In a recent post on Notes on Design, Ken Hanson took a moment to discuss the watering down of the term 'design' and decided to write down his thoughts on redefining what designers truly are. You can download the manifesto here.

Manifesto of “The New Designer”

• We are essential to success in this increasingly complex,
  technology-fueled age.
• We are evangelists for the combined power of technology,
  creativity and communication.
• We know that good design is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
• We are the stewards of a new economy driven by the consumer,
  hungry for ideas.
• We create simplicity out of complexity. We use our talent to serve,
  define, inspire, plan and create.
• We are driven to see the entire landscape, identify patterns
  and create sustainable solutions.
• We believe in the nobility of creating solutions that are elegant,
  effective, measurable and beautiful.
• We are the conduit for the information people need,
  the things they seek and the human connections they crave.

Okay, okay. I heard a rumor that people are reading this blog. Okay, a good amount of people that are nudging me. And since I have no real excuse otherwise, I think I'll warm up the engines.

I have some new interests, some new fascinations and I plan on letting you in. So as I clear out the rust, check back for some points of inspiration. You don't turn off the designer when you go home.

Let's start with Designtide Tokyo 2.0. In it's 4th year reconsidering "design as a concept and way of thinking that anyone can share and participate in" it is a design hub that showcases a new perspective emerging from Japan.

Banquet Table lamps for Swarovski, 2008. t.n.a. design studio

Peeler. Akihiro Kumagaya

The results are in from the DWR Holiday Champagne Chair Contest and all I can say is that this annual competition never ceases to amaze me with their ingenious and simple executions. Check out the site and enjoy for yourself. Hats off to the winner, Krista Charles.

a. Modern builds sustainable modern dwellings, and this one is a super sleek kitchen they did in Atlanta. Their site is chock full of great work they've done in the last few years.

Materialise
Gandia Blasco

Bonaldo
u:b studio showed off some interesting ways to organize your media, including this innovative magazine and book holder–although to be honest I could never have the heart to do that to the spine of my books.


Quinze & Milan

MoCo Loco Contributing Editor Gimena Gomez Paz was at IMM Cologne, for more information (and gorgeous photos) check out her photo report at mocoloco.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen's Chilmark House, a vacation house by the same firm that designed the NYTimes Fortified weekend cabin. Sweet.

Polka recently took home the 'Best of Show, New Product Award' at Maison et Objet, Paris 2005 and 'Best Lighting' at Autumn Fair Birmingham 2005 for this beauty. The CUTlight can be grabbed at innermost, along with some other nice aesthetics for the home.

The team of Monica Singer and Marie Rahm, have been creating innovative designs since 2004, and are pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible (see tattoofurniture). Their new light will be presented September 23 at the 100% Design Show, complete with a live cutting.

"British design consultancy Arup has announced that it has been tapped by the Chinese government to lead the construction of an "eco-city" expansion to Shanghai. Dongtan, the expanded development near Shanghai's airport, will eventually cover about 8,800 hectares -- roughly the size of Manhattan island. Shanghai claims that the Dongtan project will be "the world's first genuinely eco-friendly city," using recycled water, cogeneration and biomass for energy, and striving to be as carbon-neutral as possible.

The first phase, a 630 hectare development including a mix of transport facilities, schools, housing and high-tech industrial spaces, will begin construction late next year, and is expected to be completed by 2010."

Eva Solo has some of the greatest kitchen gear, especially the oil and vinegar carafes. Be sure to check out their cafesolo designer coffee carafes, too.

I'm really glad that I'm starting to see design really flourish in the patterns/textiles industry. It's nice to have a choice other than plain or stripes.

Artefacture is on to something. This shirt is hilarious. In fact, I think it should be a freebie to all new clients, just to show appreciation. And the fact that they have been properly educated on the value of good design.

Speaking of education, architects are reinventing the way children of the 21st century will learn, with the understanding of how fast our information-based society is evolving. It was always amazing to me how in the business world we are told to collaborate, but in school we are trained to understand that is 'cheating'. These new schools will cater to the needs of the students, letting them set their own agendas, engage in collaborative projects, and will maintain a "studio environment". A truly innovative approach is being applied that is also taking into consideration energy efficiency, behavioral patterns, and ergonomics.

And that's not all that's changing. Recently, in an interview with Spark, Lee Daley (Saatchi & Saatchi UK chairman + CEO) talked about the future of advertising, and what it means for the industry.

"I think the advertising industry as a whole will change very dramatically because of the change in the media universe. The advertising industry has grown up, essentially on the back on analogue technologies, and it's grown up around multi-domesticity."

As anyone is already aware, bad design kills. So do long meetings. In fact, they are slow and painful. I think that there are remedies, though–including expediting the process by standing up the entire time.

It seems that in many areas, small teams are coming together to expedite things. For instance, we all know that RFPs and proposals can take up a lot of non-billable hours. Along comes Approven, to try and automate the process. What about billing? What a nightmare that can be. Enter, stage right, Blinksale, by Firewheel Design (originally known for interface design). Guess they got sick of chasing after clients, too. It's great to see web-applications, and design in general come about from necessity–answering a call for help or solving a problem, instead of pushing wares on consumers that they don't need.

Alright. So I will admit that this is not easy, keeping up with my blog on a daily basis. And it is bad, because it ends up piling up on me. So I will begin, and state that I will attempt to be better about it.

I'm sure that everyone here is very aware of the current Ajax overtake, and the advertising questions following it. 37 Signals, the makers of BaseCamp, are already looking forward, to the future of web-apps, and what that means for small business. I couldn't agree more. Even their style is starting a trend.

If you haven't been living under a rock, I'm sure you've noticed that everyone is jumping on the design bandwagon, and it's influence on business. I hope this helps get designers the true respect they deserve. Even Stanford is taking notice. If you really are serious about taking the plunge, don't forget to read How To Be Creative, by Hugh. Also seen on Change This, if you prefer the PDF version. He's currently in the process of getting a book published on the subject.

Okay. I have recovered. And it is offical. I am a BIG fan of Chicago. I have tons of notes from the How Conference, and as I find time I will post them. I will say this though, 3840 designers in one hotel is a fire hazard. Not to mention that at the same time, the NeoCon convention was going on. Although, this did make for an interesting conversation at the bar at my hotel.


That, and the fact that so far, Chicago deep dish is kickin arse and taking names.

target, originally uploaded by rkobe.

On the topic of design, The New York Post has a detailed design case study on Target's new prescription bottle by Deborah Adler, a 29-year-old graphic designer whose ClearRx prescription-packaging system debuts May.

I think it takes someone in the communication design industry to really appreciate this site, The International Database of Corporate Commands.

And a good find, even though it's from 03— Time For Change by Clement Mok. Another good find, and a good laugh over at The Blacklist, 10 Tips to a Prosperous Client/Designer Relationship. Although if asked, I would admit that 'I am Jack' did it better (www.iamjack.com- which I think is no longer up). In my opinion 'Ode to the Client' is right on the money.

If you found The Tipping Point to be a good read, you might be interested in Freakonomics, written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephan J. Dubner. Puts an interesting spin on things.

The Poster Design Contest is an annual competition, aiming at promoting the Computerlove.net creative community.

This year, Computerlove.net invites artists to interpret the theme of "Geography and Information" in any style of visual language to express and reflect their personal feelings...Submission deadline: April 15th, 2005


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