less by design
sleepbus – a mobile sanctuary for the homeless
By Lorrin Windahl.
According to Homeless Australia, 1 in 200 people are homeless each night in our land of sweeping plains. That’s a pretty staggering statistic. And it saddens me to think of anyone sleeping on the street during this bitterly cold winter. But Simon Rowe has an idea that may just help to provide some of these people with a warm and safe alternative. He has developed the sleepbus, a mobile shelter that can sleep up to 22 people. It can even provide a place of rest for their furry friends too.
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Kids’ hospital gowns made cool.
By Lorrin Windahl.
Designer hospital gowns for sick kids. What a fantastic idea. It warms my heart. Surely it is the ultimate goal; to put a smile on a sick child’s face. It seems so simple and logical it’s amazing that it isn’t already the norm. And I must say I’m pretty smitten with the project name, Ward+Robes. Very clever.
Glowee: lighting the way towards more sustainable illumination.
By Josh Henry.
The concept of bioluminescent lighting has forever been toyed with. From children catching fireflies in jars to backyard algae kits, there has been the idea that light can be achieved through living organisms.
With recent advances in genetic engineering, could biological light solutions be commercialised and mass manufactured?
A green consumer checklist.
By Lorrin Windahl.
Sustainability is a complicated beast. Even for the most well-informed designer it can be confusing. So how can we, as consumers, make better decisions about our purchases and their impact on our planet?
The magic mushroom.
By Lorrin Windahl.
Did you know that you can now grow your own product? I know, it sounds a bit backyard hippy meets mad inventor yeah? But it’s exactly what Ecovative are offering with their GIY Mushroom Material Kit. You can either place the material in your own tool or simply mould it like plasticine into your desired form and then watch it grow in density. And perhaps the best part is that, at the end of its useful life, you simply break it into smaller bits and place it in your home compost bin.
Oil Slicks Be Gone!
By Alex Fleming.
A very creative new way to clean up oil spills has been invented here in Melbourne, Australia by scientists at Deakin University. The technology has been in development for several years and is now ready for trials by industry, according to Professor Ian Chen and the research team.
Have We Reached Peak Minimalism?
By Joseph La Delfa.
For the best part of a decade, minimalism has reigned supreme. Straight lines, rounded corners and golden ratios have found their way into every nook and cranny of product design. During this period of stylistic restraint, the default has been conformity over standing out, and subtlety in place of the overt. Impressive materials, highly accurate manufacturing and software interfaces have been achieved through the uncluttered looks of today’s products. Unfortunately, there have been some losses in the way in which products communicate their purpose to users. This post explores how minimalism has changed the way we interact with products, and asks whether a design counter-reformation of “new-baroque” will sweep iPhones and their ilk from their minimalistic thrones.
Social Design is Slower Than You Think
By Joseph La Delfa.
Realistically, in the product design world there are any number of logistical concerns that can hamper a design. A designer will dodge, clear and sometimes run straight through these obstacles when taking an idea from design to production, all in the name of the coveted deadline. Be it for a trade show, an EOFY fancy dress party or above all Christmas, the good designer will roll with the punches to get their product finished as D-Day looms.
Dawn of the Solar Age?
By Joe La Delfa.
Mass adoption of solar energy has been ‘just over the horizon’ ever since it was first incorporated into architecture by Frank Bridgers and Don Paxton in 1956. Every significant innovation since then has been tentatively heralded as the dawn of “the solar age” by industry researchers and activists. Well I’m now joining the choir to sing praise to advancement – not in the laboratory, but in the marketplace. From the macro to micro levels of economics, investment in solar energy is beginning to give real financial benefits as well as saving the planet.
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