Huffington Post Catches Heat for Spec-Based Logo Design Contest

The Huffington Post receives more than a bit of criticism about its journalism practices, but recently it found itself in a different sort of boiling kettle, enraging the anti-spec work crowd. The site recently launched a contest to design a new logo for their political wing, HuffPost Politics. Users would submit logos and the winner would see their branding used “all over the interwebs.” The sticking point, of course, is that a) they were digging for free design and b) so free that said winner wouldn’t even ever see a dime for their work. Given that the Huffington Post is now owned by the AOL empire, a company with a few dollars behind it, the whole thing stuck in the collective craw of those who find spec work appalling. AntiSpec heeded the call by requesting that people speak out against the contest, which resulted in hundreds of comments blasting the site on the contest’s page, an even greater number of conversations about it on social networks, and media pickups from the likes of AdWeek, Politico, and Forbes, all in the space of roughly 24 hours. Ultimately, HuffPo backed down, closing the contest early and releasing something that sort of vaguely resembles an apology, but in the eyes of AntiSpec, doesn’t quite go the distance: “I find HuffPo’s statement a little blah in all honesty.” Feel free to judge for yourself, as here’s the site’s official pull-away from the contest:

We asked fans of HuffPost Politics to submit suggestions for social media icon designs as a fun way of enabling them to express their passion for politics — and for HuffPost. As readers of our site know, we frequently engage our community with requests for feedback and suggestions. So while AOL Huffington Post Media Group employs an in-house team of more than 30 talented designers, we felt this would be a lighthearted way to encourage HuffPost Politics users to express another side of their talents.

Though they also make mention that readers should “stay tuned to see the competition finalists in the coming days,” so perhaps they’re just closing down early to quiet the angry buzz and will just pick a winner from the stash they’d already received.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Pictogram History

Dans le même esprit que les excellents posters de films en pictogrammes, voici ce concept appliqué à des faits d’histoires ou d’événements. Sous la forme de schémas originaux, il s’agit d’un travail du studio de design H-57 basé à Milan en Italie. Plus d’images dans la suite de l’article.



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Previously on Fubiz

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National Gallery of Art Attacker Strikes Again, This Time Against Henri Matisse

You know that go-to image at a convenience store or a gas station where there are either photos or bounced checks tacked to the wall with a sign that reads something to the effect of “Do not serve” or “Cash only”? It might be a bit tacky, sure, but we’re thinking maybe the National Gallery of Art should have a space for one at their entrance, particularly so that they don’t let Susan Burns sneak in again. Following her attack on Paul Gauguin‘s “Two Tahitian Women” back in April, wherein she removed the painting off the wall and pounded it on the floor, fortunately not breaking the plastic case it was protected in, the mentally disabled woman recently appeared again at the museum and attacked Henri Matisse‘s “The Plumed Hat.” According to the Washington Post, Burns tried to remove the painting from the wall, but was unable to do so completely before being apprehended. Though the painting doesn’t appear to have been affected, the “antique original frame” was apparently damaged to some degree. The Post writes that when she was detained for the attack in April, she was required to sign a document stating she’d stay away from all museum, the National Gallery in particular. Given how well that worked the first time, we’re guessing they’ll make her sign at least two forms saying as much this time around.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Travel report: San Diego

Sandiego

Although Fenny from F for Fabulous lives here in Kuala Lumpur she has written a nice little travel guide for us for when you are going to San Diego… or if you would like to see her impressions of this city near the Mexican border in the USA. Fenny went for short trip to L.A. and decided to visit this city too… click here te read Fenny's travel report

Core77 welcomes Sheldon Renan to Hand-Eye Supply Curiosity Club

Learn more here – See the Curiosity Club here

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Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

The roof and upper walls of a house in Tübingen, Germany, are covered in rubber, like a fisherman’s hat pulled low over his eyes.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Designed by German studio Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen, the five-storey Just K house has walls that pitch in and out to maintain views from neighbouring houses to a nearby castle.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

The raised seams that line the house are welded together and allow rainwater to naturally drain from the walls.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

As the family grows, the house could be split into two separate residences with entrances on the basement floor and at first floor level, accessed by an outdoor staircase.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Rooms are warmed and cooled by passive house technology, where hot air is drawn up through the building by a ground-air heat exchanger, and solar panels on the south elevation provide additional electricity.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

An open plan living room with a raised living area platform occupies the ground floor, while two floors of bedrooms and an attic living room are located above.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Exposed softwood provides the surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings throughout the timber-framed house.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

A recent debate on Dezeen questions whether the use of exposed timber inside houses (particularly in Japan) is a consumptive trend that should not be encouraged just because of its natural appearance – join the debate here.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

This is the second project by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen on Dezeen this month, following a cafe pavilion in a town cemetery edged with both round and pointed arches.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Photography is by Brigida González.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Here are some more details from the architects:


Project: Just K

Living space for 2 adults and 4 children in Tübingen

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Site and commission

This 365 square-metre site is located in Tübingen; on a south-facing slope with a view over the city and of Tübingen castle. The 1960s development plan stipulates a specific position for the house on the site as well as “insertion into the surroundings” according to §34 of the Federal Building Code. The client commissioned the design of a family home that would provide passively heated living space for two adults and four children. Use of energy efficient passive house technology, natural application of materials and prudent use of the resources at hand, make the building sustainable. The potential adaptation of the house to the family’s living situation was an important aspect thereof.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

The question is, what is “good” living space? What defines it and what does one really need? These issues guided us in our approach to the layout of the house, which has been efficiently designed to optimally deliver maximum use of space, functionality and flexibility. We strove to create outstanding spatial quality using a minimum of materials. Imaginative overlapping of spatial areas and uses were designed to give the inhabitants a feeling of spaciousness, manifold atmospheres and various realms of possibility—despite minimised living area.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Envelope

The parameters of a limited-sized site, distance spacing regulations, and ample living space for six people, led the building to grow upwards in tower-like fashion. JustK relates to the surrounding grey 1920s tuff buildings in a contemporary manner through its compact envelope and defined roof volume. The swing of its hipped roof and its multiply-kinked shape derive on the one hand from a desire to create maximum spatial volume with minimum distance spacing, which the 70° angle facilitates in adherence to state building regulations, and on the other hand from a request by the neighbours to keep the view of Tübingen Castle unimpeded—under which conditions they sold the site.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Roof Cladding

The top and roof level of the house has been clad in a “southwester hat” of roof sheeting to provide protection from wind and weather. Similar to exterior “seams”, the roof sheeting meets to form ridges at the edges, these have been welded together to stand out from the water surface. This interpretation of the ridge seal accentuates the envelope of this membrane-covered warm roof. A drainage edge on the eaves guides away the rainwater that falls on the roof cladding, just like the brim of a hat.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Prefabrication, Structure, Surface Treatment

The structural physical demands on passive houses, their short construction period as well as sustainability considerations, all culminated in a decision to build this house in solid wood, optimally using the potentials of prefabrication. The whole building consists of 136 elements, which were fabricated with notches for carpentry and joinery as well as with drill holes and grooves for installation of the electrics.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Wood is the main material to be used consistently throughout the structure and interior surfaces; as a renewable raw material it was chosen not least for its favourable energy balance. To keep costs down, the wooden surfaces in the common rooms have been designed in “refined shell construction.” The industrial surface of these cross-layered wooden elements have been sanded down, bucked and soaped to preserve the light character of the wood.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Splittable

One can become two. Sustainable and flexible; the house can be split into two living units with separate entrances without much effort should the family situation change to require that. The total area of the house is 138 square-metres; one unit would measure 81 square metres and the other 57. In the warmer months of the year, this living space can be extended by the 12 square-metre balcony and the 23 square-metre forecourt.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Ground floor Climate Zone

The staggered main living space creates various room heights which zone the ground floor and automatically create different climate zones in winter. Cold outside air remains trapped in the lower entrance area while moderate temperatures prevail in the kitchen-living room and the sitting room higher up is warmest.

Just K by Architekten Martenson und Nagel Theissen

Architects: Björn Martenson, Sonja Nagel and Jan Theissen.
Structural planning: Ingenieurbüro von Fragstein
Energy planning: Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Lammers

Site: 365 m²
Floor space: 138 m² (81m² + 57 m²)
Gross floor area: 278 m²
Cubic content: 583 m³
Energy needs: 14,4 kWh/(m²a)
Building costs: € 330.000,-
Design period: November 2007 to December 2008
Construction period: April 2009 to June 2010 (with discontinuities)

Firms involved:
Cross-Laminated Structural Timber Pabeks/Lenotec: Finnforest Merk GmbH
Synthetic Membrane Roof: Roofing Membrane, synthetic rubber/ Polyisobutylene (PIB)
Composite Thermal Insulation System: Sto AG
Ventilation system: Drexel und Weiss Energieeffiziente Haustechniksysteme Gmbh
Windows – Alu2Holz: Optiwin GmbH
Skylight Windows: Fakro Dachfenster GmbH
Sloped Glass Roofs: RAICO Bautechnik GmbH


See also:

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Wrap House by
Future Studio
Villa Bussum
by GROUP A
Yachiyo by
Atelier Tekuto

Fresh Cut: Roger Lima’s Giant Swiss Army Knife Beats

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When we first posted about sound designer Roger Lima (a.k.a. White Noise), we idly wondered if he could spin the sounds from a “NY taxi, a motocross motorcycle and a commercial airliner” into coherent rhythms. His latest project isn’t a full departure from what we saw before, but it’s worth watching nonetheless.

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Lima transforms the tool into an instrument, in a manner of speaking:

Everyone knows about the Giant Swiss Army Knife’s place in the Guiness Book of World Records, its wide array of 87 implements, and unrivaled 141 functions. But did you know that it also makes a great percussion section in the hands of a super-talented sound designer and composer?

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Nick Gentry’s Obsolete Media Portraits

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In my early ID days I juggled a corporate design gig with one working for a now-famous avant garde designer, and because I took work home with me for both jobs, I carried 2.5″ floppy disks containing the latest CAD revisions back and forth. I always knew which disk was for which gig because the corporation provided the standard blue or beige ones, while the funky designer supplied cool translucent purple or green ones he’d picked up in Japan. Those disks were crucial, absolutely the most important thing I had to carry around; if I forgot one it meant I had to turn around and get back on the subway. But nowadays, of course, I haven’t seen or touched one in years.

I was excited to recently come across UK-based artist Nick Gentry’s “Blink” series of paintings, which uses our long-forgotten floppies as canvases:

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[Gentry’s] portraits use a combination of obsolete media formats, making a comment on waste culture, life cycles and identity. Using old disks as a canvas, these artefacts are combined to create photo-fits and identities that may draw connections to the personal information that is then forever locked down underneath the paint.

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CH Book Giveaway

Tweet to win a book and iPhone case in our giveaway

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Spanning indie zines to extensive cookbooks, the plethora of books sourced for our holiday pop-up with the Gap last year are all penned by NYC-based authors. Our city’s literary bounty can now be yours—we’re giving away the backstock to a handful of lucky CH readers along with our special-edition Cool Hunting iPhone cases.

To win, tweet @coolhunting with the link to your favorite Cool Hunting book review before Wednesday, 17 August 2011, 11:59pm EST. We’ll pick winners, who we’ll award a grab-bag of one book and iPhone case.


TACN Studio’s Simple, Pure Packaging

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I find the most effective packing and branding to be simple, straight-forward imagery and typefaces. Similarly, in industrial design and engineering, it is the elegant solution that is often the best option. The work of Vancouver’s TACN Studio (a.k.a. Talia Cohen) lives up to that maxim. The one-line, one-circle whales on the Jonah Whale Vodka are so effortless and graceful that they almost disappear into the vodka itself, yet are distinct enough an image to identify the product as a stand-out one.

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Using various shades of brown to denote the attributes of the coffee blends is, once again, so straight-forward that there really is no other, better option. The branding for the Killer Russian Vodka, however, is much more bold and suggestive with its presence, but does not seem frivolous.

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