In Process

Gluing

4 more pieces to glue,
4 more pieces....
then smooth, then fiberglass, then sand, then paint....

more Work Unit

more can be seen  here

Work Unit...done!

more here

Not sure what to do about this

prototype or no? hmmm...

at the moment

i'm sensing a creative explosion on the horizon. there's a ton of software i've been wanting to learn/delve into and ideas that need to be tended to. i'm geared up to learn some grasshopper, t-splines and maxwell. additionally, i have several gnomon workshop dvd's that need to be watched, rewatched and practised.

are you aware of the product co-creation sites, or social product development? what's up with all these? hmm...i want to find out...

Design/Manufacturer

Just as I suspected

Design Thinking an article by Don Norman (via core77), the author of Design of Everyday Things and Emotional Design.

What happened to ID? It seems to have been under identity crisis the last few years. In trying to explain and validate itself, it began jargon that further mystifies vs. clarifying what design is. By isolating components and parts and pieces, it served to explain what design is and at the same time kill it. The magic of design isn't an external thing, it's what that thing does, just as the magic of living thing, isn't the heart, or lungs or eyes. Those are all important and singularly amazing no doubt, however, the bigger point, the larger point, is in the living thing itself...it's freakin' alive! All those parts support it, but don't encapsulate it. All the components of design: idea, research, business, manufacturing, drawing, 3d models, renders, physical models, those things are each amazing, but what's really important, the BIG point of all that is in the "design" itself, the life it takes with and for people.

Festo AirPenguin

sit and walk

The Creators Project | James Powderly

The Creators Project | James Powderly

by For Use/Numen

amazing! and only of packing tape!!

Oil Spill Solution! Cheap and Easy!!

Big ass CNC machine ... awesome

Robotic Furniture

Ikea Robotics - Animals from adam lassy on Vimeo.
via Adam Lassy
and core77

What Lurks?

Ceramic Rapid Prototyping...and concrete?

Cranbrook...did you know?

Did you know? Charles Eames was the first head of the Industrial Design Department at Cranbrook? Which he termed the "Experimental Design" department and is now referred to as the 3D Design department.

I'm open on Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/djtsai

Clean the gulf!

and mr. water world knows how!
way to redeem your self mr. costner!
via core77 via nydailynews.com(s)

Work Unit update...switch, light...check

Clean the Gulf, part 2

OK, so technologies and methods exist!
So, what's in the way?!

Learning from Saudi oil disaster.

Way to clean the Gulf, part 1

X-45, Boeing's Robotic Stealth Plane via Phantom Works

Objet Printing

Nurturing Creativity

Do NOT stare at the Gorilla!

super fantastic

Stare, but don't stare.
Gorillas find it threatening when stared at,
these glasses hide your action.
Excellent.

Sander Mulder

clock

Continue Time - kinetic artwork / functional clock from Sander Mulder on Vimeo.

Land Carpet by Florian Pucher

USA1 carpet

Facade Printer

so cool

Perching UAV

Oil in the Gulf,...on the Gulf

I can't help to look at this and ask 'how can design DO something about this'
how can we actually be part of the resolution of this.
fixtures? process...tools...something!!
I realize we aren't going to be designing the super contingency valve, leave
that to the engineers who have a better handle on it.
But this?! What do we do? What can we do?
It begs the question.

BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico

"The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life."

entire article

Scott Campbell

Flos Lighting

nice

Eve

Lawndale Design 2010 concludes...images

3d printing gone wild!

Full scale, 3d printing...whoa

Kim Graham - Weta Legs

So cool and inspiring, object and story...

Tree Chunk

Lawndale Design 2010 - Texas Co-Op...what is it?

Eve detail

Eve, from below, pointing

Eve ... what is it?

Eve - Cuda - Watch Time Change

Lawndale Design 2010

Design 2010 @ Lawndale Art Center

It got done!

Eve is complete, but wasn't able to fit in the space proper, so I hung it on the wall. Will post photos tonight/tommorrow.

I'm having separation anxiety with my tree chunks.

Blockshelf - Amy Hunting

Blockshelf - Amy Hunting
Clever, using wood waste from flooring manufacturer

eve cont'd pt 2

2 pieces to 1

2 coats primer,
Sand,
2 coats paint,

new foot assembly,

installation later today

eve cont'd

4 pieces to 2

Eve

CNC done!

pieces cut!
now, assembly.

of Milan, ICFF ....

New York Times Article, overview of Milan Furniture Fair.
Do we need another chair?
Do we need another ... anything?
We do need to progress, develop, grow (as individuals, as society...maybe the world "needs" a blood pen).
We need to "get better"...at being ourselves, however, whatever that may be.
We "need" to be better at who we are, and if that process involves a ridiculous chair? So be it.
We need to express, think/critique and practice (well, as designers at least) and repeat.

The chair is not the question, the question is are you doing what you want to be doing?
The world needs us to express our selves and be alive, however that may be,...design, art, math, science, engineering, rap, janitorial services, gardening, performing, writing...whatever.

The object isn't the problem, the profession isn't the problem, it's people not doing what they truly want to do, or doing things because of expectations outward or inward...that's the problem.

I love these sort of questions, they put things in perspective. At that, time for me get back designing ridiculous, meaningful and hopefully commercially viable things that people enjoy and will enrich their lives...in some way...hopefully.

eve 2...coming together

'Work Unit' ... in process

Newspaper...wood

by Meike Meijer and Vij5

Design Thinking - Everything and Nothing

Nice Article at Core77 on Design Thinking.
It's from a conference held by the Economist called the Big ReThink.
Whereas I'm skeptical of design conferences in general and the self proselytizing
(ra ra design!) that occurs, I thought this brought up some great points.

It does a nice job in examining the highlights, flaws and assumptions of "Design Thinking".

Among my favorite nuggets is this quote from Roberto Verganti:
'Radical innovation does not come from users.'

Another is the sense that "design thinking" has been oversold and
that designers want/need to get back to creating great design.

I definitely feel that.

Augmented Sculpture by Grosse8/Lichtfront

Augmented Sculpture by GROSSE8 & LICHTFRONT / Passagen 2010 from Lichtfront on Vimeo.

Here's lookin' at ya...right in the eyes

Hans Hemmet, level shoes...

Tree Chunks

Earthquakes

Haiti
Chile
China
Taiwan
Japan
Southern California

Isn't this a lot for 2 months?

Swarming Birds

Shaw House

 

Patkau Architects

Like a punch in the face...

This guy is on the edge of annoying and yet... intriguing, but who can argue his message, love it.

Final Cut

It's a sawblade!
It's a sander!
It's Final Cut!

That could have saved many many ugly cuts....

In the very near future...

Dormant forces have arisen and are erupting in Spring!
April and May are going to be a bit nutty.
In April, I'll be exhibiting at Lawndale Art Center for their Design 2010 event.
In May, I'll be exhibiting at Winter Street Studios as part of a group exhibition.
Also, in May, Crap In Crap Out will be at the Jardin de Botanique in Montreal for an exhibition.
AND
If all goes well, I'll be at ICFF in NYC in may, exhibit/selling Tree Chunk. This is in the works (i have to submit first).

busy, busy, busy

summer 10...ohhh boyyy

Iron Man 2 Trailer 2

Trailer Park Movies | MySpace Video

on Digital vs. Physical ... books (and things)

from an article in the New York Times about the digitization of books, and the growth of kindles, nooks and  ipads.

Craig Mod, a book designer, has some really great points/insights on books, but I think it goes to all things content and form.

My favorites are:
"The true value of an object lies in what it says, not its mere existence.”
and
"that the printed book can be a sculpture for thoughts and ideas"

Here's his blog post.
Here's the NY Times article.

Mark Jenkins

 

"Meaning is overrated"

20 miles up, one thing to do...

Joe Kittinger, at the edge of space, jumps back down to earth...nuts

What to do with old shoes?

 

I know what to do with old clothes, but shoes?

I try to donate the ones that aren't THAT worn out, but, what about the ones 

with no life left?

Nike to the old shoe rescue.

They split it apart, then repurpose the materials. Brilliant.

More at NikeReuseaShoe.com.