Author: David Airey
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A new flag for Northern Ireland
The Union flag flew above Belfast City Hall every day of the year until 3rd December 2012 when politicians democratically voted to fly it on 18 designated days. The Confederation of British Industry said the ensuing riots have cost local businesses £10-£15 million in lost revenue. The Union flag, representing Northern Ireland The Irish tricolour,…
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Defining iconic brands
Computer Arts editor Nick Carson asked me to name three contemporary, iconic brands. Nick also asked what I think defines an iconic brand, if this has changed in recent times compared to classic brands of previous decades, and if a brand can be iconic without a great logo. My three picks: Google, Subway, IKEA. Image…
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Wild Geese Skydiving on the north coast of Ireland
Not quite Felix Baumgartner, but trying something new at Wild Geese Skydiving was definitely one of the highlights of the year.
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On trading design services
When Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar started their design practice in the late 1950s, one of the first things they did whenever possible was to trade design for some minor services they needed. Ivan cites the following example. “When the time came to have an attorney to help with a simple contract agreement, we traded…
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When selling design is like selling furniture
“They’d rather buy a few things that are good and are going to endure, than lots of stuff which isn’t.”
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Self-filling water bottle
“Our initial prototype will collect anywhere from half a litre of water to three litres per hour.” Photo by John Cochran. US startup NBD Nano is aiming to mimic the way a beetle survives in an African desert to create a self-filling water bottle capable of storing up to three litres every hour. To survive…
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Massoud Hassani, mine sweeper
The Mine Kafon is a landmine decommissioning device that takes its inspiration from a childhood toy. It’s a wind-blown, bamboo-spiked ball that loses one or two spikes with each landmine detonation. “Made from bamboo and biodegradable plastics, the Mine Kafon also has an integrated GPS chip. You can follow its movement on the website and…
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Chalet C7, Portillo, Chile
Chalet C7 is in the Andes Mountains, 2,900 metres above sea level, and a few miles from Mount Aconcagua. The chalet overlooks the Inca Lagoon with the “Tres Hermanos” peaks in the background. “The project was organized as two superposed volumes inserted in the topography. Below, a strong stone body shelters the private areas of…