This might be my new favorite housewarming gift for my friends moving to the suburbs: Key Hiding Rock.
DIY
DIY just added the explore stream which makes me want to go home and make something with my kids asap. Kids crafts/art is the best.
Selected Data Visualization Tools
The fine folks of data visualization.ch put together a selection of data visualization tools that they use the most and that they enjoy working with. It includes libraries for plotting data on maps, frameworks for creating charts, graphs and diagrams and tools to simplify the handling of data. Even if you’re not into programming, you’ll find applications that can be used without writing one single line of code. They will keep this list as a living repository and add / remove things as technology develops. YES!
Advice from Rob Giampietro
Advice by Rob Giampietro to designers getting ready to start their own studio:
1. An untended garden quickly becomes a field: plant what you want to grow.
2. Have partners, but don’t do the same things: make sure you both do something you enjoy.
3. Hire people for what they can teach you, not for what you can teach them.
4. Everyone should be able to take criticism: creative trust is built on critical honesty.
5. Design is only one part of the puzzle: savor the discussion, development, debate, and dissemination of your work just as much as the making of it.
6. Goals may be arbitrary, but not having them will be maddening when there’s no one else to tell you if you’re doing a good job: set 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year goals at the outset.
7. When you take your favorite clients out to lunch, it’s a good time to propose what you’d like to do together next.
8. Knowing more designers doesn’t necessarily translate into having good clients: spend your development time wisely.
9. Be known for something: it helps.
10. You will never work harder than when you’re building something: find balance. Sometimes the best way to solve a creative problem is to take a vacation or read a book.
(via One Skinnyj)
Asparagus Tart
This Asparagus Tart caught my eye, and made my stomach growl. I found it over on The Forest Feast, a blog by Erin Gleeson, a NYC photographer who moved to the woods.
Street Seats
Bade Stageberg Cox collected 50 abandoned chairs on the streets of New York, repaired them and gave them a new life with a coat of taxi cab yellow paint. The bottom of each chair is stamped and documented with the date and location it was recovered. Lovely. Street Seats.
The Mid Century Garage Door
I love the internets for various reasons, but especially when I stumble upon sites like this one, dedicated to Garages. Definitely love their post on Mid Century Garage Doors.
(via Jen Bekman)
How To Carry Eggs in Style
This Vintage Egg Box makes me want to boil a bunch of eggs and take them for a walk. Stylish!
Letraset
Being a graphic designer back in the days, when Letraset was King, was a whole other ballgame. After having read this article, I bow to my iMac and the design apps I use in respect!
(via coudal)
Wordless Web
Wordless Web is a simple browser plug-in that makes the words on any site invisible, so the only thing left to see are the pictures.
No text means no context. You’re free to enjoy the images in their purest form, without names, labels, definitions, or purpose. File this under playful and not necessarily all that useful.
Project by Ji Lee / Coding by Cory Forsyth.
HHI Day Pack
Hammarhead Industries’ heavy duty backpack is meant for motorcycle commuting. Love the minimal design.
DIY.org
DIY.org is a new project by Zach Klein that is trying to create a safe place on the web to foster kids’ creativity. As a mother of two, and creativity being a huge part of my work life, I couldn’t be more excited.
Here’s how it works: Let your kid sign up and create an account where they can safely publish what they make. They can upload videos and pictures of their projects using the DIY website or iphone/iPod Touch app. Kids’ projects are online for everone to see, and parents can add stickers to show support. Parents also have their own control panel to follow their activity and also to make sure they’re not sharing anything that should be private.
Consider it a tool that lets kids collect everything they make as they grow up. I love this idea!
Griprings
Bike enthusiasts, listen up: GripRings let you personalize your handlebars. Love this!
(via blessthisstuff)
No.22
Veronica Corzo-Duchardt, the designer of the above poster, is currently visiting us here at Studiomates. The poster is part of the Neche Collection, a fantastic project that documents the objects collected by Veronica’s grandfather Neche Eugenio Hadad, the stories they tell and the work it inspires.
One of the collection items is available as a Tattly!
Training Dummies
I just paid a visit to one of my favorite blogs, Mrs. Easton, and was amazed by these Training Dummies. Would you have known what they are for, just by looking at the photos? I didn’t. I thought they were a boating accessory.
These are used in the training of hunting dogs and are typically made out of either canvas or rubber. One throws the dummy – maybe some animal or bird scent is impregnated or rubbed onto the thing – and then the good puppy goes and fetches the duffle-shaped decoy and gets a reward upon its safe return.
Fascinating! And they sure are visually pleasing, no?
Timo Handmade
How adorable is this little doll family? Talk about character! Found it over on Etsy in Timo Handmade’s Shop.
Body Hotel
This video is the brainchild of David Luepschen and was created using a mixture of stop-motion and realtime-video. The elements are made out of cardboard and wood – supplemented by an animated vector graphic. Fascinating.
LaLa Lunchbox
LaLa Lunchbox is a brandnew iphone app that lets your kids plan their own lunches and teaches them to make smarter food choices!
Kids get to personalize and design their lunchboxes with fun monsters and colors, and then plan their lunches for a whole week at a time. They simply swipe their choices into their lunchbox from a large selection of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and snacks. Along the way, they learn that a balanced lunch includes items from each category. Parents can easily personalize and edit the items available to their kids.
G and I have been trying to teach our 6 year old, Ella, about the importance of a balanced diet. I am pretty sure she’ll enjoy playing with this app and feeling in control over what goes in her lunchbox. I’ll give LaLa Lunchbox a try, hoping it will not overcomplicate things!
(Thanks Harley)
Hello Hickies, Bye Bye Shoelaces
Hickies turns your sneakers into slip-on shoes. Say goodbye to shoe-laces. I am sure my 6 year old would approve.
Rainbow Parade Preparations
You should see what’s currently going down at the South wing of Studiomates. Jessi is in full preparation mode for tommorrow’s rainbow parade. And the above image pictures Jessi in her apartment, after her giant balloons were just dropped off.
If you’re in NYC, and have a love for color, come and join us for the World’s Largest Rainbow Birthday Parade, which includes a 20 People Marching Band. You can just show up, just make sure to be dressed in one color from head to toe!
