surprise the designer

Last weekend I visited my friend Alex in Long Beach, CA. Alex already has a degree in biology, but is currently pursuing her BA in product design. She has a real affinity for patterns, especially those inspired or derived from nature. This wall divider by Giorgio Biscaro reminds me of Alex. I like the pattern (who doesn't like honeycomb?), but also the customizability , the simplicity of each piece, and the fact that the whole thing is made out of textiles.

The blog has been a little slow lately because all the design work I am doing is...at work, and I can't exactly share that in real time. What I can share is the importance of immersion- and eventual synthesis- for designers. What I mean is that being a designer is an active profession. We're making consumer products, changing the processes people go through every day, altering and affecting their lives. As such, we have to 'stay connected.' Its our job. For example, an exhibit we saw at the Danish Design Center while traveling through Europe was relevant to a recent work project. I looked up the exhibit online and found the website with loads of relevant information. It wound up being a very valuable resource. Staying connected takes many forms, from staying up-to-date with current blogs (like design boom and lost at e minor ) to getting out and doing more cultural things (like going to the MFA or ICA here in Boston) to just walking around people watching, se...

I finished my third book of the quarter on Monday evening at the gym. It was 'Born on a Blue Day' by Daniel Tammet . Tammet is an highly-functioning autistic savant, and the book follows his journey basically from birth to where he is now. The book was good, but not great. It was interesting to read about Daniel's trials and tribulations and his day-to-day experiences. Some parts of the book were very hard to relate to, though, and others were too complex. Savants brains work differently than most, and that comes across in the book. So, if you are particularly interested in savants, this would be a great book for you. If not, you might be able to find a better book to fill your time. Personally, I have moved on to the next book in the Twilight saga... intellectual, I know...

Every program in every college everywhere has a rival of some sort. A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of attending an IDSA Boston portfolio review at Wentworth Institute of Technology . During the review, I sat with one of my ELEVEN co-workers and helped give feedback on portfolios. When I introduced myself as a senior from the University of Cincinnati, one of the Wentworth students said, 'OH Cincinnati...the EMPIRE!' It was the first time I had heard that perspective! In any case, Art Center (in Pasadena) is the industrial design program that we tend to look up to. Today during work I came across the blog of Art Center student Stephane Angoulvant . Everything about it is really crisp and clean- from the layout of the blog itself to the projects presented. Not only is it an excellent example of exemplary work, it chronicles the Art Center curriculum and gives valid perspective as to how we stack up. (pictured above is Stephane's most recent project, a tak...

Now I'm really getting out of control with my 'design' blog...posting photos of chicken pot pie... sheesh . BUT. here is my reasoning: Co-op is like trying out life in the real world. You get a 'real' job in a 'real' place (I like to move around and try out living in different places...) and work 40 hour weeks. Now that I am squarely into this co-op quarter, I am trying to make life in the real world as good as possible. I have resolved to do what I can to exercise regularly, cook good food, and sleep. (Noble goals for the real world, I think.) This pie is arguably the first respectable thing I have made since I moved here. In case you want the recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Pastry for 9” Two Crust Pie 2 Tbs Butter 2 Tbs flour 1 teas salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp thyme (optional) ½ C chicken broth ½ C light Cream or milk 2 C cut up chicken frozen mixed veggies Heat oven to 425 Prepare pastry in pie shell Melt butter in saucepan over low heat, blend in flour, s...

confidential waste Originally uploaded by SideLong I think that having a job where your work is confidential is seriously cool. On the one hand, it means that what you are doing in important. If you're not supposed to talk about it, that means that the information that you know, what you are working on, is particularly important to someone. That is probably because it is a valuable, profitable idea. Plus saying that what you are working on is confidential sounds pretty impressive at a party. Much of the work of any product designer is confidential- some projects more than others. Then there is the question of open-source, and when is the knowledge of the masses more beneficial that the knowledge of the few. While some open-source projects have been successful and profitable (which makes sense- it is the epitome of user-centered design), I enjoy a little old-fashioned confidentiality. As designers, its our bread-and-butter. On a slightly different note, I had the good fortune...

The second book that I have polished off (in just about two weeks) is Personal Record by Rachel Toor . I found this to be an excellent book chronicling one woman's 'love affair' with running. She offers lots of good insights about runners and what it means to be one. She articulates her thoughts and feelings exceptionally well, and as a (sometimes) runner, I easily related to her stories. That being said, I would recommend this book to anyone. It is well-written and straightforward. It's also the first book I have read from the Somerville Public Library. For the record, I LOVE libraries...

Riding public transportation has allowed me way more reading time than usual. So, I think I will tell you about the books that I am breezing through. You might want to ride a bus and read them too! Book #1 was 'How Starbucks Saved my Life' by Michael Gates Gill. It's a little book, and I bought it on sale before leaving home mostly based on its size and catchy title. The basic plot is that an older gentleman loses his high-paying job and gets a gig at Starbucks. Although overly emotional at times, I found it pretty interesting to get a look inside how a Starbucks store works. It gives you a new perspective on your morning late. So, you probably shouldn't go look for this book, but its alright if you already have it. Happy Friday!

I've been doing a lot of sketching at work lately and have had a lot of time to listen to my ipod. I usually listen to talk radio podcasts (sometimes they teach you things), and the KEXP Seattle podcast. KEXP highlights a ton of good music from lesser(ish) known bands. Today they led me to Au Revoir Simone, and I think I like it. Take a look for yourself!