Dine. Travel. Design.

Chopsticks for those who need a little assistance!

Chork by lrstudiofurniture

Tukaani by Lincoln Kayiwa
via MocoLoco

Computer keyboard cleaning goo:

and Q-tips to ensure you got every last bit of earwax:
(Black and Yellow have the highest color contrast)

via BoingBoing and Core77

Beautiful and Brilliant:

Makes being in the kitchen much more fun and exciting. Even adults are allowed to enjoy ‘kids colors’

via MocoLoco

WalMart got a new logo…

Remember the old one?

Wal-Mart’s new sunburst, in contrast, “is designed so simply that there’s no ownership to it,” Neumeier says. In other words, it could be used by almost any corporation.

But Robyn Waters, a design consultant and Target’s former vice-president for trend, design, and product development, sees Wal-Mart’s new logo as a sign that the retailer might actually be becoming more original. “I never thought the star said or meant anything. It was just generic,” she says, pointing out that Macy’s also has a star as its symbol.

Wal-Mart’s shift can be seen as an attempt to recast itself as a kinder, gentler company. How is the image friendlier? Lowercase letters tend to be interpreted as more casual and approachable, says Frere-Jones. But Wal-Mart hasn’t gone too far, keeping the brand name a proper noun and beginning with a capital letter—think Google’s all-text logo with a big “G,” vs. Facebook’s with a small “f.” “Otherwise, it might look like they’re trying too hard to play with the cool kids,” says Frere-Jones.

It’s quite interesting this new trend of big businesses trying to connect with the home-town consumer. Not really ‘big brother’ so much as ‘big friend’. I recently heard a gas company radio advertisement saying that all of it’s locations are run by local buisiness owners… which apparently makes that gas better because we support local people, or so they say.

For the detailed report on Walmart’s logo visit BusinessWeek.

Not to mention, icons are everywhere (due to the iPhone?)…

I came across this article from Metropolis Magazine and although it’s mainly speaking of graphics, I do believe it applies to other aspects of design from furniture and tableware to uniform of the servers and staff, which food/restaurant critics often do not comment on, but in passing.

“Perhaps there would be more reason to stress graphic design if critics paid attention to it. But they never mention graphics and, truth be told, barely assess the architecture (even when designed by Pritzker Prize winners). And while I savor the tasty prose of gifted food writers, if I were a critic, my readers would be treated to a regular menu of cuisine and design in an attempt to right the imbalance.”

It’s not only decor and graphics that dictate the identity of a restaurant, but the rest of the experience that probes at the senses make an impression on identity. How comfortable was that chair? How well was the knife designed to easily cut into the delicious steak? These things could be added to the last paragraph of the article…

“To convey the total dining experience it’s essential to include details that add to a restaurant’s overall personality. Granted, graphic design can never be the paramount reason for a diner investing time, money, and calories, but when viewed as a whole it should be worthy enough to be noted and occasionally celebrated.”

Read it here.
(I’m not disagreeing with Metropolis, simply wishing to include more..)

I was on the phone this afternoon with Brendan Baker (Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Cambridge), who’s doing his master’s thesis on “the state of environmentalism in product design,” elaborating on the survey I filled out from his site.

He’s collecting surveys until end of August, so fill it out and pass it on because he’s still looking for help and more contributors from the product design field!

It’s a very interesting project with many intriguing questions. He’s not pushing environmentalism or sustainability, just pure research into what exists in the business world today. It made me think about my company very differently- or perhaps allowing me to internalize after verbalizing what I already knew…

All this wasted food, I’m sure it doesn’t help that American’s always buy in bulk; there’s always something gone to waste.
via Core77

But, there’s hope! At least one local Boston restaurant has gone green to the extent of composting waste, energy saving, recycling, and eating locally. Now, we just have to start doing all of this in our own homes.