Interview in Le Cool

Amongst all the excitement around the tangle proof headphones video, I nearly forgot to post up my interview in LeCool this week. You can read the interview here



My bollard also made the front cover

Video proving popular on youtube!

I put my idea for the improvement to headphones on youtube and it's proving very popular! Surprisingly so - at the moment it is on the front page of reddit and it on the front page of most favourited UK youtube with 11,600 views. I'll post it here also:



Not sure what to do in terms on intellectual property rights on this - does my video on youtube prove it's mine or could someone just use the idea. I've always liked the idea of sharing ideas but wouldn't want anyone to copy it.

Idea for an improvement to ipod headphones

Whilst on a bus I spent some time untangling my headphones which was frustrating. Then on the train home I saw this woman untangling hers:

Woman on train untangling headphone from Lee Washington on Vimeo.

A common problem. I thought about how the design of the headphones could be improved and thought about resealable sandwich bags. I decided to do a video to present the idea with a basic prototype.

Idea for improvement to ipod headphones to prevent tangling from Lee Washington on Vimeo.

Hi

Hi from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

Artists taking the lead

very exciting project from the Arts Council England in partnership with London 2012. Twelve new works of art across the country. Check out the ideas for London. Brilliant stuff. If only I'd known a couple of months back. I would have submitted Bollard lights

My favourite is Bus Stops which proposes to use the tops of bus stops as a canvas with programmable LEDs. Brilliant.

Nice thoughts of viral

Just watched the video on viral marketing. It is so true. Don't just make 'a viral' make something that is awesome, original and most of all entertaining.

Work in the 21st century

When I was at school before the internet was even invented I had no idea that work would be like this. Technology has enabled us to do so much and work so flexibly - admittedly it maybe has led to an 'always working' society but if you enjoy your work that's not always a bad thing. It also allows the day to be broken up differently. Today I got up, worked a couple of hours in my dressing gown, went for swim and now I'm back at my desk working until lunch when I'll probably go sit in the garden.

I also get a better view:




What's more. I could be anywhere in the world doing my job right now....right now I'm working in London, but if I was to go live in New York I could easily take my work with me. Technology is good.

Nice use of youtube interactivity from Samsung

I'm working with The Viral Factory, seeding this video for their Samsung ST550 and TL 225 cameras which have an LCD screen at the front so you can people photos of yourself and friends. This is a nice edition in itself - how many times have you seen people out on a night out trying to get the group shot with everyone in it?

To get this across they've created the following series of interactive videos:

Design for life not magazine covers

The interview with Jasper Morrison in this months Icon is definitely worth a read. He criticises the media for creating a culture of designers who add visual pollution to the world and advocates an approach to create 'super normal' objects. Objects that fit into their surroundings and are perfectly designed for their purpose.

When I began my degree I was more into the design art side of things. Then you realise that you are just adding more crap to the world. What is really needed are solutions to problems and nice clean, simple, elegant design. That Lasts.



Icon has a blog that's worth a visit.

Rapid protyped USB

Just stole this off a colleague's desk - a rapid prototyped Asics USB. It has instant cool appeal and I want to steal it. But I'm going to go put it back on her desk now.

Golden rules of online success

Been thinking about the internet and what makes it tick. Basic thought is that is it a medium of entertainment and 'making life easier'. If something does one or both of these it'll succeed:

Within entertainment there are elements
-originality
-humour
-reward

Within 'makes life easier' there are elements
-effort required
-information provided
-communication

Facebook - entertainment and makes life easier
Twitter - entertainment and makes life easier
Youtube - entertainment and makes life easier
Reddit - entertainment and makes life easier
BBC - entertainment
BBC weather - makes life easier

If a brand can provide something that is both entertaining and makes life easier it'll do well online.

Obviously this all needs a bit more refinement, these are just my initial thoughts. Probably could do with another word for 'making life easier' but that is what the internet set out to do. Added convenience.

New London architecture

Just stumbled upon the New London Architecture - the centre for London's built environment near where I work and went in for a visit at lunch.

Really interesting exhibitions and videos of how London's skyline is changing. I'm facinated by London's architecture and how the city is changing - new projects such as Crossrail, The Olympics and The Shard are set to make the city quite a different place over the next five years. Not to mention the revolution in the number of people cycling :)

Sam Hill Design

I first came across Sam Hill's work at his degree show when he presented a series of experiments in experience and risk value. A facinating project where he challenged himself to do increasing embarrasing things an take risks - what made it so effective is his scientific approach to it all.

His blog is also worth a visit. His post and video on keebab table is very good - he looks at the world in a very creative way.

I fixed it

A nice site of people's attempts to fix things, proving that there is a designer in everyone. Or maybe not, some of these frankly dangerous, but occationally there is a gem that shows a nice bit of problem solving.



Link here
I fixed it

Found on Brandflakesforbreakfast who found it at Urban Outfitters (both also worth checking out)

Back from holiday

Blog has been a bit quiet of late as I was off on holiday. I thought I'd be depressed on returning to London having spent a week in a beautiful village in Dorset and going to the beach.

However, on my return I had one of those days that reminded me why I live in this city and why I love it. I went kayaking in the morning on a lake near where I live and then in the afternoon headed over to the incredible Hackney Wicked Arts Festival.

Hackney Wick is now home to the highest concentration of artists in the world that were all priced out of Shoreditch. For the weekend many of the studios were open to the public with awesome exhibitions of art and photography followed by some brilliant bands. I found the whole thing very inspiring and hopefully in a couple of years I can get a studio in that neck of the woods.





Particularly brilliant was the work of Joseph Loughborough who we had a brief chat with.

I highly recommend that you check out the festival next year.



I also got my first glimpse of the Olympic Stadium. It'll be interesting to see how this area of warehouses and factory units changes over the next few years. I really hope that it doesn't get developed with the artists being once again priced out.