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MALMÖ, SWEDEN.-The Turning Torso designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava is the tallest Nordic skyscraper. It was officially opened Saturday. The design of the building is based in form on the sculpture Turning Torso. The residential tower is meant to be seen as a freestanding sculptural element posed within the cityscape. The equivalent in the tower of the sculpture’s steel support is the nucleus of internal elevators and stairs, through which the box units communicate. The tower consists of nine stacked cubes each turned slightly to achieve a 90-degree twist. The top six cubes will be 147 luxury apartments while the bottom three cu bes will have office space.

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Thanks for lord of the art for the link.

The laws of usability can apply to non-screen interfaces and designs of real objects.

We have used some home appliance equipment items that were designed with lack of usability.

In our kitchen was an electrical tea kettle made by PHILIPS, which was impossible to fill with water using one hand because second one was required to keep the cover. There are a many situations on the kitchen when you need to feel kettle using one hand, and this ‘feature’ was very annoying.

A Philishave (again PHILIPS) shaver has a button of head release just behind the power switch button on the front of the handle. It is easy to assume that quit each time of using of this machine my finger had slid off on the switch and pressed the head release button, and head with my beard’s particles were immediately poured on the bathroom’s floor!

A GRUNDIC video recorder (on that time GRUNDIG was bought by PHILIPS), that we are using in the children room until today, have a “record” button placed beside of “stop” button. My kids have erased many videotapes until I took efforts to protect them immediately after buying.

I do not think so I can blame designers but rather design management that have passed product to work without proper testing. Designers cannot predict everything, because they are more familiar with their objects and with usage of various interfaces in general. Some testing check circle will eliminate these problems and will increase values and usability of products.

From hfb

Scary magazine ad that I’m both amused and grossed out by, maybe a little outraged, too. They wouldn’t put a photo of some old guy’s wrinkly old nutsack with a caption like “An old bag you won’t have to scratch”, would they? Bastards.

I agree with hfb, this time desire to be original leaded creators of this ad too far …

Another pearl from hfb

Half of the sign got it right. English does use k, though nowhere near as much as Finnish. Expensive signs with careless typos always make me cry.

I like photos and comments of hfb, they always fun and coming in the right place.

From hfb

Signs are expensive so why didn’t someone take the time to look up “puhujanpönttö’ in the dictionary or find someone who knows english enough to note that ‘podestal’ isn’t a word? It could be a funny new compound of ‘pedestal + podium’, but given that my big Finnish dictionary defines the word as ’speakers’ stand’ I’m guessing someone just made a typo though ‘public pedestal’ wouldn’t be right either.

In the summer activity of the Finnish companies traditionally decreases, but previous week in Finland following sites have been released:

• JVC Crasman (23.08.) -technocratic design which has a little bit become outdated in my opinion, but still quite functional. A little discourages the quality and a certain absence of style of flash animation.

• Uutislehti 100 Convert Media (23.08.) -strict and functional design, good usage of graphics, especially in backgrounds. The interesting solution of mobile pictures gallery.

• CC-City Paperjam, King (23.08.) -made with taste though does not goes out from stylistics already popular in 10 last years. Usability: it would not be desirable to explore page long.

• Etelä-Saimaa 120 vuotta historiikki Content Bakery (23.08.) -some weak attempt to make something in a vintage style, it has not quite success, in my opinion.

• Canal Digital Perhe-paketti Web Fellows, Young and Rubicam Finland (23.08.) -archaic, and heavy for perception design.

• Finnmatkat, Blue-lomamuisto Satama Interactive (17.08.) -the desire to make it trendy is felt, but the page looks a little bit boring. Colors not absolutely suitable for a subject.

• Tapiola Nyytti - an update Valve (17.08.) -updating of the job made 2 years ago, is still looked well, respect the work of animators and graphic designers. Whether a little heavy usability - is a complexity in this case is necessary?

• Autoputkola Sarjamedia (17.08.) -the-simple and dull design, does not inspire me, unfortunately.

• The Latebirds Convert Media (17.08.) -in usual style of Convert Media, interesting graphics and quite good work with color.

That’s all for the week.

Mainontapäivä

Mainontapäivä 15.9.2005 On vuoden ainoa työpäivä, jolloin Sinun on syytä olla poissa työpaikalta. Lue lisää ja ilmoittaudu mukaan!

Link: Muotoilun vuosi 2005 - Introduction

Forward with design! Finland will celebrate a Design Year in 2005. The aim is to inform the public of the importance and potential of design as a creative resource and a booster of competitiveness. The message is that design is made by people for the people. The Design Year is organized by Design Forum Finland, the University of Art and Design Helsinki, the Finnish Association of Designers Enamor, Grafia, the University of Lapland, Design Museum, the Armi information center, the National Council for Design, the Finnish Round Table of Design, several industry and trade union opinion leaders and organizations, and businesses. The patron of the Design Year 2005 is Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

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Design Year 2005 in other countries: *Design Year2005 in Sweden *Design Year2005 in Denmark *Design Year2005 in Norway

KUTEN for promoting visual culture

Reflect05 reflecting design Designed to save your life - design contest.

The goals of the Reflect05 -competition are to find new ideas for reflecting products, create new job opportunities for designer, increase the use of reflectors and to increase production of traffic safety equipment. With the reflector design competition Kuten ry wants also to address the public in the spirit of �Design for Life� that design is not just a tool for styling but an important part of our society and plays an role in most of our vital daily routines. in other Word: Design can save your life!

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Link: ! Films publicitaires pour agences de publicites spots publicitaires spots TV spots tele cinematheque films pubs concours de creation

Although there is no exact date is stated, Finland announced to be visited by THE NIGHT OF THE ADEATERS on October of 2005.

The Night of the Adeaters®? “La Nuit des Publivores” What is this? The Night of the Adeaters is a festival show that offers 6 hours of non-stop action : it shows 500 of the finest, most amazing, funniest, most artistic, most creative and most unexpected advertising films from around the world. The Night of the Adeaters is cinema, show time, a statement of our times, a common language for all audiences. It is fun, easy and has a contagious element of excitement. A night full of surprises for new audiences who participate unreservedly in a party-like atmosphere. From its birthplace in France, The Night of the Adeaters is already an established and anticipated annual event in 160 cities across 47 countries such as France, Russia, Japan, China, Mexico, … Iraq (!), Mongolia, to name a few… With advertising there is no need for subtitles. The message is short and compact enough to be understood by all, crossing boundaries of language and culture.