Icon Minds Inside Design, outside the Magazine, One Symposium.

This was a great day with great speakers. A lot was discussed about Design and Architecture. Instead of doing a summary of what was said by each speaker I have decided to write down a list of the key questions raised.

On the return of Ornament : Farshid Moussavi (Co founder of Foreign office Architects)
Function needs to be re-thought and broaden. How do we define ornament?

Marjan Colletti(Architect). How do we get digital architecture out of the realm of the geeky and techy?
"A state where ornament becomes the body, and the body becomes the ornament, blurring all the boundaries.
If ornament is celebration, what are we celebrating?

Design Fiction: Dunne and Raby ( Conceptual Designers and head of Interaction design @RCA)
What is Critical Design? How do designers integrate it in their work?
Isnt Critical Design about being sceptical, questioning what's going on, and then acting?

Experiments in Subtlety: Ronan Bouroullec

Its great to see someone who is so successful being so humble and nearly saying sorry for being so successful.
Ronan said "A good designer is like a good actor - you have to be dramatic one day and make people smile on another day."

All in all it was a great day, which showed once again that the boundaries between different disciplines are slowly being blurred and becoming non existent. The way forward is collaboration across different disciplines. The world of design isn't segmented anymore it is one big bubble.

Tent London & 100% Design Designer Block

Did any of you attend either shows?
Tent, the digital area was by far the best and most interesting. The viewer could interact directly with the objects, which really made it a very popular area. People stayed their exploring all the possibilities. A big Interactive wall, when you touch it , a pattern or colour changed, or expanded or became smaller. This could fascinate someone for hours.
100%Design : What has happened to the Design world? And its endless ways of pushing boundaries?
Well it was to be found in the area : [re]Design: Doing it for the kids. Lots of toys made out of responsible, sustainable materials. It was playful but also showed you how simplicity can push ideas forward. And maybe to do it as well we all need to look at the world through kids eyes and problem solve through that. The display of the area was also more dynamic than the rest of 100%Design and Designer Block.
DesignerBlock: What has stayed in my mind was Puff&Flock with their inflatable creatures, shapes. or I would call it the inflatable architecture. It makes you smile, its well done and it s aesthetically nice and has a function!

Walking in my mind

Exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.
You walk through the mind of about ten artists. Its fascinating, gives an odd feeling as if you were a voyeur viewing an intimate space which you shouldn't but can help entering it.
It made me feel claustrophic, sick and at the same time out of place and space.
The most effective one was Thomas Hirschhorn
he says :" To me, the cave is in your brain, the cave is in your mind...you have to build this cave in your mind and to struggle with what happens in this cave, in confronting it with the world."
His space was exactly what he says in his quote, his mind was a huge cave made out of tape with different tunnels referring to different areas of the brain. It was disturbing but so effective. You were thrown into exploration mode and going through all the different tunnels to know what the other room led to or had. Your curiosity was arouse. The rest of the exhibition was very strong.
I recommend you go as it is really effective and does what it says.

Definition of Designer

I will Now define myself by the following quote by Buckminster Fuller for whom I have an immense respect and above all think he was not only ahead of his time but clearly a Genius! so here it is : "A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist and evolutionary strategist. "R. Buckminster Fuller

I agree with his definition as it is what a designer needs to be in order to succeed.

Radical Nature Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet 1969-2009 @ The Barbican art Gallery

Great exhibition , very informative. As you enter the exhibition you are immediately plunged into the realm of the theme of the exhibition. There are lots of films to watch some are better then others. My two favourite's were first on Level 1 Modelling Universe, 1976 with Richard Buckminster Fuller, he explains very well in this film how nature has inspired his work and his attitude to his work. He is a genius, I'm a big fan of his work and thought process. I wish he was still alive to feed us further more with his knowledge. Second favorite was on Level 2 Wolf Hilbertz where he talks about reef building (trademarked as Biorock) and the importance of coral. He said of his process to " repair what man has damaged in nature by men". I found this quote of huge importance as it describes very well that we have reached point where if we want to save the damage we have caused to nature we will have to work hard and find ways to repair nature, what we have done to it as soon as possible.
Everything in a nature has a purpose, a function. We need to work with nature, understand it and more importantly take action fast to stop the damage we have caused.

If we considered Nature as one big, beautiful heartbeat which is keeping all of us alive would we really continue damaging it?

MA Textile Show 2009 My Thoughts on the Exhibition

MA Textile Show 2009 – I’ve been discussing it with many ex students from Central Saint Martins who felt the display didn’t make the most out of the students work especially if you go and check out the RCA show you will understand the display is their strength but not the concepts in many projects.
In my opinion MATF 2009 show didn’t show the best of the students work. I think the research behind the project is far better and more interesting then their end result.
Or is it the way it was communicated that made this come across like this?
We all have fears for next year as it will be our turn to show a new range of designs.
Will we live up to our and others expectations?

I think we will need to put more time in how to communicate through the mean of display our work as it wasn’t a strength this year and it could make a difference.

Before the show there is a long way to go – Finding the right research question which reflects who we are and drives our passion for the remaining of this adventure and beyond as we all know the MA will stop but our passion will carry on, will need to be fed and sustained.
In a nutshell we should all make the following our mantra for Unit 3 and beyond as it will always be the right formula to follow: Use your head, listen to your heart, and feel what's in your gut.

Research Question

A research question can be simple , however shouldn't it be able to sustain research for a lifetime for the more passionnate?
It should also tackle Innovation.
What is Innovation?
I've been reading so much lately about the word innovation, being innovative , "good design is good business" etc..
Can we really be innovative and is it really about innovation? Design is always walking side to side with Innovation , its nearly as though both terms can't live without each other.
My question is how much design out there is really an Innovation?

Knit The City

You will find under this post a link to Knit The city. I find the Concept interesting however not pushed to its full extent. It is a way of re-defining what is urban art, but we are here dealing with a very old craft skill added to the city. How sustainable is this?
For me this intervention raises not only many eyebrows but as well as many issues around what is called gorilla art.
Why do people feel the need to get themselves known through intervening in a public space, yes we will speak of you , but in the long run what is your message , what are you trying to say?
People thriving for recognition.
In my opinion this concept would be a lot stronger and more justified if the knitted pieces were custom made to where they were going to be placed. As for now they seem to be randomly placed in the city, and if they aren't , it feels like this.
Its either you go for it or you don't, half way never works in the long run.

Urban Farming - A hot topic amongst Architects!

Is Urban farming the only way for cities to really save themselves and possibly us? If Urban farming does become a reality in London, aren't we slowly going through a re-defintion of our cities as well as our countryside? Aren't we also re-defining what farming is and perhaps making it become a trendy activity, fashionable?

Urban farming has already started in America and is a hit. However some are sceptical, Dan wood and John Thackara. Wood says in the Iconeye Magazine p.073 June:"Industrial farming is not a sustainable model for the future, and fir us vertical farms are more industrial farming-just another mechanised way to produce food."
Please find the full article on Urban Framing June's Iconeye Magazine.

What do you all think? I feel very critical and find the concept very dark.

Cross-Stitching is Back!

And its a hit amongst the teens!! How Bizarre but ever so exciting!

Would any of you imagined to see a Banksy Graffitti cross-stitched? Never in my wildest dreams would have I thought to see that.
I think its great.
My question is it a form of rebellion against the overload of technology we are getting or is it sheer boredom of sitting in front of a screen which is able to do anything with just a tap? Moreover this last statement makes us feel as though we don't achieve anything and therefore need to create something from our own hands to feel as though a/ we have achieved , b/we can share it?

One of the oldest crafts is being used to translate one of the most rebellious forms of art? Is it just me or is there the most beautiful form of contradiction in this?

All your thoughts on this would be much appreciated!

My latest woven and printed fabrics

(c)clementinedebos2009

Solar Wall in Beijing

Please follow the link its really beautiful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZfOy2fo8E4&feature=player_embedded

What is Textile Futures for me?

It is Smart, Sustainable, Sophisticated, Interactive, it will offer an experience to its user, it will have a medical outcome as well.

Why Smart?

My belief is we will not be able to escape the expansion in technology within textile, this doesn't mean we will create some sci-fi fabrics, but we will need to keep our original craft skills and mix them with technology in a very clever way.

Why Sustainable?

Can we still afford not to be sustainable?

Just a few thoughts to bare in mind and see ion a year where they are!

Wogg Chair

wogg_42_armchair_jorg_boner.jpg


This is possibly one of most clever designs I ve seen. It has it all, functionality, aesthetic, unique and cleverness. Well thought.

As mocoloco blog stated it is


Jorg Boner's new armchair design for Swiss company Wogg is an upholstered piece with great personality. What makes Wogg 42 truly unique is upholstery that is completely independent from the structure, dressing it as if it were an ultra-modern kimono or a fashionable coat.

Droog Design in Milan

Studio Makkink & Bey's House of Furniture Parts a space within a space + furniture parts that pop out of the walls.
Follow the link to check it out. It is so clever.

"http://mocoloco.com/archives/

Wearable Technology?

How do we all feel about wearable technology?

Are you all going to feel as though you are part of a sci-fi movie or geeky? Who does it appeal to?

My Biomimicry project is about to take a turn, a new path, one I think I was avoiding, shutting my eyes on, yet I think it makes so much sense, it kills me to be so stubborn at times.

So I can't quite share the secret, but I can give you a few clues: A/ Im still taking inspiration on the Courtship ritual of Spiders, especially on the humoristic part of it where the male must perform a dance to signify to the female that he isn't a meal but her mate. B/ It will communicate an element between two signifiers.......
At least, this is the intention behind it. Now the question is will I manage to make it happen.
Virtually this needs some good animation, short movie to mock up the final concept.

Have you guessed what it s going to be about?

London Digital Week


Click on the above words to learn more about London Digital Week.

Milan Design week, My Favorites

Milan Design Week was as expected Mad. It was an overload of Design, products, people, objects and items. However it was inspiring and worth going. Its making me as always reposition myself as a Designer. I still wonder whether I am a Designer, am I? I might be a satellite of creativity but not with the deep soul of commercial design. So perhaps I should define myself as a satellite of creative conceptual input with no commercial output?
My mind has a thousand ideas but I'm either too ahead of the game or too far a part from it. When will be the right timing? Anyhow folks , it was great to see so many people out there designing, good or bad people are out there believing in their ideas and going ahead. Is there room for more, I wonder.
Can we sustain so many ideas? There has been many focus on eco-friendly, sustainable design, which is the new trend as you hear it nearly at every corner. Opulence was another big theme. Minimalism wasnt part of Milan design week.

Picture 1 : Cerith Wyn Evans - I=N=V=O=C=A=T=I=O=N Milan
Picture 2: Papier Mache furniture FuioriSalone
Picture 3: Cloud Designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec- Ligne Roset Milan ISalone

Stages of Courtship Ritual of Spiders, "Can I be your mate?"

Those are the different movements in the dance the male performs to seduce the female and make her understand that he is a mate not a meal! the male puts in a lot of effort. From my observations of this afternoon, I noticed firstly the male had to perform three times the dance before the female even accepted to look at him, she seemed very busy weaving her web. At the third time she gave him a signal through vibration of her abdomen that he would be her mate. Phew I didn't witness murder!
Secondly, when they were done mating the female jumped away from the male and carried on her business. No cuddles! ha!
Thirdly the male being very interested in the female (please let me believe this) decided to give it another go so there he was performing again his little dance, except this time around the female didn't even resist, the male was again successful! Wow he 's got the footwork right!
Finally this entire process was repeated a few more times. They've got endurance those little creatures!

Courtship Ritual Of Spiders London April 2009

©clementinedebos 2009



This is the Courtship Ritual of Spiders I had described in an earlier post. Except this time you can see images of it and the beauty of it all is it happened in my garden this afternoon as I was taking a break from my work. I took the pictures. As you know I'm drawing inspiration from it in the context of Biomimicry so this is really great! I feel so lucky to have witnessed it. What were the odds of that? I have been living in this house for the past 4 years and never have I observed such a phenomenon. This documentation will be very helpful. It is how it was described in all I read and is quite close to the diagrams I had seen. What the images here dont show is the intense dance the male performed as well as the drumming of the abdomen against the web. Fascinating it was!
I find it all very symbolic, not to have witnessed it, more how spiders weave their web, use it as a sense aid to communicate their intentions, to exchange a series of vibrations to express their feelings, their silk is stronger than steel and finally the attempt to persuade the female to be her mate. By all means I have always had a fear of spiders and a fascination for them, arent they just amazing creatures if you put aside all the prejudice and fear?
My mind is buzzing with a million ideas on how to best use all this info and to convey it in a smart fabric with a real purpose and aesthetic.
Magic is in the air!

Work in progress

Currently in the process of creating a range of fabrics (©clementinedebos 2009). Both are just test samples, here I'm playing around with assembling different layers of fabrics together and stitching them. Layers, transparency, textures, surfaces are the tools to start this work in progress. At a later stage some technology will be added, some programming and obviously our dear Arduino platform to create the magic! And all fabrics will be handwoven.

"Sustainable is the new Design"

Really like this article for its simplicity of facts and honesty. Check out this link http://tinyurl.com/c7yz9a

E-Textiles

I' ve just read an article about e-textiles, smart textiles, which, frankly has provoked in me a lot of annoyance, to stay very polite and to say the least.
Why do people constantly refer to those as being the latest gadgets?
A/Because most of the wearable technology is not very sexy and looks like a gadget, mainly because it has been thought and made by engineers rather than designer. Engineer are doing a great job technology wise but they should really be paired up with a Designer preferably a Textile Designer.
B/ They are only the beginning of an idea, most of them wont even hit the high-street as no one is ready for this big revolution. We are all very hooked on technology today but we are not yet ready to be part of a sci-fi movie.
C/ No matter what we say we have to admit, we are after aesthetic more than functionality. When Aesthetics and Functionality come together we will have hit it very high and its almost perfection, again I'm referring to e-textiles (as I am aware that we already have a few products out there which have both).
My annoyance comes merely from reading articles where they criticize e-textiles without giving any solutions or suggestions on how they would like to see those smart textiles evolve.
My point being see the bigger picture.
As a Textile designer I'm currently working and have worked in the field of smart textiles, and I am confronted constantly to the aesthetic issues as well as making a fabric which isn't a gadget though there is technology embedded in it and serves a real purpose.
Moreover I'm also now confronting the critical question of Can a Smart Textile be sustainable?

New Creative Ventures

I'm embarking yet again on a new adventure in parallel to the one I m still on. I've been selected among 30 creatives out of 150 to participate to a New Creative Ventures at London business school. 30 creatives will be paired up with 30 MBA students from LBS to make a project happen, well the aim is that one of our ventures comes to life, we have 10 weeks to build up the business plan and the final week we present in front of potential investors, yes like 'Dragons Den". The winning team gets a cash prize and to get their new creative ventures on the go! Wish me luck.....

Net Present Value Rules! Its not so much about the profit your company can make its more about how the company can seek opportunities which have positive Net Present value, which makes sense.
Also we cannot predict, forecast what will happen we can only produce an estimate of what can happen.
However one constant remains the one of taking risks. I think you can apply this in any areas of your life. Take risks won't hurt, it will make you move forward whatever the outcome.
It it of course easier said then done.
For all I can remember in my life every time I've taken a risk, I haven't been disappointed whatever the outcome was. This is especially true in my career.
Actually risk taking and intuition have led me to where I am today. They both keep me going and drive my passion!

Agree or Disagree, Can we predict?

I'm currently reading a great book The Black Swan The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Its making me re-think the way I perceive things, life, and how I see my future aswell as my position as a designer for the future!

I was reading last night and came across a few lines which really made me stop reading or rather pause my reading and think about what I was reading and where I placed myself whithin what had been stated.
I would like to share with you a few lines and see what you make of it: "It is often said that "is wise he who can see things coming."Perhaps the wise one is the one who knows that he cannot see things far away."p163

As a designer you always tend to create for what exists but also what will exist in the future. And always tend to brainstorm on what will be in 20, 50, 60 years so we can adapt our designs. So are we just fooling ourselves or are we eternal dreamers?
And if we are eternal dreamers how do we place our dreams in Nassim Nicholas Taleb's statement?
Please note we consider here the dream to be a projection of a personal desire for the future, furthermore a possible projection of an ideal future, state.

Did you know?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIDLIwlzkgY

What do you think about this video?

It makes me wonder, it terrifies me, but is the data really true?

A guide to escaping surveillance. We did this video as a group as part of our Unit One. This has been assessed at Central Saint Martins.

You can watch this video on Youtube aswell UnitOneCsmGroup19

The Courtship Ritual of Spiders

In the context of Biomimicry I am drawing inspiration from Spiders more precisely their courtship Ritual.
To sum it up, the male spider needs to signify to the female spider that he is a mate and not a meal! The female is bigger in size to the male and has a predatory instincts, yes she has lived to eat and has no feelings!
Poor male has to perform a dance, to show off to her that he is the best male she will ever find, he not only performs a very cute dance but also sings a song which translates through vibrations of his abdomen. I have heard the sound and it builds up gradually to a crescendo point, very impressive.
While he is doing all that the female watches and will decide whether he will be her mate or her meal!
If she accepts him as a mate she will signify to the male through a set of vibrations, which will then encourage the male to hop on the female.

Its fascinating such small creatures have such an elaborate yet simple way of communicating.

Now I need to get cracking on my smart sustainable woven fabric creation. If some have taken three years to develop a smart woven fabric how am I going to do that in three weeks?

E-Static Shadows

How I wish I will be able to do something of that quality:


http://www.zaneberzina.com/e-staticshadows.htm

Nokia Morph Mobile phone

This phone has really amazing qualities which are quite inspiring: -self-cleaning, flexible design, hads nanosensors to sense and th eenvironement around you.
Please read more about those amazing qualities on http://www.nokia.com/A4852062