At a firm like ours, it’s likely that we’ll fancy ourselves “young” professionals for a lifetime, regardless of our ages. (Although I’m safely nestled in my mid-20s, I’m well aware that I’ll be booted from the official category in due time.) That is neither here nor there.
The point is that WE are HERE – smack dab in the center of cattle country in a spot that most big city dwellers couldn’t point to on a map. We are (more…)
When I think of my experiences of IKEA stores in America and England, I often think of interesting home furnishing designs. I also often recollect the one-track maze of the floor layout, which forces you to navigate the entire store. Moreover, I recall the Sunday afternoon amusement park atmosphere brought about by hordes of families making their way to the fun fair that is the children’s section. What I did not think about is a store full of cats. Until now. The ad agency Mother has developed a beguiling ad for IKEA that has given my perspective of the store a new dynamic. It is a fabulous work of video production and I feel certain will connect with the target audience. Be sure to watch the longer “making of” video below as well. I’d love to be able to say to a client, “What would happen if [insert odd scenario]? Let’s just try it!”
Gravestones are not typically viewed for their design innovation and appeal. They may evoke a sense of solemn reverence, inspire an interest in the life and times of the person being remembered or provoke a fascination in the passing of time and our mortality. They may even be a Wonder of the World, as the Egyptian Great Pyramid of Giza is. But in my favorite American cemetery you will find three examples of stunningly contemporary, unique personal headstones.
The gravestone above is for Walter Paepcke and is to be found marking his grave in Aspen, Colorado. Paepcke, a wealthy Chicago industrialist, is regarded by many as the founder of contemporary Aspen, including the Aspen Institute, Aspen Ski School and Aspen Music Festival and School. Among his most notable friends was acclaimed Bauhaus creative, Herbert Bayer. One of Bayer’s most visible contributions to Aspen was the design of the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Meadows Resort. As well as the building’s architecture, which evinces Bauhaus design principles, the grounds feature earthworks that add to the Bauhaus environment.
More memorable for me, however, are the grave marker designs that Bayer conceived for Walter Paepcke’s monolith, Bayer’s daughter, Julia’s geometric squares and the offset wedding cake style for his mother in law, Mina Loy. Loy herself was a fascinating woman having lived a life of astonishing Bohemian experiences, and deserved such an original, captivating headstone.
No Content in this Gallery
So, what design gravestone should I have? Will you submit some suggestions? I look forward with intrigued interest …
I will leave you with a few lines from a favorite poem by Rupert Brooke, to set the scene:
“If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.”
Pysanky
In thinking about Easter coming up this Sunday, I can’t help but think back to how fun it was and how much I looked forward to decorating Easter eggs when I was younger. But decorating eggs doesn’t have to be just for kids. In fact, there is a traditional Ukrainian art of decorating eggs that requires a slightly higher skill level. (more…)
I might have to whisper this amidst the hyperbole around Apple’s iPad, but I just don’t buy it. Don’t misunderstand me; the iPad will likely be a huge success and will change the industry. I just cannot quite see how this fills the gap between my iPhone and my MacBook. Actually, I can’t see the gap. What I see is a gray area of overlap between my iPhone and MacBook.
I’m no technology geek, so I won’t address the technological wonder or disappointment (what, still no Flash?) of the iPad. What I am struggling with is the whole purpose of this device. When I consider my lifestyle, I don’t see a place for the iPad. Its main appeal seems to lie in the category of technology use that could be called entertainment. But when am I going to indulge in that via an iPad? When I am working (and maybe goofing off a little), whether in the office, at home or a coffee shop or other “third place”, my MacBook serves my needs excellently. During social time, my iPhone provides more than enough connectivity, entertainment and flexible communication to fill those periods. As for other moments “in between”, such as hanging around at airports, laying on the beach or relaxing on a casual Sunday afternoon at home, I’m able to enjoy life absent technology, hard as that might be to believe.
My thoughts are heretical around here, where Apple is loved with a religious fervor. I’m sure a colleague or two may respond on this blog. What I really need, though, is a single device that merges the convenience, connectivity and flexibility of an iPhone with the power and utility of a MacBook, all spruced up with the entertaining delights that might be found on an iPad. Something like an iEverything.
What do you think? How do you live? What do you need?
