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Best Domestic Appliance Nominees For Wallpaper's Design Awards




It's that wonderful time of year again when Wallpaper Magazine is getting ready to announce their design winners for the year.

Wallpaper* Design Awards 08 in association with Jaguar, does this yearly and they post the shortlist for the International Judges' Awards for each category.

The winners will be announced january 10 -at which time I will share them with you, of course.

In the meantime, enjoy the nominees for Best Domestic Appliance along with images and info not found on the Wallpaper site.

They are as follows:

1.

Alpha TV by Brionvega:
The elegant, 1930s-influenced curves of the ‘Alpha’ testify to the television’s elevation beyond technology to furniture status. The base, which holds a DVD player, is incorporated into the set’s sleek, chromed steel frame (no unwieldy stand required), while the fuss-free, die-cast aluminium remote control lies unobtrusively on the table when not in use.

More images and information (not available on wallpaper.com):
ALPHA CONCEPT

The icon, the past, the dream, the Italianness, the design and the future. Definitely too many meanings for a TV set. The bare necessary for ALPHA, the new generation of Brionvega TV sets.

An LCD TV set with built-in DVD player, characterized by a design which reminds of the immortal decorative masterpieces of the Thirties: Le Corbusier, Breuer, Mies, Eileen Gray.


Alpha is composed of two slender elements joint by a frame in chrome tube within which the special wirings are pulsing. A choice which comes from the rejection of the assumed bidimensionality of common LCD screens, always supported by a cumbersome pedestal, and which focuses on a new layout with the capability of containing the space required by electronics and DVD player.

Even the remote control has attracted a lot of attentions: you perceive the quality of the entire product from the moment you hold it in your hand. Indeed, the material used is die-cast aluminum, not metallized plastic, you just have to place it upside down on the table to find once again all the Brionvega design.

2.


Heater by Plus Minus Zero:
Plus Minus Zero, a company devised by Naoto Fukasawa, released its fourth collection of everyday objects in July 2007. The pieces, which include a coffee maker, old-school digital calculators and this heater, have a distinct 1980s feel yet retain the brand’s iconic minimalism, thoughtfulness and quiet beauty. The small heater sits discreetly under a desk to warm feet.

more info and images:




Available in red, blue or black.
Buy it here.

3.


Katamari 01 speaker by Gyanze:
This is more than just a sleek, modernist design. Enclosed in a forged aluminium block, the built-in digital amp and speaker set offers a room-shaking 15 watts per channel. It switches itself on when it detects an input, can handle a Bluetooth signal and is built like a truck, weighing in at 5.6 kg. If you’re still prepared to travel with it, a wax coating keeps it scratch-free.

more info and images:



AC100V(50・60Hz)30W(待機時2W)
W375×H116×D162mm
Buy it here.


4.


L10 washbasin by Norbert Wangen for Boffi:
The illustrious partnership between Swiss design perfectionist Norbert Wangen and Italian manufacturer Boffi continues to create dazzling results. The ‘L10’ washbasin, with it’s hidden brackets to support it on the wall and covered plug, is perhaps the most seamless sink to date. Made from a solid block of Carrara marble, it is also one of the most luxurious.

more info :
Name: L10 washbasin
Design: Norbert Wangen

Description: Washbasin in white marble with a linear aesthetic. Created from a sold block of Carrera marble, the basin is partially excavated and there is a rear space, with a single hole for the installation of a mono mixer tap. The water outlet is in the middle of the washbasin with a plug covered in the same marble.

The basin can be used both supported on a cabinet and free standing, fixed to the wall with brackets in steel that are integrated into the thickness of the block, and are, therefore, invisible.

Technical features:
Material: white marble.
Dimensions: h. 10 cm, l. 120 cm, d. 50 cm.
Outlet positioned always central with plug covered with marble solid as the washbasin. Wall version load bearing brackets in satinized stainless steel. Equipped with syphon in chromium-plated brass.

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5.


Ora-Ïto Collection for Gorenje:
A French designer with a Japanese name, a dropout genius and a provocative young creative whose work speaks of maturity, Ora-Ïto is full of surprises. His kitchen appliances for Gorenje, including fridge-freezers, ovens and ceramic hobs, blend high technology and simple functionality (what he dubs ‘Simplexity’) behind minimal façades in black glass and brushed aluminium.
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more info and images:









Behind the Ora-Ïto brand is a creative young French designer whose provocative ideas ensured his rapid assent to the very top of the design world. At the beginning of his career he presented his designs and ideas for the virtual products, undersigned by known brands on his own website. People began ordering products which did not exist. Large companies like Louis Vuitton, Swatch, Apple and Levi’s, could have sued the young pretender but were so impressed by his designs, that they hired him instead.

Ora-Ïto characterizes his recognizable style as simplexity; combining simplicity and complexity. His concepts are futuristic and provocative. Today, he designs for the world’s biggest brands, such as Heineken, Adidas, Ogo, Artemide, B&B, Cappellini, L'Oréal, Toyota, LaCie, Danone, Christofle, Ballantine's, Sagem and many more. He has received many awards, among which are ‘Oscar for Best Packaging Design’, for the aluminium bottle for Heineken beer, a ‘Janus award’ for the best architectural image of a Toyota building, and ‘Red Dot Design Award’ for Artemide lights.

Go here to see more.

Biotypography part 2: Typosperma





Created by Oded Ezer, Typosperma
is the second experimental typo project in his 'Biotypography' series.

The first was blogged about all over the place.. Ezer turned 3D type into insect like creatures. (see below..)

Above: An image from Ezer's Biotypography 1 project

As a paraphrase on the biotechnology definition, 'Biotypography' is a term that refers to any typographical application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to create or modify typographical phenomena.

The main idea of the 'Typosperma' project was to create some sort of new transgenic creatures, half (human) sperm, half letter. These imaginary creatures are cloned sperms, that typographic information has been implanted into their DNA.


Site by Itamar Lerner; 3D rendered by Amir Lipsicas; Photographed by Ruthie Ezer;
Scientific consultation by Hagit Gueta; Assisted by Ifat Yairi


Oded Ezer is an Israeli typographer, type designer and lecturer.
Graduated at the V.C.D dep. of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Ezer founded (2000) his own independent studio in Givatayim, Israel, specializing in the typographic aspects of branding and publication designs.

A member of the DCI (Designers Community of Israel), Ezer teaches in several academies in Israel, among which the Shenkar College of Design, Ramat Gan, one of the most distinguished design academies in Israel.

While constantly working as a commercial designer, Ezer runs experimental typo art projects, where he explores non-conventional solutions in Hebrew typography.
עברית/日本語/Español/Deutsch

Oded Ezer Typography
16 Levontin St., Tel Aviv, Israel
Phone: +972 (0)54 2288 042
fax: +972 (0)3 5600 484
Email:oded@odedezer.com

Good interview with Ezer from PingMag here.

http://www.odedezer.com/typosperma.html

Armrevolution: Luxury Cufflinks 'Recruit' Consumers With Style & Design





I recently discovered a new company that produces beautifully designed men's cufflinks. But don't call them a jeweler because they have positioned their product as .... ready for this? Arm Architecture (yep, that's trademarked) and they are asking you to join their movement, Armrevolution.




Now, if they didn't produce a gorgeous product and their packaging and site weren't so nicely designed, I'd be inclined to mock them mercilessly for their attempt at selling $750.00 cufflinks as a grass roots movement.


Above: One of the six designs in the Perpetual Series, made of the finest Japanese steel. Price: $750.00USD

Call it a "Marketing Concept" or a "Brand Image", but whatever you call it, it's cohesive, unique and beautifully presented. They even produced an online film and are recruiting girls for future Armrevolution projects.

After surfing their site and engaging in the aforementioned, the idea of joining the Armrevolution and sporting their Arm Architecture goes from potentially silly to somewhat appealing.



A new men's luxury brand based in London, Armrevolution, engraves a unique ID number into each pair of cufflinks, giving the owner instantaneous VIP membership in this exclusive club, assuming, of course, he registers his Arm Architecture.



Above: their online registration form, your entrance to the Movement

Each pair of cufflinks, er...Arm Architecture, comes with a nicely designed reusable magnetic acrylic box and lovely leather traveling case.

They certainly deserve props for their initial launch; the Perpetual Series, six stunningly modern, clean and elegantly designed cufflinks made of Japanese Stainless Steel.



Please click on the following images to enlarge:







They even have Armrevoluton Girls:


And an Armrevolution film:

See all this and more at Welcome to the ARMREVOLUTION.


So..... Are you going to enlist?

ARMREVOLUTION - LONDON
38 Spital Square
London E1 6DY
T: + 44(0) 207 247 3688
F: + 44(0) 207 247 8048
info@armrevolution.com

ARMREVOLUTION - NEW YORK
1178 Broadway, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10001
T: +1 (646) 375 5190
F: +1 (347) 649 2137
info@armrevolution.com

Microsoft's Zune: Outhipping Apple's ipod?




Zune, Microsoft's MP3 player, which sold like hotcakes this past holiday, has an impressive visual arts site that has terrific animated films, wallpaper, icons and posters. All available for download or just entertainment.

The entire site is a delight and certainly more interesting than watching silhouetted people -even if it is Mary J. Blige, grooving to music (sorry Apple and TBWA/chiat).

Just look at four examples (of many) of the latest films on zune-arts and I bet you'll be sure to register on their site. Even if you own an ipod.

Below are the following animated films.
Swap Meet by Against all odds with music by The Deadly Syndrome, Generous Monster by Bitstate with music by Lily Allen, Moodbot Rob Shaw with Bitterweet Music, and Two Little Birds By Motion Theory with music by The Ashtar Command

Be sure to turn up your volume, the music on these is fabulous-of course.

For more information on the creative forces behind these films, visit http://www.zune-arts.net/



Go here to see many more fabulous animated films, wallpapers, music and more.

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