Would you like to change your photos into beautiful graphic design pieces? 'addLib' is an application for iPhone that edits your photos and creates a variety of design based on educated theories.
addLib mixes the Grid System, a fractal theory, the golden ratio and the Facial Recognition System, and then creates graphic design. It seems the layout is made at random, but it comes from the rigorous calculated system. These theories have been made through the process that people have been trying to find new expression, and they are also the ways, to capture very ordinary “beauty” in nature, namely algorithm.
American company Trufig creates flush-mounting system that seamlessly integrates every day devices and technologies—including light switches, data jacks, and speakers into a wall or ceiling. Trufig offers an aesthetically pleasing approach to integrating those can’t-live-without items into the architecture.
Each year, Wallpaper* magazine celebrates a year’s worth of beautiful designs, bright ideas, movements, and creative shakes from around the world at an annual awards ceremony held in London.
Trufig was founded in 2008 by Scott Struthers and Geoff Spencer, founders of Dana Innovations, parent company of Sonance® and iPort®. Founded in 1982, Dana Innovations’ legacy of standard-setting design includes the world’s first high-fidelity in-wall speaker system, the world’s first integrated in-wall iPod® docking station, and the reigning design standard for architectural audio—the flush-mounted Sonance Architectural Series speaker system.
The i24R3Portable is an extension of the i24R3 wireless speaker project collaboration between EOps and Michael Young studio. The i24R3Portable is a family of portable speakers with various specific functional configurations to suit different user lifestyles.
"This project is about a serious portable waterproof speaker, I have always wanted one myself but there are big constraints to achieve the best sound quality while being waterproof and lightweight. The conventional waterproof speaker drivers are simply not up to the job. We have achieved a fundamental improvement in waterproof portable speaker design by using a totally sealed sound chamber design with light weight and powerful flat panel speakers and passive radiators which can provide really strong music perfomance. And the circular form and the thickness of the i24R3Portable speaker happens to be the most appropriate form that can satisfy the challenging engineering requirement and coincidentally also look nice with the original i24R3 wireless speaker system. The i24R3Portable comes with a tube stand that is very unconventional for a portable speaker. The tube stand is something playful but people can use it like a handle for portability like carrying the speaker from indoor living room to the balcony but it is also removable so that people can mount the speaker in the wall if they want.", Michael Young (UK).
The different versions available allow the user to listen to music via PC or Mac computers, mobile phones, IPhones or MP3Players.
For 40 years, from 1955 until 1995, Dieter Rams designed or oversaw the
design of over 500 products for the German electronics manufacturer
Braun, as well as furniture for Vitsœ. Audio equipment, calculators,
shavers and shelving systems are just some of the products created by
Dieter Rams, each item holds a special place in the history of
industrial and furniture design and has established Dieter Rams as one
of the most influential designers of the late 20th century.
This exhibition is the first UK definitive retrospective of Dieter Rams’ career in over 12 years. Showcasing landmark designs for both Braun and Vitsœ, this exhibition will examine how Dieter Rams’ design ethos inspired and challenged perceptions of domestic design and assesses Dieter Rams’ lasting influence on today’s design landscape. Archive film footage, models, sketches and prototypes will be displayed alongside specially commissioned interviews with Dieter Rams’ contemporaries, which include Jonathon Ive, Jasper Morrison, Sam Hecht and Naoto Fukasawa.
Electric shaver, 1970 Design: Dieter Rams Manufacturer: Braun
Control ET44 calculator, 1978 Design: Dieter Rams Manufacturer: Braun
Dieter Rams’ elegant products challenged original concepts of design thought by reducing electrical switches to a minimum and arranging them in an orderly manner, transparent plastics and wooden veneers were mixed and colour schemes were limited to tones of pure whites and greys, the only splash of colour being allocated to switches and dials.
P1 pocket record player, 1959 and T41 pocket radio, 1956 Design: Dieter Rams, Manufacturer: Braun
SK4 record player, 1956 Design: Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot Manufacturer: Braun
Dieter Rams defined an elegant, legible, yet rigorous visual design language, identified through his ‘Ten Principles’ of good design, which, amongst others stated that good design should be innovative, aesthetic, durable and useful. Heavily influenced by the Bauhaus and Ulm School of Art in Germany, Dieter Rams pioneered a design spirit which embraced modernity and placed functionality above everything else, resulting in designs that were free of decoration, simple in function and embodied a cohesive sense of order. Born in Germany in 1932, Dieter Rams trained in architecture and interior design before joining Braun in 1955 where he took advantage of electronic and engineering advances made during the Second World War to realise a sophisticated re-interpretation of domestic appliances.
606 Universal Shelving system Design: Dieter Rams Manufacturer: Vitsœ
The Panasonic Design Museum is an online museum which provides information regarding Panasonic's rich history. It includes an exclusive collection of remarkable product designs dating back to 1918.
Improved attachment plug
The very first product to be manufactured by Matsushita Electric was an innovative attachment plug, designed by Konosuke Matsushita himself. Uniquely, the plug was made from resin, and showed characteristic forward thinking, recycling the metal screw-in sections of used light bulbs.
The winners of the Fennia Prize 2009 competition have been chosen. The Fennia Prize 2009 Grand Prix (€15,000) goes to Genelec for the design of the Genelec 5040A subwoofer. Four Fennia Prizes of €5,000 each are awarded to Iittala, Metso Automation, Saas Instruments and Polar Electro.
'Genelec 5040A' active subwoofer (2008) Designer: Harri Koskinen, technical and acoustic design Siamäk Naghian, Jussi Väisänen / Genelec Oy Product Development Producer: Genelec Oy
The Fennia Prize 2009 Grand Prix goes to the Genelec 5040A active
subwoofer. The compact design of this product differs from conventional
solutions. Among other features, the speaker driver and controls are
placed out of sight on the base of the device and the overall form is
simplified and unassuming. The enclosure is made with a new
manufacturing method employing deep-drawn steel and die-cast aluminium.
The same form is repeated in miniature in the remote control unit. The
properties of the subwoofer represent state-of-the-art technology.
The Fennia Prizes of 2009 go to Iittala/Iittala Group Oy Ab, Metso Automation Oy, Saas Instruments and Polar Electro Oy. A prize sum of €5,000 goes to each recipient.
'KajaaniPaperLab' automatic paper testing unit (2008-2009) Designer: Kajaani Product Development Team Producer: Metso Automation Oy
'Fireplace' table fireplace (2008) Designer: Ilkka Suppanen Producer: Iittala/Iittala Group Oy Ab
'Polar FT80' training computer (2006–2008) Designer: Visa Rauta Producer: Polar Electro Oy
'Medusa' lamp (2007) Designer: Mikko Paakkanen Producer: Saas Instruments
The Fennia Prize 2009 exhibition Design Forum Finland, Erottajankatu 7, Helsinki From February 20 to March 29 2009
Core77 and Greener Gadgets invited designers to explore the concept of "Greener Gadgets. The top 50 entries are published online for voting and commenting, and from these the judges will pick the Top 10 to be judged live at the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City on February 27th. Voting ends February 20th. Click, get inspired, and vote!
'VE09 Blister Radio' by Klaus Rosburg (United States) The VE09 Blister Radio is made from PLA, a biodegradable, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources such as cornstarch (in the U.S.) or sugarcanes. The solar panel in the back of the clear blister pack recharges the batteries allowing the user to operate the radio without ever opening the clamshell package.
'Blight' by Vincent Gerkens (Belgium) This solar blind creates a link between indoor and outdoor, taking the daylight during the day and giving it back at night. The advantage of the Venetian blind is to have a large surface exposed to sunlight in a small, cumbersome object. With the revolving blades we can follow the course of the sun in order to catch a maximum of energy. Moreover we can adjust the position of the lamp to obtain various lighting effects. The produced energy can be used to supply a computer or other devices, by means of an inverter.
'Power-Hog' by Mathieu Zastawny, Mansour Ourasanah, Tom Dooley, Peter Byar, Elysa Soffer, Mathieu Turpault (United States) Power-Hog is a power consumption metering piggy bank designed to sensitize kids to energy cost associated with running electronics devices. Plug the tail into the outlet and the device into the snout; feed a coin to meter 30 minutes of use.
'eMetric' by Jason Deperro (United States) eMetric is an office power management system that allows teams of conscientious workers to control and learn about their electronics' energy consumption - saving energy and money.
This is the first ever energy saving lamp purposely designed to suit fixtures where existing energy-savers could not be used and giving excellent light quality. The lamp helps energy without compromising the light or visual effect of the lighting installation.
The lamp saves 50% energy, is dimmable, has an instant start and a lifespan of 3 years.
This new product might interest Design Addict readers who have vintage lamps but could not find energy saving lamps to fit in.
New Nokia 7900 Crystal Prism fuses graphic design with the latest technology.
Nokia's creative director Matt Bickley has collaborated with graphic and fashion designer Frédérique Daubal on a special edition art phone.
The Nokia 7900 Crystal Prism graphic design was created by Daubal, whose signature illustrations have caught the imagination of the design worlds, leading to creations and concepts for Droog Design, Colette, Swear, Gas Tokyo, Paul Smith and lighting designer Charles Vicarini to name a few. Her conceptual designs have been featured in the most discerning publications including Hint Mag, Cream and graphiK magazine.
In creating this intriguing design, inspiration is taken from the way in which crystals are formed in precious stones and minerals. ‘For the backplate we were catching different intensities of light and its multiple refractions,’ says Daubal. ‘Looking through a diamond gives you that experience’. The covers have been etched with laser technology making the Nokia 7900 Crystal Prism a stunning object to behold.
It would be interesting to know if this kind of collaboration between product designer and graphic designer will repeat itself in the future.
Here are some other works by Frédérique Daubal:
'Wallpaper' 'Freelance' for Paul Smith
'Grafuck' visual
'Crown' left over pieces of toys exclusivity Colette shop, Paris
Luminaire, Design Miami, and Fuseproject are proud to present a charity auction in aid of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). The brainchild of Nicholas Negroponte, OLPC's mission is to provide a means for learning, self-expression, and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. By giving children their very own connected XO laptop, OLPC is giving them a window to the outside world, access to vast amounts of information, a way to connect with each other, and a springboard into their future. And they also help these countries develop an essential resource-educated, empowered children. Much in the same way that the XO laptop invites children to explore, experiment and express themselves, Luminaire, Design Miami, and Fuseproject have invited seven prominent contemporary visual artists to do the same. Asked to treat the laptop as they would a blank canvas, these participating artists have transformed our familiar aesthetic and functional notions of the laptop computer.
The 7 artists are David Altmejd, John Baldessari, Olafur Eliasson, Catherine Opie, Ugo Rondinone, Cindy Sherman and Richard Tuttle.
XO Laptop customized by Cindy Sherman
and this one by Richard Tuttle
These pieces of art are being auctioned online with 100% of the proceeds to support the OLPC project.
After the fun and glamourous products designed by Ora Ïto for LaCie, the electronic company is offering today extremely sober portable drivers designed by Sam Hecht.
'Little Disk' designed by Sam Hecht
It is always interesting to listen to the designers explain how and why they made certain decisions. Here are some links to an interesting video-interview of Sam Hecht.
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