Uniform Wares: printed collateral

Timepiece company Uniform Wares from London commissioned UK-based creative consultancy Six to design a series of promotional mailers, stationary suite, gift vouchers, watch box inserts and supporting gift wrap materials for their wristwatch collections.

All of the printed material was designed to reflect the simplicity of the company’s pared-down aesthetic, based around a philosophy firmly rooted in classic British design and contemporary styling. The use of strong, contrasting, albeit neutral colors is used throughout the series, finely complementing the wristwatches’ minimalist designs.

Octavo Publicaties Pocketbook Collection

Based on the development of a  self-organising, programmatic and rhizomatic design, Atelier Carvalho Bernau created this series of deceptively simple, geometric designs for Amsterdam-based publishing house Octavo.

Briefed with the wish for a collection of cheaply published books that are functional, durable and beautiful objects, the designers approached this project with an awe-inspiring and thought-provoking methodology of research of both the physicality of books and of  how their data could be used to make readable connections between the individual titles visible.

The results are a design system in which each book is unique but relates to the others, so that what sits on the shelf is a visual continuum.

Adidas SLVR Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

The Adidas SLVR collection stays one step ahead from the sport inspired garments, and releases the Spring/Summer 2012 collection, shot by fashion photographer Willy Vanderperre.

Inspired from the sport of fencing, the new collection is characterized by simple, dynamic lines and bold, primary colours that create a highly functional, well tailored and sophisticated result.

Wiroa Station Wine Cellar

Wiroa Station is the name of the wine cellar built by MAP Architects in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. The simplicity of the building has been dictated by the backdrop of the scenery.

Restricted to 25m2 due to local planning regulations, the wine cellar features a interplay between coolness of concrete and warmth of natural wood. The wine bottles, displayed through the holes in the focal wall, make an exquisite statement.

Time

Studio Like This has designed this analog clock so that the hour can only be read when it is approached front-on. Through the use of modern nano technology, the classic hands disappear when viewed from any other angle.

Time requires one to hunt for the hour. It creates an extra step in our time-seeking process by forcing the user to physically move one’s body in order to know the hour. Consequentially, the classic question “what time is it?” creates a moment of philosophical analysis. One is compelled to also ask why knowing the time is important in that moment.

Flying Surface

The Flying Surface project has been developed for the illumination company, Troll in 2006, by the architect Jean Nouvel and it is essentially made with a stretched fabric and produces a floating-like surface when its inside light is switched on.

Quadra Lamp

In 1962, Italian designer, architect and teacher, AG Fronzoni designed this light fitting, Quadra. Made from steel with a white, black or polished finish, Quadra can be installed on brick walls or ceilings, and measures 8.66″ x 8.66″. The lamp was nominated for a Compasso d’Oro in 2004 and is manufactured by Italian lighting company Viabizzuno.

Museum of Modern Literature

The Museum of Modern Literature is located in Germany and was designed by London based architect David Chipperfield, of David Chipperfield Architects. The museum is set in Marbach’s scenic park overlooking the valley of the Neckar River. Neighbors to Chipperfield’s museum are the National Schiller Museum and the Archive for German Literature. The museum displays artifacts of 20^th century literature, including original manuscripts of Franz Kafka’s The Trial. Completed in 2006, the museum won the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize in 2007.

The museum’s façade is dominated by limestone columns which create a dramatic portico surrounding the building. The interior galleries are dimly lit with artificial light so as not to destroy the delicate manuscripts. To contrast the necessary lighting conditions of the galleries, Chipperfield allows the circulation hallways to flood with sunlight from the tall glass windows which constitute the exterior walls.

Concrete Kitchen

The Concrete Kitchen by Martin Steininger has been recently awarded the prestigious RedDot design award. The designer used  ultra-thin 8 mm concrete as a main visual element in this project. Heat resistant and safe for food, the material is a perfect match for the function of the kitchen. However, the manufacturing process has to be very precise and requires a certain know-how. Hand-polished surfaces, minimal details and appliances add to the slick and streamlined look.

Stack

Singapore based industrial designer Nathan Yong present his latest creation; Stack. Yong created a set of colored wooden tables, differing in depth, which can be moved around and stacked according to one’s preferred configuration. Such like in 2009, when he created the sidetable named Bolle, he collaborated with the Italian manufacturer Living Divani.

Fish Bowls

Roger Arquer’s designs challenge the iconic image of the fish bowl. The attractive bowls come in fifteen different varieties which serve to personify the fish within. The bowls speak to the prescribed personality traits of pet fish. “Do Not Piss Me Off” describes the human power to decide between the life and death of the fish with a symbolic drain plug. “Suicidal Tendencies” is a bowl that prevents unhappy fish from jumping out. “Private Matters” provides an opaque area for fish who are tired of living in glass houses. “Above Water” lets your fish share its water with the plant above.

The designs are elegantly simple, sometimes so subtle that it is necessary to look twice to see what alteration has been made to the classic fish bowl. Yet the simplicity of the physical bowl in no way translates to simplicity of ideas.

Servus

German furniture designer Florian Saul‘s elegant clothing rack, Servus (Latin for servant) is a minimal, lightweight yet practical wardrobe.

The wardrobe, with its simple and reduced form, leans against a wall, supported by two small rubber feet. To accommodate small items such as gloves and scarves, there is a removable leather bag attached to the frame. If additional space is required, two frames can be combined. The cross-connection could subsequently provide space for conventional hangers.

Dome Table Lamp

The Dome Table Lamp by Todd Bracher takes an honest approach to design  this lighting solution. His Dome Lamp is all about achieving flawless light in a thoughtful way. The lamp was inspired by the phases of the moon and its contrast between light and shadow. Bracher designed the lamp to be a perfect half-sphere so that it is evenly lit on all sides. Just as the moon’s source of light is the sun, the perfect globe shade of the lamp is illuminated by its “sun” within, the light bulb.

Standing Broom

Malaysia-based designer Poh Liang Hock created a standing broom. Rather than attaching a poll to bristles at the base, Hock modified the business part of the broom, making it both a platform to stand upon and a weighted anchor to keep the broom vertical. 

The Standing Broom concept is a winner of the Red Dot Award in Domestic Aid category.

SodaStream Source

Salone Internazionale del Mobile is the global benchmark for home furnishings and this year’s edition begins tomorrow in Milan. One highly anticipated product to be presented is the new SodaStream Source system by San Francisco designer Yves Béhar as part of an installation at MOST.

The elegantly redesigned SodaStream Source is the result of a collaborative project between Béhar and SodaStream. The primary focus was on sustainability, reducing and refining the entire sparkling water and soda making experience, as well as the simplicity in aesthetics.

Twist

Twist is a floor lamp that allows you to control the amount of light you desire. It is simple to use: just twist the neck and the light will smoothly move up. Only as many LEDs are lit up as are needed which means that when the lamp is half the way up only the top half of the LEDs are turned on. The lamp has a solid stainless steel base and the neck is made of powder coated aluminium.

Twist, created by Milan based Stefan Krivokapic, founder of Skrivo Design, in cooperation with Arian Brajkovic, was recognized in 2010 with a Premio Lissone Design award.

Moon Glass

The Moon Glass is a collection of ceramic cups, designed by Seoul based studio Tale. Created specifically for rice wine and sake, this piece reflects phases of the moon. The bottom of the glass is curved. This curve, paired with the colour of the beverage, creates the lunar effect. The glass shows a full moon when it’s full of liquid, then as your drink, it slowly unveils a half moon, then a crescent-shaped moon.

Moon Glass comes in two sizes and two colours.

Imagine with Lego

German advertising agency Jung von Matt have created this print campaign to advertise Lego. These minimalist printed ads, although perhaps not entirely original, are interpretations of a selection of widely known cartoon characters, created using blocks of Lego.

Catskill Mountain House

Introducing Catskill Mountain House in Catskill Mountains, New York by Audrey Matlock. Built based on simple forms and applying fluidity within spaces, the home becomes a retreat where architecture and nature become one.

Some of the interesting architectural features are the white framework and a large cast concrete wall that protects the terrace, pool, and outdoor fireplace from a rocky slope. Full height windows allow for maximum light and expanding views of the Catskill Mountains. Interiors consists mostly of a monochromatic palette of black, white, and gray with the addition of blue and green coming in from the outside in a form of skies and nature. Other features include heated and polished concrete floors, slate accent walls and ebony stained ash cabinetry.

Bruder Klaus Kapelle

Hélène Binet is a renowned architectural photographer who has photographed the work of contemporary and historic designers. Her diverse portfolio includes work of architects such as Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, Le Corbusier, and Alvar Aalto.

Peter Zumthor’s Bruder Klaus Kapelle, a chapel in Mechernich, Germany is an highlight on Binet’s portraits. Binet’s incredible images of this structure stand out as a unique achievement among architectural photography. Zumthor’s buildings are a notorious challenge to capture on film. This is because his design theory is based on the phenomenological aspects of the space. Zumthor’s structures are designed to be enjoyed through full sensory experience. The look, feel, and even scent of the materials come together as one moves through the space. This results in a collage of sensory input that manifests as an overwhelming presence of building. How is one to capture this experience in a still image?

Binet met Zumthor’s challenge with vigor. Magically, her work captures the very essence of the Bruder Klaus Kapelle. Through her images, the viewer has a sense of approaching, entering, and leaving the space. I am aware of the weight of the obelisk-like structure as if it loomed above me. I can nearly feel the concrete brush against my arm. I squint at the light in the ceiling to see what lurks in the sky above. Binet lures out the character of Zumthor’s structure and makes it apparent, even when viewed from a mere computer screen.

Sorry Giotto

Sorry Giotto is a new LED lighting collection by Italian brand Catellani & Smith. The name refers to the legendary perfect freehand circle drawn by Italian painter Giotto di Bondone in the 14th century. The modern circular objects in question are made from hand painted copper and LED, projecting warm light on the vertical surface. The collection includes a wall and a floor versions, the latter of which has already scored the ‘Best Floor Light’ award at the Wallpaper Design Awards 2012.

Yi Fang Wan Fall/Winter 2012/13 Collection

Yi Fang Wan’s new collection for Fall/Winter 2012/13 presented in London’s Fashion Week. A very promising young designer, from southern China who recently graduated from the Central Staint Martin’s College of Art and Design and was awarded the L’Oréal Professionel Young Designer Award at the college’s BA Fashion degree in 2010. College’s graduates also include Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Stella McCartney and Hussein Chalayan.

Simple, elegant lines and high quality materials manage to create feminine and elongated silhouettes.

A great proposal for a contemporary style with all time classic elements.

Monolithe

Monolithe is, in my opinion, a fantastic radiators line by the newly established brand Needo. It is a new concept, which cleverly combines heating and lighting with mobility. It has a an impeccable and elegant design, far different from that of traditional radiators.

Monolithe has an innovative and patented system for optimally distributing warmth without energy waste, spreading a more homogeneous heat, which generates a perfectly safe atmosphere thanks to technology that does not dry the air.

The recycled aluminium radiator also has an LED light on the top, completing its impressive design.