Readymade News

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 26 January 2010

After more than a decade of designing products and services in the USA, Europe, Asia and South Africa, we wanted to reflect our global perspective in design, in a new name. We are happy to announce that Readymade has become Terrestrial. Our new site is here and you can also follow us on twitter or facebook.

Whether or not you believe in the latest hype surrounding the rumors of Apple’s tablet launch, Apple has almost always delivered new breakthrough devices and services that changed the landscape forever. Be it mp3 players, digital content delivery, computers or phones, things will never be the same again after Steve Job’s ‘one more thing’ announcement. On the 27th of January Apple has invited people to “Come see our latest creation”; a tablet device that has been developed over 25 years. The device, which could be called the MacBook Touch, iPad, iSlate, or iTablet or several other speculative names and designs, will be a ten inch touch screen that combines computer and phone operating systems that is not just aimed at the usual Mac user.

 

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs. The tablet will hopefully incorporate design features from unibody MacBooks, touchscreen technology and a multi-touch user interface system that uses the back of the device for additional controls, expect to see a combination of materials on the back that is just as exciting as the user experience on the front.

Who is the Macbook Touch aimed at? It will be media driven, with indications that newspapers and magazines are looking to strike partnerships plus it could build on education platforms as Apple already has a few success stories. Apple has a huge stake-hold in music, but will now also push into gaming more aggressively. If Apple launches a tablet that combines the functionality of a netbook, the user experience of an iPhone , the stability of Mac OS and that competes with e-books and is well priced we could see a lot more younger Mac fans, we could see something like this. 

 

Steve Jobs has said, in reference to the forthcoming Tablet, "This will be the most important thing I've ever done" and “the new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.” Apple. 

 

Aliph has launched a new Jawbone bluetooth headset range called Icon, the six designs are small and very elegant and Wired.co.uk calls them the best thought-out product they saw at CES. See Engadget’s review here.

The Stanford d.school has shared, the basics of design thinking,as taught in their introductory class called the "design thinking bootcamp". The ‘Bootcamp Bootleg’ is a pdf file that contains a bunch of great methodologies for observation, data collection, brainstorming, prototyping, and concept generation. Design thinking is gaining more credibility in business as more IDEO alumni are starting to make their way into the CEO suites of prominent U.S. organizations. 

Sugru is a pretty amazing product that looks like modeling clay, but cures at room temperature, is self adhesive, waterproof, flexible and is even dish-washer proof, that can be used to fix or hack products. The silicone based Sugru was developed by designer Jane ní Dhulchaointigh with the help of material scientists over a period of six years. See some of the hacking on Sugru’s blog. Via DesignBoom.

Tasos recently wrote an article for DESIGN>; ‘The Power of Industrial Design in Africa’ which explains the process of design and should inspire future designers. You can also read it here.   

 

  

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 19 January 2010

LEGO CL!CK is the latest platform from LEGO using social networking to connect people through tweets, videos, photos and blogs. The idea is that there is an existing tribe of LEGO fans of all ages who will contribute great ideas and share them with each other. We know that we mention LEGO a lot, but its because you play with it on the carpet at home or use it as a prototyping tool or even make cool things like this and it’s really good fun. Via Fast Company, image; John Bergmann.

Seems like celebrity endorsed products and brands are all the rage right now, the latest news is the appointment of Lady Gaga as creative director to Polaroid. The pop star and her Warhol inspired Haus of Gaga is part of the creative force behind her elaborate costumes, set designs and products, such asHeartbeats in-ear headphones in collaboration with Monster Cable and Ammunition. Lady Gaga says of her new job;  "The Haus of Gaga has been developing prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation--blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era--and we are excited to collaborate on these ventures with the Polaroid brand. Lifestyle, music, art, fashion: I am so excited to extend myself behind the scenes as a designer, and to as my father puts it--finally, have a real job." Polaroid.

One of the more interesting launches from the 2010 Detroit Auto show was the Toyota FT-CH, a more affordable hybrid vehicle than the Prius, inspired by classic video games that should appeal to a younger target market. The car was designed at Toyota's European Design and Development Centre in Nice, France. Via DesignBoom.

 

Google Streetview could soon feature ads mapped onto real world posters, billboards and buildings if Google implements a recently granted patent. The patent, granted on January 7, “Claiming Real Estate in Panoramic or 3D Mapping Environments for Advertising” reveals a plan to identify posters, billboards and other advertising space in Google Streetview, it then proposes to replace those ads with real-time digital adverts. 

 

 

 

 

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 12 January 2010

 

January saw the annual CES event take place in Las Vegas where thousands of exhibitors show off the latest technology and gadgets. Seems like this year it 3D TV, slates and e-readers that got the most attention. Catch all the action at Engadget. Image via Crunchgear  

 

The biggest mobile news was the launch of Googles Nexus One phone, looks like the technical specs of the phone are almost up there with netbooks with a Qualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz processor. The Nexus One was designed by HTC, which has a close relationship with Google. 

 

Continuing with new technology launched at CES, Ford and IDEO showed the latest in driver interface design; MyFord Touch the newest rendition of the Ford Sync, Ford's dashboard-integrated, voice-controlled car connectivity system.In the initial planning stages of redesigning the interior experience, Ford and IDEO identified four key attributes of successful interfaces:

1. Be attentive: Use controls, screens and other interfaces with which most users already are comfortable and familiar.

2. Be approachable: Create an attractive environment with rich graphics, vibrant colors and buttons/screens that are appealing to the eye and the touch, and consistent with what consumers expect from certain functions.

3. Be clear: Rather than an imposing cluster of buttons, switches and dials, create a clean-looking interface, with controls that fall readily to hand and displays that are exactly where users expect to find them. Provide maximum control without the driver’s hands ever leaving the steering wheel.

4. Be connected:  For technophiles? Let drivers display all the information they want in the way they want it. For technophobes? Make sure basic controls, like radio and HVAC settings, still are accessible via familiar stack-mounted controls, so users don’t have to learn a host of new commands to operate the vehicle.

Image via FastCompany

An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 05 January 2010

One of the biggest (literally) events in the new year has been the opening of the worlds tallest building; the Burj Khalifa formally known as the Burj Dubai. The Burj beats the second tallest building, Taipei 101 by 320 meters, which is the same height as the Eiffel tower. Residents will start moving in as early as February.

 

DesignBoom has some great images of the T.25 from Gordon Murray Design, which uses models to show size, low part count and shipping volume. See more of the images here.

2010 sees the end of the noughties, and if you re into lists, then check out Engadget’s ‘TEN GADGETS THAT DEFINED THE DECADE' which includes the first iPod in 2001, the Motorola RAZR and the Asus Eee PC. For a broader design view, Alissa Walker has a good summary; ‘The Decade in Design’. From the article, “The design field redesigned itself during this decade, transforming from an industry that created better objects to one that created better experiences—and endeavored to deliver them to everyone, not just the people who could afford them. Design was the place for big thinkers to cultivate new technology, and it's where the sustainability movement found its most trusted partners.”