Check out the blog “Aesthetics of Joy” by Ingrid Fetell, which explores how the emotion of joy can be communicated visually.
She makes some intriguing arguments against modernism and explains our inherent attraction to decoration:
I think that modernism’s restrained quality is fundamentally in tension with the idea of delight. Delight is an emotion of abundance — a celebration of sensation and richness. Delight and joy are primally connected to wellness, and wellness in nature is lush, plump, vibrant, and bountiful.
Posts include bzzzpeek, a site that collects soundwaves from all over the world of children imitating different animal sounds; other posts include images of ice cream trucks all over the world, or a color wheel showing how different cultures associate colors with different emotions. Perfect for stopping by anytime you need to lighten your mood!
Every year, Electrolux hosts the Design Lab student competition focused on what kitchens and appliances will look like in the future, and the list of the 2010 finalists has just been released. Electrolux has put together this cool animation of the top 8 concepts, but for further explanation, check out this list of the 25 semifinalists.
You may remember an earlier post about NY graphic designer Nicholas Feltron, who puts out an annual report every year detailing (via beautiful and intriguing graphics) anything from the modes of transportation he took over the year to the beers that he ordered. It’s really great stuff, and I just discovered that he has created a website, Daytum, so people can make their own mini reports! It’s free to sign up (free accounts just have some limitations on how many items you can have) and allows you to select from a number of different graphic displays, depending on the type of information. If you have any interest in infographics, it’s worth playing around on!
One Insighter discovered this nice piece at the North Carolina Museum of Art… Made out of 5,184 spools of thread, you look through a magnifying glass to see the image condensed and right-side-up. The artist is Devorah Sperber, and she has mimicked a number of famous works in this same fashion, from The Last Supper to Rembrandts and Van Goghs.
Last summer, Microsoft Corp launched a website, Hohm, that helps people monitor the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce costs. Using info about homes in your neighborhood, or info that you put into it (such as heating sources, number of rooms, etc) it calculates a ‘hohm’ score from 1 to 100, and gives you recommendations on energy management. In some regions you can even hook it up to your utility accounts for more accurate estimates. It helps you compare to neighbors, or look up the efficiency of a home you are considering buying, and the hopes are that in the future it could link to the “smart grid” or someday allow your appliances themselves to feed into the system. Although its abilities seem limited for now, it’s an interesting idea and hints at what’s to come. For another interesting site, check out GE’s Smart Grid website, part of an ongoing effort to modernize the electric grid.
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. I think that saying really holds true with this story. Something like an old, weathered theater sign isn’t something most people would find attractive, or better yet, make someone stop in their tracks and take notice. For LA artist Dave Lefner, he was inspired by these historical neons, and produced some extraordinary artwork in an effort to preserve the history of his beloved city.
The idea of translating sound waves into compelling, visual art probably isn’t the most popular way to vent your creative imagination. However, the results are truly remarkable. By simply singing certain tones, grains of salt dance to the music, and translate into abstract formations, depending on the frequency. After watching this video and seeing the stunning visuals created by Meara O’Reilly, some of you may want to take up singing lessons.
Pantone is trying to create a worldwide brand with product licensing, starting with a new hotel in Brussels, Belgium.
Each of the rooms in inspired by a different Pantone color palette, and on-site Pantone Color consultants are available for “color consultations and educational seminars on color psychology and trends.”
Interesting concept, but I can’t imagine being on vacation and wanting a color consultation. We will have to see if it takes off. Read more about the hotel here.
The New York Times put together a lovely compilation of user-submitted photos all taken at the exact same time — (15:00 UTC) on May 2, 2010. It takes a moment to load, but it is really enjoyable to see how people their lives all across the world.
