'Match' Radio by Gabriele Pezzini (AreaPlus 2007) - 'Pago-Pago' by Enzo Mari (Danese 1969)
This exhibition is born from the idea of comparing the work of two designers who agree upon several aspects of their working practices in spite of having been formed in very different periods of time.
Enzo Mari, maestro and moral conscience of design, and Gabriele Pezzini, seeker of exactness in design: two generations faced to the same problems, both advocates of a point of view focused on what is essential, doing what they know how to do best: analyse and decipher.
Both creators will be showing some of their major pieces in the exhibition opening at the Alain Gutharc Gallery in Paris on January 9.
'Box' by Enzo Mari (Castelli 1971) - 'Wired' Chair by Gabriele Pezzini (Max Design 2004)
"The parallelism that we trace in this small exhibit goes beyond the exposed products. These represent us and are a pretext to compare two generations that share a vision and discuss over the same issues. Che Fare (What to do), the title of the exhibition, poses a clear question, although it does so without using the question mark, as we probably know there is no answer. The uncertainty on what the project will be and on the drift of society, on the future of many young people who are facing this profession/passion today, is evident enough and cannot be hidden away any more." Gabriele Pezzini
'Moving' Stool by Gabriele Pezzini (2004) - 'Putrella' by Enzo Mari (Danese 1958)
Exhibition "Che fare" Enzo Mari / Gabriele Pezzini From January 9 to February 20 2010
Young Polish designer Maciek Wojcicki designed an interesting, cutting edge stride toy. Designed as a children vehicle which moves forward driven by the child's hips and body movements, it can be also used as light movement malfunction rehabilitation tool for 5-6 years old as well as for adults in a larger scale.
The brief was to design an attractive toy which, helps to stimulate motor development and improves movement coordination of the child through ideal postural alignment, postural muscle strengthening and active rehabilitation by playing and having fun. Designed movement types based on postural muscle strengthening movements are proven to contribute to positive physical and emotional health balance of the child. Functioning of it is strictly connected with the child's emotional and physical development. Movement characteristics have been described in Maciek's paper entitled "Types of movement driving children vehicles - deliberations". Designed in co-operation with academic physiologists in Gdansk (Poland).
The toy has been shortlisted for President of the Republic of Poland Design Award and also for Selected Works programme finals of INNOVATION RCA in London this year.
Maciek is a recent Royal College of Art, Design Products, MA course graduate.
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.
D.light Design has launched the Kiran, a low-cost solar lighting
solution, designed especially for households without access to
electricity. The Kiran retails at USD10, making it affordable for most
low-income families throughout the developing world.
The Kiran is five times brighter than a kerosene lantern and can be fully charged in a day under the sun. It provides bright, 360-degree illumination for working, studying, or traveling. There are two light settings, which offer up to 8 hours of light on a full charge. With an integrated solar panel and a multiple-setting handle, the lantern is extremely flexible and easy to use. For households with access to grid electricity, the Kiran can also be AC-charged with a standard Nokia phone adapter.
Recent market tests establish the Kiran as a viable and desirable alternative to kerosene. Customer feedback consistently praised the product’s ease of use, durability, and bright light. According to Niwrtti Jawane, a welder from Miraj Village in India: “The Kiran has benefitted us in several ways: It is portable, has good brightness, and prevents the harmful effects of kerosene fumes. This purchase has been a good one-time investment. As there are no costs for recharging, it will be economical over time. We are happy with our purchase as it is a definite improvement over the emergency lights, kerosene lamps and candles previously used.”
There are so many born-dead projects floating about we sometimes forget that - before anything else - design is an exact discipline in which function gives nothing away to style, and technical innovation is there to serve real user protocols and not just the sales pitch. With their 'Silver Art' range, Elium Studio has made this clear, demonstrating how French elegance can inform industrial design.
Five pieces compose the breakfast set - espresso machine, coffee percolator, toaster, electric jug and juice extractor - enacting subtle crossovers from kitchenware to tableware, and from function to décor. Purity of line and high finish given to materials (brushed stainless steel, wood chrome) in series products opens a new window on these archetypes of modern living: in the 'Grand Hotel' spirit, modest everyday accessories for preparing and serving access to the status of potential collector's pieces. The range reflects the way Elium Studio uses technology - efficiency must always be user friendly. This is the right stuff in the French vein, expressing clear balance between function and form.
This is Dyson's latest invention: The Dyson Air Multiplier™. The fan
works very differently to conventional fans. It uses Air Multiplier™
technology to draw in air and amplify it 15 times, producing an
uninterrupted stream of smooth air. With no blades or grill.
Air is accelerated through an annular aperture. This creates a jet of air that passes over a 16° airfoil-shaped ramp, channeling its direction. Using an airfoil-shaped ramp (like a cross-section through an airplane wing), airflow is amplified 15 times.
Blades cause buffeting - The blades on conventional fans cause unpleasant buffeting because they chop the air before it hits you.
No blades. No buffeting - Air Multiplier™ technology amplifies surrounding air, giving an uninterrupted stream of smooth air.
While working in the office, we often require a number of gadgets and objects, which often turns the workspace into a muddled place. Providing a solution, Swiss designer Matthias Pugin has devised an innovative office desk that works as a planar board to keep your objects organized and provides a clutter-free workspace.
The 'Cube', as the designer calls his design, unlike most other tables is not only a planar board, but it provides different sized colorful cubes that can be used as storage space.
The Cube works like a ballpoint pen. All you need to do is push the cube down, let it go, and the cube pops up. With the Cube, there’s no need for a mess on your desk, you can have the mess in your desk.
Australian design brand DesignByThem have released a stool made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic. 'Butter stool' designed by Sarah Gibson and Nicholas Karlovasitis, is made almost entirely of recycled milk containers. The designers believe that there is a large difference between designing products that can be recycled and products that are made from recycled materials. Many products can be recycled however the majority use virgin plastic, essentially adding more plastic to a saturated recycling system. Aside from the sustainable attributes of the product, the stool remains extremely robust, being UV stable and water proof. Sarah, who also lectures Ecodesign at the University of Technology Sydney, believes that the functionality of sustainable products should not be compromised. The stool can be hand assembled and is designed from a single piece of material which folds together to become rigid. The stools can also be stacked. Nicholas and Sarah have been collaborating together for the past three years and are the creative minds behind DesignByThem. They have plans to expand the Butter range to include a complimentary table and a shelving system.
For those who still read books 'Bookmark II' is a colorful rubber band that wraps around a book with an indicator arrow that shows you the last line you were reading. Great idea!
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 public has picked the winner of Dyson's People's Choice Award and has chosen the 6dot Braille Labeler, designed by MIT students Adelaide Calbry-Muzyka, Josh Karges, Karina Pikhart, Maria Prus, Trevor Shannon and Rachel Tatem.
6dot Braille Labeler
The team set out to resolve the currently difficult or often error prone Brialle labeling systems after discovering the importance of Braille accessibility and labeling for the blind. The designers hope this new simple tool will encourage the blind to learn Braille at a young age, significantly reducing the already high unemployment rate for the blind.
The 6dot is a tool that prints labels in Braille. It solves problems found in other Braille labeling tools because it is portable, reliable, quick, and intuitive. The 6dot embosses Braille into commercially-available adhesive labeling tape, using a standard Braille keyboard. Embossing Braille is done through electronics and not manually; thus the dots are printed more consistently than by existing mechanical labeling methods. This saves time and minimizes mistakes.
Highly portable, the newest prototype includes a strap to carry around the neck, and an ergonomic casing that can rest on either a flat table or a knee. Added to the device is a button that cuts the tape at the end of each label. Peeling the backing from the tape is typically difficult, so this mechanism makes an additional partial cut at the end of the label, creating a tab that helps the user peel the backing. This prototype was also built with attention to manufacturability, as it is being prepared for production.
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