Chris Lunney “performed” his final project during the Parsons festival – a impressive experience of light, video, projection, music, dance, and a little bit of craziness.

The performance made us desperate to get off our chairs, get out the 80’s fashion and light sticks, and start dancing in the class-room-turned-gallery at Parsons School of Design

The performance, called Trace, is a great first chapter in Lunney’s exploration of how to combine simple elements into an interactive musical creation. The opportunities are many and we are curious to see where Lunney will take this project in the future.

Watch the video here:

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In addition Alfonso Chavez also impressed us with his neon phantoms. A project featuring atmospheric laser light designs, the viewer simply sprays water from a squirt bottle onto the light.

Watch the video here:

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Co-blogged with Andrea

In the past, the “What’s Branding?” section has featured our clients, friends, architects and various industry professionals. Today we would like to share with you insights from Jane Simmonds, Managing Partner of Conran Design Group and a leading member of Havas Design+.

Jane Simmonds, Managing Partner, Conran Design Group

‘Helping businesses create and maintain an attractive and meaningful conversation with their target audiences, to build preference and loyalty’

‘It’s easy to say Google or Apple but taking ‘favourite’ to mean something more personal, I like Chanel – the brand remains resolutely and fabulously chic, protecting limited lines in perfume and clothing while being a household name. For a brand that delivers products that make a difference I love Clarins and for an unpretentious brand with products that do what they say they’re going to do with the minimum of fuss, Boots Botanics range.’

‘Amazon continues to set the pace, keeping up healthy dialogue with their customers through being fast, easy, uncomplicated and above all, helpful. But surprisingly also Ford, who last year launched the new Fiesta in China using social media to terrific effect.’

‘Lots…a hard economy ensures change is inevitable and pretty constant. One in particular is that branding agencies are really starting to own ‘tone of voice’ and the word is now as central to brand as the graphic.’

“I’M NOT INTERESTED IN CELEBRITIES WITH THEIR FREE DRESSES. I’M INTERESTED IN THE CLOTHES.”

As a patron of fashion, Cunningham is a simplistic guy when it comes to his own style. Owning just a few articles of clothing and a royal blue jacket worn by Parisian workers he maintains a simple lifestyle of solitude. His mode of transportation is an old bicycle, which he says (in the film) is his 29th as his previous bicycle was stolen. Having lived in Carnegie Hall until they kicked all the remaining six guests out, he lived in a small studio surrounded by filing cabinets and negatives of every shot he’s taken, sleeping on a cot in the midst of chaos. The New York Times Carina Chocano describes him as, “an aesthete and an ascetic, a member of the establishment and a bohemian, and among the last of his kind.”

If you’re looking for an inspiring movie with good laughs and a well blended soundtrack, make sure to check out this movie.

Find out where its playing here: http://zeitgeistfilms.com/billcunninghamnewyork/playdates.html

Trailer:

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To some of us, $300 means a pair of Cole Haan shoes or a designer leather handbag or an air ticket from NY to Miami, but to another really large group of people that co-exist in the same world $300 = 5 months of pay.

For that group of people shelling out even $300 may seem impossible.

300 House is a project to design a commercially viable housing solution for the slums and villages of developing countries. The project started initially as an idea that Vijay Govindarajan (Professor at Dartmouth) blogged about in HBR in August 2010. He received such an overwhelming response to the concept that he along with Christian Sarkar decided to see how far they can go into making this idea a reality.

They are using crowd-sourcing to build on the “concept”. One can go to 300house.com and post their thoughts and ideas. In addition, they have slew of industry pioneers writing on the Harvard Business Review blog about the possible challenges this project may face in different areas such as design, finance, energy, co-creation, marketing, corporate, performance and how to approach those issues.

The subject is looked at through the lense of “reverse innovation”. In the words of Govindarajan, who coined the term “Reverse Innovation”, a reverse innovation is very simply, any innovation likely to be adopted first in the developing world. Increasingly we see companies developing products in countries like China and India and then distribute them globally.

Being a marketer and someone who aspires to work on a project that incorporates reverse innovation, a point I thought offered great insight to those designing this home is a comment by Seth Godin – About 2 billion people survive on a mere a $2 a day and to that group of people it’s all about “survival”. He says “when someone in poverty buys a device needs to pay for itself”. To put that in perspective – if each of these homes had a solar roof that not only generated enough power for the home itself, but also to sell back to the grid (assuming the grid exists in India), the home owner could afford to buy the home and make money off of it.

According to United Nations, currently about 1 billion people live in slums around the world. Needless to say if the 300 house becomes a reality, it can have a huge impact on many lives after all it is one of the 3 basic necessities for survival.

LINKS TO THE 300 HOUSE DISCUSSION ON HBR:

The Challenge

The Financial Challenge

The Design Challenge

The Energy Challenge

The Co-Creation Challenge

The Marketing Challenge

The Performance Challenge

The Corporate Challenge

Some other really interesting projects:

Chulha by Phillips A stove with hazardous side affects used by millions of low income people was re-designed to provide a much safer alternative.

Hindustan Unilever’s project Shakti in India Economic development through the micro enterprise.

Pee Poople The Peepoo is a personal single use toilet, that sanitizes human excreta shortly after defecation, preventing the faeces from contaminating the immediate and larger environment. The toilet is a high technology product for a low economy. As with the original Tetra-Pak, it uses a minimum of material while providing maximum hygiene.
Recognizing consumer needs, the Peepoo is formulated from a bottom up perspective putting the user’s need first. Ergonomically designed to be easy and hygienic to use, simple and rational to produce, and thus possible to be sold to groups with the weakest purchasing power, the Peepoo offers a sanitation choice for both individuals and society at large.

Micromax – A company that creates phones with an oversized battery, a small screen, and tweaked electronics that made the phone run for as long as five days, and on standby. For the audience looking to buy a $300 house, a X1i+ phone seems to be the perfect option.

Business Week Article on Micromax

Sources: Harvard Business Review, 300House.com, Business Week, Micromax, Hindustan Unilever, Philips, Mario Batali, Marc Jacobs, NYSC

I had the chance to visit their pop up gallery when it came to New York City a while back. In this collection, they wanted to explore “the idea that environmentalism as a movement, as a separate category, has become anathema. Sustainability should be folded into the fabric of our lives, a part of our consciousness that touches everything we do. It should be reflected in our culture, our art, our music and design, and nudge us further towards the sustainable direction in which we’re inevitably headed.”

It is interesting to see individuals stepping out of their industries to highlight the importance of sustainability within our everyday life. More importantly, its inspiring to see brand ambassadors advocating this kind of “life”, to look at it simply beyond a movement but truly incorporating it with everything we do. I believe that there are many more waves of platforms to come, that embody this sustainable lifestyle in every aspect.

Source: http://www.shft.com/

How can we power the world with clean energy? How can we shelter communities in sustainable environments? How can we close the loop of materials extraction and disposal? How can we enable people around the globe to generate and share wealth? How can we improve the quality of life for all people through health-care innovations? How can we communicate ideas effectively and creatively?

These were some of the questions designers were trying to solve. As designers are beginning to be more conscious of the issues happening around the world, the context of social design will gradually become a dominator in the design industry. Designing products and services that solve problems is needed in order to improve the lives of human beings.

These two were my favorite:

The Solvatten Solar Safe Water Purifier makes unsafe water drinkable by using solar energy. By combining UV, heat, and a filter to purify water, the Solvatten allows families and households a means to attain water that meets World Health Organization’s guideline of safe water. Simply putting the container in the sun for 2-6 hours, people will have access to safe drinkable water immediately.

The issue of unsanitary water can be eliminated with Solvatten where sun is abundant.

This jerry can design fills up to 10 liters of water.

Kind of reminds me of the Aquaduct project, IDEO created few years ago.

Ad Specs offers low-cost corrective eyewear to underserved patients, allowing them to fill their own prescription without expensive optical equipment. World Health Organization estimates over half a billion people in the world need vision correction, but have limited access to resources.

Designed by Joshua Silver, the lenses are filled with fluid (clear circular sac of silicone oil) which has a high refractive index that fits between two clear and durable plastic membranes. A syringe is connected to the lenses by a tube, which allows wearers to adjust the amount of liquid in each sac according to their prescription. Sacs are sealed off with a valve once the correct vision is adjusted.

Uncorrected vision impacts people’s ability to read, write, learn, work, and their daily life. However, with the low-tech solution of Ad Specs these glasses can be deployed easily at $19 a pair.

http://exhibitions.cooperhewitt.org/Why-Design-Now

Eclectic, unassuming, locally flavored…these are just a few words used to describe Ace Hotels, a brand that is redefining the urban-hotel experience. Ace Hotels are consciously designed for the well-traveled explorer. They are hotels for guests who enjoy cities, who are curious about the history of a place and the quirky little haunts that define a local destination. Like the men behind the brand, Ace guests are always on the lookout for something fresh and different—without sacrificing the comfortable luxury they’ve come to expect.

With locations in Seattle, Portland, Palm Springs and New York, Ace Hotels mark a change in the hospitality world. Alex Calderwood, Wade Weigel and Doug Herrick designed a hotel experience with their friends and acquaintances, the “creative types,” in mind. The Ace team is a fascinating hybrid: romantics with an unswerving business savvy, easygoing yet professional. They weren’t interested in making cooler-than-thou design statements; they wanted to make a hotel with ‘soul.’ In doing so, they’ve tapped into exactly what a growing market of cultural influencers and opinion leaders want—a genuine experience rooted in sincere passion—and inadvertently created their own marketing machine.

John Varvatos has two driving passions: fashion and rock ‘n’ roll. And while his menswear collections reflect the attention to detail inherent in old-world tailoring, they also draw inspiration from the creative spirit and edginess of his rock ‘n’ roll icons, which all adds up to luxurious, comfortable clothing created to be lived in.

John Varvatos grew up in Detroit—the music melting pot of America. The electricity and personal style intrinsic to musicians like The Who, Led Zeppelin, MC5, Alice Cooper, Bog Seger, and The Stooges inspired John at an early age and influenced his eclectic sensibility. It seems only appropriate then that Varvatos was responsible for rescuing New York City’s landmark CBGBs (a rock ‘n’ roll mecca) from becoming a generic corporate bank and transforming it into a retail space for his sartorial brand.

If you ask his team, they’ll readily admit that John Varvatos is not just the designer, he is the visionary behind the brand. He’s always on the go, whether it’s finding furniture for his new stores or discovering new bands, he is not afraid to get his hands dirty. And he knows more about rock than anyone possibly could.

So strong is his passion and love for the music that, if you’re lucky, you may find John Varvatos performing with a band on a Thursday night at his Bowery store.

While over the past few years, several retail brands have been struggling to keep their doors open, the J. Crew label tells a very different story. Led by legendary CEO Mickey Drexler, this brand has tripled in stock value and continues to be one of the most popular fashion retail brands. Not only has the “J. Crew look” evolved under Drexler’s visionary helm—from all-out preppy to an edgier, vintage vibe—but Drexler has ensured that the business practices have grown to reflect the changing landscape as well.

The Wall Street Journal Magazine did a great feature on Mickey Drexler, providing an intimate look into the life and mind of this Bronx lad turned merchant prince. Like many other successful visionaries, he is a man of paradoxes—driven yet open-minded. A risk-taker but shrewd.

And such is Mickey Drexler’s passion for J. Crew, he personally answers emails and phone calls from shoppers, and makes routine visits to the stores—almost five a week.

Sources: Ace Hotel PR, John Varvatos PR, Tor Caracappa, J Crew photography, Wall Street Journal magazine

Perhaps that is why we were drawn to John Varvatos, a fashion brand proudly rooted in the designer’s passion for rock ‘nʼ roll. The John Varvatos brand exudes a character as distinct and modern and quite simply, cool, as the music from which it is inspired. Which adds up to an unforgettable experience in its clothing and its stores.

We recently stopped by the John Varvatos Bowery store—which is housed in the former rock ‘n’ roll landmark CBGBs—to meet with Tor Caracappa, Visual Director for Varvatos (and band member of Joker Speed Five). Tor shared some fascinating insights into John Varvatos, re-affirming CO-OP’s belief that “strong brands are rooted in simple truths.”

Well, to be honest, I think it was sort of fate. Even though I had been an admirer of John’s work for a while, I didn’t know much about the man, I just knew his clothes. When we met he had on an old Cheap Trick T-shirt, which happens to be my favorite band. We spent the following three hours talking about music. So we just hit it off very well and we spoke a very common language, which was rock ‘n’ roll—which is what the brand identity is about.

It’s kind of important for the person who is head of your visual department, who is showing the world what you’re all about, to really understand your language and your vocabulary. It was a natural progression for us to work together.

Absolutely! He loves it! It’s a labor of love. He has a 25-hour day, an 8-day week and he does not sleep! But somehow, even after putting in his 25 hours a day, when I meet with him the next morning the first thing he says is, “I saw this band last night. You gotta check them out.” And it’s a band I’ve never heard of. I’m like, How do you do that, there’s gotta be like three of you roaming the earth. But that’s why his name is on the front of the store.

The stores are all his vision. Because I inherently understand where he’s coming from, I can execute his vision. I put my own twist on it, but ultimately it’s really his dream and vision.

When we’re opening a new store, we sit down and he says, “All right, this is what I’m thinking.” And I’ll come back with ideas. Sometimes his ideas work and sometimes mine do. But the important thing is that he has a specific image of what he wants to see and how he wants it presented. He is very hands on. John does a lot of the shopping for the stores and once in a while I’m lucky enough to go along.

What you see in the stores is just an extension of John himself. This couch for instance is something he would have in his home. If he had three living rooms, this would be in one of them.

We do a lot of shopping at the flea markets in Paris. Some of it is done here in the States. The Paris flea markets are about the size of Staten Island. It’s a huge, huge district in Paris. Just vendor after vendor. All this stuff. Some beautiful, some not. We’re able to find very unique pieces there. That’s why you see pieces in our store that you haven’t seen before.

The basis of it all is rock ‘n’ roll and all that that encompasses. For us, rock ‘nʼ roll isn’t just music, it’s a lifestyle. It goes far beyond all the fads and trends you see out there in retail. Our clothes are more what a rock star would wear when he goes to the Grammys, or to the recording studio, or is on stage. The interiors of our stores are what a rock star’s home may look like. The posters on the wall and the books in the store are indicative of different periods of rock ‘n’ roll.

We don’t pretend to be involved in any other sort of branding activities beyond rock ‘nʼ roll. It’s not that we don’t like skateboarding or other such identities, but that’s not us. Rock is what John grew up with, it was always his love. He knows more about music than anyone I know—way more than me, and I know a lot about music. If John could, he would rather be a musician, but his talents lie in fashion.

This space [the Bowery store, in the former CBGB location] was going to be a Bank of America! They were going to transform it into a bank. People would never know what was here before! Luckily, John saw the space on a fluke while we were looking at other spaces in New York. The broker, knowing John was a rock fan, managed to get his hands on the keys for the old CBGB location. When we walked in, it was a mess, it was disgusting! You would never think of putting high-end menswear here. But John had a vision. He could see beyond that, he could see the potential.

The light bulb went off, and on a regular, daily, hourly basis the ideas for what we could do with this space kept spewing. We knew it would be like no other store, it would have its own identity. Let’s face it; there is only one CBGB in the entire world.

We were lucky enough to re-open the doors of CBGB to the world, and that meant a responsibility to all those music fans. And even knowing that, we didn’t realize the magnitude of that responsibility till we started construction and people from around the world started showing up at the site and saying, “I came all the way to see CBGB’s. What is going on? Where is it?” We would bring them in and show them what we were doing. We did it because we feel we have a responsibility to the music community and the fans.

It was important to us to maintain the authenticity of the space. You can still see the walls the way they were, you can still feel it. There is still a vibe here. As much as we had to change up the floor for safety reasons, we wanted to keep that vibe alive, keep those old ghosts here. That’s why we do shows every month. We have a band play here every month. Sometimes on the weekends we have a stage set up, so that if a band walks in they can play anytime they want. If someone walked in right now, they could play. Where would you ever see that in a retail environment? We were just respecting the space.

We tried to keep whatever was left of the original space we could, like the walls. There’s a portion of the walls that had all these old flyers on it. We wanted to maintain that, so we put it behind glass. This place was really made to be an interesting hang—you’re stimulated, you’re inspired, you see furniture you’ve never seen before and you hear music you may have never heard before. John and I pick all the music that plays in the store. It’s that hands on, it’s that homegrown. It’s like “I just got this album. You gotta put it in the store. It’s great” or “They just reissued this album. You gotta play this” or “You know what, I was in the store the other day and they were playing such and such. You should take that out. We’ve heard it enough.”

It’s a retail store, but we wanted the experience to be relaxed. Men shop differently than women, and men don’t really like to shop, so you need to give them an environment where they are comfortable. We wanted to create an environment where men can come in and hang out, where they don’t need to buy anything. Flip through books, strum a guitar, listen to music…just hang out. If they find something, they’ll buy something. And if they don’t, they’ll come back. You might see a band that just pops in and plays, or you might just experience the room. And you’ll become a customer before you lay down any money.

We wanted our shoppers to think, “I don’t want to leave this place. I can just hang out here all day. The music is good, this place is comfortable, it’s stimulating. And even though I’ve been here a million times before I still spot new posters on the wall each time.” It’s an all-encompassing experience.

Contributors: Rupam Patheja, David Kao, Neves Rodrigues, Jessie Keyt

It was amazing just to witness the number of expectant people waiting in line, as the line slowly crept towards the front door. To get a sense of the action that was going on at the store, we interviewed a few of the customers who were waiting in line.

Check out the video:

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The site is a mixture of current events, stories and findings, a dedication of sincerity that not only inspires but rouses emotions in the reader.

With six different categories to choose from: Inspire, Believe, Feel, Create, Love, and Grow, DiddyBlog truly sets a positive tone quoting from the likes of Darwin, Plato, Emerson and more.

Adding DiddyBlog.com under his belt, this only goes to assure us of Diddy’s ability to increase his never-ending portfolio of business ventures. Having established himself as a rapper and producer he has gone out and conquered much more than music (BadBoy Entertainment). With his clothing line: Sean John, premium vodka brand: Ciroc, upscale restaurant: Justin’s, to name a few, he has proved himself legendary with an empire of brands making him one of the richest people in the hip hop entertainment business.

With each act accomplished, reveals the iconic vision of Diddy even more. He is definitely one of our favorites and an inspiration to us, we look forward to what Diddy has in store next.

In the meantime, check out the videos below:

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