All posts tagged: design

Stay-Brella by Nendo

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This clever “stay-brella”— created by the Japanese design firm Nendo exclusively for Seibu department stores in Japan — has a forked handle design that gives it a foot to stand on when not in use. This little feature also allows the umbrella to easily hang from tables and stay propped up on a wall when drying. The umbrella comes in eight different colors and has a strap to hang from the arm. A special surface coating reduces UV rays by 90%, a great feature in a country where folks use umbrellas for sun protection as much, if not more often, than rain protection. All photos by Akihiro Yoshida.

KeyDisk 2 Key Holder

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Why exactly do we have to have all of our keys dangling together in one messy jumble anyway? Designers Jacob Flores and Steven Elliot, the founders of KeyDisk Co. in San Francisco, have taken things completely off the chain with their new key storage solution. Constructed from sandblasted and anodized aluminum, KeyDisk 2 is a lightweight, innovative flat keyholder that can hold up to nine keys. Compatible with standard key rings and car remotes, KeyDisk 2 fits into any pocket due to its slim design. The second edition has a hollowed-out design, which makes it more ergonomic and makes finding and drawing out a key easier. With two different screw shapes, the key holder is much simpler for users to assemble. This hypnotizing gif shows how it works: With over a month to go, the designers have already met their Kickstarter goal to bring the product into production. Backers of the Kickstarter can receive a gunmetal gray or onyx black KeyDisk 2 for a pledge of just $19, a $10 savings from retail. Worrying about what you will do with all …

Iittala’s Ruutu Vase Collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

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Finnish brand Iittala has teamed up with the Paris-based designers (and this year’s London Design Medalists) Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec to design Ruutu, a collection of 10 vases available in five sizes and seven colors. Ruutu, which means diamond or square in Finnish, can be combined to make seamless installations where delicate, watercolor-like palettes and light seem to melt together like molten glass. Like Ittala’s iconic Alvar Aalto collection, Ruutu is created in Iittala’s Finnish factory where each vase takes seven craftsmen 24 hours to produce symmetrical items that still look and feel handmade. Each vase has the designers’ name engraved on the base. The vases will be available for purchase in early 2015. All images courtesy Iittala. A little video where the designers discuss their design:

Book Review: DesignPOP

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Hitting bookshelves this month, the neon pink, padded vinyl covered DesignPOP is a 216-page tome to contemporary product design written by designer and collector Lisa S. Roberts. Published by Rizzoli, DesignPOP includes 82 works created from 2000-2014 from Frank Gehry, the Campana brothers, Hella Jongerius, Philippe Starck, Ron Arad, Jasper Morrison, James Dyson, and other design icons. It includes 95% original photography, designer biographies, and a “where to shop” guide along with resources for each product. Though I haven’t handled the physical book and its retro-plastic cover (I was sent a PDF to review), the internal layouts with their oversized pull-quotes and high-quality photographs certainly make for a fun read for consumers. Even design-insiders should find enough new products to keep their interest. DESIGNPOP By Lisa S. Roberts HC w/jacket / 9 1⁄2” x 9 1⁄2” / 216 pages / 175 color illustrations US $35.00 / Can $35.00 / UK £25.00 Rizzoli New York All images courtesy Rizzoli.

Christian Lacroix Maison’s New Stationery Collection by Libretto Group

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Launched in 2010, the Christian Lacroix “Papier” range of stationary included notebooks, sketch pads, correspondence, and greeting and birthday cards. The newest collection, which applies fresh new graphics and techniques that are truly Lacroix, includes desk boxes, a butterfly paperweight (with its own colorful box), notebooks with stunning endpapers, notecards, and even an animal jigsaw puzzle.

NASZ Collection of Toys, Accessories & Furnishings Designed & Made in Poland

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On display last week at the WantedDesign exhibition during NYCxDesign, NASZ is an exclusive collection of contemporary products curated by Tomek and Gosia Rygalik that consists of items designed and manufactured in Poland. It has been co-created by acclaimed product designers, graphic designers, illustrators, typographers, and multimedia artists as well as design students, manufacturers, and craftsmen. The exhibition was organized by Culture.pl, an online source for the latest in Polish culture.