100% CANADIAN MIRACLE!!!!

Surprise?-)))The Canadian Design Resource is a sensational database featuring every aspect of Canadian design you can possibly imagine. Designers, organisations, history,exhibitions, news, innovations, discoveries, schools, publishers, merchants----and more, concerning Creative Canada. A wonderful example for many ministries in mother Europe, struggling to put together a decent on-line network of local design affairs, going through millions of committees with zillions of design experts and journalists, recovering huge budgets---well in Canada they have it all done and it is a private initiative! Check it out please, you will be entirely absorbed by the most exciting virtual space on design, and learn about the cracking-Canadian design scene...Enjoy!!!!

http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca (picture bellow from the actual site)
Contact e-mails:
info@thecdr.ca
todd@thecdr.ca

Milan in a Van 2015* ! How SALONE DEL MOBILE in MILAN (Milan Furniture fair) will turn out to be (again) this spring?

 

Picture above from: http://salonemilano.it/it-it/
*The title of V&A, London exhibition regarding the Fiera, back in April 2002, remained a moto in design slang...

The beginning of a very turbulent year, will not overshadow the importance of the most radiant european event, concerning design...or at least it is scheduled so. Many, great things are organised again this year, but certainly the SaloneSatellite, (showcasing the work of 700 young designers under 35 years old, from prestigious designs schools and different countries) is the fair's most progressive part- a real catalyst and a key element to focus if you are a design scouter, heading south this year.
Another thing to note down: the 11th edition of Saloni Worldwide Moscow, kicks off again in October 2015, and will certainly raise some eyebrows once more, an "experiment", completing already a decade, and being one of the most interesting venues in the industry. Get ready for more news and criticism , regarding both events, in the following issues of A4D-D4A.

Stay safe and alert?-)))
A4D-D4A

http://salonemilano.it/
http://salonemilano.it/en-us/EXHIBITORS/SaloneSatellite
http://salonemilano.it/en-us/WORLDWIDE/Exhibitors

(Design) History is an Ellipse… Happy and New Year 2015!

In black-and-white, above: (by anonymous photographer), around 1921-1923.Members of the Weimar Bauhaus school: E. Hartwig (top from the right), W. Baumeister (bottom right), O. Schlemmer (second, top from the left), T. Schlemmer (bottom), C. Schlemmer (in the center, at the bottom), J. Albers (right from the bottom), G. Stölzl ( center), W. Gilles (above the latter). ©AKG Photo, Paris.

The happy company in the photo has many things to celebrate, working and living in a place, far more than just an innovative technical school: a modern Utopia[1]. Painters, teachers, architects, engineers, technicians, makers, photographers, designers, stylists, actors and musicians are developing together a different perception of how everyday life could be. A fresh approach to creativity, production and lifestyle is born, to establish a new simplicity, functionality, ethics, image, design. The design of 20^th century[2].

Less than 100 years later, here we go again. Different problems, challenges, threats, risks but not the same eagerness to reinvent the world, in a real way. Different battle, same war, but nevertheless , the hope to revive quality in contemporary urban living, by means of education, culture and justice, is not yet entirely extinguished. Struggling economies and unearthly wealth, condemn investments and interest on design education (and education at large) as  time-irrelevant and elitist. Similar voices tend to forget the contribution of design to growth, provided the current focus on raw commodities with immediate profit like mineral fuels or banking by-products. Toxic funds still haunt international markets, in a sort of blind man’s -buff game, leaving behind a poisonous trail of financial repercussion.

[R]evolution in materials, resources, services and needs can only be accomplished  by involving design and innovation ,practically in every solution. That’s what history taught us, up to now, again and again. “Geschichte ist elliptisch. Geschichte ist eine Ellipse”[3].

Attacking Bauhaus: The end of “bolshevist” Bauhaus while Nazis finally take control. Collage by Iwao Yamawaki, 1932. ©D.R.

Both pictures are taken from the book: Le Bauhaus, text by Xavier Girard, ©1999, Éditions Assouline, Paris, France (greek edition by ©2005, EKDOSEIS AGRA A.E., Athens, Greece- translation from the original: Anna Tsea).

 

 

---

[1] Le Bauhaus, text by Xavier Girard, ©1999, Éditions Assouline, Paris, France (greek edition by ©2005, EKDOSEIS AGRA A.E., Athens, Greece- translation from the original: Anna Tsea).

[2] Le Bauhaus, text by Xavier Girard, ©1999, Éditions Assouline, Paris, France (greek edition by ©2005, EKDOSEIS AGRA A.E., Athens, Greece- translation from the original: Anna Tsea).

[3] “History is elliptic. History is an Ellipse”: A graffiti on the Berlin wall, soon after its demolition, 1989. [Elliptic: Obscure or ambiguous or repeating it-self. Collins Essential English Dictionary].

DESIGN COMPETITION XMAS 2014!!!- CALL FOR ENTRIES?-))))

Hello and HNY 2015!!!A4D-D4A declares the design competition, officially OVER. The correct answers to the three questions, are:

A-4.The fabric is an original heavy-weight cotton, monochrome pattern , woven and printed in the 3 primary colors, at the legendary Aigaion Textiles S.A., (in greek :“AΙΓΑΙΟΝ ΚΛΩΣΤΟΥΦΑΝΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ Α.Ε”), Piraeus, Greece, around 1979-80).

 

B-2. In ARTE’s documentary- co-production on HUGO BOSS, Nino Cerruti, proudly talks about his first  long- term collaboration with the German brand, on exporting  the textiles for the famous HB suits, when the company decided to use Italian fabrics in order to go up-market in men’s fashion.

C-4. Ise Gropius, Walter Gropius’ second wife, died on the 9^th of June 1983, 14 years after her husband, architect and founder of the Bauhaus school, in Weimar, Germany.

                                               **************
Hurra!!!A4D-D4A organizes a small design competition, just to say farewell to 2014!!! The winner can choose among  prizes like: 1. A4D-D4A T-shirt  (choice between 2 colors available) 2. A4D-D4A Mug 3. A design publication- a recent title on contemporary design (in English or Greek-again your choice, once you are shortlisted as the Winner of the Competition).

Please think well and choose the right answer to the following 3 questions:

A.Which is the design/manufacturing company of the fabric depicted above (central blog picture) ?
1.(FREDRIKA fabric), IKEA Group, Sweden
2.Textor Textiles, (bed linen) Romania
3.(UNIKKO "poppy" pattern), Marimekko, Finland
4.Other

B.Who is the italian designer- textile manufacturer, who used to export men-suit fabrics to Hugo Boss AG?
1.Brunello Cucinelli
2.Nino Cerruti
3.Ermenegildo Zegna
4.Giorgio Armani

C.When Ise Gropius (born Frank) died?
1.18 May 1883
2.1 March 1897
3.5 of July 1969
4.9 June 1983

Terms and Conditions:
1. Enter the competition by clicking Like  at the A4D-D4A FCBK page: https://www.facebook.com/all4designandbloodymore
2. Post your message on Post to Page, together with your answers!
3. You validate your entry only if you answer correctly all 3 questions!
4. In case of many people answering correctly, there will be a draw and the super Lucky one will be contacted for his/her postal details, in order to mail him/her, his/her choice of prize.
5. Everyone is eligible to join the competition, no matter of age or country.
6. The winner will be announced on the 5th of January 2015, on the A4D-D4A FCBK page and on the http://all4design-design4all.blogspot.gr.

The clock is ticking!!!-)))
Happy Holiday- Brave New Year 2015
A4D-D4A

Shop till you drop …around the globe!!!!

Picture above, clockwise from the top: Professor Astro-Cats book, Air and Space Museum/ Mug, Design Museum/ Neckpiece by Isfrid Siljehaug, Klimt02.net(Current Obsession mug, Fake issue)/L.S.P Tee, Wadada /Arnoldsche publication on Morrocan carpets and modern Art/Children’s pen-toy, Industrial Gas Museum/poster for Spitafields Saturday fashion market/ Knoll- type chair , Design Warehouse. Picture background: Designforeurope portal.

Purchase wisely this Xmas, from trustworthy sources, by investing in…innovation, cultivating your taste, developing your senses and helping out Growth- which is not an abstract term! Design remains an important factor for Growth, so A4D-D4A chooses and proposes carefully, only multi-tested design spaces, shops, portals and companies, where you can start filling that holiday shopping list…around the world!

Museum shops are your best bet, in order to find exceptionally good design in so many categories. A4D-D4A lists the following “leaders” in museum retail:

http://www.2121designsight.jp/en/architecture/  Tokyo, Japan

http://designmuseumshop.com/  London, UK

http://shop.designmuseum.fi/ Helsinki, Finland

http://www.smithsonianstore.com/museum-stores/air-space/?cid=3412&lf=c  Washington DC, USA

https://www.facebook.com/199014420238840/photos/a.202870229853259.50586.199014420238840/494719004001712/?type=1&relevant_count=1  Industrial Gas museum, Athens, Greece

Outdoor markets are huge fun to spend time in, some of them being an important design hub. Here lay the essential design markets, where makers, designers and services co-exist to offer a really unique experience for the buyer/customer/ critic.

http://www.melbournedesignmarket.com.au/home/  Melbourne, Australia

http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/img/saturday-style-market-image.jpg  London, UK

Design portals and networks offer many possibilities, along with valuable information for the local or international industry and market- destined to sellers AND customers. Find out more about design-related -places, sectors, funds, fields, grants, contests, commerce, spots, shops and people on:

http://www.ctdn.co.za/  Cape Town , South Africa

http://opendesignct.com/ Cape Town, South Africa

http://designforeurope.eu/ Public sector portal, EU

http://klimt02.net/ (Jewelry and more), Barcelona, Spain

Books are definitely the most appreciated gifts, but really good books and studies on design, are getting more and more difficult to find, due to their production cost: two publishers are getting their way with the market’s increasing complications, by offering strictly, nothing less than the best, in context and layout, during a great number of years.

http://www.arnoldsche.com/Design/ Stuttgart, Germany

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/titles/art-design San Francisco, USA

Clothing companies with a flair? Too many out there , but only a couple pioneering an avant-garde design approach, regarding visual communication, graphics and illustration  techniques. So lucky if you get an inspired T-Shirt from Santa, especially if it comes from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCE_z_2HIuk  Wadada, London, UK

http://www.chunkclothing.com/  London, UK

Design merchants rise in different corners of the planet and design capitals- traditional or new- exchange ideas and shift powers, at the dawn of a new economic era. A4D-D4A concludes this summary of where-to-buy-what- it’s-design-worthy- with a town , famous, not only for its natural beauty but  for its status as a “Key” player, for international creative arts, crafts and design. 

A last stop, a last shop, thousands of Km away from our familiar territories…” on the other side of the water”… Santa Fe.

http://www.designwarehousesantafe.com  private merchant-shop, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

A4D-D4A wishes you a very Merry Holiday!!!!

 

  

SANTA IS COMING EARLY-ON, TO A4D-D4A…: Marinos Marinou;-))

 PICTURE ABOVE: A4D-D4A LOVES GOOD FOOD. EDIBLE, VINTAGE “KOOKY “GRAPHICS BY MARINOS MARINOU. A4D-ELICIOUS!!!!

Marinos  Marinou, is an Art director, illustrator, graphic designer, visual artist and creative pastry chef. Larger than life, he throws some of his magic sparkle by answering quintessential design-questions, explaining some secret equations of the actual design world.

All4design-design4all: All these years of your work as an Art director, you “switched” many times your canvas from traditional press and illustration-oriented/ sketch-on-paper, techniques, to other areas, such as exhibition design, sculpture, scenography, wall jewelry, even  creative pastry. Do you believe that a good designer gains more valuable experience through cross-platform experimentation?

Marinos Marinou: I always have been an active graphic designer, a “restless spirit”, as far it concerns investigating new techniques and experimenting with materials. That helped me to take the first step on this fantastic journey, one I could never imagine. I discover something that it never feels like work. I always say that I make a living out of my hobby. I want my work to connect with people on an emotional level which is what I think most effective and lasting. I usually work on numerous ideas at once for the same project, getting progressively more experimental as I go along. The process of each project generates a number of possible ideas , using various techniques and encourage me to think outside the box to come up with creative and innovative solutions. I enjoy working on anything I haven’t tried before, coming up against a new challenge. This is how I get able to speak visually and emotionally to a variety of audiences. A designer could be a great one, by discovering his own “strength”  in a field,  either this is typography or image-making or both, when he develops his ability to communicate that by experimentation cause there are so many different visual aspects on each direction. That’s why the term Visual Communication is also used currently for graphic design.
 
A4D-D4A: Magazines and the paper media in general, got seriously hammered by the economic crisis. Web-zines of every kind rise up through their dynamic sites ,i-pad versions etc. What are the most  important  aspects of an on-line mag, in order to be “design” appreciated-, or “design” successful?

M.M: The advantage of technology is that the number of digital media available continues to increase. And that brings new possibilities and challenges to design. It’s completely different from the print media because you have to design and build an interactive relationship between the application and the user – the latter having the ability to choose the content he/she receives. New media design has the same principles as the traditional design except you have to communicate messages across different platforms.  I believe that the most successful aspect is to find a way to be more memorable, more unique and effective. The way on-line media is produced today homogenized the overall result , so it makes weak, easy to forget, with less impact. Good design in Social media can also work well in order to produce desired and effective results. It’s largely an untapped area. People watch closely all kinds of information. From various events, politics, new products, fashion,  gossip and so on, I believe the design can play a bigger and more effective role in this. As any other area ,in the on-line magazines you have to stand out from the crowd . Design can help you achieve that because by creating a great layout, a great “packaging”, you attract people to come and visit your site.

A4D-D4A: Cyprus is a small country, with a reasonably large creative community- despite the country’s size- who is thriving quietly the last 25 years. What’ s the secret behind such an evolution in design services , on Cypriot ground? Which other design markets, globally, you think worth noticing, and in which countries?

M.M: As you rightly point out ,Cyprus is a small country. People are closer to each other and closer to nature. We can be in 5 minutes out in the countryside or down at the beach. We are not lost in the chaos of a big city. We are able to show all these influences from our surroundings as well as the strong influences from different cultures passed through the years from our island, into our lives, our culture, our arts and of course our design and be more creative. The way we live and the fact that most of the designers went abroad developing their skills and  knowledge, helped the design industry to make a strong statement in such a small country. So I believe the way of life stays an important reason that a large creative community exists in Cyprus.
The last few years creative agencies in Greece are acclaimed in Europe or internationally, their course being  remarkable:  “Beetroot”, “Mnp”, “Bob Studio”, “K2design”, “Mousegraphics” and so many others. Also the contemporary Scandinavian design is characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality, especially agencies and designers from Denmark and Sweden. Of course, my first influences since I studied in the U.K, came from Britain, which is the “birthplace” of some great graphic designers worldwide.

A4D-D4A: What do you think is the biggest challenge for a young designer today?

M.M: The new generation of designers gives very promising signs. The economic crisis that emerged globally is one of the biggest challenges for a young designer today. There are fewer chances for a young designer finding a job or even given the chance to show his work. They have to work twice as hard to find ways to stand out and be noticed. More and more design agencies are closing down and that makes it even more difficult. Also technology moves so fast as I mentioned  earlier so young people need to stay always updated of what is going on in the market and find a way to propose something new -find the right moment and make their move into the industry.

A4D-D4A : You have a vast knowledge from so many design fields, you’ve experienced so many cultural and political changes, studying abroad, and working eventually in your homeland…What’s your biggest wish for the design industry, in the forthcoming years?

M.M: My wish is of course to overcome the economic crisis , so more and more agencies open their doors to enthusiastic designers ready to give fresh, new and unexpected ideas and qualities, which are eventually the seeds of new design proposals.

(Note: Marinos Marinou is also a qualified Graphic Arts professor in secondary education and member of OLTEK (Technical Education Association of Cyprus).

More of Marino’s work as an Art Director and some of his numerous, previous  and current projects, on:

www.sigmatv.com 

www.cityfreepress.com.cy

www.ilovestyle.com 

https://www.facebook.com/marinos.marinou

Marino, many thanks!

 

GEOTHINK : SPATIAL THINKING is the future in design education?

 Picture above:  http://www.geothnk.eu

GEOTHNK is an educational platform/model,  helping knowledge flourishing . It’s moto?”Semantic pathways for building a spatially- thinking society”. It is associated with the  Inquiry Based model for Life-long learning, which is based on creating scripts, questions, problems and missions, through  investigation and a-“revealing-discovering things” approach.
Spatial thinking is the ability to relate concepts with space, so to comprehend the basic human equations between those two notions. Spatial thinking is fundamental for students to understand natural  and mathematical sciences, but also more abstract/indirect terms, developing   senses and sensibilities and eventually reasoning things, cultivating  their logic and imagination.

SPATIAL THINKING: Slightly altered;-)) educational pathway, illustrating the association of related terms, in a lesson that could be in Climate, Geography,  Architecture/Urban Planning or even Design! (picture  from presentation of Cartography Lab OntoGEO, Athens Polytechnic ).

The aim of this community is to support educators to  develop innovative pathways that can help learners to use geospatial concepts , in order to understand , concepts, problems, phenomena, techniques, stories from different domains, not only Geography, but also Social Sciences, Mathematics, Environment, History, Art,  etc. The GEOTHNK model is adoptable to about, any field , discipline or attempt of associating any type of knowledge.

Join the GEOTHNK community in the ODS portal!!!!!: http://portal.opendiscoveryspace.eu/community/geothink-community-400866

Special thanks to: Research and Development Department ,Ellinogermaniki Agogi , Cartography Lab OntoGEO, Athens Polytechnic (National Technical University of Athens, for all the information provided at their organized GEOTHNK seminar, on the 20th of October, at the  Eugenides Foundation, Athens, Greece.