All posts tagged: product design

Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Pieces of Time Flower Objet d’Art

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If you are looking for a different way to give flowers this Valentine’s Day, consider gifting your loved one the MoMA Design Store’s Pieces of Time Flower Objet d’Art. Designed by Soojeong Shin and Jiseon Park from Korean Studio Style Jieum, these sculptures feature fresh flowers that have been encased in domes of hand-blown glass and filled with preservation fluid. When viewed through sunlight, the object seems to contain a calm forest of plants that feels like a real landscape. Each Pieces of Time Objet d’Art is handmade by specialists in floral design, and its design will vary slightly. The handcrafted glass may contain small bubbles that are a natural part of the creation process. They can be displayed individually or as a group. To care for your objet d’art, store indoors in a cool place and do not open its silicone plug. Each measures 2.8”w x 5.1”h. $80 each at the MoMA Design Store. Images courtesy MoMA Design Store.

Designy Things Holiday Gift Guide

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Here are some designy gift ideas for your holiday season, from a snowflake you can cuddle to pencils you can plant in the garden. Jellycat Holiday Soft Toys Jellycat arguably makes some of the most adorable plushies in the world, combining the softest materials with a small smiling face that brings personality to all types of everyday objects and animals. Designed in London, this snowflake ($30.00), Christmas Tree ($40.00), or potted Poinsettia ($48.00) can adorn a mantle or work as a festive table centerpiece. Available through the MoMA Design Store. Embroidered Holiday Ornaments Designed in London and handmade in India by a team of master embroiderers, these ethically sourced fabric holiday ornaments are made through the traditional technique of “zardosi” (sewing with gold), historically used to decorate the most luxurious of courtly finery. Ornaments in the collection include Claude Monet, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent van Gogh. $16.95- $18.95. Available through the MoMA Design Store. Taste Collection by Paola Navone The Glass House design store offers an exclusive design collaboration …

Patented: 1000 Design Patents by Thomas Rinaldi

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Product design junkies will be in awe of Patented, a thick tome featuring 1000 design patent documents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The one-of-a-kind field guide includes patents from well-known names such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and Buckminster Fuller, to more surprising entries from celebrities such as Francis Ford Coppola (packaging for beverages – wine perhaps?) and Prince (guitar, obviously.) Author and architectural designer Thomas Rinaldi offers readers and future patent makers more than a century of product and industrial design that’s been organized chronologically from 1900 to 2020. The uniform aesthetic of the patent drawings means all 1,000 designs are illustrated in the same style — from bottle openers to bicycles. If you don’t have a shelf big enough for Patented, don’t worry. You can just go and design a patent for one. $35.95 U.S. Order from your local independent bookstore or at Phaidon All images courtesy of Phaidon.

My-Lid Reusable Cup Lid by Nendo

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Many restaurants, cafes, and other food providers have done away with disposable plastic straws and plastic cups to help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our waterways and landfills. With that in mind, the Japanese design firm Nendo designed the My-Lid reusable coffee cup lid for the convenience store chain Lawson.  The My-Lid coffee cup lid not only reduces waste for take-out drinks, but is designed to create a more enjoyable drinking experience. The main feature is the partially domed space on the opposite side of the lip. The drink’s aroma rises through ventilation holes and is briefly captured beneath the shell, to be enjoyed while drinking. Made of silicone rubber, a heat-resistant, and hygienic reusable material, the lid is double grooved on the inner side to grip and seal the rims of two sizes of cups sold by Lawson. A special washable lid carrying case made of Tyvek also serves as a sleeve for hot drinks. The project aims to reduce the disposal of approximately one billion plastic coffee lids, the …

Urban Air Mask + Readiness Kit

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Little did I know when I attended the MoMA Design Store press preview back in January that the face mask and emergency supply kit I spotted on display would become so relevant. The soft and stylish Urban Air Mask from Airinum uses five-layer technology to protect against microscopic airborne particles including pollution, bacteria, and allergens. It’s is available in three sizes. While it is currently not available on the MoMA Design Store site, you can sign up for a waiting list on the Airinum site. (Price: $69) While our current crisis is not a typical emergency, the Uncharted Supply Co Seventy2 Pro Readiness Kit is ideal for both wilderness adventures and up to 72-hour emergencies (the typical length of a normal emergency). This durable, waterproof backpack contains everything two people need, from a combo flashlight/radio/charger to a tent and first aid items. It measures 19”-high x 13”-long x 6”-deep. (Price: $499). Images courtesy MoMA Design Store.

OstrichPillow Hood

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If you’ve ever wondered if ostriches really bury their heads in the sand when they are scared, the answer is, sadly, no.  According to the San Diego Zoo, when an ostrich senses danger and can’t run away, it merely flops to the ground and remains still. The newest member of the OstrichPillow family of products, the OstrichPillow Hood, might not help you avoid danger, but it does help keep your head and neck cozy while looking cool. You might be familiar with the first product in the OstrichPillow line, a soft helmet with holes for your hands to let folks more easily nap in public. For those who want some privacy, but don’t feel like wearing a giant pillow on their head, there is now the OstrichPillow Hood. Available in one size and two colors — Ocean Green and Night Black — the cotton/poly/spandex hood works as a modern Riding Hood-type accessory to any work out or casual outfit. I imagine it can also be used in open offices when you want to show your …