Visualization of Our Relationship with Media

beautiful and disturbing and portend to the potential of our relationship with media via SweetStation

The artist is Diamante Murru:

Diamante Murru from Cagliari, Italy. Check her out on Myspace as well.

"

Watch Redesign

The surge of wristwatch (and time pieces in general) redesign in recent years seems to me to be due to the general frustration with the insistent status quo of the "normal" aspects of our lives whilst there has been some major transformations courtesy of the internet and mobile devices. Whether or not these new approaches to a mundane task will help us look at other things with fresh eyes only [sorry for the pun] time will tell.

Below is the latest example, see also TokyoFusion


0Hundred Watch by Knot Design: "

keiji ashizawa - 'drawer shelf'

This is a fun storage piece from Tokyo Design Week. I'm not sure the usefulness of the side-to-side, but i like it. Perhaps some hiding of important documents or minimal flat filing, or making your space more pet friendly, those kitties like to explore. Clearly if you didn't intend to keep them stacked they could make for interesting display as well.


keiji ashizawa - 'drawer shelf': "

tokyo design week 09 as seen in the exhibition superprototype is 'drawer shelf'
by japanese designer keiji ashizawa. the drawer consists of 3 levels that can be
arranged in various positions. it has been produced in collaboration with
company tanseisha.


'drawer shelf' by keiji ashizawa



"

josh owen: 'stoop bench'

In case you missed this article from DesignBoom - it features Josh Owen's 'Stoop Bench' which is on display - along the Schuylkill Banks park (pictured below) along with several other DuPont Corian® based designs by Philadelphia area designers. As if you needed yet another reason to cruise this park.

'stoop bench' by josh owen

philadelphia is a city of stoop dwellers. the townhouses that line the streets
of center city and the myriad surrounding neighborhoods all have stoops.
with this in mind owen came up with of the idea of moving the 'stoop' off the typical
urban grid and applying them to a park or perhaps districts with no stoops.














"

Infrastructure

I'm a huge fan of infrastructure - particularly public transportation, but most of it I find fascinating. The architecture issue of the NYTMagazine this year featured the image at left. This issue certified my infrastructure adoration as well as taking its place as the wallpaper on my computer.

It is completely valid to wonder - infrastructure?! I know, its not the first thing folks are generally interested in. One of the selling points of my current apartment is that I can hear both the freight and commuter trains at a politely demure volume from the comfort of my sofa. Another selling point, of both my apartment and the city of brotherly love, is the Schuylkill [pronounced skoo-kill] Banks park. Not only can you enjoy the beauty of bridges, tracks, boats, bikes, and the like - but its also a scenic park that has a trail extending 22 miles, for those diehard bike and running enthusiasts.

Here are some images as evidence:

Should you ever find yourself on this path, wander along it, enjoy it and take a few minutes to stand under the Market Street bridge. It is here that you will see a pleasant bit of graffiti as well as be able to hear the subway and trolley lines that run underground. The bridge has two air shafts that serve the underground tracks. This is an amazing spot - you can see the cars on I-76, and on the local roads, hear the Amtrak and SEPTA regional trains across the river, and hear the subterranean lines as well. It is a smörgåsbord also known as city - it is what has made it possible and keeps it going - it is a small part of the big word that I love: infrastructure.

Just a tidbit - Philadelphia was once an engineering tourist destination for its waterworks, which is now a lovely restaurant and scenic vista along this very river park.

More pictures from the Schuylkill Banks park and much more are available here

Compatible

This is a pair of shoes designed by architect Frank Gehry for J.M Weston's Autumn/Winter 09 collection:
Images via DesignBoom

Just to remind you - this is what his buildings look like:

I suppose, in theory, there is some whimsy to his shoes that is reminiscent of his buildings - they both make me think of cartoons, surely. However, I guess I have to wonder what I thought shoes designed by Frank Gehry would look like.

Potential

Potential is an intrinsic part of my everyday - it is how I view the world and design and potential are also inseparable, allow me to explain.

First off, potential is always present and always awaiting activation. When I step out the door to go to the grocery store I can see all possible paths - I could go three blocks north and then two blocks east, or two blocks east and then three blocks north, or zig and zag with the changing of the lights, etc. When there is more than one option you must select a path, each with its own potential. Potential for seeing things, for meeting people, for tripping on your own laces...Choosing one path does not deny any potential, it isn't deniable because it isn't certain, all you are doing is activating the potential of the path you've chosen. Hence, I can live every moment and see the vast range of potentials from any decision, but can easily make a decision, and have little patience for hemming/hawing. Think of it this way, 99.99% of the decisions you make are of little consequence - so just make a decision, rarely do you make a choice that obliterates the option to change your mind especially you keep your self open to change.

Now, what does this have to do with design? Ideally, design optimizes the potential of something to what the user/client requests/requires. In interior design I think of a hollow white cube of a space filled with twinkling gold dust. As the client and designer discuss the clients needs, the designer turns that golden dust into solid decisions - a wall here, window there, this size, this arrangement, this palate...all activating the potential for the desired use of the space. Of all the potential that space possessed - it has been tailored for a particular use - optimizing the potential for that use.

The trick with potential - though I see this as a wonderful thing, but I could see it as a trick - you might only see what you are already looking for. If you only can think of a shoe as looking like this:

You might never be able to see the potential of a shoe like this

let alone a shoe like this

Not that one of these shoes is better than the other, its an illustration of difference - just allow for the fact that we may not always recognize an object until we explore it.

I could go on and on about potential and the potential mind-set in relation to the technological culture, and the paradigm shift that is a inherent in becoming a part of such a culture.

Instead, I'll leave you with this video and allow you to look back at what was a vision of the future and hope you imagine what this video might look like if made today: