Archive for the ‘ Design ’ Category

Skmei el Luminous: 1229.


That title may seem foreign to some, because it is. That however isn’t what makes the photos of this time piece exotic. If you were under the assumption that this time piece was real, then the visual effects prowess of __ has already got you. Using Redshift and Cinema 4D __ has been able to recreate the 1299 Watch for the client Skmei. This incredibly life-like demonstration of texturing, lighting, and 3D modeling took about 2 weeks to create and is just as impressive as the watch itself.

Disney x Star Wars = Star Wars Land?


On Christmas morning, Disney shared a behind-the-scenes update on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the massive 14-acre new Star Wars-themed land opening in Disney’s Hollywood Studios next year. But if you were too busy to sit through the entire show for your sneak peek, Disney has now shared the video online.

The video features brief commentary from some key figures responsible for bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to life. “It will be jaw-dropping and incredibly emotional to walk into the land for the first time,” promises Carrie Beck, VP of Lucasfilm Story Group. “To actually be standing there amongst the buildings, amongst the ships, and have this feeling that it is all real. That it has been brought to life. And it is right there in front of you – it’s overwhelming.”

The behind-the-scenes video also features more details and updated footage from Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the two attractions that will be featured in Galaxy’s Edge. While we’ve known for a while now that Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will put guests in the cockpit of the fastest ship in the galaxy, the Rise of the Resistance ride has been a little more mysterious. The video finally sheds light on what park guests can expect from “the most epic attraction” Disney has ever built.

How Do You Design Remarkable?


 

Years of development and attention to the subtlest nuances of the handwriting experience has made reMarkable as paper-like as it gets. Their patented CANVAS display gives you a true paper feel.

Now You Can Print Your Own Bike?


Apart from the electronics, and the rider, every ounce of the BigRep Nera is 3D printed. From the handlebars, to the body, to the seat, suspension, and even the tires, the Nera is an absolutely stunning feat of design and engineering melded together to show how far additive 3D printing has come. The e-bike’s body comes with an edgy, chiseled design that gives it character and strength, and even includes a flexible bumper underneath the seat to absorb shock. Even the airless tires are made from 3D printing, with a lattice structure that gives it both strength and flexibility, allowing it to mimic natural rubber tires.

A 3D printer selling company, BigRep came to limelight with their airless bicycle tires that we featured earlier this year. The Nera takes BigRep’s PRO FLEX filament and TPU printing technology to the next step, not only by building an entire vehicle out of it, but by building a much more powerful vehicle that tests the material on a much more advanced level. What’s next… a sportscar? A manned drone?? Who knows!

Via: Marco Mattia Cristofori & Maximilian Sedlak of BigRep

Tea For Three? Don’t Mind If I Do.


Designed for modern microliving, the Double Compact Tea Maker does just as the name suggests. It’s been reduced to the bare essentials without sacrificing functionality to accommodate small households of 1, 2, or 3 people with limited kitchen space.  The “pot” actually consists of two internal pots. The infuser and the teapot are located inside of the water pot. The advantage of this twist in design is that it provides a better brewing experience by eliminating the possibility of accidental overturning and drip. Furthermore, it heats the pot in all direction to ensure an even brew.

The most important part of the project is the innovative brewing method. The tea maker directs the water to the inside of the pot tanks to the inverted conic structure inside the steam top where it is boiled. In just twenty minutes, the tea pot will fill with water. This gradual filling brews the tea in a tasty way without burning it or tainting the taste. Not only function, its glass-on-glass design is almost artistic and sculptural, meaning you’ll be happy to leave it out on your countertop.

The Mykonos, Greece Villa.


So after a call that we here at djstormsblog.com put out to Greece, we began to get many an invitation to rent houses.  One of my personal favorites was a sea-side, villa, with pool, and turn-down service.  It was one of the most spectacular homes in Mykonos, but you can check out the full rental profile HERE.

Charis Tsevis And His Incredible Summer Works.


 

Charis Tsevis is a Greek visual designer living and working in Pafos, Cyprus.  This amazing artist holds a Diploma in Graphic Design from the Akademie für das Grafische Gewerbe, München and a Master in Visual Design from the Scuola Politecnica di Design, Milano.  He manages a modest studio on the island of Cyprus serving clients all over the world.
His client list includes companies like Nike, Google, Ferrari, PepsiCo, Toyota and IKEA, advertising agencies like TBWA\Chiat\Day, Saatchi & Saatchi LA, DDB Munich and Leo Burnett Hong Kong and media like Time, Fortune, Wired and the Wall Street Journal.  Check out just a fraction of his flower based collage works that left us amazed.  These are a series of artworks inspired by the small ephemeral goddesses of the summer – Aphrodite It is a hymn to the female beauty and the different versions of Aphrodite. Sometimes Urania, other moments Pandemos, sometimes erotic, other moments innocent. Sometimes dreamy and sometimes provocative, my Aphrodite is always a mosaic made of tiles from a retro icon of nature.

The COMB Construct Bench.


It’s difficult to believe that a design as beautiful as this is composed almost entirely of recycled materials. Named after the shape that makes up its two flexible seating points, COMB is constructed from blown out bike inner tubes and plywood leftovers. The bike tubes form the stretchy surface for the honeycomb-shaped sections that sink in to create a comfy, form-fitting seat when one drops down. When they stand, it pops back up to form a planar surface with the rest of the bench again. It’s the softer side of wood seating.

Bedrooms By The Tech-Giants?


It’s unlikely that companies like Apple or Facebook will ever foray into designing home interiors, but a little wishful thinking never hurt anybody. In this post we look at conceptual bedrooms, designed with the language and characteristics of 6 of today’s technology giants.  Right above is the conceptual Apple bedroom. Looking like someone cleared out an Apple Store and put a bed in there, there’s something very pure and pristine about the interiors. Undeniably Apple, right? Designed to look sensible and straightforward, the room comes with a white interior, a full sized window (or should we call it a bezel-less window?!), and even trees within glass enclosures. Elaborate, opulent, yet clean.

Right above is the conceptual Apple bedroom. Looking like someone cleared out an Apple Store and put a bed in there, there’s something very pure and pristine about the interiors. Undeniably Apple, right? Designed to look sensible and straightforward, the room comes with a white interior, a full sized window (or should we call it a bezel-less window?!), and even trees within glass enclosures. Elaborate, opulent, yet clean.  Then comes Facebook’s bedroom. Using blue to bring a fun-yet-not-garish vibe to the bedroom, the interiors make use of signature facebook elements, from FB reactions, to neon likes, wallpaper made of personalized messages on the left, to even a literal brick wall on the right that reminds you of the time when you “would write on peoples’ walls” on Facebook. Oh, and I love the cheeky wardrobe in the corner with the grey tees.

Everything about Google’s bedroom screams fun. Using Google’s brand colors and going completely nuts with the decor, the Google bedroom is more fun and vibrant than an environment conducive to sleep. Swing, slide, foosball table, and a literal faux grass playground, you’re much more likely to work from home in the Google bedroom.  The Netflix bedroom takes chilling very seriously. A TV with a home theater, stocked refrigerator, lounge-sofa, and a bed that looks oh-so-inviting, you’re bound to stay in bed and binge-watch your favorite shows. The interiors look quite like a theater with low-key lighting and the use of red gives it the signature Netflix flavor. Points if you notice the colorful lights near the window that do a hat-tip to Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Snapchat’s bedroom perfectly captures the whims and fancies of its young demographic. Ridiculously adolescent, the bedroom comes in Snapchat’s shade of yellow, balloons and streamers everywhere much like Snapchat’s flamboyant filters, and a hammock for a bed. Oh, there’s a photobooth too, given how Snapchat and selfies have such a strong relationship.  Lastly we have Spotify, a company so devoted to music that it makes sense the bedroom echoes that feeling too. With graphiti on the wall that literally screams MUSIC, wall-mounted records, a live-karaoke wall that displays lyrics (with 16 speakers on each side) complete with two microphones, and a light-up dance floor, the Spotify bedroom sets the perfect mood for a bedroom party. Besides, you can turn things down a notch too and bust out some sweet tunes as you head to the circular Spotify-logo-inspired bed.

 

The above 6 bedrooms do a pretty spot-on job (maybe too spot-on) of taking the ethos and characteristics of the 6 tech giants and translating them into spaces… a design exercise by the name of Product Semantics that we’ve covered in great detail in the past. There’s no guarantee that these spaces will ever exist, but it’s a wonderful design practice to familiarize oneself with brand languages, product languages, and learn how you can use them to make products (and in this case, spaces) look like they belong to a certain brand family. Hey designers, could we see a few more? Microsoft, Instagram, Whatsapp, Twitter, for starters?

Robots Making Your Coffee?


They say that preparing food requires love and a human touch, but honestly, something as mechanical as making you a cup of coffee could surely be handled by a robot, couldn’t it? Think about the methodical approach to preparing a latte or a cappuccino, and the number of steps that could go wrong because of human error. The CafeX wants to do away with that by introducing robotic arms into the mix. Your coffee order becomes a line of code that the robot follows to the absolute T, and that means three things. A perfect cup every single time, no dealing with chatty baristas, and lastly, not worrying about having your name spelled wrong on the to-go cup.  CafeX’s revolutionary system doesn’t mechanize the coffee machine, but rather, replaces the barista with a capable robot. Enter your order into a kiosk (or even via the app) along with your name and payment details.

The robotic arm maneuvers the coffee machine, picks the glass up and puts your brew together, handling as many as three orders at the same time (working at a dizzying speed of two orders per minute). It can, with a great deal of dexterity, hold, stir, and even transport cups filled with hot liquid without spilling any of it, or burning itself. It then places the cup onto a platform which descends into a chamber that you can then put your hand into and collect the cup of coffee that’s been perfectly brewed to your liking. The biggest advantage? 24×7 coffee shops because you don’t have to worry about human labor. Also, no tips. The disadvantage? Less motivation to go to the coffee shop because the cute barista you were hitting on got replaced with a robotic arm. Although CafeX says there will always be a CafeX human staff-member on site to facilitate this customer-robot interaction.

Via CafeX

‘Beat The Robots’.


The “Beat The Robots” advertising campaign is one that stuns the eye, and captivates the imagination.  As you can see by the photos above, these life-like creations of bionic humanoid creatures is nothing short of incredible. The overall finished designs should be the envy of film makers across the world.

The layouts, intricacies, and especially the textures that are used in the designs, are quite spectacular.  The digital animation required to create these visuals are almost beyond comprehension given the final results, but here are the credits for the amazing pictures.

Agency: Ogilvy HK
CD: Michele Salati
AD/3D: Antoni Tudisco
Animation: Antoni Tudisco, Marco Mori
Typo: PLEID, Vicente Garcia Morillo

Have You Ever Seen A Low Poly Truck?


Designed with an aesthetic that’s instantly memorable, the Karlmann King SUV is a “Ground Stealth Fighter” with a design that one could characteristically and literally describe as edgy. It ditches the organic, aerodynamic design that most cars go for, and opts for something polygonal and frankly, beastly.

Created by a worldwide team of nearly 2000 designers, developers, and engineers, the Karlmann King SUV is based on the Ford F-550 chassis and packs a 6.8-Liter V10 gasoline engine. Each automobile is hand-made, requiring 30,000 painstaking man hours to piece together. Made to look like an absolute monster, the exterior is crafted from carbon fiber and sheet steel, with an optional bulletproof coating. With that sort of armor and aesthetic, the Karlmann King is the kind of vehicle you’ll look at with feelings of awe coupled with a hint of fear. The price of that feeling?? Close to $4 million.

The Lake Flato House.


In Texas, architecture firm Lake Flato has completed the ‘Hog Pen Creek Residence’, an expansive lakeside retreat connected by a long exterior boardwalk. Situated at the confluence of Hog Pen Creek and Lake Austin, the dwelling was envisioned by its owners as a playful property that encouraged outdoor living, and maximized the site’s tranquil views. The home’s L-shaped footprint and orientation helps negotiate heritage oak trees, a steeply sloping site, and aggressive setbacks from the water. The boardwalk connects a series of structures that step down the hillside, traversing a 75-foot lap pool, and terminating at a screened pavilion by the lake’s edge.

The main living area is a two-story volume with a lofted master bedroom and porches at both ends. This area of the home enjoys cool prevailing breezes and shade from the adjacent oak trees. The interior accommodates many operable windows that provide cross ventilation and daylight, while three pairs of oversized doors provide sweeping views of Lake Austin. Lake Flato carefully sited the project so that no existing trees had to be removed during its construction. However, one pecan tree was uprooted during a storm and was consequently incorporated into the design of tables and shelves within the home.

The Church House?


DOS Architects have transformed the top two floors of Westbourne Grove Church into a contemporary loft apartment.  Located in Notting Hill, London, England, the Victorian church was originally built in 1853. Traditional architectural elements such as arched windows have been preserved.  The open plan of this 400 square meter (4,305 sq. ft.) modern loft with double height allows transparency. A glass staircase connects the two floors.

 

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That Tube Life.


There are various iterations of how urban dwellers will live in times to come, and of course, this is edged on by sci-fi films and various other architectural cityscape concepts. Above all, the vision of the future whether it be utopian or dystopian in your eyes is seemingly micro. One example of this is the OPod Tube Housing by Hong Kong studio James Law Cybertecture.

The OPod Tube Housing is low-cost, stackable micro-homes manufactured from concrete pipes. These pipes would be slotted in between building gaps rather similar to a game of Tetris. These concrete pipes are of course that of water pipes, transformed into a gorgeous 9.29 square meter home.

“OPod Tube Housing is an experimental, low-cost, micro-living housing unit to ease Hong Kong’s affordable housing problems,” James Law said, envisioning that these adorable homes be aimed at “young people who can’t afford private housing.” Albeit this ‘apartment’ is somewhat of an underground water pipe at heart, it’s hard to knock the fun-loving industrial interior. Compiling everything a young city-dweller needs, the OPod Tubes comes complete with a fold out bed, shower, toilet, fridge, microwave, cooker, microwave, and more neat add-ons.

The New Iron-Man… (Toys).


Hot Toys has revealed its upcoming figure based on Iron Man’s appearance in ‘Avengers: Infinity War and it provides a detailed new look at Tony Stark’s upgraded armor and the amazing weapons he’ll wield.  Spoilers below…

Avengers: Infinity War is going to feature updated looks for a lot of our favourite heroes, including Iron Man. We’ve known for a while that Tony Stark will be rocking a brand new suit of armour in the highly anticipated movie and now Hot Toys has unveiled an action figure giving us a detailed look both at its many capabilities and the various changes which have been made to the hero’s appearance here.

The figure features an interchangeable helmeted head with metallic red, gold and silver colored armor painting and a newly painted head sculpt with striking likeness, LED light-up functions scattered throughout the armor, a variety of Iron Man’s latest weapons including interchangeable LED light-up Nano Repulsor Cannon, Hand Cannon on left arm, a pair of attachable Nano Boosters on the back, and a specially designed figure stand with the movie’s logo. So, that confirms nanotechnology then.

To check out this full gallery of images, all you need to do is keep scrolling down below. Once you’ve done that, be sure to head to the comments section to let us know your thoughts.

The Emergency Escape Filter.


It’s a fact that most deaths in a fire incident don’t occur because of burning or heat, rather, they occur because of smoke inhalation. Despite this being the cause of 80% of fire deaths, not nearly as much attention is given to breathing apparatuses as fire extinguishers. If you can’t breathe, how could you even operate one?

The Emergency Escape Filter provides an easier and more convenient solution than standard masks thanks to its compact size and innovative filtration functionality. In the event of a fire hazard, its capsule shape can extend to reveal a clip which can be placed directly inside the nose.

This creates an immediate link between the user’s airways and the inner filtration tech. Small and lightweight, it’s sure to stay in place and unlike other bulky masks, won’t get in the way while you’re trying to fight back the fire or make your way to escape.

Via Yanko

KAWS I Headed To Tokyo And Hong Kong.


Not long ago, KAWS took to Instagram to announce his upcoming solo exhibitions at contemporary art gallery Perrotin‘s Tokyo and Hong Kong locations. The Brooklyn-based artist will present new paintings that draw upon abstract pop art influences alongside visual reinterpretations of iconic pop culture figures. Moreover, new sculptures that portray KAWS’ iconic cast of characters such as Companion and Chum will be on display at both locations.

Via HypeBeast

Solar Blinds That Charge Your Phone?


The Rolar Blinds do three things. They harness the energy of the sun, they cut the glare of the sun out during the day, keeping your indoors ambient, and they look absolutely gorgeous while they do the above two.

The Rolar Blinds stand at the crux between new-age photovoltaic printing techniques, a rise in demand for solar panels, and absolute graphic beauty, as they explore printing solar cells in manners that almost feel like graffiti, but with a more direct purpose, i.e., charging your devices. At the bottom of the blinds rest the cylindrical weights that come with a USB port that let you charge your devices or your power-banks by simply plugging them into the curtain and leaving them on a table nearby or the windowsill as you tap into the solar system’s largest (free) power source.

The cylindrical members (battery packs) are even detachable, allowing you to carry your power with you. However, the convenience of the Rolar Blinds takes second place to its graphical beauty that bring art and technology together beautifully and seamlessly.

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The Tiny Apartment With The Elevator Bed??


“YO! Home” is a 40-square-meter (430 sq. ft.) studio apartment prototype that allows a small multi-functional space to feel like a larger home. The bed and the dining table can be hidden when not in use.  The apartment unit is built in a factory modularly. The modulars then can be put together on-site. There are four moving functional features – the bed, the dining table, the pocket kitchen and floor storage. The Bed is lowered from the ceiling and can be raised all the way to the top. It has fail-safe sensors to prevent it from moving if someone is on it or under it. The Dining Table is sinkable with the back of the seat-backs serving as the floor. The Pocket Kitchen can be neatly folded away into the walls. It includes a washing machine, cooker, sink, and storage space. Floor Storage is hidden under a false floor, unnoticeable when not in use.

The Lyon Airport Just Got A Major Upgrade.


They’re fun, open-minded, hard-working, and they make fantastic design. The French design agency Graphéine recently concluded the 2017–2018 campaign for the Saint-Étienne Opera house with designs full of emotion, hence its title émotions partagées (shared emotions). And what’s more, they’ve reason to celebrate since 2017 is their 15-year anniversary.  Graphéine’s work begs second and third glances, not only because of the bold typography they incorporate into their solutions, but also because of the daring illusions they pull off, such as their anamorphic graphics for the Lyon St-Exupéry airport.

Rich Gilbert’s Superfoam Chair.


The work done by The Agency of Design is flabbergastingly beautiful, but Rich Gilbert and his Super Foam are an incredible stand out to the collection, check out its creation below.

The Japanese Shell Villa.


Shell House Villa is located in the Karuizawa region of Kitasaku, Nagano, Japan. Designed by architecture firm ARTechnic, the concrete villa with a large oval shell shaped structure is built in the middle of the forest.  The structure appears to float above the ground like a spacecraft, with trees growing around it, harmonizing the villa into the landscape.

This 329 square meter (3,541 sq. ft.) house has a central control system that enables all mechanical and electrical equipments to be managed by three buttons. A custom made floor-heating system minimizes the use of heat energy.  Check out the blueprints up top, and more photos of this fantastical villa down below.

Vertical Vinyl.


Introducing “o-ton”, a vertical, wireless turntable which lets you import and digitally enhance your vinyl records. It’s almost entirely translucent, so you can see all the inner workings and, of course, your vinyl’s unique cover art. The design features a digital stylus that automatically turns your device on if you insert a vinyl. With an integrated optical sensor, the stylus can identify and jump individual tracks. Simply plug it in, pair your device, insert a vinyl, select your speaker and dance.

The 4D Wrist Watch.


Back in 2015, 22 Design Studio decided to change our perception of time as something 2D, with the 4D watch, a watch with a depth that was physical as well as philosophical. Cast in concrete, the watch dial had steps that ascended from 1 to 12, showing progression or an ascension, rather than a repetitive circular movement. 22 Studio comes back to reinvent that watch. Armed with their ever-expanding knowledge of working with concrete, and a Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1 movement, the 4D Watch gets its timely aesthetic and functional upgrade. Now with a date atrium, a more detailed concrete dial, an automatic movement that comes with a 38 hour reserve, encased in the same design philosophy that made the original 4D watch such an object of beauty.

Over the years 22 Design Studio has associated themselves very closely with concrete, using them as a standout material for all their products, because concrete has the reputation of being a builder’s material. Concrete creates societies, builds homes, and civilizations. No other material has been given this status, and 22 Design Studio’s products wear it almost as a badge of honor. The 4D Concrete Watch Automatic’s concrete watch face explores more intricate details, never before seen in concrete. Encased in a brass casing that patinas as it ages, the watch celebrates the passing of time, turning time itself into a design detail too. On the back, to balance the impressive nature of the concrete dial is the exhibition window that allows you to view the Swiss movement in its magical glory.

Each watch comes with a sapphire glass casing, and a date atrium (an addition in this series) that gives a magnified, magnificent window into the date. The atrium itself comes with a metal pipe casing that echoes the watch’s body. The two metallic rings complement each other, and also the Italian leather watch strap, which combined, hold together a watch that celebrates not just the fourth dimension, but all four dimensions.

Designed by Sean Yu of 22 Design Studio