Prius caught the demand for energy-efficient personal transportation while competitors were making SUVs, offered customers lower fuel consumption as fuel prices increased, innovation behind the hybrid electric motor, indication of fuel economy)
-stretch a company’s base

CREATE
-revolutionary
-the most challenging and the riskiest type of innovation (both the product and the users are new)
-occurs rarely
-i.e. Apple’s iPod (core technology not new, but company created a market for a different type of musical experience)