Readymade News

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 10 November 2009

It looks like Michael Young is on a roll after moving from Iceland to Hong Kong. DesignBoom has an article on the i24r3 portable wireless waterproof digital speaker and Dezeen covers his Chair-4A, a dining chair made of recycled aluminum.

Design Sojourn has posted a great video of Michael Bierut of Pentagram and Design Observer, summarizing 5 design secrets:

1) Listen first, then design
2) Don’t avoid the obvious
3) The problem contains the solution
4) Indulge your obsessions
5) Love is the answer

Beirut also says he is more "like a 'doctor' waiting for 'patients' to come to him with design problems to solve".    

The T.27 is the brainchild of McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray and Zytek Automotive Technology. The car has been designed in a way that minimizes the use of materials and keeps the embedded carbon of the vehicle as low as possible. The firm claims the innovative manufacturing system will use 20 per cent less space and 80 per cent less capital investment than a conventional factory A spokesman for Gordon Murray Design said the body panels, for example, would be made from material originating from PET bottles. Via BBC.

Yesterday Tasos gave a talk at the SABS Design Institute which marked the opening  an exhibition tour of the 40 years of South African design excellence, celebrating original designs (innovations) from South Africa. Tasos presented selected Readymade projects including strategic consulting for Optimal Energy, the company behind the Joule and the Arivi Non-Pressure paraffin stove. See the presentation here. 

 

Lastly Wired.co.uk examines IDEO's design thinking approach and how they use lessons learned from product design to solving bigger challenges. Bill Moggridge one of the co-founders of IDEO says "if you don't get out there and see what it's like, then you couldn't really design it right."

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 03 November 2009

Tasos has written an article for the November issue of Management Today; South Africa’s leading management Journal describing Design Thinking. The title is Design for future business: thinking like a designer to solve problems and create new solutions. Here is an excerpt: "Organizations everywhere are recognizing the need to change radically in a rapidly changing world. Unfortunately many of these attempts fail because traditional management systems lack the tools to innovate in complex environments and much less so when faced with wicked problems. However, some businesses have solved this dilemma and are able to consistently innovate and grow over the long term, despite temporary setbacks during economic downcycles. These include Apple, Dell, GE, P&G, Infosys. Tata, Toyota, Amazon and ebay. What these organizations all have in common is that they have used design thinking to help guide their traditional business processes. This has allowed them to concentrate on the factors that improve competitiveness rather than doing the wrong things very well.

Design thinking can radically change organizations by embracing complexity and constraints, working collaboratively and iteratively and using expanded logic to achieve this. Inherent in this approach is the ability to see issues as part of a system, with all of its components, relationships and maintaining a view of the overall context. Design thinking also is adept at cultivating a deep understanding of customers and using this together with the factors above to create synthesis, or resolution rather than compromise. Design implies something creative but this is not some sort of art school freeform wackiness, this is creativity in its true meaning as the act of creation. In that sense, design can be thought of as the careful conception of a plan and the disciplined execution of that plan to create something new. 

In fact, design has a process as structured and rigorous as anything in business. It is a process aimed at solving problems by using our ability to create new solutions. This design process consists of several phases. Firstly, creating common understanding by analyzing data and research. Secondly, creation, where the data and insights drawn from research guide the creation of new options. Thirdly, filtering, using critical thinking to select the most promising options. Fourthly, validation, where fieldwork is done to test assumptions. Fifthly, synthesis, where options are drawn into a business model and assembled into the strategic plan. Sixthly, engineering, which develops the idea technically. And finally, implementation where the chosen solution is built in totality."

For more on design thinking and what it means for business read The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage by Roger Martin, review here and if you happen to be in New York on the 11th of November catch Bruce Nussbaum talking to Roger Martin and Tim Brown of IDEO.

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 01 September 2009

 

The winners of the INDEX: Awards have been announced, they are Better Place, Pig 05049, Kiva, Street Swags, the Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor and the Chulha stove. Congratulations to all the winners.

The Freeplay Monitor is created expressly for the harsh conditions of rural and remote settings in the developing world. it is simple (it has only an on-off switch and a hand crank for generating its own electricity). it is built for robust operation and made to withstand knock-about conditions. The intent is to safeguard childbirth for mothers and infants in remote areas of the developing world where expert care and electrical power are in short supply.

 

The Chulha stove is being made available by Philips Design to the universe of social entrepreneurs so that they can, free of charge, produce the stove, themselves, and generate local business while helping counter what the World Health Organization estimates is some 1.6 million deaths per year from conditions prompted by the toxic fumes of indoor cooking with “bio-mass” fuels. The stove also won an IDEA Design Award last year. 

The BMW group has been busy this week, the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car is a low carbon plug-in hybrid supercar that not only looks amazing, but has the fuel consumption of 3.76 liters/100 kilometers.

The concept car will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. It has an anticipated top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) and can reach 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.        

           

The design itself combines low weight materials, aerodynamic detailing such as the solid underside of the car which minimizes drag and an interplay between exterior and interior elements. More images at Car Body Design and Auto Blog Green.

 

More BMW related news, this time to celebrate the 50th anniversary, Mini has released a 'concept' model that is basically a Mini Cooper with a new roof. By eliminating the back seats and giving the car a more roadster look does make the car look a lot sportier than previous models.

We like LEGO, it is a great tool to grow creative minds and it's fun to use when making a pirate ship or using it it to explore creative solutions. But here is a new take on the humble LEGO block; Top Gear presenter James May is building a house made entirely from LEGO and he plans to live in it when it finished, at least until it falls apart. 

The building itself is located in a wine estate in Surrey, UK. Volunteers were invited to take part in the manufacturing process, 1200 people worked building LEGO 'bricks' which are made up of 272 LEGO pieces. The life-size house uses over three million bricks and features a staircase, toilet and shower. Via DesignBoom.  

To end off, another functional object inspired by toys; the Mechano Chair made of powder-coated folded mild steel was designed by Andre Klauser for Thorsten van Elten. Also available in black of course.

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 21 July 2009

     

This past week has seen some monumental anniversaries, the 20th of July marked the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing and Nelson Mandela celebrated his 91st birthday on the 18th, which is now also Mandela Day.

Today is the start of TED Global held in Oxford, UK. See the program here, speakers include William Kamkwamba, Tim Brown, Ross Lovegrove, Michael Pritchard, Stephen Fry, Mathieu Lehanneur and Stefan Sagmeister.

Recently there has been some great new sites that document design thinking, service design and design methods, the Design Councils Design Methods was one of the first, Ideo has their Method Cards, Arup has Drivers of Change, cards which can be used for developing business strategy, brainstorming and education. But newer sites such as Generic Work Process and especially Service Design Tools are useful for all design disciplines and should prove to be popular for a long time.

Dezeen has a nice post on a Ryan Sorrel's clamp table, a set of legs which are literally clamped to any board making a table.

FADA has an Information Session on the 31st of July. Prospective students can attend a general presentation on the programs offered and meet the lecturers and tour the state-of-the-art facilities. More FADA related news; Nii Commey Botchway is giving a lecture on what he learned from the Citymove Interdesign event held earlier this year in Sweden. The talk will be held at the Department of Graphic Design, FADA at 12:00 this Friday the 24th of July.

Ending off on a spectacular combination of art meets life, the Dark Knight biker outfit, but what will your biker buddies think?

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 14 July 2009

The Micro Factory is a 'project centered around designing domestic manufacturing machinery. The project allows people to make their own products at home easily as well as share their own designs. By focusing on concepts of open-source design and the principles of reusing materials around the home, Micro Factory looks to use design to develop new manufacturing methods which benefit society as a whole.' Dae Kyung Ahn. Dae Kyung is a student at the Royal College of Art in London.

 

This is a relatively big step in desktop fabrication, because of the novel approach of the system. The actual machine which cuts the material is the MOW, a domestic manufacturing machine, which can cut cardboard, polypropylene and thin solid wood up to 3mm,it uses any table and is data is sent to the MOW via Bluetooth either by a phone or computer. See how it works here. HT-Niti Bhan.

 

On the topic of CNC based designs, the 'breakplane' table by Andy Kem. Andy is exhibiting at Re:View Contemporary Gallery in Detroit. Via Core77, image via Mushrie.

Audi commissioned designer Gerry Judah to create a sculpture for the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, the result is a fantastic 32 meter-high sculpture that has an R8 at one end and a 1937 Auto Union Streamliner at the other. Via Dezeen and Fast Company.

Audi also recently tasked German design students at Joanneum University, in Graz, to create a sailboat using the car company's design motifs. The aim was to create a "brand beyond the car" whose styling cues could ultimately filter back into the cars themselves. Here's the design created by 25-year old Mark Klug. Mark says 'I wanted my design to be clear and direct, but also luxurious and sporty. It was really enjoyable incorporating Audi’s design hallmarks into a yacht.' Via Tuvie.

   

More sweeping designs, this time from the infamous Zaha Hadid, who has completed a transportable structure for the Manchester Art Gallery to specifically house performances of solo Bach. The design is both fluid and intimate, incorporating a steel structure with a fabric membrane using a palette of black and white. See more photographs of the structure from Duncan Elliot, Daz Tazer and Wojtek Gurak. Via Dezeen.

Design Indaba would hereby like to invite all Design Indaba Expo exhibitors to submit concepts for the new Free Range. 'Free Range aims to open the world of design to a market not normally catered for by professional designers. Pitched at offering affordable designer products to anyone and everyone, Free Range can bring a touch of creativity into every South African home.' Requirements are;

• Functional: Useful, practical products that can be used in everyday life.
• Affordable: Wholesale value should not exceed R100 to Design Indaba.
• Exclusive: Design Indaba requires a two-year period of exclusivity to the product.
• Made in SA: Designed and produced in South Africa.

Submissions for Free Range have to be in before the 31st of July. See the current range here.

                                                                                                                                                  

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 30 June 2009

 

The Sustainer is a unique solution to produce fuel and electricity in remote rural areas, for example in the African countryside where only 5 to 20 percent of the population have electricity. In many of these situations, access to energy would facilitate development, higher productivity and better education. Moreover, locally available resources can be used instead of expensive imports. 

Says Jan Hein Hoitsma: 'The Sustainer is a containerised installation which can be used in rural areas to convert oil-bearing crops and seeds into edible oil and biodiesel. The seeds are stored in an integrated bunker which feeds the oil press. After the oil has been extracted, it is then refined into edible oil or it can be used as raw material for the biodiesel process. The 'press cake' by-product can be used as livestock feed. Many nuts have shells/husks which can be used as fuel for cooking. An integrated tank unit allows for the biodiesel to be directly dispensed into, for instance, diesel vehicles. The Sustainer is fitted with 4 wind turbines and its side panels consist of foldable solar panels which generate electricity. The electricity can be supplied directly to the grid or can be stored/buffered in a battery pack which can, for instance, provide electricity in the evenings or at night. The Sustainer is also fitted with a 25 kVA generator which runs on diesel or biodiesel and which guarantees a constant supply of electricity. The availability of electricity can make life more comfortable in many areas - just think of a refrigerator, lighting and a computer.' Via Innovation Africa. 

On the topic of sustainable energy, there is continuing support for large farms of solar panels in the Sahara desert that could provide clean electricity for the whole of Europe, according to EU scientists working on a plan to pool the region's renewable energy. The Desertec Foundation is proposing to erect 100 GW of concentrating solar power plants throughout Northern Africa. 

   

We have mentioned OXO before, more known for ergonomic kitchen tools. Now they have used their universal design expertise to innovate the medical syringe, a design that has not changed much in 40 years. The Cimzia pre-filled syringe uses several smart improvements to improve ease of use; a non-slip finger grip, over sized plunger and thumb pad, an oval syringe barrel magnifies graduation and a rounded finger loop for easy removal of pull cap. Via Core77 and Fastcompany. 

The 29th of June was World Industrial Design Day. 'This international day of observance is celebrated in order to raise awareness about the benefits of industrial design in improving our quality of life' icsid.

Plakkies are flip flops using recycled car tires for the soles, an initiative between KidsRights and students of the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at TU Delft. The result is fashionable footwear made by economically disadvantaged people in KwaZulu Natal. 'A special factory was established to facilitate the project with the aim to offer permanent employment in one of the most socially and economically neglected parts of South Africa. The factory now employs 70 untrained residents from slum areas, many of whom are infected with HIV. This job offers them a chance to rebuild their lives, often after years of unemployment' Design.nl. 

Other news from the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of the Delft University of Technology has developed an industrial design reference wiki; Wikid. Wikid aims to be a design tool, it has 142 articles so far, ranging from design theories to methods and techniques. Via Product Design Hub. 

Between 10 and 5 reports on the final three applicants for the 2009 South African International Young Design Entrepreneur (IYDE) award. The finalists are Given Gugulethu Nkuna, Majolandile Andile Dyalvane and Ricky Lee Gordon. The South African winner will join 8 - 10 other finalists who will visit the UK in September 2009 to undertake a common program where they will take part in valuable networking both with key UK design sector partners and amongst their IYDE peers. The tour will include elements of the London Design Festival program – openings, seminars, and events - concluding at 100% Design.

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 17 June 2009

We are happy to announce that our safe, economical Arivi stove is a finalist in this year's Index Award under the home category, it is a great honor to be included with other great designs to improve life.

Approximately 60 000 people are injured by paraffin use each year in South Africa, costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars and the Arivi stove is designed to address this problem.

The stove has 3 main benefits, the first is that the flame self extinguishes when knocked over, tilted, moved or refilled. The second is the increased efficiency, saving users 32% of their paraffin costs. Thirdly, the stove produces almost no particles or smoke and less than half the amount of carbon monoxide required by law, reducing indoor pollution which causes respiratory ailments. A limited number of stoves are being offered for pre-ordered sale to anyone who believes in this cause and wants to help. Please go to www.myarivi.com to find out how you can help.

Good to see that apart from the Arivi stove, this year sees another 4 finalists from South Africa; Woolworth’s "Making the Difference Through Design" Program, Design Indaba 10x10 Low Cost Housing project, Lodox® Statscan® VE1 and the Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor.

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The Woolworths "Making the Difference Through Design" program provides a platform between business, design and education, placing important tools in the hands of educators.

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Design Indaba 10x10 Low Cost Housing project; in 2007 Design Indaba commissioned ten local and international architects to design low-cost houses for ten low-income families in the Freedom Park community in Cape Town, South Africa

The idea behind the design was conceived by Ravi Naidoo during Design Indaba 2007, the 10×10 Housing Project invited leading international and South African architects to submit housing designs for lower income families. “Lets give dignity and empathy to the poorest of the poor by designinga house that pushes the envelope in terms of ingenuity, creativity and sustainability.” Ravi Naidoo; PingMag 2007.

The design from MMA Architects is a low cost, timber and sandbag infill construction, can be built with little or no electricity and uses unskilled labor from local communities. The design has also won the Curry Stone Design Prize.

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Lodox® Statscan® VE1-the Statscan can X-Ray a person in 13 seconds. “Statscan gives critical life-saving information to the medical staff by enabling them to have a complete picture—literally from head to toe—of a patient’s injuries, faster and with less interference with patient stabilization efforts than ever before possible. “ Lodox.

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The Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor-"Using advanced ultrasound technology, the Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor detects and measures the fetal heart rate. This vital indicator of fetal stress allows rural healthcare workers to make life-saving decisions during childbirth. Destined for use in low-resource settings, its design focuses on simplicity of use, durability and electrical-power independence. The fetal heart rate is numerically displayed, while its sounds are clearly amplified. Its efficient, human-powered electricity generation and storage technology ensures operation anywhere" Index Award. Freeplay gained recognition through its first product , the Lifeline Radio, a wind-up radio designed specifically for use in development and other humanitarian projects. Read more about the Freeplay Foundation here.

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Project Masiluleke needs to be mentioned too, Project Masiluleke is a collaboration between Praekelt Foundation (based in Johannesburg), Frog Design, Pop!tech, iTeach, Aricent, Nokia Siemens and others. See coverage from Core77, BBC and Poptech. Great use of the mobile phone as an appropriate means of communication while being culturally sensitive.

The INDEX:Award prize ceremony will take place on 28 August 2009 in Copenhagen.

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 19 May 2009

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OXO with design from Smart Design have launched a new line of office products exclusively for Staples, some of the more notable items are the Handheld Stapler (above) and a retractable permanent marker. Smart Design has been developing products for OXO Good Grips Kitchen Tools since 1990. Have a look at NeatDesk too.

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Have a look at Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, the number one slot goes to Jonathan Ive,  Senior Vice president of Industrial Design, Apple. Jonathan Ive has been with Apple Industrial Design Group since 1997; products include the iPod, iPhone, iMac and the new unibody Macbook. BTW Dave Stewart comes in at position 69.

 

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the.brief.dvd explores how Industrial Designers work, it is a collaboration of "four professional Industrial Designers (who) were given the same Design Brief asking them to design a single cup coffee maker. All four Designers were videotaped as they worked, showing how they come up with their ideas and begin to realize them as a final product. The four Designers are: Michael DiTullo, Spencer Nugent, William Vespa, and Benjamin Lloyd.

the.brief.dvd is a glimpse into the mind of four Designers and an observation of the skill required to visualize a product. " Product Design Hub.

 

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Sungho Lee designed an LED light by removing everything that was non essential, the result is a modified paper clip, LED and watch battery. Via Yanko Design.

Ending with some South African competition news; Solve from Elle Decoration and Weylandts and The National Innovation Challenge.

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 14 April 2009

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Via Core77, the Fiat 500 has been named 2009 World Car Design of the Year.  '[The 500 has] heart-warming style. It is genuine, straightforward, without gimmicks. It is a welcome addition to a car world full of non-humanistic designs.'

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More car news; a novel partnership between Segway and GM has produced the P.U.M.A concept vehicle, this 2 seater is aimed for networked city people. . And an interview with Shai Agassi on TED, Shai is the person behind Better Place which is working to build an electric car network using available technology.

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Be sure to check out Going with the Grain Challenge, 'The Going with the Grain Challenge is to design an original and compelling object that can be made from a single sheet of FSC-certified plywood measuring 4-feet x 8-feet x 1-inch.' For inspiration see the 4X8 Workshop Fab Lab BCN from 2007, Keijii Design, Unto This Last and of course Ponoko.

 

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From CherryFlava; a new product aimed at reducing the number of shack fires; the Britelite Candleholder, which has been designed by Steinhobel Design.

       

An Illustrated Weekly World of Design, 06 April 2009

 

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Via Yanko Design, industrial designer Tillmann Beuscher has designed an affordable artificial limb allowing land-mine victims to continue being mobile. The design won an IF Concept Award this year. 

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Aimee Mullins is an actress, model and athlete, has a dozen pairs of designed artificial limbs and 'encourages designers to change the idea of "disability" and the definition of beauty by bringing their talents to both the science and the art of designing prosthetics' TED blog. See her talks at TED here and here. 

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Oscar Pistorius has been mentioned here before, another amazing athlete who uses a 'Cheetah Flex-Foot' by Ossur. Van Phillips is the inventor of the Flex-foot, 'The biggest obstacle, he said, is an amputee’s imagination. Too many do not believe they can walk with ease or run again — until they meet Phillips or someone wearing one of his designs.'

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Apart from the above mentioned transtibial prosthesis, emerging technology in the field of transhumeral prosthesis include robotic limbs and direct bone attachment. The Luke arm above, is from Deka, Dean Kamen's company. 

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Proto 1, developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program by APL at John Hopkins University. The prototype is the first fully integrated prosthetic arm that can be controlled naturally, provide sensory feedback and allows for eight degrees of freedom—a level of control far beyond the current state of the art for prosthetic limbs. More at NYT here. 

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Will the future of prosthetic limbs be more like the Six Million dollar man or will it become more robotic? Hans Alexander Huseklepp seems to think so, his Immaculate concept uses globe joints allowing for greater freedom of movement which would look odd if the arm looked anatomically correct. 

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Whether it is robotic suits and the future or war, or robots that work tirelessly researching yeast, the future looks interesting to say the least. 

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Neill Blomkamp is working on District 9, based on Alive in Joburg, a short film about alien migrant workers in Africa. Keep up to date here and be sure to watch Tetra Vaal, where robots are used as policemen in a not too distant South Africa.