materials

Create It Yourself Galore

Posted by _tango! on March 11, 2006
Posted in: art, brand, design, experience, fun, ideas, inspiration, materials, style, thoughts. Leave a Comment

puma mongolian

bytrico chalkboard shirtdiy_adidas.jpg

munnytimbuk2

I’ve noticed a growth in mainstream “Create-It-Yourself” products. Usually I’d only see these options in a hobby store, but it’s nice to see some hitting the mainstream with style. It’s a definite question of “mass customization”, success or a mess. Are consumers willing to pay more for a blank canvas and a sense of individualism? Do they want to do more?(Betty Crocker Egg Cake Case)

Puma Mongolian Grill (Desgin your own shoe)
Bytrico Chalkboard Shirt
Adicolor Shoes, via SneakerFreaker
Timbuk2 Artist Canvas Bags
Sketch On Munny Vinyl, Kidrobot

Inflatable Pincushion!

Posted by _tango! on March 10, 2006
Posted in: art, brand, design, fun, ideas, inspiration, materials, thoughts. Leave a Comment
Inflatable Pincushion

Did it fool you? It fooled me! It’s amazing how the smallest details trigger your perceptions. These cute pincushions by Alesina Design appear to be inflated by air, but are in fact filled with polyester fibers. Can simple elements within a design, such as these air valves, entirely change your perception of an object? For sure! I’d love to see more examples of visual triggers like this one. As far as I know, these colorful soft objects might be hard painted pieces of concrete, but who knows.Alesina Design

update: seems you can buy these through this company, kikkerland.

Spore, the game!

Posted by _tango! on March 9, 2006
Posted in: entertainment, experience, fun, ideas, information, inspiration, materials, tech, thoughts. Leave a Comment
Spore the game

You think Google Earth is cool? Well, get ready to be blown away by Spore, a PC game by Will Wright, creator of The Sims and Sim City.
I’m not sure what kind of cpu power this game will require, but you pretty much create and affect every single element within a galaxy and let time happen through “procedural” content development.
The magnitude of this game is ridiculous and you feel like a god of a god! Check out the video of Will presenting Spore at the 2005 Game Developer’s Conference!Google Video of Spore
GameSpy Article

McQueen meets PUMA

Posted by _tango! on March 7, 2006
Posted in: brand, design, ideas, inspiration, materials, style. Leave a Comment

McQueen meets PUMA McQueen meets PUMA
Fashion designer Alexander McQueen has a collaborative partnership with PUMA to bring out a refreshing line of men and womens shoes. The line-up includes a series of shoes inspired by the human DNA. Go to ‘hotspot’ in Pumas website to get the full story on the design methodology. The series will be available at select retailers Spring 2006.

AlexanderMcqueen.Puma Site
eLuxury

SandScapes

Posted by _tango! on March 6, 2006
Posted in: art, design, entertainment, experience, fun, ideas, inspiration, materials, tech, thoughts. Leave a Comment

SandScapesSandscapes is addictive simulated tangible interface designed to help users understand landscapes through a projected surface of sand. Simulations range from height, slopes, contours, shadows, drainage, and also has the ability to interact with physical models such as buildings cars or whatever else you program into it.

I’ve played around with Sandscapes and its pure joy. Swing by the MIT MediaLab when you have the chance to check out their other great projects!

MIT MediaLab(Tangible Media Group)
SandScapes