Kristen Baumlier

NEWS

Ride Your Bike And Make a Lamp (!?)

Posted on February 27, 2014May 19, 2014 by Kbaumlier

An unusual lamp created by Mark Colliass uses a unique method to create the actual lampshade. You can’t tell by looking at it, but the lampshade was created while riding on a bike.

The process involves pouring resin, called Jesminite, into side areas of the mold which is located on the side of the bike. As you ride the bike, the force of riding will push the resin out of the storage area and into the mold, forming a unique bowl shape. It takes about 40 minutes to make the lamp, and for the mold to set. Who knew you could do a recreation activity and create a design at once? You can read updates about the project on @tincanboy.

Photos by: Terri NG

Image Source and Links:

https://twitter.com/tincanboy

Processed Views – Landscape of Processed Foods

Posted on February 20, 2014February 24, 2014 by Kbaumlier

Fruit Loop mountains and canyons made of chips might be someone’s dream and another person’s nightmare. Artists Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lochman created a series of landscape images in 2012-2013 made of processed food. On their website, the artists write “As we move further away from the natural sources of our food, we head into uncharted territory replete with unintended consequences for the environment and for our health.”

The work references the work of photographer, Carleton Watkins who created landscape views that framed the American West. The images influenced the public’s views of the national parks. Ironically, they were commissioned by the corporate interests of the day that included the Central Pacific Railroad and the lumber, milling and mining industries.

With processed views, the detailed images examine consumption and the changing landscape of our food. The images can be viewed on the project website.

Links and Image Sources:

www.ciurejlochmanphoto.com

Quaddel – a Process for Growing 3d Plants and Other Structures

Posted on February 16, 2014February 24, 2014 by Kbaumlier

Dominik Kolb and Christopher Bader, 26-year-old students at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany have developed a project where an interactive application can help users create abstract forms.

Called Quaddel, the project combines 3D printing and an interactive application to assist users in creating dynamic development of 3d imagery and output.

Quaddel’s formations are built on formulas, math, and randomization and create unique images that replicate coral, flowers, plants, and bronchial lungs. The structures are organic, and the videos of the images forming are engaging.

The 3d models can be 3D printed, and go from a video to a physical object. Check out some of the videos below, or check out the project page on Behance.

curvature based growth process that simulates coral like structures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--TUH-Y

Links and Image Sources:

Quaddel – www.youtube.com

www.behance.net – Quaddel

www.deskriptiv.de/

Take 48 hours to Create New Amazing Services in a “Service Jam”

Posted on February 12, 2014February 24, 2014 by Kbaumlier

What kind of new public services and programs are needed in your community? Individuals interested in service design, design thinking, and innovation will meet at locations all over the world to develop brand new services and experience collaboration. In cities such as Los Angeles, Vienna, Chicago, and other places, teams will have one weekend to create ideas for new services.

How can an interaction with a bank, a bus, or getting your license at the DMV be improved? How can riding a bus be as great as using an iPod? How can problem solving and design thinking be applied to developing new services?

The “Global Service Jam” happens from Friday March 7 until Sunday March 9 when at 3pm, all new ideations of services will be published to the world. The event is like a brainstorming/meeting/ design session, where anyone can contribute ideas and skills. In past service jams, teachers, entrepreneurs, designers, developers, business people, community activists, artists, architects, makers and thinkers worked together to create prototypes that can be seen on the Global Service Jam website.

Some past projects from 2013 that included protoypes, videos, photos, and wireframed designs included:
Likuid
A simple device you can add to any water source in your house to track your water consumption. It will measure your water usage in real time so you can be more conscious of how much water you use, and help you save money along the way!

Emotional Drivers License
The emotional Drivers License that encourages positive driving behavior.

Food tracking project in feed’r
Feed’r.org is an independent food tracking service,that raises food awareness among consumers and creates transparency in food labeling.

You can read more about the event on the Service Design Jam – and you still have time to organize one in your town. Rules, ideas, and past projects can be viewed on the project website.

Links and Image Sources:

www.servicedesignjam.org

planet.globalservicejam.org

Good Money – A Project to Encourage Good Deeds

Posted on February 8, 2014February 8, 2014 by Kbaumlier

Good Money is a project by Good Virus that aims to inspire people to spend their money wisely and use their dollar bills for good. For the project, people stamp their $1 and $5 bills with text that reads: “This money has been used for good,” as well as provides a link to the Good Virus website. The idea is that through social influence, a chain reaction of good deeds will be started.”

For the project, Good Virus is asking anyone who finds one of its stamped dollar bills in circulation to log it on its website and enter the location where the bill, so the project’s influence can be mapped.

The creators write on the Good Virus site:

“We want to see if the Good Virus effect plays out with money. We’re thinking that if we give a few dollars to someone who needs food, the money is then in circulation. Perhaps the next person who gets the bill will read the message and be inspired to spend it on a good cause too, and so on and so on…

Good Virus of course isn’t about money, but the team behind the project is interested to see what develops.

To participate, you can buy the stamp for $9.50, or simply write “THIS MONEY HAS BEEN USED FOR GOOD” in your own letters. It doesn’t really matter. All We ask is that people track the serial number on the map below, so we can map and track the effect.

Image Sources and Links:

Good Money Project

Kindness is Contagious -Video