Hasta La Ideas

Photographer Neil Krug and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker travelled to an abandoned mining town in the Namibian desert to shoot the cover art for The Slow Rush. We talk to Krug about the shoot, getting creative with leaf blowers and turning faded rooms into a dream world 

The post Creating the artwork for Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush appeared first on Creative Review.

In our latest competition, we’ve teamed up with JAK Shoes to offer readers the chance to win a pair of Royal shoes.

Two winners will each will a pair of JAK Shoes‘ signature shoe, the Royal, in a colour and size of their choice. They are up for grabs in both male and female styles.

“The Royal represents our best interpretation of a luxe, minimalistic sneaker. One that you can dress up or down, combined with the best high-end materials we could source,” said Isabel and José Maria, who co-founded the company in 2014.

The shoes are crafted from a full grain leather on the upper, paired with a soft calf leather lining and stitched rubber sole. Each shoe has a removable shock-proof insole and all pairs come with an extra set of slim insoles for a loose fit.

“Due to its combination of flexibility and durability over time, we mostly use full grain leather, which is the highest quality and most valued part of the hide,” said JAK Shoes. “Full grain leathers carry natural markings, that add character and age beautifully over time.”

Colours available include: WOB, meaning white upper with black rubber sole; hazel, which is a light brown leather with white sole; grey, consisting of grey leather with a white sole and black, meaning black upper and white sole.

They are also available in white, dark blue, NZ, which is black allover and finally dust, which is a light grey.

Each pair comes with a branded cotton travel bag and extra laces, which are natural cotton.

“We source locally and responsibly, and follow a strict ethical code, making sure our products’ raw materials have less environmental impact, and that the people that work with us are fairly and ethically treated.”

“[We are] inspired by artists, architects, critical thinkers, engineers and others who dedicate their work to interpret function and aesthetics as one,” said the shoe’s designers.

The company’s aim is to create shoes that are long lasting and not only look good, but are meant to be worn. All products are made in Portugal and sold directly to consumers.

Two readers will each win a pair of Royal sneakers, in a colour and size of their choice. You can also buy online or from the stores in Porto and Lisbon.

Competition closes 23 March. Two winners will be selected at random and notified by email. Other terms and conditions apply.

The post Competition: win a pair of Royal sneakers from JAK Shoes appeared first on Dezeen.

Artist Danielle Baskin has set up Resting Risk Face, a company that will print user’s faces on masks so they can use facial recognition technology while wearing them.

Baskin, who is based in San Francisco, got the idea for the facial-recognition masks after seeing people using masks to try and protect against coronavirus.

“I was discussing whether or not N95 masks were effective as a protective measure against the coronavirus and someone brought up the fact that you couldn’t unlock your phone while wearing one,” Baskin told Dezeen.

“My immediate thought was to put a face on the mask.”

N95 masks fit over the mouth and nose to protect the wearer from liquids and airborne particles. They can be used as part of an infection control strategy, but it is not yet known how effective they are against the spread of coronavirus.

Spikes in demand for N95 masks during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak have led to shortages of them.

“I was aware that it is a bit dystopian to sell a virus-related product, so I played into the dystopia,” Baskin said. Resting Risk Face describes itself as a maker of “trendy dystopian product”.

“I’m waiting to make them, until there’s no longer a mask shortage, but in the interim, I’m running tests on different manufacturing techniques,” said Baskin.

To print the facial-recognition masks, Baskin turns a 2D photo of someone’s face into a 3D image to be printed on a mask.

“The new method I’m using creates a three-dimensional mask with a contoured face that actually does unlock phones that uses depth sensors,” she explained. “You just have to set it as an additional face, since it’s going to be a different shape than your own.”

Test results. A contoured mask works as advertised.

My new look is: Tru Depth Hazmat Bro pic.twitter.com/k9bLyTXkA4

— Danielle Baskin (@djbaskin) February 22, 2020

The facial-recognition masks went viral on social media last week.

“The combination of the coronavirus, facial recognition on our phones, fear of surveillance, and late-stage capitalism really struck a chord with the internet,” said Baskin.

“The most surprising thing to me is how this spread globally so quickly. People in South Korea, Latvia, France, and China reached out to me within a few days.”

“Whether it’s a wildfire, a virus, or a protest, I realise humans all over the world right now can relate to the symbol of the mask.”

Respirator masks have been worn by residents in Australia as out-of-control wildfires caused atmospheric pollution. In Hong Kong protesters have also adopted masks as a way of evading facial-recognition technology.

Baskin hopes that the facial-recognition masks could be useful for people who have to wear them for work or because of illness.

“So many people in the medical industry have reached out saying that they’d love these, as well as cancer-patients, people with severe seasonal allergies, and children,” she said.

“Faces might be one feature, but I think other unique prints would be great for those who need to wear masks on a daily basis for life.”

Baskin specialises in complex printing for her other companies, which include printing logos on avocados and creating custom bicycle helmets.

Tragic situations can sometimes lead to design innovations to help keep people safe in future. After the Grenfell Tower Fire in the UK, designer Rimal Bhatt created a breathing apparatus mask that could help people evacuate from tower blocks.

Danish studio Kilo Design has made a mask for children in response to a UNICEF report that 300 million children live in places with the most toxic pollution levels.

The post Facial-recognition masks let wearers unlock their phones appeared first on Dezeen.

People say that a cup of coffee can make or break a person’s day, I say that a good or bad shower has a stronger impact on the outcome of your day. A perfect shower is arguably more exhilarating than a great cup of coffee. It awakens your senses, opens your eyes, pores, and mind, and has you looking and feeling like an absolute champion. A dull, cold, lifeless shower, on the other hand, can have you feeling groggy, bitter, and shivering. The last time I checked, nobody likes a bad, spiritless shower.

Here’s the formula. A great shower is determined by three variables: Water pressure, temperature, and coverage. Most showerheads check two out of those three boxes, and there are probably a few that check all three, but the Nebia by Moen also checks a secret fourth variable… shower length. With its third Kickstarter iteration, Nebia’s managed to engineer the showerhead in a way that controls droplet sizes on the scale of a micrometer. This new arrangement allows your shower to have twice the intensity and coverage while retaining the temperature that you deem perfect. It also saves as much as 45% water as compared to your regular showerhead, allowing you to shower for longer while using lesser water.

Designed in partnership with Moen’s shower design, Nebia’s showerhead works with water droplets that are less than a millimeter thick. Just like a 4K screen has smaller and more clustered pixels as compared to a 720p screen, Nebia’s showerhead creates what the company calls a “high definition” shower experience. Now that may be marketing-speak, but the shower definitely covers a larger area than a regular shower, especially with its ring-shaped Rainshower head and the shower wand, that bombard you with rain-like water sprays from not just the top, but even the front. That perfect stream of well-heated water is courtesy the specially engineered nozzles within the Nebia by Moen which don’t work as flow-regulators, but rather function as pressure-regulators which help it deliver a consistent experience no matter which part of the world you’re in.

The design comes in an incredibly sleek avatar, with the choice between a Chrome finish, Matte Black finish, and a Spot Resist Nickel finish. Borrowing from the company’s first two variants, the Nebia by Moen features the same easy-to-fit fixture system that lets you instantly plug-and-use your shower kit. The design features a 17-inch vertical slider, a swivel mechanism, and an angular adjuster that lets you aim and position the shower relative to your needs. The optional shower wand even has a magnetic dock that lets you snap it on or off whenever you want.

The Nebia by Moen is the company’s third piece of innovation in the pursuit of the perfect shower. Designed and engineered to work on a level that’s much more precise than any other showerhead out in the market, Nebia by Moen aims at conquering the three golden pillars of the perfect shower, along with that secret fourth pillar that lets you shower for longer while using 45% less water. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t be alone, especially given that the showerhead’s garnered over 7 thousand backers who’ve raised $1.5 million… because a positive shower experience can lead to a positive day!

Designer: Nebia

Click Here to Buy Now: $160 $199 ($40 off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left! Raised over $1,900,000.

Nebia by Moen: 2X More Coverage Saving Half the Water of Standard Showers

Nebia’s mission has been to bring the world’s best and most sustainable shower to as many people as possible. Over the past five years, the team came out with the Nebia 1.0 and Nebia 2.0. Now, Nebia’s patented atomization technology is coming to more homes than ever. To achieve this, the team has partnered with Moen, a leader in the shower industry for over 70 years.

The original Nebia Spa Shower was launched on Kickstarter in 2015. After receiving feedback from thousands of shower lovers and countless hours in the wet lab, the team launched the next-generation, Nebia 2.0, in 2019. With Nebia 1.0 and 2.0, they are proud to say that they have elevated showers around the world and saved over 120 million gallons of water.

Nebia by Moen Review

Why Nebia by Moen

“We are a small startup with a big dream — to transform the way we interact with water. We do this by building innovative products that people love and that are better for the planet.

Like us, Moen started with a breakthrough innovation.

70 years ago, Al Moen invented the first single-handed faucet. Now, together we’ve designed a product that will set the standard for the next era of innovation and sustainability.”

By coupling Nebia’s atomization expertise with Moen’s world-class design and manufacturing capabilities, the team has created the most thoughtful, versatile, and accessible shower system yet. The hope is that Nebia by Moen will reach more homes than ever and play a critical role in the ambitious goal to save one billion gallons of water by 2021. The team expects overall water savings to reach 6 billion gallons of water by 2024.

The Nebia Experience

Nebia by Moen has 2X more coverage and saves about half the water used by standard showers.

The team has perfected the ideal combination of droplet size, spray pattern, and droplet velocity that results in the best thermal performance yet, and a shower that feels powerful while also enveloping and spa-like. When compared to Nebia 2.0 the droplets are 61% larger in mass (17% larger in diameter), which significantly increases their ability to retain heat.

It is the combination of size, speed and location of each droplet that ensures your shower is magical, enveloping, warm and efficient. Nebia by Moen controls more droplets, more precisely, across more showers setups, than anyone else. This control places precise droplets in the right place and at the right speed.

While traditional showers use flow restrictors or regulators, Nebia use a pressure regulator. Instead of limiting the amount of water that can go through your shower, Nebia by Moen controls the pressure to our proprietary nozzle array to deliver the perfect spray across all showers, from a tiny home in the countryside, to a penthouse apartment in the heart of downtown.

Easy self-install

Unlike a traditional overhead-handheld combo shower system, which often costs thousands of dollars including extra valves, in-wall plumbing and an expert to help, you can install Nebia by Moen yourself. Simple and intuitive “click together” features assure watertight seals without complicated plumbing tools. If you can change a lightbulb, you can install Nebia by Moen.

Adjustability to optimize your experience

Not only does the Wand complete the enveloping spray of Nebia by Moen, but now the Rainshower is more adjustable to your needs than ever. The shower system is compatible with waist-high water outlets and International BSPP threads, commonly found in Europe and other parts of the globe.

In New Finishes

Matt Black

Spot Resist Nickel

Spot Resist Nickel is a trademarked Moen finish which prevents water spots and fingerprints, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your home and less time cleaning.

White + Chrome

Click Here to Buy Now: $160 $199 ($40 off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left! Raised over $1,900,000.

Well-priced original artwork from a platform that aims to boost early-career artists

With a bit of effort, it’s easy for some people to find original art. Rarely, though, is it affordable. Binned Art aims to be the solution for those who don’t know where to get unique pieces and those who intend to be price conscious about it. Artists submit works to Binned Art’s online marketplace and declare a price based on specified factors (that include size). The staff then curates a selection and sells it without revealing artists’ real names (sometimes work is anonymous, other times it is pseudonymous). Impressive, unique works start at $190—a truly uncommon price in an industry known for auction houses and gallery-level price tags.

Binned Art’s mission benefits both artists and fledgling collectors. Rather than paper one’s wall with the same old prints, posters or knock-offs, the service puts original paintings and drawings within reach. As for artists, it’s an opportunity to shed excess inventory and generate revenue—which both offer necessary support for early-career artists. Binned Art uses a newsletter to announce when the next collection hits the internet. There, it’s visible in 3D. As the works are not in editions, when a piece is gone, it’s gone.

Images courtesy of Binned Art