Rebecca McNamara
James Dyson: Designing Out AnnoyancesFor many of us, a glance at everyday appliances elicits a wince or a groan: they're dull looking, break easily and frequently, and never work quite as well as we'd like. Our lives are full of minor annoyances that we try, often unsuccessfully, to ignore. But when James Dyson is annoyed by an appliance, he doesn't ignore it; he embraces it, seeing in a product’s shortcomings the opportunity to create something better, that will work (well), look cool, and surpass all similar devices. Vacuum cleaner, James Dyson, DC-07, Industrial Design, appliances |
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Branded in Early Twentieth-Century ViennaToday’s luxury designers sometimes find unique ways to brand their products without a label—Christian Louboutin’s red sole, Bottega Veneta’s woven purse—while others create logo-patterns, as Louis Vuitton has done. Many mid-range product lines, like those of Apple or Starbucks, proclaim their name loudly with simple, meaningful logos. While it may seem that logos and brand identities today are most concerned with profits, the bottom line was not always the reason behind marking one’s goods. Werkstätte, Koloman Moser, silver, silver-plated, box, hallmarks, rose, vienna |
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William Lescaze's Townhouse Blueprint: Creating a New Look for New York ResidencesThis blueprint in the Cooper-Hewitt collection depicts architect William Lescaze's radical and trendsetting four-story townhouse at 211 East 48th Street, New York. Little, if any, changes were made between this design—or between a sketch, also in the museum's collection—and the final structure, built in 1933–34. William Lescaze, New York City, townhouse, Architecture, blueprint, drawing, Matthew Baird |
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A Metal "Lace" Chandelier: Tord Boontje's Modern Twist on Centuries-Ago StyleThe chandelier reinvented. The lightbulb redecorated. Stainless steel brought to life. Moving patterns stopped in motion. tord boontje, chandelier, lighting design, contemporary design |
