http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:25:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/re-vive-legs-turn-any-surface-into-a-table.html Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:14:06 +0000 The Re-vive Table Legs, created by UK design firm Cohda, offer a way to reclaim discarded materials and offer more functional flexibility than many traditional, non-sustainable solutions. The product consists of four patented, vice-like clamps that secure legs to any flat, rigid surface, converting that old piece of plywood in the garage or beautiful oak door found in the alley into a new table suitable for any use. If use dictates new needs, the legs can simply be removed—without any tools—and reattached to any other surface. It’s a wonderfully intuitive solution and a beautiful way to make new objects fromRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/apple-hoping-to-bring-back-golden-age-of-the-album.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:09:37 +0000 While online music distribution avenues like Apple’s iTunes have had moderate success in keeping the music industry alive in the wake of the disintegration of CD sales, the new music consumer still prefers downloading the best or most popular tracks off the album, leaving the rest behind. Some music traditionalists and certainly record labels bemoan the death of the physical album as a complete, physical package, and not just for the fatter sales tapes, CDs, and LPs procured for the latter. Beyond the simple fact that stores and labels could charge more for albums, the sentiment persists that there wasRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/milans-design-supermarket.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:43:31 +0000 La Rinascente, Milan’s landmark 150-year-old upscale department store, recently received a much-needed shot in the arm from retail aesthetic guru Vittorio Radice. Radice renovated a floor in the store’s lower levels, unveiling La Rinascente’s new ‘Design Supermarket’—an upscale, affordable selection of masterful Italian design objects, arranged in an approachable, minimalist retail setting, with entire shelves devoted to esteemed brands like Kartell, Alessi and Nespresso. The store’s prices are meant to be as friendly as its interior, with design items available for as little as 9 euros. [via The Moment]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/projection-paints-dazzling-3d-surface-onto-building.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:51:08 +0000 In a brilliant work of perspectival illusion, the projection artists at Urbanscreen have transformed O. M. Unger’s Galerie der Gegenwart in Hamburg into a surreal plane of shifting form. The project, inspired by the concept of a “dreaming” building, truly does ascribe a sort of material consciousness to the structure’s facade; giant hands press and pull bricks apart and around, walls collapse and expand, and vivid multicolored forms swirl and merge. The optical effects are fantastic to behold via the video alone; we can only imagine what the experience would be like in person. 555 KUBIK_ extended version from urbanscreenRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/augmented-reality-business-card-packs-wealth-of-information.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:05:10 +0000 Navigating the line between augmented-reality-as-buzzword-of-the-moment and the technology’s genuine utility can be tricky of late, and Jonas Jäger’s new Augmented Business Card technology is indicative of the problem. On the one hand, the concept is certainly cool—enriching a traditional paper business card with a rotatable quasi-3D image of yourself along with live Twitter updates, contact links, and gesture-controlled media. But beyond the undoubtedly slick presentation, we have to ask ourselves; will this have any relevance once the gleam and polish of augmented reality wears off, and the crumpled shrink wrap is on the floor? Augmented reality is melding functionality andRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/treasure-world-sends-gamers-on-mobile-wifi-hunt.html Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:42:21 +0000 As gaming systems become increasingly integrated with the physicality of the gamer, developers are seizing upon the intricacies of our actual environments for new ways of having fun on-screen. Aspyr’s Treasure World for Nintendo’s DS and DSi handhelds is one such attempt to bridge the gap between the real and the pixelated, launching players on a virtual treasure hunt that requires exploring one’s surroundings for actual wireless networks. Real-life WiFi spots are converted into in-game “treasure,” which can be traded in for items. The game can even be played with the handheld closed—at which point one is literally just wanderingRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/split-stick-usb-drive-keeps-work-and-play-separate.html Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:56:56 +0000 Last month we told you about Quirky, a crowdsourced product design site that lets the community collaborate and deliberate about each step of the conception and manufacturing process. We’ll admit that we were a bit skeptical of the whole process, and Quirky’s first release, a universal cord retractor, didn’t exactly blow us away. But the Quirky crowd’s newest idea, the Split Stick USB drive, gives us hope that the crowd of amateur innovators has the potential for truly good ideas matched with a powerful new distribution model. There are already a dizzying number of USB flash drives already available, fromRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/botany-building-raises-structures-from-the-earth.html Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:00:04 +0000 A team of young German architects is envisioning a new method of construction that challenges our very notion of building materials. Many a design plan strives for an ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ appearance, one that seems to blend into and coexist with its environment, but Oliver Storz, Ferdinand Ludwig, and Hannes Schwertfeger, are constructing buildings from the environment itself, bending and grafting trees around and into each other to form sophisticated structures. The architects build their ‘arbo-architecture’ structures around metal support frames, which guide and constrict the growth of young trees into set forms. Once they mature, they are pruned soRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/upcycling-billboards-into-bags.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:51:57 +0000 As ugly as most advertising billboards are, what’s even uglier is that most of them are made out of non-biodegradable vinyl, and that over three million billboards’ worth (that’s 10,000 tons) get thrown into landfills every year. TerraCycle and Yakpak, who will be turning discarded vinyl into durable backpacks and messenger bags. The material happens to lend itself exceptionally well to tough conditions—it was used for the outdoors, after all—and accordingly the bags come with a lifetime warranty. Yakpak is going to great lengths to ensure the manufacture of the bags is ethically sound—they own their own factory in ElRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/target-book-club-launches-title-out-of-obscurity.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:18:40 +0000 Target, which has long built its reputation on its eye for good design, is further distinguishing itself as a purveyor of finer taste (by big box retailer standards, at least). The 1,700 location chain is using its ‘Bookmarked Club Pick‘ program to turn its loyal shoppers into rabid readers—and catapulting unwitting authors into significant sales territory at the same time. By positioning Target-exclusive editions in prominent shelving locations throughout stores, authors like Tatiana de Rosnay—whose initial dud Sarah’s Key went on to sell 145,000 copies through Bookmarked—are finding themselves with a second chance at a literary career. The Bookmark displaysRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/pic-oxfam-gets-graphical-new-look-in-spain.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:22:02 +0000 Oxfam International, a non-governmental group dedicated to the fight against poverty and social injustice, tapped Spanish design study Hey for a series of promotional shirts, posters, and other cause-worthy accoutrement. The studio’s designs use clever iconography, typography and vivid color for a look that is as visually arresting as the important issues behind them. More images from the commission can be seen at Hey’s project site. [via notcot]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/virtual-alt-currencies-renmibi.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:49:30 +0000 No matter how complex and diverse our online communities are, and how sophisticated and evolved the new ways in which we interact with one another seem, buying and selling still remains at the fore of the online world. Though the basic act of commerce has not changed, many entrepreneurial minds have envisioned new ways to facilitate our transactions, and bring business beyond cash and coin. Here are ten currencies we’ve been tracking: The Renmibi In China, the QQ Coin—a currency attached to the massively popular QQ chatting and social networking service—has broken out of the virtual world, and is increasinglyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/thinkindie-pits-independent-labels-against-the-music-giants.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:10:53 +0000 The commercial offspring of an alliance of independent record shops staring down the barrel the new reality of the music biz, ThinkIndie is an online music store that proffers hand-picked, DRM-free, high-quality MP3 files from a dizzying variety of independent artists, positioning itself as a cultural alternative to mainstream music emporiums, both online and off. The selection ranges between famous acts like Sonic Youth and David Bowie, critic’s darlings like Animal Collective, and of course a host of lesser-known acts that have been vouched for by the curators behind ThinkIndie. ThinkIndie’s prices don’t seem to be standardized, and it’s certainlyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/reeve-rocks-aims-at-young-philanthropy.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:05:53 +0000 The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, at the forefront of philanthropy toward the benefit of spinal injury research, is facing an image problem, as their namesake founders no longer carry the same cultural currency with an increasingly younger crowd interested in good causes. To combat the threat, though still on the horizon, of diminished generational relevance for an affliction that pays no attention to generational boundaries, the Reeve Foundation is aiming to convert itself from a face to a mission; the cause itself must take precedence over the famous name attached to it. Hoping to boost awareness accordingly, the foundationRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/pecoboo-detects-your-presence-to-save-juice.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:34:52 +0000 Using computer energy saving settings is certainly far better than the alternative, but at best they are rough estimates of one’s personal computer usage—how long we’re likely to be staring at our screens without stirring our cursor, for instance. But there are still those times at which we watch a movie or stare at a particularly complicated document, only to have the display annoyingly dim or turn off entirely. New software from VeryPC, a British company that specializes in energy-efficient computers, aims to address this problem with an elegant facial recognition solution. Rather than using a set of timers—a ratherRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/tin-can-lids-add-function-to-refuse.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:19:18 +0000 Usually, the most we can expect from a discarded tin can is that someone will be thoughtful enough to make sure it winds up in a recycling bin—but either way, it’s trashed. Recent design school graduate Jack Bresnahan has a better idea, and has devised an ingenious method of adding a new functional life to empty tin cans with a set of biodegradable plastic lids. Each lid from the set of nine repurposes a can, converting it into a soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, or vase, among others. The lids have currently only been exhibited at the New Designers show inRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/capcoms-clever-resident-evil-promo-tees.html Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:10:01 +0000 To create buzz for its forthcoming Wii title in the ever-popular zombie-splattering Resident Evil franchise, developer Capcom is bringing some much-needed innovation to the traditional promotional t-shirt. Giveaway t-shirts, particularly those tied to a video game, are often embarrassing enough to be donated to Goodwill immediately, if not relegated to the closet—perhaps only to be brought out while eating a messy plate of nachos by oneself. Capcom has, however, done something novel and very cool with its new Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles tees: emblazoned on the front is a generic-enough spooky font slogan: “LET YOUR DARKSIDE OUT”—but flipping the frontRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/no-longer-empty-reclaims-vacant-storefronts-for-art.html Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:13:08 +0000 Vacant retail space is always a bit of a bummer, and now more than any time in the recent past, spots are closing their doors and clearing out as business diminishes and prospects dim. Seeking to make the most of the recession’s real estate pummeling, non-profit art group No Longer Empty is reclaiming empty storefront space and converting it into temporary art installations. The group describes their mission as one to alleviate bear market anxiety during the moribund New Gilded Age—to place beauty in the spatial vacuum of the crash. The project’s first two sites are in the lobby ofRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/cardon-copy-gives-bland-neighborhood-fliers-a-professional-redesign.html Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:12:36 +0000 Yard sales, lawn services, dubious residential daycare establishments—advertisements for myriad local low-end services can be found affixed to trees, telephone poles, and walls in our neighborhoods. What most of them have in common is their indifference toward graphic design—and can they be blamed? one puts up a flier because one’s cat is missing, not as part of a RISD portfolio. If they are typed at all, they are done so without any regard for typography; Comic Sans and clip art abound, and as a result many are ignored entirely. In steps Cardon Webb, responsible for the Cardon Copy project. WebbRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/sparkle-labs-circuit-business-cards.html Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:23:26 +0000 Last month we showed you Sparkle Labs’ new DIY ‘Discover Electronics’ kits, for both learning and play. The company has shrunk the spirit of fun conjoined with scientific exploration into a wallet-sized package with their new printed circuit business cards. The cards, a wonderful union of charming graphic and electronic design, can be printed from PDF onto any heavy stock paper, and then, using materials from the Discover Electronics kit, turned into a functioning circuit that lights LEDs when exposed to darkness. Sparkle Labs says they are working on more small paper circuits. [via Core77]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/printed-blog-achieves-wrong-part-of-newspaperdom%e2%80%94death.html Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:10:11 +0000 Perhaps the most ironic newspaper death in recent memory, the business-cum-media experiment Printed Blog will go the way of so many of its peers after sixteen issues, shuttering permanently. The Printed Blog‘s founder, Joshua Karp, hoped that tightly-localized content provided by neighborhood bloggers would draw advertisers hoping to reach specific demographics—mimicking the (relative) success of smaller papers in the wake of the general death throes of print journalism. In the end, the hope that people would turn out to pay for a physical copy of the same content they could get online for free failed to materialize, as did anyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/design-contest-hopes-to-re-imagine-the-burbs.html Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:05:19 +0000 Sponsored by Dwell Magazine and Inhabitat, the ReBurbia competition is seeking to bring out forward-thinking architects, urban planners, and designers to re-conceive the sprawling, foreclosure-ridden suburbs of the America. The contest’s organizers see the competition as an urgent response to dire social and material circumstances in the US, not just an exercise in good thinking and design: Suburban communities in central California, Arizona and Florida are desolate and decaying, with for sale and foreclosure signs dotting many lawns. According to the US Census, about 90% of all metropolitan growth occurred in suburban communities in the last ten years. Urbanites whoRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/augmented-reality-tweet-viewer.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:17:16 +0000 Yesterday we showed you an iPhone application that overlays indicators pointing to the nearest London Tube stations upon the phone’s video field of view. TwittARound, a new augmented reality app from German developer Michael Zoellner, works in the exact same way—utilizing the iPhone 3Gs’ integrated compass in conjunction with GPS and video data to mix data with what we see. TwittARound provides a 360 degree view of tweets made in the vicinity, so that, ideally, they could act as “post-it notes for the world,” as Wired’s Charlie Sorrel puts it—you could not only see a tweet regarding a great sandwichRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/pac-man-inspired-package-opener.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:33:00 +0000 Singapore designer Abdul Rashid’s new Karter package opener blends safety-conscious function almost completely disguised by its diminutive circular form. The disc houses a carbon steel blade in an opening small even to prevent even a tiny child’s finger from slipping in, designed to cut tough plastic tags, paper, and other parcel accoutrement. Rashid says he was inspired by the “ubiquitous video game character Pac-Man. Just as Pac-Man zips across the computer screens, Karter slices its way through with equal ease.” [via Core77]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/the-itunes-icon-how-do-we-represent-post-disc-media.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:11:27 +0000 Last week, Gizmodo’s Matt Buchanan mused how little iTunes in 2009 has to do with the CD icon we click on to launch it—Apple’s original “Rip. Mix. Burn.” promotional slogan seems so antiquated today. The laptop this very post is being composed on has had its CD-RW drive used only once or twice since it was purchased at the beginning of this summer—perhaps poignantly, a CD placed inside and forgotten was recently removed because of the annoying spinning noise it created every time iTunes was started; the disc was not a medium but an irritation. So Buchanan asked Gizmodo’s readersRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/makers-market-brings-curated-craftsmanship-outdoors.html Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:44:37 +0000 This weekend marked the first annual Makers Market, located in Long Island City’s Socrates Sculpture Park in New York. The fair, invoking Long Island City’s historical legacy of manufacturing and craftsmanship, brought thirty vendors, offering handmade wares from motorcycles to jewelry and furniture. The tented displays included one-of-a-kind pieces, along with other products made in small editions, and visitors could also attend a panel discussion with Andrew Wagner, editor emeritus of American Craft and current editor of ReadyMade magazine. Otto snapped a series of interesting photos of the waterside marketplace, along with impressions of several of their favorite finds; weRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/augmented-reality-app-points-to-london-tube-stops.html Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:09:33 +0000 Though much of the work being done in augmented reality has thus far been of the gimmicky, flashing, ad-centric sort—more proof of concept than truly functional—the clever iPhone developers at acrossair are putting it to fantastic use with their new app, Nearest Tube. Taking advantage of the iPhone 3GS’ integrated compass, Nearest Tube merges GPS, compass, and video camera data to create a real-time overlay of the position and proximity of, as the name implies, the nearest tube stations. The application is still pending Apple’s approval for the App Store, but the video below speaks for itself. [via Tuaw]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/music-video-shot-entirely-via-iphone.html Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:18:22 +0000 The release of the iPhone 3GS, now capable of shooting decent 30 frames per second video, has lead to an explosion of video content—according to YouTube, a 400% increase per day since it launched. But also according to YouTube, many of the videos have been of the Well, let’s just test this out… variety, with uploads such as “At grandpa’s house,” “At a wedding,” and “squashing a can.” Not exactly riveting cinema. But already, creative minds such as the filmmakers at Showdown Productions LLC, a small Ohio group, have put the new tech to good use. The Showdown team recentlyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/3-dimensional-paint-charts-bauhaus-miniatures-for-karen-walker.html Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:09:10 +0000 To promote their Karen Walker paint line, New Zealand’s Renese commissioned a wonderful set of miniature Bauhaus structures that serve as three dimensional paint charts. The diminutive buildings, intricately and lovingly modeled by Auckland sculptor Gidon Bing and designer Katie Lockhart, model various Karen Walker color sets, evoking the Bauhaus’ masterful insistence on craftsmanship and simplicity. [via Inhabitots]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/vintage-hp-calculators-for-iphone.html Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:13:32 +0000 Those with both a fistful of money to burn on an iPhone app and deep nostalgia for retro Hewlitt Packard calculators may be a slim cohort, but if they’re out there, HP has them covered. Two vintage designs—the HP 12C financial calculator and HP 15C scientific calculator—have been carefully rendered via touchscreen, costing $15 and $30 respectively. There’s no doubt the buttons are wonderful looking, and the nerd chic aesthetic has its charms, but we would advise waiting for the price to drop a bit before replacing the iPhone’s already more than adequate built-in calculator. [via Cool Hunting]]]>