Glowing in the wind 07/31/2009
 Tom Lawton, and the Firewinder We hear a lot about solar powered lights, but now there is a unique wind-powered light. Firewinder is a revolutionary decorative outdoor light, which lights up as the wind blows. In a soft breeze it gently glows, and in strong winds it lights up brightly. Firewinder is shaped like pasta spiraling upwards, the edges of which have LED lights. The turbine moves depending on how fast the wind blows, making the light respond to subtle changes in the environment, and enabling you to ‘see the wind’. It requires no batteries, mains power, or wiring, it has two brackets that make it easy to install and remove anywhere outdoors, and it is made to face the elements. As the website says, “While the aesthetics have been primarily influenced by the aerodynamic performance of the product, it was important to create a universally appealing form, which would fit in well with any outdoor environment; for this, inspiration was drawn from the naturally spiraling geometry of plants & shells, as well as a few seeds, insects and a 'living fossil' called the Nautilus.” Tom Lawton, a product designer, is the inventor of the Firewinder, and created it out of his desire to ‘see the wind’. He hopes his invention will inspire people to think about the awesome power and beauty of alternative energies that surround us. He says in an interview, “The obvious place to start is with imagination, without that you're never going to think in an original way. You have to dare to dream and be prepared to reject most of your ideas, but that's the fun - Imagineering is what I heard someone once call it. It definitely helps if you're optimistic. People so often seem to create their own barriers through negativity and pessimism and not allow themselves to dream. Then, if you think hard enough and ask the right questions, you start to invite inventive ideas. But that doesn't make the inventor, it's the 'doing' that counts, as so many people have ideas but nothing comes of them because they don't believe they can make them happen and they don't do anything about it. Inventors are not born with a special skill set; it's nurtured by learning from everything around.” He explains how the Firewinder came about, “Design to me is very much a form of self expression and Firewinder started out as a kind of art project, I wanted to experiment with creating lighting effects from the wind - it was November time in 2001 and the nights were creeping in - I wanted to create something that lifted people's moods in bad weather. I had also been searching for a project that would allow me to utilise all I had learned about minimising the environmental impact of my designs in a movement towards sustainable product design. As the days flowed and thoughts transpired I began to visualise a spiralling light that breathed with the wind, reacting to variations in wind speeds with delicate glows and mesmerising forms. Most importantly, the effect had to be an upward spiral. Slowly and surely Firewinder came to life.” You can see more videos of the Firewinder here, though apparently it is more impressive in reality. The Firewinder website sums it up perfectly, “Let there be light, from the wind in the night.” By Armeen Kapadia 1 Comment Designer of 2015 07/30/2009
 AIGA asked a question. How can we define the designer of 2015? AIGA teamed up with Adobe to answer that very question. It is good for a budding designer to know what is expected of him or her, before they step into their designer shoes. The industry has already begun to look for a new kind of designer. Traditional skills alone aren't necessary to find a design job; problem solving skills are key. The survey conducted uncovers the challenges for designing design curriculum. The answer is in five sections: competencies, trends, next steps, editorials and timeline. Competencies 01. To create and develop visual responses to problems 02. To solve problems 03. To articulate context 04. To respond to audience 05. To utilize tools and technology 06. To be dynamic in practice 07. To manage and communicate 08. To have understanding of systems 09. To construct verbal arguments 10. To work in a global environment 11. To collaborate 12. To be ethical 13. To evaluate projects The list is nothing new. Most of us may be aware of it, but I liked the fact that it is well-articulated. Here are few more competencies I extracted from the user comments: 14. To be savvy in strategy/business 15. To know more about how we think rather than what we think about Trends Through this research, six trends were spotted, along with the challenges they pose. 1. To draw on experience and knowledge (emphasis on social sciences and humanities) 2. To address scale and complexity at the systems level (emphasis on anticipation of problem) 3. To shift from mass communication to narrow audiences (emphasis on ethnography) 4. To get used to attention economy (emphasis on understanding clients and markets) 5. To share creative experiences (emphasis on involving customers/users) 6. To do human-centric design (emphasis on sustainability) One particular point that got me interested: the thinning of personal and private lives with the use of social networking, blogging, etc. How will design react to this trend? Comments welcome. Source: AIGA Lovely as a tree 07/29/2009
 Paper pulp mill, New Zealand © Greenpeace Although we know we need to use paper economically, and avoid waste, it’s hard to get information on which papers, and printing processes are eco-friendly. Lovely as a Tree is a site that gives some insights on the environmental impact of different printing processes, papers, and other issues that can help graphic designers make better decisions regarding production. The site, though UK centric, gives information on things that we may hardly think about while designing, but now probably need to be taught as part of design studies. Such as the impacts of paper making, recycled paper, how exactly its made, and sustainably sourced paper. As the site says, “With so many questionable ‘green’ claims out there, it’s important to stick to a certification system that’s trusted and watertight.” The site gives information on the different paper certifications too. Within recycled papers too, there are various grades, with a big difference between post and pre-consumer recycled waste paper. (news to me) The site explains how ‘sustainable forestry’ as a broad term is pretty meaningless, unless we have a deeper understanding of the issues involved. The print issues section has information on the issues of energy, emissions, water, waste, solvents, and inks on each of the printing processes. It tells you the plusses and minuses of using each process. For example in a year, a large offset printer could chuck out around 65,000 litres of waste solvent and 85,000 litres of waste developer. That’s quite a bit of waste, and printers need to be made aware of their responsibility. In digital printing there are more energy efficient printers entering the market such as Konica Minolta’s Bizhub C550 and C6500; and Océ’s VarioPrint 6000, which reduce the amount of energy used during its production. Another section worth a look is the glossary, which covers terms to do with print, paper and environmental certification schemes. There are also tips for choosing a printer, a paper, and deciding on your paper specs, for more efficient printing. In a time where even small design decisions can go a long way in making a difference, these are basic aspects that any designer, client, and printer, need to consider. By Armeen Kapadia A whole new drive 07/28/2009
 NuDrive in use NuDrive is the world's first lever-drive propulsion accessory for manual wheelchairs. The basis of this design was to increase independence for millions of wheelchair users, with greater ease and less strain on the body. Apparently, it reduces the force needed to self-propel by up to 40%. This product acknowledges the fact that physical restrictions can be seen as creative challenges. The user can propel themselves both forwards and backwards, maneuver and brake by pushing the levers. There is no need to spin the wheel rims by hand. This improves both posture and shifts the load on the shoulders. It is hygenic. Hands would stay warm and dry and won't come into contact with the usual dirt from the pavement. It is even suitable for users suffering from arthritis as it requires no fingers or hand dexterity. NuDrive is designed so that it fits almost any manual wheelchair with 24 inch metal spoked wheels in seconds. Users who have owned NuDrive have had positive reactions. It is a lot easier to get up slopes, posture is usually straight and there is much less strain. The power behind each stroke is maximized. It has also helped tackle more difficult or uneven terrains. Now with NuDrive, the user can brake easily and avoid nasty clashes. The system was conceived by Robert Orford when he was just 19. Robert came up with this idea while doing work with a disability group. He was encouraged by the fact that his idea could be useful when he saw his friend Emily using it. He won the Young Designer of the Year Award for his design. He founded Pure Global Ltd when he was 20. He has since raised more than £1 million to develop NuDrive and bring it to market. He developed the system in association with London Associates and the Aspire Centre for Disability Sciences at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital. It costs £349. If you are interested in knowing how it works, read this paper. By Sanjay Basavaraju Enabled by design 07/27/2009
 The Ironing Board Mirror Enabled by Design is a site that’s “all about people powered products”. Enabled by Design is a community concerned with finding ways to transform equipment for people with disabilities, by making it more useful, aesthetically pleasing, and funky. Why should the image of assistive equipment be boring and drab? The curious case of Nissan designers 07/24/2009
 Nissan's aging suit Nissan motors is thinking for the future. After 25 years, there will be more elderly citizens driving cars. The problem is that most designers working directly on car design are young. To simulate what it is like to be a 70-year-old person, designers are donning an 'aging suit'. The suit gives designers the mobility and faculties of a driver twice their age. Money becomes the message 07/23/2009
 Billboard made out of Zimbabwe currency  Zimbabwe currency as flyers We know that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe because of one man's stubbornness. That man is Robert Mugabe. The Zimbabwean, a national daily, commissioned the the Trillion Dollar campaign which communicates Mugabe's effect on Zimbabwe's economy. Recently, Zimbabwe launched a 50 billion dollar note, which bought its bearer two loaves of bread. By March 2009, the price for two loaves of bread had jumped to 7.5 trillion Zimbabwe dollars. Juicy bags 07/22/2009
 Eco-friendly bags made of juice cartons Someone is finally putting those millions of juice cartons, which we all happily chuck in the bin, to good use. These juice cartons are being recycled to make an attractive, lively set of bags. Juice cartons are quite non-biodegradable, and end up in landfills, or littering the streets, or are burnt creating more pollution. Ten of them 07/21/2009
 Dumper, designed by Sam Johnson “We talk about design and sustainability.” This is how ten.blog describes its intention. Ten is a group of designers who have got together for the last three years to create products based on responsible design. The designers are Tomoko Azumi, Stephen Bretland, Carl Clerkin, Gitta Gschwendtner, Chris Jackson, Sam Johnson, Michael Marriott, Hector Serrano, Onkar Singh Kular and Nina Tolstrup. Last year’s collection wood is a series of practical, affordable, and sustainable objects for the home. Books: Faces uncovered 07/20/2009
 Cover: Wet Apples, White Blood  Cover: One of the books from Space Opera Series  Cover: UK version of Sea of Poppies What makes one pick up a book and even think of reading it? Apart from the format, the cover of the book plays an important role in attracting attention. If one were to buy a shirt, one can try it before buying. When we are buying a book, the cover has to speak to the eyes. |   Every monthSeptember 2010 CategoriesAll |
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