After my post about the new Wallpaper interactive floor plan I was contacted by MapsAlive. MapsAlive is a way to easily create interactive floor plans without any programming. With MapsAlive you can upload your floor plan image and photos, and place markers on the plan to show where photos were taken. An interactive floor plan for the Cabin could be created in just a few minutes. If you are about to sell your house or apartment it could be a good idea to use MapsAlive as an online presentation. Or any any online presentation of a map with different pictures actually. Here’s an example how it works.

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tags technorati : mapsalive architecture maps interior

Andra bloggar om: inredning, kartor, arkitektur, internet, hem, hus, bilder

Their are a lot of different ways to showcasing architectural features online. The magazine Wallpaper are trialling a new thing on their web called “an interactive floor plan”. The idea is for the user to see the architectural drawings of a building to get an idea of layout and size, and they can then click on various arrows to see a photo of what the room looks like from that vantage point. Quite smart idea I have to say; it’s maybe not totally revolutionary but will definitely help the reader to get a better experience of the layout of the house. Here is an example in an article called Cabin by Lode architects.

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tags technorati : wallpaper architecture lode architects

Andra bloggar om: wallpaper, media, arkitektur, hus

Today I will be in a panel debate in London concerning the hot topic DesignArt at the The Mews Gallery by Rabih Hage. Questions surrounding celebrity, significance, high prices, manufacture and integrity will be discussed and debated. DesignArt is a theme I’m quite keen to discuss and I have written about it in one of my earlier bulletins called Vulgarism. Except for myself, Jurgen Bey (Designer) Richard Woods (Artist), Alexander Payne (Philip de Pury Auction House) and Judd Tully (Art + Auction) will be in the panel. It will be chaired by design connoisseur and critic Max Fraser. The event is already booked to the limit, so unfortunately there are no places available.

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tags technorati : rabih hage designart vulgarism debate london

Andra bloggar om: design, konst, london, debatt

I just got this nice movie showing one of the Absolut Machines, the Absolut Quartet, up and running at a guerilla gallery at 186 Orchard St on Manhattan, NYC. What’s best is that you can interact with The Absolut Quartet from all over the world via your keyboard! Just go to the Absolut Machines web and sign in. Please not that you have to write your date of birth before you can watch the movie. You can also download the movie as a QuickTime movie. Further info on the Absolut Machines project in my earlier post here.  

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tags technorati : absolut machines creativity technology intelligent machines new york

Andra bloggar om: absolut, absolut machines, new york, kreativitet, teknologi, musik, video

The international high end fashion and lifestyle magazine Vs. has just released their latest issue. Its large format print and strong visual identity makes Vs. stand out in the media landscape. The new issue comes with six different covers and you can simply pick the one that appeal to your taste. In this case six different top models; Bridget Hall, Anne V, Iman, Liberty Ross, Linda V and Leah. On top of this you will find feature interviews with names like Jude Law, Annie Lennox, Nina Persson and Dries van Noten. Which cover will you pick?

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tags technorati : vs. magazine media top model bridget hall iman

Andra bloggar om: top model, fotomodell, media, tidningar, vs

El Ultimo Grito has been involved in a ‘Performing Design/Design Performance’ where process and outcome become complementary. The piece was a commission by IFEMA coinciding with ARCO in Madrid (13th to 18th February).The piece was conceived as a public area within the fair, but it was completed re-using all the packaging materials that were being thrown away on the day previous to its opening.El Ultimo Grito constructed huge bags (2×3meters) in the shape of letters. There were 10 letters in total which conform the title NOWASTEEUR (letters needed to write the first sentence of the poem ‘no waste re-use’ plus the ‘W’ which can be rotated to make ‘M’) with those letters El Ultimo Grito composed the following poem which guides the narrative of the video above.

NO WASTE
RE-USE

ANSWER
ME

NOT US
USER WON’T
USER WANT

WEST
EAST
RAW
WAR

NOTE RUSE
USE ART

NAME
RE-NAME
OWN

STEM
NEW

SOME
ONE
TO
STEER

SURE
MUST
EASE
TEARS

MEET
TEAM
NOW

USE
RE-USE
WASTE
NOT

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tags technorati : el ultimo grito reuse poem

Andra bloggar om: el ultimo grito, design, poem, video, återvinning, miljö

Industrial designer Jed Crystal had a house full of cats, but along with them came a house full of ugly cat furniture. With no cool beds for cool cats existing, he decided to create his own modern pet furniture line. As he said, “I just kept thinking there’s got to be a better way.” With the line going by the names and styles of Pod, Podium and Nest, his company Hepper Home is all about modern pet furniture that will make you jealous.

Crystal’s cat Hepper (short for Hepburn, as in Audrey) was the inspiration for the line. She’s now also the official tester who has free reign over all the design prototypes. The entire line is designed from Crystal’s studios in a renovated warehouse located in Burlington, Vermont. Wanting to see function and art melding, Crystal just knew he could design something better than the pet furnishings that were currently on the market.

The fundamental links between humans and pets are always being explored in the line. For example, Crystal took human sleeping bag technology and shrunk it to fit the needs of pets for the Pet Pad product.

The range though is not just for dogs and cats. There’s also Hepper Roost. “Chances are slim that the birds in your yard are reading Dwell magazine,” Crystal mocks, “but nonetheless they could be dwelling-well in this mini-modern home of their own.” The birdhouse comes assembled and ready to hang, but it’s recommended that you clean it out once a year, so that birds can re-find it and build new nests in the spring.

Comfort, security and warmth are integral to a pet’s happiness, so the Hepper Pod is raised off the ground for warmth, has high sidewalls for security, and soft interiors that give it the comfort factor. A self-declared cat lover, Crystal says of the Hepper Pod product, “it offers the security of a mountaintop cave with way more style. It serves as your pet’s own personal sanctuary – a perfect place for curling up to snooze, hide, or reign supreme.”

Jealous yet?

[Photos courtesy of Jed Crystal]

This is post by David Report contributor Kristina Dryza.

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tags technorati : jed crystal hepper home cats design furniture

Andra bloggar om: katter, inredning, möbler, design, soffa, jade crystal, djur

In 2006, Johnson and Johnson turned to Harry Allen & Associates to re-design the First Aid Kit. Although it is one of J&J’s most iconic products, after years of cost engineering the First Aid Kit had been reduced to a disposable clear plastic case - gone were the memorable designs of yesteryear. The design brief was simple, give the First Aid Kit a dynamic new form.

The resulting design puts the user first. It stands on end for ease of storage; the built in handle provides grab and go efficiency while maintaining the smallest possible profile; the colour scheme is an eye-catching red and white, and the cross is brought back front and center.

Design can really make a difference…

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tags technorati : johnson and johnson first aid kit harry allen design

Andra bloggar om: design, sjukvård, hälsa, harry allen, marknadsföring, prylar

We all know that sustainability is good for you and the environment and let’s all go save the whales. However, the simple notion of something positive is far from enough to successfully implement a sustainable product, let alone its communication. The Designboost event and current work with a range of sustainable products for different clients has sparked the following paragraphs.

Once again, information is king

Sustainability is a notion that is political, market-driven and individually responsible all at the same time. But more importantly, sustainability is based on knowledge.

Products that are sustainable illuminate knowledge. Knowledge pours out of the packaging, it radiates in the hands of the user. That’s because it takes profound knowledge to make a truly sustainable product. And in order to communicate the product, the user is required to know about sustainability too. Or rather, the product can choose to teach the user what sustainability really is, how complex is it really is, and how it makes a difference.

Thus, the sustainable product becomes a vessel for teaching the user something new about her world, and that piece of information is forever stored with the user.

Marketeers sometimes call this “the learning brand”. Scholars call it “education”. Designers simply call it “design” ;). It is a very powerful method of communication with your audience – maybe the strongest way of communication at all. But there is also a risk involved – if your product does not deliver on the promised aspects of sustainability, it will fail – and your product will become a lie.

If you succeed, your work is king.

This is the first post from the new David Report contributor Frederik Andersen, Partner and industrial designer at Goodmorning Technology.

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tags technorati : sustainable design sustainability goodmorning technology

Andra bloggar om: hållbar design, miljö, design, kunskap, information, hållbarhet

Designboost is behind an exhibition on sustainable design that is running at the Audi Forum showroom in Stockholm until February 29. The exhibition is a visualisation of Designboost’s holistic view on sustainable design. The products on display are described in both writing and with specially filmed interviews. Among the products you will find Eco ware by Tom Dixon, the concepts “against throwawaism” by Iittala and “2nd cycle” by Artek, eco-luxury-fashion from Noir Illuminati, bicycle by Biomega, vintage wooden trains from Brio, Alcro’s vision of producing only water-based paint before 2010 and the Ultrasilencer by Pia Wallén for Electrolux to mention a few.

On top of this the Audi A3 sportback e-power is used to exemplify the Designboost method of defining sustainable design called the “Sustainable Wheel”. It’s a review in seven parts concerning environmental influence, innovation, aesthetics, emotional connection, quality, authenticity and compatibility. Audi has a clear stand concerning carbon dioxide and is the car manufacturer that most consistently has adapted an overall holistical approach. An interesting discussion topic in a time when the politically correct ethanol fuel starts to be questioned.

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tags technorati : sustainable design audi stockholm exhibition

Andra bloggar om: design, audi, hållbar design, miljö, framtiden, hållbar utveckling, bil