Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Design

Keep your own design notebook. Think of Daniel Pink's Michael Graves toilet brush and look for examples of good design in your environment. Share what you are finding by either describing items that you are seeing in your environment OR sharing links of items you found online. Why do these items appeal to you? What is intriguing about their design? Which of Pink's senses do the items appeal to?

9 comments:

  1. I'll start! Here are some examples of good/fun design that I've noticed lately. I especially covet the Eiffel Tower cheese grater!

    Juice Boxes Look Like the Real Fruit
    http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2009/04/juice-boxes-look-like-the-real-fruit-.html

    Eiffel Tower Cheese Grater
    http://www.amazon.com/Pylones-Stainless-Eiffel-Cheese-Grater/dp/B001SAY9W6

    Google logos
    http://www.google.com/intl/en/holidaylogos.html

    Explanatory Accident Slings
    http://www.commoncraft.com/explanatory-accident-slings

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  2. You'll have to copy and paste my links in the previous comment into the address bar of your web browser.

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  3. I must admit I am struggling in this arena. I feel my left brain is standing in the way of finding items to add to my notebook! I was admiring the fruit boxes noted above and found myself far more attracted to the fact that they "feel" like the real fruit rather than look like it. Must also admit that the "practical and analytical left side of me" is saying that I would still only buy these products if they were affordable --as I don't see them as an absolute neccessity for their "uniqueness" only. They would certainly make a conversational piece!

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  4. My practical side keeps speaking up too. For instance, the Eiffel Tower cheese grater. My left brain says, "But you already have a cheese grater. Why would you spend $26 on something you don't need just because it's cool?"

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  5. http://allielooney.com/ check out this design site by a recent (this weekend) grad. iof Syracuse University. she is an awesome talented young lady, and I love that she combined design and practicality in her design of an Iphone app for people with diabetes. I also love her Nagging product because it is cute and funny, though all her work is wonderful! check her out!

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  6. We recently built a house and gave almost everything we had away, and started over.
    Now I am less impulsive when I buy (after I found boxes of things in closets that were beautiful but had never been used). I still love beautiful creative items, but am swayed by the "where will I put it and do I really need it". While this is practical, it makes me feel OLD and boring.

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  7. I loved this site, and found a terrific teacher-friendly product on it called "The Nag". I encourage anyone struggling with late work to check this out!

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  8. No notebook for me, but I have a box of pictures that I keep in my sewing room - does that count? I also buy books with pictures I like - especially Nancy Crow's quilts, and I often purchase Quilting Arts magazine, which has really unusual and interesting fabric art.

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  9. Transformer USB stick:
    http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK10927&mode=retail&picture=out

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