Innovation

So I went down to Brighton last weekend and came across this chap playing a sitar in the Royal Indian Pavilion grounds.

It was a beautiful day and the sound of him strumming his sitar was quite soothing.

On closer inspection he had created his own little setup by using a small car or motorbike battery and car amplifier which he assembled himself with a few rusty wires.

I guess we all have something innate within us to solve problems.

Pics below!

Clerkenwell Design Week!!

So I've been at the Clerkenwell Design Festival this week.

There was an amazing atmosphere, great design pieces and to top it off superb weather, I enjoyed the week thoroughly. I can't wait for next year!

Check out my snaps from my 3 day visit.

You've heard of Dre Beats right? But have you heard of Monster?

Dre Beats, Beats by Dre or Monster Beats have been around for a few years now. Since their launch a few years back I have noticed a cult following amongst commuters in the Big Smoke (London). Very much like the iconic white headphone leads for the Apple ipod, Dre Beats have also attained their own status amongst tech savvy consumers.

I have owned a set of the Beats a few months after their launch and am extremely happy with their performance and ability to cancel any external noise much to the annoyance of my fellow commuters, owe well!

Dre Beats, Beats by Dre or Monster Beats what every you may call them are a prime example of excellent endorsement. Monster, the company who produces the headphones has been around since 1979 and was founded by audiophile and drummer Noel Lee. Lee a design engineer discovered the varying degrees of construction and quality of wire affected the sound quality and thus an industry was created.

Monster mainly manufactured peripherals such as HDMI and speaker cables, but some clever folk at the company decided to jump on the headphone market.

Their clever use of marketing, product placement and artist endorsement set them up for a sure winner.

The introduction of later models such as the  Solo Beats, Gaga Beats and Pro Beats  tapped into a wider market allowing Monster to capitalise on market share.

The Beats range is an example of good design, branding and product positioning.

I for one am looking forward to what Monster have in the bag for their next move.

Ziiiro Watches

I am a bit of a watchaholic. I have 5 watches at present and hope to add to my collection soon.

A watch is a product that can be quite sophisticated in its own right. It can be a talking point- the beginning of a conversation. Or simply a silent admiration of a beautiful time piece whilst on the Hemel Hempstead to Euston midland service. The train....." a watch perverts heaven".

Anyway, moving on swiftly. Ziiiro watches! A fairly new manufacturer based in Germany. Seems like a good quality product. Not a new innovation, but great anyway. Some good branding and marketing going on too.

A new edition to my watch collection in the near future!

Check them out for yourselves.

http://www.ziiiro.com/shop

Dieter Rams

Creativity, workmanship, what ever you may call it....its cool

I am a great admirer of innovation and creativity. The mind is a wondrous thing. I am a strong believer that there is creativity in everybody.

You may disagree but I feel that designers are essentially problem solvers with design skills. On a daily basis we all use our minds to solve problems. From a simple thing like organizing our time constructively, to putting together that Ikea table you purchased a few weeks ago....we are all solving problems on a daily basis.

On a bitterly cold March evening I bumped into a very intuitive, creative young man. He goes by that name of Richie D'rell. A music producer by day and a bike builder by night.

Richie took it upon himself to build his own low rider bike. Constructed from what seemed to be different motorbike parts and other cycle spares, Richie's bike received a lot of attention, even during our five minute conversation. Passers by looked in awe, and you could tell what they were thinking. "I WANT ONE!"

Although the bike is not completed it put a smile on my face and many others.

From what Richie was saying, he has huge plans for the bike. Lets see what comes of his creativity.

More on Richie later!

Hummel Sports Brand- Kicks

I was recently exposed to sports brand Hummel during a stroll through Camden (London, UK). Their product offering ranges from workout gear to casual pieces.

I understand Hummel's existence goes beyond the last two weeks but I am loving their footwear in particular. There is something "straight to the point" about the Stadil Slimmer hi-tops (see below). The majority of their foot wear range has a little bit more to be desired, but I'm liking what they have got to offer.

Here is the link to the official site if your interested and want to know more: http://www.hummel.dk/home/

Enjoy!