Posts from — June 2008

Josh Hadar makes some impressive bikes by hand. They look a bit like lowrider bikes but just seem to edge beyond that gratuitous paint job, chrome and colour to become objects that just seem a little more raw.

Josh only uses hand tools to create his ’sculptures’, appearing to use intuition as he leverages and hammers his creations into shape thus producing one offs of each design.

I particularly like the heart he’s wrought into the rib cage of this featured piece, which is one from his Johnson Pride Series.

See more on Hadar Metal Design

Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: design, Josh Hadar, metal design

Here’s a bit of a gem - a blog devoted to film title sequences. Each entry is listed in an easy to view left column, with each entry having a series of screenshots and video!

This is quite a reference. Below some of my favourites: 300, Lemony Snicket, The Kingdom and Fight Club

Art of the Title - A blog for film title sequences

Via Style.com

Technorati Tags: film, title sequences

For the strict rules web designers among you, here is a Golden Ratio Calculator to get your proportions right.

Type in a figure for the width and it will tell you what the split is between two columns in order to get that perfect golden ratio.

Golden Ratio Calculator

Technorati Tags: calculator, Golden Ratio Calculator

Lee Vidal’s PhotoShop experiments produced the following ideas, which place retro graphics in real life scenarios.

It’s a nice, simple idea - one that is obvious in some ways, but I haven’t seen it before.

On the one hand, the designer in me would revel in the ease at which the pixellated graphics could be cut out cleanly to be superimposed on a photographic background. On the other, there could be a challenge in combining the blocky, retro bitmap style with the realistic photographic image.

Lee, under the moniker RETROnoob does a good job though.

Retronoob on Deviantart

Via

Technorati Tags: ideas, illustration, retro, retro games

Design co-operative BCXSY, created this funky, modernist style aquarium. Its very striking and does remind me of a similar look I saw a few months ago making up a 3d glass graffiti tag..

BCXSY say:

The repetitive geometrical shape of INFINITY AQUARIUM creates a visual metaphor to life in the fish bowl.

Hand crafted from cut glass, INFINITY AQUARIUM scales down a vast concept of time and space.

BCXSY is a cooperative between designers Boaz Cohen and Sayaka Yamamoto. It is a multi-disciplined experience that creates and develops concepts, identities, products, graphics, interiors and atmospheres.

See more on BCXSY

Check out a video of the fish in action..

Via Coolhunting

Technorati Tags: aquariums, BCXSY, fish aquarium, Infinity Aquarium

I don’t think this concept for advertising the Braun Nose Hair Trimmer is the most original of advert concepts, but nevertheless has a touch of humour.

Using portrait shots always has some degree of enticement to the viewer. Its human nature to be more drawn to another human than say, just a shot of some hair.

The creators must have had some fun in directing these guys to act a little serious  and a little proud to show off their nasal creations, but with a touch of parody.

By advertising agency BBDO Campaign of Düsseldorf, Germany

Via IBelieveInAdvertising

Technorati Tags: advertising, Braun Nose Hair Trimmer, products

Here’s an idea for an inflatable mouse. It sounds like it is a good idea in principle but of course, for product design, there are several issues in play.

I think there’s no doubting its portability. Its light, and flat packs to take up so little space. Very useful for traveling workers lugging their laptops around.

However, for such a functional product, a mouse to me has to work extremely well, since its in use day in, day out. It would have to feel right to hold and the tracking has to be responsive and accurate.

Weight is also an issue for some people. I’ve no idea how this inflatable mouse feels, but I suspect an attempt to give it some weight to add tactility will compromise it’s portability. Although this might be negligible. What do you think?

Seen on Fubiz.net

Via SwissMiss

Technorati Tags: ideas, inflatable mouse, products

This camera lens bracelet caught my eye as a nice idea. Keen photographers can show their passion off camera duty now!

Via SwissMiss

Technorati Tags: bracelet, camera lens bracelet, fashion, photography

You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to understand this clever idea to advertise a Star Wars Exhibition.

But if you are, you know that seeing two fluorescent light tubes like this sets off that yearning for light sabre waving.

Great stuff by advertising agency, TBWA\Brussel, Belgium.

Via IBelieveInAdvertising.com

Technorati Tags: advertising, exhibition, Laser Swords, Star Wars, TBWA

I love conceptual design skills that can conceive great-looking architecture such as this ecocreation. Designed by by Vincent Callebaut, its the Lilypad - a concept for a completely self-sufficient floating city intended to provide shelter for future climate change refugees.

Waterlilic aesthetics aside, the Lilypad is intended to be a zero emission city that floats in the ocean - hence adapting to ocean swell caused by global warming.

Through a number of technologies (solar, wind, tidal, biomass), it is envisioned that this would not only produce it’s own energy, but also be able to process CO2 in the atmosphere and absorb it into its titanium dioxide skin.

Designed to hold around 50,000 people, the Lilypad has a mixed terrain man-made landscape, provided by an artificial lagoon and three ridges.

Even if this concept goes into development tomorrow, it sounds like it won’t be realised in our lifetimes. Shame, I’d love to see one in real-life, let alone live on one that travels around the world!

More images on Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Seen on Inhabitat

Technorati Tags: architecture, biomass, eco creation, floating city, Lilypad, solar, tidal, Vincent Callebaut, wind