Keita Takahashi (高橋慶太) Born 1975, known for his quirky, innovative videogames Katamari Damacy and Nobi Nobi Boy, Takahashi was invited to create a new playground at Woodthorpe Grange in Nottingham, Britain. “I hope that whole families will be able to play in the park together. It would be great if people’s pet dogs can also play with the equipment. What gives me the most joy is seeing people having fun. [Playgrounds and video games] are both fun things. They actually aren’t that different.” Says Takahashi. That is what I particularity like about Keita Takahashi. If your aim is to see people having fun, why limit yourself to a single branch?
Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa takes packaging design to a whole new level through literalist design. Most brands and packaging nowadays bombard users with texts, fonts, colors and elements to stand out from the supermarket shelf. Fukasawa takes the road less traveled and created these brilliant packaging designs.
The use of ceramic powder, which becomes really hard without being fired, gives the possibility that each bowl is as unique as the actual used fruit /vegetable.
Korean designers Je Sung Park and Woo Jung Kwon have developed an invisible umbrella that will keep you dry by repelling rain. Consisting of a simple plastic stick that creates an artificial wind at the top, the ‘umbrella’ deflects raindrops before they hit you by sucking in air at the bottom. The intensity of this wind-shield can be varied depending on weather condition and number of people sharing the device—the length of the stick is also adjustable.
Visitors can play in the rain without getting wet in this installation. Cameras installed around the room detect movements and send instructions to the rain drops to continually move away from visitors.
Cool Leaf is a minimal keyboard designed by Japan-based design Kazuo Kawasaki for Minebea. The keyboard is essentially a large screen with touch-sensitive input sensors. Characters appear on the mirrored panel for a sophisticated and futuristic aesthetic. The combined technology of input devices, lighting devices, and force sensors allowed the company to manufacture this cross-sectional device.
