ideas

Some times we get ideas. Maybe even crazy ideas. No one gets it. So when do quirky ideas get to matter?

In this day and age: when they are 'marketable'. When they are desired by 'someone else'. When they are so astoundingly hilarious and functional apparently!

That's the difference between design and Art: what value is awarded to your idea and subsequently your creation? So have you guessed what this creature is?

I know it kinda looks like a beastie from Pixar doesn't it. It might charge and nibble your ears! Then again it might sit next to your bed quietly singing a song to make you sleep. And then nibble your ears.

Here's the designer Thomas Schnur presumably keeping it from climbing the walls. Maybe they live in their own house or a rubber zoo. What games would they play when he is not looking? Would they need sleep?

One thing is for sure: it's a table and it is travelling: Hong Kong and New York to name a few.

Source and photos: http://www.agitatto.com/blog/?p=9937

fun works

We usually expect Design to be practical, functional. What about another aspect that is important? The fun to use it, the sheer beauty of the design. It turns out that our brain is wired in such a fashion that we can be more creative, and better problem solvers, if we are happy. So it also pays to use design that makes us happy.

I'm a big fan of having fun. What makes you happy? As Don Norman puts it: "so that's the new me, I only say positive things."

Outside of the box

I remember someone telling me once you can be a Jack of all Trades but Master of None. I think in this day and age it pays to put that aspect which you enjoy -and excel at- to mix with other territories. This way you will develop and grow to find your own niche eventually and thus, become a master.

"Tinker Hatfield is the renowned designer of many of Nike's most popular and innovative athletic shoe designs, including the Air Jordan III through Air Jordan XV, the twentieth anniversary Air Jordan XX, the final numbered Air Jordan, the XXIII, and other athletic sneakers including the world's first Nike Air Trainer. (wiki)

The air max Tinker designed and that has been renowned, despised, idealized etc for 22 years now started with a visit to Paris where Tinker went to see the Centre Pompidou. He was invited to design a shoe for Nike. "All of the functional structural elements of the building are color-coded: green pipes are plumbing, blue ducts are for climate control,electrical wires are encased in yellow, and circulation elements and devices for safety (e.g.,fire extinguishers) are red." (wiki)

The design is totally different from the French traditional buildings that are sitting around it, displaying only small windows. This French museum gave Tinker, who worked previously as an architect, to look at concepts differently. This building gave him the idea for the Nike Air Max that launched in 1986, to show the inside of the shoe. It was a controversial idea at the time and several people within Nike had to come to terms with it as they thought it wouldn't sell. There have been 19 revisions of the Air Max since and it's still a popular shoe.

So how do great products come to life? They start with ideas that may be derived from other ideas. "Make a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein. (wiki)

Let no one take you away from your ideas or vision to create. When you stop imagining and creating, you stop living. (You can quote me on that.)

ps: of course I'm assuming here it will be something that will benefit others and not harm them in any way.

From idea to results

Many people get ideas. Wacky ones, silly ones, very unpractical or unfeasible. Then there are some that actually take shape and become reality. I have great admiration for people who achieve their goals from creating results from their nutty ideas. It’s a beautiful thing.

How about creating a restaurant out of thin air and wrapping it around a tree? Close to Warkworth, north of Auckland you will find a restaurant that’s very special. Tracey has achieved her goal: her restaurant is literally up a tree and she is taking bookings and recently, high teas as well. Check out her endeavors on: www.yellowtreehouse.co.nz/#

Innovation

When are we being innovative? I like to think I am but probably I’m being more common then I would like to know. God I can be so arrogant! Of course I’m fabulous…. Yeah. Okay.
Innovation comes in different forms:

Being creative
Being original
Being surprising
Being new to the world
Being exclusive

What they all have in common:
They are a clever way of thinking and it’s something NEW. We people like new things. We are like kids unwrapping x mas presents and getting all excited at the latest and greatest. We like seeing our firstborn, buying our first fancy car, booking our first oversees holiday.

What does that mean? Do we like change? Not many people do. Usually we like to have routines and feel safe. Excitement everyday gets tiring too as terrible as this may sound. I guess us homo sapiens are curious in nature. We like to ponder things, discover, grow and develop. We like to be “in the know”, “onto it” and “joining the club”. Trends exist because we like novelties and because we like to belong.

The innovation of all that we do is self discovery. We learn things about ourselves while we experience. We can only do this when we get out of our comfort zone and think outside of the square.

Innovation is self expression through exploration.

Crikey that’s deep.