The top toy has remained largely unchanged since antiquity because… why change a good thing?! The Bubble top by Maki is just a little different, however. The collection consists of two distinct designs inspired by the “collision” between two bubbles meeting. This is represented in its mechanized methacrylate material that gives it translucence to view the interior one made from resin. It’s a subtle twist (pun intended) on the design that gives this time-tested toy a fresh new look.
Whether you’re reading a book or writing one, the Kikkerland Writersblok Bookmark Pen can be quite a handy little instrument. Its elliptical shape lends to easy gripping, while also making it rest nicely between pages, working as both pen and bookmark.
The Writersblok Bookmark Pen comes in a nice black body with an elliptical cross-section that then transitions at the end to a circular one, making sure it doesn’t slip through your pages. Its simplistic style and dual-purpose nature make it quite a pleasant product to own and use. Our only complaint? The lack of a retracting pen-nib.
Allsop’s Wheeleasy cleverly redesigns the wheelbarrow to be much more than that. Aside from the fact that it folds flat to be stored easily, the Wheeleasy is also great to load things onto, because it spreads flat on the floor. Load grass, hay, rocks, planters, or pretty much anything you want onto its flat vinyl-coated nylon tarpaulin and lift the handles up. The Wheeleasy works exactly like any normal wheelbarrow, but with a flexibility brought about by the tarp that feels potentially game-changing. Loading and unloading items have never been easier, besides with its tarp construction, everything you load onto the Wheeleasy always stays at the center, making sure your wheelbarrow never gets disbalanced or topples over. Once done using the marvel that is the Wheeleasy, it has one more trick up its sleeve. It collapses into a flat frame that you can easily store either horizontally or vertically without occupying the kind of space a traditional wheelbarrow would!
Today is Day Zero for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which is the European Union’s new privacy regulations—the new policy for any companies that use European residents’ personal information. The most visible result of this has been the……
Designers have been getting creative with their emails about GDPR, the new European Union-wide regulations that came into force today. Here are some of our favourites.
Many emails about the data-protection laws have been pious, dull or cliche-ridden, such as efforts featuring a “Time is running out” message placed next to a gif of an egg timer, or a collage of a padlock superimposed over the EU flag.
There were also puns and Christmas-cracker-worthy jokes, such as “Why are Pirates interested in data privacy? Because they GDP RRRRRRR!”
Some designers decided to have fun with their GDP RRRRRRR emails
However some designers put a bit of effort into their messages.
Best of all was Dutch designer Marije Vogelzang, who appeared to welcome the regulations as a way of relieving herself of troublesome subscribers.
Some designers welcomed the law
“What a great new law!” Vogelzang’s message started. “Help me clean up my list!”
“My mailing list is super messy,” she explained. “I’m so happy this new law is a great incentive to finally clean up and get rid of some of you.”
Fewer subscribers would save her money with her newsletter provider, she pointed out, adding that: “I only like awkward people in my list so if you are too normal I kindly request you to unsubscribe.”
The message included a photo of Vogelzang in her new kitchen.
Vogelzang took the opportunity to show her subscribers a picture of her new kitchen
GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, is the European Union’s new data-protection regime, which governs the way companies collect and use information about individuals. The laws have generated a huge number of emails asking people to confirm their their subscriptions, particularly from small businesses that have built their mailing lists in an ad-hoc way.
Some companies attempted shock tactics as they attempted to comply with the new rules. “Boiler Room Merges With Cambridge Analytica,” was the clickbait-y subject line of the newsletter from music website Boiler Room, adding “LOL, JK” inside the email, together with a graphic urging subscribers to join its “new mailing list”.
Boiler Room attempted shock tactics in their GDPR emails
Creativepool, the creative industries networking resource, offered food in exchange for consent. “We’re going to attempt to take the ‘arghhhh’ out of yet another GDPargh email by rewarding you with some free pizza!” it promised, although the reality was a little more mundane.
“Reply to this email with the hashtag #GDPizzaR to be in with the chance of winning free pizza from your favourite pizza joint!” it explained at the bottom of the message.
Design firms get creative for GDPR
Design PR firm Alpha Kilo admitted it couldn’t think of a clever way to stand out amid the tsunami of exhortations.
“We couldn’t find the right words…” ran the subject line, with the email starting: “So we’ve let Michael, Al, KCs & The Sunshine Band, Simple Minds, Human League, and Rick say it for us.
Beneath this was a collage of pop stars and song titles, including Rick Astley’s Never Going to Give You Up and Human League’s Don’t You Want Me Baby.
PR firm Alpha Kilo included pop stars and song titles in their GDPR effort
The spammy deluge revealed varying interpretations of the new laws, with some warning ominously that this was the “last chance” to sign up for future newsletters, while others sent seemingly pointless messages informing recipients that they did not need to take action.
“If you wish to keep in touch with us and remain updated with our upcoming exhibitions and projects, you do not have to do anything,” wrote Experimenta Design.
Designers admit they don’t understand GDPR
Ian and Richard Abell of Based Upon took the brave step of admitting they didn’t understand the rules. “It’s not totally clear what is expected, but it is our understanding that we must ask you to opt in to hear from us again,” they wrote.
However they then resorted to surreal language, stating: “We’re also asking you to clarify if you want to opt out, so that we don’t end up opting you out just because you missed the email and haven’t actively opted in.”
The email ended: “If you’re unsure of what this means, please ask and we’ll get straight back to you.”
Doug Scott sent a potato
English entrepreneur Doug Scott took the record for the most number of reminders we received, sending 11 increasingly inventive messages, with the last one beginning: “Here is a picture of a potato”. This was followed by a picture of a potato.
Scott added a candid passage about his success rate so far.
“Almost 2000 people have now opted in to my GDPR-playing emails,” he wrote. “That is about 20 per cent of my total list size, or about 50 per cent of the engaged users.”
Dezeen played it safe with our GDPR graphic
News reports have suggested that only about 10 per cent of recipients have taken action, so Scott’s tactics seem to have paid dividends.
“The stats don’t lie, it works,” he wrote. “Almost all small newsletter senders have lost/forgotten/etc how they acquired the email lists they have. If you own a ‘grey’ email list then you potentially cannot send email within the EU in two days’ time, so you cannot talk to your audience.”
He continued: “Surely you would try many interesting ways to get people to agree to GDPR before May 25th and send many ‘interesting’ things many times to increase your chances. My way today is to send you a picture of a potato.”
American architect Jeff Svitak has designed a house for himself nestled into a hillside in San Diego, complete with various outdoor spaces and an office for his practice.
Spanning three storeys and clad in blackened wood, Redwood House has a varied construction comprising cuboid volumes and outdoor walkways.
The house measures 2,000 square feet (186 square metres) and is positioned near a canyon that runs through San Diego.
“The canyon created an essence for the house to work around and integrate with,” said Svitak.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi
The rear of the house overlooks a wooded ravine, while its street-facing facade remains more private. The house is accessed by a floating steel bridge and a sliding cedar front door.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi
Upon entering are a foyer, powder room and staircase. To the left is a galley kitchen, and on the other is a sitting and dining room.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi
The living area is cantilevered with a cornered section lined in glass, which creates an indoor-outdoor room suitable for Southern California’s warm climate.
These two areas are separated by an internal courtyard, yet linked by the front foyer and a rear deck, therefore creating a circular route around the floor plan.
“Instead of a blunt massing object between the street and the canyon, the house is divided into separate massing elements, which allow the canyon to enter into the spaces of the house and studio through a slim courtyard element,” said Svitak.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi
Upstairs are two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The second, larger room has an outdoor patio and overlooks a green roof.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi
In the basement is the owner’s architecture studio, which comprises a meeting room, work area, bathroom, private back terrace, and entry courtyard.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi
“The architectural footprint, while small, is vertically integrated to offer a wide array of living opportunities by complex yet refined geometry and spatial layouts,” Svitak said.
Architects often design combined homes and studios for themselves. Others that have recently completed this type of project include Moss in Chicago and Another Studio in Bulgaria.
Photography is by Onnis Luque unless stated otherwise.
This week Dezeen released Elevation, an 18-minute documentary that explores the impact drones will have on our lives. Here, we take a look at 10 innovative ways drones will change the world.
PriestmanGoode’s fleet of urban delivery drones, called Dragonfly, are featured in Dezeen’s documentary.
Working in conjunction with autonomous barges – that act as charging stations and distribution hubs – the drones deliver packages by docking on landing pads placed on the roofs or sides of buildings.
Airbus‘ electric air taxi Vahana, successfully made its first test flight in February 2018, reaching a height of five metres for a duration of 53 seconds.
Anticipating speeds two to four times faster than cars, the full-scale aircraft is 2.8 metres tall, 5.7 metres high and 6.2 metres wide, with a flight range of about 50 miles.
Walmart is looking to revolutionise farming processes with the use of robotic alternatives to bees.
Taking the form of a multicopter – a type of aerial vehicle that flies using two or more rotating blades – the “bees” would use cameras and sensors to find the locations of crops where they would distribute pollen.
Allegedly achieving in 70 seconds what would have taken a lifeguard at least six minutes, the Little Ripper rescue drone saved two teenage swimmers stuck in a rip current by dropping an inflatable rescue pod.
The rescue, which took place in New South Wales, Australia, was hailed as the first of its kind.
Italian architect Carlo Ratti has designed a system that uses flying robots to replicate the traditional printing process.
“Imagine how this could make the realisation of works of public art both easier and safer, in urban contexts as well as the infrastructure level – for example alongside highways, within railway galleries, on bridges and viaducts,” said Carlo Ratti.
Designed to be used for underwater surveillance and marine biodiversity studies, the MantaDroid mirrors the moves and looks of a mantra ray, to disguising it in aquatic surroundings.
It offers an inconspicuous alternative to conventional underwater vehicles.
The world’s first commercial medical supplies drone delivery system, Zipline, is designed to deliver blood, vaccines, and other critical supplies to health workers in remote areas.
Prompted by a mobile phone message, the drones deliver supplies via parachute within minutes; each can fly 500 deliveries in 24 hours, carrying up to 1.5 kilograms at a time.
Drones could be a valuable tool in construction, widening the spectrum of what’s possible in architecture, according to architect Ammar Mirjan.
“We can fly [drones] through and around existing objects, which a person couldn’t do or a crane couldn’t do,” explains Mirjan. They can be programmed to weave simple tensile structures in the air, for example.
When it comes to car engines and automobiles, most of us know one word in particularâhorsepower. But where does that term come from? And what is a horsepower anyway?..(Read…)
Mercedes-AMG introduces the all-new E 53, the car will produce 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque, which will allow for a 4.4 second (4.3 for the coupe) 0-60 time and an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. The top speed can be lifted with the AMG Driver’s Package. A 48-volt mild-hybrid system can supplement the engine’s power thanks to an electric motor that makes 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The new E 53 will be available in a sedan, coupe, and cabriolet. Pricing isnât available at the moment, but Mercedes says the E 53 sedan will go on sale in the U.S. toward the end of this year…(Read…)
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