A great lead kindly provided by Junkeeter Anita of Writing Services:
COMPETITION
WHEN: Entry D/L Jan 22 2011
WHAT: From their blurb:
This competition is aimed at creatives and students of all ages who are resident in the UK. Using Priplak polypropylene you are asked to create a product, an innovative packaging solution or a promotional incentive. Part of the brief is to think about re-usability, durability, multi-usage and multi-functional.
The designs may be an innovative solution to an existing product or common everyday item, but will be judged on creativity, originality, and functionality, cost effectiveness and use of the material.
WHAT... MORE?:
There will be three categories: My Plastic ‘Packaging’ Idea, My Plastic ‘Product’ Idea and My Plastic ‘Incentive/Promotional’ Idea. First prize for each category is £500 cash and the overall winner will receive an additional £500. Shortlisted finalists will get showcased at an exhibition in May in front of potential clients. In addition, the organisers will be scanning all entries looking for potential opportunities for products or incentives to be developed to market on a royalty arrangement basis.
HOW MUCH: My fave... no mention of money!
URL: http://www.myplasticidea.co.uk/
COMMENTS: Possibly somewhat restricted by having to focus on reuse (and sussing out the plastic specified in the brief), we will for sure be having a go here. But if you do enter via us telling you... and win... make sure to give us a mention at least:)
Showing posts with label PRODUCT DESIGN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PRODUCT DESIGN. Show all posts
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
So good he posted it twice
The RE:tie is a pet project.
It has its own little blog, but I don't update it often (though I should... need to) and (maybe as a consequence) few I suspect read it.
However, this is worth a quick sidebar, especially as I try and figure what gets updated automatically, or not, via the various social networking outlets and systems interlinked around here.
For a start, i gets this story pride of place on the new homepage as I rush around like a headless chicken on a few other things, like the latest newsletter.
It has its own little blog, but I don't update it often (though I should... need to) and (maybe as a consequence) few I suspect read it.
However, this is worth a quick sidebar, especially as I try and figure what gets updated automatically, or not, via the various social networking outlets and systems interlinked around here.
For a start, i gets this story pride of place on the new homepage as I rush around like a headless chicken on a few other things, like the latest newsletter.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
IRONY ALERT - The latest cycling innovation - power assist!
The purr of electronic gears sounds great - if you can get past the price
I am presuming (tried and failed to check via the site, which has to be one of the most indulgent, useless, time-consuming examples I have seen in a while) that these little servos use 'leccy, which is kind of quaint, above the weight, all things considered.
However, as one who can rarely access the highest a lowest gears thanks to poor spanner-technique, and has spent more than his fair time trying to get chain oil off his hands in one's posh frock at a Central London kerbside for much the same reason, I am intrigued as to whether the changing mechanism is different, and better, and if so why a human-powered/instigated version might not be created.
Money and image issues noted.
I am presuming (tried and failed to check via the site, which has to be one of the most indulgent, useless, time-consuming examples I have seen in a while) that these little servos use 'leccy, which is kind of quaint, above the weight, all things considered.
However, as one who can rarely access the highest a lowest gears thanks to poor spanner-technique, and has spent more than his fair time trying to get chain oil off his hands in one's posh frock at a Central London kerbside for much the same reason, I am intrigued as to whether the changing mechanism is different, and better, and if so why a human-powered/instigated version might not be created.
Money and image issues noted.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Squeezing the most
I like low waste solutions.
Especially when they mean using less materials too:
Treehugger - Clever Toothbrush Stops Paste Waste with Haste
Especially when they mean using less materials too:
Treehugger - Clever Toothbrush Stops Paste Waste with Haste
Friday, June 26, 2009
Oh, blog off!
Or... how not to mess with your blog.
I'll let this set the scene as it is pertinent: quirky-social-product-development
I came here specifically to post to you, and was going to apologise for being O/T as the thread more appropriate to my intended comment (follows below) - the green gadget one - is no longer so enabled with this spiffy new system.
However, I think I can kick off by still being being relevant.
As an international Gold Medal-winning, multi-awarded, all-the-PR-you-can't-pay-the-bills-with-yet inventor of an eco packaging design, I gave quirky a gander.
Sadly, as most of us are, they are in competition with a horde of others, and I have lost count of the number that will charge one 'just' $99 for an intro to some folk they might know who might help.
Which may explain the lack of decent entries? I'd be hard pressed to see it as worth it, especially as my design is for mass marketing and really won't fit the model. I am seeking to licence about a billion a day. And moving from design to prototype to short-run moulds to full-blown seems a stretch at first glance.
However, the value of the PR and market research may tip the balance, especially if the founders have some IT scores on the board that gets PR from IT types like you. Reflected glory and all.
Now, on to the reason for seeking you out. Not easy as you and some other valued (to me) colleagues don't seem to be quite as valued (by the head honchos) in this spiffy revamp, and took a bit of locating under all the politico, sporty & opinion big guns who I will now be sparing my blood pressure by mostly passing on in future.
Just wanted to say that where I used to surf, skim & select all in the main scrolling version, I no longer have the time to do what the system demands and cherry pick, but will make a note of checking back here specifically as the odds of a green post are good. Maybe not as often as I did,but there you go.
A real pity, as I have found worthy enviro posts in odd places across many of the blogs, but will have to forgo most as there really is not enough time.
Seems an odd way to drive viewing figures, but there you go.
What this does not do is fully address the horror of what these clowns have done to a system that seemed to work pretty well, and by not being broke as far as I could see, didn't need fixing.
For those that don't know, all the blogs went up chronologically in a massive scrolling page, broken up by 'back' & 'next' breaks. Hence you could see exactly what was new simply by starting at the top and working back to where you left off last. If it was of no interest (such as sport) you skipped by. But there was usually a headline, subhead, picture and first para to scope to see if it was worth delving further.
No they expect me to check a few score specific thread channels..in case there might be a new or interesting piece? Numpties. Just waiting for a page to load takes 30". Multiply that by the number of channels and there's my tea breaks gone before I see anything.
And I am not sure I am alone in not thinking this has been a real advance.
But at least I got a blog out of it. Though I will miss the odd green avenue I stumbled across, often from non-tech or green authors.
And as we try and make this blog and Junkk.com better, boy, do I have some great examples of what not to do!
A new look
Welcome to the new Telegraph blogs
Thank you for your feedback
Some of the ostrich/'hear no evil' monkey responses from the Telegraph's great and good puts one more in mind of the current Government. And such as 'listening' and 'responding' to minor stuff and ignoring dirty great elephants in the room. Which is odd, as this is just what they seem to mock them for.
I can live with a light grey type. I have no time to devote to scores of separate threads. Which one are they now 'urgently looking at'?
Addendum 1 -
Of course, one constant drip from the 'professional', 'quality', paid, establishment media is that you can't trust what Bloggers write. If they say so: Press Association and Big Media Fail to Double Source
I can't afford the resources of these guys. But I do have a well-primed eyebrow and tend to slap a few caveats in if the sources are dubious, such as the Government, the BBC, any press spokesperson, 'scientists', quangos, charities, 'research', 'polls'....
Addendum 2 -
Just scoping the Indy. Their 'system' is called Live Journal, and it sucks too. Just looking at some major stories and they have no comments. This seems unlikely. So it's not just my Mac OS and Safari browser then. I wrote to the web, IT and editors to tell them, but no reply. They really are an insular bunch who don't take well to customer feedback.
Guardian - Telegraph relaunches blogs, now powered by WordPress
I'll let this set the scene as it is pertinent: quirky-social-product-development
I came here specifically to post to you, and was going to apologise for being O/T as the thread more appropriate to my intended comment (follows below) - the green gadget one - is no longer so enabled with this spiffy new system.
However, I think I can kick off by still being being relevant.
As an international Gold Medal-winning, multi-awarded, all-the-PR-you-can't-pay-the-bills-with-yet inventor of an eco packaging design, I gave quirky a gander.
Sadly, as most of us are, they are in competition with a horde of others, and I have lost count of the number that will charge one 'just' $99 for an intro to some folk they might know who might help.
Which may explain the lack of decent entries? I'd be hard pressed to see it as worth it, especially as my design is for mass marketing and really won't fit the model. I am seeking to licence about a billion a day. And moving from design to prototype to short-run moulds to full-blown seems a stretch at first glance.
However, the value of the PR and market research may tip the balance, especially if the founders have some IT scores on the board that gets PR from IT types like you. Reflected glory and all.
Now, on to the reason for seeking you out. Not easy as you and some other valued (to me) colleagues don't seem to be quite as valued (by the head honchos) in this spiffy revamp, and took a bit of locating under all the politico, sporty & opinion big guns who I will now be sparing my blood pressure by mostly passing on in future.
Just wanted to say that where I used to surf, skim & select all in the main scrolling version, I no longer have the time to do what the system demands and cherry pick, but will make a note of checking back here specifically as the odds of a green post are good. Maybe not as often as I did,but there you go.
A real pity, as I have found worthy enviro posts in odd places across many of the blogs, but will have to forgo most as there really is not enough time.
Seems an odd way to drive viewing figures, but there you go.
What this does not do is fully address the horror of what these clowns have done to a system that seemed to work pretty well, and by not being broke as far as I could see, didn't need fixing.
For those that don't know, all the blogs went up chronologically in a massive scrolling page, broken up by 'back' & 'next' breaks. Hence you could see exactly what was new simply by starting at the top and working back to where you left off last. If it was of no interest (such as sport) you skipped by. But there was usually a headline, subhead, picture and first para to scope to see if it was worth delving further.
No they expect me to check a few score specific thread channels..in case there might be a new or interesting piece? Numpties. Just waiting for a page to load takes 30". Multiply that by the number of channels and there's my tea breaks gone before I see anything.
And I am not sure I am alone in not thinking this has been a real advance.
But at least I got a blog out of it. Though I will miss the odd green avenue I stumbled across, often from non-tech or green authors.
And as we try and make this blog and Junkk.com better, boy, do I have some great examples of what not to do!
A new look
Welcome to the new Telegraph blogs
Thank you for your feedback
Some of the ostrich/'hear no evil' monkey responses from the Telegraph's great and good puts one more in mind of the current Government. And such as 'listening' and 'responding' to minor stuff and ignoring dirty great elephants in the room. Which is odd, as this is just what they seem to mock them for.
I can live with a light grey type. I have no time to devote to scores of separate threads. Which one are they now 'urgently looking at'?
Addendum 1 -
Of course, one constant drip from the 'professional', 'quality', paid, establishment media is that you can't trust what Bloggers write. If they say so: Press Association and Big Media Fail to Double Source
I can't afford the resources of these guys. But I do have a well-primed eyebrow and tend to slap a few caveats in if the sources are dubious, such as the Government, the BBC, any press spokesperson, 'scientists', quangos, charities, 'research', 'polls'....
Addendum 2 -
Just scoping the Indy. Their 'system' is called Live Journal, and it sucks too. Just looking at some major stories and they have no comments. This seems unlikely. So it's not just my Mac OS and Safari browser then. I wrote to the web, IT and editors to tell them, but no reply. They really are an insular bunch who don't take well to customer feedback.
Guardian - Telegraph relaunches blogs, now powered by WordPress
Friday, May 08, 2009
Green..er by design?
Shame it only seems to have garnered two comments, but every little bit helps..
Can good design save newspapers? How about the environment?
Whilst tweaks in certain areas can always improve matters, I would suggest that form and function are essential complements and need to work together, especially when it comes to 'saving' anything. And certainly when it comes to the only thing the really matters: the substantive, end-benefit embracing, customer-pleasing product/content.
As certain events of late have proven, how things look, especially if it is at the expense of tangible delivery, can prove... retrograde in the longer term. Polishing a Terminally Unpopular/Unpleasant Rationale, Reprobate or Device springs to mind.
I am all for designers making the world greener, though.
And would encourage any and all initiatives to try and encourage this.
So long as it's more in the cause actually BEING it as opposed to just LOOKING it. That won't wash any more.
As you mention the genre, one area with great potential is packaging, and I am a great advocate of starting to look at designed-in initiatives from the outset.
However, you, your readers and even some designers might be interested in a little competition currently at Junkk.com called 'Here's One I RE:made Earlier'
A bit of fun, helping save a bit of money, time and, with luck... the planet:)
Now, despite it being online (I think that the impact of IT needs to be viewed vs. previous and even current alternatives before getting too excited about impacts, though efficiency/reduction improvements can always be made and are welcome - but I just squirted 10MB to London that before would have been on a courier or, worse, with a suit carrying a bag) who could argue with that little row of consumer crowd-pleasers as a positive, proactive design principle?
Especially when it can actually help with the marketing too.
Can good design save newspapers? How about the environment?
Whilst tweaks in certain areas can always improve matters, I would suggest that form and function are essential complements and need to work together, especially when it comes to 'saving' anything. And certainly when it comes to the only thing the really matters: the substantive, end-benefit embracing, customer-pleasing product/content.
As certain events of late have proven, how things look, especially if it is at the expense of tangible delivery, can prove... retrograde in the longer term. Polishing a Terminally Unpopular/Unpleasant Rationale, Reprobate or Device springs to mind.
I am all for designers making the world greener, though.
And would encourage any and all initiatives to try and encourage this.
So long as it's more in the cause actually BEING it as opposed to just LOOKING it. That won't wash any more.
As you mention the genre, one area with great potential is packaging, and I am a great advocate of starting to look at designed-in initiatives from the outset.
However, you, your readers and even some designers might be interested in a little competition currently at Junkk.com called 'Here's One I RE:made Earlier'
A bit of fun, helping save a bit of money, time and, with luck... the planet:)
Now, despite it being online (I think that the impact of IT needs to be viewed vs. previous and even current alternatives before getting too excited about impacts, though efficiency/reduction improvements can always be made and are welcome - but I just squirted 10MB to London that before would have been on a courier or, worse, with a suit carrying a bag) who could argue with that little row of consumer crowd-pleasers as a positive, proactive design principle?
Especially when it can actually help with the marketing too.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Pack Design... scaping the bottom, and sides of the jar
I love design. Well, good stuff, be that a subjective arena.
Of course, there is also the various diverse areas it can be applied to, from looks to function.
And sometimes the desire to sell can be at odds with the need to be more environmental.
Take this jar.
It's quite pretty. Not sure I can immediately think of a reuse yet, but who knows.
Thing is, I also rather bewail the fact that its curvy design, whilst eye-catching, has also prevented us from scooping out as much food as possible, which leads to waste.
Yes, there is shaking with a few cc's of boiling water (be careful of popping the cap on if/when you do), but ease of maximising product access should be a consideration.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
An "A-B-C-D Approach to Making Better Products" - a report
The Greening of Design, from A to D
I wonder if I should have used such as this when developing the RE:tie?
Seriously.
48 pages. Wow.
I used to present logos by holding 'em up and saying 'Here it is'. Then I got wise and added the document with all the blurb on the why, who, where... etc. The latter seemed to get a better hit rate, and oddly no one ever asked if the consumer would ever be issued with this information as the delivery van zipped by.
It seems a shame that in this day and age that, without a lot of process, product is now seldom going to be the driver, no matter how pertinent.
Wouldn't it be nice to get back, at least a little, to the old aircraft designers' adage that 'if it looks right; it'll fly right'.
I wonder if I should have used such as this when developing the RE:tie?
Seriously.
48 pages. Wow.
I used to present logos by holding 'em up and saying 'Here it is'. Then I got wise and added the document with all the blurb on the why, who, where... etc. The latter seemed to get a better hit rate, and oddly no one ever asked if the consumer would ever be issued with this information as the delivery van zipped by.
It seems a shame that in this day and age that, without a lot of process, product is now seldom going to be the driver, no matter how pertinent.
Wouldn't it be nice to get back, at least a little, to the old aircraft designers' adage that 'if it looks right; it'll fly right'.
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