Laser-cut nori rolls enable sushi with a designer touch
It’s been an ongoing theme here at Springwise over the years that there are very few product categories that can’t benefit from a style-infused upgrade. Case in point? Japanese Umino Seaweed Shop’s rolls of nori that are laser-cut in designer patterns. READ MORE…
Acoustic ceiling for concert halls adjusts in real time to the music being played
Now that we’ve seen automotive tires that can adapt automatically to changing road conditions, it’s not surprising to come across an acoustic ceiling for concert halls that adjusts in real time to the music being played. Resonant Chamber is a new innovation from Michigan design firm RVTR that “deploys the principles of rigid origami to transform the acoustic environment through dynamic spatial, material and electroacoustic technologies,” in the company’s own words. READ MORE…
Stock image watermarks made less annoying, more useful
Stock photography provider Getty Images has already harnessed the power of social media to connect customers with its product through its Thinkstock subscription service Social Art Buyer, which enables Twitter users to easily find the images they are looking for. Now R/GA London, which was appointed Getty’s design agency of record in March, has launched a rebranding of the company’s watermarks with the Watermark Project, which aims to make the current features more practical. READ MORE…
Artworks source designs from Google Maps
We’ve already seen a combination of physical art and the digital world being explored by Germany’sKunstmatrix, an online 3D gallery space for displaying works. Now, Woodcut Maps is transforming Google Maps imagery into woodcuts to hang in the office or home. READ MORE…
Books that double up as smoking papers or a classic dish
We recently came across two advertising campaigns that center around books with a practical use beyond their content. Snoop Dogg’s Rolling Words Smokable Songbook is a collection of the rapper’s best lyrics printed onto rolling papers, while design agency Korefe has produced an edible cookbook made of pasta. READ MORE…
Alarm clock forces users out of bed to enter a code
There may be a lucky few who never have trouble getting up in the morning, but for everyone else, engineer and designer Paul Sammut has a new solution. Now fully funded on Kickstarter, Sammut’s new Ramos alarm clock can’t be turned off by any ordinary means; rather, users must get up and walk to an accompanying defuse panel to punch in the clock’s preset deactivation code. READ MORE…
In Canada, contest seeks designs for homes sourced within 100 miles
Locavores may be familiar with the concept of the “100-Mile Diet,” but it seems a fairly safe guess that most haven’t yet heard of a related concept being applied to the architectural world. Sure enough, also based in Canada, the 100 Mile House competition now solicits designs for a house for four that uses only materials and systems made, manufactured or recycled within 100 miles of the city of Vancouver, B.C. READ MORE…
Bicycles designed for less mobile riders
We have already seen bicycles modified to cater for riders who may have trouble using standard models, with US-based Super Sized Cycles enabling those with a weight of up to 550 pounds to keep fit on two wheels. Now Elev8 Bikes has developed a new design which enables less mobile cyclists to adjust their seat while riding using a gas spring mechanism. READ MORE…
QR codes embedded into art on ceramic tiles
Mini Masters has integrated QR codes into art inspired tiles, displaying quotations added by tile owners to anyone who scans them with a smartphone. READ MORE…
Touch-enabled wall paint converts skin contact into electronics control
Now that we’ve seen whispering windows, motion-sensing walls and device-charging furniture, it doesn’t seem surprising to come across touch-enabled wall paint for the home. Sure enough, French 3.14 Innovations has come up with On/Off paint, a conductive wall treatment that can enable touch control of various home electronic devices. READ MORE…
