I Can Count...

I recently found my sisters old Hello Kitty calculator that I'm now using in the shop. It's a good example of a lot that I like about Japanese design.

Turning it on is really intuitive. When the head slides, it turns on and off. And if you forget it shuts off automatically, preserving battery life. The injection molding is well done. There are no rough edges or mismatched parts. And the buttons individually molded like the numbers and signs are great. It doesn't feel like a cheap product.

I've heard that the Japanese would make products for sale in the U.S. and similar product for Japan with tighter tolerances and a higher quality. I'm not sure if that still holds true, but that fits in with my design philosophy. I like to design, build, buy things that will last. I find them more satisfying to use and a longer life span should pay for the extra expense of a quality product.

You also have to admire the iconic power of the Hello Kitty brand. It's been around since 1974 and continues to grow in popularity.

Evan Hecox

I came across this video of Evan Hecox at work. I really like his line work and this is a good insight into his process. I could see incorporating this style into my design work with backgrounds and people to give context, or even to illustrate a product.

See more of his work is here and here.

Color Ref. 001

I like the color palette Brendon Monroe uses in his paintings and illustrations, and I really like color on these vinyl toys. My favorites are the red and green. The color combos on each figure are really nice.

There's something about limited edition vinyl toys that I find really appealing. The matte surface makes me want to hold it in my hand. I like the subtle contrast of the slightly glossy paint on the matte surface.

I believe the Sour toys started off as a series of comic books.

Purpose

I'm going to attempt to use this blog as a way to combine ideas about design, talk about products and art, and grow as a designer. I plan to post about products, other designers and artists, and some of my own ideas. I have a lot bouncing around in my brain, and need a place to store, sort and revisit my ideas about design.