Brand New IDEO: Michael Hendrix and Paul Bennett on the Global Design Consultancy’s Upcoming 24-Hour Make-a-Thon
Posted in: Uncategorized
Core77 is very pleased to present an exclusive look at an IDEO creative ideation exercise, “Brand New IDEO,” centered on a 24-hour global Make-a-Thon that will take place next Monday in their 11 offices around the world, starting in Tokyo and ending at their San Francisco headquarters. In anticipation of this unique event, IDEO offers a bit of background on the history of their brand identity and how the project came about. Be sure to tune in on Monday, March 25, when Core77 will host an (almost) live blog of the process as it unfolds.
When Paul Rand designed the IDEO logo in 1991, he didn’t anticipate the complex challenges IDEO designers would take on 20 years later. Who could have? It’s crazy how many changes the world has undergone during the past two decades—34 new countries, tablet computing, Netflix, the Euro, and the Prius, just to name a few.
Like the world around us, IDEO has evolved too. Where we were once a handful of specialties, today we are dozens. Doctors, biologists, filmmakers, and storytellers rub elbows with industrial designers and engineers—all in the service of creating positive impact through design. And why not? If you listen to futurists, the next 20 years will be a combination of Mad Max and Xanadu. Ferns will become hard drives. Space tourism will be a thing. Thousands of new cities will emerge. We need all the bright, creative minds we can get!
Given these heady challenges, how might we evolve our identity to become even more dynamic in a complex and diverse world? To answer this question for ourselves, we’ve designed a maker experiment that explores extremes and helps us create a brief for the future. We call it “Brand New IDEO.”
Years ago, we needed Paul Rand to design our own brand identity. Today, with communications designers and brand experts in every IDEO studio, we’re looking inward to evolve our identity—and we’re doing it in public.
Brand New IDEO is a “maker experiment” for everyone inside IDEO’s four walls. For many of our designers it means rolling up their sleeves and making something new. For other IDEOers, it means sharing inspiration that explores one of six themes.
Talisman – A memento of the future; a totem capturing our spirit; a talisman bringing fortune to those who encounter it… Let’s create objects that represent who we are and who we will become.
Biological – Living, growing, reproducing, aging and dying; perpetuating through offspring; symbiotic with neighbors… Let’s create a living identity system that matures and mutates through time.
Powers of 10 – Cellular to spectacular; micro to macro; neutrons, neurons and nebulas… Let’s create an identity system that is too large to comprehend, too small to see and every step in between.
Code Junkies – Born in the digital world, forever a resident; viral, logical, & combinatorial; obedient to math- made laws… Let’s create an identity that originates from binaries and algorithms.
Writer’s Block – High brow and low brow; short stories, poems, lyrics; bumper stickers and billboards… Let’s create an identity that lives in the written word- no graphics allowed.
Alternate History – China 1991,* the birthplace of IDEO… Let’s create an identity that is unique to its origin, celebrating culture, materiality, craftsmanship and industry. *and/or Munich, Tokyo
CH Editions: T-Tech by Tumi Backpack: Our second collaboration with the trusted travel brand results in our ideal day to day travel bag
Posted in: black, chedition, duffels, tumi 
As avid travelers, finding a single bag for all situations almost always ends in compromise, leaving us with an arsenal of luggage clogging up our closets. So when our friends at Tumi approached us to create our ideal, all-purpose bag we jumped at the chance. Having collaborated with Tumi…
Continue Reading…
SFK + Meredith Wendell: Creative camera straps use chain, leather and climbing rope to keep your SLR secure
Posted in: cameraaccessories, fashiondesign 
In 2011 Sarah Frances Kuhn left a promising position in fashion media to start her own accessories line, SFK. Rooted in technique and process, the brand makes playful straps for serious cameras using high quality and unconventional materials. Building off the bright and colorful aesthetic established in previous collections,…
Continue Reading…
Crumpler for Apple: Commuter bags re-designed to hold a MacBook Pro and iPad in exclusive colorways
Posted in: ipadaccessories, messengerbag 
Similar to San Francisco’s Chrome, Crumpler was founded in 1995 to serve the urban bike messenger community with sturdy, purposeful packs and bags. However, while Chrome has remained relatively core focused, Melbourne’s Crumpler has expanded to offer products fit for a range of active lifestyles and individuals. After a…
Continue Reading…
Ready or not, here we come! Twin brothers, Dan and Dave are well known for their amazing skills in card magic tricks and Dan has promised to teach me some when I meet in LA this summer. Interestingly the duo are out with an amazing new deck called The Ultimate Deck, which is a one-of-a-kind, luxury deck of playing cards showcasing stunning works of art on every card.
Designed in collaboration with the award-winning agency Stranger & Stranger the Ultimate Deck is more of an art piece than a night at the poker table. Yes, I agree!
I am amazed at the intriguing artwork used on this 54-card deck. It comes as no surprise that every single card in the The Ultimate Deck is represented with a unique story, incorporating classical art, as well as works from today’s leading illustrators.
The brothers’ score full marks for packaging as well, the gorgeous tuck-case features extraordinary detail that integrates embossed elements and foil accents. Each deck is hand sealed with a vintage-inspired tax stamp, perforated for easy opening. On the sides of the tuck-case the phrases, “The Marvel of The Odd Minded Await”, and “Relish The Experience of The Bewildered” are written.
There is no doubt that the history of playing cards is forever transformed with the advent of The Ultimate Deck. But to appreciate Dan and Dave’s craft, you simply HAVE TO watch the video below, featuring Cardistry in White. Simply Mindblowing!
Designers: Dan and Dave [ Buy it Here ]
–
Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store – We are about more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the YD Store!
(Ready For The Ultimate Card Trick? was originally posted on Yanko Design)
Related posts:
 |  |
Bamford Watch Department’s Limited Edition Rolex Sky-Dweller: A customized Rolex leaves little to aspire to
Posted in: black, rolex 
Generally held on a horological pedestal, Rolex is often associated with being the best of the best. But what happens when your Roley just isn’t unique enough and you’re not ready to experiment with an MB&F? You turn to Bamford Watch Department, customizer of fine time pieces. Their latest…
Continue Reading…
12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Dr. Prof. Peter Zec (Part II)
Posted in: 12, Dr. Prof. Peter Zec, Inspirational, part ii, yanko-designAs we close into Christmas and get ready for the holidays, it seems the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on how the year has passed by. Did we learn any lessons; could we have done anything differently and more importantly, how do we utilize the knowledge that we have gained through the year. While you ponder these thoughts, let’s add the Panama Story to our list. As promised, here is the second installment to Dr. Prof. Peter Zec’s interview conducted in Essen earlier this year.
The wealth of knowledge that has been amassed by Dr. Zec is easily translated and understood by listening to this simple children’s story. No wonder he always narrates it to his students. This special podcast allows you to hear the story in totality and Dr. Zec’s narrative is very easy to understand and follow.
Moving on, I have broken down the interview into two sections and this one addresses issues like Innovation vs Being Different and how important it is for a designer to understand that design is a service for a client. Only when we understand the difference between art and design, can we apply the business angle to this industry.
As we know Dr. Zec is associated with red dot and is the main driving force behind the awards. I have seen him do his bit for the industry up close and one of the initiatives that he co-created is the red dot young professional’s entry slot. Basically 50 designers who have obtained their academic qualifications within the past five years, have the chance to apply for one out of 50 free registrations to the “red dot award: product design 2013”. Any designer worth his profession knows how coveted the red dot product design award is, and this platform encourages young talent to get the edge just as they embark upon their designing career. Good thing is that the application for this freebie is tomorrow 18th December 2012. Details for the same can be found here. Good Luck!
Previous interviews in this series:
Hideshi Hamaguchi, Yves Béhar, Karim Rashid, Scott Wilson, Robert Brunner
–
Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store – We are about more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the YD Store!
(12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Dr. Prof. Peter Zec (Part II) was originally posted on Yanko Design)
Related posts:
- 12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Dr. Prof. Peter Zec (Part I)
- 12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Yves Béhar
- 12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Robert Brunner
| |
Dispose Issue 04: A day in the life of the four contributors to the online photo journal’s latest edition
Posted in: journal 
Offering an unedited glimpse into the lives of four strangers each month, online photography journal Dispose distributes disposable cameras to people around the world to do with them what they may. The rules are simple: the whole roll must be shot over the span of one day, a minimum…
Continue Reading…
BUNDSHOP to Source, Showcase and Sell the Best of Chinese Design
Posted in: Uncategorized
It’s taken a summer’s worth of exploring the Chinese design scene, but BUNDSHOP, a new online platform that will bring Chinese design to the rest of the world, is nearly set to launch next month. We recently had a chance to stop by their Shanghai office to meet their core team: Founder Diana Tsai, Marketing/PR Lead Stephanie Zoo, Operations Manager Donnie Yu and Designer Michael Cignarale. The binational team hails from both sides of the Pacific, as the Chinese-Americans boast Shanghainese heritage—an advantage for navigating the rapidly-changing city—while longtime friend Yu is a savvy local.
Earlier this year, Tsai was inspired to see China’s burgeoning design culture yet frustrated to learn that most Chinese designers have few opportunities to exhibit or sell their work at home or abroad. But beyond the simple retail proposition, BUNDSHOP is also delivers exclusive editorial content as well, sharing the stories behind the products and the individuals who create them. Their mission statement is a good place to start:
There is serious interest around the world in creativity and design from China. We’re at a cross-section of history. We are marking the transition of one of the world’s fastest growing countries from industrial to creative, from producing to innovating… from Made in China to Designed in China.
We’ve watched this trend for the last decade as we visited family, studied, and worked in China. With our eclectic backgrounds in social enterprise, logistics, exports, marketing, philosophy, diplomacy, we have all united around a single vision, we stormed straight into the frontlines to create a platform to showcase something the world had never seen before: emerging design and independent brands, Designed in China.
12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Dr. Prof. Peter Zec (Part I)
Posted in: 12, Dr. Prof. Peter Zec, Inspirational and, on, yanko-designI had the good fortune to spend a good hour with Dr. Prof. Peter Zec at the red dot design museum in Essen. Over a good cup of coffee and exceptional pastries, we spoke about how designers today are dealing with the increasing global awareness of Product Design. For those who don’t know Peter Zec is a former Icsid president and today holds the rank of Icsid senator. He is also the president of the red dot GmbH & Co. KG.
Before I head into the words of wisdom, let me tell you that to do full justice to Dr. Zec’s interview I am splitting it into two parts. After you have read the two editions you will know exactly why! For now, just read on.
It’s all about passion!
Designing is all about passion. Apparently Dr. Zec had been approached by Chinese officials to help create 100 or 1000 Steve Jobs. They wanted him to set up a school or conduct seminars that will help achieve this dream. However what the Chinese don’t realise is that to create a Steve Jobs, you need to go though the cycle of life that he went through.
“He did a lot of crazy and radical things that they don’t teach in China.”
You will be surprised to learn that Dr. Zec was 100% Communist who believed in the communist ideologies.
“I read all the Karl Marx books and I absorbed all his teachings. I too wanted to change the world because I felt that the world was not being fair to all. I had a very strange understanding of business. My perception thought that a business took away from the poor and gave to the rich. And I had the imagination that the rich do not work, they make other people work and pocket the profits. To me this was what the entrepreneur did. And I never had the idea of what real business was and this was my perception till I reached the age of 28.”
Life has strange ways of teaching lessons. At the age of 28, a very staunch communist Dr. Zec found that he had turned into an entrepreneur himself!
“I have studied media science, psychology and arts science and it was a study for 100% unemployment, so I tried to invent my own job. At that time the were only 3 broadcasting stations that were state owned and there was sure to be no job for me. I was looking for a safe job and I went to the cultural department of the city that I was living in and proposed to them that they set up a public holographic laboratory. I thought holography would be the new medium. The next big thing after photography! I went to the head of the department and asked if they could set it up. The head in turn told me that this could be a way for me to start my own business. I told him how was this was not possible since I had no money and skills or experience to do my own business. They sent me to a bank and helped with consultancy and this is how I began my career as a businessman. In my mind I was still a communist though.”
Slowly he transformed into a businessperson and a very successful German optician commissioned him to do some work for them. The owner invited him to become the creator of holography for one of their exhibitions in Hamburg.
“I was the chief creator and I earned a good amount of money for it. At that time I observed this person (his sponsor) and I said to myself that hey, this person works very hard and at sometime he doesn’t sleep. So he doesn’t take money from somebody else or deprives the poor. He is responsible for his own job. So that changed my views on business.”
I was a fascist!
His Communist attitude is not the only thing Dr. Zec had to change; he had to let go of his fascist perception of art.
“I was very idealistic about art. People can be fascist about art. I had a very clear understanding about what is good art and was always defending my perception of good art. I was fighting against others for their views on art.
The time that I realized I was following the wrong values was when I was asked to create holography of naked women by my sponsor. He had booked the Hamburg museum at that time, and the director of the museum was an authority on good art. I did not agree with the concept of showcasing naked women, but I had to do the job since I was on a payroll too. My only chance at stopping this exhibition was to speak to the museum director and convince him that the show must be not put up. But do you know what the director told me? He said that ‘Who cares if it is naked women as long as they are done beautifully and depicts art.’ That is the turning point for me, when I realized that I needed to give up on my outdated ideologies and adopt one that is more conducive and open-minded. I had the wrong values.”
The worst thing for a student is to have an ideology in their mind and fighting against others. You should always fight for yourself rather than fighting with others, it is waste of energy.
“If you use this same energy on yourself then it is following your passion and achieving your goals.”
Dr. Zec advices not to waste the time in criticizing other people’ designs and to focus on your own thing.
“Designers are some times are too narrow minded and focused on a single object. But the object is most often placed in a larger environment. As designers, it should be good to have the broader vision kept into perspective and this is unfortunately not taught in schools. Designers think design is always about making the shape and form of a product. This is from old school, today design starts from a totally new form of understanding and what it means in the modern world.
We have to think from dependences and relationships towards other environments and factors. Design has to do with cultural development and social changes in society. These things play a lot of role and this is why designers should read from other disciplines and even be political. They should try to understand the world and with this kind of understanding you will end up designing totally different products.”
Hence a man like Steve Jobs had a clear understanding of the world, and he was fighting for his ideas. He probably did not like Microsoft so much or Bill Gates but he did not fight them.
You don’t need to love everybody. You must simply accept them.
And fight for your own ideas! Steve had his own idea of the internet and this brings us to the question why did why Sony not invent things Steve did ?
“Sony had all the rights and the music. But Apple has iTunes and the iPods, think about it. Steve Jobs looked at this from a broader angle while Sony only focused on the narrow angle of how can we make money from the music we have and not try to lose too much. It is important for designers to change their viewpoint and think form another direction or a new angle.”
To sum it up, Dr. Zec is trying to tell us that it is never too late to let go of old and redundant ideologies. We must focus on our strengths and not worry about others. It is imperative for us to keep a broader perspective in life and not be to narrow about design. Look at the whole picture and not just the speck.
Stay tuned for the next edition; you simply have to hear about the Panama Story!
And one more thing…Dr. Zec thank you for wearing those red shoes!
–
Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store – We are about more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the YD Store!
(12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Dr. Prof. Peter Zec (Part I) was originally posted on Yanko Design)
Related posts:
- 12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Yves Béhar
- 12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Robert Brunner
- 12 Inspirational and Exclusive Interviews on Yanko Design – Scott Wilson
| |
