Northwards Design Blog

We have now moved over to Posterous

2010-12-27T12:18:00.000+13:00

Where you should be automatically redirected. Please adjust your bookmarks & links.

You can keep yer Christmas bar-b-q

2010-12-25T20:24:00.001+13:00

You can take the boy out of Yorkshire, but you can't take Yorkshire out of the boy.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:58:00.001+13:00

Not the most festive, but stoked on this photo. Spider munching something (large, unidentified winged creature, maybe a big moth - but not a Cicada) in it's web outside my patio door on Christmas Eve. No Photoshop trickery, just a slight crop. I like to think of it as a metaphor for 2010.

Merry Christmas.

Michael Marriott

2010-12-21T11:11:00.001+13:00

As well as being a top TEN (er), MMM has been producing some beautiful work recently, including the design for The Jerwood Makers exhibition, which featured the work of Marloes Ten Bohmer.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Eames Fiberglass Chair

2010-12-21T10:09:00.001+13:00

Via @HermanMiller

3x3 via LZF

2010-12-18T21:07:00.001+13:00

The Bruce and Denny Show

2010-12-18T17:15:00.001+13:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

By Billy Apples At The Dowse.

Making Skateboarding Look Good (2)

2010-12-16T11:41:00.001+13:00

<p>Europe 2010 from Gravis Footwear on Vimeo.</p>

Gravis dudes in Europe.

Making Skateboarding Look Good (1)

2010-12-16T11:39:00.001+13:00

HUF footwear team cruising in Tampa.

Marloes Ten Bhomer

2010-12-14T20:48:00.001+13:00

A link I posted on twitter today made me think about Marloes Ten Bohmer again, and how amazing her work is. Here are a few inspirational images, but go and visit her website.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Turkish Coffee Pot

2010-12-14T17:40:00.001+13:00

Exhibition Design Inspiration

2010-12-14T17:39:00.001+13:00

Rob Selley Radlands 1992

2010-12-13T15:55:00.001+13:00

Pulled this from the Sidewalk site. Classic Rob Selley - tech and style from 1992 with the original radlands set up.

William Morris?

2010-12-12T14:27:00.001+13:00

#End

Northwards Design Studio

northwards-design.co.uk
researchandobject.com
northwardsdesign.blogspot.com

Skype: Northwards
Twitter: NorthwardsDS

Golf Way-finding Graphics

2010-12-09T15:24:00.001+13:00

Civic Pewter Tea Set

2010-12-09T09:42:00.001+13:00

I was shown this in a colleagues house in New Zealand. It just happens to be made in the place I am from.

Donnybrook Quarters

2010-12-09T09:25:00.001+13:00

(via Architizer)

Rep Rappin

2010-12-08T18:23:00.001+13:00

I went and saw the boys at Ponoko the other day who have an early rep rap. Sooooo 2008 ;)

Posterous

2010-12-08T12:11:00.000+13:00

I think I am going to move the blog over to Posterous.

I always wanted this to be more illustrative of process - and blogger just isn't that friendly for frequent updates.

Posterous is so simple - email anything - and it pops up in the site.

In this way the site will be much more replete with info - constantly updated - and more exciting - with the opportunity to write longer posts when needed.

Am in the process - and will update soon

Skateboardanimation

2010-11-28T10:26:00.001+13:00

Just posted this one the manual site. Lovely stop motion animation using skateboarding stills.

New Work

2010-11-14T10:25:00.000+13:00

At the moment, if you look at the twitter feed on this page, you can see all the small snippets of news and stuff that is happening. This seems to be the place where I am posting the most stuff, as it's much quicker to get stuff out than a typical blog post.

I seem to be throwing all sorts of things onto the blog, which I'm not sure is a good thing as I've been reading that the most successful blogs focus on a particular area and don't really stray out of it.

I don't think this will ever be an amazingly popular blog, so I'll just carry on posting things that I am interested in, are creative or design related.

So that covers just about everything.

Anyway, on Friday the Surplus & Creativity exhibition opened - now in its second year. It's a fun little show where designers, architects, artists etc are invited to submit work using readymades / reuse / recycling as a theme. This is then selected by a panel and displayed in the Department for Conservation in Wellington.

I produced two new objects this year. Saw Horse Horse was made by recycling my Bean Bag Bench from last year's show and Ventilite, which uses pre-fabricated aluminium louvered vents, used to ventilate houses in NZ, to produce a lamp.

Ventilite was awarded an Honourable Mention at the show, which as a nice surprise.

One of the most creative individuals in skateboard culture

2010-11-13T00:16:00.000+13:00

Some things are just plain wierd.

2010-11-12T22:40:00.000+13:00

Depending on your view of conspiracy theory, the Vatican, Knights Templar or anything else, some things are wierd, and they go on right under our noses.

(Apparently Lord Blackheath later stated 'Foundation X ' was the Knights Templar)

Empire Strikes Back Book Movie

2010-10-21T09:51:00.000+13:00

Crackin' little movie (skip the advert!) about the making of the book that contains the images in the VF article.

Empire Strikes Back

2010-10-21T09:36:00.000+13:00

Those who know me, know I am a big Star Wars fan, although not a Star Wars geek to the level of someone like Mark Delaney, but I can always drop some unusual knowledge into a Star Wars conversation.

Everyone knows Empire Strikes Back is the best of the sextology (a word?) so go and check out the photo essay over at Vanity Fair.

Grover Spice

2010-10-16T18:16:00.000+13:00

As I blogged about the old spice ad, I thought I'd follow it up with this little gem. Thanks sandy.

TEN WIN AGAIN

2010-09-24T17:48:00.001+12:00

A little birdie has informed me that we have been 'Highly Commended' for the content and delivery of TEN PLAN this year.

This ads to the BEST CONTRIBUTION, EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY (both for the original TEN in 2006) and the SILVER AWARD (for TEN XYZ in 2009) that already adorn our trophy cabinet.

We must be doing something right!

Well done to ALL involved, as usual.

TEN PLAN LIVE!

2010-09-24T17:44:00.001+12:00

The TEN PLAN website is now live for you to download and make one of the TEN objects.

Thanks to Enzo Mari!

Twitter

2010-09-20T10:48:00.000+12:00

So 'Ive been using twitter over the past week or so, and have to say I have been pretty impressed. Good interface - intuitive and great for getting little snippets of news out and disseminated when linked through other gadgets (like on this blog).

Keep an eye on the twitter gadget on the RHS for news and design related pics on twitpic, or follow NorthwardsDS on twitter.

I will post bigger splashes of stuff on the blog, when I have a minute, which with my little baby is not very often at the moment!

Chair Blog

2010-09-20T10:43:00.001+12:00

Design related just tweeted about this chair blog. Haven't had a good look yet, but at a glance, it looks like there are some rare and unusual gems in there. I wonder if there is critique, or just images? I do love the subject matter. Click on the title of this post to go there.

On another note, I downloaded the 'Design Icons' app and was hugely disappointed to only score 80% on my first go (107 chairs in total) with a run of 11 consecutive correct answers.

I'm waiting for a second go so as to not memorise all the answers and waste my money.

New Content

2010-09-11T00:55:00.000+12:00

on the Northwards website: The experimental Bak Light and the C-Lamp for TEN PLANS at 100% Design.

Hold tight for more on the C-Lamp project

Landor Vs Mad Men

2010-09-06T22:22:00.004+12:00

I wish that Landor Associates was still like this.

Design story: The Decanter from Landor Associates on Vimeo.

C-Lamp on DesignBoom

2010-09-05T00:22:00.002+12:00

So, in all of the recent madness, I still managed to develop the work with the furnace, finish and send it off to blighty for TEN PLANS at 100% Design in a few weeks.

The C-Lamp will be on the Northwards Design website soon, but it is already getting some attention thanks to Andrea and Birgit at DesignBoom, alongside various blogs.

Hold tight for some more updates on that, with images of the process on the blog.

We are on Twitter.

2010-09-05T00:13:00.004+12:00

God I hate it. Maybe I am a luddite in some way, but I find lots of new fangled technology too pervasive and invasive.

That last sentence was pointless because you can now follow the studio on twitter.

Follow me at NorthwardsDS.

Welcome Darcy Bloom Jackson

2010-09-05T00:01:00.003+12:00

So, its been a long time since I have dropped some knowledge on the blog, and a lot has changed in my life.

About a week after my last post, my wife was taken into hospital with complications to her pregnancy.

I won't go into details, as I'm not a fan of people splashing their personal lives all over the web, but imagine an emergency delivery, almost seven weeks in neo-natal intensive care, and all the worry and stress of that experience, and you will be nowhere near the already amazing existence of our first (and probably only daughter) Darcy Bloom Jackson.

I'd just like to say thank you (again) to all the people who helped and assisted us in any way, especially all of the amazing staff who looked after Darcy on the neo-natal intensive care ward at Wellington Hospital.

Design Droplets Interview

2010-05-25T09:21:00.005+12:00

Design Droplets is an online magazine focused around Asia and Australasia. Unlike some other online 'magazines', this one actually has useful articles, book reviews and tutorials for designers, amongst other things. I recently did an interview for them, which is online now.

Adam Wells - Virgin Atlantic

2010-05-25T09:19:00.001+12:00

On the future of Industrial Design at the PSFK conference.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 8 - Loast Foam Casting

2010-05-16T16:58:00.003+12:00

Here is an update on the casting that I did a few weekends back.

When I engaged in this idea, I thought I would have it all done and dusted in a weekend. The reality is that it has taken a while to learn the idiosyncrasies of my own furnace and then learn about what works and doesn't in terms of materials, foam and casting.

What I will say is that it has been one of the best learning experiences and generally most rewarding design experiences I have had.

I labelled the ingots which I had pigged in the last blast, to make sure I knew what sort of weights I was dealing with in each pour.

Here you can see how I has the foam parts set in terms of the sprue. It's really interesting that you can make an estimate of the best way something will pour, but it actually takes at least one go to figure it out.

I also had the idea to try and cast a foam cup, slightly apprehensively, as the minimunm thickness to allow a good pour is around 4-5mm (i think!).

Here is the set up for the our. As you can see there are two straws to allow for gas to escape when the pour builds up. You can see that I also built a 'moat' around some of the sprues so molten aluminium couldn't escape when it overflowed.

As you can guess, the first pour of the cup was not successful. The thin wall (maybe 2mm) meant the riser set up was wrong.

I immediately tried another set up - top down, which had more gravitational force pushing the material down.

Alas, this didn't work either. There was a small pool at the top of the cup which formed that you could even see the text of the cup in, but the aluminium cooled too fast, and just melted the rest of the cup and the straws.

Although this doesn't seem like the most successful of exercises, I once again learnt a lot about what will and won't work. It also gave me another opportunity to run through the entire smelting and casting process and hone my skills and understanding.

You can see the results over at Research & Object

Indesign Live

2010-05-11T23:07:00.004+12:00

I have a short profile over at Indesign Live

Thanks Sam!

A good Balance

2010-05-11T22:40:00.004+12:00

I had a great weekend in Napier at the The Balance Symposium at the Hawkes Bay Museum and Gallery.

After an indulgent Friday night and welcoming party, I was a little jaded on Saturday morning. After a last minute change to my intended format - mainly due to PowerPoint 2007 not having a presenter tools option, I got through my presentation, receiving positive feedback after from members of the audience and other presenters.

There were some really interesting individuals there, including the keynotes, Robert Foster and Grettle Harrison of Fink & Co. Robert and Grettle talked about their work and running a business, showing some really innovative production techniques and objects which they explored years earlier than many in Europe (explosive forming, high-pressure forming etc.)

Other designers such as Marc Harrison of Husque, Katy Wallace and David Trubridge all raised pertinent points and gave insight about how to best operate as a New Zealand designer domestically and on the world stage.

On the second day there was a design challenge related to the 'Plyability' exhibition which required participants to imagine new directions for plywood. I was very proud to have 2 students in the groups taking first and second place, so congratulations to Chris and James.

I was looked after by the Museum staff for the rest of the day (thanks Pam, Lucy, Eloise and Douglas for a great weekend) and left for Wellington with a giant comedy cheque and a present of a Fink 'Coolamon' from the lovely Aussie couple.

Here are the main points I took from the weekend.

_(as many of us know)To be a successful designer, in New Zealand, and elsewhere, takes hard-work, dedication passion and commitment - it's not handed to you on a plate.

_Start locally, and then success will begin to resonate nationally and internationally.

_Always look for new project opportunities and be flexible in your approach.

_Collaborate - but make sure you have a goal, recognise your weaknesses, and don't be afraid to end the project if it's not working.

_Use any opportunity you can (such as symposia!) to build relationships, extend your network and communicate and share your experiences.

_If it's not your field - then use a good graphic designer!

Balance Symposium

2010-05-06T22:56:00.003+12:00

I will be travelling up to Hawkes Bay tomorrow to present 'A Collaboration on Collaboration" at The Balance Symposium at the Hawkes Bay Museum and Gallery on Saturday.

The concept behind the presentation is that the audience ask questions about collaboration relating to my own projects, off the cuff and unrehearsed.

I enjoy taking risks - but things like this can always go pear-shaped, so wish me luck!

Star Wars for Tom Tom

2010-05-05T19:30:00.003+12:00

Is this one of the most inciteful design decisions ever?

Whenever I drive around Auckland I always use GPS - and this would never get old in my book.

Make sure you play each soundbite!

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 7 - Pigging

2010-04-25T17:26:00.003+12:00

Last weekend I tried to develop the furnace, and how its working.

With the help of Uli Thie, a Technical Demonstrator at Massey, I took the hairdryer apart and rewired it to a 12v transformer, with the aim of having a constant air supply without the heat sensitive switch cutting the power.

I also constructed a new crucible from a piece of steel tube with a steel plate welded to the bottom. I don't have a picture here, but it is much sturdier than a steel can!

My idea this time was to pig the aluminium (a smelting and purification process to reduce slag and burn away excess hydrogen) and make a series of ingots for a second foam casting test.

I constructed a couple of tools for removing dross - one using a teaspoon, some steel wire and gaffer tape, the other is just a length of wire.

Above are some images of the scrap I have been collecting, including beer cans, tube and bar and swarfe from some turning exercises from the workshop at the university and the leakage form the last firing - with lots of charcoal embedded.

The firing was a success. It's taking about half an hour to get to a molten state, twice as long as stated on many websites. I think this is a combination of the new crucible and a lack of power in the fan. I am now getting a lot more used to the process, how much fuel to add and when to add it. I have a leaf blower that I could link up to the furnace, but think this is too powerful and would result in the charcoal burning way too quickly.

The dross tool is great for skimming big lumps of slag (as long as I am quite quick the gaffer tape doesn't melt!) and the rod is great for taking the fine skin from the molten material, which were dumped into the sand. As you can see, I cast the ingots in an old muffin tin, which works beautifully, and readies my for some further foam casting tests.

For anyone with a cat.

2010-04-20T22:32:00.000+12:00

Gervais and Merchant

2010-04-20T13:59:00.000+12:00

Always a class act.

Arduino Resource

2010-04-19T19:18:00.005+12:00

Karen Curley, Designer and Lecturer from ICD at Massey, came over today to give the students a lecture on Arduino, processing and a little bit of Open Frameworks.

She put a lovely little resource together for the students of projects, which is quite inspirational.

More Furnace News Soon.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 6 - Success (sort of)

2010-04-12T19:02:00.004+12:00

Yesterday I fired up the furnace, and engaged in my first cast!

Above is the complete set up. I bought a second hand hairdryer to give the blast! This is attached to a length of PVC tube. I had a bucket of sand and water ready in case of any mishaps, and used welding gloves, overall and a full face mask for safety. Sorry I have to keep repeating the disclaimers everywhere, but I don't want a law suit!

I used one of the test pieces of foam and added a sprue by hot gluing.

I packed the mould into the stand in 2 stages. I made sure there was plenty of sand in the cavities and tamped it down.

here you can see the complete mould setting with the sprue just proud of the top.

here is the completed piece - a faux polystyrene candle holder! I managed to spill molten aluminium around the hole, so there wasn't enough material to completely fill the cavity. The reaction was immediate, with the foam vaporising and catching alight immediately, at which point it is important to continue a steady pour.

The finish of the aluminium isn't great, and had some impurities through it. I have since learned that I need to 'pig' the aluminium. this basically means smelting it one, removing the impurities, and casting it into ingots to cast again. This means that on the second cast, and hydrogen gas take on on in the first smelt will burn off.

I got really excited at this point and decided to recycle this object into another shape to try and achieve more definition and a better finish.

It was at this pint disaster struck! As I was only using a tin-can crucible, I sprung a leak on the second firing, and saw the aluminium leak into the bottom of the furnace. This was a very depressing site!

I packed up my set up, and sulked for a while, but reflected on the process and what I head learned through doing it. I am now resolute in developing the process to a more refined level - confident I can turning these process into viable objects!

Disclaimer: This is a DIY project and Chris Jackson takes no responsibility for any injury,accident, loss or damage should you choose to engage in a similar project after reading this blog. In this, or any similar project, due care and diligence should be taken and always wear the proper safety equipment and take relevant precautions. If in doubt consult an expert or trades person.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 5 - Fire

2010-04-10T16:35:00.003+12:00

This morning I lit a small fire in the furnace to heat the refractory through and dry it out further. If there is water left in the refractory when it is fired up, there is a danger it will turn to steam and crack the wall or lid - although I already cracked the flowerpot when I was setting it into the bucket!

Full firing tomorrow!

Disclaimer: This is a DIY project and Chris Jackson takes no responsibility for any injury,accident, loss or damage should you choose to engage in a similar project after reading this blog. In this, or any similar project, due care and diligence should be taken and always wear the proper safety equipment and take relevant precautions. If in doubt consult an expert or trades person.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 4 - Polystyrene

2010-04-10T15:46:00.005+12:00

So polystyrene is the material that I will be using for the foam moulds. That is not sustainable I hear you cry!

In this case the foam will be destroyed, so that is much better than the polystyrene making it's way to land fill. The sustainable aspect of the project is more about engaging with a manufacturing process and the possibilities it opens. It is then about taking aluminium and actually recycling it (rather than chucking it in a recycling box and sending it out of mind) into useful and desirable objects.

Hopefully by engaging in this process people (however few) begin to appreciate the process and difficulties encountered by designers and manufacturers alike. I hope that people discover the joys of making as much as anything.

I did some foam studies, as you can see above. Although this was a hugely enjoyable process, the way I did it (using just my fingers, using a craft knife and using a hole-saw and a craft knife) produced a lot of waste.

Max Lamb, Chris Kabel,Reddish and Tom Dixon have all used the lost foam casting process.

Max Lamb has really worked with the process himself, and this deep and intimate understanding of the process seems to be his motivation. His pewter sand casting video is lovely, and a really nice twist on the sand casting process. With the polystyrene chairs and for the Dove table by Reddish, I would imagine a lot of waste polystyrene produced in making the originally forms. This is something want to avoid in this project.

Max, Reddish and Chris Kabel also exploit the nature of the polystyrene ball construction by reinterpreting this in the moulded material, be it pewter, aluminium or gold. The project by Tom Dixon seems to be a faster more visceral attempt to use blocks of foam to make metal furniture and products. These objects seem more naive and less refined than the other designers, and the painted finish disguises the properties and aesthetic of both the foam and cast metal.

I don't want to replicate the aesthetic of the foam. My aim will be to try and produced a cast or series of castings that attain a more refined and engineering driven aesthetic. This will also assist in producing the minimal amount of polystyrene waste.

As I am also limited by size, the castings will be relatively small, making them easier to produce and cast(hopefully).

These are the key differences to the projects above as I see them.

(a) I have made my own furnace, which can be made by anyone with a moderate amount of skill and patience, to smelt aluminium and produce the castings.

(b) The polystyrene moulds will be designed and made with minimal waste.

(c) The polystyrene moulds will be made from waste and found material.

(d) The aluminium used will be scrap and found material, such as drinks cans.

(e) The aesthetic of the castings will be driven by engineering and function.

(f) The castings will be small and easy to reproduce.

Disclaimer: This is a DIY project and Chris Jackson takes no responsibility for any injury,accident, loss or damage should you choose to engage in a similar project after reading this blog. In this, or any similar project, due care and diligence should be taken and always wear the proper safety equipment and take relevant precautions. If in doubt consult an expert or trades person.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 3 - Tools

2010-04-10T15:36:00.003+12:00

Above are two small crucibles, made from steel cans, just pinched by hand to form a spout. I think they're quite beautiful.

I constructed another tool from the rest of the steel tube from the wardrobe. This is for lifting and moving the lid. The end of the tube is cut square to lift the handle, the handle then fist in the notch to lift and move the lid. This was just done with a hacksaw and file to dress.

This image gives some scale to the pole, and how it will work.

Disclaimer: This is a DIY project and Chris Jackson takes no responsibility for any injury,accident, loss or damage should you choose to engage in a similar project after reading this blog. In this, or any similar project, due care and diligence should be taken and always wear the proper safety equipment and take relevant precautions. If in doubt consult an expert or trades person.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 2

2010-04-10T15:23:00.003+12:00

The refractory has started to dry out. Here you can see the lid and body together.

I trimmed the reinforcing bar from the outside of the lid with an angle grinder. I also removed the PVC pipe (35/40mm Dia) from the top. The refractory around the lid of the bucket wasn't completely level, so I took a rasp file and level it out to get a better seal around the top.

I had to bend the tube to get a better connection to the PVC pipe. You can see the refractory in the bottom of the flowerpot and the tube (this was taken from an old wardrobe that I demolished) inserted, although you can't see the holes drilled into it. There were originally six holes, three down each side, but I reduced the distance that the tube goes into the flowerpot, as I wanted to have more height allowance for the crucible. This meant that only four holes are exposed, but I sealed up the end of the pipe with silicone and pierced the end of this.

Disclaimer: This is a DIY project and Chris Jackson takes no responsibility for any injury,accident, loss or damage should you choose to engage in a similar project after reading this blog. In this, or any similar project, due care and diligence should be taken and always wear the proper safety equipment and take relevant precautions. If in doubt consult an expert or trades person.

Flowerpot Furnace - Phase 1

2010-04-08T23:08:00.009+12:00

For this year's TEN project, we will be producing a book with 10 sets of instructions for design projects / objects. These will then be available in a book covering all of the previous projects.

My aim is to recycle aluminium and turn it into objects, using the lost foam casting technique, and a DIY furnace.

The original plan was just to develop some ideas for lost foam casting, and then use these instructions to take to a local furnace, but after some initial information gathering, I found that there we a big backyard casting movement, and the construction of a small furnace was feesible and perfect for small objects.

For the last two days I have been constructing a Flowerpot furnace. Here is how I have done it:

Here are the main ingredients. The idea is that there is a container (a paint tin is suggested, but I have used a bucket, as I wanted an option to smelt more material!)that contains the flowerpot which is insulated by concrete or cement. There is a removable lid with a vent through the top, and air is injected (blast) into the furnace to attain the correct working temperature.

I have decided to try and make my own refractory concrete to stand a higher heat and hopefully prevent cracking and early wear.

I bought some 0.5mm aluminium form the DIY store. I have wrapped this around the edge of the bucket to for the lid. This was taped by some hi-bond 3m tape that I had lying around, but you could rivet or glue.

Here is the lid laid out with some 3mm steel rod as a reinforcing. The PVC pipe in the centre will form the hollow core of the lid, and I have coated this in a release agent (vaseline) to get it out after the concrete is set.

another view.

Here is the lid after is has been drilled and the wire inserted. it is basically 2 squares offset. The lid is 50mm deep, and is the two wire squares are inset 15mm from each edge.

Here is the lid with the refractory contained. I made my own refractory from a mixture of vermiculite (from a local pottery suppliers), cement, lime and sand. There are some recipes on line for clay ovens, which I have tried to emulate, but without some of the more specialised product (like alumina cement) so I have had to improvise, and we'll see how it goes! The lines on the top of the lid are from the timber is used to weight the lid down as it was warping.

Today I have been drilling holes in the bucket and flowerpot. The bucket was easy - the flowerpot was a pain. I was using a rotary tool, and s series of grind wheels did nothing really. I eventually used a small diamond tip tile tool, but the head was so small that this process must have taken 1 1/2 hours :-(

I made sure everything lined up, and then began to fill the gap between the bucket and flowerpot with some more of the refractory. This was an absolute pain - as the flowerpot was really tight to the bucket, and it was almost impossible to vibrate the refractory down the gap. I had to mould the refractory around the outside of the bucket and force the flowerpot in. The problem evolved of the flowerpot being too proud of the hole, which I eventually resolved, but it is still slightly to high, with the steel tube being forced down and out of the bucket at an angle. This I will try and resolve tomorrow.

It was at this point an almighty row broke out with the cat engaging in a brawl with a local tabby twice her size. Typically, she was beaten up and hobbling, so I had to take her to the vet for painkillers and antibiotics. Perfect timing!

Tomorrow I will be trimming the reinforcement from the lid and doing some general tidying up. I am going to start to run some heat through the set up over the weekend, with a first proper firing on Sunday.

I have trawled the internet, took different set ups and adapted them, but basically done a bit of guessing also.

Here are some of the sites that I have used as reference, which are interesting and useful in their own right,here, here and here.

Disclaimer: This is a DIY project and Chris Jackson takes no responsibility for any injury,accident, loss or damage should you choose to engage in a similar project after reading this blog. In this, or any similar project, due care and diligence should be taken and always wear the proper safety equipment and take relevant precautions. If in doubt consult an expert or trades person.

I don't think some people understand the difference.

2010-04-03T19:24:00.002+13:00

mag·a·zine
/ˌmægəˈzin, ˈmægəˌzin/ Show Spelled[mag-uh-zeen, mag-uh-zeen]–noun
1.
a publication that is issued periodically, usually bound in a paper cover, and typically contains essays, stories, poems, etc., by many writers, and often photographs and drawings, frequently specializing in a particular subject or area, as hobbies, news, or sports.

VS

blog

Definition: an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Weblog, Web log

Robo Chair

2010-04-03T11:18:00.005+13:00

Italian Designer(s)Luca Nichetto are launching a series of dynamic and innovative products at Milano this year. Their Robo chair for Offect illustrates how increasingly sustainable design can by arresting in aesthetic and innovative in it's production values.The design breaks down into individual pieces and fits into a 50×50x20 cm box for shipping.

You can see more on the Offect blog, which is worth a look in itself.

Designing Devices

2010-04-02T14:11:00.001+13:00

An interesting article on Designing Devices

Do Work (or not)

2010-04-02T12:27:00.002+13:00

Parkour Motion Reel

2010-04-01T08:02:00.001+13:00

Keving McCullagh sent me this today.

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.

Design Critique

2010-03-31T21:03:00.004+13:00

In the recent interview I did for design droplets, I was asked about robust critique in Industrial Design.

I think my answer rambled on a bit, but I basically talk about a an accessible medium between academic paper and glossy design magazine.

Maybe this is a good place to start. Not everyone may be agreeing with him, but a refreshing and brave approach none the less.

LHC.

2010-03-30T20:45:00.002+13:00

FINALLY!

Design Droplets

2010-03-30T13:57:00.003+13:00

I've just completed an interview for online Australasian Magazine, Design Droplets, which I will link when it is up.

Balance Symposium

2010-03-28T19:52:00.001+13:00

I will be delivering a presentation on 'collaboration' at theThe Balance Symposium at the Hawkes Bay Museum and Gallery.

I am trying to figure out if I should call it 'Collab-O'.

New Website Incarnation

2010-03-28T19:46:00.004+13:00

I am not sure if we change the website every two years - but we are always battling for the best format.

The last incarnation was fine - and the news page worked well, although it looked a bit naive.

With the big scrolling page, it was easy to loose track of projects, and they weren't explained in any depth.

This version is more focused in terms of product and projects, with less of the smaller projects I have been involved in. You can get a good overview of the design work from the first page, then investigate further.

The overall aesthetic is also more in-keeping with the studio and it's development.

I hope you like it.

the achille castiglioni effect

2010-03-23T21:38:00.002+13:00

I wish I could make it to Milano this year, if only to see this.

Dr. Nakamats

2010-03-05T12:12:00.000+13:00

How it was made.

2010-02-19T07:55:00.002+13:00

An interview on how the Ad below was made. A bit long-winded, but a good insight.

Old Spice

2010-02-19T07:48:00.000+13:00

An old spice ad that was run during this year's Super Bowl.

Lucienne Day 1917 - 2010

2010-02-16T21:11:00.003+13:00

I have only just discovered that Lucienne Day died at the end of last month. One half of the most important couple to have blessed the design industry with their intellect, eye for detail, and timeless aesthetic, you can read here obituary over at The Guardian.

RIP.

Alexander McQueen RIP

2010-02-12T09:10:00.002+13:00

I-Pad

2010-02-01T12:15:00.002+13:00

Considering this skit is 4 years old, the irony is delicious!

Mainstream Conspiracy Theories

2010-01-31T00:38:00.003+13:00

Now I don't push my political views on this blog, but have a look at this.

Can this be true?

2010-01-30T23:38:00.000+13:00

Manual Magazine

2010-01-30T23:14:00.003+13:00

I know people that come onto this website are looking for design related stuff rather than skateboarding. To be honest, I am not an art director, and this site is a lot of random stuff.

Luckily, David Read has given Dan and I an outlet for our skateboard geekery.

Intent

2010-01-30T23:12:00.001+13:00

I shot a few photos of Dan today when were out skating. I quite liked this one.

Audi

2010-01-25T23:28:00.001+13:00

George Costanza

2010-01-24T12:57:00.001+13:00

Machotaildrop

2010-01-15T08:37:00.002+13:00

Dan sent me this today.

It looks amazing - and completely legit!

Change

2010-01-10T01:19:00.001+13:00

I'm overwhelmed...

2010-01-10T01:17:00.001+13:00

... by the number if responses to the blog.

It seems like sustainable design is a cross between an oxymoron and a term that blah, blah, blah.

Time for a new poll!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T23:57:00.002+13:00

Doin it before most of y'all.

have a good one for 2010.

Love peace and equality.

Vijay Iyer Trio - Mystic Brew

2009-12-18T20:09:00.003+13:00

I just bought the Vijay Iyer Trio Album - historicity - on hearing this one version of Mystic Brew.

This is for all the heads that love jazz, Tribe Called Quest and think the 90's was the best decade ever - especially for skateboard culture!

27b/6

2009-12-09T10:31:00.004+13:00

Is this some of the funniest stuff you've ever read on the internet?

Try and read as many as you can down the LHS. Well worth it.

Thank you David Thorne.

Absolut Choir

2009-12-09T10:28:00.001+13:00

This is very cool, although I can't find a site anywhere that has any audio of them actually working. If you find one, leave a comment.

Eric Testroete

2009-12-08T12:32:00.003+13:00

I think this has to be one of the coolest self portraits I have ever seen.

Urbis Interview

2009-12-03T15:15:00.004+13:00

Just as I wrote the entry below, a copy arrived.

Thanks Nicole!

Urbis

2009-12-03T14:42:00.003+13:00

We have a two page interview in the new issue of New Zealand design magazine Urbis.

I will update with some images when they come through.

Little Fluffy Clouds

2009-12-03T14:34:00.002+13:00

I sent a submission to the cloud appreciation society which they have featured on their news page.

You can find out a little more about altocumulus lenticularis here.

Design Real

2009-11-29T12:02:00.004+13:00

Konstantin Grcic has curated a show about industrial design at the Serpentine, called Design Real.

I am gutted that I am on the other side of the world, and won't get to see it, but there is a really great website (I think it's designed by Alex Rich, I could be wrong) where the products within the exhibition are explored in-depth, in a dynamic and inspirational manner..

There is also a dezeen podcast with the man himself giving some personal insight into the project.

If anyone gets to see it, don't bother e-mailing me to tell me how great it was.

It's arrived!

2009-11-28T09:57:00.004+13:00

So after messing (resrearch) around with my Lego set this week, I decided to finally get an Arduino.

I made an order on Thursday, and it turned up Friday.

I'm really impressed by the Arduino and the online commmunity it has spawned. I also ordered the book 'getting started with Arduino' by one of the founders, Massimo Banzi.

The book is really fun to read, gives a short history of the project with some really inspirational contextual information. Its accessible and is written in a way, like the design of the Arduino project, that is easy to get into and enables you to start doing 'stuff' immediately.

Arduino was developed to teach interaction design, and I'm hoping to pull it into some of the teaching that happens at the university, as well as developing my own projects using Arduino.

A big thanks to Tim at mindkits for being so helpful and getting my order dispatched overnight.

So what are YOU waiting for?

Get Tinkering!

Arduino Starter Kit

Linked up to my laptop with some blinking LEDs!

What is Sustainable Product (or Industrial) Design? (POLL)

2009-11-26T12:42:00.003+13:00

In addition to whatever comments you may have, I have also set up a poll on the RHS.

Get Voting!

PS - I am not sure how optimistic I should be with this considering the number of readers - but I'm giving it a go!

What is Sustainable Product (or Industrial) Design?

2009-11-26T09:51:00.003+13:00

We are currently trying to develop a standpoint on sustainable design within the Industrial Design Department. Obviously it is something we are all dealing with within our respective areas, but we are trying to develop a department wide manifesto, which has thus far been lacking.

Its funny that many students are talking about / attempting to design in a sustainable manner, yet how they engage with ideas of sustainability in their own lives is often non-apparent.

As many will be aware, the idea of 'sustainability' is something which I have been trying to engage with in my own practice for the past five years or so, with varying degrees of success.

But what does sustainable industrial design mean to you?

Any comments are welcome.

It's on!

2009-11-26T09:48:00.003+13:00

I think I have been approaching this blogging thing all wrong.

When working full time it's quite difficult to get the time or motivation to write somert, but people out there are looking for opinions - that they can agree / disagree with, or take some inspiration from, be that positive or negative.

Its taken me nearly nearly 3 years to realise that this can be my little soap box.

Beware design world.

Thinking Objects: Contemporary Approaches to Product Design

2009-11-23T14:27:00.003+13:00

is a book by our friend Tim Parsons.

So this is not just a promo for Tim, who is a great guy, very clever and a great designer, but as I am reading this at the moment, I thought I'd put up a few thoughts.

Firstly I think it's a great book. As a reader for students and designers it gives a great overview of product design as a discipline, touching on many different aspects of design, including designers motivation, ethics, and how to operate in the real world - something that many design books avoid.

The book is well laid out graphically, with references easy to find, and aspects of subjects expanded on in specific areas.

Although sometimes chapters lack an in-depth investigation into the nuances of the subject areas (some of the design 'research area' may benefit form a little more thoroughness), as the aim of the book is to be a platform to other reading materials and specialist knowledge, I can't be too hard on that.

I have found Tim's perspective on design very enjoyable, and he poses some valid contemporary questions of the Industry with astute observations. I am sure some of my international colleagues would claim that the approach is very 'euro-centric', and many of the examples within the book are from a school of thought (poetic, witty - cottage industry objects') that are a prevalent in European, especially UK design and it could have been interesting examining the 'superstar' Industrial Design (Grcic, Morrison) with many of the more gritty, mundane realities of life within a consultancy, or on working for low-to mid end clientele (rather than Morroso, Magis, Apple et al), a position that many designers end up in.

This said, it is one of the best introductions to design, and the many design related issues which are inherent in our profession, that I have read for a long time. The book will open doors to a richer design practice and thought process, and would be a great edition to any Michael Marriott bookshelf.

Arts on Sunday

2009-11-23T14:17:00.003+13:00

I was interviewed alongside four other designers from the Creativity and Surplus Exhibition for Radio New Zealand National, 'Arts on Sunday' Programme.

I haven't and won't be listening to it, as I was there, and hate the sound of my own voice, but if you are interested, then open your lugholes!

Bean Bag Bench

2009-11-23T14:09:00.003+13:00

The Bean Bag Bench was featured in an article about the Surplus and Creativity Exhibition, in the Weekend Dominion Post.

Two Fingers to General Negativity

2009-11-20T19:53:00.004+13:00

So, after the opening of the Surplus and Creativity: Design and the Readymade opening the other night, I was informed that a member of staff from a local tertiary educational institution referred to the exhibition as 'being like a first year project'.

Now I am the first to admit that there is a variety in quality of execution of work within the show - but I thought this was a bit strong - verging on moronic!

It seems that designers, and many others (go and look on the dezeen website) seem to have a constant negative view on anything and everything.

There is some absolutely great work in the exhibition, including Holly McQuillans zero waste work - which just the shear engineering is breath-taking - never mind the complexity of print placement etc

It amazes me that someone in education has a knee-jerk reaction about something - and behaves like I used to when I was in my first year at university; calling everything 'crap' as I didn't have the depth of knowledge, skill, understanding or intellect to appreciate how hard, emotional and courageous completing any design project and placing it in the public domain can be.

Now I am all for critique, I have a big mouth which leaves me open to criticism and vindictiveness, and am now quite thick skinned, but what I object to is any moron (mainly on the internet) with an uneducated opinion who throw's it around thinking (a) it means anything and (b) they are in the right.

The Foldable Skateboard that I did for 'Carry On' earlier this year has been all over the internet - with many people (mainly skateboarders and FYI I have skateboarded for over 20 years) completely ripping it apart, saying 'its dangerous', 'a waste of time', 'would never work' etc.

What they don't seem to read is 'its an art concept'. It was never meant to be functional - but a narrative of a story of a group of skateboards, that coming back from Barcelona had to break their skateboards in half, as Iberian Airways refused to let them aboard with 'dangers weapons'. How nice it would have been for them to fold their skateboards up, and take them on board - hence 'Two-Fold'.

What I am trying to say, is 'think before you speak'. If you are going to critique something, make sure you understand it, understand the surrounding context and back story, and maybe give a perspecive on how you think it could be better. Then link to some of your own work so people can judge your authority.

Its much easier to be negative than to try and explore, understand and empathise with people who actually have the guts to put work out there.

ECC Architects Quiz

2009-11-20T19:50:00.003+13:00

On Tuesday night myself and my good friend sarah peachey, alongside two of her colleagues from Tolouse Lighting Consultancy entered the annual ECC architects quizz. To cut a long story short, we won (YAY) and walked off with over $1500 of Magis, Artemide and Flos Prizes!

Suffice to say I went home with a J-MO Air Chair (with Arms to match my other two at home - result!) and a silver Tolomeo Micro.

Well done guys - see you next year.

Creativity and Surplus; Design and the Ready Made

2009-11-13T16:18:00.004+13:00

We will be showing the Solar Chandelabra, How Watering Bottle and Bean Bag bench at the above exhibition.

If you are in Wellington, go to the Department of Conservation and have a look.

SIlver Awards at 100% Design for TEN XYZ

2009-09-27T12:56:00.005+13:00

Once again the TEN collective have come through with another award winning show! We won the Silver Awards for Contribution to show at 100% Design - which will sit on the mantel with the Overall Award for Best Contribution and Sustainable Design Award, both from 2006!

Well done everyone, and thanks to Jon Hares and everyone's favourite Irish / Turkish for a great stand design.

TEN XYZ WEBSITE.

Winding Up!

2009-09-27T12:53:00.002+13:00

SO, after nearyl half a million e-mails telling us to not stop the blog (just kidding!) we have decided to keep it going.

It will act more as a more in-depth news page - complimenting both research and object and the northwards design studio site. I aim to get more pictures up - and anything else that I find interesting - business as usual.

Check back for regular updates.

Research and Object

2009-09-21T22:21:00.002+12:00

I just launched a new design website - research and object.

Go and have a butchers.