Design Process: MOMA's Exhibit Design Team's Journey through Concepts

The subject of the exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art is Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen. Brigitta Bungard, Design Manger of the museum's Graphic Design Department, and the exhibition design team share the journey of design explorations for the project.

Starting with 1940's food and kitchen ads as reference, the team was cued to accentuate diagonal lines in the exhibit's entrance, as guided by the lines in a photo of a period housewife. The ads also gave the team the idea to create a pattern with type, then to use it as a wall treatment—later abandoned. A simpler direction led the team to play with bold blue lines, but eventually this was deemed too reminiscent of milk cartons. In the final treatment, a light blue was chosen to deliniate diagonal lines pointing to the exhibit's entrance, with a corner element anchoring type blocks on written displays.

Outrageous Trompe L'Oeil (or Mixed Media) Installations by Alexa Meade

While Alexa Meade's incredible application of paint strokes to live subjects is aptly referred to as "3D Acrylic Painting," this description doesn't do justice to the wild, electrical synapse-firing pleasure invoked for the viewer. Is it mixed media? Is it performance art? Painting? Photography? The answer to each is plainly "yes," but more importantly, these successfully hybrided trompe l'oeil pieces gift the viewer with a mind-stretching, category-busting experience that reminds us all of the creative power of our minds.

Beautiful work aside, the artist's real gift, executed with such effectiveness, is one of penetrating inspiration for work in all visual fields.

Loving the Vintage Styles: Buell-inspired design, by Mac Motorcycles

Few actions express a passion for vintage or classic styles like juxtaposing a contemporary vehicle with the lavish curves, turns and textures of the past, a these Mac Motorcycles do. Despite the vintage touch, these bikes hailing from the UK command an air of modernistic sculpture, resulting in an appealing blend of past meets present.

Fans of new but classically-styled motorcyles might also enjoy viewing the Hammarhead Triumph T100 “Jack Pine” and other Hammarhead motorcycles.

Bathroom Innovation: Squeaky clean sink sans spout

Replacing the traditional faucet with an internal sensor that activates water, and a flat dial that can be turned for temperature, or pressed for continuous water flow, this sink reduced to the bare essentials may eliminate one rather abhorring phenomenon of faucets: all the water that sits and creeps under the seal, creating everything from mineral deposits to stains or mold.

People that like generous vertical clearance may not approve of the design, but for most sink functions, the streamlined design has some distinct advantages.  

Credit: Charlwood

Minimalist Product Design: Coat Hanger Inspires Creative Use

Chopsticks. Does anyone else see chopsticks, here? Chopsticks, once mastered, are wonderful for their versatility and storing ease. Yes, one is supposed to use chopsticks to pick up food, but, in a bind, they do wonderfully as a drink stirrer, a hair bun holder, or a "get the dog ball from behind the couch" tool.

I find the simplicity of this coat hanger appealing for the same versatility it seems to suggest; hang a coat on it, store a basketball in the center, use it as an easel, or fold it neatly away.

Here's one for clean design lines and the creative thinking they may inspire—Cheers.

Credit: Rhythm Design Studies