toy box

Chris Lefteri as a visionary-in-residence

Chris Lefteri is/will be a visionary-in-residence at Art Center College of Design for a month (starting last Monday). He has a Design Research Consultant in UK focusing on Material and its applications to design. He also has published 8 books about inspiring materials. I had an opportunity to listen to his presentation and also join the informal discussions with him. Stories of his past/current projects, experiences and design philosophy have already inspired me to think differently and explore areas I haven't gotten into.
Picture is from his 100 material exhibit.

Gate made of natural materials

Gate made of natural materials (drift wood + rope) documented in Sagnaw, MI.

Protection from bird

Documented in Tijuana.

Patterned environments

We've noticed recent updates in design with lots of patterns. Water cut patterns, patterns made out of alphabets, patterns creating spaces... Here are some of our pics.
Water cut carpet designed by selina rose. Clean and precise edges make the image of patterns look very sharp. via: DesignSponge
Laser cut Uppercase scarf by Little Factory. It's interesting to see such a familiar shapes creating a pattern. You almost don't see the alphabets unless someone shares the secret with you.
Parametre from 3Form. Beautiful repetitive patterns creating a ambiance shade. via: Apartment Therapy

Dwell on Design: Sun Table

We saw this cool outdoor coffee table at Dwell on Design LA. Called Sun Table designed in Brooklyn, NY. The table top can be tilted in order to maximize the exposure to the direct sun light.  It takes 4 hours of sunny day to fully charge the table and gives 5~6 hours of laptop usage. It works great as a table too. I saw a guy jumping on top of the table to show the stability and it looked pretty sturdy. Object like this helps us to harvest our own energy needs w/o completely changing the lifestyle. Also it provids convenience of "ready-to-plug" feature to the areas where there is no outlet (like your yard). Great idea.

Concrete beauty

Design studio Transparent House came up with the very cool ornamental application on polished concrete. They say that it could be applied during of after concrete is poured/cured. Curious to find learn more about how they apply the motif after the material is cured...

Natural extension

See possibilities with natural extension?

Love letter should always be subtle

Love letter written in braille on its textured surface. Love the idea of true tactile experience.
via Better Living Through Design

Sac A faire

Sac A faire, DIY bag made of Tyvek (FedEx envelop material.) You choose a pattern, cut it out. Voila! You have a very special bag. It's made in Austria. On market for around $33. Love to get one for toybox collection.
via: Better Living Through Design

LaptopSticks

Our friend, Daisuke Yamaguchi designed a very cool LaptopSticks ($10/stick). This small device helps the bottom of your laptop to be tilted upward to reduce the strain on your neck and also keeps your laptop cooler with air space underneath it. it's compact enough to carry around in a laptop bag. It is made out of bamboo plywood and every inch of the material is used. (Sleeve to keep the LaptopSticks together when it is carried is made out of the negative space of the stick itself...etc)

He is making more for holiday seasons and currently taking pre-orders. (laptopsticks@gmail.com)