Thought I’d share a few photos from when I visited Paris in the Spring. There are a few that I’m particularly happy with. The whole album can be viewed here.
travel, tech, photography and design…
I’ve recently started writing for a new online travel magazine called Exploration. I figured that I could relive some of the memories that I have from my various travels and possibly entertain a few people along the way. I often find it difficult to finish a blog post once started, so this can serve as an outlet for all those ideas I’ve had and never wrote up fully. My first article, about what to take and what not to take travelling to India can be found here. I hope it can be of some use to people.
I got in from work today to see that the toys I had worked on in India while at Gween Toys had gained the recognition I always hoped they would get. They’ve appeared on Inhabitots.com with the headline “Exquisite, Interactive Wooden ‘Gween’ Toys Engage and Delight Tots”. To a designer, there is no higher satisfaction than knowing that the people who use your products enjoy them. Read the rest of this entry »
I just wanted to make a few observations from my visit to Brussels last week. Although I’ve passed through it ten times or more, I’d never preciously managed to explore the city in more depth. The inhabitants and architecture make it one of contrasts that you don’t often see.
Stuff like this really gets to me. The elevator control panel you see below is a classic example of thoughtless design. When I first used it, I pressed the top buttons only to realise that they’re not…buttons. Only after a few presses, I noticed that the buttons were in fact below. It makes you wonder what the point of the arrows above is. They’re larger and placed more conveniently to be pressed for a standing adult. In fact, when I returned later, I saw the ‘mistake’ I’d made repeated by someone else, so I’m not alone.
And this was in an expensive department store that should be looking to optimise customer experience in every detail?
Can anyone see a reason for this? I'd love to know!
Having watched the film ’9′ and really enjoyed it, I wanted to point out something that attracted my attention throughout, the similarities to the Final Fantasy series of games, particularly to FF VII.
Although these could be coincidental, I think there are too many examples throughout the film for this to be the case. The animators and artists who created ’9′ must have been very heavily influenced by the Squaresoft classic. Below is a rundown of the similarities I have managed to spot…
One thing I regretted after returning from India was that I didn’t post enough of my observations about the country, people and culture to this blog, so I’m making another attempt at it, this time having relocated to Hull in northern England. It may not seem as exotic, but in my opinion, every place in the world has something to offer and I’m definitely looking forward to this new adventure.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have one of my projects featured as a finalist on ecouterre’s ‘Recycled Denim Challenge’, a competition that looks at innovative implementations for used denim. The project is Cas de Nîmes, a laptop sleeve that provides great protection for your device. While being stored, it disguises the laptop as a pair of jeans that won’t attract thieves. There is also sufficient space in its pockets for any accessories and peripherals you might be carrying.
If you like the project, please vote for it in the competition, as currently it’s one of the top ones! Votes are open until November 4th.
http://www.ecouterre.com/recycleddenimchallenge/denim-laptop-case-and-clever-computer-disguise/
Credit goes out to all the other entries as well, as they’re all great!
Update 08/11/2010: Even though it did not win, my design was one of the top finalists, with 260 votes! Thanks to everyone who voted.
I’ve recently been driving a Rover 45 and I have to say that on the basis of their design, I can’t really be surprised that Rover went out of business. I feel like the interior has been designed to frustrate its occupants and in some cases it can even prove dangerous, with poor consideration for the user experience and not much evidence of anthropometric research.
Travelcards in Helsinki are electronic, similarly to those in London or Shanghai. What impressed me however, was the plastic wallet that the travelcards come with. I know first hand what it’s like to be standing at a stop at night and when your bus finally comes the driver doesn’t stop, leaving you very annoyed and often very cold.
