Resourceful.

a man walks into a bar…code

Actually, he walked into a store in Ohio and bought a pack of gum. On June 26, 1974, the first product with a bar code was scanned at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum. The pack of gum is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Today the barcode as we know it is 35 years old. My favorite re-interpretation is Rem Koolhaas’ merging of  the flags of the (then) current EU members into  a new European Union flag (2001).

Check out these super cool cool versions from Japan. Design Barcode (now partnering with a US firm as well) has come up with new ways for companies to integrate design elements into their products barcodes.

when life gives you water, make juice

Just the other day I was at a friends house and his daughter asked me  to help her make make lemonade. I asked where the juicer was and she said they didn’t have one. They did have a bunch of recyclable bottles lining the kitchen wall waiting to be taken out…why didn’t I think of this?

Brilliant New York designer and founder of Amron Experimental, Scott Amron, made the Re-juicer out of the bottom of a Poland Spring water bottle. So cool. And even cooler, you can buy one from his website for $6.50.

modernist posters auction

Swann Galleries‘ Modernist Posters auction takes place May 21. Check out
some of these amazing posters beforehand. The exhibition runs from Saturday,
May 16 through Thursday, May 21.

kern ring set

Are you a type dork like me? I think my Prince Charming will be the guy who shows up at my door and slips these on my fingers. Inspired by the want, need, and love of kerning type, this ring set features 2 rings — KE & RN. wear them side by side and kern away. Available from Plastique’s store on Etsy. These babies are $11 for the set.

PS- each ring is sized separately.

PPS-the typeface is Neutra text with a modified ‘k’.

the gatherer jacket by merrell

OK. So this was a concept piece by Merrell last year but it’s just one of the best ideas ever so I figured I’d share in case you missed it (I just dug mine out of my closet to empty it for spring). The Gatherer jacket is a completely translucent, 100% nylon jacket that allows the wearer to adjust his/her own temperature to surrounding conditions using adaptive insulation pockets throughout the body and sleeves. It’s a do-it-yourself piece that encourages the use of sustainable materials and re-use. It’s a puffy jacket without the puff. You decide what to fill it with. It’s perfect to take on vacation or hiking when space is at a premium. When it’s warm, fill it with nothing. As it gets colder, fill it with whatever. Packing peanuts, newspapers, pine needles, leaves…the possibilities are endless…AND, the trim is orange. It doesn’t get much better than this. You can still find them online for $99.

how x-height-ing

This is my first post. A test actually…to see if I am capable of doing this.