Balance, Design, Products, Technology
August 6, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Where we’ve been this week…
1. Brain Pickings A blog about ideas – fascinating new ones and old ones worth revisiting. It’s the work of Maria Popova, who refers to herself as “a cultural curator and curious mind at large.” Where to Start: The post on book shelves.
2. Minimal Mac Sorry PC users, but here is just another reason to join the Mac family – a beautifully designed and well-written blog devoted to all things … Mac. Where to start: A great piece on recycling technology.
3. Been Seen Boutique Homes OK! So, this has very little to do with home offices but everything to do with working – or rather not working. Check out this site devoted to cool vacation rentals. I’m afraid I’ve already spent way too long wading trough gorgeous houses and dreaming about a holiday. Where to start: Villa K in Marrakech anyone?
4. Lego Design By Me Did you know you could design your won Lego creations? You download free software, design and Lego boxes it up for you. Where to start: Click on Places in the gallery section. I like Swedish simple house.
5. Space Invading A new and very beautiful design and architecture blog from the people at Archinect. Where to start: I need this sofa for my office.
Design
February 25, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Dutch designer Joost van Bleiswijk first came to our attention last March with a Core 77 post on his wonderful cardboard office design for Nothing creative agency in Amsterdam. Here Joost answers some questions about his work habits, Lego and what inspires him.
Where do you do most of your designing? Home is 2 minutes from the studio. The house is a nice and warm place, the studio is huge, white cube of 1000 m2. I have had a separate workshop since 2002, first in a small garage, later in a 300m2 place and for the past year in an old Philips factory building that is a national monument.
What does an average work day involve? Everyday is different, but it always starts with emails, then coffee with the crew and a chat, then we discuss what has to be done. Then it’s always different. In a ideal day, I work in the workshop, doing tests, little models, etc. But the average day involves telephone calls, email etc. A lot of controlling and talking and looking to what the guys are doing.
You’ve been using corten steel in your latest designs (including the desk clock above). Is there any form of technology that really inspires you and helps you in your work? New fast hardware tools in the workshop, like a new metal grinder, or revolutionary grinding discs.
What item from your desktop can you not do without? I rediscovered Lego as a perfect sketching tool for technical problems!
What inspires you? Kiki [That's fellow designer and partner Kiki van Eijk. There's a nice interview with Kiki on Three Layer Cake. The image below of Joost and Kiki ran in Eigen Huis]
[All images of the Nothing office by Joachim Baan]
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