Design Sojourn

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Give Credit where Credit is Due
2008-05-12 16:04:00
This is interesting. In the many portfolios I have seen, rarely have I seen a portfolio that clearly indicates if it was group work or a project done with a team. If fact, it happens so infrequently that I sit up and take notice when a portfolio actually has credits. In today's Internet environment the term "don't take a dump in your own backyard" is becoming more and more relevant as your "backyard" has become a lot bigger than you think.
More About: Credit , Give

Give Credit where Credit is Due
2008-05-12 09:04:00
This is interesting. In the many portfolios I have seen, rarely have I seen a portfolio that clearly indicates if it was group work or a project done with a team. If fact, it happens so infrequently that I sit up and take notice when a portfolio actually has credits. In today's Internet environment the term "don't take a dump in your own backyard" is becoming more and more relevant as your "backyard" has become a lot bigger than you think.
More About: Credit , Give

Stefan Sagmeister - Things I Have Learned in My Life so far
2008-05-08 12:48:00
This looks like it’s been out for awhile, but the Guru of Graphics has recently launched his book of wisdom that I’m sure will be a massive hit. I’m going to get it, at the very least for the “type candy”! Check it out at Amazon: Things I have learned in my life so far Via: ...
More About: Life , My Life , Learned

Stefan Sagmeister - Things I Have Learned in My Life so far
2008-05-08 05:48:00
This looks like it's been out for awhile, but the Guru of Graphics has recently launched his book of wisdom that I'm sure will be a massive hit. I'm going to get it, at the very least for the "type candy"!
More About: Life , My Life , Things , Learned

Award Winning Dump Truck of the Future!
2008-05-07 04:52:00
All images from HaiShang Design. (Click for a larger image) It is about time someone designed one that has totally broken the traditional configuration of a Dump Truck ! It is really impressive how this designer re-thought how one would operate, and then used that insight to designed a break-through product. Absolutely amazing concept, and sure sign of the amazing pedigree of Chinese designers to come.
More About: Future , The Future , Award , Winning

Award Winning Dump Truck of the Future!
2008-05-06 21:52:00
All images from HaiShang Design. (Click for a larger image) It is about time someone designed one that has totally broken the traditional configuration of a Dump Truck ! It is really impressive how this designer re-thought how one would operate, and then used that insight to designed a break-through product. Absolutely amazing concept, and sure sign of the amazing pedigree of Chinese designers to come.
More About: Future , The Future , Award , Winning

Life?s Like That: Part 2
2008-05-06 05:58:00
Image: Poop Hat from Jbox So where was I? Ah yes. On two separate occasions, I had a similar discussion with two designer friends. One of which was a very senior designer almost two decades older than I. We were discussing how designers have "Use by Dates" and how we all will eventually get there. This is because the older designers would eventually get surpassed by new blood that has access to new training, technologies, skills and thinking. So I pondered: "How can designers remain relevant in today's fast pace design world?"
More About: Life , Part

Life?s Like That: Part 2
2008-05-05 22:58:00
Image: Poop Hat from Jbox So where was I? Ah yes. On two separate occasions, I had a similar discussion with two designer friends. One of which was a very senior designer almost two decades older than I. We were discussing how designers have "Use by Dates" and how we all will eventually get there. This is because the older designers would eventually get surpassed by new blood that has access to new training, technologies, skills and thinking. So I pondered: "How can designers remain relevant in today's fast pace design world?"
More About: Life , Part

Is Industrial Design Dead?
2008-05-01 04:37:00
So csven and I were doing our usual "ping-pong" discussion on Twitter. This time we were talking about The Death of Industrial Design . Csven laments that there is a confusion on what an Industrial Design er does, as the world sees it as styling and making beautiful things. Basically it looks like we just do shallow stuff. (Check out the post for more background information.) Perhaps in my view, has the definition of Industrial Design changed? Perhaps we should not be called Industrial Designers? If so what should we be called?
More About: Dead

Is Industrial Design Dead?
2008-04-30 21:37:00
So csven and I were doing our usual "ping-pong" discussion on Twitter. This time we were talking about The Death of Industrial Design . Csven laments that there is a confusion on what an Industrial Design er does, as the world sees it as styling and making beautiful things. Basically it looks like we just do shallow stuff. (Check out the post for more background information.) Perhaps in my view, has the definition of Industrial Design changed? Perhaps we should not be called Industrial Designers? If so what should we be called?
More About: Dead

Frog Design?s Earth Day Presentation
2008-04-29 18:01:00
In honor of Earth Day, Adam Richardson, Director of Product Strategy at Frog Design has shared a presentation on "Design Green Now". As Adam, mentions it does miss a little without the supporting talk, but it does give you an idea of what Frog is doing to save the earth. | View | Upload your own I would suggest that you actually view it in full screen size, so that you can make out some of the more interesting details in the presentation. Check it out at Slideshare.
More About: Earth Day , Presentation

Frog Design?s Earth Day Presentation
2008-04-29 11:01:00
In honor of Earth Day, Adam Richardson, Director of Product Strategy at Frog Design has shared a presentation on "Design Green Now". As Adam, mentions it does miss a little without the supporting talk, but it does give you an idea of what Frog is doing to save the earth. | View | Upload your own I would suggest that you actually view it in full screen size, so that you can make out some of the more interesting details in the presentation. Check it out at Slideshare.
More About: Earth Day , Presentation

Life?s Like That: Part 1
2008-04-28 12:06:00
It has been awhile since I wrote a post that adequately fits into my “Designer Musings” category. In the start-up days of this blog, more than 2 years ago, I had defined this category as ?My personal reflection and opinion on Design and the Design Industry?. So as I have not posted in ...
More About: Life , Part

Life?s Like That: Part 1
2008-04-28 05:06:00
It has been awhile since I wrote a post that adequately fits into my "Designer Musings" category. In the start-up days of this blog, more than 2 years ago, I had defined this category as ?My personal reflection and opinion on Design and the Design Industry?. So as I have not posted in a while I thought that this would be a good time to do some ?Designer Musings.?
More About: Life , Part

Why Sh*T matters in Design. What?
2008-04-21 05:46:00
This little video excerpt by Allan Chochinov (of Core77 fame), during his presentation at the PSFK Conference New York 08, talks about his observations he made of his students after he asks them to design the perfect pooper-scooper.
More About: Design , Matters

New Era Marketing is all about Joining the Conversation
2008-04-16 06:26:00
One of my big interests as a Strategic Designer, is in the field of marketing, advertising and branding. In particular this whole buzz about new media and its impact on today's consumers. This is also one of the reason why I started this blog in the first place. I always believe, the best way to find out about something is to do it. From my stand point as a designer, I have always found the consumer behavior part of marketing most intriguing and a very important aspect of the profession of Industrial Design. It is unfortunate that it is not stressed enough in schools in favor of the more engineering requirements. (Which is also equally important.) Daily, I lament on how it is now getting harder to design products that consumers want. The Internet has influenced how we buy things, and as a result, consumers as we know it have change. Consumers are no fools, and we cannot treat them as such, for example by selling them inferior products tempered by price. Armed with the k...
More About: Marketing , Conversation

An Exercise Born Out of Frustration
2008-04-14 06:09:00
First of all, I like to apologize for the lack of my usual "insanely useful" design articles lately. I have been in the last couple of months really busy resettling back in Singapore. Not only that, work has been really busy as we have kicked off a good year of product development. Lastly as the title of this post alludes to, I have been working on something that I would like to give back to the Design Industry that I love so much.
More About: Exercise , Frustration

11 The Beautiful Game of Foosball
2008-04-10 04:10:00
Donn, a former student of mine, and an Intern at Gro Design recently sent me notice of a very cool foosball (link to what is foosball?) project he was part of. Finally someone is sitting up an taking notice!
More About: Beautiful , Game , The Beautiful Game , Industrial Design

Philips ?Design Probes? into our Future
2008-04-06 18:01:00
In the same spirit as Visions of the Future Project, Philips generously shares with us their research findings of what our possible lifestyles could be in the era post 2020. Called Design Probes it is: …a dedicated ‘far-future’ research initiative to track trends and developments that may ultimately evolve into mainstream issues that have a ...
More About: Industrial Design

Iconic photographs recreated in Lego
2008-04-05 11:30:00
Photographer Mike Stimpson has recreated some of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. Very interesting as he managed to match the mood but injected a little of his own creativity and wit into them. Lunch Atop a Skyscraper
More About: Photographs , Lego

Solar Panels Inspired by Leaves
2008-04-03 09:44:00
Biomimicry at its best!
More About: Solar , Solar Panels , Inspired , Leaves

A Cross-Pollination of Creative Ideas at Blueprint 2008
2008-04-03 08:34:00
Yesterday, at the height of the Singapore Fashion Festival, I was invited to view a wonderful fashion show that was unlike any other. Called Blueprint 2008 the show was a result of a cross-pollination of ideas between fashion and industrial designers. What I liked about it was that the work was part sharing and part collaboration of ideas between fashion and product designers, with both inspiring each other to greater heights.
More About: Ideas , Creative , Cross

Starck says Design is Dead, yet Again?
2008-03-31 04:23:00
PSFK posted an article on their blog about Starck feeling that "Design is Dead " and is also shamed for all the excess he has created in his designs. Well it was sometime ago he spoke about his distaste for design and a year ago when he spoke at TED and indicated similarly. This time around he continues his tirade by telling a German news weekly Die Zeit that: I was a producer of materiality and I am ashamed of this fact.Everything I designed was unnecessary. I will definitely give up in two years? time. I want to do something else, but I don?t know what yet. I want to find a new way of expressing myself ?design is a dreadful form of expression?. In future there will be no more designers. The designers of the future will be the personal coach, the gym trainer, the diet consultant.? I'm sorry but can something die twice? Third time lucky? Well, at first the cynic that I am believes that Starck is up to his usual shock tactics. Ironically going against a type of design that he h...

Get around Earth Hour with the Lightway!
2008-03-28 02:55:00
Image Source: SMH. Photo by Andrew Meares. Damien Savio, an Australian Industrial Design student, designed for his final year project, a window panel that can absorb sunlight during the day, and at night become a light. Apparently his design is able to convert 4 hours of direct sunlight to a 60W light source for 6 hours. Very clever. The design is a finalist for Australian Design Awards-Dyson Student Award which will be announced in May. I'm rooting for you mate! With this product you now don't really have to switch off for tomorrow's Earth Hour . You have heard of the Earth Hour happening tomorrow 29 March at 8pm right? Via: Sydney Morning Herald

What are your Principles of Good Design?
2008-03-26 07:27:00
I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Particularly because I frequently like to consolidate my design thinking, and had noticed many designer anchoring their work on some kind of design philosophy or thinking. Similarly, Dieter Rams' 10 Commandments helped define him as a designer, and perhaps by identifying these Principles or Laws could do the same for me as well. Personally, this was something I never really thought of doing, as I often saw myself as a reflection of the trends of time. Furthermore I particularly never like imposing my thoughts on others, nor do not want to come across as a high brow know-it-all. The end result is my encouragement of designers, that I work with, to develop their own thinking instead. Hey, this perhaps is a design philosophy after all? But as I see this blog as a great place for discussion, I thought it would be a good place to put up my working list for feedback. Do note this list is by no means definite, nor am I looking to im...
More About: Design , Good

Top 10 Ways to Nurture a Thriving Creative Culture
2008-03-20 17:01:00
From the recent SPARKCon, a creative conference for the Southern states in the US. One of the community discussions were the top 10 recommendations of how to build a creative scene in your area or, I dare say, in your country. 1. Foster a vibrant urban core featuring a diverse mix of interests, ...
More About: Creative , Culture

Bye Gary, Thanks for the Memories and My Ability to Design
2008-03-19 03:12:00
Image Source: The Innovation Diaries I wanted to write this much sooner but it kinda got lost in the back burner. Sadly, half of the population, depending on your age, may or may not know of this piece of news. On March 4th, I received an email from a old friend, someone who I have not seen and heard for a very long time. It was a link to a news page that reported that Gary Gygax had passed away. I was shock to say the least.
More About: Design , Memories

Overcoming Barriers to Creativity in a Corporate Environment
2008-03-17 17:01:00
Personally as Head of Industrial Design for an in-house design department I find this quote particularly interesting and quite an accurate reflection of creativity in most corporate environments. In a recent survey by our company, eight out of 10 in-house designers said it's difficult to convince senior management to accept ideas that deviate from the prevailing corporate style. And more than a quarter of respondents cited their company's unwillingness to take risks as the most frequent obstacle to creativity. ~The Creative Group After this quote, The Creative Group provides 7 suggestions on how to overcome barriers to creativity in the corporate world. Much of it is a no brainer, but a good reminder for all of us. My comments are listed after each point.
More About: Environment , Corporate , Creativity

The Best ?Products? Have Really Simple Strategies
2008-03-14 10:46:00
There must be a gazillion websites out there on the internet, and subsequently thousands that aggregating or collecting the best stuff from it. The problem is, "product" offerings like Technorati, Plaxo life-streams, FriendFeeds, Digg, PopUrls, Design-Feeds, Design Float etc., all run information through you in a "river of news". And like anything floating on a river, most of the time it just flows by you unnoticed, unless you have plenty of time to keep your eyes peeled on it. Thus, when I discovered Alltop, it felt like a breath of fresh air or what I like to call a breath of fresh "online oxygen".
More About: Products , Strategies , Creativity , Simple

Starting a Wee War in My Browser is a Sign of Things to Come!
2008-03-13 07:19:00
I've always been a huge fan of strategy games of all types. Board games, tabletop miniature war games and of course, war gaming on the computer. Some of my favourites have been the Panzer/Fantasy/Pacific General Series, Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem Series and the great pocket favourite Advance Wars. One thing I always loved about these computer strategy games was that its game mechanics are based around a very simple Rock/Paper/Scissors method of determining fighting abilities and combat resolution. However the key is when you have the added element of terrain influence. What you then get is a very simple concept that has a whole new depth of complexity. Therefore it was an immense pleasure for me to discover WeeWar.
More About: Browser , Sign , Things