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Offline meta data! Valerie Madill proposes a new way of perusing library shelves by inserting the books into colour-coded sleeves that provide substantial at-a-glance bibliographical information about each book. Important information can be accessed without opening the book, or even pulling it right off the shelf. The user can locate the object of a search faster by honing in on the appropriate wrap colour. Examples shown are based on non-fiction books.
Here’s just a taste of what Freedom of Creation has in store for 100% Design London this September. The theme is Riots. Yes, we are intrigued.
+ Daniel Lorch’s Klammer Zu foam chair promises comfort while making use of foam cuts of various shapes and sizes.
+ Arian Brekveld’s Multi-layered Bowl is graceful porcelain bowl, as strong as it is thin. Follow the process on the website, right down to the stitching of the label.
+ The Beadazzled Leaf wallcoverings by Maya Romanoff have just been launched, combining tiny beads of recycled glass and sporadic shots of metallic leaf for an unusual and extremely tactile effect.
+ Francesca Bonfrate’s Calla armchair is a leather chair that envelopes the user in an elegant fashion, based of course on the Calla lily.
Quebec eco-designer Isabelle Bérubé sources all the materials that go into her one-of-a-kind Bagnole handbags from cars that are used only for scrap metal. It takes Bérubé about 15 minutes to salvage all the materials she needs (seat leather, carpets, belts, airbags, small parts for hardware and decoration, etc.) from one car; on average, one car will yield 4 bags. All materials are meticulously washed before being stitched into a variety of creations that have a history. Seatbelts become straps and buckles, airbags live on as lining. Each bag bears the name of the car of its provenance. The combination of style and common sense results in a covet-worthy line. But why covet? No leasing contract needed, as these leather bags are surprisingly inexpensive. Excellent video of Bérubé at work on her website.
Artecnica’s Design With Conscience line of products combines high design with social and environmental responsibility by way of collaborative exchanges between Artecnica, designers and artisans in developing countries. Creating products with positive impact for everyone involved is the goal. Projects have taken place in Vietnam, South Africa, Peru, Brazil and Guatemala, where TranSglass products designed by Tord Boontje and Emma Woffenden have been produced by local craftspeople. The latest TranSglass items are two mirrors that were inspired by traditional Guatemalan masks. We put a couple of questions to Tord and Emma.
We are used to seeing plain mirrors, at most with a frame. How did you come about the idea of three-dimensional mosaics?
The idea came from the traditional Guatemalan wooden masks. This is such a strong tradition in their culture that it seemed nice to combine this with our design. In the time that we have worked with the workshop in Guatemala City, we realised that they have become extremely good in cutting and polishing the Transglass bottle range. Our idea was to create new products that they can manufacture with the existing skills and machinery (cold working of glass). We started the idea with using sheet mirror as a basic material, this is readily available and cheap. We always have admired Venetian mirrors and with this collection aim to begin something new that kind of comes from the tradition of the ornate mirror but with the 21 Century interpretation. By using the masks as a starting point, it becomes a product that the artisans can relate to within their own culture, at the same time it becomes something relevant and innovative in western society. The mirrors are extremely difficult to make because all facets need to be cut to size and angle. Therefore it builds upon the experience of the artisans of making the transglass bottle pieces and at the same time it becomes a product that is very hard to copy. Although the pieces are very labor intensive, and therefore command a high price, we believe that it is good that the people in the workshop can elaborate on their skills by making beautiful pieces of high quality, instead of being reduced (as so many workers in the developing world are) to competing on price and quantity.
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