DesignJazz in Singapore

Fantastic Musicals- The Jersey Boys

2010-10-18T21:54:00.000+08:00

One of the best musicals available at the New York Broadway and London Westend theatre is undeniably the Jersey Boys. It’s the story of the rapid rise of the Four Seasons, the famous Italian American band in the 60s.

I love their perfect performance from the cast with their powerful vocal, the professional band, the energetic dancers, and the orchestra. All of them works together to create the perfect musical. I just love the catchy tunes in this rag-to-riches story.

Who would like to watch the musical? One thing for sure is the Broadway ticket is more expensive than the London Westend show and both have world-class performers who deliver first-class performance.

The London Westend Theatre cast

Five Frankie Valli in the USA

Excellent works by my Students

2010-05-22T21:21:00.003+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-13T23:22:00.004+08:00

Yesterday was the official opening of River Hongbao 2010 at The Float@ Marina Bay. The glittering and stunning light decor display were simply outstanding. There are the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, the God of Fortune, treasure house, wishing fountain and the adorable panda bears. Both Singaporeans and tourists happily posed with the various displays. Are you hungry? You can try the street food from Chengdu.

Wishing all Chinese Happy Chinese New Year and to non-Chinese, Happy Holiday!
For more information on River Hongbao, visit the official website at http://www.riverhongbao.sg/.
Treasures Fill the House

2010 Resolution

2010-01-02T22:58:00.003+08:00

My goal is to watch Les Miserables, one of the world longest running musical. After watching the spectacular performance by the London Les Miserable cast via youtube, I am determined to watch the live performance. Sound of Music was the musical I last watched at the Esplanade in 2005. If they are not coming to Singapore, I might be flying to London to watch the musical in December.

Susan Boyle and the Les Miserable London cast.

The Eiffel Tower

2009-12-15T19:55:00.002+08:00

Visit this link now to view The Eiffel Tower in 360 degrees.

http://photo.photojpl.com/tour/08toureiffel/08toureiffel.html

Japan Good Design

2009-12-10T16:56:00.010+08:00

Japan Creative Centre is located in the tranquil corner at 4 Nassim Road, adjacent to the dynamic Orchard Road. Held in conjunction with the Singapore Design Festival, the Japan Good Design exhibition is opened to the public from 16 Nov 2009 to 29 Jan 2010. The operating hour is 0915 to 1715 from Monday to Friday. The creative centre showcases outstanding Japan designs; from the helpful domestic robot helper, furniture, utensils to their cutting-edge electronic gadgets. Japan design is renowned for quality, reliability and technological prowess. Indeed, when I want to purchase electronic gadgets like camera and laptop, I prefer Japanese products. In business, quality and reliability are all that matters. There is a mini- library for visitors to browse a diverse range of design and japan books. While reading the design books, you get to enjoy the music by Japanese leading singers. There are a few desktops and you can learn about Japan history and culture or even watch music videos or concerts by leading Japanese artistes.
Remember to get the exhibition booklet at the brochure stand or reception counter. At the end of the day, you’ll learned something new from the exhibition.

Japan Creative Centre at 4 Nassim Road

Home-use Robot
Daily life products
Mini-Library
Exhibition Area near the entrance.

Robot Suit can expand and improve physical capability.

Butterfly Stool (1966)

Support Creativity. Stop Piracy

2009-12-06T23:33:00.003+08:00

In Singapore several CD shops have closed due to rampant illegal music download. Singapore is not alone. CD sales has plunged globally since the invention of free music download site. Sembawang Music Centre, which used to dominate the music scene with more than 20 shops, has recently shut down. Now only HMV is standing alone to battle this challenging piracy war. To increase sales, they are resorting to selling books and allowing customers to pay and download their favourite music. To win battle, they have to change their strategy else they’ll be the next to go.

Although I am known to be parsimonious, I like to support great creative work by outstanding artists such as Jay Chou, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Lady Gaga. I enjoy the thrill of unwrapping thoughtful design CD packages and CD, with all the hard work and love put in by these geniuses. I do not hope to see all the record company shutting down. I still like the concept of mortar shop as I want to touch and feel the product. You are right; I am not a fan of online shopping.

I just watched Bad Romance, one of the best music video of the year (in my opinion) by Lady Gaga. In fact, I am inspired to write after watching the video. The music is deliciously catchy and, I think it has cemented her status as an influential fashion icon and talented musician. She writes her own songs and has her own design team to design her clothes) To me, it’s a visual feast, what with the inspiring metallic concentric spiral design encircling around her and her geometry glittering 17th century inspired costumes. It could be too much for others though as she also went naked in a subtle way without revealing too much. Instead it highlights the beauty of human female stature. The video ends off with Lady Gaga sitting indifferently beside a burnt corpse on the bed. She cleverly used metaphor to send strong message. Nakedness is related with vulnerability. A burnt corpse sends this shivering message to all man to be faithful and never ever incurred woman’s wrath for you never know what they are capable of.

I can’t wait to buy this great record by a great artist, definitely another icon after Madonna.

Talks Frank Gehry asks "Then what?"

2009-12-04T21:27:00.003+08:00

In a wildly entertaining discussion with Richard Saul Wurman, architect Frank Gehry gives TEDsters his take on the power of failure, his recent buildings, and the all-important “Then what?” factor.
About Frank Gehry http://www.ted.com/speakers/frank_gehry.html

Why you should listen to him:
Frank Gehry is one of the world's most influential architects. His designs for the likes of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA are bold statements that have imposed a new aesthetic of architecture on the world at large, enlivening streetscapes and creating new destinations. Gehry has extended his vision beyond brick-and-mortar too, collaborating with artists such as Claes Oldenberg and Richard Serra, and designing watches, teapots and a line of jewelry for Tiffany & Co.
Now in his 70s, Gehry refuses to slow down or compromise his fierce vision: He and his team at Gehry Partners are working on a $4 billion development of the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, and a spectacular Guggenheim museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which interprets local architecture traditions into a language all his own. Incorporating local architectural motifs without simply paying lip service to Middle Eastern culture, the building bears all the hallmarks of a classic Gehry design.
"He has profoundly reordered the idea of constructed space among people who don't think about buildings for a living but who work in them, live in them -- and pay for them."Time

City Hall Design Exhibition

2009-11-29T22:22:00.008+08:00

Although the Singapore Design Festival is officially over, there are still some design exhibitions going on at the Vivocity. Alright I have not visit yet but will do so next week.

Two weeks ago, I went to City Hall building whereby there were several design events. Of all the design exhibitions, I like the Taiwan design and the British design. Unfortunately, the 50 years Creative British did not allow visitors to take photograph. I like the British team as they infused pop and loud music in the exhibition and they featured successful artists like the Spice Girls and top designers like SeymourPowell and successful author J.K Rowling in a short video showcasing British creative industy achievement. There is another section which exhibit Benoy, which design the ION orchard. They also explained how they came up with the idea through their sketches.

Of all the Chinese societies, I like Taiwan best as Taiwanese people are really kind and helpful. In addition, they have really talented people such as Jay Chou who rose to the top as he can really write great music.

Last year, I went to Taiwan and I was really impressed with their graphic and retail design. Their work has this 'wow' factor and you can feel the bright and colourful society they have, as evident in their Blue and Green parties. If you observe Taiwan, they enjoy freedom which sometimes can be too messy-riots. Nevertheless, they produce the best musician and some of the best director like Lee Ang and designers in Chinese region.

City Hall building.

This exhibition features Taiwan influential and creative designers and tv producer and educator and introduce their outstanding works.

ICSID World Design Congress Exhibition at Suntec City

2009-11-29T20:52:00.018+08:00

Icsid World Design Congress Exhibition at Suntec City is jointly organised by DesignSingapore Council, Designers Association of Singapore, OrcaDesign Consultants, NY and Temasek Polytechnic.

Several events were exhibited such as the Utterubbish Exhibition ,Portfolio Show for Young Designers which feature top graduates’ works.

Visitors get to browse Singapore top design graduating students' works around this hexogon table.
Design development sketches of award-winning design, Phin in the Nix Folding Bicycle Competition 2009.

Contextual presentation.

Doggy's Poo Scooter by Ang Hui Ting from Ngee Ann Polytechnic

This award-winning design is designed by Temasek Polytechnic graduate Lee Si Ni

Sketching to explore and and develop idea of Mobile Portal.

I first saw this lamp on the cover page on I-S magazine. If you look carefully, there is no red tape. This lamp is titled ‘Anything But Red’, by Larry Peh. This political statement lamp doesn’t come cheap. It costs about $1000.00 as he used industrial-strength 3M tape.

This exquisite lamp is made from ice-cream sticks.

Exhibition by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)

Gigantic LV Bag on Display

2009-11-29T15:19:00.006+08:00

You can’t help but notice this gigantic LV branded bag located outside Ngee Ann city. It’s a popular sculpture with tourists and Singaporeans who want to pose with this bag.

TED Talks on Design Ideas worth Spreading on 28 November 09

2009-11-29T13:49:00.007+08:00

I am thankful to attend the TED Talks on Design Ideas worth Spreading at Ngee Ann Kongsi auditorium, Singapore Management University as more than 700 people registered for the event but only 300 participants were selected. Thank you TEDx Singapore! This event was organised by a group of passionate volunteers, the Curatorial teams of TEDx Singapore and TEDxGreen.

During the two hours and a half programme, we were shown 7 videos relating to design talks by leading designers, engineers who aspire to make the world a better place.

I am most impressed with the TED talk, Design with Passionate Anger by Michael Pritchard. He channelled his anger and frustration with lack of clean water in the developing world and the inefficiency of aid agencies to create a Lifesaver purification water bottle. The Lifesaver bottle helps to solve the problem of being forced to drink unsafe water. Using cutting-edge nanotechnology, he designed the lifesaver water bottle which sterilised water and filtered virus as small as 25nm.

Another talk that I like is Biomimicry in Action by Janine Benyus. She advised inventors to observe nature first when solving a design problem. In the talk, she showed examples of existing products such as the aerodynamic, solar-powered designs that take their cue from nature.

Although TED stands for Technology, Entertaining and Design, Singapore TEDx has its own interpretation; Thinkers & Especially Doers.

For more information, visit www.ted.com

President's Design Award 2009- Design of the Year

2009-11-25T21:34:00.007+08:00

For the first time, there is interactivity in design exhibition. The pleasant lady at the President’s Design Award exhibition urged me to sit on this seemingly fragile award-winning rocking chair (this is made of continuous folded strip of moulded fiberglass).

Considering the fact that it can support my weight, I think it has achieved its objective of a functional chair. However, I don’t feel safe as I was constantly worried of the chair dropping to the other side, thus when I got up, I needed someone to support me.

I like this design as this chair attempts to fuse functionality and arts. I think it is the first designer chair that allows visitors to sit on the chair. Most exhibitions do not allow visitors to sit on the chair. On first look, I was not convinced that the chair can work well. As the saying goes, Looks can deceive. Never judge a book by its cover.

President’s Design Award Singapore
Paper Fold, Design of the Year 2009
By Exit Design founder, PC Ee.

Advice for emerging designers:
“Keep going. Persevere, believe in what you want to achieve.

Paper Fold chair

Singapore President's Design Award 2009 Exhibition

2009-11-25T12:46:00.011+08:00

Visit the Singapore President's Design Award 2009 exhibition at Ion Orchard gallery, level 4. This award honours the best designers in Singapore.

Designer of the Year 2009 Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, New York.He cleverly replaced the C with H.

What do you see?

ByDesigner of the Year 2009, Chris Lee Founder and Creative Director Asylum Creative Pte Ltd Singapore

“Innovation is extremely powerful only when we do not lose track of the original purpose and intention.”

His advice for emerging designers:
Be passionate, brave, humble and lastly, ambitious.

Do you feel the urge to buy the chocolate in colourful packages?

Korea Good Design Selection at Ion Orchard

2009-11-25T11:38:00.012+08:00

At level 4 of Ion Orchard, you can visit two design exhibitions, one of which is the Korean Good Design Selection. Besides product designs, they also feature outstanding architecture designs. Korea is catching up with the Japanese in the area of innovative design. To find out more, you can visit the exhibition which will end on 30 N0vember.

An overall view of the Good Korean Design exhibition.
You'll find this block around Singapore city.

Magnifying Glass Jewelry (System Jewelry Design Research Ltd.)
This innovative Magnifying Glass Jewelry is not simply a necklace but also a jewelry magnifier. This jewelry can be worn as a luxurious necklace, but when necessary, it can utilised and worn as a jewelry magnifier as well. The front of the jewelry adopts an urban and refined look which can be worn in various ways so as to cater to different occasions, while the elegantly designed jewelry magnifier offers a practical edge to this concept.

Einstein Baby Spoon (Raon Co., Ltd)
Raon’s Einstein Baby Spoon is completely made of 100% pure silicon, unlike other products in the market which are typically made of rubber or plastic. This distinctive quality effectively makes this Baby Spoon free from Endocrine disruptors and metallic toxicities, in addition to it being safe for children, this product can be easily sterilized in boiling water. The spoon and its handle are streamlined in design and can comfortably fit in a baby’s mouth and hands. Furthermore, the Einstein Intelligence Development Ring included with the spoon is also helpful in developing a baby’s intelligence and concentration by stimulating the nerves of the baby’s fingers.

Wood Block Car Series (Edtoy Co., Ltd)
The Edtoy Wood Block Car Series demonstrates the effectiveness of educational toys in harnessing a child’s imaginative, cognitive and emotional development. This toy block series uses a rotating magnet as the means to make connections, allowing children to engage in unrestricted assembly and disassembly of parts so that they are able to reconfigure the car’s structure conveniently and creatively. As the various car components belonging to different models in the series are specifically designed to be compatible with each other, children are thus challenged to redesign the Edtoy Wood Block Car, encouraging their sense of initiative, spatial perception and problem-solving abilities.

Singapore Design Festival

2009-11-25T11:14:00.002+08:00

For the past few days, I attended several interesting events during Singapore Design Festival from 20 November to 30 November. All in all, there are 99 events, most of which offer free admission whereas some events require you to pay hefty fees of $600.00. Took hundreds of photos and need to sort them out. I'll be updating my blog by this week.

Richard Seymour

2009-11-24T09:34:00.005+08:00

Mr Richard Seymour is a great and successful designer, yet humble and jovial great man. He is also the founder and company director of Seymourpowell, an award-winning company based in London. I am really grateful that I could attend the talk by him in September this year at a secondary school.

He shared with us his perspectives on Design thinking in the 21st Century. He summed up in the statement, ‘

Design thinking is a process for practical, creative (non-linear, chaotic, ‘nuclear’ thinking) resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result. It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity, and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success.

He also shared his experience in his design project and how important it is to consider ‘emotion’ when designing a product. His company came up with the idea of Baby G watches for the ladies. Clearly, a generic watch does not appeal to female. It is necessary to differentiate to meet the needs of others. For example, I like pink and purple colour. I do not really like to wear big metallic watch.

To find out more about Seymourpowell, visit this website
http://www.seymourpowell.com/

TED Talks

2009-11-18T19:26:00.005+08:00

I have been thinking of attending TED for some time after I watched TED talk by Philippe Starck who shared his insights on design at TED talk. http://www.ted.com/talks/philippe_starck_thinks_deep_on_design.html

Finally I have the opportunity to attend TED talk on 28 November. It will be a platform for me to learn and interact with other creative and passionate people.

About TED (http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/5)
TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year's TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize.

Stefan Sagmeister of The Power of Time Off

Singapore Design Festival 2009

2009-11-18T10:31:00.002+08:00

I can’t wait to attend the Singapore Design Festival. The biennial event has finally arrived! This year theme is Design 2050 Possibilities for Tomorrow. Most events will start on 20 November 2009.

There are many interesting exhibitions such as the following;
Korean Good Design Award at Ion Orchard
Japan Good Design at Japan Creative Centre, 4 Nassim Road

Love & Money- 50 Years of Creative Britain at The City Hall, PSC Admin Level 4
President’s Design Award 2009-11-18
Sustainab.Italy at City Hall
Amazonia in Singapore – A Tribute to Nature’s Design

Polish Architects Exhibition 2009-11-18 Exhibition by NUS & Ecole Nationale
Superieure de Creation Industrielle

Design Ideas Worth Spreading. TEDxSingapore, TEDxGreen 28 November 2009, 9 am to 12 pm. Singapore Management University School of Accountancy, Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium.
It is a great learning opportunity. To learn from the Best of the Best, to understand different cultures such as the Korean and Britain and how they incorporate their unique cultures into product design. I love Italy and French designs as they are really outstanding.

This year, there are a total of 99 events. To find out more, visit this official website http://www.singaporedesignfestival.com/designfest09/default.aspx.

Esplanade Presents Visual Arts - Beautiful Peripherals

2009-11-16T11:58:00.001+08:00

Esplanade is one of my favourite places as it make me at ease and inspired. It is a world-class theater and I simply love its unique design. It looks like the sweet durian and is a true reflection of Singapore' culture, Food. On 7 November, I visited the Esplanade to recharge and admire the art works. On 14 November, the Esplanade was cordon off for the APEC members only.

From 7 November 2009 to 3 January 2010, the Esplanade presents Beautiful Peripherals by Khiew Huey Chian. The following is the description of the artwork as shown at the Esplanade.

The structures, forms, shapes or surfaces of this work are created by the artist in response to the flora and fauna found specifically around Esplanade and its reclaimed coastal line. While perceived as futile in comparison to other plants species, it is the presence of these weeds that holds the soil firmly together, thus making their role important. Staggering the plywood in layers, the artist is also reminded of the crashing of the waves of the shores, and the many contents the waves leave and take with it, Such is the reflection of the composite of Singapore, receiving form other shores (through its trading history, immigrants, etc) and also leaving other things behind. The vertical structures may be perceived as high-rise or, more metaphorically, growth.

Beautiful Peripherals by Khiew Huey Chian, a Singaporean.

Come and Play with Us.

2009-11-16T11:46:00.004+08:00

David Carson on Design & Discovery

2009-11-11T22:33:00.001+08:00

This is the best TED talk! David Carson is really funny and a great speaker who make people laugh while getting his message across on the power of graphic design.

Fredrik Haren, author of The Idea Book on The Developing

2009-11-10T13:37:00.000+08:00

On 5 September 2009, I attended the sharing session on The Developing World by Mr.Fredrik Haren, author of The Idea Book. He shared his observations on how developing world such as the Dubai, China, Malaysia and Taiwan were in the race to build the world tallest building whereas developed countries are not. He also noted that people who live in multcultural countries actually benefit as they are in the loop of both exciting worlds. Indeed, when I look at the cooking programme produced by US, they call common ingredients that we have in Asia, exotic when to the Asians, these are just common ingredients.

He also shared with us his book, The Idea book. It is actually a combination of notebook and articles and quotes on innovatiion practises and how great engineers and scientists such as Albert Einstein perceived innovation There are also recommended activities on how to conduct creative activities for a group. I find this idea of infusing notebook and book very refreshing and daring. Thus I supported it by buying one copy. Below is the Idea book. To find out more on the Idea book, you can visit this site.
http://www.theideabook.org/

Ion Mall at Orchard Road & Christms Light-up

2009-10-26T11:34:00.010+08:00

Ion Orchard is a new shopping mall located in Singapore famous Orchard Road, known to the tourists as the shopping paradise. I visited the Ion Orchard last weekend when Singapore President Nathan officially activated the Christmas lights in Orchard Road. For the first time, there will be Christmas light-up along the Singapore River and the Marina bay. Of all the shopping malls in Orchard Road, I am most impressed with Ion Orchard as it really stands out with its futuristic and sophisticated design.

This year Christmas lighting design is a notch-up compared to last year dull and uninspiring designs. This year, it is more lively and colourful with Santa Claus and his reindeers as the main theme. It really uplifted the entire atmosphere in Orchard Road. I love Christmas because it is a season of joy and sharing. Most importantly, it is the Holiday! Holiday allows us to recharge and prepare for the next busy school year. It is the time for reflection and rest. I took the following photos at Orchard Road.

Overview of Ion Orchard.

Ion Orchard Christmas decoration
Ion Orchard in the evening.
Ion Orchard in the morning.
Reindeer in Style.

Orchard Road aka Shopping Paradise.

Orchard Road

Santa Claus.

Drip Table

2009-08-29T10:30:00.007+08:00

Drip Table is an environmentally-friendly product. Designers play an important role in regenerating the planet. Read through the article to find out how Emiliano Godoy take initiative in using environmentally-friendly material and saving the earth.

By Emiliano Godoy

The initial idea for the Drip table came after several months of thinking about the manufacturer's unique capabilities and looking for a way to express them by showing their virtues, instead of working around their limitations. Proteak is an amazing company, one of the few I know that works so decidedly on doing business by regenerating the planet. They are converting old farming and grazing grounds, now nutrient depleted and unproductive, into sustainably managed (and FSC certified) teak plantations. When they buy the land, if there's still some rainforest left they keep it and protect it.

When you start a plantation from scratch you need to plant trees very close to each other, to create the right conditions for the forest to grow in terms of humidity, soil retention, shadow, etc. However, once the trees start to grow you have to cut some of them down to make space available for the rest. This process is called thinning, and it has to be performed every few years in the process of creating a mature and productive forest, and once it reaches a certain point, you only cut mature trees while you wait for the new ones to grow.

During the early years, young plantations produce a great deal of thinning wood. This young wood has special color, hardness and damp features and is only obtained in small formats. Because of this, the wood cannot be distributed and utilized in regular woodworking factories. Other uses must be found for it. Proteak has installed machinery to produce large planks of wood by gluing several smaller pieces.

The Drip table was designed with this in mind. The table uses these large planks and stresses the nature of the small, original pieces though legs built from strips of different lengths. The ideas was to not only reveal the building method but also to place a special value on the individual and small wood pieces, and metaphorically, on the creation of new sustainably managed forests by means of small "uncommercial" trees which by repetition and perseverance produces a stable and robust forest.

Design: Emiliano Godoy, 2009
Materials: FSC certified young teak
Dimensions: 75 x 210 x 100 cm

Michael Jackson The World Greatest Genius Entertainer has Left Us

2009-06-29T16:27:00.014+08:00

Words can't express my sadness when I learnt that my childhood idol left the world on 25 of June. I grew up listening to his music, which had brought much joy and excitement to my life. Songs like Black or White, Billie Jean stirred my soul. Although he has left us, he is immortalised with his great music.Nobody can replace the King of Pop. Current young singers lip-synch and can't dance as well as him.

He demonstrated professionalism and greatness as he demanded the very best from himself and gave his all in all his performances. For this, I respect him.

They Don't Care about Us & In the Closet.

Beat it

Verner Panton

2009-06-16T16:11:00.005+08:00

Verner Panton (13 February 1926 – 5 September 1998) is Denmark most influential furniture and interior designer. He invented the first inflatable chair, and the acclaimed single molded plastic chair. His designs are mostly colourful and bright colours, exuding vibrant and energetic mood. Unconventional and bold, he also came up with the Flying chair. His timeless designs are still popular with the young. I sat on the Panton chair at the National Museum and I was amazed that this chair is so comfortable to sit on it. The shape fits my back very well and it is stable and strong. (Looks can deceive).
Panton chair which was designed in the 60s, is still flying off the shelves .

The Singapore National Museum is exhibiting Verner Panton's works until July this year.

To find out more on his work, you can visit http://www.vernerpanton.com/

Spiral Lamp

Fabric Design

Panton Chair

The Kangxi Emperor at the Asian Civillisation Museum

2009-05-16T13:30:00.006+08:00

Although he was a Manchurian, and not a Han Chinese, he was known to posterity as one of the greatest Emperors in China. Indeed this great emperor is remembered for his great contribution to China in terms of technology, agriculture and arts.

Chinese Calligraphy tools

Traditional Chinese Puppet Show.

Esplanade Visual Arts: You Shine like Gold in the Air of Summer

2009-05-16T13:23:00.006+08:00

This exquisite artwork is done by Simponi, four Indonesian women who come from different disciplines. They used recycled skirts salvaged from 'dumps' in Southeast Asia to construct beautiful lanterns. It suggests women empowerment and the possibility of women reaching the highest places. This visual display is displayed from now until June 2009. Stunning Visual Display

2009-05-16T13:17:00.004+08:00

These dazzling Horseshoes displays are scattered in various locations in Singapore.
I came across these colourful horseshoes at Plaza Singapura and Raffles Place. They are adorned in various themes from Heavy Metal, Gypsy to Moulin Rouge.

Get ready to be dazzled by ten giant Fashionista Horseshoes this Sunday, 26 April 2009 at Junction 8 Atrium. Specially commissioned by the Singapore Turf Club to kick-start this year’s Singapore International Racing Festival, Singapore’s biggest racing extravaganza of the year, the horseshoes each measure 7ft high and are painted in various fashion themes, ranging from the late 19th century to the nostalgic 60s to the present. Each horseshoe is whimsically named, including “Gypsy”, “Broadway Boogie Woogie” and “Moulin Rouge” and are adorned with colourful accessories ranging from dainty laces to flowers to heavy metal chains.

Heavy Metal

Moulin Rouge

The Wu GuanZhong Donation Collection

2009-05-16T12:55:00.005+08:00

Signature strokes of Wu GuanZhong at the Singapore Art Musuem compound

Rafael Morgan

2009-02-18T21:14:00.005+08:00

I love product designs by Rafael Morgan. I find the concepts very playful and refreshing especially the UnsTable table and Hope table. You have the freedom to shape the design of the table legs.

Pictures from http://www.rafaelmorgan.com/

Hope Table

UnsTable

Rubik Lamp

2009-02-15T13:12:00.004+08:00

This interactive Rubik's Lamp is designed by Eric Pautz. You can give your brain a great exercise and it lights up the room.

Criteria by Emiliano Godoy and Jimena Acosta

2009-01-19T20:26:00.004+08:00

Criteria, an exhibition that reflects on the implications of sustainability, through the work of artists and designers is open on 15th January at the A+D gallery, Columbia College Chicago. This exhibition is curated by award-winning designer Emiliano Godoy and Jimena Acosta.
For more information on Emiliano Godoy's work, you can visit http://www.godoylab.com/splash.htm. I like his work because of his dedication on sustainability.

Design Exhibition at Temasek Polytechnic Open House

2009-01-13T20:24:00.007+08:00

Last Saturday, I visited the Temasek Polytechnic, School of Design Open House. I must say it was a rewarding experience. For your information, Temasek Polytechnic design school is one of the best in Singapore. One of its alumni, Mr.Nathan Yong is the President's Award Best Designer winner. It is an enriching experience especially interacting with the design students who are confident and full of praise of their lecturers.

Sketches by students
Product designs by TP students.

Sculptures by students

Fun in Taiwan

2008-12-23T13:17:00.023+08:00

Taiwan is a beautiful country surrounded by magnificent mountains. It seem like everywhere we went, we saw endless mountain and awesome Ocean. In Singapore, we see lots of high-rise buildings with not much nature scenery due to our small land area. I always feel proud when people enquire my nationality. Taiwanese would say that Singapore is a safe, clean and efficient country and they yearned to migrate to our country when they retire. The service staff shared with us that Taiwan has high crime rate particularly in the southern part of Taiwan. Though there is human rights freedom, there is no justice. Apparently, they are unhappy that their former president, Chen shui bian aka a bandit was released. If there is heaven, I believe he will be punished for cheating Taiwanese billions of dollars. Taiwanese there applauded our caning system as it has effectively deterred crimes.

Taiwan is well-endowed with nature greatest gifts and bountiful natural resources. They have Lingzhi, jade, first-grade rice (its’ the first time I enjoy eating top quality pearl rice). They have very active night market with great street food and affordable clothing.

I had a great time at Taiwan during the 7 days trip. We got to travel the whole of Taiwan from Taipei, Taichung County, Kaosiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County, Hualian County and Yilan County. Thus, we changed hotels everyday as we reside in different parts of Taiwan. However, we stayed in the same hotel for the first and last day in Taiwan. I realised how small Singapore is. The longest time it takes to travel from one end of Singapore to the other end requires only 1 hour by car. For Taiwan, from Taipei to Taichung,it takes about 3 hours. That is how big Taiwan is compare to Singapore.

I visited the following places as shown in the photos I took.

CKS Memorial Hall

At Taipei active night market, Ximentin

Common Peafowl at Peacock Garden

Went to the Famoua Sun Moon Lake

Fo Guang Shan

Dragon and Tiger Pagoda.

At National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium

Master Bear Resort

View from my room, at the Master Bear resort.

At Taroko National Park

At Jiu Fen

At Yeliu

View from Taipei 101

Taipei 101

Taiwan Trip

2008-12-13T19:07:00.004+08:00

I am going to Taiwan today for a week of fun, with my parents and youngest brother. I will post some interesting photos with you then and what I learned.

Singapore Art Museum

2008-12-10T19:22:00.008+08:00

I decided to visit the Singapore Art Museum after reading that there is free entrance on weekdays from 12.00 pm to 2.00 pm. The usual entrance fee is $8.00 per adult. The art museum is about 10 minutes walk from the City Hall MRT.

I was quite upset that visitors are not allowed to take pictures in the museum. I expected a colourful brochure that highlight some of the arts feature, but sadly, there wasn't. Bascially, the museum features Korean arts, Daimier Art collection, European Neo Geo Artists (Concrete Arts), and I am happy I learned something new today; the European Zero Movement. Zero artists try to remove as much colour as possible and use unconventional material. Basically they use sciencific method to represent their work.

Well, for me personally, as long as it look asthetically-pleasing, any art form is fine with me. Well, humans being humans, there will always be different perspectives and disagreements and that is why there are so many arts movement. It makes life more interesting.

Singapore Art Museum

Untitled (Balloon Flower) 2008 made of inflatable balloon: industrial fabric,fan, air.

Balloon Flower (1997) made of special stainless steel by Jeff Koons.

Daimler Art Collection

http://www.sammlung.daimlerchrysler.com/sammlung/werke_koons_e.htm

A Human Ladder- Off the Pedestal

2008-12-09T20:05:00.009+08:00

Esplanade Presents Visual Arts
22 Nov 08 – 4 Jan 09
A Human Ladder- Off the Pedestal by Tay Swee Siong

Human figures are clustered and strung together to form a human ladder in this installation. Formed from bent wires which the sculptor twisted as if ‘drawing’ into space, the naked endoskeletal figures give the impression of line drawings come to 3 dimensional life. Appearing to be grasping and fight their way to the top of the ladder, the figures suggest a hostile competitiveness in the daily human quest for survival and achievement.
Tay Swee Siong is a local sculptor with a keen interest in figurative style and kinetics. Blending craft and technology, he transforms materials using both traditional craftwork and electrical applications.

A Human Ladder- Off the Pedestal

Starry display.

Momentum

2008-12-08T12:16:00.008+08:00

Momentum, a 12m x 8 m metal sculpture using painted metal laser cut is located at Singapore's Central Business district. It is designed by Israeli artist, David Dudu Gerstein, 64. I read that it cost about S$1.2 million dollars to build. On the way to Esplanade, I took this photo. It is near Raffles Place MRT.

For one Israeli artist, the sky's the limit,
Jerusalem Post Feb 21, 2008

"'Momentum' is something optimistic, something dynamic that reaches the sky," said [David Gerstein], 64. "The idea behind the sculpture is to strive for excellence. That's very important in Singaporean society."

"That's my attitude toward art," said Gerstein. "It shouldn't be heavy, it shouldn't be depressing, it should bring light into the area, and be vivid and alive and reflect happiness on its surroundings."

To Gerstein's dismay, however, the unusual working conditions led to some unexpected results. "I thought of dispersing the figures randomly," he said, "but when 'Momentum' was unveiled, I realized this randomness created certain patterns. The artwork is alive. In many cases, you do something spontaneously, and then you look back and say, 'Gee, it's not what I thought when I made it, but it's very interesting.'"

David Gerstein official website
http://www.davidgerstein.com/index.php

Racial Harmony at Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre

2008-12-08T11:31:00.009+08:00

On the way to the Esplanade from the museum visit, we saw these beautiful arts at the Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre. The three pictures depict the three major races in Singapore, namely the Chinese, Malays and the Indians. Racial harmony is of utmost importance in a diverse culture in Singapore. Therefore we celebrate Racial Harmony Day on 21 July. Indeed, we should not take racial harmony for granted. In 1964, race riots between the Chinese and Malay in Singapore took place on 21 July.

Chinese Opera, drama and ballet dancer.
Indian Dancer
Malay dancers and our national flower, orchid.

New Design Layout at Red Dot Museum

2008-12-08T10:55:00.008+08:00

I love visiting red dot museum as interesting designs never fail to delight me. This month, the display has changed for the better. The product designs are categorised according to specific purposes, such as education, protection, domestic aid, entertainment,furniture,fashion and others. I notice that this year, there are many entries submitted from China and South Korea.

Rosella, an umbrella that assumes the form of a rose when it is folded, has being designed to bring an extra touch of interest to the ordinary umbrella.

Using recycled bottles, replace the cap with this bottle light. This bottle light does not need any external power supply to make it work. The user just need to repeatedly compress the air in the bottle to make the piston of bottle light move up and down. This action changes mechanical energy to electrical energy, which light the LED on the bottle cap. Extra electric energy generated by the movement is stored in the battery.

New, refreshing display.

Paper Earring at Red Dot Museum

2008-12-08T10:09:00.011+08:00

I visited the Red Dot Museum yesterday as there is a weekend market, MAAD on every first weekend of the month and there is free entrance. The usual entrance fee per adult is $8.

While browsing the product designs, my best friend Leng, rushed to me and exclaimed she found a pair of beautiful paper earrings and then lead me to there. I never seem her so excited.

If the designer, Sandra didn't explain that these were paper earring, people wouldn't have guessed. The earrings are so hard and shiny. Indeed, these earrings looked very exquisite. If you are interested, you can visit her stall at Vivocity next week.
http://www.maad.sg/about.htm

Exquisite Paper earrings.

I like these necklaces. After applying vanish, the paper is really hard and shiny. My friend brought this pair of paper earrings.

Night Scenery in Singapore River

2008-11-20T19:06:00.001+08:00

After a day of shopping, I decided to visit the new shopping centre, Central near the Clark Quay MRT station. From Suntec city, we walked along the Singapore river, esplanade to reach Clark Quay. It took my cousin and I about 30 minutes to reach the Central.

Singapore Flyer
The Esplanade, theatre by the bay.

Cavenagh Bridge

Singapore River

The Fullerton Hotel

Elgin Bridge

Christmas Tree at The Central shopping centre.

Christmas Tree at Ngee Ann City

2008-11-17T19:56:00.003+08:00

Tis the season of Christmas, a time for sharing and giving. Though I am a Buddhist, I love Christmas because I get to receive presents and meet my friends and cousins for celebration.

Chair and Book Storage

2008-11-16T00:52:00.002+08:00

Two for the price of one.

My Book Shelf

2008-11-15T13:22:00.005+08:00

This is my design. I came up with this Fish book shelf for my 6-piece project. It also reflect my horoscope, Pisces.

Many Ways of Seeing

2008-11-13T20:40:00.013+08:00

Many Ways of Seeing workshop was conducted by the Singapore Polytechnic for primary and secondary school students and teachers. It provided opportunities for student, teachers and designers to investigate nature, places and man-made objects from a new perspective. This exhibition was held at the Red Dot Design Museum.

Clover, a robotic vaccum cleaner inspired by four leaf clover by Christopher Tan

Seeking inspiration from nature.

Light Manoeuvres

Chair

Clever Design

2008-11-10T19:51:00.004+08:00

Just wanna share this interesting email I received from my friend.

Transparent Toaster

Coffee and Cup

Banana Guard

Nature Design

2008-11-09T22:44:00.005+08:00

I saw these beautiful flowers outside the Fullertone Hotel. This are nature amazing designs. Haha, I stopped and admired the flowers. Any idea what is the name of the flowers. Hmm, it would be good to have a sign to indicate what is the name and origin of flowers in locations where people can stop and admire the flowers.

United_Bottle

2008-11-09T22:11:00.004+08:00

Putting recycled PET bottles for temporary housing or small-scale structure. This idea won the Best of the Best in the Red Dot Design awards. In-house design by Dirk Herbel, Jorg Stollmann and Tobias Klauser from Switzerland.

Creative Business Card

2008-11-06T18:57:00.005+08:00

I received an interesting email on creative business card from my friend. Thought of sharing with you.

Obama Art

2008-11-05T23:51:00.007+08:00

A dream- Freedom Writers soundtrack

There is hope. History is in the making. The first African American President. Anything is possible if you dare to dream.

From http://www.fubiz.net/blog/index.php?2008/04/04/2014-obama-art

Visual Arts- Cosmic Elements

2008-11-05T19:00:00.005+08:00

From 9 Oct to 16 Nov, the Esplanade presents visual arts, Cosmic elements by japanese artist,Kengo Kito.
Using hula hoops to represent human blood vessels or nerve fibres. Other materials like rubber band and mirrors are also used.

Red Dot Design Museum - Continue

2008-11-05T18:32:00.012+08:00

Artists and designers drawing the models.

Moldable Mouse

Spiral Cutting Board

Leaf Lamp

Dream

2008-11-05T18:00:00.000+08:00

This sculpture is located outside the Esplanade. This cloud represents dream. I think we should live for our dreams. Dare to dream and succeed. Impossible is nothing. America has elected their very first African President. Anything is possible.

Recycle Boxes

2008-11-03T21:18:00.006+08:00

I notice that the moon cake boxes have very good feature, such as the magnetic snap. However, I don't really like the design of the mooncake box. So, I decided to create my very own. It is really easy. Instead of throwing away the box, I wrapped it with a nice paper wrapper and plastic cover. Then, I add some sparkling stickers and tata, it is completed within 20 minutes.

Completed box
My stationary box

Red Dot Design Museum Exhibition

2008-11-03T20:30:00.013+08:00

I visited the Red Dot Design Museum on last Saturday. On the first week of every month, there is free entry for all. Moreover, you can take a look at the bustling weekend market of creative and original works by designers and artists.

Red Dot Design Museum located near Tanjong Pagar MRT.

Recycled bottles given a new lease of life.

An overview of Design Museum.

Credit Seal designed by Se Xin from China. It has a recording device with traditional seal to record the promise parents make to their children.
Another simple but good design.Condylus helps to prevent pricking.
Cord Tray helps to organise cables.
An array of award-winning designs featured in the design museum.

More designs to be featured soon.

Furniture Design Award Exhibition at National Museum of Singapore

2008-10-24T20:28:00.022+08:00

Award-winning designs of the Singapore Furniture Design Awards was featured at the National Museum. The theme for FDA this year is Tension. Students and young designers had to explore element of tension in their design concepts. The following are some interesting designs that captured my attention.

National Museum of Singapore

An overview of some of the designs exhibited.

Tri by Lui Honfay. Tri is made up of series of triangles of different angles to form a zig-zag pattern at the base.

Quadra by Lui Honfay. This is a CD shelf which has a disordered centre.

Urban Pulse by Lim Meng Liang,Eric. This design is inspired by the urban city skyline and the electrocardiogram.

Tors Chair by Sim Wen Chiat. This chair is inspired by the torsion string.

Itsy Bitsy by Melvin Ong, Siti Mariam and Wu Jinru. This design which is a cross between a stool and a rocking chair won the gold award in the Furniture Lifestyle Innovation Perspectives.

Hage Chair by Puah Kim Sing. It is practically unbreakable even though there is tension when one sits on it.

Ribbon by Nendo from Japan. It is a stool with a structure that loops together like the ribbon of ballet shoes.

"Kami" Chair by Koh Qibao Kenneth. This chair is inspired by origami.

Adam and Eve by Wirawan Hasbi Suryanto. It draw inspiriation from swan and the relationship between couples.

For more information, go to http://www.singaporefurniture.com/

Sculpture Walk along Singapore River

2008-10-23T20:15:00.017+08:00

Recently, my school organised Sculpture walk along the Singapore River. It was an enriching experience as I acquired interesting knowledge of the exquisite sculptures along the Central Business District (CBD) and Singapore River For example, I realised that there are two kinds of sculptures namely free-standing or sculpture in the round (you can walk around it and view from all angles) or Relief (one part of the sculpture is usually fixed to a wall). There are three different styles like abstract, realistic and stylised and different methods of making it. An efficient guide took us around the CBD and explained to us the significance, history and the sculptor’s background. As you look at the sculptures, you can also learn Singapore history. It was a fruitful learning journey for me and I enjoyed the tour thoroughly.

I love arts because designers need to be knowledgeable on arts to make their products more aesthetically-pleasing and functional.

Singapore River- You are looking at the Esplanade.

The UFO-looking building is Singapore Supreme Court.
The First Generation, 2000 by Chong Fah Cheong. Inspired by boys jumping into a river in the 1960s.

Indian and Chinese working together in the early 1900s.
The River Merchants by Aw Tee Hong

Bird by Fernando Botero

Homage to Newton

Red Dot Design Award

2008-10-18T20:00:00.001+08:00

Memphis Design

2008-10-15T19:42:00.005+08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Group

The Memphis group comprised of Italian designers and architects who created a series of highly influential products in the 1980's. They disagreed with the conformist approach at the time and challenged the idea that products had to follow conventional shapes, colours, textures and patterns.

The Memphis group was founded in 1981. One of the leading members of the group Ettore Sottsass called Memphis design the 'New International Style'.
Memphis was a reaction against the slick, black humorless design of the 1970's. It was a time of minimalism with such products as typewriters, buildings, cameras, cars and furniture all seeming to lack personality and individualism.

In contrast the Memphis Group offered bright, colourful, shocking pieces. The colours they used contrasted the dark blacks and browns of European furniture. It may look dated today but at the time it looked remarkable. The word tasteful is not normally associated with products generated by the Memphis Group but they were certainly ground breaking at the time.

The group decided that they would meet again in February 1981. By that time each member would have had time to generate design proposals. When they did meet themembers of the group had produced over a hundred drawings, each bold, colourful.
They drew inspiration from such movements as Art Deco and Pop Art, styles such as the 1950's Kitsch and futuristic themes. Their concepts were in stark contrast to so called 'Good Design'.
The group approached furniture and ceramic companies commissioning them to batch produce their design concepts. On the 18th of September 1981 the group showed its work for the first time at the Arc '74 showroom in Milan. The show exhibited clocks, lighting, furniture and ceramics created by internationally famous architects and designers.

Archifest 2008- Man and Environment

2008-10-14T21:49:00.008+08:00

From 6 October to 24 October at The Plaza, National Library Building, there is an exhibition on Man-Environement as part of the archifest 2008. Visit the National Library for a short tour on Man+Environment Exhibition.

At the base are lots of used water bottles.

The World's First Night Race in Singapore

2008-09-29T20:53:00.002+08:00

It’s an exciting day for me, Singaporeans and all the F1 community. The world first night race held in Singapore last night was the most exciting race of all time. Hey, it’s also my first F1 race as I managed to sit through the intensive and heart-thumping car race. Indeed the atmosphere is vastly different from the races usually held in the afternoon and monotonous environment. Instead of the usual boring race track in the remote environment with bushes around, the F1 night race has its racing track lay out in Singapore’s prime business district. As the cars race at lightning speed, we also get to enjoy the amazing skylight night view of Singapore featuring its unique landmarks like the Esplanade, the world largest observation wheel, Singapore flyer and City Hall that are illuminated with dazzling light. I am truly proud to be Singaporean as the race is a great success despite the organisers spending only a year in preparing this mega sports event.

Esplanade Visual Arts in July 2007

2008-09-24T21:44:00.006+08:00

Alright, I know it is last year Esplanade Visual Arts. However, I forgot about it and came across the pictures in my laptop while organizing my pictures. I have to share these amazing arts developed from common materials like metal and wood.

Singapore Flyer

2008-09-20T22:34:00.023+08:00

I recently experience the Singapore flyer, a giant observation wheel which reach the peak at 165 metres in the sky. The great engineering and design provides an enjoyable experience as I reach the top of the world and admire the breathtaking views of Singapore.

Singapore Flyer

Collage of Singapore Flyer

Rise to the top of the world

The Esplanade

View from the top of the world.

World's first F1 night race in Singapore

Gardens by the Bay

Model of Integrated Resort at the Marina bay.

Esplanade Visual Arts

2008-09-20T21:56:00.010+08:00

From 25 Aug to 5 Oct 2008, the Esplanades presents Visual arts, The Urban Dew Series by Joey Soh at Esplanade concourse. The artworks are made from concrete, metal and glass to depict the daily activities of people in an increasingly urban environment.

Esplanade, theatres on the bay

Introduction of the Visual Arts

The Urban Dew Series

Good Design for Everyday Living (Better By Design)

2008-09-14T12:20:00.007+08:00

In this video, Dick Powell, product designer and founder of Seymour Powell Designs share with the audience what is Good Design for everyday living.

In essence, the speaker share with us the process of design which starts with an idea, build the idea with belief and realise it. He also show some examples of good and bad designs.
We have to look (active) rather than see (passive).

There are a total of 8 videos for this excellent lecture. This is part 1 of the lecture. For the rest of the lecture, you can go to youtube.

Special thanks to the Singapore National Library Board for sharing this video in YouTube.
http://www.seymourpowell.com/#/case_studies/

Design Quotes

2008-09-13T11:03:00.005+08:00

"Design is directed toward human beings. To design is to solve human problems by identifying them and executing the best solution."Ivan Chermayeff

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Design is knowing which ones to keep"Scott Adams

Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression."Isaac Bashevis Singer

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."George Smith Patton

"Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless."Jamie Paolinetti

"To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master."Milton Glaser

"Art has to move you and design does not, unless it's a good design for a bus."David Hockney

"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute."Gil Stern

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity."Bo Bennett

"The visual image is a kind of tripwire for the emotions."Diane Ackerman
"Designers can create normalcy out of chaos; they can clearly communicate ideas through the organising and manipulating of words and pictures."Jeffery Veen

"Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things. It's a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy."Erik Adigard

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."Douglas Adams

"Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose."Charles Eames

"Design in art, is a recognition of the relation between various things, various elements in the creative flux. You can't invent a design. You recognize it, in the fourth dimension. That is, with your blood and your bones, as well as with your eyes."D. H. Lawrence

"Delay always breeds danger; and to protract a great design is often to ruin it."Miguel de Cervantes

"I didn't get into design to be an artist. To me, an artist creates things to evoke emotion. Being a designer goes a step further than that, not only trying to evoke emotion but trying to make a reaction. It is very objective-driven, and that's what makes it interesting."Mike Davidson

"Design, in its broadest sense, is the enabler of the digital era - it's a process that creates order out of chaos, that renders technology usable to business. Design means being good, not just looking good."Clement Mok

"To whom does design address itself: to the greatest number, to the specialist of an enlightened matter, to a privileged social class? Design addresses itself to the need."Charles Eames

"Good design, at least part of the time, includes the criterion of being direct in relation to the problem at hand - not obscure, trendy, or stylish. A new language, visual or verbal, must be couched in a language that is already understood."Ivan Chermayeff

"It is every artist's fantasy to run things. I know personally, I'd be happiest as dictator of a small island. The problem is that romantic artists are usually too disorganized to run their own lives, let alone societies. And most societies are too sensible to let them try it."Brad Holland

From: http://www.bizcommunity.com/Quotes/196/13.html

ZigZag Coffee Table

2008-09-13T10:09:00.002+08:00

Who say table need to be all square with four legs? I saw this interesting table design that look like Chinese room divider. I like this table as it look like it is make from a piece of material by folding it. Hmm, innovative approach to making this wacky but functional table.
For more information, you can go to http://www.66degrees.com/#/pid=1088

Janine Benyus: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature

2008-09-12T22:36:00.004+08:00

With 3.8 billion years of research and development on its side, nature has already solved problems that human designers and engineers still struggle with. In this inspiring talk, Janine Benyus provides fascinating examples of biomimicry -- the way humans mimic nature in the products we build and the systems we implement. And because the champion adapters in the natural world are, by definition, those that can survive without destroying the environment that sustains them, biomimicry can contribute to the long-term health of our planet.

Sustainable Design work by Emiliano Godoy

2008-09-12T22:16:00.007+08:00

If you want to learn more about sustainable designs, this is a great site to explore sustainable designs which use renewable materials. I like Emiliano Godoy's designs as he is passionate in designing products that are more environmentally friendly.

http://www.godoylab.com/tour/tour0.htm

Angled Plywood Chair

CANASTA Fruit bowl

By Emiliano Godoy

Sustainability, by definition, implies responsibility. Accepting the link between sustainable development and design projects speaks about a reality radically opposed to the compartmentalized productive paradigm implicit with post-industrial revolution manufacturing.
Being accountable in a long-term framework such as the one proposed by sustainability theories, requires that we accept the existence of infinite links throughout current and future systems. It is
impossible to conceive every stage of the process as an isolated event. Each design decision should then be analyzed in relation to its impact in the system as a whole. How does material selection affect the product’s impact on global warming? Is it possible to improve the user’s
environment through the design of objects that will inhabit their space, without knowing its architectural characteristics? How can we guarantee that the product we are designing will be disassembled and recycled when we are unable to define the sorting and disposal mechanisms
that will receive it? How can mass-manufacturing an object help reduce our overall use of natural resources while increasing our creation of well-being?

My New Blog- Fun with Design and Technology

2008-09-11T14:18:00.003+08:00

I have set up a new blog for my students. In this site, I included some interesting and useful websites with free software so that they can learn more about the technology.

However if you are interested to know more about Design and Technology, you can also visit this site,

http://designtechnologysp.blogspot.com/

Milan Design Festival 2008

2008-07-07T17:29:00.001+08:00

My Design - Queen Elizabeth I

2008-06-07T13:43:00.008+08:00

I love history, particularly Britain and China history. My heroine is Queen Elizabeth 1 who ruled England from 1558 to 1603. If you want to know more about her, you can google her.

For my assignment, I decided to design a piece of work related to the greatest Queen in history. I used recycled metal material and gold spray paint to complete it and with the help of A, who guided and helped me to weld the product. I must thank the experts who added the ring for me.

After completing it, I realised that there are plenty of room for improvement such as smoothing the edge of the metal sheet, and also the paper fan could be changed for a softer touch or just removed it. Hmm, when I looked at the photo, I felt it was superfluous.

A short passage from http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon45.html

The situation came to head in 1588 after Elizabeth rejected a marriage proposal from Philip II of Spain. The indignant Spanish King, incensed by English piracy and forays in New World exploration, sent his much-feared Armada to raid England, inadvertently providing Elizabeth with an opportunity to put on public display those qualities of heart that one might not expect to find in those days, in a small, frail woman. She traveled to Tilbury, Essex, to address her troops as they awaited the coming battle with the feared Spanish naval forces. She told them,

". . . therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm . . ."
As they say, the rest is history. The English won the naval battle handily, aided by some fortuitous inclement English Channel weather, and emerged as the world's strongest naval power, setting the stage for later English imperial designs.

Queen Elizabeth 1

Made from metal sheet and leftover metal pieces.

WE LIVE IN SINGAPURA the MTV version

2008-06-07T13:15:00.004+08:00

Feel very Singaporean especially after visiting 3 museums recently. What make Singaporeans so endearing? Watch the funny video which ingeniously summarised the essence of Singapore.

Singapore Philatelic Museum

2008-06-06T23:21:00.020+08:00

The Singapore Philatelic Museum which dates back to 1907 is South-east Asia's first philatelic museum and was opened in 1995.

Stamps reflect cultures and traditions of a country. You'll be suprised to also see stamps made from different materials such as the wood and crystal.

There is an extensive collection of international and local stamps. In this museum, it features early stamps and operations. It also outlines the intricate process leading to stamp issue - from artwork through printing plates and progressive sheets to the final product - through vividly illustrated exhibits, interactive games and hands-on activities.

I enjoy visiting museums because it widens my knowledge on various cultures, arts and past technologies and traditional way of doing things. Most importantly, I get to immerse myself in the beauty of the museum painstaking set up by the staff.

Btw, to test your knowledge, here’s a question for you. How many museums are there in Singapore?

There are more than 19 museums in Singapore which include the 7 National Heritage Board museums and other museums such as the Mint Museum of Toys, NUS Museum and many more.

For more information on the museum, you can visit http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/

Singapore Philatelic Museum

To promote racial and cultural harmony, the First Definitive issue was issued in 1968. Well, we should not take racial harmony for granted and instead should respect and appreciate different cultures. I believe we can learn from each other.

Room of Rarities features early stamps and mail box.

Chinese 12 animals horoscope

On the second storey, you get to learn all about the Rat/Mouse. This is the year of Rat.

Down on the Farm stamp

Learn the history of stamp.

Which design will you choose?

So now you know Singapore stamps are designed by Singaporeans.:)

Explore the language of Philately such as imperf and etc. There are examples to explain the meaning.

Exquisite Swarovski crystal stamps from Austria.

Art or Design?

Art or Design? It is Art and Design because it provides choice for the user who can just flip to the design of their choice (function) and asethetics (Arts).

On the ground floor, you can learn all about Vietnam; cultures, handicrafts and people. Well, this section is dedicated to my best buddy, Haiyen who always encourage me. Our Minister Mentor, Mr.Lee Kuan Yew once praised the Vietnamese scholars as the most diligent foreign scholars. Well I can attest to his astute observation.

History of Vietnam

International Museum Day

2008-06-03T20:48:00.011+08:00

It has been ages since I last blog. Alright I know you, my faithful readers miss me, so here I am back again to share my discoveries at various museums in Singapore.

Hey did you know that last week from 31 May to 2 June, entrance to all museums is free? Haha, you don’t??? Well, it goes to show you guys don’t read newspapers. Well, last week from 31 May to 2 June is International Museum Day. My cousin and I took this great opportunity to visit as many museums as possible. Well with the rising costs of living in Singapore, it is uplifting to enjoy free leisure activities in the weekend. Hmm, we tried our very best but we could only manage to visit 2 museums namely The National Museum of Singapore and Singapore Philatelic Museum which is Southeast Asia’s first philatelic museum.

In this post, I will just upload The National Museum of Singapore exhibitions.

The National Museum of Singapore.

A display of Chinese puppets.
The 60s dresses.

Different textiles materials are featured in the National Museum.

A short introduction on the various prints design themes such as geometric patterns, conversational print, psychedelic motifs and many more.

Difference between Focusing on Problems and Focusing on Solutions

2008-03-16T15:06:00.005+08:00

Got this email from my friend. There is a difference in solving a problem and introducing new problem.

Difference between Focusing on Problems and Focusing on Solutions   
Case 1:  When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that  the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater,  in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range  from below freezing to over 300 degrees Celsius. And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.

++++++++++++++++++++++++==============+++++++++++++++++++++

Case 2:  One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case  of the empty soapbox, which happened in one of Japan 's biggest cosmetics  companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a  soapbox that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the  delivery department. For some reason, one soapbox went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. The engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution  monitors manned by two people to watch all the soapboxes that passed  through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a huge amount to do so. But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but  instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial  electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soapbox passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.

Moral of the story: Always look for simple solutions. Focus on solutions  not on problems.

International Furniture Fair Singapore 2008

2008-03-16T14:14:00.008+08:00

The International Furniture Fair Singapore was held at Singapore Expo Hall. I visited the fair which was open to the public on 12 March at about 5 pm for visual feast. As I entered the hall, I noticed most exhibitors decided to pack up their products which were actually targeted at the furniture traders and thus was quite disappointed that I missed some good products ideas.

As usual, I was rewarded with rich resources of brochures and booklets with various furniture designs and also explored the furniture design competition entrees. Most exhibitors do not allow photo-taking. Fortunately, there were some nice exhibitors who allowed me to take pictures of their products which I have posted below. http://www.singaporefurniture.com/

Chinese Emperor' Throne Outdoor chair

Impactful Drawing

2008-03-16T13:07:00.008+08:00

Never underestimate the power of drawing. I came across these interesting photos at http://www.hemmy.net/2007/03/29/3d-perspective-street-drawings/. These artists adopt 3D perspective drawings to create powerful illusions. You can also visit http://visualfunhouse.com/ for more optical illusions.

David kelley from Ideo

2008-03-08T23:19:00.001+08:00

10 Simple Ways to boost Creativity

2008-03-08T23:07:00.001+08:00

I received the email from my friend and would like to share with you. Read on..

As we said before, and as you know, mankind is about to begin a new age, the age of information is finishing, and the new one is as Tom Peters says “An age of creativity and creation” where the most important element is that, creativity.

1. Love what you do and do it with passion, creativity will flow.

2. Simplicity is beautiful.

3. Always improve yourself, never stop learning.

4. Get inspiration from nature and from details, learn to focus.

5. Focus on the needs, sometimes the best ideas are behind the most obvious needs.

6. Develop your own style and stick to it.

7. Funky ideas are awesome!

8. Look at the problem from a new perspective.

9. Think ambiguously

10. Write down all your ideas, always carry a small notebook.

Theo Jansen & kinetic sculptures

2008-03-08T22:44:00.003+08:00

Theo Jansen from Holland is the creator of beach animals powered by the wind. These 'beasts' are made from plastic tubes, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and other common stuff. He has devoted 16 years of his life in improving the function of these animals. These animals could walk on its own when there is wind. It's a fusion of clever design that uses clean energy like the wind to power the animal.

Singapore Furniture Design Award 2008

2008-03-08T22:24:00.006+08:00

I enjoy reading The Straits Time, Design Life section. In today edition, it features winners of the Singapore Furniture Design Award 2008.
The biggest winner is Mr. Liu Honfay who designed Tri, a wooden chair made of many triangle wooden pieces and joined together with a steel rod at various angles. A simple but great concept. He also designed Quadra, a CD shelf that combines function and form where there is irregularity in the middle of the shelf.

There are many interesting designs submitted by young designers and students for the theme, Tension. There are many interpretations of Tension, some look into relationship and some into structures. Hmm, want to know more? Just visit the website
at http://www.singaporefurniture.com/services_fda.htm

Chindogu

2008-02-21T21:22:00.005+08:00

I was introduced to Chindogu by my tutor. Chindogu is the Japanese word for the art of the unuseless idea.

Most of the designs are hilarious. For example, the butter is fitted into a bottle design like the UHU glue so that users can apply the butter directly on the bread. There are also spectacles for chickens.

Ok, enough of saying. Lets' take a look at the video.

http://chindogu.patrz.pl/

Philippe Starck: Why design?

2008-01-15T12:58:00.001+08:00

I like Philippe Starck's design because it is more than design. There is always a philosophy behind his design.

This is a 17 minutes long video on Philippe Starck's sharing. Hahah this is a funny video as Philippe Starck confessed his ignorance in his heavily accented French. He is one great humble guy who shared with us his design philosophy and perspectives on human condition and why he design . Hmm, he actually said that we evolved from bacteria to stupid monkey and etc.. I thought he is more like biology professor and historian rather than as a designer as he talked about the evolution and mutation of living beings. The message he is trying to transmit is that we should learn from nature, the importance of vision in design, our civilisation, be able to adapt in any situation, and the practicability of design. In fact, he professed that he is ashamed to be a designer as design is irrelevant and useless at certain situations, thus he strive to be the best in design.

Defining Creativity

2008-01-15T12:46:00.000+08:00

This video was developed for ENDS 101 Design Process class at Texas A&. The students attempted to define Creativity.

Take a look at the following videos as the students shared with us their interpretation of Creativity.

Design Process

2008-01-13T20:39:00.001+08:00

At the Singapore's President Design exhibition at Cityhall Building, I find the following comment"by Richard Hassell of WOHA very meaningful to me.

"We are very interested in the way design works- the design of design, the practice of practice- and the importance of research and process rather than the end result. We want to be delighted and suprised by what we discover during the process of design.

When I was doing my project, I did not use the initial idea and instead came up with a new design when I got the materials. Inspiration came to me when I combined and rearranged the material and thus I got the end result. Perhaps I am a tactile person. I need to feel the materials in order to come up with a better design.

When I told my cousin that the idea came to my mind despite several ideas, she said that perhaps I could get a better design if I had continue with the design process. I then realised the significant of the above statement. But I need to take into consideration of the time constraint.

UtterRubbish Exhibition

2008-01-10T21:52:00.000+08:00

This is the second part of UtterRubbish. Well, the design exhibition was a great learning experience and eye-opening event for me and I am happy that global designers are making the effort to design environmentally-friendly products for sustainability. It inspired me.

Well, with the unpredictability of weather, we have to question what had we done? The numerous erratic weather in various continents is sending a signal to us to reconsider our consumption habits. Apparently, we do not live for ourselves, we have to spare a thought for our future generation.

Some sustainable designs really impressed me. There is a chair design that used recycled materials. The concept is good. However there is one major concern. The price is far too expensive. It costs about $400.00 each. I am all for sustainability, however if the sustainable product is exorbitant, it will just put me off. I shared my concern with my course mate Vas who told me that perhaps they are targeting specific customers who are rich. My question is shouldn't we encourage people of all strata of society to embrace environmentally-friendly products for the future?

First thing first, to ensure that All consumers can play a part in sustainability, consumers must first be able to afford the products. How can consumers save the earth by purchasing sustainable products if they could barely survive on basic necessities?

Thomas Matthew shared with how design can overcome climate change. I only include his first 3 points.

Some unique point of views. Perhaps we should try to reduce our shopping trips and buy the essentials. Apparently, the big problem is over-consumption. We are buying far too much and thus generating much waste. This poster is urging us to re-evaluate our shopping habits. In UK, a client requested for a poster to highlight 'No Shop Day'.
Give your leftover a second life. For example, you can reuse plastic bottle as lamp shade. There is always a way if you really want.

Try not to use plastic bag since it is not biodegradable. Just bring the environmentally-friendly bags when you shop.

Want to vent up your frustration? Just hit this punch bag which is filled with rubbish. See, rubbish is also useful. Just throw in your papers or other safe junk.

The chic bin encourage users to recycle plastic bottles and caps. The bin hole size is deliberately designed to fit in the desired bottles and caps to prevent misuse.

This stool is grown from a sapling. The idea of this chair is grow your own chair. Hmm, but you must be very patient because you have to wait for up to 5 years for it to fit the special mould.

UtterRubbish

2008-01-01T22:44:00.000+08:00

Old and abandoned materials are given new life. The UtterRubbish exhibition demonstrated designers manipulating old but useful material to new applications.

UtterRubbish exhibition at Cityhall building, the former Supreme Court.

Start of my journey

Same function= Sitting. Different concepts and methods of constructing a chair. All serve different occasion and lifestyles.

These chairs used recycled material of old wooden floor planks. Good for storage too.

Bottle caps are given a new identify; lamp shade. The colour combination is refreshing and it doesn't cost much to make your own lamp shade. Hmm, it doesn't emit too much light though depending on the colour.

Outdoor Drawing at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

2007-12-20T17:26:00.001+08:00

I visited Sungei Buloh, a 130ha of mangroves, mudflats, ponds and lush secondary forest this Tuesday. My helpful friend cum course mate Jess asked me to join her for outdoor drawing in the nature to get some inspiration for our project. Since the last visit is about 10 years ago when I was a secondary school student, I happily agreed. We spent the first few hours drawing, she was busy practicing colour rendering while I tried to draw outdoor scenery. It is my first attempt at outdoor drawing and it was really fun. Hmm, I realized it requires focus because if you are not focused, you might draw inaccurate proportion and perspective. Suddenly, I had the thought, perhaps my readers might want to spot the differences of the drawing and the photo?

The greatest mistake I made is not applying insect repellent before I venture to the deep forest. When I stopped in the middle of the big forest to capture pictures of the flowers, many mosquitoes swarm around my legs. The itchiness was really unbearable. Luckily Jess helped me to chase the mosquitoes away and later passed me her anti-itchiness cream prescribed by her doctor.

In the forest, we saw monitor lizard and kingfisher birds. There are also squirrels scurrying along the tree trunks. I am also amazed at my friend’s sharp eyes at detecting the animals. I learnt a lot from her as she shared with me the flowers’ species and mud lobsters’ habitual and their different birds. It made me wonder if she studied ecology. After resting at the pavilion, we went to visit the mushroom and cactus farm. It was an educational tour as I was not aware that Singapore has a farm that grow cactus and make cactus juice for sales. Well, for those of you who are interested in visiting Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, you can visit this website. http://www.sbwr.org.sg/

Sitting at the cafe, I tried to draw this architecture. My very first outdoor drawing!

Observation tower

Malaysia, our neighbour at a glance.

Rows of Cactus at the farm.

Sharing My Work

2007-12-20T17:00:00.000+08:00

Alright, I have yet to post some of the fantastic works by local and international designers. Coming soon ok. But first I like to share some of the drawing I done as part of my work. Feel free to comments ok. Just some simple sketches.

I Need Some Inspiration

2007-12-10T22:06:00.000+08:00

Alright, I am now really scratching my head. Although I have submitted my design proposal, I am still brainstorming for a better idea. I have to design a sustainable product for my project. I guess I will visit the UtterRubbish exhibition before I finalise my design.

Some thoughts to share. I realise that sustainability is not viable if consumers continue to splurge unnecessary. For example, some rich women possess hundred of bags and shoes. I'm not sure if it is healthy as it would only result in more waste later. Hmm, what is your take? Can our earth withstand huge amount of waste. Even our Minister Mentor, Mr.Lee Kuan Yew lamented that not many leaders would take the lead in green movement as it would result in lesser consumption which is unhealthy for the economy. Well I am guilty of possessing too many stationary.Fewer cars=lesser emission =lesser profit. Yes sustainability is about the availability of materials for future generation, but we also need to take into consideration of the energy consumption required to produce these products.

Alas, it is a dilemma. It is a social issue and we need to create awareness.

Meanwhile, I will continue to brainstorm until end of this week and I hope to finalise it soon.

Singapore Design Festival 2007

2007-12-09T13:56:00.000+08:00

The biennial Singapore Design Festival is back. There are so many exhibitions and events yet so little time to cover all events. So far I have visited the National Library and City Hall Building. This design festival actually an island-wide event as different exhibitions is held around Singapore from mid November to December. Depending on the event, some exhibitions will end on next March.

Singapore will be the centre of Excellence Design centre judging from the great works produced by some of our very own designers. Andrew Gn has established himself in Europe with his unique and highly demanded boutique and other local designers have produced unique and essential products like the thumb drive. It is a great eye-opener and also an enjoyable journey as designers share with us their design philosophies.

I chatted with one lecturer from Nanyang Polytechnic who was actually stationed at the National Library to answer enquiries from the public. She said that Singapore is still focusing on traditional designs such as the architecture and product designs instead of other new mediums such as the website designs like facebook. Her sharing made me recall Design guru, David Kelley who famously said, “Design is anything that is not Nature.” When there is an element of human intervention, then it is design.

There are impressive designs produced by local design students. I will post up some of the designs soon. Meanwhile take a look at the decor outside Raffles City.

Singapore is Crazy with Creativity

2007-11-28T22:03:00.000+08:00

You know that Singapore is serious to be the Creative Hub of the region when the big shots in Singapore venture to hip-hop singing. The video below features Singapore Media Development Authority (MDA) bigwigs happily rapping. Not bad for those first-timers.

Three cheers for the MDA bigwigs’ courage in rapping. Their guts in appearing in this funny video really caught me off-guard. Why the surprise? Perhaps it is the notion of these honchos being serious and dull and the contradictions of them singing of all songs – rapping which is normally associated with the vibrant and rebellious youth. The juxtaposition of these two extremes brought out the surprise element. I applaud Singapore MDA’ bigwigs courage in rapping to outline their vision. However, I feel that it is pretty contrived-some of them look so unnatural.

Why is rapping so popular such that the top echelons are raving about it. Perhaps it is the power of popularity. Why is it popular? It is because the music produced comes from the creators’ hearts. Perhaps we should just encourage Singaporeans to be passionate in whatever they do, be fearless and pursue their interest. Ultimately, they will succeed if they do it with their hearts and souls.

Visual Arts at Esplanade

2007-11-08T16:31:00.000+08:00

This shoe is being put to other use.

Esplanade

2007-11-04T18:05:00.000+08:00

This spiky-looking structure is the Esplanade, an arts theatre by the bay. There are concert halls, recital room and restaurants and shops. This is a place I go frequently to recharge myself as I feel that it is a special place and I love any area with water view. I first watched the broadway musical, Sound of Music at Esplanade.

Every few months, there would be visual arts display at the entrance of Esplanade.

This month it features, Falling into thoughts by Angie Seah. Enjoys.

Esplanade - Theatres by the Bay

Singapore Ferris Wheel to be in operation by 14 Feb 2008.

Stanford Design Thinking Process

2007-11-02T23:25:00.000+08:00

This video features demonstration of Design Thinking Process through an example by Stanford's students.

Concept Refinement

2007-11-01T21:41:00.000+08:00

I can't upload this to my previous post, so I just create a new post. I think this is pretty detailed and fantastic work from a primary 6 pupil.