Hasta La Ideas

Sustainability was a key theme at CES this year. And, among the many eco-technovations on display, was the modlet, the modern electric outlet. Offered by ThinkEco, a NYC-based company that was founded in 2008 by a “team of concerned entrepreneurs,” the modlet looks like a high-end, glossy, contemporary wall outlet. ThinkEco designed the inside circuitry of the modlet and worked with Spark Design in Connecticut for the industrial design. As David Kaiser, President of Spark explains, “In the case of the modlet, we wanted a design that broke away from the rectangular shape of a standard outlet. We wanted to develop a simple and friendly shape that wouldn’t intimidate the user.” The modlet certainly isn’t intimidating–it not only looks friendly, but it seems to be user-friendly. It simply plugs into an existing wall outlet, and when an appliance is then plugged into it, the modlet wirelessly monitors and manages the power consumption of that appliance. Since many appliances continually draw power, even if no one is around to use them, the modlet can help to eliminate that wasteful use of power by intelligently scheduling outlets to automatically shut off power to plugged-in appliances when they aren’t needed.

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Inventor’s Digest has an interview up with Judy Lee, a mechanical engineer and industrial designer for IDEO who also happens to co-host PBS’ “Design Squad Nation” program. In addition to following Lee’s career arc, the interview touches on a point that organizations like Femme Den fight to bring to the forefront: Why are women underrepresented in engineering (and by extension, industrial design)?

Lee suggests toy design itself may play a role:

For my generation, I think it had something to do with the things we liked to do and were encouraged to do growing up. If you look at all the toys that were available, most of them are gender specific.

Toys for boys included fake tools like plastic hammers and drills that encouraged building skills, while toys for girls included kitchen sets and dolls that encouraged nurturing skills. They were typically identified in ‘appropriate’ colors, where pastels and shades of pink were girlie, and primary colors (blue, green and red) were for boys.

While this is a generalization, I think industry had a large role influencing parents subconsciously as to what was appropriate for their kids to play with. This is still true today. Why do toys even need to be gender appropriate? Kids learn best through playing. Playing is the perfect chance for kids to experience first-hand what is happening and to analyze the world around them.

Check out the full interview here.

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Dopo la leica, ora potete farvi la cover stile Polaroid. La decal la trovate qui.
[Via]

In agenda: da segnare su iCal che il 14 gennaio, nel dopo-ufficio dalle 19 alle 22 c/o lo store di Stone Island di c.so Venezia qui a Milano, c’è il Cocktail Party per la presentazione della nuova S/S Collection.
Ad allietare il sound ci sarà Alberto di Coffee.n.Television, con il suo progetto “solo”: Pigro on Sofa.
In collaborazione con Vice Italia.

A book documenting a beer can collection that spans seven decades and 32 countries

Dan Becker and Lance Wilson—two San Francisco, CA-based designers— discovered a real gem when they stumbled upon Becker’s stepdad John Russo’s extensive beer can collection tucked away in his Midwest basement. Hoarding cans since 1975, the collection spans all shapes, styles and sizes of brews from around the world, which thankfully the duo decided to photograph and document in a book that they aptly titled “Beer.”

The document lends some insight into the evolution of beer can design and the changing conversation with the consumer through its 500 images (shaved down from 1,400). Meticulously chosen, the photographs represent beers from 32 countries and you’d be hard-pressed to find any of these brands in the local corner store. Each picture, shot against a white background, includes the company name and the time period, some with more detailed descriptions. The layout—which the authors say very much guided their editing process—allows the reader to truly absorb the details of the cans and appreciate the story each has to tell.

An excellent resource, the book comes in handy for not only the history of beer can design but also as a who’s who of beer distributors. Almost everyone is familiar with powerhouse brewing cities like Milwaukee or countries like Germany, but many don’t realize the extensive amount of brews that were crafted in places like Cincinnati, OH or upstate New York. A timeline shows the evolution of the industry and of the industrial design that went with it. Over the decades the images bear witness to the aesthetic shift in the marketing of alcohol, reflecting a gradual drifting away from simplicity and storytelling.

For anyone who appreciates beer for its delicious, refreshing nature or enjoys gazing fondly at sharp images of tin antiquities, “Beer” sells from Amazon or directly from Chronicle Books.