DIY FOR THE ADD

one of the funny things about people these days is that they're all about DIY ("do it yourself") projects but also so ADD that no one really watches content that's more than five minutes long. enter leaftv.

leaf is getting a lot of this right. leaf is a lifestyle resource that creates all kinds of great how-to videos. they include anything from how to chop an onion to how to wallpaper your room. the videos are never longer than 90 seconds and so well done!

leaf also creates instagram versions of many of these videos that are an abbreviated 10-15 second version. the amount they can get into these 10 second videos really makes you think about how to be deliberate with your content.

instagram version here.

have you seen any good video content lately?

more from leaf over here.

STICK IT TO ME

this is car-a-zy.

talkin' about smart stickers today. created by estimote, these stickers (or "beacons") have wireless sensors that can attach to different objects and send signals to devices within range. the result is that these stickers can generate data that helps your devices unlock micro-locating and enhance the way you interact with your environment.

people have been talking about wearable technology for a while now. but concerns about practicality, logistics and functionality keep getting in the way. thinking about technology that your environment can wear – instead of you – seems like an interesting alternative. estimote calls this “nearable” tech: technology that enhances the users’s experience through data, motion and temperature sensors without them having to actually do anything.

also, the design of the product and the packaging is beautiful. simple and clean enough to not get in the way and interesting enough to catch your attention. still deciding how i feel about their color palette, but the product is beautiful.

here’s a good quote from steve cheney, cofounder and senior vice president: “beacons are a little bit like urls for the physical world… we don’t know exactly how it’s all going to work out, from the experience level, but i think the apps you use the most will start to integrate beacon technology in a way where you assume it was always that way.”

the applications for these are truly incredible. right now estimote’s audience is mainly developers but as you look at the video below think about the implications for: more targeted marketing, digitizing in-person retail, home automation, and in terms of reconciling how you connect with people/brands/places online and offline.

and finally, the big one for me: how can we use design to integrate technology into the places and products we interact with in a way that enhances (instead of detracting from) the aesthetic quality of our life?

more here.

CUZ IT'S PRETTY: ANIMO/ANIMAL EDITION

how fun are these minimalist animal designs?

these guys are the centerpiece of a brand called animodul, a clothing and toy company for kids. this beautiful brand design was created by spanish design studio atipo. 

cool shapes above and an AWESOME video below. amazing to see how much they accomplish with just a few shapes. and fun to see in the second half of the video how these designs are applied beyond branding, onto the product.

via logodesignlove

TOUCHABLE MEMORIES

this is so cool.

pirate3d has created “the world’s friendliest 3d printer,” a printer that can turn images into 3d-printed objects. the video below is about “touchable memories,” a project they’ve launched that focuses on the printer’s ability to turn photos into 3d-printed objects for people without vision. the project hopes to increase awareness around the many ways that technology can improve lives. as the video says, “technology is just a tool. people give it a purpose.” using a home printer called a bucacaneer, they are able to create a physical, tangible scene of an image.

as a person who lives for design and beauty, i know that so many of the things that give me joy are based on the privilege of sight. the idea of seeing art and design and inspiration everywhere - which is at the core of THE BOSS AESTHETIC - truly takes for granted that privileged. justina blakeney mentioned this in a post for world sight day a couple of weeks ago: “i refer to myself as a ‘visual person,’ but without sight i would have to redefine my entire identity and carve out a new way of thinking and of being.” the idea that technology could give those without sight access to a little bit of this as well is pretty amazing.

more here.

via swissmiss