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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Odd-Wheel Wonders: 11 Novel Vehicles with 1 or 3 Wheels

07 May

[ By Delana in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

odd wheeled vehicles

We’ve gotten accustomed to the idea of vehicles having two or four wheels. However, not all vehicle designers are so restrained in their ideas. All of these conveyances are unique because of their lack of the conventional wheel count, making do (and even making a scene) with just one or three.

The Leanster Motorcycle

leanster motorcycle

What’s the easiest way to make a motorcycle safer? Add one more wheel, of course. The Leanster from Brudeli Tech is a strange-looking bike that lets users make incredibly tight turns without the danger of falling over. The Leanster is somewhere between a motorcycle and a four-wheeled ATV, but somehow managers to look cooler than both.

UX-3 Commuter Unicycle

ux-3 unicycle

It wasn’t long ago that unicycles were reserved for the likes of circus performers. But this Segway-like motorized unicycle from Honda, called the UX-3, brings the unicycle firmly into the consumer market. It’s driven like a Segway, so all you have to do is sit down and lean slightly to tell it which way to go. It might take a little while to figure out how to ride the UX-3 without tipping over (or feeling like you’re about to), but once you master the trick you’ll never want to walk anywhere again.

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Odd Wheel Wonders 11 Novel Vehicles With 1 Or 3 Wheels

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Abandoned Asylums in Focus: Photos by Jeremy Harris

07 May

[ By Steph in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

Abandoned Asylum Photos 1

It’s not just the morbid and macabre horror movie ambiance of abandoned psychiatric facilities that makes them so haunting and fascinating; it’s the shadows of the people who often lived their entire lives there. Toothbrushes hanging on hooks, bedding still wadded on cots, wheelchairs and patient records are stark reminders of the humanity that once existed between these walls. Photographer Jeremy Harris has documented many of the structures still standing in a series called ‘Abandoned American Asylums: The Moral Architecture of the Nineteenth Century.’

Abandoned Asylum Photos 2

Abandoned Asylum Photos 4

Harris has been sneaking into abandoned asylums since 2005 to take his photos. The series includes just about everything you’d expect: peeling paint, foreboding hallways and a whole lot of rusting metal. But there are also faded murals, grand theaters and bowling alleys.

Abandoned Asylum Photos 3

In the 19th century, a large number of people – whether seriously mentally ill or not – were institutionalized against their will, often left in hospitals their entire lives without visits from family. At the time, mental illness was often thought of as a moral or spiritual failing. Circumstances improved by the 20th century, in most facilities.

Abandoned Asylum Photos 5

Mother Jones produced a video about the photo project. You can also read more about early psychiatric hospitals and asylums at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and see the rest of the photos at Jeremy Harris’ website.

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Kids’ Rooms Rule: 32 Creative & Fun Bedrooms for Children

06 May

[ By Steph in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

Kids Bedrooms MAIN
When the rest of the house is carefully furnished and decorated to be both practical and a visual representation of the adult residents’ style, why should kids’ rooms be a primary-colored afterthought? These 32 bold, modern bedrooms for children by 8 interior designers and furniture manufacturers around the world offer smart solutions for little ones’ needs, often with compact modular all-in-one sets.

8 Compact Colorful Bedrooms by GAB

Kids Bedrooms GAB 1

Kids Bedrooms GAB 2

Kids Bedrooms GAB 3

Some modern furniture retailers offer incredibly compact, function-packed bedroom sets for kids and teens that make use of every inch of space. Italian company GAB is among them, with colorful bunk beds and trundle beds that provide sleeping space for more than one child while maintaining organization and privacy. The sets are visually cohesive, with desks, storage, wardrobes and other components on wheels so they can slide around as needed.

5 Fancy Bedrooms by AltaModa

Kids Bedrooms AltaModa 1

Kids Bedrooms AltaModa 2

Kids Bedrooms AltaModa 3

Kids Bedrooms AltaModa 4

Kids Bedrooms AltaModa 5

For parents who want their children’s bedrooms to match the rest of their traditionally decorated homes, AltaModa offers a range of furniture and decor concepts that are like adult rooms in miniature, but with a dash of whimsy. The same attention to detail that would be seen in the master bedroom is applied here, with themes like horses, poodles, nautical, baseball and aviation.

Sophisticated Puzzle Panel Bedroom by Geometrix Design

Kids Bedrooms Geometrix 1

Kids Bedrooms Geometrix 3
The adults in the house might get jealous of this cool, sophisticated kids bedroom idea by Geometrix Design. A soothing palette of silver, gunmetal and gold is carried from the eye-catching puzzle-piece wall to a built-in closet, entertainment center and storage area on one side of the room.

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Kids Rooms Rule 32 Creative Fun Bedrooms For Children

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Different Strokes: Strange Paintbrushes Promote Creativity

06 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

paint brush alternatives

When something evolves to have such a long history as the art of painting, it falls on out-of-the-box thinkers to question the most basic elements of creation: tools.

paint brush design series

The designers at Culdesac compares the process to “genetic mutations” which “give birth to imaginative instruments: the brush compass, pendulum or whip give us a clue to the behavior of paint through sketches and through history.”

paintbrush redesigned wall ceiling

Extending the choice of paint-and-brush pairings (different colors and sizes), these alternative instruments yield unusual (and in some cases unpredictable) results when putting tool to canvas.

paintbrush geometric shape creators

Artists can use them to do anything from painting on a ceiling (using an inflatable balloon brush), to pausing between strokes (thanks to a handy stand built into the handle) to creating circles, squares and triangles (and derivations thereof!).

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Company Capers: Ten Terrible Corporate Superheroes

05 May

[ By Steve in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

terrible corporate superheroes
In today’s dog-eat-dog commercial arena, trusting clueless celebrities or characterless characters to pitch one’s products is a bad business decision at best; a quick ticket to Chapter 11 at worst. Inventing a unique corporate superhero, on the other hand, gives companies the means to punch up their sales while instilling a not-so-secret brand identity that will resonate with the youth demographic. What could possibly go wrong?

Kool-Aid Man

Kool-Aid Man terrible corporate superheroes(images via: Wikipedia and The Archnemesis)

Kool-Aid Man may not fit the stereotypical superhero mold (not to mention the stereotypical superhero tights) but his MO sure fit the bill: kids call out, Kool-Aid Man responds! The big guy doesn’t take any shortcuts, either, crashing through brick walls and dense hedges that would stop mere mortal men in their tracks. Debuting in 1978, Kool-Aid Man (and Kool-Aid itself) is still around, probably ’cause moms everywhere will buy the sweet stuff in mass quantities to avoid massive home repair bills. OH YEAH!!

Atari Force

Atari Force corporate superheroes(images via: Fustians and Armagideon Time)

In the early days of the Great Video Game Revolution of the early 1980s, many social commentators predicted the nation’s youth would throw away their comic books in favor of the futuristic, electronic, paperless excitement offered by console video games. Naturally, the visionary execs at Warner Communications subsidiary saw comic books as the ideal medium with which to promote new games issued by its subsidiary, Atari Inc.

Atari Force corporate superheroes(image via: Pixfans)

The result was Atari Force, created by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas for DC Comics (another Warner Communications subsidiary) and featured in two comic book series published by DC Comics beginning in 1982. Alas, the multiracial Atari Force team was helpless to stop the Great North American Video Game Crash of 1983 and by 1984, Atari was history.

“BAM! POW! SWOOSH!”

Batman Nike Roberto Vergati Santos corporate superheroes(image via: UPROXX)

Roberto Vergati Santos once wondered what would happen if corporate brands branded, as it were, the classic superheroes we’ve come to know and love. Would we still love them… or more importantly perhaps, still respect them? Check out “The Dark Nike” above and decide for yourself.

Jell-O Man

Jell-O Man terrible corporate superheroes(images via: ComicAttack)

When danger looms, who ya gonna call: Man of Steel or Man of Gelatin? The answer is obvious, unless the danger happens to be the threat of an empty belly. Released at no charge in 1991, the self-proclaimed “Collector’s Edition” comic book The Adventures of Jell-O Man and Wobbly epitomized Kraft Foods’ slightly skewed marketing mojo. Stick to KD, guys, Jell-O’s doing fine.

Jell-O Man Wobbly terrible corporate superheroes(image via: ComicAttack)

As for Jell-O Man’s vaguely puppy-ish, J-shaped sidekick Wobbly, what can we say… maybe only Robin appreciated him for lowering the bar for superhero sidekicks everywhere. Bad dog, BAD! As for Jell-O Man, we can see his O-face… eww.

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Company Capers Ten Terrible Corporate Superheroes

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The Stunning Instrument That Sounds Like an Orchestra

04 May

[ By Delana in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

wheelharp

Stringed instruments have been played since time immemorial, and naturally as technology improves plenty of people are trying to recreate that kind of sound digitally. Of course, nothing compares to the rich, warm, sensual sound of an actual stringed instrument, and this is something that artist and artisan Jon Jones understands better than most people. That is why he created the Wheelharp, an incredible stringed instrument that manages to sound like the entire string section of an orchestra all on its own.

radial wheelharp

The beautiful instrument was inspired in 2001 by Jones’ hurdy-gurdy, an ancient stringed instrument that produces tones via a hand-cranked rosined wheel rubbing against strings. As much as Jones enjoyed the hurdy-gurdy, he wanted to know if he could create a full-scale chromatic instrument in which each string could produce a different sound when individually bowed on the rosined wheel. He set out to produce the first Wheelharp.

The result was an instrument of incomparable beauty and charm. Pressing on any of the Wheelharp’s keys moves a string toward the rosined wheel. Of the instrument’s two pedals, the right controls the speed of the motor which turns the wheel. The left pedal controls a damper system that extends across the strings. Although the instrument looks old-timey and low-tech, it also includes an electromagnetic pickup and a piezoelectric pickup, both of which allow the player to control the instrument’s amplification.

linear wheelharp

It would be impossible to describe the immense beauty and complexity of the music produced by the Wheelharp. It is truly an instrument like no other in the world. It is produced in two versions: a radial version (with the curved keyboard) and a linear model with a more familiar, traditional straight keyboard. Both models produce some of the most breathtaking music ever produced by a single instrument. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Wheelharp is an object of beauty to look at, either. But if you want to give this incredible invention a try, be ready to pay for it: the least expensive version from Antiquity Music runs nearly $ 10,000.

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Constellation Portraits: Thread Wrapped Around Nails

03 May

[ By Steph in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 1

A single, unbroken sewing thread is wrapped around a grid of carefully placed galvanized nails to bring human faces to life in stunningly intricate detail. Artist Kumi Yamashita, best known for light and shadow art, has crafted a series of portraits just as beautifully wrought as any made with more conventional media.

Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 2

Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 7

Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 3

Entitled ‘Constellation,’ for the visual effect of the nails and thread, the series is created on wooden panels painted solid white. Thousands of small silver nails are set into the wood, and Yamashita carefully winds the thread around them, sometimes using an entire spool for a single portrait.

Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 4

Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 5Kumi Yamashita Nail Art 6

Based in New York City, Yamashita was born in Japan and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Glasgow School of Art. The Constellation series continues Yamashita’s transformation of everyday materials into visually arresting images that challenge the way we perceive these items.

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All-in-One Bicycle Helmet: Sleek Integrated Lights & Signals

03 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

bike helmet signals

Bicyclists need this. Incredible design is not just about looking good (which this does) or working well (which this does), but weaving the solution so that each seems the natural outcome of the other.

bike helmet light controls

With a headlight on the front, break light on the back, and two swooping turn signals on the sides, this streamlined helmet (the result of numerous design iterations) puts signalling up high for maximum visibility and uses universally recognizable symbols and colors for clear communication.

bike helmet design diagrams

Balázs Filczer created this award-winning (IBDC 2013 – International Bicycle Design Competition) design with both style and everyday usability in mind. A Bluetooth handlebar controller lets the rider signal changes as simply and easily as possible. Rechargeable batteries slide into and pop out of the top for easy charging. And the four built-in lights are not just classy (helpful in promoting actual adoption) but useful as well.

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Algae-Fueled Building: World’s First Bio-Adaptive Facade

02 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

algae powered building

Bio-reactors and micro-algae sound like the stuff of science fiction, but this is the real deal: biomass built into panel glass is both generating heat and acting as a responsive light and sound barrier, all in one brilliant new building in Hamburg.

bio facade algae building

Arup has long been predicting incredible innovations in architecture, but they are also keen to show that their designers and engineers are actually working toward world-changing technologies.

algae biomass building design

Bright sunlight causes the bio-reactors to grow faster and supply more shade on demand. The resulting biomass captures solar heat as well, and can be harvested and used as a source of energy itself. It is, in essence, an architectural ecosystem in which all parts of the process are not only sustainable but multi-functional and fully integrated.

algae energy fuel source

There is always talk of futuristic building technologies, but few firms are able to break new ground in some of the most promising directions. If there is to be a new ‘living architecture’ movement involving micro-climates, bio-chemical processes and responsive materials, Arup continues to prove itself on the forefront of its exploration.

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No Canvas Too Small for Intricate Masterpieces by Hasan Kale

02 May

[ By Steph in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 1

Insect wings, grape seeds, cactus needles and thumbtacks are among the tiny objects that become canvases for stunningly detailed works of art by miniaturist Hasan Kale. The Turkish artist works on an incredibly small scale, often painting scenes from his native Istanbul, complete with reflections of the city’s characteristic architecture on rippling bodies of water and microscopic seagulls.

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 2

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 4

Kale’s works are so small, he doesn’t even need a palette – he mixes the minuscule amounts of paints required for each piece right on his own finger. The 53-year-old painter has been creating tiny works like these since the 1980s.

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 3

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 5

Using extremely fine paintbrushes, Kale faithfully renders these scenes with a remarkably steady hand. Many of the paintings are ephemeral, painted on perishable items like breadsticks.

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 7

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 8

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 9

Kale adds many more photos of his work on a regular basis at his Facebook page.

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