A l’occasion du jeu vidéo Gran Turismo 6 sortant sur Playstation 3 pour le mois décembre, voici ce nouveau concept-car du constructeur Mercedes-Benz intitulée le Vision Gran Turismo. Une création unique et exclusive pour célébrer les 15 ans de la saga du jeu. Plus d’images et la vidéo de présentation dans la suite.
Consumables can make fine clutter-avoiding gifts for almost any budget. As with any gift, you’ll need to consider your recipient — not everyone drinks alcohol, some people have food allergies, etc. But match the right consumable to the right person, and you’ve got a winner.
When it comes to wine, I have a fondness for fine champagne, which always seems so festive — and tastes so good. Chocolates also can be lovely; Tcho makes a Tcho-a-day package of dark chocolates, with a 30-day and a 90-day option. (You could even split these packages up into a bunch of stocking stuffers for numerous people.)
For non-alcoholic beverages, there’s always a good coffee or a special tea. A cook might appreciate a nice olive oil; David Lebovitz recommends Arbequina. But really, the possibilities are endless: fancy salts, a special peanut butter from the Netherlands, heirloom beans, and so much more.
Know people who like growing their own food? Consider a seed bomb, or some specialty seeds.
For people who like bar soap — and appreciate magnificent packaging — you might get the soaps from Leap Organics: eucalyptus, mint, and anise is one of their three options. Another interesting choice would be the soaps from Badger, sold by Soap Hope, which say: When you purchase any item from Soap Hope, we invest ALL profits — every single dollar — into programs that empower women to lift themselves from poverty.
All sorts of seemingly mundane products can be more fun than you might expect as a gift. Items like bacon bandages, Abraham Lincoln bandages, or Jane Austen bandages are fun for restocking a first-aid kit. You can get organic toothpaste from Denmark in a number of flavors, or cinnamon mint toothpaste from Italy. And you can even get interesting dental floss.
There are plenty of interesting lip balms, such as the Coast of Eden assortment: chai spice, lavender mint, blood orange, and peppermint. Or you could get a do-it-yourself lip balm kit.
Alisa Bonsignore just tweeted that she is “much too old to be this entertained by my color-changing ‘mood’ nail polish” — which I’d never heard of, until she mentioned it. Maybe you know someone who’d be entertained by color-changing nail polish, too. Or, you might prefer some more traditional nail polishes, such as those from Butter London, with their “complete lack of the chemical nasties.”
I’m always amazed at the wonderful products available in this category; just make sure whatever you purchase is safe for the child’s age. Consider edible veggie sidewalk chalk, made with organic ingredients. Or, consider Snazaroo face paint, the Faber-Castell Young Artist Finger Painting Gift Set, and Glob natural botanical paints. And, there’s a fun-looking set of eco-crayons and an eco-art pad.
For something different in sticky notes, take a look at Leaf-it. For example, you can purchase their maple leaf sticky notes. And how about some colorful staples: pink, blue, purple, or teal?
Want more gift-giving ideas? Explore Unclutterer’s full 2013 Holiday Gift Giving Guide.
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Photos by Sarah Rottenberg, Yilin Lu, Yoshi Araki and Anna Couturier
By Mathieu Turpault, Director of Design, Bresslergroup
Last summer, we got to live vicariously through a group of Integrated Product Design students at the University of Pennsylvania who traveled to Ghana.
They were conducting ethnographic research at the Yonso Project, a Ghanaian rural organization that provides educational and economic resources to help people in the region break the cycle of poverty. In 2009, Yonso added a bamboo bicycle workshop to their roster of empowerment programs. The workshop builds skills by training locals to make beautiful bamboo bike frames that are sold internationally. It creates jobs, leverages local production from the bamboo plantation, and helps fund Yonso’s educational initiatives.
Strategy and Research
While the folks at Yonso are incredibly knowledgeable about their core initiatives, they’re not as experienced in product development. They approached UPenn for help in 2012 when they wanted to expand their bamboo product line. In turn, Sarah Rottenberg, Associate Director at the Integrated Product Design program, asked Bresslergroup to help mentor the students who were going.
Sarah and the team of IPD students, Yoshi Araki, Yilin Lu and Anna Couturier, visited our offices last spring for a couple of strategy and ideation sessions with our designers and engineers. We guided them through brainstorming and ideation exercises, talked about how we prepare for conducting ethnographic research and brand language development, and suggested strategies for narrowing and choosing product categories that could be pursued most successfully. We’ve gone through this process many times before, for many different types of products, so we’ve run into walls and we know how to avoid pitfalls.
Read more in our blog post about brainstorming about how we structure this phase of the design process.
The +zip Series includes the +zip_shoe and +zip_cap, two very interesting designs that solve real problems. Let’s talk about the +zip_shoe first. This clever sneaker design has a zipped space in the sole, which integrates a shoe bag. The design makes packing shoes in your suitcase much easier and of course adds a spring to your step!
The +zip_cap has a zipper in the central crown area, that allows you to wear your ponytail with your cap at any height. A high bun, low at the nape or just a casual pony, any hair style will do.
Designer: Yujin Kim
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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Zip It Up was originally posted on Yanko Design)
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The goal for designing the Braun Concept Electric Toothbrush was to clearly define and create a toothbrush that is targeted at men. Unisex designs in toothbrushes often tend to appeal to only one gender, so the task at hand was to see if a design could be created that identifies only with one gender. A look at this concept and it is clear that it’s a sexy men’s-only electric toothbrush! Mission accomplished!
As Aleksandar puts it, “The design of the electric toothbrush is also well connected to its performance – aesthetically designed but also functionally in terms of the requirement to take care of your teeth in the best possible way.”
Designer: Aleksandar Andreevski
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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(The Men’s Only Toothbrush was originally posted on Yanko Design)
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Timothy Archibald est un photographe basé à San Francisco mais aussi le papa d’Eli, un enfant diagnostiqué autiste. Afin de souligner la maladie de son fils et d’essayer de maîtriser la situation, l’artiste américain s’est lancé dans ce projet photographique « Echolilia ». Des clichés émouvants à découvrir dans la suite en images.
The four badge options (plus current version) for Barnsley FC fans to vote on
Having written about Everton’s decision to rebrand on the CR blog, writes Craig Oldham, I tempted fate in seeking private solace in my beloved Barnsley FC seemingly being set on the town’s coat of arms as their crest (opinions on that one aside). But I was way off – the club is next in line for a public vote ‘brand refresh’…
The work was announced by our recently appointed ex-Manchester United, Cantona-kick-defending, chairman Maurice Watkins, and sure enough, and suspiciously quickly, came the unveiling at bebarnsley.com of the above four options on a ‘refreshed’ crest (plus built-in abstain) seeking their vote from the Oakwell faithful.
My first reaction was “Interesting move (for a club that seems perpetually settled)”. My second was a sigh and a rub of my furrowed-enough brow. I couldn’t possibly repeat my third, but, to paraphrase – “So that’s what it feels like.”
As I touched on in my previous post, gone are the halcyon days of community pride and local relevance in football. What we have now is [Your Brand Here] Stadium, official savoury snack providers, and 2:05pm kick-offs.
But whilst I understand and appreciate that modern football business operates quite differently – and most certainly in different circumstances – we are still indeed talking about a Football Club. Which again led me to think about branding processes employed in such emotionally-charged projects.
Everton’s 2014/15 season crest is shown top right; the other two options fans voted on are shown bottom left and right. Rejected badge (2013/14 season) shown top left
As the Everton crest plight highlighted, fans felt alienated and rightly demanded a say. Their crusade led to a turn-around from the Club, from the take-it-or-leave-it stance to the voting method, similar to the one in which I now find myself with Barnsley. The thing is, I have to admit I don’t think either club is in a better position.
These voting processes appear, to me, to be one of mock inclusion of the fans by apparently offering a choice when the reality is more akin to the Henry Ford “any colour so long as it’s black” illusion.
Rather than involving and interrogating what supporters feel is important and best represents and symbolises their club, we’re presented with permutations of some predetermined elements, all of them identical and pilfered from the amalgamation of previous crests, just chucked in different shields.
It’s flower arranging. It’s like Ainsley Harriot tipping out the contents of the Ready Steady Cook carrier bag… “Oooo let’s see what we can do?!” It’s like being undecided on your favourite colour, so lobbing your top five in only to emerge with brown.
Previous Barnsley FC badges
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling for a fresh start every time, but certainly a fresh approach.
Whilst I personally applaud Barnsley for instigating a process of change which aims towards positive reinvestment in a club that so desperately needs it, I cannot help but feel there must be a more open and inclusive process to employ when broaching a change of crest. An issue I’m sure no one would contest is one of the most emotive parts of every Football Club’s identity, and that surely goes for every Football Club.
When he announced the plan, Watkins went on to mention that he sees the Barnsley FC as “an integral part of the social fabric of the community” but wants to “truly connect” and become “the hub of all things Barnsley”.
Perhaps one way to do this would be to engage comprehensively with supporters and the community: before, during and afterwards. Then concentrate on the causes, needs, ideas and ambitions that actually mean something to the people who matter.
Who knows, this may even find alternative ways into maximising on commercial and financial opportunities for their brand which doesn’t involve even touching the crest.
In my eyes, it’s only after true immersion and involvement of supporters that any new representation of a Football Club actually have a chance of bringing in real value. Because box-ticking, in every sense, is just not good enough.
Craig Oldham is the founder of The Office Of Craig Oldham and has worked with numerous football clubs. His previous projects include the Democratic Lecture and the Hand.Written.Letter.Project and football poster-themed exhibition Glory Glory. He is a Barnsley fan and has indeed cast his vote (voting closes on November 25).
Following up last year’s launch of the industry-changing Nike FuelBand, the global athletics and lifestyle force recently released their follow-up, the FuelBand SE, to a very eager market. After its high profile launch last month,…
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News: Dutch office UNStudio has won a competition to design a residential and office complex in the German city of Munich.
UNStudio‘s design for the city’s new Baumkirchen Mitte development features a 60 metre tower with a facade divided by horizontal ribs that continue across the front of an adjoining housing block.
“In the design for the facade of the building we chose for an articulated sobriety, incorporating contrasting scales of detail,” said architect Ben van Berkel. “The horizontal bands which wrap and organise the building present a sober articulation from a distance, however as you get closer to the building you discover a refined scale of intricate, complex detailing.”
Metal and wood will combine to create contrast on the building’s facade, which the architects explained will give the building “the appearance of a custom-made furniture piece for the urban space.”
The office building will house flexible work spaces with foyers, lobbies and meeting areas providing neutral and adaptable public areas.
Flexibility is also key to the design of the residential wing, with floor plans that can be configured in numerous ways and individual apartments that can be customised to meet the needs of their occupants.
A multipurpose roof garden will incorporate ornamental plants and grasses, vegetable gardens, bee hives, play areas and rainwater harvesting. The linear design of the landscaping is influenced by the building’s location on the site of a former rail yard.
UNStudio collaborated with OR else Landscapes on the design, which was selected over entries from firms including BIG and J. Mayer H. Architects. It will be built at the entrance to the Baumkirchen Mitte development, which is located between Munich East station and the Berg am Laim suburb.
Here’s a press release from UNStudio:
Ben van Berkel / UNStudio’s design selected as winning entry for the Baumkirchen Mitte in Munich
UNStudio’s design for the Baumkirchen Mitte in Munich has been selected as the winning entry from a shortlist of 6 finalists which included, among others, BIG Architects, Juergen Mayer H Architects and Schneider + Schumacher Architects.
UNStudio worked in collaboration with OR else Landscapes on the design for the 18,500m2 residential and office complex located in the east of Munich. With its 60 metre high tower the project will become the focal point for the entrance to the new Baumkirchen Mitte development.
Ben van Berkel: “In the design for the facade of the building we chose for an articulated sobriety, incorporating contrasting scales of detail. The horizontal bands which wrap and organise the building present a sober articulation from a distance, however as you get closer to the building you discover a refined scale of intricate, complex detailing.”
New work
Concentrated individual work, brainstorming sessions and impromptu meetings are fast becoming part of contemporary work culture and require spaces and layouts that can respond flexibly to these new demands. In UNStudio’s design neutral spaces, such as foyers, lobbies and meeting areas are used to establish the identity of the building. The design combines both zones that guarantee maximum flexibility for varying combinations of users and exclusively designed areas that provide spaces for communication and creativity.
New living
Changing demands and expectations in contemporary living form the starting point for the residential areas within UNStudio’s design. Flexible accommodation types are incorporated which afford variable constellations and offer the possibility to combine adjacent units. In addition, flexible floor plans enable a variety of configurations in the apartment layouts, thereby directly addressing the specific and individual needs of the residents.
Outdoor spaces vary in scale and form an integral part of the apartments. The living experience is therefore not confined to the dwellings alone, but instead begins as you arrive at the building and enter the circulation areas. Thereafter it extends into shared and private outdoor spaces. This extension of the living concept stimulates interaction between residents and creates a balance between activated public spaces and the need for privacy.
Duality
The facade design reflects the duality of the programme, with two contrasting materials defining the look and feel of the building. Bright metal forms the background, lending the structure a contemporary and light aesthetic, whilst the contrasting use of wood affords the building the appearance of a custom-made furniture piece for the urban space.
A sustainable living landscape
The remaining traces on the location of a previous rail yard form the blueprint for the structure of the roof gardens. The linear frameworks in the landscaping of the gardens accommodate fields of kitchen gardens and play areas, as well as rows of ornamental grasses and flowering perennials and are inspired by the spontaneous vegetation of the track fields. Through the integration of vegetable gardens, systems for rainwater harvesting, composting and beekeeping areas the roof garden becomes more than just a recreation area. It additionally plays an important ecological role by contributing to a sustainable living environment. The sustainability concept for the complex is based on a requirement specific application of different types of façade, while reducing active technical building components.
The post UNStudio wins competition to
design 60-metre tower for Munich appeared first on Dezeen.
Reversible flower vase in boron-silicated glass lamp working.Inside can be seen as a prominence that the uvula gives voice to the composition: simply ..
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