Alex Jones: Web Technologist, Barbecue Acolyte, Information Junkie, Austinite

Slanty Design in the Real World and on the Web

Architectures of Control, which provides some very interesting analysis of products that are “designed with features that intentionally restrict the way the user can behave” in order to encourage the user to follow certain practices and behaviors, has posted Slanty design, which is a great introduction to the concept and bridges design in the physical world and design for the Web. It’s a quick, well illustrated article that I encourage everyone, not just designers to read.

For non-designers, it may shed some light as to why some of yoru favorite products and services act as they do.

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, Design, Design & UI & Tagged: architecture, Design, web design

The Urban Cup Holder

The Urban Cup Holder by Up to You is an amazing idea that transforms your environment on the go. In a large metropolis, it could shift the usual travel patterns, hopefully slowing life down by encouraging people to use the space around them and communicate. Or, as one commenter noted, it could be a nice way to extend the footprint of a cafe, something that could prove important to smokers as more and more cities enact non-smoking ordinances.

I think it will get the most usage (at least here in Austin), as a beer holder. Whether you need a spot for your brew when you’re on a party barge, or on the patio at one of your favorite night spots, the Urban Cup Holder would be pretty damned useful. The built-in hook would be handy for jackets or grocery bags, though I’m not sure how much weight it could hold.

I can’t find a product page, nor any photos beyond the one I snagged from swissmiss, so I have no idea if this is anything more than a concept. I’m going to contact Up to You in order to learn more, as I’d love to see these in use.

Via swissmiss (where I snagged the photo), via Ben Hammersley

Se the comments for an update.

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, Design, Food & Drink & Tagged: beer, coffee, hack, social

Architecture - Analog and Digital

Garrett Dimon’s review of For the People by the People, a book about architecture (buildings not pages) has prompted me to add it to my Amazon Wishlist. Sadly I missed the Campfire chat he had set up to discuss it, leaving me with just a small taste, and ultimately causing me to want to read it even more. It isn’t very often that you hear about online reading groups spontaneously occurring…

I’ll leave you with the quote that Garrett highlighted as that is what truly piqued my interest:

So it is inevitable that as the work of building passes into the hands of specialists, the patterns which they use become more and more banal, more willful, and less anchored in reality.

Christopher Alexander

Posted in Architecture & Furniture & Tagged: architecture, books

DNA 11

DNA 11 creates high quality prints from your DNA or fingerprint. The geek in me cries out to hang (at least) one of these pieces on our walls.

Posted in Architecture & Furniture & Tagged: art, science

Naked & Angry

Naked & Angry

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, General, Quick Links & Tagged: art, clothing, Design

Floating books

Adding a small stack of books to the invisible bookshelf hides the hardware, creating the illusion that the books are floating in place. Look ma, no hands!

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, Featured, Quick Links & Tagged: books, decoration

flavour design co.

flavour design co. produces some beautiful, creative furnishings.

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, Quick Links & Tagged: decoration, furnishings

Hidden

Creative Home Engineering integrates “silent, automated hidden passageways” into your home. How cool is that?! Beyond the standard “pull on a book” or twisting a candlestick, their custom switches give you the ability to activate the passage entries any way you want. The “triple-redundant safety features includ[e] optical sensor arrays, overtorque protection, thermal sensors, infrared sensors and mechanical obstruction detectors” as well as biometrics (fingerprints, optical and voice). They apparently have pre-fab kits ($150+) available for those who can’t afford a complete solution ($10,000). Link via one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman.

Posted in Architecture & Furniture & Tagged: architecture

On a Roll: Children’s Paper Chair

On a Roll: Children’s Paper Chair is “made out of drawing paper rolled up like a pair of toilet rolls, and as a child uses paper, it’s scrolled from the back roll to the front one on which the child sits. As the child uses more paper, the chair gets taller and taller, conceivably getting larger as the little tyke grows taller.”

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, Quick Links & Tagged: furnishings, kids

Molo Softwall

Velocity Art And Design: Molo Softwall 78 ” is a beautiful, lightweight, freestanding [paper] wall that can be arranged into almost any shape, or easily compressed into a compact sheaf and stored away. softwall dampens sound and can both absorb and transmit light”.

Posted in Architecture & Furniture, Quick Links