If I Were A Designer #26: Souvenir

My challenge to introduce a design project per week during one year has seen a second idea coming to life (but still without me...): a "poor piece of a souvenir" (2cv bolt, rock...) but presented on a rich support:

I recently went to visit the Image Mine Museum which is a museum about mining (you can tell by the name) anthracite and you exit by a shop where you can buy anthracite under different forms including... a wooden written support:

 

Can we agree that my proposal was nicer, less "DIY small work"?

If I Were A Designer - 21bis: Wooden Bic pen

More than ten years ago I challenged myself with a trend: making one design project per week during one year.

One of those ideas was a 4 colours Bic pen (a every day tool for my design job) with a body in a bit more precious materials (and maybe more comfortable) like leather and wood:

2 years ago I've seen that the brand made it (without crediting me for the initial idea) with a leather 4 colour pen!

Do you feel it's expensive as hell? Be quiet as here comes the idea in its afordable version: the 4 colour Bic pen in wood:

Well that's still not really comfortable and it still costs more than twice the plastic one when it seems to be a fine wooden on a plastic body (and you can feel that the pens have a rough surface to ride on or asmaller one to compensate the wood eight) but this was my idea!

Of course I bought one (actually its sold by 2).

If I Were A Designer #22: Sock-shoes

10 years ago I've shown for my Project52 an idea I've have had a few years before: street sockets! Or sock-shoes:

I know this is a godd idea but I never developped this because I don't know how to do. If I had tried I would have failed to sell it therefore it would have cost me a lot of money without rentability.

So here I am happy to see my ideas made by someone else even if I don't gain anything in this at least there is an ego: I. was. right.

And that's all I'll get.
 

Some Americans made it in production.

This looks like gardening gloves material (so here comes a new idea: security socks!).

There are only a few colors available but let's say this is for the launch and there will be more choice if it sells well.

They made it socket when I was considering socks (high and decorated son more classy).

The big difference is their principle to sell (in a $200 pack with 2 pairs + accessories, quite expensive isn't it?) socks to put inside:

Probably to avoid odors by washing the socks everyday while shoes would quickly disintegrate if washed too often?

 

Anyway it's too expensive for me to buy just to try...

If I Were A Designer #19: ice jewelry

A recent post took my eye:

Okay I agree that ice jewelry is just a joke, nothing serious, you are totally right and I know...

Here is the version from a fashion creator: Christina Poulton from Interrobang.
She assumes that was a joke but I'm sure if she didn't had to answer for people asking where to buy?

That seems pretty annoying, right? But is there anyone who thought about this before?

I'm not sure. Except for myself!

 

I made a kind of prevention poster for the Design21 organization from UNESCO (and I explained that by resharing on this blog 10 years ago:

I'm afraid this is still accurate and it may become more and more...

If I Were A Designer #21: Smart Bic pen

Do you remember my leather Bic?

The idea was part of my Project52 challenge (a design project per week): covering Bic pens with leather, wood or precious metal and any other precious material so valorize the owner.

 

That was a time when a wedsite was organizing the Designboom Marts: a marketplace moved on every big design event where creators were able to sell their home made productions. If I had the tools to do it I would definitively have ask to sell this in there!

I did knewpublished the idea on networks, without any come back.

Since then the brand launched the exact same idea: leather covered Bic pen

even with golden cover!

If you think this is too expensive for what it is let me introduce you nice ranges costing less:

.

60th anniversary of Estafette

Estafette is a middle range utilitarian van made by Renault in 1959, so this year we will celebrate its 60th anniversary.

That's a van I love since I was a small kid, so it's a long time ago!

Maybe because of its round shape, all sweet and a bit discret compared to its competitors VW Type 3 or Citroën HY.

I will not write all of its story but I do want to celebrate so I will publish 60 extraordinary Estafette. Some I really like, differents, prototypes, one-shot or mass produced.

This will be on this blog.

A suivre sur ce blog.

A lot of the pictures I will publish here have been found on the web during years, so if you recognize one of your pictures or your vehicule, and you would like me to quit this picture or to link my article to your web site please write me, I will correct as soon as possible.

If I Wera A Designer: Banania Cola

It's good, when I don't have any employment neither freelance job, to start the week with a view on a "Hey, I had this idea before them, I'm a good designer"!

Two years ago, for a Project52, I invented the Banania Cola: a chocolated soda!
I had no idea if it has to be with gas (not the brand spirit) or not, but the idea for a Banania ready to drink was a good one:

I know you'ld pretend they made it before I had the idea?
Not at all! I had this idea 2 years ago, they introduced it this year!
.

Project 52 – 52/52: Wishing-Ball

My ultime Project 52 ends logically what I started one year ago opening new possibilities:

We're survivors froms the end of the world so let's go into the maya's Fifth Sun era and the chinese's snake year.

Best wishes for this new world!

Project 52 – 51/52: Supa Claus

It should be his day. Every year, millions of children are waiting for him.

Execpt that for this year a prophecy announced the end of the world two days before his day. He can not let this happen without reacting. To save his night he will have to save the world:

Project 52 – 50/52: Honey Spoon

Snow is falling for weeks announcing the imminent end of the w... the winter! And with it the cold the chills and... grog to beat it!

This is especially for sweeted hot drinks lovers I thought a spoon in honey:

Project 52 – 49/52: Misstriochka

Yesterday in the evening Marine Lorphelin has been crowned Miss France. Misses are following one after another, never the same, and usually disappear after one year. Which inspired me for nesting dolls:

Project 52 - 48/52: Mullca Bench

You have to know the Mullca chair? The chair with wooden seat and back on metal tubes used in schools, libraries, city hall... Mullca never proposed a bench then here is my hommage to Gaston Cavaillon's chair with mine:

Project 52 - 47/52: Repairing Cushion

It has been an exhausting week! I take in the same dynamism travels, meetings and concerts and I went to bed after midnight too much time, I'm ti-red!

Project 52 - 46/52 : Setted Bottle

I was in Lyon on Wednesday and what was celebrated on Thursday? New Beaujolais!

Well, not only in Lyon but all around the world, but Beaujolais comes from arounds of Lyon. This week Project 52 is a bottle with a metal crimp that offers an innovative place for communication (versus traditional labels)!

Project 52 - 45/52 : Dreamcatching Bed

Was it possible not to think about the election of the President of the United States of America? This week Project 52 is dedicated to this:

Project 52 - 44/52: Curriculum

One project par week, but why? What esle if not to promote my profil and my motivation?

This is why this week Project 52 is an update of my curriculum!

And no better place than my CV-blog to introduce it!

So please tell me all you think about it, criticizes, ideas...
(you can have a .pdf more readable by clicking on the Curriculum.pdf link at the top of the right menu ->)

.

Project 52 - 43/52: Lampshade

This week took place Aïd el-khebir, the sacrifice party for a sheep... one week after my Project 52 about a sheep, it wasn't deliberately. It's also celebrating the new moon, exactly the day we change for the winter hour. I couldn't not unite these references in the same project:

Project 52 - 42/52: Design me a sheep please

A project with its own story:

Project 52 - 41/52: Banania Cola

Today I'm working for alimentary !

Project 52 - 40/52: Alpine ?

This week my attention has been attracted by the Paris Autoshow.