Hasta La Ideas

Industrial design studio PriestmanGoode has unveiled its vision for a fleet of urban delivery drones, which will feature in Dezeen’s forthcoming documentary film ELEVATION.

Called Dragonfly, PriestmanGoode‘s concept is for an integrated system where autonomous drones become the primary service for mail deliveries in cities.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate how drone technology can be integrated into existing urban systems. But also, the studio wanted to show the positive impact drones can have on cities, helping to relieve traffic congestion, and in turn creating healthier living environments.

“The rise in online retail is adding more vehicles to already congested roads, contributing to poor air quality,” said studio co-founder and chairman Paul Priestman. “Combine that with rapid population growth in our cities and we have a problem.”

The design is also intended to address the public’s fears about drones flying over their heads every day.

“We wanted to create something that is non-threatening and which would enhance cityscapes,” said Priestman. “This will be important in gaining public support for the future commercial use of drones.”

PriestmanGoode imagines the delivery drones working in conjunction with autonomous barges, which would act as charging stations and distribution hubs.

After picking up parcels from these mobile hubs, the drones would deliver packages by docking on landing pads placed on the roofs and sides of buildings.

The concept suggests that cities will eventually be adapted to support the introduction of large numbers of drones.

“What’s new and interesting about our concept is the way we’ve imagined cities in the future being adapted to accommodate drone technology leading to a big step change in city development and does not require the use of the already congested road network,” added Priestman.

“Buildings, for example, could be designed to enable access from different levels, not just by the front door. The banks of rivers, where all cities first emerged, are used again as major transport corridors supporting the delivery of the drone network. And the drones themselves are designed to enhance busy cityscapes.”

Priestman unveiled the vision today, during a panel on the future of travel at the Great Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong.

The project is set to feature in in Dezeen’s upcoming documentary ELEVATION, which will explore the ways that transport, deliveries, construction and architecture will all be transformed by drones.

The trailer for ELEVATION was screened during the panel session and is also available to watch here.

Dragonfly will feature in Dezeen’s forthcoming documentary film ELEVATION

Paul Priestman is among a series of leading architecture and design voices appearing in the film, alongside Norman Foster, Liam Young and Mark Dytham.

He has long been a leading voice in the future of transport, and has worked on projects ranging from high-speed trains to aircraft interiors. In an interview with Dezeen earlier this year, he stated that self driving cars would “exacerbate congestion rather than improve it”.

The full 20-minute version of Dezeen’s documentary ELEVATION will launch in May 2018. Find out more at www.dezeen.com/elevation

The post PriestmanGoode unveils concept for city-wide drone delivery system appeared first on Dezeen.

Industrial shipyards and ruined grain stores informed DeSalleFlint’s design for the interiors of this hotel in the coastal city of Gdansk, Poland.

The Puro Gdansk is situated at the heart of Granary Island, an area of the city that was home to several large grain warehouses before they were destroyed in the second world war.

The hotel is the fourth addition to Puro’s growing portfolio, joining existing establishments in Wroclaw, Krakow and Poznan.

For this intervention, the Polish hotel chain charged London-based studio DeSallesFlint with creating the aesthetic for the hotel’s 211 guest rooms, conference facilities, spa, restaurant, and two bars.

“Our design job was to create a hotel which belonged to the city, attracting local custom as well as abstracting the independent, discerning and international travellers,” said the practice.

Inspired by the hotel’s immediate setting, they decided to take cues from the colour and material palette of the historic warehouses and nearby shipyards.

Blackened steel and glass has been used to erect a gridded structure around the ground floor dining space, allowing guests a glimpse into surrounding communal areas.

The restaurant, which is called Dancing Anchor, also features globular lights suspended by knotted nautical ropes.

While a majority of the surfaces have been painted slate grey, touches of colour are provided by pale green sofas and copper-hued partition walls that echo the tones of oxidised metal.

Several colourful chairs designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal have also been dotted throughout, an attempt by the practice to “enhance the vibrancy and comfort of each space”. The walls have also been decorated with pieces by a range of contemporary Polish artists.

Floor-to-ceiling curtains crafted from natural textiles like cotton and linen have also been included as a visual nod to sacks of grains.

Much like DeSallesFlint, US-based Savvy Studios referenced the industrial buildings of New York’s Gowanus neighbourhood in their design of the Yard Hotel, where they employed brick floors, lofty ceilings and crittal windows.

The post DeSallesFlint creates maritime-themed interiors for Puro Gdansk hotel appeared first on Dezeen.

Not many people have the luxury of gaming on a massive screen, but Logitech’s G560 Lightsync actually gives you a surround screen effect with a surround sound effect. The 2.1 speaker system comes with two mid-range speakers and a subwoofer, but what’s interesting is that on the speaker’s back are light panels that cast light on the wall behind you. When paired with a game or movie, the speakers can appropriately cast the correct colors, matching the ones on the screen, to make your viewed image seem bigger or more immersive. Since your eye really focuses on one part of the screen, blurring out the rest, the colored wall helps your movie or game seem much larger than life… and with Logitech’s incredible sound, you’ll absolutely be immersed in whatever you’re watching!

Designer: Logitech

New York design studio Coil + Drift’s spring 2018 collection includes translucent hooped lights, simple wooden furniture and ridged walnut mirrors.

Photographed with dancers as part of a series called Unconscious Forms, the range of furniture and lighting includes chairs, tables, mirrors, credenzas and lamps in a variety of materials.

Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink, a former dancer himself, designed the items with what he describes as a “unique spacial awareness” that comes with his training and background.

“The outcome is a collection that feels vividly three-dimensional, material forward, and rich with form and texture,” said a statement from the studio.

Items include the Cirrus lighting, created with multiple translucent resin hoops that circle the bulbs and hang from thin chrome arms – available as a double pendant and a chandelier.

Similar rounded shapes are found in the June floor and wall mirrors, with concentric ridges carved into their walnut frames.

A wooden dining table and chair set, named Soren, features straight vertical supports, contrasted by the rounded tabletop and seat back rest.

The dark wood Rex Credenza hides a bronze-mirrored drop-down cabinet, while the Ren side table and Bishop floor lamp complete the series.

The collection was unveiled at New York’s Collective Design fair earlier this month, and will also be on show at this week’s Architectural Digest Design Show (ADDS) in the city.

Coil + Drift has created a booth entirely different from its installation at Collective for the latest event, taking place at Pier 92 and 94 from 22 to 25 March 2018.

A sage-coloured environment will be used to display the products, as part of the MADE section of the exhibition.

Coil + Drift was founded by dancer-turned-designer John Sorensen-Jolink in 2014, and produces its furniture and lighting in America.

Photography is by Charlie Schuck.

The post Coil + Drift’s furniture and lighting is designed from a dancer’s perspective appeared first on Dezeen.

adidas recently unveiled a new silhouette called Deerupt, and if you ever had doubts social media could play a significant role in the design process, it’s time to think again. 

If you religiously follow the sneaker world on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed an overload of images that look almost exactly like this:

It’s easiest to think of toe-down sneaker photos as the the equivalent of the most flattering selfie angle for sneakers, the golden on-foot angle, if you will. adidas designers took this trend observation and used it to inspire a design detail on the Deerupt, a sneaker who’s name is the marriage between “disrupt” and “erupt”. Global Senior Design Director for adidas Originals, Oddbjorn Stavseng told Highsnobiety, “we increasingly see Instagram pictures where people shoot their sneakers with their foot planted down, making sure that the toe is pressed down. So when you see Deerupt, you’ll see this same “toe-down” effect which was a purposeful design choice.” Besides a more exaggerated toe-down angle, one of the most notable Deerupt details is the use of the mesh support originally seen on the adidas Marathon Trainer midsole to cover the entire shoe. 

Marathon Trainer (via Highsnobiety)

It turns out adidas could be onto something with their designed-for-Instagram approach along with picking and choosing more graphic details from past designs. While aimlessly scrolling through Instagram at 2am last night, I came across one of those frustrating Instagram Stories that update you on the platform’s latest features: Think new features in Stories or Live mode. This time it was for an update that allows eight new countries to shop much more seamlessly straight through Instagram.

This feature has been going through a test run in the US, but after overwhelming success, Instagram decided to expand. Basically, to shop an item you like from a post, you just tap your finger on the image to then click on virtual price tags that lead you to—very similar to Pinterest. If your Instagram obsession is already out of control, start preparing for it to affect you monetarily. 

So, how does this relate to product design? We’ve already seen an uptick in companies pouring extra money into Instagram ads, especially when it comes to trendy product subscription services like Quip and Smile Direct Club. So in reality, the move to designing actual products to look good on social media is a natural progression—if not something that’s already been happening subconsciously. 

Whether good or bad for designers, Instagram’s shopping feature rollout makes it clear there’s no more excuses companies to avoid social media. adidas’ choice to dip their toes into introducing social media to the design process is actually forward-thinking and almost too timely, even if the Deerupt is a little… loud. The Deerupts are dropping online tomorrow, and I’m curious to see how often they end up on my Instagram feed.

What’re your thoughts on introducing social media into the product design process? Let us know in the comments.