Design Debate

I know this isn't new, in fact Tomas Saraceno launched this mesmeric installation back in 2007, but only today has it came to my attention. One of the beauties of the internet I think, is that there is always something new to discover, even if it is just new to you!  'Poetic Cosmos of the Breath' is, in my opinion, breath-taking. The urge I have to climb inside my monitor and lie beneath the billowing hues is really quite strong. This piece was brought to my attention by blog We Heart  where huge inflatables came together for Mobile M+: Inflation! in Hong Kong. Tomas' experiment was first launched at dawn on 22 September 2007 at Gunpowder Park, Essex, UK. For the artwork to be erected it requires specific weather conditions and a few willing volunteers. Just how the light is manipulated by the folds of rainbow-like colour is quite glorious. So very peaceful too. Did you ever, for a team building exercise at school - or in my case Girl Guid...

I love it when I can respect everything about a product. These beautifully designed chairs were created entirely with the power of wind. The project 'Windworks' was set up by Merel Karhof , a Dutch designer who currently lives in London. She, with the help of two neighbouring mills in Zaanse Schans, North Holland, set up this remarkable production line. One, a sawmill, cuts the wood for her chairs, benches and stools - and the other, a paint mill, ground the pigments to create the die for the wool. She even uses a wind powered knitting machine! This has been a long journey of discovery. Read Karhof's interview in the New York Times . She experimented first with wind powered jewellery making. Then she made scarfs in the project 'wind knitting factory' - a wind-powered knitting machine which used air currents to power the mill. The wind's intensity determined the speed at which it knit - windy conditions saw rapid knitting activity, while l...

I saw this branding by Budapest-based agency Zwoelf and was really impressed. Their client, Csaba Mózes   was a professional masseur who was also blind from birth. He wanted a new visual identity that would expand his client base.  The design agency focussed on two things when creating Mózes' brand. First to create something that could in some way reflect Csaba's blindness, and second to make the outcome scannable by Csaba's fingers. An identity that was just visual would be excluding for him, so they drew on aspects of braille to make it more inclusive. What I think makes this brand special is that they take the concept further. The dots of braille are elongated symbolising how a masseuse pushes points making longer or curved movements. When Zwoelf made the presentation to their client they used clear relief paint gel so he could feel the concept. Quite brilliant I think really. It's a brand that works for ...

To my absolute joy I stumbled across the most beautiful embroidery of artist Yumiko Higuchi . She lives in Tokyo, Japan and was born in 1975. Higuchi studied her craft at Tama Art University.   Her work is so lovely, and hand-made. It feels very traditional with the quality of the stitching and materials used, but also very fresh with such precision and bright colours. It must take a lot of time and concentration. My style is a lot more free, I don't think I could successfully create something so intricate and then repeat it so perfectly.  I can definitely see echoes of William Morris in her designs. I always gravitate towards the natural. My home is just full of illustrations and fabrics depicting flowers and organic shape. I love that traditional crafts are thriving, and how could they not when we have such talented designers like Higuchi. Found via Oxana Kostromina's blog .