Ryan Block » Design

Spring (design) cleaning

Ryan Block — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:35:05 +0000

I’m a little surprised by how long I managed to put off redesigning this site, but it’s finally got a new look inspired by the design work we’ve been doing on gdgt over the past few months.

Although it’s not a radical departure, blogging as a format — even personal blogging — has changed significantly in the four years since my last design. A venue for a simple feed of blog posts almost feels like it’s from a bygone era; although I’m not a big Tumblr user, it’s easy to see the appeal of blog-like content aggregation points.

The new (re)distribution of that content is a concept I tried to loosely work in here: besides only showing one full (and two abridged) posts on the front page, the layout now has a more naturally integrated Twitter feed on the right, and by scrolling down you’ll also pick up more of what I’ve posted elsewhere (like Engadget, for example).

Also changed: Mosso is now hosting this site. They also host our live event coverage at live.gdgt.com, and if they can stand up to one of my liveblogs, they can surely stand up to just about anything. Shout outs also go to John Wiseman / Brolly for the great work on building out the new template.

Please do hit up the comments and let me know what you think, or if you’re noticing any visual tics or anomalies.

Leica’s pixel dog

Ryan Block — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:03:35 +0000

If I had a dog, it would absolutely have to be this breed. [Via Core 77 and Comunicadores]

Philippe Starck: “design is dead”

Ryan Block — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:42:37 +0000

It kind of bums me out to hear Philippe Starck proclaim the death of design, even if it is merely sour grapes from a master designer whose time seems to have passed. No wonder he seems so bitter: “But the thing one needs most, he added, was the ‘ability to love’.” Indeed. But maybe I just find this tidbit depressing because I wonder if he isn’t somehow right. Via Kottke.

Found: original (machine-translated) piece. Thanks Niall!

Who’s got a good, modern desk?

Ryan Block — Fri, 04 May 2007 23:21:31 +0000

Time for a lazyweb: who makes a good, modern desk? I currently use a Fritz Hansen Plano (trés chic) but it’s not exactly built for use — it’s kind of a showpiece. I’ve had my eye on the classic Eames Desk Unit (in natural, above) for quite some time, but I’m really open to suggestions. I need something decently sized (so the Nelson Swag Leg is out), reasonably durable, and, well, not ugly. I guess I could rock it Ikea style like in the old days, but isn’t there anything else out there?

Getting a Takumi TO:CA wood clock!

Ryan Block — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 22:08:16 +0000

Ever since I first wrote about Kouji Iwasaki’s TO:CA wooden block clock by Takumi, I’ve really wanted one. That was in 2004, and I guess I’ve finally landed a TO:CA of my very own! V just got it for me as a late Christmas present (they were all out around holiday time), I’m totally stoked. I don’t know what it is about designer digital clocks that gets me so hot under the collar, but I’ve already got a nice spot picked out for it.

Engadget redesign: it’s done! And just getting started…

Ryan Block — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:17:14 +0000

On June 8th I was looking at Engadget for the eight hundred thousandth time and decided we had to a change. We all know great content is what it is, but there were just so many things about Engadget that wasn’t working. Comments were unwieldy and user un-friendly, the pictures were just too tiny, and the whole thing felt like 2003/2004. It was a great site in need of some real love, and I’ve got a lot of love to give. Not that it’s any surprise, but we realized all this a long time ago; Engadget was actually redesigned Engadget back in late 2004 by its original designer, Jill Fehrenbacher, but because of some platform changes and an acquisition, the new Engadget never actually saw the light of day.

So on June 8th I sent an email rallying our tech team and the execs (if you really want to call them that); a call to arms to reinvigorate Engadget. Three months and eleven days later, I’m proud as a gadget blogger can be to present Engadget 2. I’ll save the bitching about how much work went into this thing — namely because it’s not done yet, not by a long shot — but we have tons more new features to add (my list is dozens long), and loads more improvements we’re rolling out in the coming months. Hope you guys like what we’ve come up with!

And, as always, much love for our tech team: Brian Alvey, Mike Propst, Gavin Hall, Alex Rudloff, and Celly!

A (short) open letter to the industry

Ryan Block — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 23:09:04 +0000

Product distribution, marketing, and design management of the world — especially the consumer electronics industry — take heed. Your insanely difficult to open plastic packaging / blister packs, while excellent theft-deterrents and somewhat economical, are incredibly anti-consumer and irritating as all get out. There are few things as big a bummer as getting a new product home and straining to cut off the sides (see right), slicing up one’s knuckles on the rigid plastic really bad every time, and possibly even damaging the package’s contents trying to get inside. If I had more time I would march on, well, “the industry” to freaking quit it already, petition, complain, etc. It’s bad for the environment and stuff. And especially bad for people trying to get at whatever it is contained therein you’ve just sold us for probably too much money.

Yours,
Ryan Block, consumer

Cathode Corner’s Scope Clock

Ryan Block — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 23:09:34 +0000

And here I was thinking a nice Nixie was about the sweetest geek chic / modern design nostalgic throwback timepiece around. I’d drone on about how much I want one of Cathode Corner’s Scope Clocks (as spotted on Eng JP), but they’re all out — and if they weren’t, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford whatever it is they charge anyway. A aesthete gadget dork can dream though, can’t he?

2005 Taiwan International Design Competition

Ryan Block — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 14:13:48 +0000

Evan at Engadget wrote up the Blowfly last week, which won third at the 2005 Taiwan International Design Competition — but there’s a ton of other really beautiful objects over at their site that are completely worth your time in checking out. Clockwise from the upper left is the Unity Phone by Jonas Bylund, Andreas Enqvist, and Bjorn Ogren (Sweden); Watch in TRAN by Abhishek Sahu (India); Minder by Huang Shao-wei (Taiwan); and Frame, by Kil Ki Narm (Korea). You know, I’ll be realistic: it costs a more to hire good designers, and I can only imagine what a pain it must be to properly integrate them with engineering, marketing, and production teams. But you know what? There’s a reason the RAZR, by all accounts a very crappy phone, moves more units than most any other phone out there, especially those similarly priced models (and it ain’t the Moto brand, let me tell you).

Iannone Sanderson’s Mod coffee table

Ryan Block — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 03:27:41 +0000

Somewhere in between Scrapile, Zebrawood, and bisected plant-cell diagrams lies the Mod, table made from a bonded wood-alternative of horizontal cuts of scrapped sorghum plant stalks. I think this might make number eleven on my wish list this year, since my current coffee table is on its, um, last legs. Ahem.

[Via MoCoLoCo]

Virgin Galactic spaceport to be designed by Phillippe Starck

Ryan Block — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 15:15:42 +0000

There’s nothing much I hate worse than being late to a story (can you possibly imagine why?), but I didn’t get the chance to write about Phillippe Starck’s deal for the Virgin Galactic spaceport in New Mexico until late last night. Anyhow, unfortunately the buzz on this one is making it difficult to tell what’s really going down, but stories from various news sources cite the site as costing between $20 and $220 million, and that Virgin Galactic is slated to begin construction of the spaceport in early 2007, with flights departing off Starck’s runway by 2009. But the 38,000 some-odd people who’ve signed up to take the $200,000 ride into space don’t interest me nearly as much as the completely trite and admissibly delectable combination of modern design and space travel, together again. Kubrick would have been proud, Mr. Branson — despite the fact that you’ve probably pissed off a lot of Scanadanavians with this. Here’s to hoping it turns out more Saarinen / Terminal 5-like, and less like, um, what’s pictured right by Starck (which, I concede, is still better than anything Gehry).

Em Ry fall/winter

Ryan Block — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 05:58:15 +0000

My favoritest person in the world, Ms. Emily Ryan, designed a shirt and bag (and forthcoming pillowcase) line. I’m told you can buy now through nonverbal-communication.com, and will be able to find it shortly at your local boutiques in LA, SF, Antwerp, and London, though right now I’m really just working on forgiving her for only releasing these in girls’ cut shirts. I also understand they’re selling quickly (to no great surprise, I assure you), so get on it already, why don’t you?

Outdoor Wallpaper for your inner exterior designer

Ryan Block — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 18:11:41 +0000

It’s summertime, remember? Well, I’m having a bit of a hard time recalling, but I heard it going around that outside is totally the new inside. So flocked wallpaper be damned (ok, not really), how perfect is Susan Bradley’s Outdoor Wallpaper? Ornate with gratuitous laser-cut fleurons (not that there’s any such thing as gratuity in fleurons), depending on your style of medium you can get them in acrylic, aluminium, satin or mirror-finished stainless steel, powder-coated steel (colored if you please), or wood, if you please. Please?

Via: Core77

Mid-century decks

Ryan Block — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 09:46:35 +0000

All the Eames classics–the sofa, the RAR rocker, the lounge–now together in one femmed out skateboard series. Get it? The pioneers of plywood in industrial design screened on decks? Fine, I guess it wasn’t that interesting anyway, but it’s damned near enough to make me try and figure out how to skate. Ok, I admit it, if they produced a Jacobsen or Saarinen series I might break down and, you know, leave the house to do some kind of physical activity.

Buy: Agents of the Area | Via: Land and Living

Tripistol vase

Ryan Block — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 15:13:09 +0000

Sure, it’s a clever anti-war statement that you wouldn’t think didn’t come from a designer—especially one featured at, say, The Future Perfect—but it’s so much more. Like, you know, an ironic statement sure to be picked up by the many mullet-wearing electroclash throwbacks. Perhaps they’ll put their cigarettes out in the butts?

Ok, maybe just think of it as a value-version of Philippe Starck’s Gun lamp collection.

Buy: iwantoneofthose | Via: ProductDose

Dalek shower curtains, eh?

Ryan Block — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:43:57 +0000

Can’t think of too many better ways to go from being a Deitch-featured Juxtapoz-kind-of-artist to a household name than actually having your art featured in someone’s house—or better yet, a lot of houses. Or further still, a lot of houses’ bathrooms. And sure, when you think about it, fifty clams is a little steep for a Dalek (James Marshall) shower curtain when you might just as easily pick up a mid-century designer pattern for about the same. But then you miss out on the Brookyln street cred. And I don’t know about you, but that’s why I live in Brooklyn—man you should see the way the crib is adorned. Say, while we’re at it, where’s the matching Margaret Kilgallen toilet seat cover?

Buy: KidRobot | Via: Negatendo

Reset the jet set

Ryan Block — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 21:54:30 +0000

Between the bankruptcies, budget cuts, and hectic price slashing in the airline industry, it’s difficult to imagine a time when being a jet setter actually meant something a little more than a utilitarian means of travel. Issues of class and the luxury lifestyle aside, it’s hard to suppress the obsequiousness for the enchantment of an age that brought us Saarinen’s Terminal 5, hand-cut Cardin suits, and models in attendant uniforms so influenced by mod style it’s a wonder Marc Jacobs doesn’t just knock off the classics one by one.

Not that he’ll have much room to now, since it looks like for some airlines the drab, boring uniforms of the past twenty years are once again (and finally) giving way to intentionally designed pieces–some costing up to $600 per head. Korean Air has recently hired on Gianfranco Ferre to do their uniform line; Delta’s ridding their notoriously dowdy attire by way of Richard Tyler; Air France has contracted Christian LaCroix for theirs; British Airways has brought on Julian MacDonald; even the ever-stylish JAL is seeking a makeover by bringing aboard Yoshie Inaba (what, they couldn’t get Rei Kawakubo?).

It’s hard to think that this will be enough to restore the airline industry to its former glory (maybe those pilots need to lay off on the sauce a little, yeah?), but no doubt about it: you’ve never seen a beautiful dress until you’ve seen a real 1968 United uniform in red and white.

Photos: CatchOurSmile, UniformFreak, Jaques Brinon, AP
Via: PSFK