If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Design Is Blind: Beautiful, Wearable & Functional Objects With Braille

'Love Is Blind' Vase by Jessica Lertvilai, Canada

What makes this vase extra beautiful is that those are love letters transcribed in reliefed braille on the surface of the earthenware vase. The vase's narrow oval shape is ideal for floral arrangements, and unfilled it makes a romantically statuesque statement.
12" x 6" x 2", Earthenware.
Buy it here.

Raised Flocked Braille Wallpapers by Ilias:

Ilias makes actual Braille wallpaper with raised flocked dots in various colors, including one with accompanying text. All of their wallpapers are printed by hand and made in England.

Braille Wall Flats By Inhabit

Inhabit's Embossed Wall Flats are designed to expand in any direction with an automatic pattern repeat. Cover a existing wall, help disguise a not-so-smooth wall or add a modern pattern to any room setting.

They are good for the environment too, because they are made from bamboo pulp, one of the world's most renewable resources. No trees were harmed in the making of this product.

Customize them by rotating every other tile or row, mix-and-match patterns or paint them to coordinate with your decor. The rule is there are no rules and the important thing is to have fun with it. It¹s low stress, low commitment and a big payoff in the way Wall Flats from Inhabit impact a space. Wall Flats can be used to do an entire room, one wall or to create free-standing-art pieces.

Specs:
Dimensions: 18"x18" panels
Content: 10 panels per box
Coverage: 22.5 square feet
Color: Off-white paintable surface
Material: 100% molded bamboo paper pulp. No chemical fillers or additives.
Hand: Feels like a dense hardboard
Buy them here.

Dennis Lin's Braille Tiles -Totem Design

Dennis designed the tiles when he was looking for a way to express a message in a literal, but subtle, way. If the writing 'aint on the wall already, these tiles provide the perfect way to get it up there. Each 6 x 12 cast polymer tile represents a character of the Braille alphabet. To display your own tactile message, please order the total quantity of tiles you require (including blanks). Since every tiled message is different, Totem will contact you to confirm exactly which tiles/letters you require. $50/each
Buy them here.

Braille Furniture by Marielle Wichards

"Yes, I am fascinated by the fact that blind people experience forms and material in a completely different way. This fascination was born when I worked for 'het Schild', on the signposting in the building. Dealing with a physical handicap is complicated enough already, as a designer I can make things easier, more practical or more interesting. And that is very rewarding."
Read about it here.

Ingrid Lilligren's Braille Ceramics

See all her work here.

Braille Jewelry by Kim Christiansen

Buy it here.

Some braille rings from At First Sight

buy it here.

And Braille necklaces from Blugrn Design

Buy them here.

Auguste Raymond's Braille Hi-Touch Watches appeal to both the blind and seeing customers who like a functional, design wristwatch.

learn more here.

Wenger's Braille Watch:

buy it here.

Custom Braille T-shirts and Hoodies
At Primitive State, you can create custom t-shirts and hoodies you like in Braille:

above: an example of the braille translating interface at Primitive State.

Lego-Type Bricks for the Blind

A Tack-Tile® is interchangeable with any of the LEGO® -type blocks on the market.
Tack-Tiles® slates accept LEGO-type blocks; boards bought at toy stores accept Tack-Tiles® , yet differences exist. Tack-Tiles® slates are heavier and have receptor sites spaced like letters and lines of text. The receptors are rounded making placement of Tack-Tiles® easy even for many with fine and gross motor control problems. Tack-Tiles® may be pushed on with whatever force is available.

Buy them or learn more about them here.

Talk About Pissing on Religion: China Unveils World's Largest Bathroom

above: Virgin Mary Themed Urinals

Anyone who has traveled to the Middle Kingdom would agree that the country's public restroom facilities leave a lot to be desired. Well, in Chongqing, a city of 31 million people in south-central China, they've had enough. Not content with the rudimentary squat units found everywhere in China, the city has pursued some innovative ideas that are meant to make the experience not just easier, but a little more fun.

This lovely animated video by Yannick Puig for Kwoon's first video, 'I Lived On The Moon' has already been viewed by record numbers of people on you tube, myspace and more. Now it's your turn to see it.

In Yannick's own words:
In "I lived on the moon", a father speaks to his son. He explains how was his life on the moon. A place filled with flying snakes, fireflies and three tailed monkeys. A beautiful place, safe and far away from the human culture. A place for imagination, a place in which you'll find the entrance only if you open your mind.

above: The actual lyrics

above: Animator/designer Yannick Puig

See Yannick's Creation of "I Lived On The Moon" complete with storyboards and more here.

Buy the CD here.
Kwoon Music

Chew on this: 700k grill for Rapper Baby

TMZ was there as the Cash Money Millionaires' singer had his $250,000 platinum/white gold plated and diamond encrusted grill replaced with a new and improved one worth $500,000.

People joke that Julia Roberts has a million dollar smile but rapper Baby literally does - and he has the bling to prove it.

The diamonds were designed by jeweler to the stars Chris Aire. Aire is the first designer to provide ascher cut diamonds made especially for use as a dental accessory.

The four hour procedure, performed by Beverly Hills dentist Dr. Daniel Durchslag, may seem bizarre to some, but Baby says he's just looking to "take it to another level."

And to keep his smile sparkling, don't expect to see him using Colgate anytime soon. Dr. Durchslag has concocted a special toothpaste that won't dull or scratch Baby's newly drilled family jewels.

Baby's extreme makeover should come as no surprise since he and the Cash Money Millionaires are responsible for coining the now ubiquitous term "bling bling." Which makes perfect sense since Baby says bling is his "passion" in life.

Besides the costs associated with the oral surgery and the diamonds, Baby also has an insurance policy on his new evil grin estimated at around $700K.

With a price tag like that, Baby's tooth fairy better have the last name Trump.

Do It In Damask: Tons of Damask products

8 new ways to get your fill of damask.
Just click on the item below for details or to purchase.

Once relegated to Grandma's bed spread, Damask has made a major comeback as the new 'modern' pattern!

After the past few years of minimalist design in furniture and objects, Rococo, ornate and baroque have come back with a vengeance!

Don't believe me? Just looky...

See lots more of my Divine Damask products on my list at ThisNext.

Take A Hike...well, okay...A Walk.

NOTCOT(the fabulous site by my friend, Jean Aw and colleagues) did a nice feature story on this cool site, so I am reprinting it here.

Jean Aw: "Odds are if you are reading this, you PROBABLY should check the Walk Score of your current location and get walking. I mean seriously, we spend a bit too much time at our computers… well me at least. Apparently my current walkscore is well in the green, at 88% - what is that, a B+? A-? Its been a long time since i’ve thought about grades. “70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.”

This is an interesting mashup - Walk Score uses a patent-pending algorithm to calculate the walkability of an address based on: The distance to walkable locations near an address, calculating a score for each of these locations, combining these scores into one easy to read Walk Score. More details below on how the calculate an areas walkability…"

From Walk Score:

Walkable Neighborhoods

Picture a walkable neighborhood. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stroll home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don’t own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors.
What makes a neighborhood walkable?

Walkable communities tend to have the following characteristics:

* A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it’s a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
* Density: The neighborhood is compact, rather than spread out, which brings people closer to stores and jobs and makes public transportation more cost effective.
* Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
* Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
* Accessibility: The neighborhood is accessible to everyone and has wheelchair access, plenty of benches with shade, sidewalks on all streets, etc.
* Well connected, speed controlled streets: Streets form a connected grid that improves traffic by providing many routes to any destination. Streets are narrow to control speed, and shaded by trees to protect pedestrians.
* Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
* Close schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

They even have a page of “How it doesn’t work”

www.walkscore.com

Plastics Engineer Turned Traveling Nature & People Photographer: Larry Broutman.

above: Larry's shot of a young woman in Namibia

Ever have a talented member of your family you new nothing about?
Well, yesterday I discovered that my second cousin -who I thought was merely a brilliant plastics and polymers engineer, is actually a talented photographer to boot!

Larry Broutman has a passion for travel, particularly to remote areas of the world. During the past 15 years he has traveled to all 7 continents and even included a trip to the North Pole aboard a Russian nuclear icebreaker. His interests have included visiting hill tribes in Asia, nomadic tribes in Africa, and touring in India and other Himalayan countries. A desire to document these travel experiences sparked his enthusiasm in photography. His interest in photographing other cultures eventually broadened to travel and outdoor photography, or as Larry describes it, "photographing images of the natural world."

above: Cambodia

Larry has specialized in photographing people, wildlife and landscapes. He has studied and toured with some of the best-known documentary and nature photographers in the field. His images have been sold to corporations, private collectors and travel publications. He currently has an exhibit scheduled to open at the Illinois Institute of Technology in the fall of 2004 and has completed an installation of wildlife photography at the Childrens Memorial Hospital Outpatient Clinic.

above: Sparring hippos

Larry's people photography captures the human side of foreign cultures and tribes. A Japanese sumo wrestler sweeps the floor with an antique broom. A stunning beauty from Namibia shows off a hairstyle caked with mud. A young monk from Bhutan in traditional dress stands in striking contrast to the blue wall of his monastery.

People:

above: Hamar girl, Ethiopia

above: Papua, New Guinea

above: Mursi Woman, Ethiopia

above: Samburu Warrior, Kenya

above: Hamar man, Ethiopia

above: Karo Warrior, Ethiopia

above: Karo Elder, Ethiopia

above: Laos

above: Cambodia

above:Laos

above: Laos

His wildlife and landscapes also take us to breathtaking locales and capture moments of vivid intensity. A cheetah from South Africa gazes into a golden sunset. A lilac breasted roller reminds us of the impossible beauty that is commonplace in Botswana. A landscape in Anza Borrego, California captures the fuchsias, greens and violet hues of the desert.

Wildlife:

above: leopard cub, South Africa

above: Giraffe, Nambia

above: Mountain Gorilla, Uganda

above: Zebras, Nambia

above: Polar Bears, Norway

above: Wildebeest dive

above: Malachite Kingfisher

above: Baboon and infant

As if his beautiful photography weren't enough to impress you, he also invented a specific way to use the Quick-set pan and tilt positioning tripod (the benefits of being an engineer and photographer):

QuickSet Goes to Africa
When Larry Broutman packed his bags heading for Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park this April, he surely brought his safari hat. But even more important was his trusty Quickset Pan and Tilt. Broutman, a professional photographer working on his second educational media project for the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Regenstein African Journey exhibit, spent much of April photographing the migration of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles. This migration is a constant, cyclical movement between Kenya and Tanzania. It follows the rain and birth cycles, carrying herds south from Kenya into the Serengeti in the springtime. When he arrived, Broutman was greeted by millions of wildebeests, among them the new calves, born just this February. It was a truly awesome sight to see.

While there were many anxious photographers roaming the African plains hoping for the perfect shot, none went about it quite like Broutman. Because of the mostly flat topography of the Serengeti, he thought it would be ideal to have the benefit of elevation in his work. He wanted a 40-foot telescoping mast attached to his truck, allowing for mobility and the unique aerial perspective he sought. He mounted a digital camera atop a pan and tilt, linked to the ground by a video feed that would be his eyes. From the shelter of his truck, Broutman was able to maneuver the camera through an incredible range of shot angles and to capture the still photographs onto his laptop. These photos can be seen as part of the zoo’s African Journey, delighting and educating visitors from all over the world.

Above left: the quick-set tripod in use by Larry, shown on the right

BIO
Larry began his professional career as a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He has his undergraduate and doctorate degrees from MIT in the field of Materials Science. Larry is known worldwide for his research and has published 160 research articles and several text books in the field of plastics and composite materials. In the mid 80's, Larry founded, L.J. Broutman Associates and co-founded Advanced Polymer Compounding. The former company became one of the largest and most prestigious plastics laboratories and consulting companies in the U.S., and the latter is among the foremost plastics compounding companies in the U.S.

Larry continues to travel and recently returned from trips to Cuba and Southern India. His plans include additional wildlife installations and further exhibits of his people photographs from around the world. His travel agenda for this year will include China, Africa and India.
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Some of Larry's photographs can be seen on his website.
For further information, please call Lisa Ridolfi at 847-337-3987.

Exhibitions:
Eye on Africa
June 23-Sept 30, 2005
Hermann Hall
Illinois Institute of Technology [info]
Chicago, IL

East Africa-The Wildebeest Migration
Permanent Exhibit
Regenstein African Journey Building
Lincoln Park Zoo [info]
Chicago, IL.