ALEATORY COMPOSITIONS BOOK

A book of random musical compositions, created by translating colour into musical notes.
By Hoagy Houghton

Designers of the world: Forget affordances provide signifiers

"Signifiers not affordance"Great article on the importance of signifiers in design by Don Norman

Column written for Interactions; ACM, 2008.
Via JND

ulf haines

credit: diephotodesigner.de

Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 9
D–10178 Berlin
Mon–Sat 12–8 pm

via f&art

VilaSofa by Tjep.

VilaSofa
Tjep. was commissioned to create a shop environment for a new furniture brand called VilaSofa. VilaSofa is positioned between a conventional furniture shop and Ikea. It offers mid-range prices for a wide public and a 48 hour delivery guarantee for all displayed models. The 48 hour claim became the main theme for the shop. We used the idea of a warehouse as metaphor for speed: a place were goods are stored for the transition from the producer to the very personal environment of your home. The conceptual solution was surprisingly simple and logic: a combination of warehouse esthetics and home esthetics. This resulted for example into materials such as plywood usually used for crates combined with high-end glossy finishes. The symbols used in transportation and packaging have been metamorphosed into decorative elements that form room dividers that are arranged to organize the space and routing. Finally there is a big wall suggesting the idea of a magical vila, this is the only place where the graphic references are more literal: a big chandelier, a diversity of playfully arranged windows, romantic balconies. In this space we placed big 'picnic' tables where clients can take their time to inform about the product, talk to the VilaSofa staff. Finally we designed mobile cashing systems so that clients can actually pay from their newly adopted sofa. VilaSofa offers a combination of existing sofa models and specially designed sofas by designers such as Monica Mulder and Khodi Feiz.

Design team
Frank Tjepkema, Janneke Hooymans, Leonie Janssen, Tina Stieger, Bertrand Gravier, Camille Cortet

Production
Kloosterboer

via Tjep.

Just missed

S1NGLETOWN is a Droog and KesselsKramer project.


The S1NGLETOWN paper is edited by Chris Foges and sponsored by the Ymere housing corporation, responsible for the first Droog house for singles in Amsterdam.

Participating designers includes Nacho Carbonell, Agata Jaworska, mkodama design - Mino Kodama, Marko Macura, Casulo - Sebastian Mühlhäuser & Marcel Krings, NEXT Architects
SMAQ - Andreas Quednau & Sabine Müller

Exhibition photography by Liz Hingley

S1NGLETOWN is part of ‘Out There, Architecture Beyond Building’, this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Aaron Betsky and on view to the public from 14th September to 23rd November 2008. An accompanying newspaper features specially commissioned articles and art exploring single-living in greater depth.

Third-Culture Kid, Obama and innovation

Read this week

I came accross a great post looking at Third-Culture Kid and living on liminality

It does resonate with me, and really sums up my cultural upbringing. It is quite difficult to figure out how you can capitalize on being in born in one country (france), growing up in another (Cameroon) ad living in the third (UK). This article helps me figuring out

And to summarize the qualities of the individual,

I'm going to highlight key statements that articulate the characteristics of a person who embraces liminal space,

• Cross cultural skills such as flexibility, tolerance and strong observation skills
  • As cultures and communities come increasingly into contact, we need to know how to respect, observe and learn from cultural differences.
  • We are life-long learners, and the world is our classroom
• Poised to deal with rapid change. Comfortable with ambiguity.
  
  • The ability think quickly on our feet and can take the initiative to troubleshoot -- but we often do so in a context of understanding the currents and observing the situation first.
  • Flexibility and tolerance don't always translate as strong points in business.
  • Observation in particular seems to be underrated.
  • Tries to figure out which way the river is flowing before jumping in. i.e. sees the big picture.
• Multi-dimensional world view
  • We don't assume that our way is the best or only way.
• Greater "spiritual" perspective or Open to other value systems.
  • We observe that different people's experience has created different truths in their lives -- from how to relate to self and others to how to relate to spirituality.
  • Question those who promote a belief that there is only ONE way to nourish a spiritual life.
  • Rather than be threatened by different belief systems, relish the beauty in the diversity, taking something from everything.

Bruce Nussbaum gives President elect Barack Obama some advice on who can help him get innovation right

Also if you speak French a great three-part radi programme on the The impact of mobile technology around the world (via Putting people first)

Hospitalis Restaurant, Lettonia

Restorans Hospitalis
Phone +371 67313530,
Fax +371 67313531,
Stabu street 14, Riga, LV1011
restorans@hospitalis.lv

via the Trendy Girl

Péril Jeune: The brand YOUTH @ the Musée Ethnographique de Neuchâtel

An ethnographic look at youth or being young as a brand with its stereotypes and signifiers
Great show





La jeunesse n’est qu’un mot- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN











Révolte purifiée- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN












Le salaire de la peur- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN.





Comme un disque rayé- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN



Comme un disque rayé- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN



Péril en la demeure- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN




L’âge d’or- Photo: Alain Germond, © MEN

Musée Ethnographique de Neuchâtel
28 juin 2008 au 1er mars 2009 - La marque jeune

via LaMJC, High Snobiety

Malibu Pop & Street Art serie - Curated by La MJC

Art and Beverages font bon menage, the french art collective La MJC is teaming up Malibu with three street artists (So-Me, Delta and James Jarvis ) for the Malibu Pop & Street Art serie. The 100 bottles (limited edition) will be available exclusively chez colette from December, 1st

Malibu par So-Me

Malibu par Delta

Malibu par James Jarvis

Malibu Pop & Street Art serie - Curated By La MJC
Série limitée à 100 exemplaires, numérotés, par artiste.
En vitrine chez colette à partir du lundi 1er Décembre.
Vernissage en présence des artistes le lundi 1er Décembre. (sur invitation uniquement)
Prix de vente public : 19 euros.
colette - 213 rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris