design

Florence: Outs and abouts

Posted by _tango! on April 1, 2007

Posted in: art, design, experience, food, information, inspiration, me, thoughts. Leave a Comment

Florence was a bit cloudy and rainy the few days I managed to sneak out of the office, but I caught a glimpse of the surrounding area including the many restaurant I’ve been posting about. Besides my complaints of tourists ruining the magical escape known as Florence I absorbed a great deal of culture and lifestyle rummaging around in the morning markets, late night bars, and street crowded corners. Food is fantastic and fresh though shady in some populated areas beaming with english menus.(if it has english words, it probably isn’t authentic italian) The ceramic landscape is breath-taking minus the touristy attractions and street dwelling purse sellers. Advertisements also known as expensive graffiti cascades over historical building and streetscapes in bothersome ways, but I guess money can buy many unsightly needs. The lifestyle of people breath fashion and simplicity yet seems complex in an unorganized chaotic way. They like to play it by ear and go by tradition rather than by new means and modern technologies. People are kind, friendly, and hospitable. They are proud of their culture, food, language, and love to share this knowledge.

My journey around the city was brief but meaningful and delightful. I’d rather visit when it’s sunny, but I’ll be back in June when more tourists are lurking and blossoming gardens fill the summer sun. Besides all the great restaurants, I took several pictures here and there. I don’t really have a story to tell about the city, so enjoy the many pictures I’ve posted, with brief thoughts after the jump.
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Florence: TASTE Conference

Posted by _tango! on March 28, 2007

Posted in: art, design, experience, food, fun, information, inspiration, me, thoughts. 2 comments

My first stop in Florence was at TASTE, a 3 day food gathering of Italy’s finest foods ranging from jams, wines, cheeses, meats, chocolates, and much more from over 160 select exhibitors. This mouth watering event allowed attendees to eat, taste, question and buy products from a wide range of creators and distributors around Italy, though many of them seemed to be small independent family run organizations, which I liked. The highlight of the event for me is pictured above….it’s buffalo mozzarella! Simply Amazzzing!!

More pics and info about TASTE after the jump. Continue Reading

Adidas Greenscreen Shoes.

Posted by _tango! on March 15, 2007

Posted in: brand, design, experience, fun, ideas, information, inspiration, style, tech, thoughts. 1 comment

I’m not sure how useful this is but it’s a definite step in trying on products virtually.

“A new technology puts an end to the tedious business of buying shoes: Customers can now try on a variety of models in front of a virtual mirror without changing their shoes. They can navigate through the collection by simply pointing at products on a computer screen.

A Paris shop has put an end to the tiresome procedure of putting on and taking off shoes: Instead of trying on dozens of pairs, the customer simply stands in front of a virtual mirror. On his foot, he can see his favorite model with the red stripes, he then selects the gold leather alternative for comparison. ”

I’m not sure when I’d actually use this type of tech as a deciding factor since I’m the tangible type that’s got to get the product in my hands, but then again, I buy stuff online now without touching them, sometimes hating what I receive, then getting too lazy to return anything. Virtual haircuts, makeup sessions, workouts, cloths, jewelry, watches, shoes, socks, etc… who knows.. this kind of tech reminds me of that Epcot center ride that projects an interactive ghost next to you towards the end of the ride and you kind of freak out since nothing appears next to you physically but in the mirror exists some weirdo pricking your hair and scratching your head.

Read the rest of the article via physorg

TED2007

Posted by _tango! on March 13, 2007

Posted in: art, design, entertainment, experience, fun, ideas, information, inspiration, me, tech, TED, thoughts. 5 comments

I’m back from the mind-boggling TED conference and am detoxing my brain from the incredible stories, experiences, and knowledge shared by the hundreds of shakers and movers present there. My minds exhausted and happy while my bodies trying to catch up all at once. As usual, I’ll point to Tom, Ethan, and Brunos blogs for their incredible recap on the TED speakers this year. As I slowly absorb and digest the many wonders of TED I’ll post them on up with my thoughts. For now, I’ll post a few glimpse of my journey there.

Overall, the TED Experience was incredible as usual with a diverse crowd of individuals craving to learn more about every topic imaginable. There was a new simulcast room with HD plasmas hovering over beds and comfy bean bags, a new chocolate tasting section which was oooo so yummy and satisfying thanks to Vosges, a few demo booths by various sponsors, a big gift bag, a cool IT help desk, an amazing photography studio, an addictive Google Snack bar, and much more. One thing I missed was the Aquarium party that usually happens on Friday night but was instead moved to Tuesday night for the speakers party hosted by Google. This years Grand party took place in an airport hanger which was cool, but by no means as magical as the Aquarium. The after Conference Beach party was very good as previous years ended with no party. I could go on and on about this years event, but much like JJ Abrams comments on his magical box, I’ll keep that to a mystery but post a few pics for a glimpse of my experience. Enjoy!

TED2007: Icons, Geniuses, Mavericks.

Posted by _tango! on March 5, 2007

Posted in: art, brand, design, entertainment, experience, fun, information, inspiration, me, tech, TED, thoughts. 2 comments

I’m off to my 5th inspirational brain safari known as the TED Conference (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) over in Monterey, CA this week. This years speakers list is pretty damn amazing but as usual the conversations with attendees into the late nights will be the most memorable.
If you have not had a chance to dive into the world of TED you can catch a glimpse through TEDtalks (my selected picks here) or by exploring their site. I’ll post the captivating daily speaker schedule after the jump though the interactive one on their site is a bit more useful.
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Nathan Shedroff Interview

Posted by _tango! on February 28, 2007

Posted in: design, entertainment, experience, information, inspiration, me, thoughts. Leave a Comment

If your interested in the world of “Experience Design” then give Nathan Shedroff, an experience strategists, a listen from core77’s podcast here(45 mins). Otherwise dig into his great publications on his website.
As a indusrial designer, I’ve always approached design as a methodology and not as a restrictive definition. I’m not saying restrictions are bad, but it’s bad without knowing what’s allowed, which also let’s you do a ton of different projects. If your a student out there still defining design, check out experience design, because once you figure it out, you can pretty much take on any project ranging from basic product development, business plans, marketing strategies, emotional connections, brand value, and much much more…it’s such a broad and adaptive direction that you’ll be always be learning, trying, and understanding. That’s just my take an love for experience design, which also includes the physical world and not just GUI/web design as most people know it as for some odd reason.

Pink Dragon Fruit!

Posted by _tango! on February 26, 2007

Posted in: design, experience, food, inspiration, me, thoughts. 6 comments

Wow…OMG that looks soooo good! I personally loooove eating dragon fruits, but I’ve never seen a flamming pink one like the one above! As much as I crave dragon fruits, this picture made me mentally drool. Not only does an image like this capture my attention, curiosity, and thoughts, but it ignites my tastebuds. I’ve always wondered how to extract that magical element in food into product design. Sure, there’s amazing packaging, housewares, utencils, glasses, and items that surround food, but how can product designs in say laptops, pens, chairs, cars, etc make me drool like food does? I’m not sure, but I do believe in the idea of sense being enhanced or triggered by the other senses…like hearing through images, or seeing through touch.Â Here’s a pretty cool thesis bases on that idea called “Synesthesia”.

via deliciousdays (a very inspiring tasty blog)(fyi: designers looove kick butt food)

Faceted Curtains

Posted by _tango! on February 24, 2007

Posted in: art, design, ideas, inspiration, style. 1 comment

Woa, cool…faceted curatins by Hannah Allijn ….I love the untraditional especially in fabrics! Reminds me of an incredible faceted purse a friend owned by master fashion designer Issey Miyake. ( I cant find a pic online of it, but it rocked…the triangulated black leather mesh cradled to any surface while flickering reflections in all directions just like a diamond)(made me very jealous but then again, anything from Miyake would make a designer drool)

via designsponge
update: This Faceted Gas Station oddly reminds me of these curtains. I prefer the curtains though…

DontClick.it

Posted by _tango! on February 16, 2007

Posted in: design, experience, ideas, tech, thoughts. Leave a Comment

dont click it
I’m not sure what to think, say, or discuss about this website, DontClick.it, but it brings up an interesting point, suggestion, interaction, or just question about the “click” on a webpage. Can we live without the click? Is the click needed, desired, useful, functional? Of course it is, but this webpage does the “what if” factor…I do recall those silent mouses failing or leaving a huge void in ones computer experience…check it out, ask questions later…

USB Posture Reminder

Posted by _tango! on February 1, 2007

Posted in: design, experience, information, me, tech, thoughts. 3 comments

Here’s a nifty little USB gadget that reminds us how bad our posture gets as we naturally lean into computer monitors, especially laptop users. Basically it sounds an alarm when your head’s too close to the monitor. I actually had a geeky solution back in grad school for this. I put an adjustable metal shelf on my desk where my laptop was then used the lower shelf with padding as a head rest.

The above image reminded me a of a note a manager once told me 5 years ago while discussing the digital age in the internet and TV: “If you lean 15 degrees forward your using the internet(interacting), but once you lean 15 degrees backwards you watching TV(absorbing)”. This can be applied to many other activities as well.

Anyhoots, if you buy this, I’m sure you’ll find more than one use for it.

via UberReview
Buy here USB Brando($26)

Nokias Future Vision

Posted by _tango! on January 22, 2007

Posted in: brand, design, entertainment, experience, ideas, information, inspiration, style, tech. Leave a Comment

“Nokia has released a number of short videos on YouTube that explore how mobile phone design may change in the next three or four years.

There is a video for each of the four categories, or put more simply different lifestyles, that Nokia focuses on.

The videos are not showing prototypes of actual phones or devices that Nokia is currently working on or plans to launch. They are exploring futuristic concepts and potential new ideas that may or may not be produced in years to come. They are designed to inspire and stimulate discussion around how the mobile device of the future might look and function in our lives.”

via experientia

videos and summaries after the jump!
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iRiver S10 Watch

Posted by _tango! on January 15, 2007

Posted in: design, ideas, inspiration, style, tech. 6 comments

I don’t generally post on gadgets even though I love’m all, but during CES, one gadget that caught my attention was this slick iRiver music USB watch with bluetooth. I’m posting about it because it’s the first mp3 watch that I’ve seen thats pretty cool looking, especially with the USB locking portion(It also reminds me of the kick-butt ODM watch).
iRiver S10 images