Our (smow)twitter recently brought our attention to an article at worldchanging.com about what the author termed “Heirloom Design“ In the article Adele Peters discusses sustainability, durability and for all “What makes something worthy of passing down through generations?” Peters decides that the future monetary value, the usefulness and sentimentality play a role; somewhat bizarrely in [...]
Archive for the ‘(smow)offline’ Category
22 Jun
smow design spring: Objectified – The Film
One of the reasons we never pursued a career as film reviewers is that writing in the dark is so difficult. Compared to those notes that we write in darkened cinemas the Rosetta Stone appears as if it was set in Helvetica 8. And so it is that from our trip to “Objectified” at the [...]
15 Jun
(smow)offline: Objectified – The Film
When we were over in New York we took an evening off from partying to view Objectified, Gary Hustwit’s new documentary film. Or better said we left the moooi store opening party early to view Objectified. We are planning on doing a detailed review in our new series “smow design spring: Review” However, we just [...]
12 Jun
(smow)offline: designer bookkeeping
It must be a summer thing. Not only are our newspapers and magazines full of authors recommending their chums books, but first design observer portrayed their reading tips and then design sojourn brought out their “30 Essential Books for Industrial Designers” Obviously the design world is planning downing tools and spending the long hot summer [...]
11 Jun
(smow)offline: Thonet 214 x 214
To celebrate the 150th birthday of Michael Thonet’s “chair of all chairs” Thonet are running a photo competition: 214×214. The rules are ridiculously simple; whoever submits the best photo of a Thonet 214 wins a 3 day trip to New York. For the second best there is a trip to Thonet in Frankenberg and the [...]
9 Jun
(smow)offline: Real recycling
About a 100 years ago we mentioned Platform 21and their Repair Manifesto. Inspired by yesterdays rant against designers who find using PET bottles a suitable demonstration of how design can help save the planet, we revisited our previous post on Platform 21 and subsequently their Repair Manifesto And still love what they are doing. Especially [...]
9 Jun
(smow)offline: Reuse, Recycle, Pollute
Every month Jasper Morrison sends a photo to the Vitra Magazine. And every month Vitra publish it. Every month we send a photo to the Vitra magazine. And every month they don’t. Whereas the good Jaspers photos are always entertaining, this months entry was a lot more thoughtful and thought provoking. Taken in Indian Pondicherry [...]
