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An old post on Khoi Vinh's blog Subtraction shows an abandoned change in Tropicana's branding, which apparently failed its brief trial because it was less usable for consumers. In the image here, the old branding is on top - it shows the various types of orange juice differentiated with a large block of solid color. So if you like Vitamin D medium-pulp, for example, you learn to look for the purple box. However, the failed branding shown at bottom relegates the variety indicator to a teeny tiny line of text - so that all the boxes look the same unless you put a lot of effort into scouring the details. Designers of the modern "clean & spare" aesthetic may prefer simple sameness - but consumers need usability! This one's a victory for the good guys.
Having gone through a process (buying a house) that involves lots of signing-and-returning various documents, I can testify that that particular process hasn't quite made it to the digital age. You may have to print the unsigned document first, then add your John Hancock, then scan and PDF-ize it before being able to send it back - or more commonly, they'll want you to fax it, not realizing that lots of people these days have completely skipped fax machines. Well, this is a problem that Zosh is trying to solve with an iPhone app: it adds your signature and any other necessary info to any document, and delivers it back to you as a PDF, even letting you directly email whoever needs to receive it. At three bucks, I'd say that's a steal - and I wish I had it a few months ago!
Here a book I’ve really been meaning to post about for a long time. Published by PA Press, Michael Fox and Miles Kemp have put together as they call it “a processes-oriented guide to creating dynamic spaces and objects capable of performing a range of pragmatic and humanistic functions. These complex physical interactions are made possible by the creative fusion of embedded computation (intelligence) with a physical, tangible counterpart (kinetics). A uniquely twenty-first century toolbox and skill set-virtual and physical modeling, sensor technology, CNC fabrication, prototyping, and robotics-necessitates collaboration across many diverse scientific and art-based communities. “
It contains a huge number of artists, architects and designers all working in and around this field that I have found so fascinating over the past couple of years. Its more than just a coffee table book, I think they’ve done an excellent job finding themes that run through the discipline and taken on some of the key challenges including asking “Interaction†can be understood to be in a spatial context. Its definitely worth picking up and will appeal to architects, artists and designers alike.
Usually when people say that their iPhone has saved their life, they're being metaphorical (or at least hyperbolic). But for this guy, it's literally true: after being trapped under rubble in the Haitian earthquake, Dan Woolley used a first-aid app to tend to his injuries. The app also warned him to not fall asleep after possible head trauma, so he used the clock app to set an alarm to go off every 20 minutes. 65 hours later, he was rescued. Wow.
Rachel Armstrong teaches at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, where she is advocating a new approach to architecture – one that sees buildings becoming living things. One of the best things about working at the Bartlett are some of the extraordinary people that you spend time with day to day and while I often get lost in the science when Rachel explains her goals for a Living Architecture, I adore the passion and vision of a truly interactive architecture capable of continual conversation with it built and natural environment.
Key to Armstrong’s work are protocells – little cells of fat that can be sprayed on a building, creating a sort of frosting. These are designed to trap carbon dioxide and solidify it, turning it into solid pearls of calcium carbonate or biolime or mock rock. This coating will protect the building and even mend cracks. These protocells could even be used to stop Venice sinking, says Armstrong. Her plan is that the cells would be programmed to solidify when they get to the bottom of the lagoon, shoring up the foundations of the buildings above and thereby supporting the sinking structures. Find out more at TED and Rachel’s own website.
Designer Meysam Movahedi is onto something with the Rambler Socket - why not use all that in-wall space to keep extension cords ready for easy use? The way it's conceived, the socket pulls out when needed, then spring-retracts with a gentle tug to re-stow. It reminds me of my central vacuum (which I love) - but EVEN BETTER! Where can I buy one, Meysam...?
The Telegraph recently reported that Google filed a patent to lay new digital advertising content over the photographed billboards visible in their Street View feature. If you followed that sentence and its implications, the next question I'd like to pose is whether this is more or less usable for Street View users? I suggest that it's more usable (and useful), if well-implemented. For one thing, the ads can be better targeted to an internet-based Street View user than a random driver passing by; and truly relevant ads are better for both the advertiser and the viewer. Second, static billboards could be replaced in Street View with animated, video, or interactive content that's more capable of reaching the user. Third? It's just plain cool. Of course there are possible downsides - irresponsibly designed content may distract or even disorient users, and the replacement of content will probably require all kinds of pain-in-the-butt business negotiations. But if you ask me, things are probably on the right track!
Design and Social Science Seminar Series 2009-2010
The Objects of Design and Social Science
Anne Galloway | Connecting material, spatial and cultural practices
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