Intrinsic Thought

''Eighty percent of the environmental impact of today's products, services and infrastructures is determined at the design stage. Design therefore has an enormous impact on resource efficiency in our economy, and can make a critical contribution in the transition to sustainability.'' John Thackara / Doors of Perception

Just completed an article for the sustainable focused design magazine Think. The subject matter was a Berlin based Israeli designer called Ronen Kadushin, whose timeless futuristic forms not only bare a sharp aesthetic but also provide a stern indication as to a potential future in design. He suggests that open sourcing design in the same way the information technology industry has done will enhance it's growth and development. You can read the article from Feb.2010 when Think issue 3 will be available online. Think is an original concept by Jacqueline Carlisle and its emergence from the USA comes at a relevant time what with the loss of ID magazine and the need for voices in the sustainable design debate.

'Flat Knot' design by Ronen Kadushin

Design of the Times

I recently had an article about design in Norway published on the popular architecture and design site Architonic. The article, entitled 'Beneath the Surface', was a reactionary piece to the growth in public attention the 100% Norway exhibition had brought 'Norwegian design'. While it is healthy for any burgeoning and young creative scene to receive public attention through press coverage, it is also important to provide critique and comment. This kind of realist guidance and opinion appears to have been missing from the many subsequent articles reporting on 'Norwegian design'. 'Beneath the Surface' does not laud any Norwegian designers, more it asks why something was made and what it means to people, not just designers. The article introduces socially aware design projects such as the 'Blanke Ark' polling box designed by the industrial designers Kadabra and graphics studio Blueroom. It also mentions some of the other exciting projects going on outside of Oslo that do not exist on a reputation of stylizing to sell.

'Ballot Box' design by Kadabra and Blueroom

Polka Odd font

'Polka Odd' - my first font! A couple of weeks ago I was asked by a web designer friend from Aberdeen to come up with an alphabet he could use for a new logo font. James Daniel goes under the alias of Robin Egg Blue in the web design game. When not serving people with an eye for good food at one of Aberdeen's finest eateries, Moonfish Cafe; R.E.B is completing web designs for clients such as film producers, furniture designers and restaurants. Robin Egg Blue has a contemporary style in a city which rarely does; he completes projects that have serious value with a smile. I aim to represent this serious but, approachable and fun image with some small playful creature details on big, bold and abstract forms. The animal features sometimes look like little feet, eyes and bites.

'Polka Odd' font design: by Alexander Horne (me)

DO(1)T!

One year ago this month I wanted to kick start something of a petit creative revolution in my home city, Aberdeen in Scotland. As it has been documented in the press recently, through the tribulations of the contemporary art center and Union Terrace Gardens project, despite hosting a fine art school and many aspiring young creatives Aberdeen is not quite the hub of creativity and culture as it could be. Compared to similar sized cities such as Bergen across the North Sea or Dundee down the road it is very slow to understand the support and encouragement required by young creatives, especially in such a tough economic climate as now. The petit creative revolution that is DO IT! is now one year old and we are ready to celebrate this Friday with two special guests with strong local links. The first guest, DJ Giles Walker is a resident dj at Snafu Club and an important local figure in the introduction and booking of new music and acts from around the UK and beyond. Our headline guest, Two Eyes, is a rare talent from Edinburgh who when not designing buildings, pulley systems or riding bikes up extremely challenging hills can be found secretly composing deep future music in his humble Leith flat. We have been lucky to export our own 'deen talents to cities such as Barcelona, Bergen and Helsinki this year so for this one year celebration if you are in town come and enjoy DO IT! in Aberdeen and support and celebrate with the local creatives that make this collective a vivrant force in Aberdeen and beyond.

Poster: by SIO.

Put a +47 on it

Earlier this week I arrived in Oslo on a permanent basis. I've spent most of the week wandering through the streets for inspiration and education when not on the serious business of finding work. Its a fairly compact city, taking under an hour to walk from East to West, but with more of a grubby urban cosmopolitan sprawl than any other Norwegian city I have so far seen. For all the grimey and alluring corners of this capital city though, it takes quite a trawl through the streets, patience and a local guide to find out places of interest that are worth checking out. The main hot spots (bars, galleries, cafes) are to be found in the Grünerløkka and Grønland districts in the East. The center on the other hand is a bit of a commercial disaster.

I'm working on an article for Architonic magazine at the moment that discusses the underside of the coverage the 100% Norway exhibition has been receiving in the design press recently. Now I am based in Oslo it has been revealing to see many more projects that have not received as much clamor as those involved in the 100% exhibition, but have more long term aims at their core. One of those projects is not so much a place for high profile product design but, a fringe building (off the beaten track) that houses different studios and one main organization that conducts and consults in projects between art and architecture. 0047, housed in a former dairy factory in Grønland, to me could be anywhere; Barcelona, Sao Palo, Berlin, New York. It is representative of the cross-disciplinary movements seen throughout the world today in arts and science, technology and craft. There are several other such places in Norway, Transplant where i worked and a creative space just outside Ålesund, but i am mostly looking forward to what is happening in this city and forthcoming projects from groups such as 0047 amongst others.

Photo: early 0047 project covered by D2 magazine.

DOing IT! craft style

Had a couple of weeks back in the UK before I return to Norway for la vie Oslo so suggested to my DO IT! collaborator Sio that I could design this months poster. It was also to be the first time I was DJing in Scotland since January earlier this year and had booked Brian D'Souza to come up North for a live set and Oslo based French designer and VJ Julie Arrive to do visuals alongside our residents. Regarding the poster; problems arose when I remembered the baggage handlers with idle hands that had left me with one mac charger less while returning from Sonar festival, Barcelona this year. With no workmates to borrow from and a distinct lack of mac shops or anywhere with a mac charger in Aberdeen I had to knock together a 100% craft poster with the aide of hands, pen, paper and scalpel. Came out quite nice in the end and I actually really enjoyed being away from my computer for those few days. Going to be working a lot more with hand illustration and collage on a couple of artsy projects coming up so keep an eye out. Also worth noting is the expansion of our DO IT! brand to Oslo where we will continue to host artsy guests from around Norway, Scotland and beyond. DO IT!

Poster: by Alexander Horne (me!).

Ekko Fest 2009

Finally got round to writing a review for Resident Advisor from Bergen's Ekko Fest this year. The line-up was a great example of how smaller and more compact festivals can pick an astute and interesting line-up without the commercial constraints inflicted upon larger festivals. Suffering from a spot of Norsk swine flu and some sad news from back home detracted from my full enjoyment of the event but, some lager beverage medicine and good company made sure the stellar line-up was enjoyed as best possible. Losing it to Clark's delicate thrasing and merging of light and folksy sounds with crashing breakbeat and electronic noise was by far the highlight. Best new find of the three day festival was definately Velferd, who played a nicely executed live set that took in twisted disco and house sounds amongst many subtle layers. He is in fact also a member of the the band The New Wine from Bergen, who have been getting lots of attention in Norway this past year and will undoubtedly prop up elsewhere soon. Check them out here.

Photo: Clark rocking the Studio room at USF Verftet by Julie Arrive.

Full Pupp Label Night - Resident Advisor article

New article just up on Resident Advisor from an Oslo trip I made a few weeks ago. Was in town to check out the nightclub Bla and, perhaps of deeper significance, label night of Cosmic Disco don Prins Thomas. Last time I caught this guy playing was in Barcelona a few years ago at a more house music oriented venue called Sala BeCool. That particualr night in Bcn the only people on the dancefloor not willing Norway's Prins to crank up the bpm's to a more familiar and fast speed was a defiant James 'Global Souljah' Barrie, myself and my friend Andy. This time in Oslo the crowd was a bit more clued up and patient, bar a few drunken Nordic types. Check out the full article and by all means leave some words here.