Reuse

What a nice way to recycle old skis, awesome!!

Form

Yet another cool designer I learned about last year in History of ID.  Eero Aarnio.  These things are just fun, really focusing on form and the colors are so vibrant.  If you can't tell by now I like color and form, but I still love and appreciate realism.

J.C.

Joe Colombo.  I love his bright colors.  His designs make plain things beautiful.  And his portable storage (top) idea is interesting and just really "clean."

Simple.

If you don't know this graphic designer his name is Paul Rand.  I guess all great designs are made by people named Paul.  Check out his work.

There's something about it.

Above is the Toyota FJ Cruiser, for some reason I really like this car, maybe it's the color or its fun shape. It brings back memories of Jurassic Park (see second image). Every time I see this car I kind of want it. Why? Maybe because it looks like it would be a lot of fun to drive and I would be able to drive it in any terrain.

Cradle to Grave.

If we don't act soon this could be what we see in the near future. Not pleasant at all.

Change the World

Great designers have a vision, solve problems and take action. They use what they know to make things better. Sustainability is no longer an option, it is a requirement. Be world thinkers, design for everyone and for the environment. Yet, make sure you always enjoy what you are doing, have a purpose. Talk to people, research, imagine, draw. Never stop believing, have a purpose to change the world.

Peter Schmidt

Simple, sporty and powerful. That's what Peter Schmidt achieves with his graphic design. In particular his Hugo Boss graphics have a distinct feel to them, which is quite masculine in my eyes. It seems like something an army man would wear. The colors are vibrant and it has an "in your face" like feel. In your mind what makes his graphics masculine, or not?

Valentino

I don't know much about dresses, but this guy is something else. I found his designs in a 20th Century Design book and they are just beautiful. Valentino (pictured above) recently celebrated 45 years in the business with a huge dress exhibit. What a beautiful use of material on the body. Design is everywhere.

The Pen is Mightier

This is just smart thinking and it's biodegradable. See more at www.treehugger.com

Hall of Fame Artist

Dick Perez has been the Baseball Hall of Fame Artist for over 30 years. I remember when I was younger, my brothers and I would get special Donruss Diamond King cards that were prints of his paintings. This past year he worked with Topps to create a variety of baseball cards. I really enjoy his work because I remember it as a kid and am inspired by what he creates.

Imagine RIT

So our new President thought of having this innovation and creativity festival at RIT (Rochester, NY) during the Spring of 2008. What does this mean in my eyes? I see this being a great festival, something that could end up being the next World's Fair. I'm not sure how big it's gonna turn out to be, but the President envisions over 30,000 people coming to the campus creating or checking out exhibits made by students, faculty, local vendors, alumni, etc, celebrating all the great things about RIT and the Rochester area. I don't see why this event couldn't become huge, attracting schools and companies from around the world. I excited about our new president and what this festival means for the future of RIT.

Canned Food Sculptures

Canstruction Vancouver is awesome, because not only does this organization gather food for the hungry, but it also builds some cool sculptures with the cans it receives.

Check them out at: http://www.canstructionvancouver.com/

Promoting Literacy

How do you promote literacy without writing a word? Well ABC Canada(Taxi Advertising) created this life size piece of paper with a button as a way to advertise in the subway. In pressing the button the user activates a short sound clip, which addresses the issue of illiteracy and what people should do to get help.

Build a bear

What a great idea. OK so I'll admit I've purchased a few of these, but not for myself. The reason why this company is so successful is because it allows people be apart of the process of making the stuffed animal, customizing it and so on. It beats going to the store and just buying one any day. The whole concept really allows the animals to become more personal.

I also wanted to point out that packaging design is also important, and what better way to package your stuffed animal than by putting it in a little house.

What makes design cool.

What makes design cool nowadays is its ability to allow for customization of ideas, products, spacial areas and so on. It is interesting to see that more and more companies are allowing people to have design choices in their life. Although this may not sound like it's very beneficial to all the designers out there, it still is neat because the average Joe can say," I picked out those colors or I arranged that space." People are no longer limited to what's out there; they become their own designer.

Campbells Soup

Soup in your hand. Mmm mmm Good.

Red Cross Ad

What a cool way to advertise for the Red Cross, the text mats are kind of tiny, but can you imagine seeing this when you're walking around in the mall?

Bringing nature back to NYC

Before.
After.

Sustainable South Bronx was founded in 2001 by a woman named, Majora Carter. She envisions the environment slowly taking over the city as opposed to the city taking over the environment. Check out her projects at: http://www.ssbx.org

Fun.

This is a Bilibo from KidoNyc, a toy company. I found this company in ID Magazine. They make kid's toys and stuff. This little bowl is meant for little kids to sit and roll around in. Their stuff is a little expensive, but interesting to look at.
[ http://kidonyc.com ]

Simple, Clean and to the Point

One thing I have come to realize is, "Simple is always better." I like this design for Dunkin Donuts because the message is clear, it is clean and colorful. Why make something complex when you can solve a problem in a more simple way? Logos are what I enjoy doing. I am more of a 2D guy,  but I believe 3D is just as important; that third dimension is key to understanding a concept tangibly. Nevertheless, I'd love to do this kind of stuff, this and watercolor painting.

Cereplast

Check these guys out, the future of biodegradable plastics at: http://cereplast.com/

Also check out this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XKL5MYg4ogY

ImagiPlay

I found these toys on a video clip from Sundancechannel.com. Imagiplay was created in 1998 by a woman named Barbera Aimes. Her vision is to create toys that inspire kids while pulling them closer to the natural world around them. She mainly uses wood for her toys and is always working to create earth friendly products.

Visit their website at: http://www.imagiplay.com
Also check out: http://www.sundancechannel.com

World's Cheapest Car

This is the Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car at $2,500. Tata (above) from India, wanted to make an affordable vehicle, however you can imagine the controversy this car has also brought up. It isn't all that safe and it's the last thing India needs with such a large population, more air pollution!!

"Forever Landfill"

So I was checking out this site, goodmagazine.com and I found this little article. Created by a group of architects, designers and urban planners known as Heavy Trash(97'). The picture above was a recent project where they put these signs on bus stop benches. The signs were labeled Forever Landfill (not sure I like the font) promised homeless people private landfill spots to live. Obviously not true the signs were meant to inform people on being earth conscience. Not a surprise, the town didn't like this very much and threatened to charge the company if they did not take them down. Interesting.

http://www.goodmagazine.com/section/Look/trick_or_trash

Norelco Razor

I always remember my dad shaving with his Norelco electric razor, I used his when I first started shaving, which was like a week ago. I got a Norelco razor for Christmas in 03' and I've had it ever since. My bro just got a new one this year (07'), yes it was a Norelco. I tested it and it was great. It was just the excuse I needed to get a new one because I really wanted this one because it looked cool, so I got this same kind of razor. I just choose this picture because I like the blue.

Late 80's, early 90's Baseball wristbands

I was looking through old baseball cards and I noticed a lot of players wore these wristbands. I guess they wore them to send a message to kids to not do drugs. It is ironic that Barry Bonds wore these and now is in the middle of this huge Steriod scandle in Major League Baseabll. I think he stopped wearing them in the late 90's, maybe that's when he started shooting up. Regardless I love these wristbands, I want to make ones with my face and autograph on them, that would be cool!!

Holiday Thought

*This is the Destiny USA logo for the Carousel Mall in Syracuse, NY. Their plan is to go all Green in building the future mall.

During this break I find myself thinking back to that good old question, "What is industrial design?" So I think I'm going to keep on visiting this question as the winter semester progresses to see if my insight changes, as I learn and experience more information in my life.

Thus, to simplify what I had before, I believe Industrial Designers are constantly redesigning the world and the experiences people have with themselves and each other.

Important questions to ask: What makes this good design? What makes it better than what already exists? Does it do what it's supposed to do? Is it something that will last and never get thrown out? If it does get thrown out, can it be safely returned to the environment?