Drinking in space is typically tricky, as liquids separate into droplets without Earth’s gravitational pull. However, researchers at NASA have devised a way to drink from an open-top cup without gravity or a straw. The Space Cup, part of NASA’s Capillary Flow Experiment, combines cup geometry and fluid dynamics to allow astronauts to sip liquids as if on Earth. Designed by astronaut Don Pettit, physicist Mark Weislogel and mathematicians Paul Concus and Robert Finns, the cup features channels that run throughout, including from the bottom to its rim. As liquid is piped into the container, it flows into the channels and builds near the bottom of the vessel through capillary action—a property found in liquids that occurs because water has a sticky quality that allows it to bind together. When astronauts sip from the cup, the liquid is drawn to their mouths which dictates the quantity of liquid consumed. Learn more about the innovative design and view it in action at Mashable.
In this Q&A, Sophie “Lightning” Jamison shares how she went from creating content for fun to landing a Chief TikTok role, along with her tips for job-seeking content creators.
1. Tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you go to school and what did you study? What jobs have you had before your current Chief TikTok Officer role at Made by Gather?
I just graduated with a business degree in management from the University of Southern Maine. My sophomore year, I was selling shoes at Vans in the mall and discovered TikTok. I started my own channel centered around toy blasters and accumulated 1 million followers in six months. I then became the Chief TikTok Officer at Nerf for almost two years before moving to Made By Gather.
2. Nerf and Made by Gather are fairly different brands. What inspired the jump to Made by Gather? What skills were still able to transfer over?
These are two VERY different brands… I am all about challenging myself and finding growth from discomfort. I am also only 22 and want to continue to expand my skills and goals. Made By Gather was an easy pick based on their culture, goals, vibe, and values. Many skills are transferable as I am producing story telling content that motivates a consumer to purchase a particular product, while understanding the ins and outs of TikTok. This includes editing, acting, writing, storytelling, understanding the target audience, marketing, and integrating fun.
3. Before these jobs, did you see yourself working in social media?
Not at all, I was set on being either a CEO or CMO.
4. How did you use TikTok specifically to create a company’s brand—and ultimately your own brand from that?
Originally, I used TikTok to create my Sophie.Lightning brand which now has 2.1 million followers. Then, during my time with Nerf I was able to build this brand as a professional content creator working for a large company. With Made By Gather, I am starting from near scratch to create content that embodies the individual personalities for each Made By Gather brand.
5. What do you think it takes to be a content creator for a company today?
The answer to this question has many layers that include basic skills such as editing and recording to more fundamental learnings such as understanding marketing, target audiences, and brand image. There is a level of professionalism that is needed to fit in at a corporation but also a level of confidence and skill to fight for your ideas and content. I now speak at sales pitches, could explain the brand history and layers to anyone, and am creating content aligned with our long-term business strategy. You also must be passionate, have fun, and utilize serious perseverance.
6. What is your advice to job seekers trying to land a creative job by using their social platform(s)?
If you are a content creator, you are a hot commodity for any business. Lean into your strengths and find your niche to then find what companies may be a solid fit for you. This role as well as many other social media roles will only become more prevalent over the next few years, so be ready!
7. Do you have any other advice for job-seeking content creators or anything else to add?
I am so excited to be a part of this team and cannot wait for what the future holds. If you are a content creator right now, do not give up, be authentic, and remember that hard work pays off.
Sophie “Lightning” Jamison is a rising social media star and the Chief TikTok Officer at Made By Gather. She runs her own personal TikTok account with over two million followers and three accounts for MBG including Crux, Bella, and Beautiful by Drew Barrymore. Sophie is unapologetically herself and has created an internet presence by living her truth. Named to Adweek’s 2021 Women Trailblazers list, Sophie is striving to make her role more commonplace and institute positive change at corporations. In December, she graduated with a degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, then began her role at Made By Gather. She resides in Rhode Island, spending her free time surfing, hiking, and kayaking with friends and family.
The world’s first split keyboard with the soul of a regular keyboard, the KeyChron Q11 QMK showcases a unique design that feels like someone took a chainsaw to your existing keyboard. Designed with two halves that look like they’ve been manually split apart, the Q11 QMK’s left and right units can be used independently, or together by connecting them with the bridge cable. The split line running through them is by far the most enticing bit about the device. The line’s jagged nature makes you want to place the two halves together to complete the keyboard, and even the name ‘Q11’ is a clever way to tell people that it’s the split version of the company’s Q1 keyboard!
Designer: Keychron
Built with a hefty CNC machined aluminum body, beautifully reliable Gateron G Pro switches, and a 75% layout, the Keychron Q11 QMK is both visually and functionally a work of art. All the keys are hot-swappable, a switch on the back lets you alternate between Windows and MacOS layouts, and encoder knobs on the top left and right can be assigned to a bunch of functions or macros, from scrolling to controlling volume, zooming in/out, adjusting screen brightness, or a host of other activities.
The split keyboard’s unique build lets you position and orient your two individual boards wherever you want, for a more comfortable typing experience. I wish there was a way to magnetically snap them together in a way that felt satisfyingly tactile, but that’s just my brain searching for some gestalt.
The keyboard’s metal body is crafted with 6063 aluminum that is processed through CNC machined, polished, anodized, sandblasted, and undergoes 24 more manufacturing stages, giving you something as pristine and beautiful as the Q11. It then comes outfitted with Gateron G Pro switches and south-facing LEDs, finally being topped off with double-shot OSA PBT keycaps that remain hot-swappable. Under the hood, you’ve got a powerful ultra-low-power ARM architecture microcontroller unit equipped with 128K Flash and a polling rate of 1,000 Hz, holding its own against most responsive gaming keyboards.
As its name suggests, the Keychron Q11 QMK comes with QMK/VIA support too, giving you the freedom to easily program and remap each key on the keyboard. The open-source firmware means endless possibilities for keyboard layouts, shortcuts, backlight effects, even the knob, and more.
Although most variants are sold out at the time of writing this, the Keychron Q11 QMK split keyboard is priced at $205, and comes fully assembled with either Gateron G Pro Red or Brown switches. The keyboard’s designed to be compatible out-of-box with Windows, MacOS, and Linux computers, and ships with a power cable, adapter, the bridge cable, and switch and keycap pullers for hot-swapping your keys.
From Musiq Soulchild’s new Hit-Boy-produced album, Victims & Villains, “is it love, is it lies” brims with soaring harmonies, piano loops and dramatic percussion. Soulful and buoyant, it’s an enchanting neo-soul track that, a little over halfway through, transforms into a jazzy spoken-word piece.
Informed by space-age designs, Pipeline features a snaking backrest that can be configured in multiple ways to create interesting seating areas.
The Pipeline seating system borrows from space-age aesthetics
Pipeline comes in modules with grooves at the rear or across the middle of the seats where straight or curved back cushions are placed, allowing for variations in seating arrangements.
“This flexible modularity paired with a minimalist form creates an incredibly simple, yet iconic design,” said Lotersztain.
It can be configured in myriad ways
Suitable for both the home and public environments, Derlot describes Pipeline’s cylindrical cushioning as offering unparalleled comfort as well as adding a unique design element.
The seating can be paired with the brand’s powder-coated steel side tables, used either free-standing or nestled between units for a floating effect. There is also the option to integrate power and USB sockets.
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Most of the superheroes have one thing in common – they have a cool set of wheels that adds to their heroic presence. While we already went bonkers over the AI-generated helmets and footwear, deep down I wished there was a bike that would perfectly match popular superheroes. AI-generated mash-up of cars in the style of famous designers was consolation but I was always longing for more…
This crazy wish has been fulfilled, and in a way more than I could ever envisage. This is an imaginative mock-up of what superhero sports bikes would look like and the results are jaw-dropping. Midjourney AI tool must take most of the credit here, along with the creator’s unique keywords to generate the intended artwork.
Designer: Synergy Art AI
King Cobra, the famous supervillain from the Marvel universe who’s the enemy of Thor, Captain America, Deadpool and the Falcon would appreciate AI for such a cool ride to hop on. There’s the intimidating scaly form done in matte black and gold acescents that matches the character’s mean personality.
Then there’s the Aquaman bike which gets the familiar green hues and bronze inserts of the superhero capable of controlling aquatic lifeforms telepathically in their language.
The super-speedy Flash has superhuman reflexes and is known as the Scarlet Speedster for obvious reasons. To match his physics-defying abilities, the sports bike has a dynamic presence, ready for the ultimate Need for Speed. I guess this one will be the fastest of them, ready to shatter all the salt flats records once and for all.
Another supervillain getting a supercool two-wheeled monster is none other than Bane. “The Man Who Broke the Bat” forcing Bruce Wayne to give up in a fight, gets an equally powerful superbike to celebrate his victory.
Next up on the AI’s list is Firestorm who’s basically a fused entity with extraordinary transmutation powers. The ability of particle manipulation to alter the structure of any substance is adopted in a sports bike with a super fearsome persona. The glossy shades in deep red, gold and black do complete justice to the superheroes’ character.
One of the most famous superheroes of all time, Spiderman gets a matching ride to scout the city filled with thugs and villains. The AI-generated bike has an exoskeleton-like frame to match Spiderman’s creepy yet cool look in matte red and black.
Last but not the least, the AI algorithm gets Iron Man’s larger-than-life presence to perfection. Just imagine Arno Stark (previously Tony Stark) riding this supercool bike in the fictional city of the Marvel world.
If I must pick canny little details missed by the AI, then the handlebars on some of these are designed wrong and most of these rides don’t have footpegs. Somehow it reminds me of the missing fingers of humans generated by AI which are otherwise impressive as hell creations. It would have been great if Flash got an electric sports bike, Bane had a muscle cruiser and Iron Man had a sports tourer to keep things versatile. That said, this artwork is perfect to go up on a superhero fanatic’s Wall of Fame!
Dutch architecture studio GAAGA has created a residential building in the forested Bosrijk park in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, which is wrapped by colonnades of tree trunks.
Named Forest Bath, the building is informed by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yokuku, or forest bathing, which is a therapeutic act centred on spending time in nature.
GAAGA has created the Forest Bath housing in the Bosrijk park in Eindhoven
“The design is inspired by the Japanese practice shinrin-yoku, in which you immerse yourself in the forest, taking in nature using all your senses to calm your body and mind,” said GAAGA.
“With a balanced design, subdued aesthetics, use of natural materials, people- and environment-friendly sustainability principles and above all, a strong connection between the resident, building and the forested landscape, we turn the project into a modern residential building in harmony with its natural surroundings.”
It is wrapped by colonnades of tree trunks
To help the Forest Bath housing blend in with its surroundings, its facade is wrapped in colonnades of tree trunks that are used in place of columns.
Teamed with tactile reclaimed-wood cladding, this is also intended to allow nature to be “experienced up close” by residents, the studio said.
It is designed to blend in with its forest surroundings
“From the outside, you see no real distinction between the different sides of the building thanks to the continuous balconies supported by a colonnade of tree trunk columns,” said GAAGA.
“As the image of the tree trunk columns gets intertwined with the image of the trees in the park, the building blends in with its surroundings.”
It is modelled on the Japanese practice of shinrin-yokuku or forest bathing
Forest Bath has a rectangular plan and is embedded in a gently sloping site that sits in a clearing amongst the trees. It is four storeys tall and also has a basement level.
Inside, it contains three different apartment types ranging from 80 to 143 square metres, while the basement contains facilities including car- and bicycle parking.
The tree trunks are complemented by wooden cladding
At the heart of the building is an open, planted courtyard, into which all of the apartments open and are linked by a spiral staircase, balconies and walkways.
To help further the building’s feeling of being connected to the park, a path runs from the surrounding trees and into this sheltered outdoor space.
This green passage is planted with a range of ferns and other shadow-dwelling plant species, such as climbing plants that will be encouraged to wind up around the structure.
Here, there are also angular stools, nesting boxes for birds and bats, and rainwater chains. These chains direct water to a small brook running through the passage and out to the landscape, where the studio said there is a wadi – a type of stream that is dry until it rains.
At the heart of the building is a green passage
“Walking routes from the park connect to this green passage, with the ground being covered in ferns and rainwater flowing into a brook towards the wadi,” said the studio.
“The light is filtered by flowering and fragrant climbing plants shooting into the air and by the many bridges leading to the apartments’ front doors.”
Ferns are planted throughout
GAAGA’s goal for the building’s structure was for it to embody principles of the circular economy.
According to the studio, “at least 85 per cent of the weight of the applied materials is circular, meaning it is either recyclable or suitable for direct reuse”.
There are rain chains
This means the structure is also demountable at the end of its life, including its cladding and the concrete elements of its superstructure.
“The main concrete supporting structure, responsible for the vast majority of the total weight, is made of prefabricated components with demountable connections,” GAAGA explained.
“This way of building makes it possible for separate concrete elements to be repositioned or reused in the future so that their individual lifespan can be extended.”
A small brook collects the water from the rain chains
Completing the design is a landscape strategy developed with landscape architect MAAK Space, which will eventually see the planting of pine, oak, birch, sweet cherry and willow tree species.
The studio said the design also supports the mix of habitats in the forest clearing, ensuring it is “inviting” to butterflies, bees, birds, dragonflies and amphibians.
The Forest Bath apartments range in size
GAAGA is not the only architecture studio to have recently used tree trunks in place of columns. In Helsinki, Jaakko Torvinen incorporated 95 pine trees into the Little Finlandia events centre.
The contemporary art curator explains how a character was born from a collection of artworks
As viewers attempting to estimate the value of a film, we often hone in on the nuance of performance, the depth of the story or the role played by cinematography and the style of the visual language. For Inside—a profound feature-length film, co-written and directed by acclaimed Greek filmmaker Vasilis Katsoupis, produced by Triangle of Sadness‘ Giorgos Karnvas and starring Willem Dafoe, who delivers an utterly enveloping performance—there’s one unexpected piece to the critical puzzle: art curation. In the movie, tenured art thief Nemo (played by Defoe) becomes trapped alone in a penthouse with the priceless artworks he attempted to purloin. Curated by Leonardo Bigazzi, in conjunction with Katsoupis, the artworks transform into metaphoric characters that Defoe engages with over time—and together the art informs our understanding of the collector whose home Defoe cannot escape.
Bigazzi works as a curator with Fondazione In Between Art Film, a commissioning cultural institution founded by Beatrice Bulgari that probes the boundaries between film, performance, installation and other time-based media. “The way we operate is through exhibitions, and commissioning, producing or supporting art with moving images,” he explains. “We also support the artist film program for the Tate in London. We support the MAXXI video gallery in Rome. We work in different capacities to support the development of the medium.”
<img data-attachment-id="307370" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/interview-leonardo-bigazzi-inside/attachment/inside-2023/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/I_SFP_011-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1440" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Courtesy of Focus Features","camera":"","caption":"Art curator Leonardo Bigazzi (left) places Johanna Piotrowska's 'Untitled', 2014, with director Vasilis Katsoupis (right) on the set of INSIDE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"u00a9u00a02023 Focus Features, LLC.","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"INSIDE (2023)","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="INSIDE (2023)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Image of art curator Leonardo Bigazzi (left) placing Johanna Piotrowska’s “Untitled” (2014), with director Vasilis Katsoupis (right) on the set of “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Focus Features
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/I_SFP_011-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/I_SFP_011-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1″ loading=”lazy” class=”size-large wp-image-307370″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/I_SFP_011.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”576″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />Image of art curator Leonardo Bigazzi (left) placing Joanna Piotrowska’s “Untitled” (2014), with director Vasilis Katsoupis (right) on the set of “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Focus Features
It’s partially thanks to In Between Art Film that Bigazzi came to be involved with Inside. Through the foundation, the curator worked with the artist Janis Rafa. “Giorgos Karnvas is the producer of her first feature film, Kala azar,” Bigazzi explains. “When Giorgos was speaking to her and saying, ‘We need an art curator to work on the art collection of Inside,’ she said, ‘Why don’t you call Leonardo.’ Giorgos pitched the idea over email. It was a very busy moment in my life and I waited to open it. On a Sunday morning, Giorgos followed up. I opened the email at 2AM and I couldn’t believe it. This was an opportunity of a lifetime: to work with Willem Dafoe and to develop a character in a movie through an art collection, to be able to contribute with the selection of the works to the narrative of the film.”
<img data-attachment-id="307371" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/interview-leonardo-bigazzi-inside/attachment/inside-2023-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/4174_D001_106078_C-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Featu","camera":"ILCE-9","caption":"Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis' INSIDE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features","created_timestamp":"1618907453","copyright":"u00a9 2023 Focus Features, LLC.","focal_length":"35","iso":"1250","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"INSIDE (2023)","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="INSIDE (2023)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis’ “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/4174_D001_106078_C-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/4174_D001_106078_C-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ loading=”lazy” class=”size-large wp-image-307371″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/4174_D001_106078_C.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”683″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis’ “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
“It took some time to develop,” Bigazzi explains of his approach to the art collection. “There was this idea that I had to work in two different tracks. One was the development of the character of the art collector. The art collection is the physical manifestation of this character, of this antagonist to the character Nemo in a sense. As with every art collection, this art collection itself is the result of the passion, obsession and encounters in life of the person who put it together. The other track, which is even more fascinating and often came up in a dialogue with Vasilis, is the question, how can we put in Easter eggs? How can the art recall the psychological development or physical evolution of Willem’s character?” This is so meticulously executed that the art can also be analyzed at great length with parallels drawn to plot and character.
<img data-attachment-id="307372" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/interview-leonardo-bigazzi-inside/attachment/inside-2023-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/044_4174_D003_002231_RC-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1706" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Featu","camera":"ILCE-1","caption":"Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis' INSIDE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features","created_timestamp":"1619866741","copyright":"u00a9 2023 Focus Features, LLC.","focal_length":"24","iso":"320","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"INSIDE (2023)","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="INSIDE (2023)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis’ “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/044_4174_D003_002231_RC-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/044_4174_D003_002231_RC-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ loading=”lazy” class=”size-large wp-image-307372″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/044_4174_D003_002231_RC.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”683″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis’ “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
The collection features photography, painting, sculpture, video projection and more. Certain pieces were commissioned specifically for the film. “Every one of the 25 artists that are part of this collection, I had to approach in a different way,” Bigazzi says. “Some directly because I had worked with them in the past, others through their estate or their gallery representatives.” Working on a four-and-a-half month timeline, Bigazzi came prepared with thoughts on why and “how the art would work in the film and what I thought it would bring to the narrative.”
Two works were specifically named in Katsoupis’ script that remained in the film. “There’s the work of Breda Beban, a double video project, because Breda was an influential art teacher at the university Vasilis attended and the work was absolutely perfect because it speaks about the impossibility of meeting and the idea of being isolated,” Bigazzi says. “The second work is that of Stefanos Rokos. All the others were the result of a dialogue.”
<img data-attachment-id="307373" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/interview-leonardo-bigazzi-inside/attachment/inside-2023-4/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/200_4174_D001_105598_R-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.4","credit":"Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Featu","camera":"ILCE-9","caption":"Actor Willem Dafoe on the set of director Vasilis Katsoupis' INSIDE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features","created_timestamp":"1618902641","copyright":"u00a9 2023 Focus Features, LLC.","focal_length":"35","iso":"1600","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"INSIDE (2023)","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="INSIDE (2023)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Willem Dafoe on the set of director Vasilis Katsoupis’ “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/200_4174_D001_105598_R-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/200_4174_D001_105598_R-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ loading=”lazy” class=”size-large wp-image-307373″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/200_4174_D001_105598_R.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”683″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />Willem Dafoe on the set of director Vasilis Katsoupis’ “INSIDE,” a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
Perhaps of greatest importance to the plot are the replicas of work by Egon Schiele. “I went with this option for two reasons,” Bigazzi says. “The first being I only wanted to select works that were known to be in private collections to avoid seeing something on screen and knowing it is in a museum. Those Schiele could legitimately be in that apartment.” Second, Bigazzi notes, Schiele depicts such torment that it aligned with the plight of Nemo.
Bigazzi installed the collection on location exactly as he would have an exhibit. At least 40% of what occurs in the film is the result of improvisation, born of consequence and shooting the film chronologically. “Willem himself began to have different relationships to the objects,” Bigazzi says. “When Willem saw the costume of the moth by Petrit Halilaj, he said, ‘This is something I want to try to wear. I am freezing cold. This is the warmest thing I could put on myself.’ This is the most fascinating part of this work for the movie, the generative possibilities of the encounters between art and film.”
Inside premiered at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. It will open across the US on 17 March. “What’s beautiful about this film is that you will hopefully want to watch it again,” Bigazzi says. “Vasilis always says that he is interested in the experience of the movie. What I’m interested in, is that the audience will recognize the labor of love that went into selecting these works. It’s not about decoration. It’s about possibility.”
Hero image Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis’ INSIDE, a Focus Features release. Image courtesy of Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features
Our homes and appliances are becoming more powerful, but they are also becoming more complicated. Many interfaces are fortunately being reworked to simplify our interaction with these devices, but almost all of them still require a clear view of what the interfaces are. Sure, there are voice commands nowadays, as well as AI, but as any smart homeowner has experienced, these aren’t always fast or reliable. Unfortunately, all these new interfaces, even the minimalist ones, tend to cut off those with vision disabilities, depriving them not only of enjoyment or convenience but also of a sense of confidence and security in their own homes. It doesn’t actually take much to design with accessibility in mind, and as these three smart device concepts show, such creative designs might be useful or even fun for those who can see perfectly as well.
Designer: Jaehee Lee, Byeonguk Ahn, Minseok Kim
Many smart devices today tend to value aesthetics or functions too highly without considering how those would negatively impact the experience of people who are either blind or visually impaired. Some have too many buttons or have buttons that are all shaped similarly, making it difficult to tell by touch which one is which. Worse, there are those that use only touch controls on flat glass surfaces, which are completely useless unless you can see their marks. Beyond Sight is a collection of concept designs that address these flaws by using unambiguous motions and shapes that actually look fun to use, regardless of the state of your vision.
A smart speaker, for example, uses simple taps to play or pause the audio. Volume is controlled by sliding a ball up or down a pole while changing tracks involves turning the dial at the top. For people who can’t see or can’t see clearly, these definite tactile controls leave no room for guessing their functions. For those that can see what the speaker looks like, the design adds an element of fun and play to a device that has almost become too utilitarian these days.
The smart remote control might look and feel like a toy flashlight, but its polygonal shaft does more than provide a good grip. To change channels, you roll the device to one or the other side. To turn the TV on, you simply put the remote down from a standing to a lying position. The head of the device is a dial that you can turn to adjust the volume, and a large button lets you summon your voice-controlled AI assistant to do the more advanced functions that the remote doesn’t support. Admittedly, the rolling gesture might be a bit cumbersome, especially if you need to go through many channels quickly.
Lastly, a timer imitates the primary mechanism of rotary phone dials of the past so that people can slip their finger into the large hole and read the time in Braille. Setting the timer involves just turning that dial to the desired amount of time in 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60-minute intervals. The circular surface of the device slopes down toward that hole, easily guiding the finger to where it needs to be.
For those with visual impairments, the designs of these concept devices give them enjoyment and security in a home that’s increasingly becoming impersonal and intimidating for them. For those that can see clearly, the devices’ designs give them a toy-like character that hints not only at their ease of use but also at their fun controls, proving that accessible designs can truly benefit everyone.
Dezeen Awards 2023 launched on 15 February in partnership with Bentley Motors. Enter before 29 March to save 20 per cent on entry fees.
Now in its sixth year, the programme has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers everywhere, with winners selected by a prestigious panel of international judges.
Read on to find out more about five of the 90 industry professionals who will be judging entries this year.
Piero Lissoni is the co-founder of Milan-based multidisciplinary practice Lissoni&Partners
Architect and designer Lissoni is co-founder of interdisciplinary studio Lissoni&Partners and will judge the interiors categories for this year’s programme.
Ilenia Martini is the design and communications editor of Swedish magazine Scandinavian Mind
Lissoni will be joined by Swedish magazine Scandinavian Mind‘s design and communications editor Ilenia Martini on the interiors judging panel.
Martini is also the creative director of design consultancy Nichetto Studio, which focuses on brand strategy and communication with international clients including Cassina, De Padova, &Tradition, Hermès and Byredo among others.
Before joining Nichetto Studio, Martini was the creative director of Swedish furniture brand Hem and had also worked with global design and lifestyle brands such as Vitra, Nilufar Gallery, MINI and De La Espada.
Cyrill Gutsch is the founder of Parley for the Oceans
German-born designer Gutsch, the founder of the nonprofit environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans, will be judging the sustainability categories for this year’s programme.
Gutsch founded Parley for the Oceans in 2012 as a collaboration network for creators, thinkers and leaders to develop and implement strategies to protect oceans.
Parley and their partners won the Grand Prix for product design at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and also have two D&AD Pencils from the British organisation D&AD, which promotes excellence in design and advertising.
In 2018 Gutsch was also honoured with a Special Recognition Award for Innovation by the British Fashion Council.
London-based Patrik Schumacher is and architect and architectural theorist
German architect Schumacher is the principal of Zaha Hadid Architects and will be judging the architecture categories for Dezeen Awards 2023.
Mexican architect Andrea Cesarman is co-founder of C Cúbica Arquitecto
Schumacher will be joined by Cesarman, co-founder of Mexican practice C Cúbica Arquitectos, on the architecture judging panel this year.
Alongside C Cúbica Arquitectos co-founders Emilio Cabrero and Marco Coello, Cesarman also co-founded México Territorio Creativo, an organisation that aims to unite and promote the Mexican creative industries,
Dezeen Awards 2023 is open for entries. Find out about all of this year’s categories and log in or create an account to start your entries. Enter before 29 March to benefit from our discounted early entry prices.
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Dezeen Awards 2023
Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.
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