THE BLOG THAT IS NOT A BLOG – STYLISH, LOW-TECH, WEB 1.0 ...
... but full of original inspiration from all around the world!
2010/JAN/16 TEHRAN AIRPORT / IRAN
LOREM IPSUM
every graphic designer’s nightmare
Lorem ipsum dolor... this text might look like it's something poetic in Italian – but no, it’s not. To us, it rather looks like a quite embarrassing mistake. Or did the coffee shop not have anything better to write? All graphic designers out there will know what we’re talking about. Just google 'lorem ipsum' to find out.
2010/JAN/15 IRAN
PAGE NOT FOUND
the psychology of censorship
Someone told us Iran is the country with the second strongest internet censorship in the world. China is said to be number 1. After having lived in China and traveled in Iran, we have to admit we prefer China’s subtle blocking to the straight-forward Iranian style. In China: you try to open a webpage and get the standard failure message – ‘page could not be loaded’. This usually means the site is blocked. But at the back of your mind you think: oh well, it could be slow connection, or maybe the page doesn't exist. In Iran: you try to open a webpage and are greeted by a screen telling you that the page is blocked. Result: frustration & anger.
2010/JAN/15 YAZD/IRAN
MONEY, PLEASE
iron beggar with iconic shape
Iran is peppered with these iconic metal boxes that collect money for charity. Maybe not as convincing as a real person, but the iron beggars manage to make themselves very visible in the streets.
2010/JAN/03 TEHRAN/IRAN
HOW TO HANDLE IRANIAN BEER
mouth-watering product placement
In Tehran’s subway you can hold on to these plastic handles with beer and soda cans inside, all of them from the same beverage brand. Very funky advertisement, indeed. Wait a minute – beer in Iran? Yes, of course – non-alcoholic beer is the thing here. Cheers. Only one function missing: for emergency situations and hot days, add an opening in the plastic cover so the beverage can be consumed. As you can see, the beer mug handle is already there.
2009/DEC/29 QAZVIN/IRAN
GARLIC SHAMPOO
different markets, different preferences
Garlic shampoo. Garlic shampoo?! Garlic shampoo. This awesome cultural discovery just made our trip to Iran worth it. And yes – it does smell like garlic. Read all about its health benefits.
2009/DEC/20 AVANOS/TURKEY
WEARABLE WINE BOTTLE
bronze-age ergonomics
Forget about wearable electronics – wearable wine bottles are just so much cooler. The Hittites in Cappadocia knew how to make life both beautiful and comfortable, even for the poor guys that had to run around and serve the local wine. We sure hope the wine was better back then. The bottles remain the same.
2009/DEC/16 ISTANBUL/TURKEY
BRIGHT BRICKS
thinking one step further can bring lots of extra attention
Bricks. Colorful and with LED’s inside, they light up the street and made our Istanbul night a bit brighter. Ok, the product might not be new (let us guess – made in China?) but we like how this lamp shop owner has used it in the pavement outside the store to attract attention. It works.
2009/DEC/15 ISTANBUL/TURKEY
KEEP IT MOVING, CLAP YOUR HANDS
high-tech features do not always appear in designed enviroments
motion sensor lamp in istanbul / sound sensor lamp in shanghai
Istanbul’s ceiling lamps are controlled by motion sensors. And we’re not talking about modern buildings here: these lamps can be found in every little dirty restaurant. Toilets, hallways, staircases – you better keep moving, or the light will turn off. No waste of electricity in Istanbul. This reminds us of another unexpected high-tech application in an old-fashioned environment: the staircase of our 1920’s apartment building in Shanghai had a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, controlled by sound. Clap your hands for light! Yes, it surprised every visitor.
2009/DEC/13 ISTANBUL/TURKEY
DIET FOOD THE TURKISH WAY
what's healthy or not is all relative
Baklava, the king of desserts. Dripping with sweet syrup and fat. Now also available in a diet version! Yes, this made us laugh at first – baklava is just the opposite of everything healthy. But after trying out this trademarked Diabak pastry at Karakoy Güllüoglu – we can’t read the advertisement but we’re guessing this little thing is suitable for diabetics and low on calories – here’s our verdict: it tastes as good as regular baklava. It’s still sweet as... yeah, very sweet. So if it’s healthier, why not. Diet baklava – yes, we like.
2009/DEC/12 ISTANBUL/TURKEY
THE CITY IS BOMBED
strong symbol + endless variations + many nights of work = major impact
That’s right, Istanbul has been bombed... with graffiti. The yellow fists of German/Turkish graffiti artist Kripoe cover big parts of the city in a 'street exhibition'. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of yellow fists on the walls and shops around Galata tower, our favorite hangout area in Istanbul. What the fist stands for? Nobody could tell us. But there are tons of pics and blogs mentioning this impressive effort, just google ‘kripoe istanbul yellow’ and you’ll get more yellow fists than you ever wanted. And if you find any message behind it, let us know.
2009/DEC/01 COBURG/GERMANY
CUTTING EDGE DESIGN
a humorous comment on what's typically german
Stereotype: Germans do everything with precision. New product idea: a cutting board with measurements so that the good German can stay in full control – also in the kitchen. This cutting edge design is just one of the results from our recent culture workshop with design students in Coburg, check it out >here
2009/NOV/30
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
economy can be visible in everyday objects
Russia has oil. China does not. Traveling slowly from one country to the other, the difference is obvious – and it can be measured in micrometers. It’s all in the plastic. In supermarkets in Russia, you get ridiculously thick transparent plastic bags for your fruits and groceries – for free. Yeah, there’s almost something sensual about these luxurious bags... until you consider the fact they’re just a big waste of oil. Chinese bags, on the other hand, break when used the first time – even though ultrathin free plastic bags were banned last year. Not much changed. You still get those stupid wrinkly bags, and they still break. Same goes for Chinese water bottles. They crumple hopelessly, even with water still inside. But our favorite Russian water bottle is still going strong – more than 2 months after leaving the country and after endless refills. What a difference a little oil can do.
2009/NOV/29
ONIZOU LOVES *CORDCTRL
we find the perfect use for little give-away gadget, the 'onicon'
onizou loves *cordctrl! This clever little thing keeps our headphones in place while traveling. We recently discovered that the love must be mutual – our green little onicon fits perfectly around the *cordctrl and secures the headphone wire. The risk of losing our *cordctrl while listening to music (yes, terrible scenario – but it almost happened before) is now equal to zero. *cordctrl can be ordered online, while getting your hands on an onicon requires meeting up with the idea nomads. See you out there.
2009/NOV/28
TIME TRAVEL - FROM FINLAND TO SWEDEN
why make two products when one is enough?
Clever way of showing the time in two countries. Seen on the ferry between Finland and Sweden.
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