Joshua Davis

Joshua Davis, known for creating a new type of art called generative-art known dynamic abstraction, started out in Littleton, Colorado. He was always interested in art, but didn't really do much with it while in school.

At the end of 1992, he moved to New York and eventually attended Pratt Institute where he worked on Design and Illustration. His classmates got him into working on the web in 1995 using Netscape 1.1, but didn't get serious about it until Netscape 2 came out in early 1996. By the end of 1996, when Netscape 3 came out, he was already teaching himself HTML, Javascript, PERL, DHTML and CSS.

Also while in Pratt, he played around early versions of Flash including Futuresplash, the program that came before Flash. However, it wasn't until Macromedia came out with Flash 4, which introduced ActionScript, that Davis really got into the program. When asked, he says that he is a designer, or an illustrator. He's often said that "I’m trying to remove the graphic designer from graphic design.

Using his skills of a programmer, he uses a combination of Illustrator and ActionScript in Flash to create pieces of art that Davis has described to be "Beautiful Accidents." First, he creates vector images in Illustrator and imports them into Flash, making them objects. Then, using the code he first learned (HTML, Javascript, CSS, etc), he writes a program that picks random combinations of vectors from parameters set by Davis. The number of vectors, colors, and parameters are endless, and therefore, so are the combinations that Flash creates. Davis then picks the ones that work the most and continues to work with them to create a work of art.

A poster design done for the band MingDynasty

These "Accidents" have produced many pieces of art, including two websites: Once Upon a Forest and Praystation. Davis also has many clients, including companies such as BMW and Motorola, and musical artists such as Kanye West and MingDynasty. He has recently collaborated with Miquelrius, a stationary company, to produce notebooks featuring his illustrations on the covers.

A screenshot from Once Upon A Forest

Both Once Upon a Forest and PrayStation were websites put up by Davis to showcase his art. Once Upon a Forest features twenty-three different pictures to be scrolled by clicking on an arrow. All of these spectacular images capture your imagination and interest with different designs, patterns, and colors. Most of the images consist of one or two colors and their variations. PrayStation, on the other hand, has at least three different versions on the Internet, all of which have news, updates, and projects from Davis.

Davis is also known to "hide things" in his art, mostly personal references. In an ad for Motorola, he has illustrated a picture of a girl, who is his daughter. Near her head, is the number "4" and the letter K, both references to his daughter, whose name is Kelly and who was four at the time the advertisement was commissioned. There letter "z" is also found many times all around over the work, a direct reference to Motorola and its code name for the phone.

The forementioned ad for Motorola

Davis has also been apart of a few international exhibitions, including one Barcelona and one in Rovereto, Italy. In 2007, Davis' exhibit in Barcelona was an installation for OFFF, a three day festival that shows off top artists, designers, and studios of digital media. It featured nine large posters that were installed in light-boxes, which really showed off his work and how the light worked with it. In 2008, Davis was commissioned to create eight panels of his work. However, this time, instead of creating them in color, he only made line-art of his work. He set up the paper on the panels and asked the other attendants at the festival to color them in. Davis has called the project a "great social experiment."

Davis usually relates his concepts with those of Jackson Pollock's. Pollock was a 20th century painter, who changed what the world thought about painting by using different techniques, such as splashing paint onto a canvas that was nailed to the floor. Davis said that "I’m [not] a particular fan of his visual style, but because he always identified himself as a painter, even though a lot of the time his brush never hit the canvas. There’s something in that disconnect - not using a brush or tool in traditional methods." This is similar to how Davis works, because he doesn't necessarily draw all his works, but instead uses Flash to generate the pieces of work and works with those generations until he gets an image he likes.


Works Cited:

Davis, Joshua. Joshua Davis | Studios. 14 Nov. 2008 <http://www.joshuadavis.com>.

Davis, Joshua. "Joshua Davis' photostream." Flickr. 14 Nov. 2008 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshuadavis/>.

Davis, Joshua. "Motorola, RIZR." Joshua Davis | Studios. 8 Feb. 2007. <http://www.joshuadavis.com/projects/motorola-rizr/>.

Davis, Joshua. Once Upon a Forest. <http://www.once-upon-a-forest.com/>.

Davis, Joshua. Praystation (Version 2). <http://ps3.praystation.com/pound/v2/>.

Hoxsey, Rich. "Flash Forward." The International Design Magazine. 7 Feb. 2008. <http://www.id-mag.com/article/flashforward>.

Kirsner, Scott. "The Chaos of Joshua Davis." Wired. Mar. 2006. <http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.03/joshdavis.html>.

Malmberg, Elise. "Joshua Davis: Infinitely Interesting." Apple. <http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/joshuadavis/>.

Spear, Josh. "SpearTalks: Joshua Davis." Josh Spear. 14 Dec. 2007. <http://joshspear.com/item/speartalks-joshua-davis/>.

Max Lamb at Design Miami

Article link: Max Lamb at Design Miami


3rings >> Max Lamb at Design Miami from Jacob Slevin on Vimeo.

This video features designer Max Lamb, talking about his work. I like the white, bronze chairs, and I like the idea of his Delaware bluestone furniture, but I'm not a huge fan of black rubber while I'm sitting at my dining table.

Warning: The internet is almost full

Article link: Warning: The internet is almost full

In this article, Seth is talking about how full of information the internet is, and how we cannot process it because there's just so much out there.

I realized the point of this article a while ago, when I started using my RSS reader. If I fell a day behind in reading it, I easily lost 50+ posts, and with the mounting school work, it was harder and harder to keep up with the information piling in my inbox.

Expandable bookcase design

Article link: Expandable bookcase design

This article is about an "expandable bookcase" design, where the bookcase can be stretched out to fit more books, or pushed in to save space.

This is so cool! I think this is an amazingly thoughtful idea, and would be very useful if you plan on starting a library, or something. The only thing is that you'd have to leave that entire space open to the possibility of expansion, so it might look empty.

Book Review: Art & Sole: Contemporary Sneaker Art & Design, by Intercity

Article link: Book Review: Art & Sole: Contemporary Sneaker Art & Design, by Intercity

This article is about a book called Art & Sole, which explores and shows off the "commerce, guerilla art, mass production and customization that is limited edition sneaker design."

I'm actually not a huge fan of shoes, but I do love that, in this society, we're able to use shoes to create art, design, and individuality. My brother is a huge fan of shows, and actually used to want to major in sneaker design, so I'm excited to hear from him about this book.

Autodesk University 2008: Other things you can do with rapid prototyping

Article link: Autodesk University 2008: Other things you can do with rapid prototyping



This video features examples of rapid prototyping, including casting positives and the actual finished products. I know I have no idea what they're talking about here, so I'm not even going to pretend to understand, but last year, when I took my course in 3D Design, we were asked to find packaging and cast positives of it in plaster. After the cool designs from everyone in the class, I think it's always interesting to see what the positives are.

iPhone case enables the blind to access touchscreens

Article link: iPhone case enables the blind to access touchscreens

This article is about an iPhone case for the blind, that would allow them to access applications and type.

I still love that people are coming up with ideas for the impaired to use technology. This is such a great looking skin too. Of course, it would probably take some getting used to, but I'd like to see a blind person trying this out.

Bringing in the Exterior Decorators

Article link: Bringing in the Exterior Decorators

This article is about a curator named Hugo Martinez hiring street artists and a design team to renovate and decorate his apartment.

This is such a great idea! I love that he is offering his own home open to the public, so that people can see the result of the outside being in. I also love that he himself is an inspiration to street artists, so that naturally, he would be open to the idea of having his home decorated in the same way.

Clever showerheads

Article link: Clever showerheads

This article is introducing "Evolve Showerheads," which are showerheads that stop the flow of water and wait until you are ready to get in.

I think the science behind this is very cool. This is a perfect example of where we are in technology, nowadays. However, I probably wouldn't use this; when I'm waiting for my water to heat up, I'm right next to the shower, not in another room. I wouldn't need the showerhead to tell me when my water is ready, because I would be there anyway. But I'm sure a lot of other people will find this great.

Assignment 2: Shakespeare in 5-7 seconds

This is the final product, albeit a little grainier online.

HP rises to Walmart Design Challenge with packaging-reducing idea

Article link: HP rises to Walmart Design Challenge with packaging-reducing idea

This article is about how HP is coming up with an idea to sell laptops in laptop bags instead of a box (or other packaging), in response to Walmart's Design Challenge.

I do love this idea, because when I was shipped to me, it was 40% packaging, 10% paperwork, and only half of it was actually the laptop. However, I think that customers would need to be able to choose the laptop and the bag, because variety is everything these days.

Sparkle and Glow

Article link: Sparkle and Glow

This article is about a brother and sister, named Eric Cohler and Jennifer Cohler Mason, who went shopping for a show called Holiday House, which promotes breast cancer awareness and research.

That shopping trip they went on sounds like a blast! I would love to visit Holiday House, it sounds like a really festive, happy place.

Saint-Etienne Design Biennale 2008: Citrus Clock, by Anna Gram'

Article link: Saint-Etienne Design Biennale 2008: Citrus Clock, by Anna Gram'

This article is about a lemon powered clock.

I thought the idea was great; spending money on lemons has got to be less than batteries or electricity. I wonder, though, if the lemons run out of juice and you have to put another lemon on there, do you have to set the clock all over again? Because that would be such a hassle.

Core77 Video Drive-by: Reservoir Dog by Charles Maze, Saint-Etienne Design Biennale 2008

Article link: Core77 Video Drive-by: Reservoir Dog by Charles Maze, Saint-Etienne Design Biennale 2008



This video is about art made by a little plastic toy dog. I thought this was rather silly, but the end result looked cool enough. I'm also not sure how the dog works since, in the video, even though he was loud, he was more or less stationary.

My Home, My Self: Photography as Art Project

Article link: My Home, My Self: Photography as Art Project

This article is about a photographer named Todd Selby who takes pictures of people in their homes. He says it's "because of his curiosity about the ways personal space reflects personality." The article also talks about the people whose pictures were taken, and describe how and why they decorated their homes.

I think it's a really interesting subject that Todd Selby has come up with. I love relating people to the things around them, like their bed, their pets, and their friends, so this project really appeals to me.

Design Tide Tokyo 2008: Video Drive-By: Ben Sato

Article link: Design Tide Tokyo 2008: Video Drive-By: Ben Sato



This video shows artist Ben Sato and his design of a chair with four different setups. I think this is the coolest idea! I love multi-functional objects.

Three new jobs you might want to consider

Article link: Three new jobs you might want to consider

Here's a copy of the article, since it's rather short:

Every company that works online today ought to consider hiring three amazing people to lead these projects:

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER. Find and connect and lead a tribe of dedicated users that contribute to and benefit from the work you do.
STATS FIEND. Measure everything that can be measured. Do it efficiently and consistently. Find out what metrics are important and cycle until they improve.
MANAGER OF FREELANCERS. Find and hire and manage the best outside talent in the world. If it can be defined as a project, and if great work defeats good, seriously consider having the MOF get it done.
With three superstars doing these jobs, it's possible you can create almost anything.

I think that last idea, Manager of Freelancers, sounds really interesting, like, an agent for freelancing designers and artists!

FLOTspotting : Light Wire Chair Installation by Sang Hoon Kim

Article link: FLOTspotting : Light Wire Chair Installation by Sang Hoon Kim

This article is showing off a chair made entirely of wires.

I think this is a fabulous project to see. It looks really amazing, and it's functional!

I also really liked the "surprise," which was a project called "Light Movement":

Rough Draft: Joshua Davis

Joshua Davis, known for creating a new type of art called generative-art known dynamic abstraction, started out in Littleton, Colorado. He was always interested in art, but didn't really do much with it while in school.
At the end of 1992, he moved to New York and eventually attended Pratt Institute where he worked on Design and Illustration. His classmates got him into working on the web in 1995 using Netscape 1.1, but didn't get serious about it until Netscape 2 came out in early 1996. By the end of 1996, when Netscape 3 came out, he was already teaching himself HTML, Javascript, PERL, DHTML and CSS.
Also while in Pratt, he played around early versions of Flash including Futuresplash, the program that came before Flash. However, it wasn't until Macromedia came out with Flash 4, which introduced ActionScript, that Davis really got into the program.


Using his skills of a programmer, he uses a combination of Illustrator and ActionScript in Flash to create pieces of art that Davis has described to be "Beautiful Accidents." First, he creates vector images in Illustrator and imports them into Flash, making them objects. Then, using code, he writes a program that picks random combinations of vectors from parameters set by Davis. The number of vectors, colors, and parameters are endless, and therefore, so are the combinations that Flash creates.
These "Accidents" have produced many pieces of art, including two websites: Once Upon a Forest and Praystation. Davis also has many clients, including companies such as BMW and Motorola, and musical artists such as Kanye West and MingDynasty. He has recently collaborated with Miquelrius, a stationary company, to produce notebooks featuring his illustrations on the covers.
Both Once Upon a Forest and PrayStation were websites put up by Davis to showcase his art. Once Upon a Forest features twenty-three different pictures to be scrolled by clicking on an arrow. All of these spectacular images capture your imagination and interest with different designs, patterns, and colors. Most of the images consist of one or two colors and their variations. PrayStation, on the other hand, has at least three different versions on the Internet, all of which have news, updates, and projects from Davis.

Davis usually relates his concepts with those of Jackson Pollock's. Pollock was a 20th century painter, who changed what the world thought about painting by using different techniques, such as splashing paint onto a canvas that was nailed to the floor. Davis said that "I’m [not] a particular fan of his visual style, but because he always identified himself as a painter, even though a lot of the time his brush never hit the canvas. There’s something in that disconnect - not using a brush or tool in traditional methods." This is similar to how Davis works, because he doesn't necessarily draw all his works, but instead uses Flash to generate the pieces of work and works with those generations until he gets an image he likes.

Stackable apartments. Um...what?

Article link: Stackable apartments. Um...what?

This article is about a Sky Village, whose "main concept is centered around a system of individual units that can be stacked in various configurations to maximize available space and allow for easy structural changes in response to market demand," and goes on to explain:

If a retailer wants more space or if the village needs more office or residential units, "pixels" can be easily added to reconfigure the structure. Each pixel is about 60 sq meters and they all are arranged around a central core. The inclusion of retail, restaurants, and offices in a residential development allows people the ability to live where they work and play, making this in a true village, albeit a vertical one.

Though the article is a bit skeptical about how this will work, I'm excited about the idea of it! It sounds very futuristic, and appealing. Even the renderings look like we're living in the future.

Killer design comp results from Local Motors: Cars for Hawaii and Manhattan

Article link: Killer design comp results from Local Motors: Cars for Hawaii and Manhattan

This article is about car designs based on Manhattan and Hawaii.

I think the NY taxi looks really cute, and the Hawaii car design with the tiki stones in the back looks really cool. And the blue one with the X looks very futuristic, though I'm not sure what city it's for. I wonder what other cities/states would look like?

Book Review: Imprint, by Daniel Eatock

Article link: Book Review: Imprint, by Daniel Eatock

This article is reviewing the book Imprint by Daniel Eatock.

I honestly have no idea what the review is trying to say, but after reading it, I'd like to at least check out what the book is about, because hearing about the pictures, and circles and projects has me wondering what the book is about.

Bombproof trash cans: Design goes antiterrorist

Article links: Bombproof trash cans: Design goes antiterrorist

This article is about a company in London who have come up with bomb proof garbage cans/rubbish bins. According to the article:

The new bin is designed to absorb the heat of explosives and prevent the spread of shrapnel using "blast intelligent technology".
And in its new guise the bin will not only protect and collect, it will also keep passers-by up to date. Each will be fitted with the latest electronic technology, providing a stream of news and travel information on LCD screens.

I think it's great that trash cans are being put back on the streets of London, because according to the article, "London has been removing trash cans since 1991 in response to IRA attacks." Hopefully, though, one day, we won't need to come up with ways to bomb proof things.

A way to give your stuff wireless IDs

Article link: A way to give your stuff wireless IDs



This article is about a Parisian company that is creating a product called Mir:ror, which is a device you can attach to your computer that can tag household items such as car keys and paperweights, and make them interactive.

I think this is a really interesting idea! It seems very cool, and convenient. However, I think it would even better if they could somehow locate my objects, like if I don't know where my keys are, or if I have misplaced my cellphone.

Does This Song Match My Sofa?

Article link: Does This Song Match My Sofa?

This article is about people hiring "musical stylists" pick their music, based on their furniture and past music likes.

Personally I think this is rather strange. Just because I might like a certain piece of furniture doesn't mean I'd like like what music that piece of furniture might be attributed to. Of course, if this were more of a formal occasion, like a business dinner or a date, that would make more sense. But I was alone, and I was reading or watching TV, I would want to put on anything I wanted to.

Designing America After The Election

Article link: Designing America After The Election



At Bruce Nussbaum's blog, he directed us to watch this video, which really opened my eyes to what might be possible in the near future.

Shapeways

Article link: Shapeways

This article is about a company or product (I'm not exactly sure) called Shapeways. It is an "open 3D printer," and basically you can submit your designs, or manipulate existing designs and Shapeways will print and ship it to you.

I think this is really great, especially if your skills only extend to designing. Shapeways allows your designs to be made into the physical world from your notepad. They look like really incredible gift ideas, especially those candle holders.

Mind, bottle & soul

Article link: Mind, bottle & soul

This article is about temples in Thailand being made from recycled glass bottles.

Talk about going green! I think it looks fabulous, and would definitely visit the place if I were to ever go to Thailand.

Your brand is not your logo

Article Link: Your brand is not your logo

This article is about big brand names changing their logos and testing them out on the public. Seth Grodin writes that it's pointless to test a logo, and to use that effort and time to work on products, or customer experiences.

I totally agree with Seth's point. Why mess with a good thing? I think the Best Buy and Pepsi logos (the ones featured in the article) are fine as they were, and I strongly dislike the new Pepsi logo. And though I do think the new Best Buy logo is cute, the old one serves as a much better logo than the new one does.

Lyle Owerko

I though Lyle Owerko was very inspirational. After listening to his lecture, I felt like I could go out there and do anything!

I really liked what he said about music being an inspiration, because I love listening to music while I'm working. Silence does nothing for me. I also really liked his pictures of the Norway Traffic Tunnels.

Also, what he said about design being a language, the universal language anyone can understand really inspired me to want to get out to the real world and start working already.

There were two projects of his I particularly liked, one being the pictures of the nomadic Nambian tribe and the second being the notebook he keeps and adds in everyday. The pictures of the tribe made me see that working as artists can really contribute to society as a whole. And the notebook inspired me to update my own notebook, which I hadn't updated since I started this semester.

Herman Miller reaches for the Holy Grail of Chairs: One size fits all

Article link: Herman Miller reaches for the Holy Grail of Chairs: One size fits all

This article is about a chair that literally fits all.

I think this is really interesting. I've personally never had a problem with chairs, but some of my friends are really picky about the kind of chair they sit on. Hopefully, they'll like this. The science behind it is really interesting too! I'd like to see how it works.

Emergency Response Studio

Article link: Emergency Response Studio

This article is about a studio made from a FEMA-style trailer.

I think this is a good idea, and definitely really intriguing. I'm actually more interested in seeing this used as temporary housing than an artist's studio. Or maybe just a studio so that artists won't have to rent out studios to use.

Couple makes good with self-designed iPod accessory

Article Link: Couple makes good with self-designed iPod accessory

This article is about a new iPod accessory that utilizes magnets to stick the iPod Nano anywhere on clothing.

While I think the case itself is pretty cute itself, I really like how the iStik is owned by a couple who came up with the idea all on their own and the story of how they became so famous. It's really inspirational!

JAL's new Economy seat wins Good Design Award

Article link: JAL's new Economy seat wins Good Design Award

This article is about a new seat design for airplane seats in economy that Japan Airlines has just designed.

I think this is great, since I fly on an airplane at least four times every year. I hope they're as comfortable as they are interesting to look at. Also, I'm excited about the power outlet, the LCD screen, and the more legroom!

New display technology debuts today

Article link:New display technology debuts today

This article is announcing a new type of display called ColorBright, which is being launched by Liquavista.

I'm so glad that multi-color is finally being added to displays. It makes it easier to look at, and the video was really fun to watch.

SENS concept: a cell phone for the blind

Article link: SENS concept: a cell phone for the blind

This article is about a phone being made to help the blind correctly dial. It was designed by Takumi Yoshida.

Again, I think it's great that there is someone out there coming up with solutions to the small problems. At first, it was surprising to see that the phone had no display, but, of course, the blind wouldn't need a display. I think the shape of the phone is really unique and cute, and I love that the designer worked with students in the Royal National Institute of Blind People in the UK.

A New Line From Apple: The Metal MacBook

Article Link: A New Line From Apple: The Metal MacBook

This article is about the new MacBooks, which are made of aluminum.

I think it's great that the new laptops are lighter than the laptops that are currently out. A chip of my laptop recently came off, so I'm excited to hear about the strength of this new material. It's also interesting to hear that they've switched from the Intel chip to the Nvidia chip. I'd really like to see the difference in action. I'm not sure how much I like color of the laptop and the color of the keys being two different colors. At first I disliked it, but that may just be me fighting change.

Nusrat Durrani

I thought Nusrat Durrani was really interesting, both himself and his work.

His story about coming to New York from India was really inspirational, especially since he pretty much uprooted himself and came here without any help. Then he got that job as an intern at 35, and got hired right after, that was really amazing. It's kind of like the modern day American Dream.

And his insight and details about MTV got me really excited for the future of MTV as well as what I could do in the future! I really liked that they were featuring different types of music from all over the world, and that made me think about possible jobs I could have in other countries, not just other states.

NostalgiPod Nano

Article link: NostalgiPod Nano

This article shows an iPod Nano case in the shape of a cassette tape.

This looks really cool. This is just like the USB Floppy Disk, where materials are reused and designed for modern use. The name of the product is really true, too; it does bring back a sense of nostalgia.

FLOTspotting : Floppy Disk Turned USB Drive, by Thomas O'Connor

Article link: FLOTspotting : Floppy Disk Turned USB Drive, by Thomas O'Connor

This arcticle is about a project called USB Floppy Drive in a portfolio of a man named Thomas O'Connor.

This is a great idea, especially since I know, personally, I have a ton of floppy disks at home. I also love how those random squares in the middle are used as indicator lights, and how you can have the option of standing it up, or having it stay down.

Russian toilet flushes out the competition

Article link: Russian toilet flushes out the competition

This article is about a new toilet design by a Russian architectural firm called "2-B-2 Architecture."

I think the toilet looks fascinating, but I agree with the article, when he said "I'm not sure I like that crevice; eventually it will get gross and require cleaning, which might be harder once I succumb to the temptation to stuff magazines back there." I am also afraid to ask how it works. If it got clogged and backed up, would I know enough to unclog it?

We (heart) "I (heart) Sketch"

Article link: We (heart) "I (heart) Sketch"


ILoveSketch from Seok-Hyung Bae on Vimeo.

This video is about a new product called "I ♥ Sketch".

I am not an illustrator. In fact, I'm probably the worst drawer in all of my art classes. But even I am itching to try this out. It sketches in 3D, and it looks relatively easy to navigate. Plus, you don't have to replicate your image if you want perfect symmetry. This was an amazing video to watch.

One-handed toilet paper dispenser for the elderly

Article Link: One-handed toilet paper dispenser for the elderly



This video is about a different kind of toilet paper dispenser that is specifically designed for the elderly and handicapped.

I really like this, because, again, it's solving a problem for a group of individuals that don't usually get the treatment the majority of society get, and, being a cynic myself, it just warms my heart to see that there are people working on solving those problems.

Electrolux Design Lab 2008 finalists

Article Link: Electrolux Design Lab 2008 finalists via Core77's blog

This article shows the finalists of the Electrolux Design Lab 2008 contest. The product in the picture I have is called the Sook Recipe Generator, by Adam Brodowski. The SRG comes with a moisture sensor, scale, and electronic tongue to determine what food is being prepped, then sends that information to the Sook Touch to generate a delicious recipe.

I love this idea, mostly because I come from a family who loves to cook (current generation being the exception). This would be a great gift for nearly everyone in my family.

Nine steps to Powerpoint magic

Article link: Nine steps to Powerpoint magic

This article is about how to make an interesting and motivational presentation on Powerpoint.

I thought this was relevant, because we recently had to make a Powerpoint presentation. I really like #5, because I have a remote for my MacBook, and I'd like to learn how to use it for presentations.

FLOTspotting : Medical Heirlooms by Tamsin van Essen

Article link: FLOTspotting : Medical Heirlooms by Tamsin van Essen

This article is about a project called "Medical Heirlooms" in a portfolio of a woman named Tamsin van Essen. The article says this is how Tamsin describes her own project:

"Exploring contemporary attitudes to disease and obsessions with perfection, Medical Heirlooms is a collection of ceramic apothecary jars that appear to have been affected by various hereditary diseases -- osteoporosis, psoriasis, acne, cancer, syphilis. As heirlooms, the jars can be passed down through the generations of a family in the same way as the medical conditions: a legacy of ill health."

My favourite, however, is the jar titled "Scars (suture)", aka the picture shown. While I think that all the other pieces are art are fascinating and certainly educational, this one is the most simple, and I think the easiest to recognize as a "Medical Heirloom."

Shopping to Set a Party Table With David Serrano

Article link: Shopping to Set a Party Table With David Serrano

This article is about an interior designer named David Serrano who specializes in decorating parties. To quote the article:

Mr. Serrano loves such ornamentation, but he avoids things that can be distracting, like overly large, smelly floral arrangements or fragrant candles: “Candles in great candleholders are nice, but definitely hold the scent.” He also likes color and a mix of styles and eras, a philosophy that he feels can be applied to other celebrations as well: “I like new things mixed with old things, cheap things from Pier 1 mixed with fancy things from Hermès.” And he likes to serve family style, so he always has an interesting array of plates, platters, utensils and salt-and-pepper shakers: “Nothing has to match; there just has to be enough of everything. No one wants to use their salad fork for their dessert.”

According to the article, Serrano used to be a surrealist painter, and I think that shows in how he decorates. I personally love that interesting looking chandelier-looking object above him.

Innovation Universities Are Hot--Rotman, Ziba, IDEO, Continuum, Stanford, Institute of Design.

Article Link: Innovation Universities Are Hot--Rotman, Ziba, IDEO, Continuum, Stanford, Institute of Design.

This article is about design "universities" being set up to teach corporate managers to think like designers.

I think it's great that businesses and corporations are recognizing the importance of design in the workplace. Hopefully this will mean more jobs for designers (and future designers!) in the near future.

London Design Festival 2008: Video Drive-By: Designersblock: Nosigner's BentoBox

Article Link: London Design Festival 2008: Video Drive-By: Designersblock: Nosigner's BentoBox



This video is about a designer named Nosigner who created a new type of bento box called the Sumi.

Wow, I love this. I love lunch boxes and containers and boxes of all shapes and sizes, so this really appealed to nearly everything I love. I also really like the fact that it comes with its own holder and handle. That is just really cool.

In the Penthouse, a True Garden Apartment

Article Link: In the Penthouse, a True Garden Apartment

This article is about two Yale professors, Joel Sanders and Diana Balmori, living in an apartment in Lower Manhattan, and turning it into an experiment of sorts on how nature reacts with architecture. They also teach a class together called "Interface" about integrating architecture and landscape design.

I think this is great. Not only does it give your home a unique look, but sometimes I feel as if nature is slipping away as more buildings are built throughout the world, and it's just amazing to know that there are people are working to integrate plants and buildings together. Plus I've always loved the way vines looked on brick.

My only problem is that all these plants no doubtably need a lot of care, and I personally don't know that many gardeners who take care of a lot of plants, who also have full-time jobs to go to.

A dog-eat-dog design

Article Link: A dog-eat-dog design

This article is about a new design for dog bowls that will allow dogs wearing Elizabethan collars to eat properly.

I love this design, and being a person who likes to have options, love the fact that it comes in different colors. But since I don't have dogs, I really want to see it in action, because I'd like to know how it works and how this type of bowl, raised and tilted at an angle, is different than a bowl on the ground. I think it's great, though, that people are actively out there solving problems for pets and animals.

Also, I disagree with the article when he says that he doesn't like the design because it looks like a dog. He says:

"Why is it shaped like a dog, with the bowl located at the head, no less? Does it make sense, design-wise, to have a dog eating out of another dog's head? Can you imagine the human tableware equivalent?

I like the design, and I didn't think it looked like a dog until he said so. Besides the point that other animals also stand on four feet, I don't think that having it shaped like a dog is weird at all.

London Design Festival 2008: Tent London: Theodosis Zeniou's Domestic Landscape

Article Link: London Design Festival 2008: Tent London: Theodosis Zeniou's Domestic Landscape



This video is about an interior and furniture designer named Theodosis Zeniou who is showing us his design of a pop art wall that cal also be used as a desk and chair.

I, for one, love the colors of his design, and think the idea of having your decorations be interesting and useful is a great one, but, as a generally lazy person, I'm sure I speak for most people when I say that is just too much to do if you're really going to use it as a desk/table.

Prada's new building - more than meets the eye!

Article link: Prada's new building - more than meets the eye!

This is an article about a Prada building in Seoul called the "Prada Transformer." Prada collaborated with Rem Koolhaas and AMO to build this building, which is designed to fit different types of art, film, and fashion events. To quote the article:

The form of the Transformer is derived from a Tetrahedron and when rotated each side facilitates a different cultural program. Each of the four programs will function on unique steel framed shapes including a hexagon, a cross, a rectangle and a circle. Thus, over the course of the exposition, floors will become walls and walls will become ceiling.

I love the way this looks and that it can house any type of event. It reminds me of some kind of futuristic arena. I do wonder, though, how one would switch the frame, and how long it would take.

Possible music for Psych podcast

I Know You Know by the Friendly Indians (Psych Theme Song)


Horrible Theme by Jed Whedon (Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog theme song)


Soul with a Capital 'S' by Tower of Power (Below is just a preview of the song. To hear the whole thing, click here.)

Japanese Design, Some to See and Some to Buy

Article link: Japanese Design, Some to See and Some to Buy

This is a really short article on a show at the Felissimo Design House in Manhattan. It's called "JapanC," and it started on August 16th.

The only thing I have to say is that I agree with what Felissimo’s director, Haruko Smith, said about the show, while explaining the letter C in the exhibition’s name, that "all things Japanese that are cute, cool, clever, creative and communicative."

London Design Festival 2008: Cardboard Cafe

Article link: London Design Festival 2008: Cardboard Cafe

This article is about a café (or is it an exhibit?) at the London Design Festival which was made entirely of cardboard boxes. The exhibit/café was designed by B3 Designers, an interior architect firm in London.

I love this! Not only is it extremely different, it's also, I guess the word I'm looking for is, 'cute.' Also, I'm glad that the 8,000 boxes aren't being thrown away, and are being reused for a later show/exhibit. I wonder what other designs they'll come up with.

Designers of High Fashion Enter the Age of High Tech

Article post: Macho Mesh Is Back (Warning: The article might not be viewable.)

This article was about black mesh, and its prevalence in fashion and design today as opposed to its use in the past. According to the article, "mesh suggests royalty and the age of chivalry. It evokes origins as diverse as chain mail and chain-link fence. It also recalls the front of early racing cars. It can be light and ethereal or tough and forbidding. Mesh can be macho."

I think it's interesting that while mesh has always been apart of our lives (like the article said, "mesh is everywhere"), I find it interesting that mesh is making a comeback, especially in furniture, architecture, and automobile design.

Disappearing projection screen wins award

Article link: Disappearing projection screen wins award

This article is about a flatscreen TV that disappears into its base with the push of a button. There's also a video of the TV working.

I'm not entirely sure if I like this or not. On one hand, it looks really cool and works better than the other models (says the article), but on the other, it looks like a futuristic coffee table. Unless they knew it was a TV, other people could mistakenly place something there, and the TV could break. Also, assuming that the TV was placed against a wall, the empty space behind the TV when the screen is up would look extremely empty while the screen is down.

Down With Helvetica: Design Your Own Font

Article link: Down With Helvetica: Design Your Own Font

This article is about companies and clients who make custom fonts or prefer them. One of the main websites they talk about is FontStruct, a website where users can create fonts in their own browsers. When they're finished, they can download the font onto their computer and actually use it.

While I'm not a typographer or a huge font fanatic, I do have a small collection of them on my personal computer, and I'm both happy and awed at the fact that there is a website (a free one!) that lets you design your own fonts. I can't wait to try it out for myself. The idea of having this available to so many people (anyone that can access the web, anyway) is astounding as it lets people who have wanted to try to create their own fonts, but couldn't because they didn't know how to, or couldn't afford the software.

Modular Refrigerator for Student Houses

Article link: Modular Refrigerator for Student Houses

This article is about a refrigerator which was designed by a student, Stefan Buchberger of the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and won the Electrolux Design Lab competition of 2008. It was designed for students or people sharing housing to keep their individual food items in their individual refrigerator units.

I liked this article for two reasons: It's a genius idea to keep the food separated by the actual refrigerator; I know many of my friends who share fridges with other people could definitely benefit from this. Also, the second reason, is that it's stackable. Multiple coolers or mini-fridges can take up so much space in a small apartment or dorm room, so not only do you have the benefit of keeping food to yourself, but having more room to keep your stuff to yourself as well.

Ecolab's Bottle-in-a-Bottle Package Design

Article link: Ecolab's Bottle-in-a-Bottle Package Design

This short article was about the new package design by Ecolab, where they fit a spray bottle inside a bigger refill bottle. The article also linked to the longer, original article, which I did not read.

But, anyway, I picked this article to write about because "going green" has become a bigger aspect of my life over the past couple of years, and since then, I've liked the new package designs of the more eco-friendly products.

Reaching the right people

Article post: Reaching the right people

In the article, Seth talks about a new way to advertise that involves putting your product into other items that you sell. He uses the eBay/Amazon example of putting a demo CD of your band into the package with a CD of a band that is similar to yours.

While this is an interesting idea that I'm sure will be popular, I'm one of those people that don't bother looking at other products if I like the one I currently have. Take the CD example. If I bought a CD of a band that I like, and the person who sold it to me sent his/her band's CD along with the one I got, I would probably put the CD on my shelf, and it would never been seen again. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this.

But, he uses another example of the masseur/personal trainer relationship. I'm more inclined to take that opportunity, assuming I didn't have either one already, if both parties are aware of the promotions.

Designing Dictators

Article link: Designing Dictators

The article was about a book titled Iron Fists, a graphic designer's study on four totalitarian leaders and the ways they used design in their "marketing."

I found this article to be very interesting. I had to admit, that while their practices were wrong, their design was intriguing, and like the article said, avant-garde. One of the pictures in particular stood out to me: Hitler's poster of "Give Me Four Years." He's using two of the most popular design elements I see everyday: drop shadow on his lettering, and grayscale with the emphasis on one color. The grayscale/emphasis on one color really stood out to me, because I see it used, and I use it, all the time.

(Re)make it New

Article link: (Re)make it New

In this article, William Bostwick, the author, talks about how designers and artists should stop making "found objects" art, and start using elements of different objects to make something new.

There were parts of his argument where I agreed, and parts where I didn't. A lot of objects now, and in the past, have certain design qualities in them that, while I wouldn't call art, are definitely artistic in nature. If they're nice to look at, why not put it on display? And I honestly don't see what's so wrong about recasting. The way I see it, it's a different way of thinking, which I consider to be a creative outlet one way or another.

However, I do agree that artists should focus more on putting different elements in their designs, rather than using old objects and calling them art. If too many artists did something like Duchamps did, and called a shovel art, what Duchamps did in the first place would lose its impact on art, not to mention put a stop on art, design and their progresses through history.

Research on Psych

These sites are articles that describe the demographics of Psych's viewers:

Hollywood Reporter, Nielsen Media, Multichannel.

These sites are general Psych fansites/message boards:

TV Squad, Fanpop, Totally Psyched message board, IGN, USA Network, LiveJournal, TV Guide, TV!Yahoo, FunTimesGuide

Fan photos:

Flickr Psych group

Do You Matter? How great design will make people love your company

Article link: Do You Matter? How great design will make people love your company.

The article reviews a book with the same name. The book is about how designers working in companies are helping those businesses create identities for themselves.

First of all, I love the cover of the book. Orange is very much a "look at me!" color, and the first thing you see after the color of the outside, is the title: Do You Matter? Both things really draw you in to the book. After reading the article, it really made me want to get the book, if not because that sounds like something I'd be interested in reading about, then because it might help me in the future if that's the way my career takes me. Plus, having a strong emphasis in Apple never hurt me before.

The myth of launch PR

Article link: The myth of launch PR.

In the article, Seth basically talks about how startup companies rely on having a big launch day, and how they use that day to determine how well the company is going to do, but he goes on to say that a lot of companies and brands, including Harry Potter and Starbucks, started out extremely small and tiny.

This reminds me of the book series Twilight. While I don't read it, I know plenty of people who do, and it's grown so big in the past couple of years, that there's even a movie coming out in November. But still: in 2005, when the book was published, I didn't even see it on the bookshelves, but now, the whole series is almost as popular as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.