Campsite is a New York based design blog and studio run by visual designer Max Ritt.
We are now living in a time where technology and thus children’s toys evolve on almost and hourly basis. A bag of rocks feels refreshing. The soft round tactile orbs are the minimalist parents dream toy, and the clean up would be much easier than a thousand legos. They were designed to support Pass the Baton charity market by Taku Satoh.
(via Spoon & Tomago »)
I like many other creatives before and after me spent a not so brief stint in the coffee world, and until recently I let that form my entire view of what coffee could and should be. Now I have put enough distance between myself and that past that I can start to appreciate minimal fixtures like this one. The Scanomat Top Brewer easily integrates with your iPhone or iPad, and can spew your favorite pipping beverage right up from the innards of your kitchen counter with a simple tap from the app. Not so little things like this home coffee geyser really let me know we are living in the future.
(via Minimalissimo »)
All of the products in Plus Minus Zero (±0) are the epitome of minimalist design perfection, and are also stunningly curated. This new Ceramic Fan Heater is a beautiful design object and heating source.
(via Minimalissimo »)
Industrial designer and architect Jean Prouvé in my opinion is one of the most underrated and forgotten modernist designers. His work laid the ground work for a lot of subsequent styles. Many of which are still prevalent and even hip today. His work was very evidently influenced by the post industrial revolution manufacturing culture and the advent of mass production. In opposition to the changes we have witnessed where mass production has allowed for a drop in the quality of goods. Prouvé used it as an opportunity to make furniture out of materials that were normally used in aircraft and military grade fixtures.
(via Daily Icon »)
MINIMAL Inc. has designed a Collection for Coalesse, which to put it simply aims to redefine the conference room. As our workspaces and desks have evolved the conference room has stayed the same. Our practices have become ever more social, and collaboration is an active component of any good work environment. Based on this evolution in the work environment the area where we hold meetings and brainstorm as a group obviously needed an overhaul. This collection by Minimal reminds me a lot of the ergonomics and structure of some of Herman Miller’s classic office chairs and even airport seating, with some obvious comfort updates and a great deal of elegance. One aspect that I find striking about the line in general is that it seems to be set at a lower than standard height for office furniture. This undoubtedly translates into the mood and energy that exists with in the conference room.
Being a huge Dieter Rams fan myself makes this new Das Programm site that much more amazing. A minimalist store dedicated entirely to the works Rams designed while working at Braun between 1955 and 1995. This site fills a small portion of “the gap between the desirability and availability of his work”.
There is nothing more magnificent than this perfect collaboration between precision racing and 20th century art. Alexander Calder has been one of my favorite artists and greatest influences since finding a book of his work and sketches on a family friends coffee table as a child. The lively shapes and colors bring to life the metal exoskeleton that is the embodiment of the BMW 3.0 CLS. In motion it could be mistaken for tropical fish gliding past. The Calder’s signature(“ca”) on the rear drivers side quarter panel is a beautiful touch, it really completes the canvas in my opinion.
(via Daily Icon »)
I can pretty positively say I have hated ten in every nine vases I have seen, but the fresh thinking here is great. These vases made out of a combination of cast concrete and steel framing would make a great balance in a sleek modern home. They add a level of texture and idiosyncrasy. Check out some of the process sketches behind these great designs from Thinkk Studio after the jump. All the designs for this project were created while Decha Archjananun of Thinkk Studio was studying at the amazing design program at University of Art and Design Lausanne.
(via Minimalissimo »)
I can’t say that I use a hair dryer very frequently let alone ever, but I am aware of the overwhelming lack of design in most household electronics and appliances. These designs by Jean Baptiste Fastrez incorporate beautifully hewn wood handles, melded with simple cords and futuristic blowers. The project is called Tomahawk. The name derived from the hatchets carried by Native American tribes, applies to the design as well as the element of craft that goes into creating a wood handle.
(via NOTCOT »)
I rarely make it into a post office living in New York City mainly because the lines are of life threatening length. The past week while I was visiting my parent’s in MA I happened to stop into the local post office and come across these gems. A new stamp set released by the USPS entitled Pioneers of American Industrial Design. Up until a few days ago I had only seen them floating around on blogs. The tactile feel of a sheet a of perforated stamps is just amazing coupled with the beautiful images of design icons. The lineup of designers includes Eliot Noyes, Dave Chapman, Frederick Hurten Rhead, Donald Deskey, Greta von Nessen, and a few others. You can get the stamps in most local post offices or online at the USPS Shop.
Nike recently released this new animated video as a part of the Tales From the Kitchen series, this episode covers the design and inspiration behind the new Hyperfuse. Shane Kohatsu was inspired to create a durable breathable basketball sneaker by a recent trip to China and their burgeoning basketball scene.
(via Garrett Morin »)
Phaidon has put out a great new book that showcases the absolute minimalist perfection of Dieter Rams seemingly endless sea of work. Named for Rams’ tenth design principle Good design is As Little Design as Possible. The design of the book itself was handled by Kobi Benezeri, and I do mean handled. For someone of the caliber of Rams the book requires a certain level of finesse. Benezeri employed a sensory mesh printing on the covers and spine of the book, and lots of impeccably printed full bleed photography.
(via SeptemberIndustry »)
Kieser Spath’s concept for a clothing rail, perfectly named Mr. T the construction is a ultra minimal design using two wooden t-shaped verticals with a metal rod spanning the space between them. The rail is available in two sizes and can be easily taken apart and here is the real genius. It can be store flat.
(via Minimalissimo »)
Jonah Takagi of Takagi Atelier has released a new line of pieces called New Basics, which consists of a few variations on a flat packing table. The brightly colored hardware for the system is laser cut powder coated steel and the tops are a durable 100% recycled composite.
(via NOTCOT »)
This year a modern classic has it’s half century birthday. The 606 system was originally released and is still on offer from Vitsoe. Designed by one of my all time favorite designers Dieter Rams, the 606 modular shelving and storage system lives at that rare intersection of form and function. Few pieces of furniture and especially modular shelving do their job with such style and grace. No wonder then that the 606 system has remained a staple offering for Vitsoe for fifty years now.
The idea of having a highly functional, easy to clean minimalist kitchen like this has been a dream of mine for a long time. It seems to be poised somewhere between the stainless steal line kitchen tables of my formative years and the Bulthaup workstation I hope to have one day. Here we are looking at a concept kitchen designed for Naber by industrial designer Kilian Schindler. This system is modular and adaptable so you can customize it to fit your space or needs, which is just an added bonus on top of it’s aesthetic.
It seems pretty common for a bag or luggage manufacture to make a set or system that has the same look and feel, but in this case Unitportables has taken it to a different and better place. Their ultra minimalist bag system all works together to create a multi function bag with tons of little pockets and compartments specifically designed for things like power adapters and iPads. Available in series of monochrome options including my favorite, all black. Their website says there are more products soon, and I excited to see what those end up being.
(via The Fox Is Black »)
Alessi held a competition earlier this year for the students of the industrial design school at the University of Art and Design Laussane in Switzerland. The competition was to design a line of desktop goods. My favorite submission is this tape dispenser. The ultra minimalist aesthetic paired with the obvious functionality of it is inspiring. We have all grown used to the two common types of tape dispenser available to us. The clunky sand filled ones and the feather light plastic ones. Despite all my ill will towards it’s predecessors the elegance of this little guy cuts right through those feelings and reminds me of how good design can improve everyday things.
(via NOTCOT »)
STRAND Design is a great example of a product and furniture design operation that is making highly usable everyday things. Their Core System tables and desks are sturdy and practical, but still have an impeccable construction and material choice. Also the Tree Theory Messenger is awesome. It has a nice balance of handmade characteristics and obvious durability.
(via Pitch Design Union »)
It’s great to see design being applied to big issues that have the potential to benefit real people. Often with design we don’t see major impact beyond the edges of the creative pond. Once in a while though, there is a design innovation so distinct and necessary that it makes everyone go “duh!”. Mobilegs created by Mobi is one such innovation. Mobi is a mobility products development studio that came out of Studio Weber + Associates in Minneapolis.
Most people have suffered the agony of a broken leg or sprained ankle, and by agony I am referring to the chafing, irritation, and bruising caused by trying to maneuver around using crutches. This winning innovation was invented by Jeff Weber who has designed several successful pieces for Herman Miller with their main focus being ergonomics. So solving the crutch problem makes sense as a next step for Weber.
(via Herman Miller – Discover »)
