Hasta La Ideas

The Society of Publication Designers is presenting a round-up of magazine art directors’ favourite magazines: “We’ve asked a lot art and photo directors from around the world to tell us the magazines or apps that they really love. The ones they can’t wait to get their hands on, the ones that fire their creative spirit: you know, the ones that make you jealous, or supremely happy, or both.” 

Thank you Deb Bishop for selecting UPPERCASE (She designed Blueprint magazine and Martha Stewart Baby and Kids — remember those? So amazing! She’s now at More.) 

I’ve chosen Uppercase because I love the whole package. It is playful and “up,” without being over designed. I tip my hat to Janine Vangool who is the publisher, editor and designer. She has created a beautiful format and each page is kind of a feast for the eyes– not just the design but the featured content. If you love “how-to,” and are the “curious sort,” about how beautiful graphic things are made it’s hard not to enjoy this publication. This issue included intricately carved crayons and the art of paper cutting. Loved the “handy guides,” collection.  I admit that I am seduced by the beautiful paper and even the smell of fresh ink when I open the package. In this time of troubled publishing it’s nice to learn that this wonderful publication, is created by a small team (3 people I think!) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

Previously there has been no miscegenation in the world of constructive toys. Legos fit with other Legos, Tinkertoys go with Tinkertoys and K’Nex connect with K’Nex. But now two organizations, the Free Art and Technology Lab (the crew behind SML, among other projects) and Sy-Lab, have teamed up to release the Free Universal Construction Kit. Before I go any further,

1. Don’t acronymize that and say it in front of your kids.
2. Speaking of acronyms, let’s see if the editor lets the title of this blog post stand. (Ed. Note: Yes Editor Approves.)

The Free Universal Construction Kit is a collection of 80 different adapters that you can download, print with your Makerbot, and use to connect toys from ten different manufacturers.

Here’s an illustration of the problem:

And here’s the solution, complete with Toy Commercial Guy Voice-Over:

(more…)

Designed in Hackney: today’s instalment in our showcase of the best design in the London borough of Hackney is this tiny printer by BERG, which aggregates digital data streams such as news feeds or social network updates and prints the information out on a till-roll to create a personalised miniature newspaper. You can also watch this movie on Dezeen Screen »

Little Printer connects wirelessly to the internet, and can be configured using a smartphone app to print a regular bulletin of subscribed online publications, as well as personal information such as to-do lists, memos or messages.

Rather than using ink, the printer uses heat to transfer an impression onto thermal paper, just like a till receipt.

A beta printer and app will be launched later in 2012 and will initially work with data from launch partners Arup, Foursquare, Google, the Guardian, and Nike.

Little Printer is the first product to make use of BERG Cloud, the company’s online service that allows wireless devices in the home to be controlled remotely via a smartphone, without the need to connect them to a PC.

BERG have their offices on Corsham Street near Old Street.

Key:

Blue = designers
Red = architects
Yellow = brands

See a larger version of this map

Designed in Hackney is a Dezeen initiative to showcase world-class architecture and design created in the borough, which is one of the five host boroughs for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as being home to Dezeen’s offices. We’ll publish buildings, interiors and objects that have been designed in Hackney each day until the games this summer.

More information and details of how to get involved can be found at www.designedinhackney.com.

Coming soon…

Coming soon…