Sean Favero Design Blog

Wind Sculptures

sean favero — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:00:49 +0000

Here is another look at a bike. Some might think that I am into cycling or something, but the reality is I don’t bike. Just so happens that I had a lot about bikes sent my way the last little while. The bike featured this time is the Trinity Advanced SL 0 from Giant Bicycles. It has a pretty price tag to go along with the pretty looks, and personally I don’t understand how anyone could drop $12,000 on a bike.

Regardless, here are my thoughts on the bike. To me it looks as if it had very little influence from designers and is purely functional. I don’t recall from where, but I remember a designer saying to an engineer that the destination isn’t always as important as the path getting there. Generally I would agree, but with the Trinity I feel the aerodynamic path is all that is needed. Unlike the initial Priuses that look like someone stepped on the front of it, the form flows and has brilliant lines and doesn’t appear to be over engineered. Judge for yourselves, but I think nature (wind) has done very well with this non organic object.

Dicycle

sean favero — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:20:44 +0000

Far too often we as designers think that we have an original idea, get excited with ourselves only to find out that it wasn’t really that original. I don’t recall where I snagged this photo, but it serves for me to remember that somebody, somewhere could have already been down the road that I am headed. I have seen many dicycles, some clever and not so clever. Designers of these dicycles would like to think that they’re the first or maybe just perhaps the best designed, but there was still some dude or dudette that started it all. I’m not suggesting that there are not original ideas, just that they happen less than we’d like to think.

Business Strategies

sean favero — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:00:52 +0000

I got this quote by Jeff Bezos from my friend Colin. I found it insightful not only as a business owner, but also its implication to designers all around. It brings to mind what the great Raymond Loewy said, “Between two products equal in price, function and quality, the one with the most attractive exterior will win.” Part of what makes most products great is the design.

Jeff Bezos to Charlie Rose:

“Before if you were making a product, the right business strategy was to put 70% of your attention, energy, and dollars into shouting about a product, and 30% into making a great product. So you could win with a mediocre product, if you were a good enough marketer. That is getting harder to do. The balance of power is shifting toward consumers and away from companies…the individual is empowered… The right way to respond to this if you are a company is to put the vast majority of your energy, attention and dollars into building a great product or service and put a smaller amount into shouting about it, marketing it. If I build a great product or service, my customers will tell each other.”

Zapping

sean favero — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:08:59 +0000

This animation short tickles my fancy on multiple levels. It’s artistic, funny, and even plays off other films. Some might feel this is a stretch, but I mostly like this video as it reminds me as a designer that often something that seems like a good idea, might not always be so (like having a remote that shoots to turn on your TV). It is important to always step back from your work and look at it without being attached and prideful. Also, as a designer it makes me reflect on the fact that often we try to simplify peoples lives, but end up impeding that and present them only with more confusion and clutter. Just a little thought on a great piece called Zapping from Aritz Aizpurua.

Zapping from Aritz Aizpurua on Vimeo.

Marble Spiders

sean favero — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:09:10 +0000

These little beauties were on a crafting blog called Little Birdie Secrets. She gives a quick two step tutorial in case you can’t process the means of construction yourself. She calls them Marble Spiders. I think they are way fun and that the aspect of play can inspire us on so many levels if we let it. The less I play the more boring I get. And who likes boring people? These are easy to make, and for anyone with kids most likely materials you have on hand. Not hard since there are only two. I just hope you enjoy the simple creativity and design of these marble spiders.