This custom keyboard brings Photoshop’s toolbar to life!

Aside from the fact that it’s horizontal rather than vertical, this custom keyboard is the spitting image of Photoshop’s toolbar. Just casually place it in front of you either above your external keyboard or below your laptop keyboard and you’ve essentially got yourself a powerful set of Photoshop shortcuts, complete with Photoshop’s iconography for good measure. You can find all of Photoshop’s commonly used tools in the key-layout, along with quick-access keys for undoing and redoing, as well as for saving and opening files. There are even custom-mappable knobs for controlling features such as brush sizes, hardness, or even for zooming in/out. The keyboard can be mapped as per your requirements, and for people who don’t want something this elongated (that’s not what she said), there’s even a smaller, square-shaped Numpad-esque keyboard with a few extra buttons that unlock more features… and while products like Loupedeck’s Creative Tool exist, it’s nice knowing that this particular variant, created by Etsy-maker 3dDecors, is close to 5 times cheaper.

Forget the MacBook and its Touch Bar, just buy me this slim custom keyboard and I’ll be on my way.

Designer: 3dDecors

Inside NASA’s Mars Rover Remote Control Rooms

Given the universal directive to practice social distancing, even NASA’s teams work remotely. That means those in command of the current Mars Curiosity Rover mission control it from their homes. The predicament forced NASA to accommodate less-capable hardware systems, deal with slower coding sequences, and ultimately send fewer commands to the Rover each day. But, as social media posts from the agency suggest, NASA is getting along just fine. “It’s classic, textbook NASA. We’re presented with a problem and we figure out how to make things work,” science operations team chief Carrie Bridge tells SlashGear. Read more there.

Apple Announces New iPhone SE

While their stores will remain shut for the time being, Apple has announced the new iPhone SE, which will go on sale on April 24th.

As someone who doesn’t care about faster chips or bigger screens, and has been disappointed in Apple’s UI/UX design decline, the retro-esque SE is probably the only iPhone I’d buy. (And even then, only if my already-cracked-screen iPhone 7 shattered completely.) They’ve brought back the Touch ID rather than face-rec, it’s the same size as the 7–any bigger and I can’t fit it into my pocket of choice–and at $399 it’s the cheapest phone in Apple’s line-up.

I went through the copy to see if there was a single new design feature they added that might give a glimmer of the old Apple magic. I only found one, and it’s minor:

That small UI/UX touch–not having to futz with targeted thumb swipes to switch modes–is the kind of little detail that I used to really appreciate about the company. I didn’t see anything else in the vaunted features that sounded attractive enough to warrant an upgrade.

Some features I’d like to see in the phone:

– The ability to hold it in portrait, while it shoots in landscape

– Made of something that’s actually durable, instead of what they claim is durable

– Probably too tough of a nut to crack, but if it folded and worked I’d buy it in a heartbeat

The thing I hate the most about the new iPhones is the face-rec. Creep factor aside, on the farm there are plenty of times where I’m wearing a respirator while working, and I can’t imagine having to pull it off every time I want to change podcasts, type a note, or shoot an image of a part that needs fixing. And now that many of us are wearing facemasks for the time being, facial recognition sounds less convenient than ever.

Google's Wing drones deliver essentials during coronavirus pandemic

The Wing drone delivery system developed by Google is being used to deliver toilet paper and medicine to residents in lockdown in Virginia, USA.

Run by Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc, the drone delivery service had been running a test programme for several months before the coronavirus pandemic.

Now Wing‘s drones are being used to deliver essentials such as medicine, baby food, canned tuna, toilet paper, toothpaste and pasta for people living around the town of Christiansburg in rural Virginia.

Wing drone delivery service by Google
Wing’s drones lower parcels on a tether

Wing has seen a significant increase in requests for deliveries since the coronavirus outbreak began.

“We’ve made more than 1,000 deliveries in the last two weeks across all our communities,” Wing CEO James Ryan Burgess told Dezeen.

“While we recognise that this service will be a small relief during this time, we hope it means one less trip to the store for items our customers may need, and provides an efficient way for local businesses to reach their customers in a time when limiting human-to-human contact is important.”

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the state’s governor to put Virginians under a stay at home order until 10 June 2020.

To reduce transmission, people have been asked to avoid contact with people outside of their household. Drone delivery allows people to buy essential items without leaving their house or putting delivery people at increased risk.

Wing drone delivery service by Google
The drones can carry a parcel weighing up to 1.3 kilograms

Wing’s drones have a wingspan of one metre and can carry parcels that weigh up to 1.3 kilograms for a round trip of 12 miles.

Google began testing its Wing drone delivery service in Australia in 2014, where the unmanned aerial vehicles dropped off dog treats and first aid kits for farmers in the outback. Last April, Wing became the first drone operator in the USA to be approved as a commercial service to deliver goods by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Customers submit an order via an app, prompting a drone to fly to a delivery facility to pick up the items packed in a specially designed cardboard carrier.

Laden with its package, the drone flies to its destination at altitude, before dropping and hovering at a height of seven metres above the ground to deliver its cargo.

The package is lowered on a tether and automatically released. There is no need to interact with the drone or unclip the package before the drone flies off and returns to its base.

Wing drone delivery service by Google
Each drone has a wingspan of one metre

In Virginia the unmanned arial drones are being used to deliver orders made via delivery company FedEx and supermarket Walgreens.

Local bakery Mockingbird Cafe has also been using Wing to deliver pastries to residents stuck at home during the lockdown, and a coffee shop called Burgh Coffee has signed up to deliver its cold brew using the service. Wing still has two delivery sites in Australia, and is also trialling the service in Helsinki, Finland.

Drone deliveries are changing the way that people live in urban areas, as explored in Dezeen’s documentary short Elevation.

As countries around the world attempt to contain the spread of covid-19, drones are one of the technologies being used to help maintain quarantine. In China, drones were used to hold lights over hospital construction sites at night and to tell people out in the streets to stay at home.

Photos courtesy of Wing.

The post Google’s Wing drones deliver essentials during coronavirus pandemic appeared first on Dezeen.

10 films for architecture fans recommended by Dezeen readers

Ex Machina

In response to our story highlighting films with interesting architecture to stream during coronavirus self-isolation, Dezeen commenters have recommended 10 more architectural films.




Ex Machina, 2014

Troy Smith Studio flagged that we missed science-fiction movie Ex Machina from our list: “Ex Machina, if I remember correctly, took place in a cool looking house”.

Directed by British writer Alex Garland, the thriller is set in a tech billionaire Nathan Bateman’s (Oscar Isaac) minimalist hideaway in Alaska. In an interview with Dezeen, production designer Mark Digby explained how the set was used to create a clinical mood and provide a “seducing” backdrop.

Ex Machina is available to watch on Netflix, Amazon, Youtube and Google Play.


A Single Man, 2009

“My personal suggestion is ‘A Single Man’ by Tom Ford,” said Dezeen commenter Pierluigi M M. “Beautiful movie and shot in John Lautner’s amazing Schaffer residence in California.”

Directed by fashion designer Tom Ford, The Single Man follows an English professor George Falconer – played by Colin Firth – as he navigates life following the loss of his partner, Jim. Ford chose the modernist JW Schaffer house that architect John Lautner completed in 1949 as Falconer’s home.

The residence exhibits a number of details that were influenced by Frank Loyd Wright, including a connection to nature that followed his organic architecture principles.

A Single Man is available to watch on Netflix.


The Conformist, 1970

The set of Bernardo Bertolucci’s political drama The Conformist has ties to Facist regime. A key element is the Palazzo dei Congressi, which is located in Rome’s 1930s residential and business district EUR, which was built under Fascist leader Benito Mussolini.

“It’s hard to imagine not having The Conformist on the list,” said Jonathan Wald. “It’s actually about architecture, and the way architecture influences character and life. And one of the most beautiful films ever made.”

The Conformist is available to watch on Youtube and Amazon.


Don Giovanni, 1979

“Joseph Losey’s Don Giovanni is stunning with its cinematography and Italian Renaissance settings,” commented Clichy. “Musically amazing of course but the use of architecture is stunning. One of the most beautiful films I have ever seen.”

Adapted from a Mozart opera, the film of the same name features buildings by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, including Basilica Palladiana, Villa Rotonda and Teatro Olimpico.

Don Giovanni is available for purchase on Amazon.


My Life as a House, 2001

“Check out ‘My Life as a House’ starring Kevin Klein as a model maker in an architect’s office!” said Nick Poulsen.

My Life as a House follows an architectural model-maker George Monroe, played by Kevin Kline, who loses his job and is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The film follows Monroe as he rebuilds his house with his son.

My Life as a House is available to watch on Youtube.


Renaissance, 2006

Paris in the year 2054 is imagined in animations in this animated tech-noir science-fiction film. The movie is predominantly in black and white save for a few pops of colour.

It was recommended by Dezeen reader OvN, who also suggested Equilibrium and Aeon Flux.

Renaissance is available to watch on Amazon, Youtube and Google Play.


Columbus, 2017

Nate Crail suggested that Columbus would be suited to architecture fans.

Not only does the story follow an architectural scholar, it is set in unlikely modernist mecca Columbas, Indiana.

Columbus is available to watch on Amazon, Youtube and Google Play.


Skyscraper, 2018

Action-adventure film Skyscraper centres around a fictional, 240-storey-high skyscraper in Hong Kong, called The Pearl.

To make the building believable director Rawson Marshall Thurber enlisted Chicago architect Adrian Smith, whose firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is behind some of the world’s tallest structures.

“I think Skyscraper 2018 deserves a mention,” said commenter Isaac Anuoluwapo Omosebi.

Skyscraper is available to watch on Hulu, Amazon, Youtube and Google Play.


The Fountainhead, 1949

Modernist architect Howard Roark, played by Gary Cooper, battles to stick to his ideal rather than conform to traditional aesthetics in black and white drama The Fountainhead.

“Great film about a modernist architect struggling against the establishment,” said Dezeen commenter AlfredHitchcock.

The Fountainhead is available to watch on Amazon, Youtube and Google Play.


I Am Love, 2010

Last up is Luca Guadagnino’s Romance and Drame I am Love, which is set inside Necchi Villa. The film, picked out by commenter Sally, offers insight into the Gran Villa in Milan, which was completed by architect Piero Portaluppi in 1935.

I Am Love is available to watch on Amazon, Youtube and Google Play.

The post 10 films for architecture fans recommended by Dezeen readers appeared first on Dezeen.

Social Distancing in World’s Most Iconic Paintings

Les créatifs Jeff Roy et Drake Paul, du John McNeil Studio, une agence située à Berkeley en Californie, intègrent la distanciation sociale dans des peintures célèbres.

La pandémie qui suscite beaucoup d’inquiétude à travers le monde révèle aussi de nouvelles formes de créativité et un nouvel élan artistique. En lien avec le contexte actuel, les artistes du monde entier proposent leur vision du monde actuel, font passer des messages importants et s’investissent parfois dans des causes solidaires.

La série « The Art of Quarantine » de Jeff Roy et Drake Paul met les œuvres d’art emblématiques « en quarantaine » afin de faire passer le message fort « Stay Home. Save Lives. ».
Les règles de distanciation sont donc mises en application au sein de ces tableaux célèbres, de Magritte, Hopper, Van Gogh, Munch ou encore Wood. Ainsi, les personnages se retrouvent confinés ou les tableaux se retrouvent vidés de leurs protagonistes.

Il n’y a plus personne dans le restaurant de Hopper dans « Nighthawks », Jésus et ses disciples ont quitté la table de « La cène », le fermier et sa femme sont enfermés dans leur maison dans « American Wood ».






Brittany Howard: You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks (Funkadelic Cover)

Alabama Shakes frontwoman, Brittany Howard covers Funkadelic’s “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” from 1971’s pinnacle Maggot Brain for Spotify Singles. A faithful but refreshing take on the funk classic, Howard’s rendition starts off mellow but steamy before progressing to its ferocious, chaotic and spectacular climax. The lyrics “and if in our tears, we don’t learn to share with your brother/ you know that hate is gonna keep on multiplying/ and you know that man is gonna keep right on dying” remain as relevant now as they did almost 50 years ago.

The ATMOBLUE wearable smart-purifier delivers 99.9% purified air to let you breathe clean air freely

Five months ago, not everyone knew what an N95 mask was… today they cost up to 100 times what they were originally worth just because of the crushing demand globally. Chances are we’re probably going to need to wear this mask more often than not. With disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and bad air-quality in most urban cities across the world, masks will almost certainly become more commonplace, so it’s best if we reconcile with the fact that the N95 mask, as highly coveted as it is, is far from perfect. In fact, it’s quite bad.

There’s an inherent set of problems with the common N95. A, it’s a struggle to breathe through, especially for long intervals, B. it’s uncomfortable having that humid air circulating around your mouth, C. for 2/3rd of the world’s population, it fogs up glasses, and D. it needs to be disposed of after a certain point of time. The N95 mask isn’t great, and Leandro Rolon and his team set out on a mission to make it better.

Rolon, an architect, designer, and CEO of his own 3D printing company, realized what a big problem it was breathing polluted air in China, where he had set up his studio. Air quality isn’t a problem you can fix short-term, and while governments still fumble with this widespread problem, the only quick solution to breathing in bad air is to wear a mask… except these masks weren’t designed to be worn all the time. Leandro soon realized that the best mask was the one that solved the four aforementioned problems. It needed to be comfortable, and effectively circulate purified air so that you could breathe with ease, and your glasses wouldn’t get fogged up. The solution required scaling down an air purifier to something that was small enough to fit on your face. Calling it the ATMOBLUE, Leandro and his team developed an entirely new category of wearables that could actively purify the air of 99.9% of particles, pioneering a technology that made them sort of the Tesla of face-masks, as opposed to the N95 which only filtered 95% of the air. The mask featured “positive air pressure” which helped keep out germs and contaminants by making the air pressure inside the mask greater than the air pressure outside. Built-in fans pushed purified air right into the insides of the mask, allowing you to breathe normally, and one-way outlets got rid of the humid air, so your mouth never felt wet and sweaty. ATMOBLUE was designed as an upgrade to the N95, which almost every Asian wore outdoors. Its fan-operated purification system allowed people to breathe clean air easily (a feature that really helped people with inherent respiratory issues), and a comfortable silicone rim around the mask created a proper airtight seal, so air didn’t leak out – which ensured that you were breathing pure air at all times, and that if you wore glasses, they never fogged up. ATMOBLUE was designed and prototyped as an R&D project back in end-2017. The following year the product was commercialized and a little over 20,000 units were sold throughout Asia. The team even went on to receive great reviews and awards, such as a Red Dot Design Award, IDSA award and 1st place at the Techcrunch Shanghai start-up competition… then suddenly one day, the news of a mysterious viral disease broke out of Wuhan.

Quickly ramping up production to bring his easy-breathing mask to all the people who needed it, Rolon and his partners made a variety of upgrades and launched the mask on Kickstarter as a powerful, wearable version of your domestic purifier. Designed to be just as small as any conventional face mask (and weighing only 190 grams), ATMOBLUE uses two small yet powerful fans that pull air through HEPA filters. These filters snap right onto the mask and can easily be interchanged after nearly months of use, instead of throwing out your old N95 mask after 2-3 days of wearing.

ATMOBLUE was originally envisioned as a mask to protect people from harmful air particles such as PM2.5 (a mixture of small, solid particles and liquid droplets in the air), for people with respiratory issues, and for sportspeople who often need larger quantities of oxygen delivered to their lungs while exercising. Given that it’s inherently difficult to breathe through an N95 mask, leave alone breathing through one while you’re jogging down a trail and gasping for air, ATMOBLUE makes it feel like you don’t have a mask on. Air gets delivered directly to your mouth and nose, allowing you to breathe as easily as you would without a mask… additionally, the HEPA filters give you up to 99.9% air purity. The mask’s patented band system wraps horizontally around your head, giving you full freedom to move your head while going about your day, and especially while exercising. The internal fans, which come with three speed settings for airflow, are surprisingly noise-less (between 10-45 decibels), and despite the mask’s hard-body construction and air-tight seal, it doesn’t inhibit your ability to talk. In fact, vocal clarity is just about the same as with an N95 mask, so you don’t need to take ATMOBLUE off to have basic conversations.

ATMOBLUE’s filter system helps provide cleaner air, while the interchangeable filters save cost in the long run and generate significantly lesser waste. Each HEPA filter can be used for as long as 150 hours before needing to be changed (that’s two months of use if you wear a mask for less than 3 hours each day). Changing the filter is as simple as popping the magnetic cover off and switching the old filter-box for a new one. ATMOBLUE even comes with a smartphone app that gives you filter-health information, letting you know when to make the change, and an air-quality sensor on the mask even lets you know exactly where your neighborhood’s air ranks on the quality index. You can even set up your mask’s auto-air-flow feature on the app, allowing the fan speed to self-adjust by using algorithms to measure your breathing pattern… and when you do need a new set of filters (ideally every two months), you can order them right on the app.

To think about it, the only similarity between ATMOBLUE and an N95 mask is their overall size. The N95 mask is a garment, whereas the ATMOBLUE is a wearable purifier. As dystopian as it may sound, our future isn’t entirely insured against events that may require wearing masks… at least rarely, if not occasionally. Whether you’re a designer in a workshop, a worker in a factory, a scientist in a laboratory, or even a firefighter trying to rescue people through a smoke-filled building, ATMOBLUE helps by being a wearable that’s multiple times better than the current cloth-based alternative. It’s comfortable, secure, efficient, can be used multiple times… and just as an added bonus, looks much better than those clinical face-masks.

Designer: Leandro Rolon
Partners: Cirq Technologies & Broad Group

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $249 (60% off). Hurry, only 19/100 left!

ATMOBLUE – Smart Air Purifier that Blocks 99.9% of Toxic Air

ATMOBLUE is the world’s first wearable, smart air purifier. Their patented air filtration system uses industrial grade, replaceable filters, blocking 99.9% of air particles.

ATMOBLUE Features

Replaceable Industrial Grade H13 HEPA Filters

– Blocks 99.97% of air particulates
– Average use time is 150 hours
– High Quality, Multi-Fold design

Traditional filters are flat and are quickly consumed. Their unique filters are made of up meticulous folds, compressing the flat surface area of two 9.5 squared inch sheets, into two compact filter blocks which slide right into your mask.

N95 < N99 < H13 HEPA Filters

You may have heard the term N95. This simply means 95% of air particles are being captured. At the higher end of the spectrum, N99 (99%) masks are offered for more industrial applications such as painting or waste cleanup. Moving one step further ATMOBLUE’s, H13 HEPA filters block 99.97% of particles which are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. To give you a bit of context, one strand of human hair is about 75 microns across.

Innovative Air Flow Technology

– Dual, high-speed, centrifugal fans continuously supply filtered air to create a refreshing breathing environment.
– Three airflow control settings. Users adjust speeds as needed.
– Positive Air Pressure allows users to breath effortlessly with zero resistance.

The term positive airflow means excess air or “positive air” being pushed into the mask and out through its vents. Because of this solution positive air pushes out exhaled air increasing the overall effectiveness of the mask by removing unwanted bacteria from the breathing zone.

Designed for the most extreme conditions ATMOBLUE’s multiple airflow settings allow users to switch between light mode, when sitting idle on the train or a car, to high strength when jogging through the city or on the job.

Depending on your use, such as fan speed, your rechargeable ATMOBLUE system runs continuously from 3 – 5 hours. When battery life is running low a red indication light notifies users when to recharge. Simply plug into any USB port until your indicator light turns white again.

Lightweight Silicone Seal

Dermatologically friendly silicone creates a soft but airtight seal keeping good air in and bad air out. ATOMBLUE won’t leave marks on your face after each use and can be worn with glasses without fogging up vision.

The unique silicone seal was designed with users in mind. Data of over 1000 individuals’ faces was compiled and then the team created a unique solution that adapts to various sized faces. ATMOBLUE’s soft, lightweight silicone seal contours around the user’s face leaving enough room for movement and flexibility.

Patented Head Strap for Maximum Range & Comfort

With the unique strap-channel design, the continuous head-strap flows through the mask, around your neck and head, creating a full range of continuous motion.

Designed with athletes in mind they used high-quality, flexible, materials allowing for a stretch when using your mobile device or looking around your periphery.

Interchangeable Skins

Available in four color configurations: Smoke, Pearl, Cement Grey, and Light Pink. Replaceable covers allow your mask to transform and adapt to your style and environment. Simply remove the magnetic HEPA caps and pop off the front of the mask. Once you’ve chosen one your ideal color skin, simply attach and go.

Designed to be worn around your neck when not in use or in your carrying bag, ATMOBLUE’s compact design features a lightweight design of only 190 grams.

APP Control

All ATMOBLUE units come standard with built-in software & APP control. The device management APP provides real air-time quality indicators, tracks personal metrics and most importantly offers dynamic air flow controls.

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $249 (60% off). Hurry, only 19/100 left!

Company That Invented Cardboard Beds for Canceled 2020 Tokyo Olympics Now Selling the Airfiber® Mattresses in the U.S.

Remember those cardboard beds that were developed for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Athletes Village? The beds were designed by Airweave, a Japanese mattress manufacturer. Now that the Olympics are off, Airweave must’ve found themselves with warehouses full of no-longer-needed mattresses; as of today, they’ve launched their New Airweave Mattress for sale in the U.S.

What makes Airweave’s mattresses unique is that they don’t contain foam, nor springs. Instead they’re made of airfiber®, the company’s proprietary interwoven polyethylene filaments (BPA-free and hypo-allergenic, the company points out).

Benefits of airfiber®:

– Wake Up With Less Pain. The firm supportive feel of airfiber® blocks, a proprietary technology by airweave, helps maintain the body’s natural posture while sleeping. 70% of customers choose airweave due to back and joint pain.

– Sleep Cool for Deeper Sleep. Airfiber® is proven to lower core body temperature faster so you fall into a deeper sleep faster. Unlike memory foam mattresses, airweave does not trap heat.

Recyclable. The polyethylene resin used to create the airfiber® blocks can also be turned back into raw polyethylene and recycled intoplastic items after its use.

– Easy to move. The New Airweave mattress will be lighter in weight and thinner in size, making it even easier to ship and carry.

Also, the mattresses are washable, which isn’t practically possible with a foam- or spring-based mattress. Obviously you can’t stuff an entire Airweave mattress in the washing machine–just the cover–but the mattress itself can be washed by hand with lukewarm water and air-dried.

Lastly, I find the company’s development story quite interesting, as it speaks of a particularly Japanese mindset for finding success: Obeying tradition while seeking innovative applications. Company founder Motokuni Takaoka inherited his uncle’s fishing line company. Fishing line is made from resin fiber. As an engineer trained at Stanford, Takaoka began experimenting with other things that the resin fiber could be used to make, and I’m guessing at some point he laid down on one of his experiments and went “Whoa, that’s comfortable!”

You can learn more about Airweave, or put in an order, here.

35 architects and designers contribute video messages to help launch Virtual Design Festival

Virtual Design Festival launch movie

Virtual Design Festival has launched with a video featuring self-recorded messages from 35 architects, designers and artists around the world including Stefano Giovannoni, Es Devlin, Ini Archibong, Ben van Berkel and Bec Brittain.

Each contributor delivers a video message to the world, explaining how they are faring during lockdown and offering their thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic.

Dezeen will be publishing many of the video messages in full over the coming days, and we welcome additional submissions from readers. See the brief here.

Maurizio Stochetto, Milan

The VDF launch movie begins with a message from Maurizio Stochetto, owner of Milan’s legendary Bar Basso, where designers congregate in their thousands each evening during Milan Design Week.

The event was due to take place next week but has been cancelled due to coronavirus along with almost all other events in the architecture and design calendar this side of summer.

At the start of the movie, Stochetto unlocks his bar and walks through an empty interior that is familiar to architects and designers around the world, and was the venue for a Dezeen party in 2010.

Milan was among the first western cities to be locked down due to coronavirus, and the Lombardy region remains one of the worst-hit parts of the world.

“With Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival, we still have a chance to be together,” Stochetto says.

Fundraising for Milan’s homeless

In a separate move, following discussions with Stochetto, New York designer Todd Bracher has set up a gofundme campaign to raise money for Milanese homeless charity Opera San Francisco, which Dezeen is delighted to support.

Marcus Fairs, Dezeen, UK

Next, Dezeen founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs introduces Virtual Design Festival and explains its mission.

“Today Dezeen is launching Virtual Design Festival, which we hope will help bring everyone together during these difficult days,” he says, speaking in the temporary VDF broadcast studio that has been set up in a bedroom. The studio will be used to conduct regular live and pre-recorded interviews as part of VDF.

Fabio Novembre, Milan, Italy

This is followed by messages from around the world, starting with Milanese designer Fabio Novembre.

“We are all living in a surreal situation. It’s really like when reality goes much further than science fiction itself,” says Novembre, speaking from his studio in Milan.

Stefano Giovannoni, Milan, Italy

“Remember, after the plague there will be a renaissance,” says industrial designer Stefano Giovannoni, speaking from his home and studio.

Lorenza Bozzoli, Milan, Italy

Milanese designer Lorenza Bozzoli also strikes a note of optimism: “The next Salone [del Mobile in] 2021 in Milano will be fantastic!”

Margriet Vollenberg, Utrecht, Netherlands

“This is a terrible period for everybody,” says Margriet Vollenberg of Dutch organisation Ventura Projects. “But I also have high hopes; I really hope that we find time to clear our heads a little bit to focus a bit.”

Arthur Mamou-Mani, London, UK

“I’m just out of three weeks of symptoms of the Covid-19,” says architect Arthur Mamou-Mani from London. “But I do feel like that shared struggle is bringing people together, bringing us closer.”

Yves Behar, California, USA

“I’m here working from home,” adds Yves Behar, speaking from northern California. “And you know, just keeping drawing, keeping sketching, looking forward to being back with people hugging and brainstorming with a team.”

Rajshree Pathy, Coimbatore, India

“In these challenging times, it’s important for the design fraternity to connect and to see how we can reimagine the world going forward,” says India Design Forum founder Rajshree Pathy from her home in Coimbatore, India.

Ini Archibong, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

“I’ve been finding myself getting out a lot of ideas that have been sitting around waiting for my attention,” says Ini Archibong, speaking from Neuchâtel, Switzerland. “So that’s a good thing. I hope all of you out there are using this time to express yourselves, explore your creativity, build your knowledge, all those good things. You know the world needs us. Now’s the time for creativity to shine.”

Beatie Wolfe, Los Angeles, USA

Beatie Wolfe, a musician based in Los Angeles, says: “I’ve been finding this time to be a great exercise in presence and gratitude, and just seeing it as an opportunity to celebrate a lot of life’s little things that are so often overlooked.”

The soundtrack of this movie is an instrumental version of Wolfe’s track Take Me Home. On Friday 24 April, Wolfe will perform live as part of VDF.

David Rockwell, New York City, USA

“It is a really difficult, really sad time in the world and in the city,” says New York architect David Rockwell. “And that sadness permeates pretty much every part of the city. And it’s a time for compassion and for taking care of ourselves. And I think it’s time to take in that as designers, we’re about thinking about the future.”

Liam Young, Los Angeles, USA

Speculative architect Liam Young paints an apocalyptic picture of Los Angeles under lockdown. “There are lines outside the gun shops after they’ve just reopened having been deemed essential businesses, there are bootleg mask sellers on the street corners,” he says.

“So LA, so often the setting for so many sci-fi films, is now a live action dystopian film playing out in real time.” Young’s message can be seen in full here.

Beatrice Galilee, New York City, USA

“I’m here in Brooklyn, extremely lucky and grateful to be safe and comfortable in my quarantine, and very aware that that’s not the case for everybody and so thankful to everybody who’s on the frontlines at the moment, keeping us all safe and fed and healthy,” says curator Beatrice Galilee, who will curate a celebration of Earth Day on 22 April for VDF.

“I guess like everybody working in the creative industries now, I’m wondering what to say and what our role is and what we can learn from these extremely complicated times that we’re all sharing together now.”

Aric Chen, Shanghai, China

“I just got out of a home quarantine, a mandatory 14-day home quarantine yesterday that was very strictly enforced,” reports Aric Chen from Shanghai on the first day he was allowed to venture outdoors.

“I hope this offers a little bit of a glimmer of hope that things can, will and are getting better.” See Chen’s full message here.

Stuart Trevor and Natalie Papageorgiadis, Maldives

Stuart Trevor and Natalie Papageorgiadis of Studio Natalie became stranded in The Maldives when countries began to lock down last month.

“We’ve been here for a month and we came on an interiors project,” says Trevor. “We’ve ended up stranded but it’s a really beautiful island and it’s virus free.

“We feel really lucky to be here,” adds Papageorgiadis. We’re using our extended stay to research local materials like driftwood and coral wools that we’ve discovered in the local village.”

Ben van Berkel, Amsterdam, Netherlands

“At UNStudio, our daily routines have completely changed,” says Dutch architect Ben van Berkel. “We have switched from an average of 40 hours of travel a week to 17 video calls a day.”

Annika and Marie Eklund, Ulricehamn, Sweden

“It’s an extreme situation we all are facing at the moment,” say Annika and Marie Eklund of Bolon. “But Sweden is not locked down, yet, and it helps us as we have the production up here. So we continue to produce and deliver out.”

Dara Huang, London, England

“Welcome to my kitchen in London,” says London architect Dara Huang. “This is not the usual place you would find me, but I have to admit it sure does beat all that long travelling I do and all those really hard nights at the studio.”

Hella Jongerius, Berlin, Germany

Dutch designer Hella Jongerius produced an animation for her submission. “Here you see me in one of my woven portraits,” she says in the animated clip, which can be seen in full here.

“I’m gathering with my family and I’m weaving, which is my form of meditation and a way for me to reflect on what’s happening in the world.”

Es Devlin, London, UK

Designer and artist Es Devlin recites part of a Pablo Neruda poem in her message.

“Now, we will count to 12 and we will all keep still,” she says, reciting a line from the Chilean poet’s Keeping Still.

“For once on the face of the earth let’s not speak in any language. Let’s stop for a second and not move our arms so much. It would be an exotic moment. Without rush, or engines, we would all be together in a sudden strangeness.”

Formafantasma, Amsterdam, Netherlands

“These days, we are radically changing the way we are working, and of course also operating, as designers. But this can also be seen as an opportunity,” says Andrea Trimarchi of Formafantasma.

“What we mean is that of course, we have much more time to concentrate on the work we actually love, but also to reevaluate what we have been doing so far at least this is what we are we are doing because we hope this can really be a chance to rethink, on a more sustainable level, our profession because we believe this is the only way forward,” adds Simone Farresin.

Kelly Hoppen, London, England

“I think as a community, it’s really important that we all try and keep supporting each other so that people know that there is still business there when we come out of this,” says London interior designer Kelly Hoppen. “So stay safe and stay well, and keep working and keep trying to figure out different ways that you can work, because we will come out of this, we will come up stronger, and we’ll all still be there for each other.”

Mark Dytham and Astrid Klien, Tokyo, Japan

“We’re fine, and luckily the virus hasn’t hit too hard here,” say Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Tokyo architect Klein Dytham Architecture. “One of the great things is that we don’t have to travel as much, certainly internationally, and so that jet lag is not hitting too hard anymore, which is cool. It gives us a lot more time to design and it’s also given us a chance to pause, press the reset button and think about what really matters.”

Li Edelkoort, Cape Town, South Africa

“We lost all our assignments, lost many clients on hold, but somehow time is filling up with the future of our planet and our work, what design will represent and how fashion can survive, and how restaurants can start up and so on,” says trend forecaster Li Edelkoort from Cape Town in South Africa. “So my work as a forecaster will become possibly even more important and more extreme than ever.”

Edelkoort, whose interview with Dezeen about the impact of coronavirus is our most-read story of all time, will conduct a live video interview with VDF at 2:00pm UK time today.

Michel Rojkind, Mexico City, Mexico

“I think it’s very important that we … start thinking about how we can help the less privileged,” says Mexico City architect Michel Rojkind. “People that are outside and cannot stay home. And how can we help in any way we can.”

Pallavi Dean, Dubai, UAE

“I don’t know another creative that’s not the anxious type, and I’m no different,” says Dubai interior designer Pallavi Dean. “But on the flip side, I think productivity has increased. We’ve cut down on commute time, unnecessary meetings, and my home really is a deep work chamber.”

Rosey Chan, London, UK

“As we’re facing these challenges, I think it’s really important to try and be as creative as possible,” says musician Rosey Chan, who will perform live for VDF on 15 May. “We should be looking back at this time and thinking, wow, we were incredibly productive on all levels.”

Yinka Ilori, London, UK

London designer Yinka Ilori reveals he has been learning to play a new instrument during lockdown.

“I’ve been trying to really reflect about things that I really care about and what’s really important to me,” he says. “I’ve also learned a new instrument, which is called a Nigerian talking drum, which I will not be playing for you because I’m awful at it, but I will play too soon when I get better.”

Bec Brittain, New York City, USA

“The most creative I’ve been in the last five days is that train set,” says New York designer Bec Brittain. “And then all the rest of the time I try to go to the studio, try to get something done.”

Carlo Ratti, Cambridge, USA

“I remember a sentence by Rahm Emanuel. He was the mayor of Chicago and also Chief of Staff for Barack Obama,” says architect Carlo Ratti from Cambridge, USA. “He once said: never let a crisis go to waste. And so I think that’s really what we need to do today. See how we can actually use a crisis to rethink what you do, and also to see how can we use our skills in order to contribute solutions.”

Lonneke Gordijn, Amstelveen, Netherlands

We as a creative community are already used to unknown situations,” says Lonneke Gordijn of Studio Drift. “Almost all of our projects are something that we start, we don’t know where we will end. But we trust that we will find a way.”

Maarten Baas, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Dutch designer Maarten Baas contributed a short film that shows him pondering how to respond to the situation. ” I hope you feel inspired,” he says. See Baas’ film in full here.

See all VDF video messages

We’ll be posting an individual video message each day. Check them out here. To submit your own message, see the brief here.

About Virtual Design Festival

Virtual Design Festival runs from 15 April to 30 June 2020. It intends to bring the architecture and design world together to celebrate the culture and commerce of our industry, and explore how it can adapt and respond to extraordinary circumstances.

We will host a rolling programme of online talks, lectures, movies, product launches and more. It will complement and support fairs and festivals around the world that have had to be postponed or cancelled and it will provide a platform for design businesses, so they can, in turn, support their supply chains.

For more details or to join the mailing list, email us at vdf@dezeen.com.

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