Hasta La Ideas

No one knew what to make of the gargantuan vending machines with 47-inch touchscreen panels that we spotted in Tokyo back in August. Now that some time’s gone by, information’s coming in and the benefits are becoming more clear. The machine, by Roppongi-based Design Studio S, is more than just a gimmicky touchscreen and practically bristles with design intelligence.

First off, the “smart” machine only shows images of drinks it actually has in stock, to avoid any aesthetically-offensive “SOLD OUT” badges. (Ah, Japan.) Secondly, the dispensing slot is placed in a higher position than on regular machines, so that Tokyo’s population of “Office Ladies” in skirts don’t have to crouch down in an unladylike way to access the product. Third, you can buy drinks by pointing your cell phone at the machine, though this perhaps has more to do with Japan’s intelligent embrace of technology rather than the design of the machine.

But where the real brilliance comes in is with the onboard camera. The machine determines your gender and estimates your age and suggests demographically popular drinks. More importantly, after you purchase your drink, the machine has now collected some actionable data very important to drink suppliers (without capturing any personal information). For example:

– Primary customers are men in their 20s and 30s

– 63% men, 37% women

– Men in their 30s outnumber men in their 20s that use the vending machines

– Men in their 30s start the day with canned black coffee;

– Energy drinks purchased by men in their 30s are Lipovitan D in the morning, and Oronamin C and Red Bull in the evening to night;

– Mineral water and Pocari Sweat are bought most by men in their 30s after midnight

– It used to be thought that juices were mostly bought by women, but the Shinagawa vending machines sold way more juices than expected to men in the late evenings and at night

– JR East Water Business introduced the Aomori Ringo 100 on the 16th, with a reworked label design that appeals more to men than their initial design

Some other interesting stats are that the machines are selling three times more drinks than regular vending machines, and “there are regularly crowds (and lines) in front of the vending machines, waiting for an opportunity to interact with them.”

Check it out:

Edit: Woops, the video has been rendered unembeddable. You can check it out by clicking here.

via akihabara news

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Industrial designer Konstantin Grcic’s installed seats made of netting suspended from a metal structure at Design Miami/ last week. 

Located in the courtyard of the design fair, Netscape featured a six-point star-shaped metal frame with netting forming a series of hammock-like seats.

The installation was commisioned by Design Miami/ for the fair, where Grcic was presented with the Designer of the Year Award 2010 (see our earlier story).

See all our stories about Konstantin Grcic »

The following information is from Design Miami/:

Konstantin Grcic

Each December, the Design Miami/ designer of the year award recognises an internationally renowned designer or studio whose body of work demonstrates exceptional quality, innovation and influence, while expanding the boundaries of design. Selected by a committee of esteemed design luminaries from around the world, each designer of the year must demonstrate a consistent history of outstanding work, along with a significant new project, career milestone, or other noteworthy achievement within the previous twelve months. This year, we are thrilled to name Konstantin Grcic as the winner of the 2010 Designer of the Year Award.

For years, konstantin has been celebrated for an exceptionally thoughtful approach to advanced design, factoring in not only aesthetics but also a wide array of the most pertinent questions facing design creation today: how are we to deal with material scarcity? how can the relationship between objects and their sites of usage be harnessed to create more effective design work? how should design interface with other disciplines — art, architecture, theory, etc. — to maximize its potential? how can we simultaneously tap design’s history while fulfilling the promise of new materials and new technologies, while also creating humanistic work that responds to the pressing needs of the present?

In addition to designing objects for both mass and limited-edition markets, konstantin has also begun to direct his unique vision to curating design exhibitions, always reminding us of what matters most in design production and discourse. konstantin is a true designer’s designer. We are honored to recognize his immense talent and his impressive accomplishments.

Konstantin Grcic was born in 1965 in Munich, Germany. he apprenticed as a cabinet maker at parnham college, uk, and then earned a degree in Industrial Design at the royal college of Art in london, where he went on to work for Jasper Morrison, before establishing his firm konstantin Grcic Industrial Design in Munich in 1991.

kGID has since become one of the most important players in the international design industry, creating objects that have garnered numerous important awards (e.g., the compasso d’oro in 2001) and that have been acquired for the permanent collections of the world’s most prestigious museums (MoMA, New york; centre Georges pompidou, paris; Die Neue Sammlung, Munich; and others). his impressive roster of clients includes vitra, Magis, classicon, flos and Established & Sons, and his limited-edition work is represented by Galerie kreo in Paris.

the commission

to commemorate this award, each recipient is given a major commission to be unveiled at Design Miami/. konstantin has chosen to create a two-part project. the first part involves a six-point, star-shaped installation featuring hammock-like seats, designed specifically in response to Design Miami/’s temporary structure and an idea of how to service fair visitors in an original, novel way.

More than a seating element, ‘Netscape’ is conceived as a catalyst for social interaction. the project embodies konstantin’s acute sensitivity to the physical site and to the contextual demands of the given project. We know our visitors will enjoy putting this project to good use. The second part of konstantin’s commission involves a special exhibition of the designer’s favorite projects representing the remarkable arc of his career.

The works in the exhibition, chosen by Grcic himself, include seminal pieces displayed on readymade modeling stands placed in front of large-scale digital images taken in konstantin’s studio. through this presentation, viewers are invited into konstantin’s world, where they can glimpse the logical yet romantic process that is so important to his work. We would like to thank Nasir kassamali and luminaire for generously providing objects for konstantin’s exhibition.

See also:

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Konstantin Grcic at Design Miami/ 2010	Bench Between Pillars by Ryuji Nakamura Architects	Pole Dance by SO-IL at P.S.1

Sure, anyone can hammer a bent nail into a chunk of wood and pry open bottles with it. But the reason this Wooden Bottle Opener is available at the MOMA store is because it takes an artist like Brendan Ravenhill to not only make sure the handle’s made from beautiful walnut wood, but also add magnets to catch the cap AND attach it to your refrigerator! Now that’s design.

Check out more great gift ideas in Core77’s Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide 2010.

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In this short interview we conducted as part of our Food and Design report for luxury kitchen appliances brand Scholtès, Design Academy Eindhoven chairwoman Anne Mieke Eggenkamp presents graduate projects involving food, including this system that uses sand to keep vegetables fresh (above).

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The interview is one of ten we made in Milan earlier this year to accompany the report. See all the interviews here.

Food and Design is a major trends investigation into the cross-over between the worlds of food and design. It was commissioned by luxury kitchen appliances brand Scholtès.

See also:

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Philippe Starck on food	Dezeen’s top ten: food	See the full report