As a kid, I took great satisfaction when I heard the satisfying ‘clunk’ of pulling a little wooden Babushka doll apart. I can now re-live my childhood Russian affiliation thanks to Fred Studio’s M-Cups measuring cups. The six little cups fit neatly into a Babushka (or Matryoshka) arrangement, and are cute as a button on a Moscovian blazer. The measuring cups are becoming a staple item on the shelves of Brisbane’s boutique homewares shops, so it’s hard to miss the little Matryoshkas beaming at you from their red and white packaging. With Russian beauties taking over the catwalks, versions of beef stroganoff creeping onto our menus and Russian vodka a staple in our bars, it seems only fitting to add some Red Square flair to our kitchens.
Archive for the 'Design' Category
‘poor thinking’ plagues humanity - edward de bono
Edward de Bono is an inventor and problem solver who coined the term ‘lateral thinking’ and he was the first winner of the Capire prize in Madrid for a significant contribution to humankind through his groundbreaking ideas on the way we think.
Map Magazine attended his speech on February 01 at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
During question time, when we asked him “what’s the purpose of life?”, he responded with an aussie joke. We’re not so sure what that meant, but one of his key points about creativity was humour. We’ve outlined his main points below.
Continue reading ‘‘poor thinking’ plagues humanity - edward de bono’
Design Jazz
This video captures a design project that I was involved in. It is a street furniture design collaboration between Pratt Institute’s Design Incubator, Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects and the community of Hunts Point, New York. One of the many things that inspired involvement in the project, was the emotionally charged talk by SSBx Founder, Majora Carter, on TED.com where she shows how minority neighborhoods suffer most from flawed urban policy.
no joke.
From Fast Company: Aside from the Internet, no single invention might be as important to globalization as the shipping container. No joke.
suzi vaughan: standing out from the crowd
![[Professor Suzi Vaughan]](http://www.streeteditors.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ballcons-map1.jpg)
She can pair a long black Wayne Cooper gown with Converse Shoes for a formal event. She carries off a pom-pom on her head, as though it’s normal. Her clothes may even strain your retina at times, with the intensely bright colours and patterns fused together.
If you swim in the ‘fashion’ circles of Brisbane, the name “Suzi Vaughan” would be familiar to you. If not, let me introduce you to the eccentric, yet exceedingly polite 6ft-1 tall fashion designer and academic. In the 80’s she was stopped on the streets in London because people thought she was Boy George. That was when she was a fashion student at Central Saint Martins, with Hamish Bowles (now the European Editor at large for American Vogue) as a friend, and with John Galliano in the year above her. She has worked in London, Hong Kong, and is now in Brisbane, educating up and coming great designers; including Gail Reid from Gail Sorronda who was a recent graduate. Continue reading ’suzi vaughan: standing out from the crowd’
And that is why the “electronic book” will NEVER replace real books. There is an honest in form that can not be duplicated.
forwarding dallas
Via Urban Re:Vision: Urban Re:Vision and the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation announced that “Forwarding Dallas” has been selected as the winning design from Re:Vision Dallas, an international design competition. The challenge, to transform a vacant inner-city block behind City Hall into a carbon-neutral community, drew hundreds of entries from top architecture firms and city planners in 14 countries worldwide. “Forwarding Dallas” is the product of a collaboration between Portuguese-based architectural firms Atelier Data and Moov, and will run “off the grid,” acting as a working model of sustainability for cities around the globe. Ground breaking is scheduled for early 2011.
centre for urban pedagogy
While the effects of public policies can be widespread, the discussion and understanding of policies are usually not. The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is a New York non-profit that works to publicize and educate on important social and city issues and making them accessible to everyone. To do this they have successfully used the power of art and design to partner with schools and communities. One of their ongoing programs is “Making Policy Public” which aims to make information on policy truly public (accessible, meaningful, and shared) by partnering advocates with designers to create pamphlets on a particular issue. The current collaborations explores policy issues such as parks, rights of workers, and affordable housing.
chuckel chair
Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood and it is estimated that two to three people out of every 1000 will have this incurable condition. Three-year-old Teddy Willoughby has cerebral palsy and will face a lifetime of challenges. His brave personality and endearing smile is the inspiration for Brisbane furniture designer and architect, Brian Steendyk and the creation of his Chuckel chair. To help raise awareness of cerebral palsy, Brian has donated the funds raised from the sales of his Chuckel chair to the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland from October to December. The Chuckel chair combines function and comfort in a unique stool available in two sizes, which is stackable and well suited for both indoor and outdoor use. Using a combination of function, beauty and spirit, these 100% Australian-made, recyclable, UV-resistant plastic chairs are available in black, red and white for the adults, and in three fun colours, such as fairyfloss pink, Kermit green and hope blue, for the little ones. The Chuckel chairs retail at $195 for the adult version and $125 for the Chuckel Jr. Until December 15, the proceeds will go directly to CPL, which will bring a smile to your face and also those with cerebral palsy.
Designing Obama: the book
The Obama presidential campaign was innovative. For the first time in American politics, a candidate used art and design to bring together the American people—capturing their voices in a visual way. The Design Director of the Obama campaign, Scott Thomas, has collaborated with artists and designers to create Designing Obama, a chronicle of the professional and grassroots art from the historic campaign. In the same ‘power to the people’ spirit, they are self-publishing the book and are only printing as many books ordered to avoid wasted paper. They have been using the campaign model of small pledge donations from supporters, and partnered with KickStarter to help fund the first run of books. You have until November 4th to get in on this deal.
the fun theory
Via Volkswagen - “We believe that the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it the fun theory. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better”.
It’s not very often that spare land in populated cities is given the chance to resemble its former existence. The Singapore National Parks Board Gardens By The Bay Project is the largest garden project ever undertaken in Singapore and in the world. Its intention is to raise Singapore’s significance as a major global hub and business centre. This shelter is in developmental stage and is expected to resemble the flowing form of an orchid, and its infrastructure is cleverly designed so that plants that usually wouldn’t grow in Singapore can. The varying types of conservatories showcase Mediterranean, tropical montane and temperate annual plants and flowering species. They also provide a flexible, flower-themed venue for events and exhibitions. The completion of this structure will see plants and people mixing together harmoniously in the midst of one of Asia’s busiest port cities. The project is also a good example of how other cities can make use of spare land.
The tragic disappearance and death of Britt Lapthorne struck a chord with every backpacker or traveller who has left the safety of their home for foreign adventure; and now Britt’s legacy has evolved into an iPhone application that should be an essential travel companion. Melbourne man Tim Hine felt compelled after hearing of Britt’s story, to develop an application that would notify loved ones around the world if the owner was in trouble. Once activated, the ‘I am Safe’ application sends off recorded voice, email and SMS messages to five pre-determined loved ones anywhere in the world, it also determines the location of the owner via GPS and has an audio file that records everything that is happening around the phone. Initially only supported by iPhones, the ‘I am Safe’ app will eventually be available for use on other platforms.
fearless fashion
Alexander McQueen Shoe
There’s only so much fashion designers can do for one head, two arms and two legs. We’re used to seeing ‘new’ trends emerge and remembering the last era they came from. So, it’s not often you come across a piece where your eyes sparkle with the sensation of seeing something fresh. This shoe may look more like the foot of a predator, than that of a fashion-forward female. Check out Alexander McQueen’s latest collection for some creative design inspiration.
a little bit of sass and a whole lot of style
It’s been six years, but Brisbane duo Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke, better known as fashion cool-kid sass & bide, have made their return to London Fashion Week in spectacular style. Embellishment was the look du jour with much of the collection revolving around heavily studded, sequined and beaded dresses, leggings and tunics. Bad news for those wishing for an end to the unforgiving harem pant, they will be back over the summer, this time in a shorter, looser style. The Spring/Summer 2010 collection has been well received, even touted as their “best”, an amazing result for the girls flying the flag for Australian style.
park(ing) day 2009
This Friday, September 18, is PARK(ing) Day. It is an international day of action that was started in 2005 by the arts collective Rebar to raise awareness about the lack of parks and green spaces in San Francisco’s downtown. They transformed an on-street car park into a ‘people park’ by temporarily providing turf, seating and shade. It is based on the idea that paying for a parking meter is like ‘renting’ a public space, and that you don’t technically need to put a vehicle there. Since the original PARK, the idea has been creatively adapted by hundreds of people around the world and in over 50 major cities. In 2008, Brisbane was the 3rd largest city worldwide with over 40 PARKs and it’s back and bigger this year. Continue reading ‘park(ing) day 2009′
Brisbane’s weather is always so perfect that when it does rain, our inexperience with wet weather often causes mild disarray – wet socks from inappropriate footwear, slippery shop floors and office foyers and the odd bout of umbrella rage. Luckily, JooYoun Paek has invented the Polite Umbrella to help reduce cases of the latter. Based on her observations of urban lifestyles, the New York based artist made a shrinkable umbrella that allows its user to avoid potential eye-pokes and scrapes with a simple tug of string. Visit JooYoun’s website for more hilariously creative inventions and art installations.
new-school toms
It’s been running for a few weeks now, but if you haven’t yet been into GoMA to check out the Easton Pearson retrospective, then get your skates on! The exhibition is commemorating 20 years in the industry for Brisbane design duo Lydia Pearson and Pamela Easton, showcasing the evolution of their aesthetic with sketches and pieces direct from their archives. It is easy to see how the brand has been influenced through culture and art history, but their eclectic style is undeniably Australian. The exhibition will be on show until November and is a must-see for the sartorial-minded.
The lower Bay TTC subway station in Toronto was transformed into an interactive installation and party venue last week by local artist Justin Broadbent. Absolut vodka commissioned Broadbent, 28, to interpret the phrase, “In an Absolut world, opportunities always pop up.” The platform and each parked subway car had it’s own theme. There was a red one with chandeliers, a green one that was a literal jungle of plants, and one with a “Love Is…” love note vending machine (pictured). My love note read “yesterday I talked to the universe and it told me that you were “really important”. I said “but they are so small” and the universe replied “small is my favourite thing. xox”. OK, so maybe it was all just some shameless marketing for Absolut, but “Love Is…” (to my urban planner heart) a fun use of urban space that at least can make people rethink and see the untapped creativity and potential of places.
