Mar 10
The Best Pet Videos of the Week
Posted in: UncategorizedThe Pet Collective put together a collection of the best and funniest pet videos that hit the Internet during the first week of March 2018…(Read…)
Mar 10
Fighting child diabetes with fun!
Posted in: Uncategorized
Every year, approximately 80,000 children are diagnosed with type-1 diabetes across the world (close to 19% of them are American children). Designing an insulin delivery toolkit for children, Mexican designer Renata Souza Luque makes taking insulin shots feel less scary. Medical design is incredibly challenging, as is designing for children. Thomy, the insulin delivery kit for children, combines both seamlessly.
Souza Luque starting developing the project after her seven-year-old cousin Tomas was diagnosed. Realizing that Tomas needed as many as 5 insulin shots a day and that his fear of needles needed addressing, she designed Thomy, a kit that makes taking insulin injections less clinical, and more child-friendly.
The Thomy is effective in tackling the three problem points with insulin shots. The Thomy uses a temporary tattoo kit that not only gives the child a cool graphic on their skin to show off, the tattoos are also designed to help demarcate parts of the body where the shot is to be take. It’s important to make sure you don’t take two shots in the same place, so as to prevent lumps of fat from developing. The tattoo comes with various colored dots that one uses as guides for injecting. Before injecting yourself, you use an alcohol wipe to remove the dot, not only making sure you erase the area that has been injected, but also ensuring the skin is disinfected. Then simply hold the injection against the wiped area and inject the insulin. When using the injection, you press down on a button made of thermochromic plastic that changes color. The amount of time it takes to change color roughly coincides with the time it takes for the insulin to be injected into the body. Looking at the changing color distracts the child from the needle and therefore the child is less likely to be afraid of the injection because the entire experience is made more child-friendly while retaining the efficacy of the insulin delivery procedure!
Designer: Renata Souza Luque
Mar 10
On the Floor with Core: Toy Designs You Should Know About from Toy Fair 2018
Posted in: UncategorizedToy Fair is an annual toy industry trade show held mid-February in New York City. The event is open to industry only and is the largest toy trade show in the Western hemisphere. It’s the place to be if you’re an up and coming studio trying to get your big break and where the big studios show off their new toys for the coming year. This was my second year at the fair, and I saw a lot of exciting new booths and some familiar faces.
DIY culture and customization were very present in toy designs this year. Modern toys are all about how a child can really make the product their own. There was also a focus on space-saving items to please parents living in small spaces. Kids are notoriously bad at cleaning up after themselves, so many products try to make the clean-up process easy and fun.
A big trend across the whole fair was getting kids interested in programming. STEM has become a big theme in a lot of kids education as we enter further into the digital age, and the toy industry is jumping on board. Designers seemed split down the middle in terms of how we should be handling the large amount of technology kids are exposed to these days. Half of the educational toys focused on reducing screen time; getting kids off screens and learning in real life. Others took a more optimistic approach to screen addiction—kids are going to look at screens anyway, so we might as well teach them something while they do.
Magnets have always been cool to kids (and honestly adults). This year I saw some really creative uses of magnets in everything from stuffed toys to building blocks and robots. As a designer myself, it gave me hope—sometimes it can feel like everything innovative has already been done with classic ideas like magnets, but there is always a new application out there waiting to be thought of.
Toy Fair 2018
Photo credit: Core 77
Sago Mini / Pillow Playsets
Utility for Parents, Fun for Kids: Sago Mini is an an example of a company that is really thinking all the details through and nailing it! All their toys aim to please parents and preschoolers alike with space saving, portable designs and fun creative accessories.
Photo credit: Core 77
Sago Mini / Pillow Playsets
These awesome Pillow Playsets, available Fall 2018, turn your couch into a kitchen, doctors office, or dollhouse! The sets have fun pockets that reveal hidden surprises and accessories like a frying pan and food items.
Photo credit: Core 77
Sago Mini / Pillow Playsets
The Pillow Playsets can be quickly tucked away, perfect for families where space is limited. Designed with a black and white neutral exterior, the pillows fit beautifully into any room.
Photo credit: Core 77
Sago Mini / Portable Playsets
Sago Mini doesn’t limit their playsets to the couch though. Inspired by Moleskine notebooks, their portable sets come fully loaded with figurines and accessories that all pack up into the playhouse.
Photo credit: Core 77
Sago Mini / Portable Playsets
Perfect for trips, the sets come with a built-in handle that’s easy for kids to carry. Once you’re ready to play, the sets provide lots of explorative play and silly surprises behind flaps. Check out their site for more fun
Photo credit: Core 77
Though Full Toys / Modarri
Modarri cars are another great example of a really well designed toy. The company started on Kickstarter and found success with their durable cars that can be taken apart to mix and match colourful parts.
Photo credit: Core 77
Though Full Toys / Modarri
They have real suspension springs on the wheels and are driven around by putting your finger into the driver’s seat.
Photo credit: Core 77
Though Full Toys / Modarri
Putting these cars together was so satisfying as each part fit perfectly together. It’s impressive how much variety there is in the designs while still being seamlessly interchangeable.
Photo credit: Core 77
Though Full Toys / Modarri
Coming in March, you can also get an all white Modarri set that comes with paints so you can pimp your ride.
Photo credit: Core 77
Mar 10
Link About It: Designer Turns His Instagram Page into a Portfolio
Posted in: Uncategorized
Designer Ji Le repurposed Instagram, turning it into his portfolio. Each post is tagged and linked to other account that Le also updates. Apart from the service being so easy and accessible, Le decided to use it as a portfolio because fewer and fewer……
Continue Reading…
Mar 09
10 impressive architecture projects designed by women
Posted in: UncategorizedIn light of International Women’s Day, we’ve rounded up a series of architecture projects designed by women, from Odile Decq’s bright-red bubble house to Amanda Levete’s undulating MAAT museum.
MAAT museum, Portugal, by Amanda Levete
Covered in 15,000 white ceramic tiles, Amanda Levete’s MAAT museum in Lisbon features an undulating form inspired by the rippling waters of the nearby Tagus River. Levete, who heads firm AL_A, has recently been awarded the Jane Drew Prize for women in architecture.
Learn more about the MAAT museum ›
Messner Mountain Museum, Italy, by Zaha Hadid Architects
Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, this usual museum comprises three curved volumes that appear to burst through an Alpine rockface. Completed in 2015, the building also features a viewing platform that cantilevers over a valley, offering visitors impressive views of the Ortler mountain range.
Learn more about the Messner Mountain Museum ›
Museo de Sitio Julio C Tello, Peru, by Barclay & Crousse
Barclay & Crousse employed red pigmented concrete to build the geometric forms of this archaeology museum in Peru, complementing tones in the surrounding arid desert. The Lima-based practice is led by architect Sandra Barclay and Jean Pierre Crousse.
Learn more about the Museo de Sitio Julio C Tello ›
Wadden Sea Centre extension by Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter
A sculptural, thatched roof sits atop this extension to a visitors centre on the Wadden Sea mud flats. It was created by Dorte Mandrup’s eponymous practice, who are based in Copenhagen.
Learn more about the Wadden Sea Centre extension ›
Los Terrenos, Mexico, by Tatiana Bilbao
Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao used mirrored glass to clad the facades of this holiday home in Monterrey, camouflaging it against a forested hillside. The project is just a short distance from Bilbao’s Ventura House, which is composed of chunky, concrete volumes.
Learn more about Los Terrenos ›
La Tallera gallery, Mexico, by Frida Escobedo
A perforated concrete wall shields the former home and studio of painter David Alfaro Siqueiros, which was transformed into a public gallery by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo. Earlier this year she was named as the designer of the 2018 Serpentine Pavilion, which will also feature a latticed enclosure.
Learn more about the La Tallera gallery ›
Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, USA, by Studio Gang
Logs are set into the concave walls of this triangular college campus in Michigan, designed by Jeanne Gang’s architecture firm. Large panels of glazing are set into the building’s three end walls, to frame different views of the wooded surroundings.
Learn more about the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership ›
Forum of Saint-Louis by Manuelle Gautrand
To break down the size of this exhibition centre in France, architect Manuelle Gautrand divided it into 13 gabled blocks. Gautrand – who heads her eponymous practice in Paris – chose to clad the structure in orange-hued perforated metal to give the impression of unoxidised copper.
Learn more about the Forum of Saint-Louis ›
Rijnstraat 8, Netherlands, by OMA
OMA partner Ellen van Loon lead the restructure of this government office in The Hague. The Dutch practice implemented acid-yellow escalators, angular black staircases and a host of open-plan workspaces in the building, which hadn’t been updated since the 1990s.
Learn more about Rijnstraat 8 ›
French architect Odile Decq carried out a five-year renovation of Antti Lovag’s 1970s home, which appears to be made of interconnecting bubbles. Decq used a bold colour scheme to structure the home’s interiors, intended to complement the bright-red, bulging facade.
Learn more about Maison Bernard ›
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Mar 09
Raw Edges redesigns VitraHaus Loft to suit a young family
Posted in: UncategorizedIsraeli design duo Raw Edges has revamped the interior of the VitraHaus Loft, combining their own rainbow-hued wooden furniture with classic Vitra pieces.
The loft is located on the fourth level of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus, which forms part of the larger Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.
When invited by Vitra to redesign the interior, Raw Edges – headed by Israeli designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay – said they wanted to create a space that they could imagine living in with their own two children.
“Our installation focuses on a busy, creative, young family,” explained the designers. “We wanted to show how a space could function equally well for parents and kids alike – for work as well as play.”
The duo carefully selected Vitra and Artek products that combine various natural materials such as wood, glass and light-hued textiles with bright accents.
Playful features include the bathroom space, where a large mobile-like installation with cushions dyed in diagonal stripes of colour hangs from the ceiling.
In the bedroom, a number of Vitra’s Cork Stools are grouped to form the base of a bed, while in the living room a set of Alcove sofas join together to create an enclosed lounge space.
Around the loft, the designers have applied their trademark colour gradient patterns to various objects such as the cushions and wall hangings.
“The light-hearted approach taken by Raw Edges in their use of materials, colours and products is a defining feature of the presentation – and their work in general,” said Vitra.
“Other key factors of their VitraHaus installation are movement, improvisation and surprise. For Raw Edges, it was vital to achieve a spontaneous, realistic and above all happy environment.”
The Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus, which was opened in 2010, features regularly changing displays with new Vitra products continuously being added. Last year Jasper Morrison created a home for a fictional character on the building’s first floor.
The space is intended to help visitors find inspiration for their own home and explore their taste in design. Here, they can also try out, order and purchase furniture and design objects. Along with four storeys of showroom space, the VitraHaus also contains a shop, the Lounge Chair Atelier and a café on the ground floor.
The post Raw Edges redesigns VitraHaus Loft to suit a young family appeared first on Dezeen.
Mar 09
Eight highlights from New York's Collective Design fair 2018
Posted in: UncategorizedOmbre translucent curtains, alien-like ceramics and a merry-go-round dining table are among US editor Dan Howarth’s picks from the Collective Design fair currently open in New York.
Opening to the public today, this year’s edition of the annual fair is taking place two months early – moving from May to coincide with the city’s Armory art week.
The showcase has also relocated to a new space upstairs in the Skylight Clarkson Square exhibition complex, where galleries, designers and artists are displaying work in booths or as freestanding installations.
Trends we spotted at the fair included a plethora of deep, rich hues used for furniture and upholstery – a move away from recently popular pastel tones like millennial pink – and gradient colour patterns on fabrics and ceramics.
Collective Design runs from 9 to 11 March 2018. See our highlights below:
Crosby Studios is presenting a bright purple dining table with seats that revolve around it like a piece of playground equipment. Wallpaper lining the booth is printed with images of the housing estate in Russia where founder Harry Nuriev grew up, linking back to the theme of childhood.
Brooklyn artist and designer Fernando Mastrangelo used this year’s fair to showcase the breadth of work he produces. Every item in his booth installation was created by his studio – from black sand-cast walls and red built-in shelving, to textured indigo carpet and a crimson sofa with cashmere-upholstered cushions.
Justin Morin
One of the largest and most impactful installations at this year’s Collective is a series of translucent curtains by Justin Morin, arranged in perpendicular lines to create pathways in between. Each of the curtains is patterned with coloured gradients that blend from black to orange, green to yellow and pink to white across the delicate partitions.
Objects of Common Interest and LOT Office for Architecture
For the VIP lounge, Objects of Common Interest teamed up with LOT Office for Architecture to create a series of experimental furniture. Pairing glass blocks with glossy colourful laminates, the seating and counters are dispersed across a brightly day-lit space and contrast with the former industrial building’s exposed concrete surfaces.
Linda Lopez
Of the unusual vessels and trinkets presented by Mindy Solomon Gallery from Miami, the pieces by Linda Lopez stand out for their shells covered in small sausage-like elements and blended colour fades. The otherworldly ceramics are also decorated with chunks of polished stone and metal, adding to their bizarre yet cute appearance.
Azadeh Shladovsky
Braille formed the starting point for LA-based artist Azadeh Shladovsky‘s chairs with shapes based on the letter “k”, named Void, and mirrors modelled on the textured alphabet’s “a”, called Skeptic. Created in a variety of rich hues like plum, teal and rust, these surround a solid marble table carved with embossed braille dots spelling out a poem across its top.
Gradual
The creators of lighting brand Stickbulb are debuting a new brand of lamps, named Gradual, which display the passing of time through light effects. Each cylindrical design is built up from layers of paper and velum. Arrays of LEDs housed inside are programmed to “drop” beads of light down the tubes at different time intervals, filling up to measure minutes, hours, days or years depending on the design, then refreshing once full.
Sam Stewart
Manhattan gallery Fort Gansevoort is showcasing a series of work by Sam Stewart, coinciding with an exhibition of the artist’s pieces at its space in the Meatpacking district. The Rep Range designs at Collective look like cartoon versions of dumbbells and barbells used for weightlifting, which have been warped into curved and snaking shapes.
The post Eight highlights from New York’s Collective Design fair 2018 appeared first on Dezeen.
Mar 09
Kevin Hart's 'What the Fit' Official Trailer
Posted in: UncategorizedHere’s the first sneak peek at actor/comedian Kevin Hart’s upcoming fitness-comedy series, “What the Fit.” The series will air each Thursday and Friday on the LOL Network starting March 15th…(Read…)
Mar 09
Cat Desperately Tries to Catch Fish Under Ice
Posted in: UncategorizedThis video from Annapolis, Maryland, a determined tuxedo cat gets thwarted by a frozen forcefield while trying to catch fish in a small backyard pond…(Read…)
Mar 09
The Best Fails of the Week
Posted in: UncategorizedFail Army presents a collection of the best and funniest fail videos that hit the Internet in the first week of March 2018…(Read…)
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