Who ever knew! I’ve been doing it wrong my entire life!
If your the majority of people I know that peel open a banana from the stem, then check out this video and be a bit baffled how simple it really is to open he correct way!
I’m finding monkeys surprisingly smarter than myself after watching this! Also watch this video on how to split a banana into 3 wedges.
Who says crumbling up your notebook paper can’t be fun!
Reminds me that innovation and fun can take place when thinking about the end of an experience rather than just the beginning.
Waterproof bags have always been popular in protecting your goodies from getting soaked. Taking it a step further is Timbuk2 and their new Dolore Chiller bag ($110) that not only prevents water from coming in but also keeps it from going out, hence making a pretty nifty bag that also acts as a summer Cooler holding some 20 drinks with ice and a bottle opener on the side.
Sometimes doing the opposite makes something better. I recall a story about kayak shoes, where previous shoes prevented water from getting in, but the problem was that once some water got in it was really hard to get out. So Puma took a flip side and said, hey, let’s make a shoes that lets water in really easily which will let it out easily, hence the puma k1 shoes!
The world was shaken to the tragic news of Michael Jacksons passing this weekend. As weeks progress and the world seeks into his incredible mysterious life many new things will be learned. One element that has surfaced is his contribution not only to music and dance, but in inventing!
In his amazing performance for “Smooth Criminal” Michael gracefully leans 45 degrees forwards then back seemingly defying the laws to physics. How did he do it? With a pretty awesome patent (5255452) on shoes to allow this mesmerizing act. Watch a classic video of this move in the video above here. (see at 3:50)
I hope someone makes these shoes available for all to rock out on! Michael, you are a global legend who made massive changes to our society and an icon in history never to be forgotten … Rest in Peace.
via boingboing.
A convenient wall of outlet plugs. I’d prefer an inductive wall with magnetic plugs! Anyhow, this beats finding the darn outlet each time hidden beind everything… though I’d fear a flare up.
“Instead of hiding your outlets behind furniture and worrying about the mess of wires tangled behind your entertainment center, consider making an entire wall that’s nothing but outlets. Then you can artfully plug in your appliances wherever the cords look pleasing to you.”
Some wise words from our favorite marketing guru of all sorts Seth Godin about a rather amusing video:
“Paul just sent over this video of a dance tribe forming spontaneously at a music festival.
My favorite part happens just before the first minute mark. That’s when guy #3 joins the group. Before him, it was just a crazy dancing guy and then maybe one other crazy guy. But it’s guy #3 who made it a movement.
Initiators are rare indeed, but it’s scary to be the leader. Guy #3 is rare too, but it’s a lot less scary and just as important. Guy #49 is irrelevant. No bravery points for being part of the mob.
We need more guy #3s.”
YawnLog (beta) simply lets you log your sleep time. Once you start using YawnLog you’ll understand your sleep time a bit more, how much sleep you get a day, week, month, or even how your sleeping patterns compare to friends, families, schools, cities, etc. Eventually these logs will be broadcast via twitter, facebook, etc, but what I’d really like is someone to figure out a smart way to auto log these sleeping patterns.. maybe connecting some sensor to your bed or pillow, alarm clock, lights, or something to automate this log.
I’ve only tested Yawnlog for a week, but it’s pretty obvious I don’t get much sleep on the weekedays, and hibernate on weekends. I do have this thought that students at art schools get much less sleep than other schools but who knows.
A classic foundation project that occurs at RISD during one’s freshmen year is making a chair with no glue or cuts with only folds using 1 large sheet of corrugated cardboard, and bonus points for including a table of some sort.
The above video is a result of Danny Kim’s quick exploration on this project. There are a few more online if you dig around, but I’ve always wondered why such great projects like his never make it to market even if using a different material? Cost, manufacturing, longevity, uniqueness, business, too creative, market. Maybe I’ll just make a few for my house.
The New York Times has a great summary about recent buzz about one of Googles main designers, Mr. Bowman, leaving his amazing job for a very simple reason. Design was being trumped by data. This is not to say data is wrong or bad, but sometimes data is not how choices should be made.
I’ve had this exact emotion when decisions are made by some sort of point system rather than by a gut reaction from experience. First off, not every data point has equal value, and even if data points are given different weights, it’s just wrong to do this from a design perspective. Emotions can’t be quantified. And every time I tell this to an engineer they ask why not and the answer is exactly what I said, you can’t quantify an instinct, emotion, hence you cant ask me why. I’m sure emotions can be broken down to hundreds of dynamic elements, but to do so would just take to long to process, and data does not factor in reaction and adoption to well.
I’m not sure if it’s something that is taught in design school vs a more technical field, but I’ve experienced so many industries that depend on some point system to make huge decisions which frankly makes me confused. This is not to say that the best choice doesn’t come forth using this methodology, but to make it a means is just not right. When it comes to something say more mechanical, I can understand why since robots are robots, machines are machines, but when it come down to something that deals with a human, it’s an incredibly different field since humans are so different, humans change, evolve, and most importantly we don’t even understand ourselves to determine what we do, understand, like, hate, etc… we are not robots, so don’ try to quantify us like a machine.
I love data, and I’m not saying data does not help drive decisions, but take a step back and remember we as humans process quite a bit of data that can not be explained simply. Be instinctive with decsions and don’t alway look at pie charts, graphs, axis comparisions, numbers, or what the past tells you. Be a human if you are making products for a human. Data can predict pathways, but rarely can they see massive adaptive changes.
Full nytimes article after the jump.
I was introduced to VerTerra’s intriguing dinnerware products during this years GEL conference. At first sight these unique plates seemed like raw sheets of veneer pressed into structural shapes, but then the founder gave a quick overview of the project. Simply put:
“Our environmentally-friendly plates, bowls and serving dishes are made only from two products: fallen leaves and water. They’re non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable, durable, lightweight, convenient and downright stylish.”
I love it! Collect fallen leaves, steam press them to shape, then deliver it. The plates will run you about a dollar for a pair, but once they get into Wholefoods later this month, I’m hoping Verterra will be affordable enough to be a abundant in everyday gatherings.
I wished I grabbed a few samples when I had the chance, but I’ll just have to wait for the next gathering to get some…unles someone from Verterra can send me some for my next party 😉
If your seeking an alternative, check out Wasura paper plates, which will cost you a bit more, but just as cool looking.
Some pictures from VerTerra’s website after the jump.
As a designer, we rethink how everyday objects should change for improvement, but on the flip side, we also think about how people should reinvent how to use the products that are created for us.
Check out the video above during a game show in Japan about how to undress, cook breakfast, eat, brush up, and dress up all really fast in under 5 minutes. I’ll admit, I’ve used some of these tricks myself, but the undressing, pants on, and tie are a bit new for me!
This curiosity video made me smile. Reminded me that in life, if you dont try, you’ll never know. If you never know, you don’t discover…. discovery is where the fun innovative stuff is. Reward curiosity (sometimes failures) as knowledge more than accomplishments.