Inspirations
CategoryYesterday’s modernity as a lens on the future’s dreamland
I recently found myself looking through a copy of V E Johnson’s Modern Inventions from 1915. I’m still not sure how it ended up on my shelves, but it has rewarded with rich passages, rising at times to something which feels like techno-historic po…
Whimsical outcomes suggest good experience design
When does a ‘thing’ become elevated beyond its original purpose?
Seated at the breakfast table, reading an FT article about the mapping system What3Words, I found myself charmed by the whimsy it inspires.
“There’s a What3Words haiku bot on Twi…
Ridiculous creative limitations hold sublime potential
The Power Racing Series is a bit like Formula One, except the vehicles are miniature electric racing cars designed for childen and they’re incongruously driven by adults. Imagine Mario Kart brought to life.
I learned about it while listening to…
Consistency and confidence flow from effective design systems
Consistency builds confidence. The introduction of a design system can ensure consistent delivery for complex organisations, as demonstrated in this example created for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1977 by Chermayeff …
Dominant design patterns should not preclude creative experimentation
There’s an established design pattern for sailing cruisers: an open cockpit to the rear and an enclosed cabin to the front.
The first thing which strikes one about the Dufour T7 is that it doesn’t conform. Instead of centralising the accommodat…
Hidden ingredients and their influence on experience design
An attempt at glass blowing left me thinking about how design properties can remain hidden during manufacture yet go on to define the experience of the finished product.
Encouraged by the visit of a cousin with an interest in craft, I found…
Creative limitations from eccentric corners of the internet
I should preface this by saying it gets weird before it gets, well, inspirational. Or so I hope.
A conversation with an avid Harry Potter fan alerted me to the existence of a podcast called Harry Potter’s Sacred Text. Its tagline reads:
RE…
More to see as smartphone cameras slowdown
Slowing down can help one see the previously unseen. This is as much a philosophical as a practical observation. In many ways, the two seem dependent: by allowing oneself the time to observe in leisurely detail, one is making a choice to think at …