pavilions, new structures, abandoned lofts, galleries, outside public squares, everywhere, you’ll find a reminder, directions, and information.

milan 2010. a chair that fits in your pocket.

bottles or no bottles, marcel wander’s sparkling chair a hoot.

made out of PET plastic and produced using the same blow molding technique commonly used for water bottles.

scheduled to open this fall, the 71-story skyscraper has just finished construction on its top floor.

the “Revolutionair” turbine is “revolutionary” because they’re designed for homeowners.

and the nominees are…

having to carry around world’s largest plug (UK pin plug) with the macbook air cited as inspiration.

annual skyscraper competition recognizes outstanding ideas that redefine skyscraper design.

diet coke tapped illustrator tom gauld to bring heart to its cans, part of the brand’s collaboration with the heart truth, a national awareness campaign to educate women about heart disease.

creative culture’s big impact people and companies for 2010/

a design history question. when was this chair designed? to what art genre does it belong?

a whopping 31 are new!

not a crockpot or a bake oven. the food is essentially steamed.

one of the seven wonders of the world in the world of architecture.

noorda, one of seven founders for unimark international, an American design firm founded in Chicago in 1964. the founding designers: ralph eckerstrom, massimo vignelli, james fogelman, wally gutches, larry klein, robert moldafsky, and noorda.

828 m (2,717 ft). formerly burj dubai. renamed burj khalifa in honor of sheikh khalifa bin zayed bin sultan al nahyan, president of the united arab emirates (UAE).

1972. charles and ray eames polaroid SX-70 promo film.

she turned quickly to burnishing his legacy.

good design is as little design as possible

Stunning design comes at a price. $1,200 USD

designed the franklin d. roosevelt memorial along the tidal basin and san francisco’s ghirardelli square.

it’s halloween. it’s candy. it’s mad science.

the concept is to be as compact as possible, including collapsible wheels.

Largest and most comprehensive exhibition that Europe has ever dedicated to one of the greatest architectural geniuses of the 20th century. Guggenheim Bilbao presents Frank Lloyd Wright.

Fast Company’s 2009 design masters.

Make no little plans.

1956.

Chicago. June 15-17. Contract furnishings fair.

I came across an olivetti typewriter for sale on ( surprising to me ) urban outfitters.
The typewriter and company brought back memories of ad campaigns running from the 50s – 70s. It’s where I discovered Italian design, Milton Glazer, Walter Balmer.

Lego Falling Waters and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Scientists at MIT are testing a new power generation, storage and propulsion system known as the GreenWheel that will turn any pedal bicycle into an electric hog.

Concept motorcycle designed to run on electricity.

Milan 2009: Limited-edition works that Ettore Sottsass made the last ten years of his life for Galleria Clio Calvi Rudi Volpi.

Milan 2009: Casmania and designer Luca Nichetto collaborate.

Congress created the Eisenhower Commission in 1999 to plan and raise money for the memorial.

Power transmission network in Iceland. High in tech and style.

Here’s 20 designer kites.

First major US exhibition of Fuller’s work in 35 years and a testament to his fascinating mix of utopian vision and organic pragmatism.

A record player, nicknamed Snow White’s Coffin, changed all that.

Like the Empire State Building in NYC, Sears Tower in Chicago, Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, The Shard at London Bridge will become a recognizable symbol of London throughout the world.

Exhibition from 12 February until 14 June at the Design Museum in London.

Graphic designers Alexander Boxill have redesigned architecture magazine the Architectural Review, which relaunches this month.

Just how much space one person needs. 6,000 square feet? 600? Well, try 30 square feet. The Paco home has a hammock, a Japanese-style recessed desk, a sink, toilet and shower, all in a crate that’s a 3-meter-cube.

Designer’s farewell project (1980) fighting off wrecking ball. Concrete Modernism not currently in style and preservationists battling a city with a lousy reputation for preservation. Barry Bergdoll, the Museum of Modern Art’s chief curator of architecture and design, calls the building a masterpiece.

Here’s a clever concept to the mis-match aspect ratios for cinema ( 16/9 ) and television ( 4/3 ). Not sure how its done but I don’t mind showing this piece of furniture. Being familiar with these dimensions it was easy to remember the model name: 16943. Never liked the 4/3 configure.

New photos of Robert Venturi’s second home racing Staten Island ferries. via a/n blog [PR] Share

Normally I do whatEVER it takes to nix lamps of all kinds in favor of recessed or trac. Made of soft, tactile silicone in red, lavender, graphite and white hues, these versatile, multifunctional and user-friendly lamps are fully flexible and adjustable, literally bending over backwards to meet your lighting needs. Will take exception to this little cutie.

An Israeli design student, was shocked to see how kids with disabilities were deprived of the simple pleasure of pedaling around on a tricycle. So he created an ingenious new version that’s far easier to ride for kids with motor-function disabilities. Rather than the two wheels in back, he moved these to the front, making the trike easier to get on.

Takasugi-an ( too-high tea house), a tea house in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Architect: Terunobu Fujimori

Wooden frame. Carbon fork and wheels. Truvativ crank, stem, and handlebars. These bicycles are from Freiburg in the Black Forest, Germany’s so-called “green city.” Designer, Marcus Wallenberg Meyer, 32, built his award winning prototype in 2006. The prototype, the wild-Bike 2007, won the Brand New Award at ISPO, greatest sporting show in the world. Now in production, the striking limited edition bikes aren’t cheap. 11,000 – 15,000 euros ( $14,000 – $19,000 USD ), depending on the equipment.

Milan, design capital of the world, will soon have a new ecological hotel called Green Business Hotel. The brainchild of architect Giuseppe Tortato and Milano Layout, will turn an old mill into an innovative four-star hotel in the heart of Milan. The “carbon free” hotel will use only renewable energy technologies. Sprawling over 13,000 square [...]

“I am always a careful shopper but I think, in general, everybody is looking at the clothes more carefully, not just in terms of quality but also quantity,” said Vinita Schroeder, a physician from Dallas dressed in a grey wool Stella McCartney bustier dress. via reuters [PR] Share

Stitch was selected as a Best design in the concepts category of the 2004 American International Design Review. Now we learn Cappellini has put it into production. Fun folding chair completely manufactured with aluminum plate. Polished lacquer in white, blue, yellow, grey, red and black colors or in a multi-colored version in a fixed combination [...]

New York design brand Areaware have launched Moof, an aluminium bicycle by Dutch designer Sjoerd Smit that features built-in solar-powered lights. Designed in Amsterdam, MOOF’s unique aluminum construction houses two solar powered lamps – one to light the way and the other to make you visible from behind. This single speed sleek and smooth urban [...]

Taker is a wheelbarrow that doubles as a shovel to make work on construction sites less labor intensive. More sand is used at construction sites than we might realise. It is often transferred from one location to another in order to flatten the ground or to make cement. This requires the construction worker to shovel [...]

This year at Milan Design Week 2009, a Lexus exhibition will be called ‘lexus l- finesse- crystallised wind’ and designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. Here is a preview of the exhibit. ‘Lexus l- finesse- crystallised wind’ will re-interpret the ambivalence of the Lexus design philosophy ‘L-finesse’ through a dynamic installation that combines unity in [...]

Mid–twentieth–century Milan designer Giordano Robbiati achieved a spiritual union between form and function when he devised a new type of coffee maker in the late 1940s. Ciao bella. If you “love” retro modernism and espresso, go no farther. Loved around the world, Robbiati’s patented coffee machine is a classic design of the ‘Atomic Age’(1945–1960). Known [...]

Mission Motors builds the world’s fastest electric production motorcycle, Mission One. Top speed is 150 MPH and an estimated range of 150 miles. Designed for Mission Motors, the bike was unveiled at the TED 2009 conference at Long Beach, California, today. The announcement formally debuts Mission Motors, a San Francisco-based company geared to redefine the [...]

Looking back. Special edition Pantone Flight Stool designed for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City, 2005. Timeless sculptured plywood furniture. Designer: Barber Osgerby Producer: Isokon Plus Share

Vienna architects Delugan Meissl have completed work on the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany. The museum opens January 31, 2009. The museum will house around 80 chronologically-arranged vehicle exhibits and will be routinely replaced by other historical Porsches, as the majority of the exhibits can be driven on the road. The company’s production and [...]

A radical new design that sets out to improve on almost every aspect of snowboard riding – more speed, higher jumps, quicker turns, better fit and less chatter. Now, after four years in development, “The Whip” as it’s known has been officially launched. The design retains a 4×4 mounting system so it can be used [...]

From Italian designers Fabio Bortoolani and Ermanno Richi of Doveusai. An incredibly mod fixie known as the Plus Bike that incorporates internal light projectors into the oversized top tube. Designer: fabio bortoolani and ermanno richi Producer: dovetusai Retailer: dovetusai Share

Here’s a nice Valentine gift for that special person who likes casual, protection from the elements, and protection from Uzi’s & 44 magnums. Plus it’s waterproof, with an optional stab-proof lining. It’s a bit pricier than one that protects you from bird shot. The sales rep wouldn’t say how much but our research guesses at [...]

Newly created design applause category ( Ouch! ) inspired by… well, you be the judge. More images of the show can be seen via The Guardian. Designer(s): Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dries Van Noten, Henrik Vibskov, Louis Vuitton, Yohji Yamamoto, Gaspard Yurkievitch Share

Fascinating minimalism: the Velos lounge chair. The extremely graceful and inviting chair has been especially designed for places where informal encounters happen. Places where a light and loose atmosphere can be created that also projects quality. The smooth lines of the foot section and the distinctive seat frame are fascinating due to their subtle, organic [...]

Classic via old style messaging: the “post stamp” from Royal Mail. “We always like to start the year with a classic and this year we’re launching our Special Stamp programme with ten, in one very special issue– British Design Classics.”

Blackletter, without a doubt the stimulus behind the more efficient font designs we’re familiar with on a day-to-day. On the other hand, a now popular foreboding font for super-hip urban graphics and a time-travel message for packaging. In addition to the thorough presentation of some 300 typefaces with dates, designers, and origins, you will find [...]

During the early 1940s Charles and Ray Eames developed a successful technique for molding plywood into three-dimensional shapes, which led to the creation of a variety of furnishings and sculptures. You won’t find Eames donkeys however. That said, if anyone finds appropriate donkeys, or other animals for that matter, please inform us. marvin gaye sings [...]

For many of our readers, winter is just around the corner. And that may mean it’s time to trade the A/C unit for a humidifier. Here is a cute one. Designed by Takashi Hiroshi Tsuboi, the tear-drop shaped humidifier is ultrasonic and can produce moisture for up to ten consecutive hours. If you speak Japanese [...]

Creativity at work again: turning a negative into a positive. Yes, they’re a green product, 100% biodegradable. Producer: Jungeschatel Designer: Jungeschatel via thedieline.com Want to make a 100% biodegradable political message? dogs for democrats Share

Another USA financial crisis casualty. This bit of news not about Joe the plumber. On the contrary, it’s an example of the very wealthy feeling it. Make you feel better? Probably not. Architect Santiago Calatrava is in the news suing the developer of the Chicago Spire. Mary Ellen Podmolik and Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune reporters [...]

Italian company Scirocco presented a new decorative home radiator where technical innovation is combined with design and with the desire to have fun and continue having fun. Designed by architect Marco Baxadonne, Brick is a small colored block with a technological heart, a radiator in aluminium that internally conceals copper pipes and aluminium plates, making [...]

The final stretch. Our feature article leading up to and thru the election will recap what many “branders” have concluded: Obama’s campaign is case-study worthy. ( collage on left from special edition – Creative Marketers Report 2008, Creativity; campaign logo/button from on-line store on official Barack Obama website. ) ( above ) logo design: collaboration [...]

We’ve seen the splendor of China’s Bird’s Nest, now check out a new contender for the prize of most unique stadium. The stadium design by MZ & Partners Architects has already earned the nickname “The Laptop.” The main stand is upright with most of its height coming from the underground field. All lights will be [...]

Ferrari V-4 super bike concept based on Enzo. Israeli industrial designer Amir Glinik has come up with an incredible Ferrari motorcycle concept using a modified engine from the Ferrari Enzo supercar. Using drive-by-wire technology, the V4 superbike features hand controls adapted from an F-16 fighter jet and buttons based on those found on the steering [...]

Billy Chasen creates a human clock based on the 0-9 human-figure numbers. Number(s) origin not known at this writing. A clever and well-done blend of typography, flash, and flesh. Thanks kid tech guru Share

Value item: Here is an innovative, quirkly little product that may make a big (lemon) splash. The UTILO, Lemon Squeezer designed by Nicole Schaffert. Just insert spout into your lemon and squeeze for quick and easy seed-free juice. Made of stainless steel. Producer: Blomus was established in 2001 to innovatively manufacture stainless steel items utilizing [...]

Paris council has unveiled plans for a 50-story glass pyramid after voting to drop a ban on high-rise buildings. Proposals for the Project Triangle, designed by Swiss architecture practice Herzog & de Meuron who designed the Olympic stadium in Beijing. The tower will have offices, a conference center, 400-bedroom hotel and restaurants and cafes. It [...]

Today’s front page Chicago Tribune headline reads: “Deal, then no deal.” The USA $770M bailout, an excellent example of how not to sell a concept has been bothersome all week. What immediately comes to mind? What would Saul Bass have done? SB could present! He could fit the pitch for the occasion. Legend has it [...]

Have been sitting on this post awhile getting into the mood for collapsable concepts and product. Though the “Jackknife” was created in 2006 it was worth posting as the styling and design was noteworthy. The concept was designed by Philippe Holthuizen and Rodrigo Clavel for a contest sponsored by Cannondale Europe. Both are graduate students [...]

Robots. A very interesting topic. DA recently showcased a sewer inspector, the world’s most powerful per the manufacturer, a very practical solution. But what about robotics that inspire art? An example: Christopher Conte. By day posing as a designer of prosthetics and making artificial limbs for amputees in New York. At night and on weekends(?) [...]

Phillipe Starck’s latest — a plastic chair — earned it’s name on the first sketch. Mr. Impossible. The designer said it couldn’t be made. The challenge being the weld. Using existing methods to weld the seat and the legs would create an unsightly seam. Kartell’s engineers had to go the blue water route. The key, [...]

It’s summer in our hemisphere. Long days. Warm weather. Spending more time outdoors. Here is a innovative product that you make yourself at the beach or on a picnic — the cutlery! What fun! The cutlery (Do!) and an extension cord (Thrush-In) that stores nicely in its own felt container is designed by Arihiro Miyake. [...]

A home that makes the Smart car, standing side-by-side, look like a SUV. No, an 18-wheeler. “Micro-Compact Home” [m-ch] was inspired by Japanese tea houses, yes, the Smart car and first class air travel. They are lightweight, modular, mobile and very minimal 2.65m (roughly 77 sq ft). That equates into a 266 x 266 x [...]

Worried about space? The Dyson DP24 is for you. This version of the top-shelf Ball, measures only 29.6 inches tall and weighs 11.6 pounds. And its sucks the color off the carpet. Visit Dyson DP24 Home Depot was surprised by the fire-safety statistics. Their new design lab creates Home Hero. The goal was to create [...]

When does form and function equal art? Here is an example. A recent reviewer said “If Apple did housewares, this might be the iPot.

If you like Eames, a collectors item, a childs toy resurfaces. During the early 1940s Charles and Ray Eames developed a successful technique for molding plywood into three-dimensional shapes, which led to the creation of a variety of furnishings and sculptures. The Plywood Elephant, in particular, has attained legendary status among collectors. Designed in 1945, [...]

stairs are both clever and beautiful.

What do these two bikes have in common? Two wheels? We can feel the love. Designer Roland Kaufmann has gone and built a bicycle out of wood. He calls this cycle Jano, and says it’s a dual bike, equally at home trekking cross-country or taking its rider to and from work every day. This project [...]