A Dream Realized

Rare is the day one gets to actualize a wish they've genuinely held for most of their life. Just such a day for me came February 7th when I hit the slopes for a weekend of snowboarding in the French Alps. Skiing the Alps has been a dream for at least half my life, ever since I picked up snowboarding. I came tragically close in 2004 while i was living in Berlin. Some friends and i planned to make a trek to the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany, but the plans fell through at the last minute. Now, five years later, i'm back in Europe and made a pact with myself that i would not let the opportunity escape me a second time. As fortune had it, some friends from INSEAD invited me to join them at a beautiful chalet in the ultra-quaint resort town of Chamonix near the French-Italian border for a weekend of bliss. The snow was amazing, the scenery unbelievable, the chalet incredibly cozy, and the cumulative experience all that i'd ever hoped it would be.

Dream: realized.

Fat Cars

Ironic humor? Artistic statement? Social commentary?

Who cares? Behold the work of artist Erwin Wurm. How cool is this!?

The Secret, ressurected!

Here's a little something from the archives, c. April '07.

Blur Pavillion

The "Blur Pavillion" as its known, was the centerpiece attraction for the 2002 Swiss National Expo by architects Diller & Scofidio. From a practical perspective, the structure which seems to float above the surface of a lake, uses over 30,000 spray nozzles to atomize lake water around the framework, effiectively creating a man-made cloud. From a conceptual standpoint, however, the cloud acts as the structure's only skin, a constantly changing, ever-moving, almost "living" facade. As the name suggests, the concept blurs the line between interior and exterior, static and dynamic, inannimate and alive.

The sensation of walking around its maze-like spaces is surely surreal. Add to that uncertainty the incorporation of intelligent raincoats that wirelessly communicate visitors' basic personality profiles and glow in a corresponding color code, and you have the makings for a truely unique experience.

Check out the full article here.

Congratulations America

And Congratulations to Barack Obama.

The Other Side of INSEAD

I've been at INSEAD in Fontainbleau for more than two weeks now, and have thus begun to form various opinions about the school, its students, and the overall culture. I arrived wide-eyed and ready to dive in head first, something I think is safe to say about the vast majority of the MBAs here. After all, INSEAD has a reputation for being one of Europe's finest business schools, and as such has a long-standing association in the minds of those familiar with the institution as being a formidable undertaking. Considered for many years to be a popular "finishing school" for many of Europe's elite, there are certain elements of the culture at INSEAD that go hand in hand with this environment. Students typically wear business suits, dialog is focused intently on furthering status and career, and the whole institution feels more like the atmosphere of a corporate headquarters than a school. Club membership is another element with a strong presence. As you might expect, there are clubs tailored to a wide array of interests and career directions. There are sports clubs, hobby clubs, and professional clubs. And then there are the private clubs.

Membership in any club has its perks. Membership in one of the private clubs is by no means an exception. There are three private clubs (I've since learned) within the INSEAD community, at least that I am yet aware of. Tradition is an integral part of any culture and the preservation of that culture is important, bearing its own intrinsic value. Having said that, I will choose my following words very carefully.

As I mentioned, there are three private clubs that find their roots at INSEAD: Renaissance, VIP, and The Valmont Club. They are not secret clubs, per se, (or you wouldn't be reading this) but they are, however, very private. During the first week, I was approached by a very well-connected student I'd met in one of the classes. I'd explained earlier the details of the exchange program and my interests in being here, both professionally and personally. This student inquired as to whether I would be interested in attending a private party later in the week. They explained that this would be a private event, by personal invitation from a club member only, and that it was exclusively for "friends of friends." I was told to meet at a building on campus the evening of the event and the rest of the details would be revealed once there.

When I arrived (the building was deserted and dark) there was a small but growing number of other people looking as clueless as I. Just as I headed for the door, the student who had extended the invitation showed up and asked everyone to follow him. We descended to the basement where we were greeted by a number of the club's existing members, bottles of champagne, and other treats. After some mingling, the organizer began:

"Welcome to The Valmont Club. This is a private club, for friends of friends only. The Valmont Club is a tradition at INSEAD for deserving students. It has its benefits as you'll see, and once you're a member, you remain a member. Tonight, the party is at the club's château; there will be a tour bus departing in 15 minutes to take you there and returning later. Enjoy the champagne, there is a lot more at the château. Oh, and no cameras are allowed."

A half hour ride through the French countryside later we arrived at the Valmont Château. Club members guided us to the party, descending into a courtyard lined with glowing candles. The scene was straight out of a secret society movie. I remember thinking at the time, as cool as it was, I knew nothing about what was going on. However, soon it didn't matter. We climbed a small stone stairway, passed through a giant wooded door, and entered the party.

This is the part where I have to leave you, the reader, hanging to some extent. You have no choice but to trust me, I have no choice either. The details of the party will now and forever remain within the club. I can say I saw things there I cannot disclose, here or anywhere else. In short, the party was amazing, sometimes strange and even surprising, but always exciting. I'm now proud to say I am a member of The Valmont Club and I look forward to what other surprises await. It isn't a secret. But I wouldn't say it above a whisper.

Home Sweet Fontainebleau

Downtown Fontainebleau: on a par with the Sunset Strip.
Château Fontainebleau

After the madness of being on holiday in London and celebrating New Years in Paris, life has taken a distinct turn back toward the slow life. I cannot say it's returned to normal, in fact it's anything but, however, life is back to a more standard pace. That being, one dominated by a single activity: school. The new term started on January 5th. So far I've started 2 of my 4 courses, already enjoying the change in learning style and subject matter. It's the business channel all day every day here, a dramatic turn from the focus on design process, creative problem solving, and sketching. In fact, so far there has been nothing save a single project proposal layout that remotely resembles the coursework at Art Center. There HAS been a great deal of reading case studies though. Hardly a complaint, i'm finding i really enjoy the business side of things, even if it is dry in comparison to design. And i really enjoy reading, something i don't do much of during term.

It hasn't been all work and no play though. Since only half my classes have begun the coursework is still relatively light. Knowing this, if you follow this fact through to its logical end you find it no surprise the other ACCD exchange students and i have taken full advantage of both Fontainebleau's proximity to Paris and the beginning-of-term parties at châteaus in the surrounding countryside. More on that later ; )

From the the Land of Tea & Crumpets to that of Baguette & Brie

Pleasure: Ice drinks at the Absolute Ice Bar
Pain: Dragging our excessive luggage up one of the nearly infinite train station stairways

December 28th was D-Day for me. At 6pm local time I departed LAX for Europe, and a few days of adventure before undertaking what I previously described (see below) as "The Next Big Thing." That being, beginning a 4-month executive-level business course at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Those courses have subsequently already begun, however, that is subject matter for a future posting. For the time being, I humbly submit to you the following story purely for the sake of entertainment. Expect to find within nothing but the truth, albeit abridged for the purpose of brevity, depicting the events of the week between my departure and the commencement of my studies at INSEAD. I offer no promise of traditionally redeeming qualities other than a thorough appreciation of how to have a good time. Without further ado, let me begin...

Following an uneventful and relatively painless 10-hour flight courtesy of Virgin Atlantic, we landed at London Heathrow. As you may know, VA is a premium carrier and in true form they even gave us gift bags, to which I added my very own VA blanket via five-finger-discount. Sweet, swag! Through customs and on to brave the London Tube system with over 100lbs of luggage each (7 of us). We checked into what is likely the shadiest hostel I’ve ever stayed at but we more or less had our own room so that helped.

The next two days were spent exploring the city, checking out all the must-see attractions (Buckingham Palace, Parliment, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The London Eye, Harrod's, Hyde Park, St. James Park, Covent Garden, Picadilly Circus, etc.) interspersed with a healthy dose of pubs, naturally. We also literally stumbled upon the Absolute Ice Bar, a small but quite posh club owned and operated by Absolute Vodka and in which everything is made of ice, straight down to the cups. Walls, furniture, décor, “glassware”, bar, everything. Its -5 Celsius and they gave us special thermal hoodies/overcoats and gloves. Pretty unique experience I must say.

On NYE day we chunneled it to France and by sheer serendipity met our French friend Jean-Hugues right as we exited the EuroStar train. He helped us get a taxi for all our stuff and while the others tested le Metro, I rode with the luggage and made friends with the cabbie who supposedly worked for the US state department doing semi-covert communist data collection in France and eastern Europe during the cold war before the iron curtain came down. Once settled at the nicest Holiday Inn I’ve ever seen (seriously) in northern Paris we headed out for what proved to be on an even par for the craziest NYE I’ve ever had, right up there with the NYE I spend in Berlin. After a quick dinner and several bottles of wine (we were 9 people now) we headed to meet another member of the INSEAD exchange group at his cousin’s (who knew we’d be there, and decided to rent an EXTRAORDINARY flat directly across Rue St. Severin from a cathedral directly south of Ile de la Cite in the Latin Quarter). There they had a smorgasbord of cheeses, meats, baguette and…here’s the kicker…a CASE of VERY nice champagne. We ate, drank, and stared at the gorgeous view and the cathedral’s gargoyles almost eye to eye for the next couple hours.

When it was time we grabbed the remaining 5 bottles and headed down to le Tour Eiffel where we met the rest of Paris, just as jubilant and intoxicated as we. We did the countdown, popped our bottles and cheers-in 2009 on a bridge near the foot of the tower. It was absolute madness all around. We walked back toward the centre of the city, witnesses a group of girls get mugged which was bizarre and reminded us of the other side of Paris, kept walking and got tired near the Louvre. There we found what must surely be Paris most expensive bar…where we of course had to stop for drinks. When our check came we were shocked to see the now 11 of us had run up the equivalent of a $650 bar tab! We’d only had two drinks each. Wait, I’ll do the math for you…that’s more than $27/drink (yeah, that’s how we do). Ah, c’est la Vie! Lots of debauchery, getting lost on the Paris Metro, and other mayhem later we stumbled in around 6am. We nursed ourselves back to health, which happened remarkably quickly (champagne of that quality doesn’t give hangovers apparently), and spend the next day or two wandering the city, seeing sights, and found some of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. Lots of café au lait was also consumed.

On the 3rd (I think, its fuzzy at this point) we headed out to Fontainebleau, 45 min southeast of Paris. Our house is three stories plus the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a genuine dungeon. But it makes a perfect wine cellar! My room looks as if it may have once been a nursery, but it was quickly my favorite bedroom when walking around and I’m glad I got it. Its on the second floor, shares only one common wall, and is right across from a huge bathroom with open-format stone shower and Jacuzzi tub. Not too shabby! The last member of our group joined us the next day and we’ve settled in nicely.

Monday started class, have had a couple each day, and am enjoying the very different type of coursework than is the norm for design classes. The other students seem pretty nice so far, but I feel underdressed at all times in the presence of MBAs. The students very much live up to what one would expect given this college’s reputation. Luckily the cafeteria is cheap because the rest of France is NOT. Fontainebleau is a wealthy city by French standards and this fact is overtly reflected in the cost of living. It’s $5 for a cup of coffee. The resurgent Euro recently against the dollar is not helping either. But I’ve been frugal before, I will just have to be again. In any case, its clear to me this is just the start of what will be a phenomenal term abroad, and I leave it to you to check back for regualar updates on the goings on in Fontainebleau.

Cheers for now.

SLO 360

Home for Thanksgiving I hiked the mountain that I grew up most of my life at the foot of, Bishop's Peak, in San Luis Obispo. Here's what it looks like from the 1,546' summit.

Wet Inspiration

This is the coolest fountain I've seen in quite a while. Its in a mall in Japan (where else?) and is very reminiscent of the stuff Wet Design does, although I don't think it's their work.

Rocky Mountain High

Another term down (almost) so the task of deciding how to celebrate was recently at hand. It's winter break and I've got the fever. Not the kind treated with oodles of chicken noodles, the kind soothed only by a generous dose of cold, white champagne. I'm going to Aspen, baby!

Helping Science, One Playstation 3 at a Time

The following article is out of the new BusinessWeek and features one of the 2008 winners of Japan's prestigious Good Design Award. Not only is this just plain awesome, it makes use of a concept I'd personally like to see find application in many more venues throughout society: the involvement and utilization of technology and the vast computing power now found ubiquitously in the modern world. "Parallel computing" as it's called, is akin to more efficiently using our own brains. The power and capacity is already there, ready and waiting to be tapped. By finding appropriate and responsible application of this latent potential, we move toward creating a truly synergistic and sustainable network. In essence, a more complete and holistic use of the our resources, both physical and digital.

"Call it philanthropy for the technorati. In 2001, Stanford University researchers launched Folding@home to analyze the structure of proteins in cancers and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's. Normally they would need a supercomputer for the number-crunching involved in simulating these proteins in action—proteins fold before they perform their function—but buying one would cost billions of dollars. Instead they decided to tap into the power of many computers connected over the Internet—a concept known as parallel computing.

Sony offered to help. In March 2007, Sony released a software add-on for its network-connected PlayStation 3 console that lets users lend power from their machine's powerful processing chip to the Folding@home project. Sony has sold more than 16 million PS3s so far, but it would only take about 10,000 machines to add 1 quadrillion floating-point calculations per second, or one petaflop. That's as fast as the latest supercomputers, which are used for weapons development, scientific research, auto safety testing, and product design. The more computing power they have, the easier it is for researchers to study complex proteins. The beauty of Sony's idea was that PS3 users contribute without paying a penny—except maybe in the form of an uptick in the electricity bill."

See the full article here: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1121_japan_design/

Several years back UC Berkley and SETI, an organization devoted to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, started a joint project based on parallel computing. The aim was to harness the combined processing capability of thousands of idle home computers to assist in the analysis of huge quantities of data collected from space in the form of radio signals. The hope of course was that the program could expedite the discovery of a coherent signal from extraterrestrial origins. Check out the site at http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/

Even if the XBOX is better looking (and it is), this is cool stuff. I want to see more of it, and I give Sony and Standford big props for it!

Boeing/Teague Presentation

This Wednesday the 5th I'm attending a special IDSA ofNOTE Presentation jointly put on by the leadership of Boeing and Teague Design. The talk will highlight the design and development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the aeronautical manufacturer's spankin' new flagship plane and the most technologically advanced commercial airliner in the world. The design is of particular interest because it utilizes crazy composite material for the wings, which are designed to naturally flex in flight, while being dramatically lighter. The cumulative effect is a fuel efficiency improvement of nearly 30%. Not to mention the badassness improvement of well over 80%. I'm really looking forward to the event, especially because I have the privilege of meeting and interviewing the presenters for IDSA before the presentation. It's going to be a great evening of learning, networking, and fun! Can't wait!

This is the promotional poster I put together to advertise the event. For some unknown, annoying reason the reds and blues are in negative.

The Next Chapter

For the past several weeks I've worked my ass off creating an application package for a study abroad program. The application involved an essay, resume, transcripts, and a three part portfolio highlighting several of my product design projects. In true Art Center fashion I finished about 20 minutes before the deadline...but that's still before the deadline. The final element was a personal interview which went well and I felt good about the whole experience. Then came the fun part: waiting for the results... And what was the result you may ask? A week later an email appeared in my inbox. Without opening it I read the fist line. "Dear Student, Congratulations! You have been selected..." Not only was I selected, but several of my good friends at Art Center, including my roommate, were also selected to the small group of participating studens.

So what does this translate to in reality? I will be leaving for France sometime during the last few day of the year. The program is 15 weeks long, so I'll be living, studying, and traveling in Europe again for the first four months of 2009 at least. It goes without saying I am extremely excited. Admittedly, there are nicer times of the year to be in Paris, but its going to be amazing regardless and being there during the winter also means one thing: snowboarding in the Alps, bitches! The time line also has me in Paris for New Years Eve and in the French countryside through spring. Could be worse. There's a lot of time between now and the end of April which means a lot of things can happen, however, there are a number of options on the table depending on how well the program goes and what comes of it. One option I've already been introduced to is taking on a European internship following INSEAD. I know I want to do an internship after INSEAD, in fact that was one of the primary alternatives I'd been considering for the spring had I not been selected. I wouldn't be opposed to an internship on either side of the Atlantic, or elsewhere for that matter, but as they say time will tell. Now I just need to get my paperwork in order...
Part of the campus is this 12th century Château. It could be worse.

Nerd Alert v2.0

I just saw this on yahoo news! This is really cool! Good for them. Even if it is sort of a soap box, it's the highest soap box anyone's ever shouted from!

ACCD: an excercise in love/hate relationships

If you're reading this blog there's a good chance you're aware I attend Art Center College of Design. The school is not quite you're typical college. It offers bachelors degrees in nine majors as well as several graduate study programs, each of them disciplines of the creative arts. There are three programs of study that fall under the Industrial Design umbrella: Product, Transportation, and Environmental Design. I am a Product Design student, at roughly the junior level. It's not as cut-and-dry as at most colleges as the BS degree curriculum is squeezed into just a three year program. It's intensive and it's stressful and it's more than a full time job, but it's also fun. In a sort of masochistic way.

Art Center has a reputation of design excellence, a label that's once again been validated by the impressive representation of student work at the 2008 IDEA awards. My training here has given me a solid grasp of the traditional skill set associated with ID, as well as the concepts, methodologies, processes and schools of design. I've made lifelong friends who share my fundamental interests and connected with a wide range of professionals eager to impart their knowledge of the industry. These things are largely a result of one's own proactivity, but Art Center has also fostered in me a deep interest in entrepreneurialism, leadership, and bigger-picture ambition. Anything worth having comes at a price though. Both literally and in less tangible ways, the school is extremely costly. The program is notorious for aiding in the breakup of relationships, something for which I am part of the statistic. It also costs a great deal of cold hard cash, missed sleep, anxiety, unhealthy eating habits, and the occasional formation of any variety of chemical dependencies. Which reminds me of something else I've learned here: Red Bull is both a gift and a curse. However, when all is said and done, it really is a unique environment and one that I will look back on with fondness more than anything else.

United Skim Tour

Skimonline just released the video of the 2008 Santa Cruz Skimbash. Do your eyes a favor and check out this video! Suuuuuper cool. Watch. Learn. Revel.
http://unitedskimtour.org/video/2008/santacruz/index.html

Melissa + Zaha Hadid Boot

Zaha Hadid's work is pretty stunning, and even if it's not exactly your style, it at very least can be described as casual sex for the eyes. I really dig the way the sense of construction and aesthetic typically suited for a structure on the monumental scale is used here in the discrete. The video works well I think because it helps tell the story and gives the design meaningful context.

Awesomeness in a Product

Daniel Dery's "Water-Gate" for MegaSecur is another designer's work that helped inspire me to pursue Industrial Design. Its a perfect example of how ID can directly and meaningfully impact our lives in a very positive way. The concept is so simple and so effective. When I first saw this product, I couldn't help but think, "why didn't somebody think of this a long time ago?" Products like this are perhaps the best thing about ID, things that solve real problems and genuinely make people's lives better.

Art-gineering

I heard about Theo Jansen a few years ago and just stumbled onto this video. His work is one of the most unique and awe-inspiring things I've seen in as long as I care to remember.

GINA

It's relatively old news now, but it's still just about the coolest thing going on it the transportation design world. Gotta love the name too.

BERLIN

Anyone who knows me is aware of my deep love and almost fanatical fascination with Berlin. I knew nothing of the city before living there in 2003 and 2004, but what I lacked in knowledge then I've more than made up for since. There is something magnetic about the vibe in Berlin. It's a people's city, full of art, music, design, nightlife, cafe lifestyle, punk culture, expression, history, and the unshakable old-meets-new dichotomy. It's shockingly affordable, has an immaculate public transportation system, and is just big enough to feel metropolitan, just small enough to seem cozy. You're never more than a few blocks from a corner grocery, and never more than a few hours away from the next flea- or farmers market. Some people think its dirty. And they're right, it is, but somehow that's the charm. The city has a unpretentious, sometimes raw, and often proletariat feel. And although The Wall has not stood for nearly 19 years, Berlin gets a lot of its vibe, attitude, tourist mileage...and strength I think from being in many ways a city still divided. It's not really a negative thing; spend any time there and you gain a clear sense of the sub-cultures that evolved on each side. Much of the beauty and intrigue of Berlin comes from this diversity. From what was a dark chapter in the city's long history stems an absolutely unique atmosphere; vibrant, energetic, and beckoning.

This photo was taken in Lustgarten in front of the Berliner Dom, Aug 2008.

The Most Beautiful Camera of All Time

The Kodak Bantam Special.
A creation of the famous industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague, it was first produced in 1936 and is an ideal example of Art Deco styling. It has an enamel-coated, machined aluminum body with distinctive chrome speed lines that wrap around the entire camera. Its compact size, uniquely sleek shape and clamshell design made it one of the earlier cameras to be truly pocketable. It is an icon of modern industrial design.

I want one bad.

IDSA invades MOCA

One of the many hats I wear is a Copenship company baseball cap. Another is serving as Art Center's IDSA Student Chapter Chair. The Industrial Designers Society of America is a national organization and the official voice of the profession. IDSA works to increase connectivity between designers, elevate the influence and perceived value of design, and inspire design quality and responsibility. Toward these ends, one thing I've been working on at the local level is organizing joint events between the CSU Long Beach and Art Center Student Chapters. The two chapters have had the opportunity to get together several times in the past year. This weekend a mixed group from both schools met at the MOCA Los Angeles for a private tour of their current exhibit, a showcase of German artist Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective. It was a fascinating show and a lot of fun getting design students from different programs together. Next time we'll go for drinks too.

Alternative Mobility

Toyota I-Real personal mobility conceptBombardier Embrio Concept. (Yes, the same Bombardier that makes corporate jets!)The Alé Car concept : 92 mpg on fuel vapor. How do it do it? 20:1 compression ratio!

"Schwepped" Away at 10,000 fps

This is an awesome commercial, visually. It doesn't make me want to buy Schweppes though.

The Best Way to Waste an Hour

I'm really into AMC's show MAD MEN. It's historical fiction about the early advertising industry in the US coming into its own following World War II. One thing I really find fascinating is the inclusion of historically accurate social and business events from the early 1960s. As a designer, I think its particularly cool how the show sneaks in historically important ad campaigns, campaigns that actually went public in real life, and show the psychology and deliberate manipulation of the public. In some ways it's almost an expos`e of the way the advertising industry very consciously established the modern paradigm of mass consumerism that has dominated the last 50 years of American life.
The show has unique cinematography and is shot in a simple, subtly filtered way that emphasizes color and contrast. The writing is superb and the show has a uncanny addictiveness about it, but for me it's the style of the show that wins the most points. The wardrobe is immaculate, the atmosphere of each shot luscious, and the overall aesthetic has a rich, saturated feel. The credits and opening sequence are stunningly graphic as well, reminiscent of both Hitchcock and early James Bond movies.

Design Inspiration

Janjaap Ruijssenaars Floating BedMathias Koehler Rocking Wheel ChairEero Saarinen Luna Vase

Custom Vases and More!

During the summer term I wanted to do a few extracurricular projects to bolster my portfolio and practice certain elements of the skill set I've been learning at Art Center. My first personal project was to design and build custom planter boxes to hang off the railing of my balcony. I wanted to grow my own vegetable garden, cantilevered off my third story patio. The custom planters were a success, as was the garden throughout the summer...until someone killed them all. But that's a different story.
My second side project was a personalized light box. I did some sketch comps, designed the final vector image in Adobe Illustrator, and laser cut the design out of clear acrylic. I sorted the pieces by their intended finished color and painted the backs, fitting the pieces together again like a jigsaw puzzle. The light box was actually a gift for a friend and it was very well received.



The last personal project of the summer was the pièce de résistance. Actually a decorative custom vase, it was the fruit of quite a lot of labor and a many step process. I began by ideating some concepts for the vase and when I'd reached a direction I liked I used Solidworks to model the final design in 3D. The physical properties of the vase required me to use tools and features in the Solidworks program I wasn't familiar with so the project was really a learning experience, adding to my overall knowledge of the software. I printed the rough vase full-sized in plaster, then hardened, sealed, primed and sanded the piece prepping for pearl paint finish. Using a really shitty HVLP gun, I sprayed the vase (and almost ruined it). I should invest in a better gun because you get what you pay for. Another lesson learned from this project!

I painted the exterior a creamy, off-white pearl essence shade and the inside a bold true red. What made the piece truly beautiful was the way the two colors contrasted each other at the mouth of the vase. Starting as a narrow degree ellipse at the base and morphing into a more abstract organic form as it climbs upward, the top of the piece is actually a name when view from above. The stark red interior forms the interconnected characters framed and punctuated by the pearl white lip of the vase. This project was also a gift but I have to say, it pained me a little seeing it go. The project though never really belonged to me. Its conception was with gifting in mind, and in fact the project may never have been thought of if it wasn't tied to that meaning. Almost needless to say, this present was also very well received. I may make more vases based on this concept in the future, but time will tell because it's a very laborious process. Although, things always take a lot longer the first time...so who knows.

FOREVER SKIM

I love skimboarding. It's kind of like surfing, except you don't have to wait for just the right wave nearly as much. The sensation of gliding across the sand on 1/16" of water is unique and addictive. And then it gets even better as you move out into the shorebreak. The sport is also a great workout, its really just a series of sprints and jumps. Unlike surfing, there's no upper body, everything is lower body, but its very cardio-based. Not to mention, it just looks sick.

Mindshare

For the past eight months or so a new type of event has popped up in LA. A mix of raucous party, catered gathering, and intellectually stimulating presentations, Mindshare is a unique monthly evening of fun. Mainly populated by all variety of young creative and scientific professionals, the event is a casual venue to meet and network with all sorts of people outside one's usual circle of influence. Actually the brainchild of a good friend of mine and his colleagues, it's underlying purpose holds entrepreneurism central. But its not all business. The beauty of Mindshare is the balance it finds between social and intellectual growth, and of course the inherent flexibility of the event allows each person to be as engaged or disengaged with either part as they'd like.

http://mindshare.la/events/08-09.html

Soap Box Time

"If you don't vote, you're a moron."

Design For Zero Waste

The design brief for my Product Design 2 class over summer term was designing for sustainability, more specifically zero waste. The goal was to take an existing product and totally redesign it as well as a system in which the product would create zero waste. I choose something close to my heart for the project, skimboards. We studied existing products, created full Life Cycle Analyses for its material components, conducted in-depth material reseach, generated alternate concepts, refined our concepts, developed business plans and product life cycles, and finally fabricated our final prototypes. It was an intensive 14-week project, more heavily bias toward research than any other project i'd worked on previously. On the day of our final presentation, I wore conservative gray suit pants and as my presentation began, Heidrun, one of the instructors remarked that I should have worn board shorts to make the presentation more authentic. That's when I took off my pants. Little did anyone know I was wearing board shorts underneath my suit pants, and I figured starting off the presentation by dropping my pants would definitely get everyone's attention. And it worked. The presentation was strong, the response to my project was overwhelming, and my patent-
pending sustainable skimboards, called ecoDeck TM, are now on display in the Art Center student gallery.

The End Game

My interests in design and in general are diverse and ever-evolving. What inspires me therefore has a highly variable relationship with my interest. Sometimes new inspiration is responsible for shifting my course. Alternately, conscious and often deliberate changes in my interests affects the inspiration I seek out. There are, however, a few things that sit somewhere in the gray area between interest and inspiration which never change. One such thing is something I call the "Cafe del Mar" lifestyle. Whether I eventually own a place like this, or if I simply have the means to enjoy such places frequently, I will be happy. Regardless, this is long-term inspiration for me. Take a look. Is it so hard to believe?

Phillips Design Ambigram Logo

This is one of the concepts i've been toying with on the back burner for a while. I got the idea after reading about ambigrams and wondering if I could make a personal one. Reconciling the P/S character was tricky, as was the H/P, but admittedly Phillips isn't the hardest name to turn into an ambigram. It was actually kind of fun. Creating these is like a puzzle, just one that you develop the answer to visually.

Nerd Alert!

Warning! The above video should only be watched if you meet the following criteria:
1. you are at least mildly intelligent
2. you have something that vaguely resembles an interest in science
3. you don't believe the world was created 4 thousand years ago

This is probably the single largest thing going on in the science world right now, and many physicists believe it has the potential to blow open whole new volumes in our quest to understand the nature of the universe and existence. Some nay-sayers have said it could create a black hole on earth, but these are the same type who thought the Y2K bug was gonna wipe us out and the millennium was going to be Doomsday or the "second coming" or something. I'm sorry (for you) if you're one of those people.

C'mon, Bebe, You Know I Love You!

I really dig Bebe's new ad campaign. The direction they've taken the brand for the fall and winter line has a saturated feel, dripping with attitude and atmosphere. Part boudoir, part 80's chic, part Eyes Wide Shut...all kinds of sexy.

The colors are classic but bold. Lips that red are nothing but power. I like the heavy, deliberate use of background shadow, it emphasizes the glam-lit feel of the photography.

I recently worked with a professional photographer and its given me renewed respect for the profession. I've also been paying more attention to fashion lately, though not in my own life it would seem! You need "money" for that.

The down side to Bebe's new campaign? It sort of reminds me of the girls in the Robert Palmer "Addicted to Love" video. Not something to shoot for. On the up side, however, it's kind of like some of Paulina Porizkova's work for Estee Lauder in the 80s. That, on the other hand, IS something to shoot for.

http://www.bebe.com/ Click on Ad Campaign on the bottom left.

Hiro Yamagata and the Laser Buddhas

The work of Hiro Yamagata is one of the things that inspired me to pursue industrial design professionally. His work exemplifies creative use of radical technology, the pushing of limits, and just having fun. However, one of his most recent projects showcases the power of imagination put to work through the framework of design to produce cultural healing and humanitarian/world heritage aid.

If you think back to that now oft-forgotten time known as pre-9/11 era, you might recall news of the destruction of 1500-year-old gigantic Buddha statues in Afghanistan. The destruction was ordered and carried out by the Taliban. Yes, that Taliban. The same group, just before the rest of the world knew or cared anything about them. This was a loss to world heritage akin the destruction of the Egyptian pyramids or Peru's Machu Picchu. However, out of destruction comes creation and out of problem comes opportunity. Hiro Yamagata considered what had happened and decided he wanted to do something about it. He developed a concept for digitally recreating the lost statues through the magic of modern technology and has unveiled a plan for images of the Buddhas to be projected onto the same cliff walls via powerful, long-range lasers. I think this work is as remarkable as it is inspiring. I hope to affect change in my own life and career through positive social action in ways not unlike this.

the project: http://www.bamiyanlaser.org/en/exhi.html

the artist: http://www.hiroyamagata.com/

The Other Louisiana

Recently I had the great pleasure of visiting Louisiana. I say great pleasure because the Louisiana I went to has nothing to do with the devastation of hurricane Katrina and the political shit storm that followed. Nor does is have anything to do with racial bigotry. Nor Cajun food. In fact the Louisiana I went to has nothing to do with the US.

North of Kobenhavn, on a small bluff overlooking the Oresund Sound is a very special place, the Louisiana Museum. It's a place of immense beauty, from its picturesque setting to the striking mix of modern and traditional Danish architecture, and of course its substantial collection of modern art.

When I visited in August of this year, they had an amazing exhibition about museum architecture featuring avant guard and notable museum design from all over the world. They had huge, gorgeous models to view the buildings in walk-around 3D and the walls were dripping with dynamic aerial photographs of the finished projects. It was a fascinating show, equally for its content as well as its message. It made me consider the dynamic relationship between art and the environment art is viewed in. How much does the aesthetic of a setting, the mood of the space, and a hundred other factors like materials, lighting, room proportion, etc have a bearing on the effect of the art itself? Perhaps it would be better to ask how much it can have an effect.

If you have the means, I highly recommend a visit to this Louisiana. Just don't expect to find any fried chicken.

http://www.louisiana.dk/uk/

Daniel Simon

Thought that might grab your attention. The artist, Daniel Simon is a graduate of Pforzheim University in Germany, an industrial designer, digital art media god, and all-around player. I met him at a special presentation at Art Center in 2007 too, cool guy. This beautifully twisted piece of elegance is indicative of his style. If you care to have your mind blown, check out his website.

http://www.cosmic-motors.com/main.html