Educating Through Interaction Design To Save The Planet

(See video at end of post)

Reducing C02 emissions in the fight global warming is a battle to be fought on many fronts. The more varied efforts employed the better. Other than the design of energy efficient cars and research into alternative eco-friendly fuels there are additional ways to reduce our individual CO2 footprints. One of the easiest and most immediate is simply to drive better. Applying a few changes to the way we drive can bring about significant reductions in fuel consumption. However educating people to drive better seems a boring and thankless task.

However, designers at Ford have proposed an interesting solution to this issue. In addition to all the standard driving information we are used to, such as speed, revs and engine temperature, their new high definition digital dashboard screen also displays a plant to the right of the screen. The plants health depends on the quality of the driving. The more fuel efficient a driving style, the more leaves the plant will grow.

The use of a plant is an emotive visual metaphor. Drivers with a forest growing on their dashboard will sleep sounder in the knowledge that they are getting the most out of the fuel they burn and that they have at least had less impact on the environment due to their actions.

Perhaps even more effective is the way it adds a kind of gameplay to driving. With ever more of us likely to have been brought up on a diet of computer games, this kind of solution appeals to our more competitive nature, and may just motivate drivers with a small shoot lacking in leaves to see if they can grow a better plant. Eventually the idea could be developed into a real game, where families with multiple drivers compete against each other to grow the best plants, or even a networked community of cars competing with each other, offering prizes to the most efficient drivers.

The digital gauge tackles the problem directly at it's source, in the moment when people are actually driving, and able to make a difference, and will be far more effective than other means of educating drivers on fuel efficient driving. With the rise in fuel costs many people are probably eager to have such useful fuel saving advice in order to save some money as well as the planet. By taking the advice of the in car computer you could save $1,000's over the lifetime of the car.

BMW GINA - Morphing Car With Flexible Fabric Skin

Yesterday I posted a video of the BMW interactive kinetic sculpture, an installation that forms part of the companies recently launched museum. While browsing their Web TV site I saw a video of another exhibit from the museum. Called GINA, the exhibit is a prototype car with a flexible fabric skin instead of a traditional rigid metal or fibreglass body. The car is engineered to be able to morph, changing its shape. The changes can only be made within fairly limited physical parameters. It is a framework under the flexible skin that is able to move, but with such precision engineering in car design, even the most subtle of changes in a plane or line can have radical aesthetic or aerodynamic affect.

The concept of using a flexible fabric skin is in itself very radical and interesting, especially combined with the ability to change the cars shape, and I am sure that there will be great desire and expectation to see something so innovative find its way into production. However the thing that I find even more interesting is to see how the car itself has been so influential on the visual language of the current series of BMW production cars. The car itself looks very much a BMW. The shapes and lines that the car cuts, are distinctly BMW, yet it does not appear that a visual language has been mapped onto the car, rather the technology of a simple frame pushing through the flexible fabric skin creating its own unique language. From what I have garnered from other posts online, the car is at least six years old. It would appear that the team imagined up a car that not only explored the idea of a flexible skin, but also became a tool for exploring new forms and shapes, and became a tool in evolving BMW's avant guarde visual design language. This is an example where, at least in part the technology has been used to express the visual language. The shapes do not come from a computer, or from traditional crafts and design, rather from new materials and technology.

A truly inspirational project. From many angles!

See more images and video of the car below, and the teaser that preceeded it. Not only an interesting story, but also an example of successful online marketing, with the video notching up over two million views in several weeks.

I read about this first on Geekology blog

Jonas Damon - Numbers Clock

I love this clock designed by Jonas Damon, European design manager of Habitat. He has reduced the 'Numbers' clock to it's fundamental function of representing the time, in this case through four digital numerals. Each numeral can be positioned independently from the others, to make a personal time sculpture.

The clock is available to purchase from Design Public, that offer a really excellent range of design objects.

Check out more products from Jonas from his personal site. I really like his side table 'Echo' that is made from four independent identical sections that can be used individually or brought together to create a larger table.

Rumplo - Social T-Shirt Shopping

Shopping for great t-shirts just got a whole lot easier. Rumplo is a social shopping community that's focus is on specialist and artist created t-shirts. The community uploads it's favorite designs from around the world, all with links to stores where the tees can be bought online. It is only a few weeks old, but already is host to hundreds of interesting designs.

Here are some of my favorites, by Your Eyes Lie, a UK collective of designers. Other designs that I liked can be seen on my Rumplo profile.

Other good t-shirt sites are Emptees and historical favorite Threadless

Ping Mag - Read with caution

I was just sent a link to this online magazine/blog 'PingMag' by Eoghan (thanks!!). This site looks so packed full of amazing articles. Check it out. I am curious about the 'Thrill Designer', Brendon Walker who proposes a theme park based on plane crashes, as well as an interview with the authors of the core memory project, a visual survey of vintage computers. This site is going to become one of my regulars I can imagine!




An image from the Core Memory Project.

Video Tracing To Create 3D Models

This is a neat way of simply and quickly building 3D models by using video of the object you wish to create a model of.

“VideoTrace is a system for interactively generating realistic 3D models of objects from video—models that might be inserted into a video game, a simulation environment, or another video sequence. The user interacts with VideoTrace by tracing the shape of the object to be modeled over one or more frames of the video.”



Link to the video trace site.

Found on DesignVerb .

3D Desktop

This guys 'home' experiment using a Wii remote to create a 3D 'desktop' interface has to be seen. By fixing the receiver to his head and using the Wii remote as a motion sensor his computer program is able to locate the position and angle of vision of the user, and then dynamically adust the content on the screen. As the user changes their angle of vision, objects on the screen move accordingly. This is something we will no doubt see very soon in games, and maybe interface design. The effect is so amazing, yet so easy to achieve. See more amazing projects from Johnny Chung Lee at his website.

One Laptop Per Child - Update

This is an interesting update on the One Laptop Per child programme that aims to produce computers for developing countries for under $100. While currently at $170 per laptop (no mean feat either), the interesting thing about this new computer, is that it was completely rethought from scratch and introduces some energy saving concepts that should find their way into everyday computers.

This article by the BBC also incorporates embedded video content, which is part of a new trial for the BBC. Much better that the video viewer that has favored PC users over Mac's in the past. See below, an embed from the article.

Terminal B - Searching For Creative Talent In Barcelona

Created with the objective of promoting the network of creativews working in Barcelona, this site provides a way to search for talent across a wide range of criteria. It is visually impressive and very dynamic in design. The seach is very useful, but the initial navigation seems more funk than function. It is a very interesting example of making a dymamic interface for a network of information. The same group is also responsible for Created In Barcelona, a book highlioghting some of Barcelona's hottest creaetive talent. So if you are looking for or you are, an architect, designer, illustrator, photogrpaher or web designer in Barcelona check the site out here.

Normal Design - Not!

Japan based American designer Ross McBride originally started out as a graphic designer, which comes across strongly in his painfully simple graphic and conceptual approach to product designs. I love the ironic concepts for his watches, which are part of a series of twelve (naturally). The clever irony of Time and Money being the hour and minute hands, or the simple practical functionality of the multiple hour hands that deliver the time in multiple time zones but on one face, as opposed to the usual multi faced displays.

Check out his watches and other products, including some very nice digital clocks and stools made in the form of keyboard keys at NormalDesign.net.

No Name Magazine - First Print Edition

The first printed version of No Name Magazine is set to be released on 21st February. Each three months NNM presents the work of contemporary artists, art directors, graphic designers, illustrators, photogrpahers, performers, stylists and fashion designers. Each issue is centred around a single concept that is expressed by the various contributors. Started in 2003 as an online gallery, it now counts more than 800 collaborations.

A back catalogue of previous editions can be viewed here.

Brio Network Toys

Brio's new Network range brings the line of traditionally classic wooden toys more upto date. Retaining the clean and high quality design, the new wooden toys have a more hi tech subject than their more classically themed train and farm yard predecessors. Appealing to the computer generation, the collection introduces computer themed characters, such as viruses, CD burners and characters that deliver emails. The toys retain their low tech and durable appeal and work much as the traditional counterparts, but have some interactive features when some pieces are placed near other components.

The site is also an example of very good web design. Essentially a slick catalogue style presentation, the site features impecable integration of 3D animated video. The site was made by Swedish agency, FarFar, who also created memory stick gadgets from the collection - which I think are almost more desirable than the toys themselves!

Visit the site

Hudson-Powell Interactive Installation

Not a new idea, but really well done and very fun and beautiful. Created for a Hello Kitty exhibition in Hong Kong, this installation tracks user movements in front of a projected screen and renders an alternative cartoon head onto the head of the person being filmed in real time. The installation was created using ARToolKit Augmented Reality software.
See the video on their site.

Hudson-Powell Animation

A very fresh looking abstract video made by Hudson-Powell for Carat media planning agency.
See some stills here, but see the video on their site.

Vallery - Chorizo Iberico - Spanish Criminals Exhibition

The second exhibition to be shown in the recently opened Barcelona gallery/store features works by the gallery creators Vasava. Entitled Chorizo Iberico, a name that is a play on words - meaning literally a type of spanish spicy sausage, but also with a second meaning 'Spanish Criminal'. Playing with the concept of the cliche of typical Spanish cultural reference, it presents a new typical Spanish product - the Spanish gangster.

The prints, also available as a book can be seen in the gallery from December 14th until January 13th.

More...

Telsa Roadster - Ferrari Beating Electric Sportscar

Reading about the Telsar roadster and you would be lead to believe that it was a traditional luxury sports car. However it has one fundamental difference. It is electric.

With all of the performance issues of other earlier attempts at electric cars answered, such as low top speeds, or having to recharge every half an hour, all of the benefits of the electric car seem to make our future car driving experiences look much more enjoyable. According to the Telsar site there are hundreds of heavy components required to power a standard petrol engine, all of which need regualr maintainance and are prone to failure. By comparison the Telsar engine has only one moving part, the rotor.

The motor is so light a person could carry it. It is this fact that means that the car is capable of beating traditional super cars in the performance stakes, with a 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds.

The battery, which is the cars biggest innovation, demonstrates that the biggest challenge for all electrical cars is being overcome, as it stores enough energy to power the car across 250 miles. A first for any electric car. It is clear that with continued research in this area, advances and breakthroughs will only continue to make electrical cars far more desireable than their fossil fuel equivalents.

I think that it is an intelligent plan of theirs to concentrate on developing high performance electric cars, to push the boundries of the technology and then let this advances eventually work their way down to more accessable cars.

The car also includes some other interesting 'digital' design features, such as being PIN protected, so that only those with the pass key can drive the car, and valet parking mode, that when accessed, permits the car to be driven at only low speeds.

The best aspect of the car, being electric, means that it is more environmentally friendly. The energy used to power the car is generated by efficient power plants that do not burn oil, rather using more environmentally friendly fuels, and the amount of energy used to generate the electricity is a lot less than a traditional car would use to power itself, as the electric car is much more efficient in turning its power source into energy.

The first deliveries are due for late 2007, but these are all sold out. If you want to get your hands on one you will need to wait until 2008!

View more here

Lamborghini Murcielago - Edition Versace

Lamborghini revealed an special edition of their Murcielago model designed by Versace, designed to coincide with Paris fashion week. Each of the 10 examples come with a modified interior featuring Versace designed patterned fabric and a silver numbered commemorative tag. The car also comes complete with Versace luggage and watch. As if either of the brands are not in themselves the image of over indulgence and extreme luxury, I guess that this partnership will no doubt get themselves talked about that little but more!

Rollout - Wallpaper Design

Stuck for how to decorate the walls of your new appartment or office? Look no further that Rollout that have some beautiful wall coverings and can also take your own super creative ideas and make them into a wallcovering reality.

This Canadian creative studio designs and prints custom single, or low run wallpapers. They feature the works of a variety of graphic artists and illustrators. The agency was born out of the need for graphic expression in the interior design industry.

According to Rollout - "Gone are the days of slick minimalism. Texture, expression, emotion, and color have filled the gaping hole left by modernism. We represent a culture of creativity and warmth that denies conformity."

Relying on community-based recruitment, ROLLOUT constantly hunts for exciting ideas from any inspiration. Illustration, photography, graphic design, and industrial design provide media; the walls provide the medium.

Check their designs here...

Vallery - Now Open

Barcelona is home to a new must see destination for people interested in art and creativity. The new Vallery gallery/shop, located in the centre of Barcelona, is host to exhibitions and has a store featuring clothes, accessories, toys and books from outstanding talents from around the world. If you can't make it to Barcelona, then you can still indulge in a little shopping from their online store.

Vallery is an initiative of the Spanish creative design agency Vasava. It just so happens that the Vasava boys also have their home in the back of the gallery!.

The inaugeral exhibition of Vallery is Make a Fuss, by Non-Format.

Visit site...

Ornithopter

One of the last remaining aeronautical breakthroughs occured recently. I heard about this story on The World podcast, a technology based weekly update made in collaboration with the BBC, WGBH Public Radio Boston and Public Radio international.

Like so many breakthrough discoveries they are so often down to the relentless passion and dedication of a few individuals that seem to persevere no matter what. A wonderful example of someone continuing to fight against all the odds and achieve their dream is in the case of Dr James DeLaurier of the University of Toronto's institute for Aerospace Studies. who for his entire career had made it his goal to prove that it was possible to create an ornithopter. Together with the students of his university classes (of which saw many unsuccessful prototypes and failed attempts), he finally realised his vision.

He set out to prove that despite successul flights to the moon, hypersonic flight and travelling around the world without refueling, that the unfulfilled promise of ornithopter flight was possible. That is to say, a plane that it propelled by flapping wings, much like a giant bird.

After more than 15 years fo research and failed attempts the record was finally broken.

July 8th 2006, saw the first successful flight of an ornithopter. Reaching a speed of just over 50 mph, the ornithopter took off and flew for 14 seconds, travelling 1/3 km distance in the process. The momentus flight ended in an abrupt fashion, rolling left and collapsing into the runway in dramatic fashion.

One wonders if DeLaurier or his partner Harris will get the same level of recognition as the Wright bothers, or if their design for planes will get much further off the ground than their first ornithopter. One thing is for sure, and that this is a wonderful story and an inspiration to everyone to keep on plugging away in pursuit of your vision and dreams.

Check out video of the historic flight and images of the ground breaking plane here.