Valentin Ruhry had the brilliant idea to take 5,000 orange rocker switches you normally see in power strips and transform them into a blank canvas. Oh, the possibilities! #want
(thank you Rusty)
Wall of Rocker Switches
Definition of Work
Here’s a question I asked iconic Swiss Designer Jost Hochuli at last night’s AIGA event:
Me: “What’s your definition of work?”
Jost Hochuli: “70% pleasure!”
+Pool Kickstarter
I have written about the +Pool concept before and am thrilled to see that the team at Dong-Ping Wong are trying to make it happen. Considering that this floating pool could potentially become reality right outside our Studiomates windows is making me giddy.
They started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $25,000 to begin physical tests of the filtration materials and methods that they spent the winter studying. With each donation amount you’ll receive an article of + Pool summertime attire, from tantoos and koozies on up to sunglasses, tanktops and towels.
I am so totally backing this and encourage you to do the same.
constant quest of improvement
“A life without any complacency, in constant quest of improvement.” – Jost Hochuli
That is how Jost Hochuli described his former teacher, Willi Baus.
New and improved Typekit integration with WordPress.com
Adding Typekit fonts to your WordPress blog just got a whole lot better. Starting today, a new Custom Design upgrade provides a visual font preview that allows you to modify your theme quickly and effortlessly — no coding required. Just pick some fonts and instantly see how they will look on your blog.
This is fantastic! More details over on Typekit.
Search Google with Images, Not Words
Google Goggles has enabled you to search by snapping a photo on your mobile phone since 2009, and today they’re introducing Search by Image on desktop.
(via a photo editor / via chrisglass)
Galaxy Song
Yep, one of these days where I needed to put things into perspective.
(thank you Fran)
♥ / PHOSMade
A big thank you to PHOSmade for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed.
Are you into stainless steel and/or German stuff? If so, you’ll love PHOSmade.com. They have just about every possible home-related item, all made from the very best hand-polished stainless steel (remember, Germans build really nice cars). And if you have an idea for some new creation or customization, good chance they can do that too. Visit PHOSmade.com and gain a whole new appreciation for German creations.
PHOSmade.com gets the swissmiss thumbs up!
(Interested in sponsoring a week of my RSS feed, learn more here.)
Hoban Cards
Nate Burgos of DesignFeast pointed me to a true gem today: Hoban Cards is a fantastic letterpress calling card printing service by Evan Calkin. To get your own Hoban Card all you have to do is choose from six designs, enter your name, email or phone number, check out via paypal and then wait for them to show up at your doorsteps! Each calling card is hand printed on a 1902 Chandler and Price letterpress. For an affordable $75 you get 100 personalized cards printed on 100% 110lb cotton paper. Here’s Evan’s press in action:
These would make an amazing gift! I might just order a batch for myself…
ABC Crayons
This 26 alphabet letter crayons set is definitely a cool gift for future type nerds.
HelloFax
HelloFax is a site that let’s you send faxes, sign documents and fill out forms, all online, in a few easy steps. No cumbersome printing-scanning-emailing necessary. My studiomate Cameron tried it today, and he was happy enough to euphorically tweet about their service. I will twitter-echo that right after I upload this post. I just gave it a try and it’s amazingly easy! What a time-saver. (Only bummer, it doesn’t seem to work in Safari)
Smart UI Design
Now here’s a User Interface Detail that made me look: When you right click the logo on the Akismet site, it shows you a dialogue offering you different high resolution versions of the logo. Brilliant! Probably something only designer-types understand!
(via chris glass)
Sewing Kit Wall Sticker
Are you constantly telling someone to put things back where they belong? These Sewing Kit Wall Stickers will make a big statement!
Yumaki Toothbrush
How designy is this Yumaki Trinidad Toothbrush? Totally fits the swissmiss color scheme! Ha!
Cockerel Clock
My chicken obsession is being fueled by this Cockerel Clock.
Get To Work
“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” — Chuck Close
(via quote vadis)
100/10/1
There is a 100/10/1 “rule of thumb” with social services. 1% will create content, 10% will engage with it, and 100% will consume it. If only 10% of your users need to log in because 90% just want to consume, then you’ll end up with the vast majority of your users in the logged out camp. Don’t ignore them, build services for them, and you can slowly but surely lead them to more engagement and potentially some day into the logged in camp.
- Fred Wilson
read the full post: Don’t Forget Your Logged Out Users
The Printer’s Terms
The Printer’s Terms contains explanations of virtually all printer’s terms of the pre-digital “lead age of typography” in English, German and French. Designed by legendary Swiss Rudolf Hostettler.
Nightstand
PIN-UP Magazine and Phillips de Pury & Company recently embarked on an interesting quest – to reinvent the nightstand. Eleven designers submitted ideas and the one above, by Leon Ransmeier, is by far my favorite. See them all over on Shoeboxdwelling.
2011 Jell-O Mold Design Competition
It’s that time of the year again where New Yorkers get crafty with Jell-O! It’s time for the 2011 Jell-O Mold Dedsign Competition here in Brooklyn. Designers must register by Wednesday June 15, 2011 to participate in the competition. The event is open to the public so even if you don’t compete you can come check out the action and vote for your favorite mold for People’s Choice!
Designers must make their own molds for the contest–either by creating a new mold or recontexualizing pre-existing forms–and they welcome submission of process images of mold construction.
More info here.
Time for an Email Charter
Chris Anderson (of TED) is declaring war on in-boxes with this recent blog post. He is asking use to help start an Email Charter. I am nodding in agreement.
As I have expressed before, I am quite frustrated with how we use email. I know, I am not alone. I have declared email bankruptcy and explained in another post how email has become my primary source of guilt. I currently have an auto-responder set up that has the sole purpose of setting expectations low. Here’s what it says:
Hi there,
This autoresponder is an attempt in setting expectations right. Fact is: I get too much email and can’t keep up. My inbox has become my primary source of guilt.
I promise I will try my best to get back to you as soon as I can. If your email is super-crazy important, meaning the internet might implode if I don’t write back, then please resend your email in a day or so, if you don’t hear back.
Waving from Brooklyn!
Tina – ready to change the way we use email
The overall response to the auto-responder has been positive. Of course, I get an annoyed comment here and there, but it has helped me feel less guilty. Also, people have proven to be more understanding, less annoyed with my late or lack of reply. It’s obviously not an ideal solution, but better than nothing.
What do you think of Chris’ idea? And his proposed rules?
Cloud Lamp
I don’t think I have ever been as excited about a lamp. Ever. Zhao Liping’s Cloud Lamp won my heart.
(thank you Maria and Kirstin)
MoMA Design Studio
The MoMA Department of Advertising and Graphic Design just launched their team website: www.momadesignstudio.org #twothumbsup
(thank you Jesse)
Bosch Fridge Manual 1963
I just stumbled upon an amazing collection of Book and Design related Flickr Sets by German based Design Professor Michael Stoll. This Bosch Fridge Manual Set from 1963 made me chuckle. Or check out this Flight Thru Instruments book from 1945, describing different (military) techniques of flight in a profusely illustrated manner. Or this Corporate Identity Brochure from 1972 about the City of Munich.
