Grill

Julia might like this because it is a little like a fortress...I think the form is all wrong given the price point but the finishes are interesting. The slide open top is also a great feature because of how it adds prep space.

bad gift idea #2

Some one must have hit the crack pipe really hard when they decided to price this at almost $2000. I know that this is not a lot of money for a really well made time piece but for this...I think it is crazy.

Thanksgiving in Maine

Edison by the Pemaquid Lighthouse.

holiday gift idea #11

If this gift does not seem like a good one to you read the book Salt. I am sure that it will change your mind. Since then I have been getting most of my salt from Poland (world's largest underground salt mine). http://www.redenvelope.com

Apple gift guide

I noticed this morning that the speakers we designed with Bose are on the first page of the Apple gift guide on Apple.com. It has been a while since we did a project with Bose but it is obvious that these guys know how to market.

Thanksgiving

We rented a summer cottage in Damariscotta, Maine for the Thanksgiving weekend. It was one long ass ride but it was worth battling the traffic for some nice relaxing time away. Although the lake was starting to freeze I took turns paddling the boys around the lake (which is much bigger than this picture indicates). It was cold but they both would have stayed out there all night...as you can see the moon is coming up in the background. http://www.damariscotta.com/

beating

Not only had I never seen my the Bills lose before (in ten home game visits) but I got to witness the worst beating in team history. Still, even with that, between the tailgating and the weekend away with my brother and his sons it was a good time for all. As always we had a great time shopping at Wegman's before the game and I got a new jersey as seen in this picture with my nephew Anthony.

Holiday Gift idea #10

Cheese. What could be better?

Artisanal
2 Park Ave.
New York (New York) , 10016
(212) 725-8585

http://www.artisanalbistro.com/store.asp

Another ready mech

This is another one of the graphic options for the item listed as Holiday gift #8 from ReadyMech. This one is a little less cheerful but I like the expression and the knuckle dragging.

cutting board

I am really happy with the way that this board turned out. I believe that Taesuk did the original sketch for it and Julia, Mohan and the rest of the team refined it through production. I am thinking that we should all take a field trip to see them being made up in MA.

Holiday Gift idea #9

If you know someone that is looking for a humidifier I think that this design should get a look. We designed it for the Bionaire brand but the home decor aesthetic was the result of a terrific hypothesis by Don Bryce and Carl Engelbourg. The result took vision and Perseverance by many whose names I do not know. Given the aesthetic of the rest of the category this is a huge step that we tried to take without alienating consumers or completely removing the functional cues. Great project.

Colander

Our friends at Recycline were thoughtful enough to send us a truck load of products from the first run. I gave a couple of the colanders away thinking that what my designer friends would love is the soft, subtle form and the bold colors but what is getting all of the rave reviews is the sturdy construction. People are thrilled with how beefy and stable the design is...as shown in this great photo by Marshall Troy.

interesting form

I am not sure that this works from a cleanability standpoint but getting the standard stubby electric stump handle down to a form that is closer to a traditional wet-shave stick handle seems like a trend that everyone is jumping onto. I wonder what the rechargeable base looks like?

Patrick's idea

Patrick Thrailkill and Evo won an award a few years ago with a concept very similar to this and better looking. I can not remember the name of the competition but I think it was japanese. This one is called Wattson. Here is what Wattson does, with both numbers and colors, wattson shows you how much electricity your home is using at any given moment. Wattson can also store up to 4 weeks of energy-use history which can be downloaded to your computer and viewed using software soon to be available from our website. I think that they copied Patrick.

A little late

Here is a picture of the boys from Halloween. Ian changed from the turtle mask to a skull after the first few houses. Edison has still not touched his candy...he says he does not like it anymore.

Holiday Gift idea #8

Taylor sent me a link to these and I think they are great. They may even offer a holiday card variation. This one is called Jules.
http://readymech.com/

montreal

Attached is a samle from my upcoming show at the Good News Cafe in Woodbury, CT. This is from the series done in Montreal this summer. It is the inside of a deli that specializes in brisket sandwiches...I can not remember the name.

Product Project Party

PPP is the name of the group that designed these bowls. Their website is under construction and this micro photo from the exhibitors section of Tokyo Design Week was all I could find but the form and laminated construction is excellent.

play patterns

If the materials were different I think that there would be a good opportunity to mix shape sorting and stacking play to create a unique ELA version of this idea.

drilling

If you have the opportunity check out the drilling episode of the History channel series Modern Marvels. I watched it while I was home sick last week but they re-air old episodes all of the time. They cover the invention of the drill bit, Black and Deckers revolutionary handheld version, the drilling of the seven mile hole in Russia and new laser drilling techniques that are the key to unlocking the potential of geothermal. They also talk about sideways drilling (used in Oil and water), good stuff.

Binde

It means toast in Portuguese...I think. It may be referring to the celebratory meaning of the word toast. Either way, here it is in progress.

hammer

Check out this article by the Welch's from Business Week a few weeks back. It is one of the most annoying and ill informed articles I have read on the topic of managing creatives.

http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_39/b4051086.htm

form

A lot of glass work seems overworked and gimmicky but these have a clean classic feel.

Russel Wright

This is a little ham-fisted but you have to admire the commitment.

RW classic

A classic plaid by Russel Wright. I believe that these were used for tableclothes and napkins. It reminds me of the pixel patterns that are popping up everywhere.

wallcoverings

We worked on a project all summer for a high-end window covering manufacturers sample book. It was a really interesting project about creating an informative and enjoyable user experience while also upholding some lofty brand expectations. In the process it occurred to me just how hard it is to create a good pattern that is appealing to a large variety of consumers.

concept toast

This is a concept for a new show that I am working on for 2009. It is based on a DiTullo sketch for a new technology toaster. Hopefully I will have more to reveal on the show in the coming months.

holiday gift idea #7

This is especially good for those living far away. Send them a box of these and they will know you care. They are expensive so be sure to get yourself the sampler and try some of the exotic flavors for yourself before gifting. Heather J, these are the chocolates (by Richart) that we send to clients who are not cooperating in hopes of swaying them. Is that wrong?

bad gift idea #1

Felt is great but who uses these things and do you leave it or take it back with you?

holiday gift idea #6

These do not work for kids. I think that their slabby, cookie-cutter, abstract form makes them much less desireable as a gift for kids than as a fun decorative family room element for adults. The price is a little whacked.