創意手作

一位客人告诉我她最近爱上了手作粘土 - doll house。听起来似乎很不错，想起以前读书时期自己也很爱手作，所以这新玩意儿也挑起了我一股瘾。刚刚上网搜查，台湾及日本似乎都很流行哦。

还有

http://nana01179.pixnet.net/blog
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/sweetmimi-0128

有时间的话，一定会好好研究，希望这能重拾我的兴趣，及打发我下班后的空挡。当然，也希望学会这门手艺后能够带给我一下生意？:D

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/ck000203/

http://www.momoworks.com.tw/front/bin/home.phtml

Eames, the designer

I have been working at this company for almost 2 months. Everyday, I’m happy to see all the Eames & Nelson classic furniture just right in front of me. I believe not everyone know who are them, especially for those people who is not design/ art related. Anyway, Charles (1907–1978) and Ray (1912–1988) Eames they were American designer, for Herman Miller. Herman Miller produced furniture, chairs and office furniture. 

What I impressed by them are, they have stories for every single piece of their design, and the creative usage of materials, eg. Plastic, wire and plywood.

Charles & Ray Eames

Below pieces are masterpiece that featured in our showroom, and I would like to just share with you guys briefly about the design and product story J

Eames Molded Plastic Armchair

This chair come in 4 different base, I personally love this one in wire base, because the craftmanship is just so awesome!

Design Story:

In the 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames were looking forward while other American designers were content to stay put. New materials, new techniques, new shapes—these were what interested the Eameses. 

The designers were focused on the new plastics because this exciting material held the promise of being able to do more with less. They realized that plastic could be molded into organic shapes that would conform to the shape of the body.

The Eameses adapted molding techniques developed during World War II to produce the shells. They also perfected another technique with which they had been experimenting—creating a bent, welded wire base. 

The result was the process that allowed the manufacture of the first mass-produced one-piece plastic chairs. No upholstery, no covering. Charles and Ray Eames, true to their design philosophy, wanted the actual materials of the chair to take center stage. And they still do, in keeping with the designers' original intent.

Eames Molded Plywood Chairs

They are really design be follow contour of human body, they are really comfortable to sit-on!

Design Story:

In the early 1940s, when Charles Eames was working on MGM set designs, he and his wife, Ray, were experimenting with wood-molding techniques that would have profound effects on the design world. Their discoveries led to a commission from the US Navy to develop plywood splints, stretchers, and glider shells, molded under heat and pressure, that were used successfully in World War II.
When the war was over, Charles and Ray applied the technology they had created to making affordable, high-quality chairs that could be mass-produced using dimensionally shaped surfaces instead of cushioned upholstery. When they found that plywood did not withstand the stresses that occurred where the chair seat and back met, they abandoned their original single-shell idea in favor of a chair that had separate molded-plywood panels for the back and seat. The process eliminated the extraneous wood needed to connect the seat with the back, which reduced the weight and visual profile of the chair and established a basis for modern furniture design. Sculpting a seat and back to fit the contours of the human body, they designed a truly comfortable chair that's suitable for businesses and homes.

Eames Wire Chairs

What a brave and innovative material to use!

Design Story:
In the Eames design studio, new materials were the name of the game.
That same molded plywood, and then molded plastic, ended up as materials in innovative chairs produced in the 1940s. Never content to repeat themselves, in the early 1950s, the Eameses and their design staff turned to bent and welded wire. Inspired by trays, dress forms, and baskets, the designers developed a variety of pieces, including Eames wire chairs.
To achieve the desired shape and strength, while keeping costs low (because affordability was a major criterion of Eames designs), they made the rim of the chair a lighter-gauge wire and doubled it. This advance won them the first American mechanical patent for design. They didn't use cross-weaving on the outer edges, which made the chair lighter in weight and less expensive to produce.
The original chair padding was fabric, not leather, and the first attempts at making it hit a snag: The padding slid around too much on the wire network. To solve the problem, the Eameses took a quintessentially Eames approach; working with a design school, they developed equipment and methods to make the padding they wanted, moved the equipment into their studio, and produced the padding on the spot.

(More interesting furniture is coming... to be continued...)

何谓成功？

The Design Society Conference: Design Literacy
Date: 23rd January 2010
Time: 12 noon
Venue: National Library, Singapore

Q&A:

Q: 你如何定义成功？
A: 成功，并不是当你有很多的财富，或是有庞大的事业。
成功，是当你能够拥有自己的时间，能够控制自己的时间，以及掌握自己的未来。

:PHUNK STUDIO

四人组合，我行我素，误打误撞地成就了现在的国际设计平台。

Singapore Design Festival

Is Singapore Design Festival from 20-30 November 2009. Attended 1 of the talk by Professor Pierre Keller, Director of ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. From his talk, i just realise that there is this course: Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Luxury and Design programme. What do you mean by Luxury and Design course? Neh... for example, one of their design piece is to use thousands of Swarovski crystal and stick it on snowboard... for exhibition... OR, a set of tableware which cost you over 10 thousands.. ya.. this kind of luxury course :)

this is the Prof.. he say people can hide underneath that table when earthquake. (HA-HA)

This talk is organize in my former school - Lasalle College of the Arts, this is their new campus.. very very nice architecture! In Singapore, i like this masterpiece the most! So, share with you guys on how it looks like.. Too bad, i was not managed to experience my school life from here, as this new campus just completed 2 years ago :(

雨后春笋

在繁忙与大家神色凝重的商业区里，所谓的雨后春笋，应该就是这堆在一片绿油油的草地上新貌出来的太阳花吧。

ZEVS

i found out about this artist - ZEVS from HK Ming Pau Weekly.. in an article about his 'vandalism' on Chanel logo (click to view video) at Central, HK. Zevs interested me by this activities named- "Visual Kidnapping"..

In 2002 he cut out a model of a gigantic Lavazza-poster at Alexanderplatz in Berlin. Above the hole in the poster he wrote: "VISUAL KIDNAPPING - PAY NOW!" This intervention not only struck a chord with art lovers and people in Berlin. It has also inspired political activists. Stealing an image from a poster in Germany is now spoken of in the media as a visual kidnapping.

"Visual kidnapping is like entering an interactive game: If the brand on the billboard kidnaps the attention of the public with the purpose of consumer demand, I reverse the situation and I kidnap the model on the poster and I demand a ransom of 500,000€ from the brand. This sum represents the symbolic price of an advertising campaign for the brand." Interview with PingMag, 11 August 2008. (quote from Wikipedia)

haha, funny right? and according to MPW, he even cut a finger of the model from that poster, and post it to the owner to request for ransom! :D

ABOUT ZEVS:

French graffiti artist ZEVS, famous for investigating the relationship between commercialized cityscapes and the public's unquestioned acceptance of it.

Known for targeting omnipresent corporate identities such as IBM, Coca Cola and McDonalds by manipulating their billboards, Zeus brings that same aesthetic to the gallery by transforming the space into an urban setting. Tagging the walls and interfering with the architecture through installations and use of light, he destabilizes the interior and demands questioning of the total acceptance of corporations' representation in our subconscious.

(quote from www.coolhunting.com)

you can view his website: http://www.gzzglz.com/ which looks like google liquidating.

Books Actually

Books Actually move to a new place again, this time is at Club Street, occupied 3 stories. I'm not very interested on their books, but i like their set up & products.

fisheye-ing!

finally i got this effect right :)
i hope the next one is my mini DianaF+.. let's shooooooot!

泰有创意!

Guess year 2009 is a travel year for me, this Dec i'm going to my no.4 destination- Bangkok, Thailand! This trip have been organized since 8 mths ago, during airasia promotion, which cost rm244 (incl taxes, luggage). I'm going with 2 ladies, who is my sec schmates- khiaw & oren. but unfortunately, khiaw might not join us due to her new job commitment. :( well, i have to explore Bkk with oren now.

Friends who been to bkk keep telling me that bkk is a very creative place, i believe it but i did not really keep into heart. this evening after work, i went to coffee bean to prepare itinerary by using this 2 sources - 大曼谷旅游通, and 泰有创意.. and the outcome is.... thailand is really a great platform for creative ppl! :D So many creative center, so many concept store, concept restaurant cafe... etc..

During this trip, i MUST go to.........

TCDC- Thailand Creative & Design Center for sure!

H1, Playground, a place which gather all designers

Bed Supper club, considered one of the world most creative interior design

Sirroco bar, where you can see the panaromic view of bkk city

Suan-Lum night bazaar, where you can find creative & interesting stuff there

I believe there are more to explore during this trip! and I'm looking forward for this trip! :)

yes, i bought books again :P the last time i bought was few mths back. and this 3 books are less than $50 :)

Model Making

last few days, for one of the project, i pick up my favourite activity: model making,

after a long long long time since i graduated from college...

still remember when i were in college, cooursemates & lecturers were so amazed by my model making skill =.= no other reasons, i think is just because i'm good in crafting la, and i like paper stuffs. haha.

when i went for job interview, they asked "any other skills that you would like to share with us?", i ans: "model making".

"erm.... but nowaday, in interior design, seldom ppl do model, usually we use computer to generate 3D view, faster and easier... "

"oh, ok i see... =.=" (speechless)

mini Diana F+ (失败)

在香港lomo embassy经过三思，徘徊了许久。。到底应该买经典的Diana F+ 或是新推出的mini Diana F+ ? 最后，体积较小，以及可以用普通36mm 胶卷的mini Diana F+ 胜出！
带着蠢蠢欲试的心情，在香港及kl两地拍完了第一卷的‘处女作’。冲洗出来的效果有点失望。。尤其是颜色那方面。还有，我要的重叠效果居然不能实现？因为冲洗店不愿意帮我冲洗！担心会弄坏他们的机器喔！:(

大家看，第1，2，3张就有那种重叠效果的~~

无所谓，我会再度尝试！

稀有品种

在kl的一位设计朋友委托我替他找一种名为‘new raglin paper’的纸，用来打印他们的名片。对于一位设计师来说，找适当的纸张，或是适当的材料来达成自己设计出来的效果，是每一个设计师都会经历的东西。

再加上我对纸张的分类也蛮有兴趣，中学时期，放学后每次都会去逛在芙蓉市区一件叫‘Heng Paper’ 那五花八门的纸店。‘年轻时的我’也曾想过要开一张专卖纸张的店，或是在纸店内打工呢！哈~


在替他寻找之前，我用google搜寻了关于这种纸的资料，结果并不理想。但是知道它是一种拿来制作贺卡之类的纸。除此之外，也从一个看来干得不错的新加坡设计公司 （silnt）获寻了他们曾经用这种纸印出一系列的日历。效果很好，尤其是emboss的那一部分。


昨晚，就光临了最有希望的bras basah complex （在新加坡所谓的‘书城’）。开始是到卖手工，卖art material的店下手，却没有人听过这种纸。过后，就到印刷店询问，也是一样的答案。
在放弃之前。。居然。。。在四楼一间陈旧的店面，找到了它 他 她！这位店主- uncle patrick本身是制作结婚请帖的。而这件店在这里已经有20多年的历史。当他听说我要找这一类型卡片时，他立刻很热情的告诉了我很多他的历史，也告诉了我关于new raglin paper的好处。原来它的长处是纸质够厚身，非常适合做emboss，出来的效果也会很好。
话说，还没开业前，年轻时的他是在某某设计公司内当平面设计师。他说，通常new raglin paper 是拿来印刷请帖的不二之选。而现在由于科技的发达，很多东西都代替了传统的请帖。就算有，也许只是少数的一，两百张而已。所以现在对这类纸的需求并不多。再加上它是要从germany空运过来，就造成它被归类在‘稀有品种’的类别里。


虽然，需要这纸张的设计师不是我，但是，我能感受到那种本想放弃，却找到后的满。足。感！:) 再加上遇到这种好谈，也不吝啬分享的长辈设计师是不容易的哦。

这就是稀有品种的效果。。

my 32m2 apartment

my 32m2 apartment- is a book wrote by Gary Chang- an architect from Hong Kong. i get to know this book from yahoo news, and it interested me after reading the review. when i were in HK, i spend an hour at Kubrick bookstore to finish this book, wanted to buy it but i feel this is abit expensive, which cost sgd 43. i back to singapore with a little of regretful.... so, this time when Frank went to Hong Kong, i urged him to get this book for me, and here it goes.... :)

A brief intro about this brilliant architect on how he transformed his little apartment to a multi-tasks, multi-function house:

Architect Gary Chang has lived in the same 32 square metre apartment for over 30 years - since he was 14 years old. ‘My whole family – my parents, my three younger sisters, and me – used to live here. To make ends meet, my parents also rented out one of the rooms to an outsider, a woman in her late twenties. Then the room was rented to her younger brother. I vaguely recall our ‘room tenant’ stayed in our flat for around two years. Thereafter, the flat became home…for the six of us.’ Living in a tiny rented space with a large family was not uncommon in 1960s and 70s Hong Kong. Chang has not only developed a unique sensitivity towards small interior spaces and an interest in architectural design, but also finds endless fun, entertainment, and joie de vivre in his living environment. He now lives in and enjoys this 32m2 apartment by himself. The apartment has been gone through five different interior settings – in 1976, 1988, 1990, 1998 and 2007. More than a simple interior design story, this book illustrates the transformation of a living space and how people respond to different spatial settings.


Frank bought me this little 万花筒 as souvenir, design by an illustrator named Carrie Chau.

Everything look so beautiful and fanciful when you use that to view the world....

RIN chair

昨晚出席了由space furniture所主办的一个workshop，是专程为来自日本的hiromichi konno san所主办的。这位年轻设计师，因为设计了这个名为‘RIN’的椅子而一炮而红。行内人相信不会对这个作品感到陌生吧。看来简单，却那么的有心思的作品。

其实之前并没有留意他，甚至在悉尼design show里与RIN擦身而过也没什么反应。。直到Frank替我订位出席这个workshop后，才被他深深吸引。见到这真正的作品，及他本人，自己也爱上了它。设计师是个非常低调，谦虚及寡言的一贯日本人。最后，我还与Frank像个小影迷般向他索取了签名与和照。

身为一名设计师，其实只需要仅仅的一份代表作，就能让世人对你念念不忘，或似你为偶像般崇拜。而我？继续默默耕耘，等待适当的灵感。。让我为世人有些许贡献吧！