If I Surfed….

If I was actually cool enough to Surf, then this would be one handy gadget that I would not want to leave at home. It’s kind of a waterproof wallet that straps to you thigh. It has been designed by Tim Parsons, a 20 year old student currently studying a BA in Product Design at Staffordshire University. This was showcased in this months issue of Esquire; a well known Gentleman’s magazine. Well anyway have a gander at the cutting just below and let me know what you think by leaving a cheeky comment….go on you know you want to!

Gap, What have you done….

I dont really focus on much Graphic Design on my blog, but after seeing the Gap logo I could not stop myself. Really, what was Gap thinking when they decided to choose this new logo. I am all for rebranding and giving a well established company a fresh new look but this logo I feel really does not represent Gap’s identity. The original Gap typeface was unusual enough to stand out from the crowd. The Helvetica style typeface reminds me too much of American Apparel’s and seem as though Gap want to attract that type of cool kid market. The Helvetica typeface is widely used and I personally  believe its one of the best typefaces around if used in the correct fashion, but lately it seems to be taking over the world.

Tell me what you think by leaving a comment!

Same Difference?

I was sitting in my Design For Production lecture last week and spotted a chair that had a design that was very much like Tom Dixon’s Rubber Band Chair. It’s called The Ree Chair, designed by Pli Design Ltd which uses old Playstaion2 consoles for the front and back of the seat, and use 100% recycled plastic. The use of a single source material means that the specific properties are known and predictable, These parts are also 100% recyclable and can be turned back into another chair. The steel structure uses nearly 50% recycled content and is 100% recyclable.

Tom Dixon’s Rubber Band Chair on the other hand is a café-style chair originally put together with rubber bands and paper clips from the Tom Dixon studio. This clever yet simple idea I think really works to create an industrial aesthetic, whilst also addressing the importance of recycling and increasing already existing products life cycle’s. The chair has oversized rubber bands stretched across a simple galvanised steel frame to make a bouncy yet supportive structure.

To an untrained eye the look very similar, but these chairs are not necessarily the same. In reality they are two completely different chairs but with one common ideal, to re-use existing materials. I think they both work very well and further highlights the importance of sustainable design in todays design environment.

Guess who’s back!

Okay, not going to lie, but if you are a regular reader of my blog then I am sure you are aware that nothing new has been posted on here in a long while. Things have been a bit hectic since the start of second year and only now am I starting to get into some sort of momentum. However from now on you should be seeing some exciting new posts on my blog on a weekly basis. So people, do not go anywhere, and keep watching this space. LeeWestonDesign is back!