Check Out the Oregon Ducks' Fancy Nike-Branded Disappearing Portable Toilet

Phil Knight is not only the billionaire co-founder, ex-CEO and now Chairman Emeritus of Nike; he’s also a philanthropist and key benefactor for his alma mater, the University of Oregon, to whom he’s donated $797 million to date.

The U. of O.’s football team, the Oregon Ducks, apparently doesn’t want for anything; they play their games in a 54,000-capacity stadium, have frequently-updated Nike-designed uniforms coordinated by Nike’s Tinker Hatfield (also an alumnus of the school), and during games they don’t have to walk back to the locker room to use the toilet. Instead they’ve got this fancy piece of Nike-branded kit:

I assume it folds down so as not to block people’s views. Anyways it would be hilarious if there was no actual receptacle inside, and after they rolled it away you’d just see a gross mess.

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Apparatus designs Interlude furniture for "imagined, modernist concert hall"

Apparatus at Salon

An embroidered floor lamp and two eel-skin clad cabinets are among the objects in a collection by US lighting studio Apparatus that took direction from musical scores.

Apparatus at Salon
Embroidery influenced by musical motifs decorates lamps and a screen in Apparatus’ Interlude

Presented at this year’s Salon Art + Design in New York, the elaborate collection Interlude was created to take on a host of musical references.

“The collection is conceived as a suite of furnishings designed for an imagined, modernist concert hall,” Apparatus said.

Apparatus at Salon
The shapes used in the collection’s series of marble tables took cues from symbols found in music scores

Throughout the series of limited-edition works, the use of materials and shapes are reminiscent of melodic symbols and pay homage to music.

Examples include a pair of cabinets influenced by the music and composition techniques of Theme and Variation. They are crafted with a unique mix of dark materials including eel skin, carpathian burl, suede and bronze.

Apparatus at Salon
Cabinets in the Interlude collection play with the musical techniques of Theme and Variation

“Musical references inform the collection, with motifs evoking synesthetic interpretations of notes on a score, and a pair of cabinets conceived in the compositional tradition of Theme and Variation,” the studio added.

Decorative embroidery, beading and threadwork was carefully integrated into the exterior of a brass mesh cage, which forms the light shade used on several of the light fixtures in Interlude.

Musical shapes and symbols are sewn onto the pieces and employ a range of colours, textures and patterns.

“The dimensional beading and threadwork evoke synesthetic interpretations of a musical score, organic forms recorded on a strict grid,” Apparatus added.

Apparatus at Salon
Interlude was exhibited at this year’s Salon Art + Design in New York

Another netted cylinder forms “a veil” over lamp with an alabaster core. “The rounded silhouette of the mesh cage forms a veil over the glowing stone, an airy metallic contrast to the warmly grounded material,” the designers described.

Similar techniques were used to create other pieces in the collection, including wall scones and a screen.

Pieces of marble shaped like the embroidery motifs form the surface for a set of tables in the collection. Two small sections break away from the large central table to create the series conceived as one piece.

Apparatus at Salon
The collection features several lighting designs including this embroidered sconce, which was formed from a brass mesh material

Apparatus first unveiled Interlude collection during this year’s Milan design week. The studio then presented the series at this year’s Salon Art + Design in New York, which took place earlier this month, including news designs like the floor lamp.

Apparatus was among sixty studios and galleries that showcased a mix of contemporary and mid-century art, furniture and design works at the event.

Apparatus at Salon
The lamp is decorated with embroidery evocative of musical motifs

Apparatus was founded by Gabriel Hendifar and his partner Jeremy Anderson in 2012. The brand has showrooms in New York City, Milan and opened a third location in Los Angeles.

Other collections by the design duo include a homeware and lighting series influenced by intricately decorated Persian boxes and kaleidoscopic patterned textiles that also pay homage to Hendifar’s Persian roots.

Photography is by Eric Petschek.

The post Apparatus designs Interlude furniture for “imagined, modernist concert hall” appeared first on Dezeen.

3D Printing a Skateboard with Carbon Fiber Reinforced PLA Filament

James Bruton is an ex-toy-designer (coming from the EE side, not the ID side) who now shares videos of his experiments and inventions on YouTube. Bruton recently got his hands on some of MatterHackers’ carbon-fiber-reinforced PLA filament, and 3D-printed it alongside regular PLA to see how it measured up.

His simple test showed the CFR PLA to be roughly 20% stiffer. Then, to put the stuff to more practical use, he printed up an unusual design for a multi-part skateboard, then took it to a skatepark:

By the bye, if you’re interested in buying some carbon-fiber-reinforced PLA yourself, here’s a link. (Today being Black Friday, MatterHackers’ site states that they’re offering discounts from today through Cyber Monday, but they don’t specify what the discount is.)

The Arrivals’ Cell Signal-Blocking Parka

NYC-based brand The Arrivals has designed a new parka with the intention of wearers reconnecting to nature. Inside, the puffer jacket (called the Aer) features a Faraday pocket made from a blend of polyester, copper and nickel. This combination blocks radio-frequency identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), electromagnetic fields (EMR and EMF) and radiation signals—all the methods of delivery to mobile phones for push notifications, GPS tracking, text messages, and more. “We live in a time where we are more connected to our devices than to the environments we inhabit,” Jeff Johnson (co-founder of The Arrivals) tells Dezeen. “We began conceptualizing solutions that would enable users to reconnect with the outdoors by disconnecting from everything else.” Read more there.

Urban Gardening Changing Vietnam Villages

Une nouvelle initiative au Vietnam fait les gros titres. TAA Design, un cabinet d’architecture situé à Ho Chi Minh, a achevé la «Maison au toit rouge», un objectif de lutte contre l’urbanisation rapide avec des jardins autonomes au sommet de son toit.

Le potager sert également de lieu de rencontre et de socialisation pour les habitants du village rural. La maison a été construite pour un couple marié d’âge moyen qui a vécu toute sa vie dans la province de Quang Ngai. L’objectif était de rendre la petite zone aussi dynamique que possible. Un atelier de réparation de vélos, un salon, une cuisine, un four à bois, une chambre principale, des toilettes et un poulailler sont réunis sur un étage du bâtiment.






Can Technology Help Preserve Long Lasting Global Cultures and Heritage?

Did you miss out on the festivities at this years Core77 Conference, “The Third Wave“? Don’t sweat it, as we are rolling out many of our presenters’ presentations over the next few weeks.

In this video, CEO of Roots Studio Rebecca Hui explains how company’s online database helps rural communities make money from their original artwork by licensing art out to large brands and companies. Hui also demonstrates how digging deep into one’s personal experiences can make for great design ideas:

Watch more from the 2019 Core77 Conference:

What is Third Wave Design? | Allan Chochinov, Core77 Partner

John Maeda on the Merit of Taking Design Risks

How to Use Data to Design Better Products | Joe Meersman, Marijke Jorritsma and Dean Malmgren

Founder and COO of Farmshelf Suma Reddy Wants to Fix Our Broken Food System

The Weekly Design Roast, #27: Special Firewood Edition

True story: Another design blog wrote about these “incredible series of design ideas” based around firewood storage. That might not sound like Core77’s bag, but this “design exercise” has all the elements of a design roast: Models doing silly things, aesthetics at the expense of function, minimal design work done for the sake of “minimalism,” a complete lack of consideration for the user experience.

When you’re loading a woodburning stove, particularly in the mornings, it’s usually freezing. You want to load the thing and get a fire going as quickly as possible. This design turns it into a physics exercise similar to those fruit pyramids at the supermarket: Don’t grab the wrong one, or be prepared for a fun mini-avalanche! Also, why is there a pair of Adidas in here, product placement?

This design carries about half the payload its footprint should allow. To distract from that, meet Olivia, who can do mid-air splits.

“The tiny wheels are perfect for helping you transport heavy firewood loads from the woodshed to your house. Just ensure the path the two between is perfectly level and smooth, preferably epoxy-paved. On the other hand, if you have to navigate flagstones, dirt, rocks, gravel, grass, mud, slopes, level changes, or if there are stairs leading to your front door, we’ve added a convenient carry handle.”

From the actual description: “An industrial container can be transformed, evolve [to] take on a new appearance and a new function. [Product name] can become a holder for firewood or pellets, a flower pot stand, a magazine rack…” Thanks for the tips, Captain Obvious. They should promote you to Major.

“Instead of allowing the user to easily grab a split, let’s make them lift it to a predetermined height before it becomes free of its enclosure. This will become more fun as they get lower down the pile.”

What the eff is this for–bringing your firewood to the Milan Furniture Fair?

This design should work great, if you take the time to sort through your firewood pile and choose only splits that are perfectly straight and balanced. Also, you’ll have fun inserting and removing them from the sides; that white wall will definitely not be covered in scuff marks in a few weeks.

These are made from an unspecified “elastic” material that takes its shape from its contents. So you can use them to have a seat and ottoman, or you can actually use the firewood to build your freaking fire. You choose.

Never mind that that lifestyle model on the left looks like she thinks equestrian accessories provide witch-like powers and she’s trying to cast a spell on the fire. The design of this contraption is such that you must get down on your hands and knees to load/unload logs. Also, you must go all the way around the object to fully load/unload it. Also, you cannot see at a glance if it is completely full or empty, but must walk all the way around it. Also, because there’s no clearance above the logs, you must slide/pull them to load/unload, while you’re in a squatting or kneeling position. Let’s see how your back holds up.

There’s nothing I could say about this photo that I haven’t already said about the others. Oh wait a sec, yes there is: Splinters. Why are you dressed like that, did you just come from a barefoot funeral?

Lastly, the image above is how I feel after gathering images for a weekly design roast. There’s a reason I do ’em on Fridays. (Also note more Adidas product placement.)

What if you could make your curtains open with your voice? Or better, with your alarm?

It’s rare to come across a good idea that no one’s thought of yet… that’s simple, sensible, and most importantly, feasible. The SwitchBot appeared somewhere on my Instagram feed a week ago, and I scrolled right past it, paused, and scrolled right back. Here’s a product that’s perfect for lazy people, for technologically inclined people, for elderly people, and for people who prioritize home-security. What’s the SwitchBot? Basically put, it’s a robot that runs along your curtain rod, dragging your curtains open or closed… but when you think about its possible applications, the SwitchBot’s a pretty great product!

Designed to universally retrofit onto most curtain rods, the SwitchBot comes with two hooks that hold it in place and a wheel that moves the bot left or right. Place the SwitchBot between the first and second loops of your curtain or blind, and the bot can now, on command, run up and down the curtain rod, maneuvering your curtains open or closed. SwitchBot runs on an app, but even supports voice commands via your phone or smart speaker, effectively allowing you to have your own “Let there be light” moment by commanding the curtains to open at will. IFTTT and shortcuts support even lets you sync SwitchBot with your alarm, or with the time of the day, thanks to the bot’s in-built light sensor. You can even hook it to your home security setup, allowing you to remotely trigger the lights and curtains in your room to deter any criminals. Moreover, you could program it to even pull the shades shut in the afternoon when the daylight’s strong, helping save on your air-conditioning and electricity bill. It truly is a simple idea with endless applications!

The SwitchBot’s strongest sell is its universal design. It fits onto practically every type of curtain rod/rail, working with 99% curtain types (even double-sided ones). Setting it up is as simple as hooking the SwitchBot onto the rod and configuring it in the app… or using a traditional remote-style control to activate your curtains. The bot packs enough pulling power to tug on curtains as heavy as 17 pounds, and comes with a 3400 mAh battery and even an optional solar panel add-on to keep it working forever without you having to worry about charging it! What a ‘bright’ idea, no?!

Designer: Wonder Tech Lab

Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $100 (30% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left! Raised over $630,000.

SwitchBot Curtain: Make Your Curtains Smart in Seconds

Automate your existing curtains. Support Alexa, Google Home, and Siri. The affordable retrofit solution you have been looking for.

SwitchBot Curtain Details

– Automate any curtain (rod and rail type), with App, Schedule, and Sun light sensor.
– Install in 30 seconds without any screws, nuts or bolts.
– The most affordable motorized curtain solution. Don’t waste your curtain, retrofit it.
– Voice control your curtain with Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, with Hub Mini.
Open and connected with API, IFTTT, and SmartThings support with Hub Mini.
Practical and useful for high ceiling curtains, elderly, and disabled people.

Works with alexa, Google assistant, Siri and IFTTT

Why Choose SwitchBot

Energy Saving

Sun light sensor for keeping the room cool

The SwitchBot Curtain has a built-in sun light sensor to detect sunlight. This can help save energy by reducing the workload on your air-conditioning and heating. It can be set to automatically close during the day time in summer to block out the sunlight and keep your room cool. You can also have it automatically open during the day in winter to warm your room with sunlight.

Save energy with the solar panel strip add-on

You can also install the solar power strip add-on to charge the SwitchBot Curtain’s battery using sunlight, thus eliminating the need to recharge the battery.

Smart Living

Lifestyle automated with the Schedule feature

Leverage technology to take care of the daily routines through automation and voice control. A “Lights Off” scene turns off the light and draws the curtains brighten the room naturally with sunlight. Or you can just say it “Alexa/Ok Google/Hey Siri, give me sunlight”.

Healthy Lifestyle

Wake up naturally to sunlight

Maintain a regular light-dark cycle in your bedroom to keep your sleep-wake rhythm in sync with your circadian rhythm. The SwitchBot Curtain can be set to close at night and open when it senses daylight. Get better sleep and wake naturally to sunshine.

Anti-theft

Set your curtains to close automatically when you’re out of the house to hide your valuables from prying eyes. Can’t remember if you closed the window? Check via our app and remotely close the curtains where necessary. Or set them to automatically open at regular intervals to give the impression that someone’s home.

Retrofit Your Curtains

Retrofitting is simple with SwitchBot Curtain. It only takes a few seconds to make your existing curtains smart.

The average price of a set of smart curtains is USD 1,000. The SwitchBot Curtain is way more cost-effective at a fraction of that price. You don’t just save money with the SwitchBot Curtain, you do your part for the environment by retaining your existing curtains instead of throwing it away.

Supports 99% Curtains

The SwitchBot Curtain supports different track types such as U-rail and I-rail, and also rod types. It is also wireless. Just clip it on and you’re ready to go. It is that simple.

For those of you who have a longer rod with a bump where the rod extends, we’ve got that figured out. The SwitchBot Curtain is not affected by such bumps.

The SwitchBot Curtain has hooks for U-rail. It is simple to attach the respective hooks to the rails.

App Control

Open and close the curtain at your fingertip. We offer intuitive App control for iOS and Android, with weekly/bi-weekly updates following feedback from you. OTA firmware update is also available for better user experience.

Voice Control

Smart living is powered by your voice commands. Wouldn’t it be great to just say it?

Touch & Go

Even with SwitchBot Curtain, you’d probably still instinctively draw the curtains by hand some times. When it senses you drawing the curtain, the SwitchBot Curtain will kick in and do the work for you. We call this Touch & Go.

Remote Control

A wireless remote button add-on for you to place anywhere.

Retrofit Double-sided Curtains

Double-sided curtains are very common and we have been getting a lot of enquiries about how to use the SwitchBot Curtain with these. You could get two units and part the double-sided curtains from the middle. Or, you could try out this tip from the King of Retrofit! Attach the top curtains with a velcro strip or a strong clip so the curtains will move as one. Then install the SwitchBot Curtain on either ends to let it work its magic!

So your next question is probably where to find a velcro strip. Good news is, we believe so strongly in retrofitting that we will ship every SwitchBot Curtain with a velcro strip in the box as a standard accessory.

The Unseen Bot

Size fits in your palm

The SwitchBot Curtain is so small that it hides nicely behind your curtains. It will work in its own way without getting in your way. Likewise, they keep the sophisticated mechanism within the body of the SwitchBot Curtain, giving you fast and easy installation so you can enjoy the benefits it brings.

Battery Life

Instead of a wired system, the SwitchBot Curtain is a wireless solution. It uses a rechargeable battery that lasts 8 months depending on the usage. This means you only need to charge it once or twice a year!

What’s more, you can forget about having to charge it by getting the solar power strip add-on. Sunlight will ensure the SwitchBot Curtain is charged up for its daily work routine.

In the box, 2 types of hooks will be there for your preference.

Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $100 (30% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left! Raised over $630,000.

Using CAD, Guy Draws Tesla Cybertruck in Just Sixty Seconds

Here’s an angle (pun intended) I’d not thought of with the Cybertruck: It’s probably the easiest, fastest vehicle you could possibly draw in CAD. Faster than any Volkswagen Thing, Mercedes G-Wagen or ’80s Volvo. Here’s Blender whiz CG Geek doing it in sixty seconds (undoubtedly edited a bit):

Gifts for the Home: Well Designed & On the Cheap

Want to find some gifts that reflect high-end taste on a small budget? These are some great small objects for the home that are sure to impress.

View the full content here