Designlitics. Meaning to apply design thinking in its genesis to questions of organization, identity, culture and content, in order to help defining possible strategies, from the conceptual to the objective, of addressing the full potential of our contemporaneity.

This way designers conquer to themselves the right to intervene on the very basis of the pyramid - together with others on the level of decision making, and actively contribute to a sustainable production and consequently be of help towards a sustainable consumption.

Designers will then be able to expand their field of action beyond form givers, to become active participants on the definition, analysis and implementation of a new business opportunity - either it being a new product, service or urban strategy.

Designlitics is the tool for being sustainable in the design business. It will assure awareness about the eventual impact of a product through efforts of analytical anticipation.

Being sustainability above all a political issue, if designers really want to have a word on it, there is hardly any other way.

This is a post by the David Report contributor Gonçalo Prudencio.

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Andra bloggar om: design, strategi, produktutveckling, politik

Ecodecor’s Tatami Flight Chair and Tatami Bench Sofa – designed by Chris Gurney – combine traditional Japanese materials, methods and craftsmanship with the Western style of sitting. Ecodecor is the furniture label by Brandarchitecture whose consistent design theme is ‘healing space for the next generation’. Brandarchitecture’s design process is defined by its collaborative artistic practice – partners who are located across the globe who see style and ecological awareness as equally attainable.

The cultural anthropologist Gordon Huse said that there are two customs characterised in our lives – sitting on a chair, or sitting on the ground. For centuries, the Japanese have sat on the ground (the ‘za-seat’). The mixture of the meditated style of yoga from India and the religious training from China influenced this custom. After Dogen brought Soto Zen to Japan, the tatami mat became associated with the traditional tea ceremony, and has always been used throughout Japan for this custom. If you like, think of tatami as a philosophy of sitting.

And the Tatami Flight Chair and Bench Sofa are a modern interpretation of this philosophy. The frame – available in both light or dark bamboo – has tatami as the seating base and kimono fabric as its backing. The tatami base concentrates one’s attention on thought, and allows for peace of mind in meditation. And no extended periods of sitting on the ground are required!

This is a post by David Report contributor Kristina Dryza.

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Andra bloggar om: kultur, design, möbler, inredning, japan

Warsaw based FUTU Magazine is launching an International distribution. The magazine covers design, art and future trends in luxury and is now available worldwide in selected concept stores and book stores (among them – Palais de Tokyo, Colette and Magma). FUTU magazine is at the same time launching a project based on collaboration with different, the most prestigious design studios in the world. So far the earlier issues of FUTU Magazine were designed by Studio8Desing (UK) and Albert Folch Studio (Spain). The upcoming issue will be created by Vince Frost from Frost Design (Australia).

As a contributor to the FUTU magazine I can really recommend it!

Andra bloggar om: media, design, lyx

Paper artist Jen Stark has just created a new shirt called “Oogey Gooey” available on Freegums. For those of you that are regular visitors probably remember my earlier posts about Jen Stark.

Andra bloggar om: konst, kläder, mode

This week our latest trend report called 5 key design trends is featured at the Issuu “business thinking” book shelf. The online publishing tool Issuu is definitely worth a visit. You will find a lot of interesting and inspiring magazines.

Andra bloggar om: media, issuu, tidningar, internet

Chambertronica 2008 from Olle Corneer on Vimeo.

Next week will be the premiere for Chambetronica and it will take place in the newly built hi-tech concert hall of Uppsala, north of Stockholm.

Chambetronica is an equal mix between contemporary chamber music and electronica. Two musical cultures that have not often met before. Three of the most experienced and established musicians within the electronica scene meet three of the most skillful and respected instrumentalists. What happens when musicians that practice on their instruments every day meet the ones that compose by moving squares on the computer screen? When musical instruments that have been developed through hundreds of years, through classicism, modernism and avant garde, meet the new digital instruments that change by the week, change by every software update? When musicians with years of school and training meet the producers of electronica that never been to school at all (mainly because there are no music schools for electronica)? Chambertronica forces these two worlds to meet, musically and in the compositions. The result is something completely new and unexpected, music without limitations.

Chambertroncia live is chamber music on a techno club. Unknown musical worlds and strong visual impressions, traditional instruments, electronics and VJs. Maybe it’s a star of a new musical genre?

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Andra bloggar om: electronica, musik, kultur, konsert, klassisk musik

Norwegian trio Norway Says has designed a new series of salt and pepper mills for Danish manufacturer MUUTO.

The PLUS mills are made in wood and comes with a mill-mechanism that has a 25 year warranty. They come in 3 versions; a white salt- and black peppermill and a multicoloured version that has both the salt and pepper option.

The traditional parts of salt and pepper mills are split into a stack of different sized elements. The composition reflects how you grip and use the mill. The biggest element is of course the one you turn to grind your salt and pepper. The salt and pepper mills bring a good looking plus to your cooking! It’s made of first class beech wood - stained and lacquered. The dimension is Ø 67mm and height 180mm.

Andra bloggar om: design, köksutrustning, prylar, matlagning, mat

A trailer  for an upcoming documentary, MY PLAYGROUND by Kaspar Astrup Schröder. It is a film about movement, tricking, freerunning and parkour engaging fully BIG’s recent project the Mountain Dwellings as backdrop. The Mountain Dwellings recently were awarded the Best Housing Project in the World at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Andra bloggar om: parkour, arkitektur, bjarke ingels, film

FunFam – short for Fun In The Family – is a new style Japanese tableware brand for kids that mixes Japanese aesthetics with Western lifestyle trends. Designed with bamboo, it takes a unique approach to the concept of ‘fun in the family’.

With many parents now spending less time having dinner with their children, FunFam’s tableware range promotes opportunities for the whole family to share meal times together. A decade of research by CASA (The National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, New York) shows that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.

Inspired by mixed cultural influences, the tableware combines Western culinary culture with Japanese craftsmanship. The all hand made product lets kids discover the Western world of food by feeling the craftsmanship handed down in Japan over 1000 years. The Japanese way of life is integrally tied to the use of bamboo as one of the country’s main materials. For example, Japan’s oldest tale is titled ‘Kaguya Hime – Princess from Bamboo Trees’.

The key piece in the range is the Table Manners Set that invites children to appreciate the wealth of gastronomic tastes in the world. It sets out to help anyone (the world over) who has ever struggled to distinguish between the salad fork and the dessert fork. Knowing which fork, spoon or knife to use with which part of a full course meal can be a trial for even the most willing of learners. The Table Manners Set makes this less of a trial, and more of a fun, family-centered learning experience. The set includes nine different utensils, a plate, and a board to set all the utensils on. The board makes it easy for children to figure out what goes where with the pictures sketched underneath each utensil-shaped indentation. Learning about table manners is now a piece of cake (or bamboo!).

This is a post by David Report contributor Kristina Dryza.

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Andra bloggar om: mat, kultur, middag, japan, design, barn

On 8-9 November 2008 Designers’ Saturday took place in Langenthal, Switzerland for the twelfth time. Aiming to provide an inspiration for top performance, Aqua Creations in collaboration with its Swiss distributor Sphinx Lichttechnik, chose to exhibit at Creation Baumann’s warehouse.

Having the designs return to their place of origin– the factory– or as Le Corbusier envisioned “the birthplace of cultural renewal”, an extraordinary and magnificent event took form. Given the dramatic, unconventional, and challenging exhibition space of an entryway and two 1.8 meters/ 5.9″ wide, 40 meters / 131.23″ long, and 25 meters/ 82″ high aisles, Aqua Creations and renowned designer Michael Azulay were prompted to create a total environment that included movement, sound, and light, thus providing visitors with an unforgettable visit alluding to a deep sea dive.

The music, the movement, and the rich display of timeless Aqua favorites installed in the darkened corridors provided a view of the splendor, exoticism and delicate craftsmanship which stand at the core of Ayala Serfaty’s designs.

Andra bloggar om: design, schweiz, utställning, konst