Design Innocence is the name of an Instagram account that gathers images of improvised design solutions from around the world. Some examples:
See more (or send your own in) here.
Paradise Found: An Erotic Treasury for Sybarites compiles and contextualizes the pioneering work of sexual anthropologist and designer Betony Vernon. Written by Vernon, the book explores empowering, sensual design, jewelry as a form of the erotic and advice on how to use these tools to heighten pleasure. Tantalizing and riveting, the trove uncovers new sides to desire, sex and design.
No one can draw a straight line unassisted, not unless you’re one of those extremely rare geniuses. Even professional artists and designers don’t leave straight lines up to chance or fate, utilizing a tool to ensure those marks keep in line. The most common tool for this kind of drawing is, of course, the ruler, and it doesn’t get any simpler than a piece of wood, metal, or plastic with a straight edge. Not unless you count this odd-looking metal piece with a small cog-like wheel, a contraption that could very well be the simplest way to draw a straight line, one that doesn’t obscure any part of the page or risk accumulating ink and dirt that would later smudge on your work.
Designer: Gihawoo Design (UGLY.DUCKLING)
When you simply want to draw a straight line, technically, any object that you can run your pen or pencil along its straight edge will do. If you need to draw a straight line with a specific length, then you’ll need something that has markings for units of length, which is precisely what a ruler brings to the table, pun intended. But while the venerable ruler’s design is simple and effective, it also comes with flaws that most people simply overlook.
For one, a ruler almost always covers up a chunk of what’s already on the page, though there are also transparent rulers that try to remedy that situation. Running an ink pen along the edge of the ruler also transfers some of that ink to that edge, ink that could smudge on the page when you lift or move the ruler. There are a few rulers that have raised edges for that very purpose, but these are far and few in between.
The Constrained Ball represents a solution that tackles the problem from a completely different angle. There’s nothing that says you actually need a long object to draw a straight line, only that there needs something to guide the pen on that path. This object does exactly that by using a wheel that rolls along a straight line, dragging an inserted pen in tow. Any pen size will do, given how the rubber hole can stretch to accommodate a larger barrel. There’s also an option to have a small LCD display that measures the distance traveled by the wheel based on its rotations to accurately measure the length of the line.
It is admittedly a simple and creative alternative to a ruler, one that reduces the risks of smudging and doesn’t cover up any content on the page. There might be some concerns about how straight your hand can really travel with this guide, or more importantly, you can actually draw parallel lines without being able to “see” the line beforehand, like with a ruler. Still, for most use cases, this rather cute little thingamajig will do, and it will more easily fit in your pouch or tool case better than any foot-long ruler.
The post This small metal trinket lets you draw straight lines without a ruler first appeared on Yanko Design.
The Petersen Automotive Museum has partnered with online education company Yellowbrick to release “Auto Design & Sketching,” a free online course.
Auto design history, principles, case studies, theory and of course sketching are all covered. Instructors include Franz von Holzhausen (Chief Designer, Tesla Motors), Ralph Gilles (Chief Design Officer, Stellantis), Christine Feuell (Brand CEO, Chrysler), Francesc Arenas (Design Director, Hispano Suiza) and Roman Yneges (Faculty, Art Center College of Design).
The course consists of three self-paced modules, each broken down into smaller six- to fifteen-minute lessons. (You don’t need anything except note-taking materials for the first two, but obviously you’ll need sketching materials for part three.) Here’s the curriculum:
From the staff at Petersen and expert designers in the field, students will study the history of the car, as well as the design eras and trends they belong to.
– Core Design Principles
– Necessary Auto Designer Skills
– Critical Historic Trends in Auto Design
– From Idea to Showroom
– Cars & Sustainability
Some of the best designers in the world give their take on cars that have changed the automotive industry. What’s your take?
– DMC DeLorean (1981): Futuristic Icon & Market Miss
– Lamborghini Gallardo (2004): A Supercar for the Masses
– Ford Shelby Mustang (2005): Updating the Past
– Tesla Model S (2012): Making Sustainability Cool
Working with Prof. Roman Yneges from ArtCenter, students will walk through the core skills needed to start concepting and realizing auto designs. Sharpen your pencils!
– Perspective-Based Sketching
– Circles & Ellipses
– Drawing Classic Cars
– Drawing Modern Cars
Ready to dive in? You can sign up and get started right away here.
London-based artist Helga Stentzel created these wonderful Clothesline Animals, which she sells prints of.
“To me, household surrealism is about finding magic in the mundane, seeing beauty in imperfections, and connecting to our reality in a new way. I love noticing playful similarities – be it a sweater on a clothing line looking like a horse or a slice of bread resembling a dog’s head. It’s only the starting point though. From this moment onward the stories and visuals start buzzing in my head: What will this horse look like? What’s her name and character? Does she like racing with other horses? – the list goes on and on!”
“I hope that my art will help people to connect with their inner child and rediscover the joy of savouring little visual delights in and outside their homes.”
Little Simz’s just-released fifth studio album, NO THANK YOU, comes accompanied by a short film directed by Gabriel Moses. Across 11 minutes, the riveting piece features five tracks from the 10-track album and was shot outside of Paris at Chateau de Millemont. A standout from the album, “Broken” (appearing at 4:30 in the short film) is self-reflective, mindful, brutally honest and triumphant. The artist says in a statement about the album, “Had to channel it somehow, this is the only way I know.”
For moving gigantic objects like pipeline sections, concrete K-rails or massive steel sheets, an excavator is often used. Workers must rig slings or chains around the object to be lifted and connect them to the bucket, then stand clear as the object is lifted. When objects are being lowered, they will occasionally rotate as the slings or chains are flexible, and workers on the ground must guide the object into place. Both the rigging and the guiding will occasionally lead to accidents.
An Oklahoma-based company called Vacuworx has devised a safer way to move heavy things. Since 1999 they’ve created vacuum lifting attachments that obviate the need for rigging and guiding. These vacuum attachments can grab objects and place them more precisely, without any swinging chains. The company makes them in a variety of sizes.
Here’s a look at what their attachments can do:
Once covered in vast swathes of pristine forest, New England began suffering habitat loss in the 1600s when European colonizers sowed the seeds of deforestation for both timber and agriculture. It was a massive blow to the biodiversity of the region, but not all hope is lost in the modern era. People—from their homes and businesses alike—have been embracing the fight for wildlife conservation, with one operation paying special attention to the region’s native pollinators. Launched in 2011, Vermont’s Caledonia Spirits has earned widespread acclaim for its flagship product: Barr Hill Gin.
Distilled with a large dose of raw honey, the spirit was created at the behest of expert beekeeper Todd Hardie and distiller Ryan Christiansen—and when it comes to inspiration, the honeybee has served as the pair’s muse since the very beginning.
“Raw honey is at the heart of what we do every day,” Christiansen tells us. “Without the bees’ hard work and gathering of nectar, we simply could not achieve the botanically-rich complexity of Barr Hill Gin and our other spirits. As a lifelong Vermonter, I’m proud to unlock the flavors of this region, and the bees are the key to this. We’re on a mission to reconnect cocktail culture to agriculture and educate those along the way about the importance of bees and pollinators within our fragile ecosystem.”
While Barr Hill’s devotion to conservation is a year-round commitment, the distillery’s most prominent environmental contribution occurs each September in the form of Bee’s Knees Week. Launched back in 2016, this 10-day global campaign invites participants to head to a nearby bar, order a Bee’s Knees cocktail, and share a photo to social media with the hashtag #beeskneesweek.
For each hashtag posted, Barr Hill guarantees the creation of 10 square feet of pollinator habitat, working in tandem with local Vermont organizations to select the best blend of indigenous flora. While it’s incredibly easy to participate, this collection of small acts has made a massive impact, with over half a million square feet of pollinator habitat created through the campaign over the past three years.
In addition to preserving Vermont’s native pollinators, Barr Hill also serves as a shining example for sustainability-focused distillation, with no shortage of state-of-the-art systems woven into the building itself. The distillation process gives off massive amounts of heat. Rather than let it dissipate into the air, Barr Hill collects this energy through a thermal banking system, repurposing it to heat the outdoor patio when the weather turns cold. Beyond that, the distillery also cooperates with nearby Vermont Technical College, sending their spent grain over to be converted into methane for local electricity production.
Perhaps one of Barr Hill’s most impressive accomplishments is their impact on the industry as a whole—exemplified at 2022’s Bar Convent Brooklyn. The event made history as the first bar and beverage-specific tradeshow to offset 100% of its carbon emissions, a feat that was only achieved thanks to a large-scale partnership with Barr Hill. Through this union, the distillery fostered the creation of 73,000 square feet of pollinator habitat, serving as an added legacy of the brand’s adherence to preserving biodiversity.
The conversation around sustainability has become incredibly prevalent in the contemporary spirits industry, and for any budding distillers looking to launch their own product, Barr Hill is a shining example of how to do it correctly. Though greenwashing runs rampant in all industries, the values espoused by Caledonia Spirits offer an easily-quantifiable blend of local and widespread impact, all while acting as a steward for some of the Earth’s most vulnerable species. As the weather grows warmer again next year and the air fills with the vibrant hum of New England’s native bees, flies, wasps and hummingbirds, raise a glass (preferably one that’s filled with a Bee’s Knees) to Vermont’s finest steward of our eons-old ecosystem—and, of course, nature itself.
Images courtesy of Caledonia Spirits
The smartphone market has never been known for staying still for long as far as designs go, not unless you’re a company named after a fruit that keeps doctors away. The more open ecosystem on the Android side of the market fence required that its players be quicker and more agile in changing strategies to outdo their competitors, whether it’s in terms of features or looks. Although that strategy is still in play, smartphone manufacturers have started to be more conscious of what a more consistent and identifiable design language brings to the brand. It’s still not as long-lived as Apple’s iPhone designs, but companies like Samsung have started to keep their phone designs around for a bit longer, as demonstrated by leaked designs of next year’s Galaxy S23 flagship that bears a more toned-down and minimalist personality.
Designer: Samsung (via SlashLeaks)
For years, it seemed that the design philosophy in the smartphone market revolved around ever-changing eye-catching appearances. Even while the rest of the world embraced minimalism in many industries and products, smartphones remained obstinately lavish and conspicuous, sometimes driven by the hardware they forced into these small slabs of metal, plastic, and glass. Better cameras, for example, often demanded more room, and designs built bumps or islands around them to compensate.
There has been a recent trend, however, where smartphone companies have started to embrace the tenets of minimalism in their designs. More importantly, some have also started keeping those designs around for a few iterations, especially if they happen to be successful and popular. Newer designs don’t always win, especially when they start to give their owners visual overload and noise for very little reason other than looking flashy.
Next year’s Samsung premium phones will embody this trend, bearing a design that’s closely similar to this year’s generation. To be more precise, the base Galaxy S23 and S23+ models will be adopting a design a little similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra instead of being different from the Ultra model. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be that different from its predecessor from this year.
In short, there will be no significant design differences between the three Galaxy S23 models except for their size and one small detail about their edges. Both the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ will have somewhat flatter edges, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s left and right sides remain curved. The most distinguishing factor of Samsung’s upcoming phones is, however, their minimalist design. In an age where cameras are often enclosed in boxes or circles, the Galaxy S23’s camera lenses are left unbound and unadorned. It results in a cleaner look that almost makes it seem like the phone is thinner than it really is, at least compared to those with large bumps protruding off their backs.
This will be the second year Samsung will use this design, which helps cement it as an identifying mark of Samsung phones. Whether the brand will keep it for another year is unknown and can’t easily be predicted. The smartphone market dynamics are always changing, and, to be fair, these companies do often need to pivot or risk losing millions in a single year.
The post Samsung Galaxy S23 leaked dummy units reveal the series is staying true to minimalism first appeared on Yanko Design.
Do you love a good old cabin in the woods to relax away in and forget all your urban woes? Cause I sure do! Cabins have been a peaceful and quintessential getaway option for everyone for ages galore. They’re the ultimate safe haven in the midst of nature, if you simply want to get away from your hectic city lives, and unwind. If you want a calming and minimal vacation, that lets you truly connect with nature, without any of the materialistic luxuries most of us have gotten accustomed to, then a cabin retreat is the answer for you! And, we’ve curated some beautiful and super comfortable cabins that captured our attention in 2022 and will be the perfect travel destination for you in 2023. From an off-grid cabin in the Italian mountains that doubles up as a yoga retreat to an all-black cabin in the woods that supports a slow-paced life – these mesmerizing and surreal cabins are the ultimate retreat, you’ve been searching for!
Nestled in Bowen Island, British Colombia is a beautiful cabin in the woods designed by SM Studio. Named Forest House, the cabin is deeply influenced by SM Studio’s philosophy of creating low-energy sustainable homes that are built by causing minimal disturbance to the site they are located on
Vancouver-based SM Studio uplifted the traditional cabin form and gave it a more contemporary and modernized feel. Surrounded by Douglas firs, and elevated above the rocky landscape – the Forest House is definitely a far cry from the standard cabins we come across. To reduce the impact of the home on the forest floor, SM Studio designed it like a bridge connecting two massive outcrops, leaving the space below quite clear, and minimizing the need to create a foundation on the rocks.
Designed by a company called Naturvillan, Atri is a newly built A-frame villa located on the shores of Lake Vänern. The self-sustaining and climate-smart home is like a sustainable greenhouse in the middle of the mountains! It provides stunning views of the lake, as well as of the surrounding majestic trees, and a natural plot with rock slabs.
It is A-shaped with a stable base directly on the mountain and has a continuous axis so you can see through the whole house in one view. As you look up the house blends in among the trees, becoming part of the natural landscape.
CABN.CO is on a mission to build energy-efficient and smart homes that can be placed in unique and diverse locations all over the world. These versatile cabins can be a home for you almost anywhere in the world – whether in the city or on a remote island in the Bahamas! These cabins focus heavily on solar shading and roof overhangs
The homes are designed to be prefabricated, net-zero, solar powered, and biophilic.”CABN is considered a Net-positive Energy Building when applying thermal bridge-free components airtight construction, electric systems with heat exchange ventilation, and on/site renewable energy generation within the building elements.” CABN.CO has also integrated the home with a biophilic design, which is further accentuated by the presence of cross-laminated timber.
Positioned on the edge of a hill, surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, and overlooking the Trebbia Valley near Genoa, is a minimal off-grid cabin called the Hermitage Cabin. This beautiful wooden cabin was built for “contemplation and introspection”, and occupies only 12 square meters. It can function as a secluded little home or even a cozy yoga retreat!
Italian architecture studio Llabb drew inspiration from Scandinavian cabins and Japanese teahouses while designing the Hermitage. The cabin is raised on four wooden and steel supports, which stand on a base of sandstone beds. It features an intriguing modular form created from Okoume marine plywood in Llabb’s carpentry workshop!
Nestled in the beautiful wooded region of Lilla Kilskäret, an island of the Swedish archipelago near Stockholm is a minimalist Nordic cabin called ‘A House’. Designed by emerging Studio Nāv, the idyllic cabin was designed for a young couple as a cozy summer home to escape to during the warm season.
‘A House’ beautifully captures minimalist Nordic architecture, and its picturesque surroundings help to create a space that is truly calming and peaceful. However, despite its pristine and awe-spiring location, building the home wasn’t simple child’s play. The site and local building regulations were quite challenging, and hence the home needed to occupy a tiny footprint, and perfectly blend in with its surroundings. In a quest to do so, the interiors of the home were made to be open, free-flowing, and extremely flexible.
Norwegian architecture studio Handegård Arkitektur designed a bright red cabin on the seafront in Hankøsundet, Østfold. Called Bathhouse, the cabin is raised on stacks of granite, elevating it above the water, and giving the impression that it is floating in the air. The cabin was heavily influenced by the aesthetics of traditional Norwegian boathouses, especially their red color exteriors.
The cabin was built for a client who lives near the coast and aims to be a ‘modern reinterpretation’ of traditional Norwegian boathouses. The studio used contemporary materials and techniques to create this lively-looking cabin since the client wanted a space that was both modern and traditional.
Nestled in the heart of Csóromfölde, Hungary is six stunning polygonal cabins called ‘Rock Cabins’. Designed and constructed by architectural firm Hello Wood in collaboration with TreeHouses, the brains, and brawn behind the immensely popular cabins in Noszvaj, the cabins have an almost mystical and mysterious appeal to them!
Quite interestingly, the cabins are inspired by the shape of rocks. The intention behind these raw and real cabins was to create something that would harmoniously blend with nature, functioning as a natural extension of it. The cabin’s rock-like aesthetic helps it to effortlessly merge with the natural landscape surrounding it.
David and Jeanette Reiss-Andersen, cofounders of the Oslo-based tiny home company Norske Mikrohus, decided to build an eco-friendly and affordable alternative to the pricier standard-size homes available on the market.” We wanted to create something for people looking for a way out of the rental and mortgage markets—something for those who want easy access to nature and to live with fewer possessions,” said David. And their efforts led to the birth of ‘Tind’ – a beautiful wood-wrapped tiny home built in Norwegian style.
Not only is Tind built from environmentally friendly Nordic materials, but it was also designed to withstand Nordic weather conditions. Tind was designed with one important goal in mind – to encourage flexibility and freedom. It’s a home you can move around in and take wherever you want to.
Called the Nokken Cabin, these prefab cabins can be purchased by anyone, but the designer duo has bigger plans for them. They want clusters of them to be placed in beautiful and remote locations to create “landscape hotels”, that can provide a luxurious glamping experience. You would be able to connect with nature and unwind, but in a comfortable and cozy space – without having to roughen it out basically.
The Nokken Cabin was created for the purpose of expansion and was meant to be a pretty flexible structure. It can be used as a travel accommodation, a workspace, a retail element, a spa, a restaurant, or even as a simple home.
Situated on Orcas Island, which is a part of an archipelago called San Juan islands, is the Buck Mountain Cabin. The beautiful cedar-clad cabin was built by embracing the original site and its conditions, and by ensuring that minimal disturbance was caused to it. A steep grade and a narrow clearing created by a rock outcropping were a few of the challenges faced by the architects, but they encouraged the clients to focus on these features as they are unique to San Juan.
The grassy basalt-rock outcroppings set within a Douglas fir and Pacific madrone forest were used to enhance and elevate the cabin. The east side of the 1527 square feet cabin is anchored to an outcrop, while the west side interestingly cantilevers over the entire site, almost 22 feet above the ground, and provides beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. The large trees around the site weren’t torn down which also ensured that the site was minimally disturbed. The addition of cantilevers, and point-load wooden columns with small footings helped this cause as well.
The post Top 10 cabins of 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
