tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85471407422830470992024-03-13T04:37:39.333-07:00Creative DanesOur website takes time to update and is pretty static. Yet we have observations, news, thrills or just prank that we want to share on a more frequent basis.
This is our informal way of sharing a little more of what is going on at Creative Danes.CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-86475743133857649602012-09-05T14:35:00.002-07:002012-09-05T14:35:49.973-07:00New Menu Blade Wine Series Steals the ShowThe new Menu Blade Wine Series designed by Design Wright that makes its debut this Fall received a resoundingly positive response at the New York Gift Show.<br />
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As we all know, wines release their true aromas when they come into
contact with oxygen, significantly improving the taste experience. Blade
adds 430% more oxygen to the wine. A result which no other decanting
pourer on the market can match.<br />
<br />
The decanting pourer has inspired an entire series of Blade wine
accessories including the decanting pourer, a vacuum pump, waiter’s
corkscrew and twist corkscrew. The series is aerodynamic as well as
ergonomic and all tools are equipped with a rubber coated surface for
good and comfortable grip.<br />
<br />
Please see below a video featuring the series.<br />
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<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-80404250168807114912012-09-05T13:46:00.001-07:002012-09-05T14:55:31.233-07:00August 2012 New York International Gift ShowIn case you missed the New York Gift Show this August, please see images of the Menu booth below. We had a very successful show this season, with the new Blade Wine Series stealing the show.<br />
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<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-32976410110174170372012-08-20T12:33:00.000-07:002012-08-20T12:36:39.164-07:00A NEW GRAPHIC LANGUAGE LETS YOUR WALLS COMMUNICATE A TASTE FOR DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY<b>Design:</b><br />
Norm<br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
Synthetic Felt, Wood, Aluminium<br />
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The starting point is a grey felt square. Although the shape and material is plain, the panels can be combined in a variety of ways to create your own, unique wall design to suit the overall character of your home.<br />
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The Felt Panels can become a natural and functional detail in your hallway, home office, kitchen/living room or anywhere else in your home. They can be combined to create decorative elements with a clean, graphic look. But the panels are very much intended to be used. Together they create a multi-functional system that serves many purposes.<br />
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The basic unit is a simple, grey felt square. It can be used as a small notice board or as a decorative element. Various needs have thus resulted in the creation of various types of Felt Panels; a clock, a mirror, notice board units, a coat rack, a key holder or a letter holder – the opportunities are endless.<br />
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The design of the Felt Panels also incorporates an acoustic aspect. Modern homes are often characterised by hard noise and the idea behind the soft felt panels was originally to create soft elements in the home. Felt Panels can thus help improve your home’s acoustics and create a better indoor environment, offering a design experience that is both visual and aural.<br />
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<b>Nordic design and materials </b><br />
The designers behind Wall Panels are Jonas Bjerre- Poulsen and Kasper Rønn from Danish architecture firm Norm. The pair have drawn inspiration from Nordic nature for their material choices. The warmth of wood and the felt’s wool associations give their modern design an unmistakably Nordic identity. The design of the Felt Panels is strict and sparse. However, subtle roundness creates a softer look that balances the product’s masculine and feminine aspects.<br />
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“Our fascination with modular squares comes from the world of graphic design and we are inspired by the works of minimalist artists. Felt Panels are not just functional, they also add a graphic element to complement any stylish home. Just like the letters of the alphabet, the elements can be combined based on your wishes to create your very own, visual language. You can create your very own wall art,” say Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Kasper Rønn.<br />
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CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-54924944527677462732012-08-15T12:16:00.002-07:002012-08-20T12:34:44.336-07:00NORM BATH. CLEAN SHAPES FOR YOUR BATHROOM<b>Design By:</b><br />
Norm<br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
Steel, Plastic<br />
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The designers behind Bath are Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Kasper Rønn aka NORM. This style duo worships minimalism and functionality and endeavor to design products that meet real-life needs while at the same time pleasing all our senses. These ambitions are successfully combined in Norm’s new Bath series for Menu. All redundant elements have been stripped away, leaving only a clean look and straight-forward usefulness.<br />
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The stylish series comprises five items: a pedal bin, toilet brush, soap dispenser, toothbrush holder and a small box with a mirror. The items share the same shape and characteristic rounded base, giving them lightness without compromising on stability. All items stand firmly and securely in place.<br />
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Clean lines and simple functionality make the items easy to clean and use. For example, the brushed steel lid of the pedal bin opens easily, without hitting the wall behind it as most other pedal bin lids tend to do.<br />
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The toothbrush holder has a clever sieve in its base, allowing water to escape and leaving your toothbrush dry. The practical mirror in the container lid is hidden, yet always close to hand.<br />
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“Our work is firmly rooted in Scandinavian design tradition. When a recognizable form gets an original twist, the products seems more fun to use. This is the principle that we have incorporated in the bathroom, where cleanliness is of paramount importance,” explain Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Kasper Rønn.<br />
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CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-38395095143882611602012-08-13T14:29:00.001-07:002012-08-20T12:39:04.862-07:00BLADE WINE SERIES BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR WINE<b>Design By: </b><br />
Designwright<br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
Stainless Steel<br />
Plastic<br />
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English design company Designwright has created an idea that is as ingenious as it is simple: the leaf shape creates a large surface area, maximizing the wine’s interaction with the oxygen in the air. The front is transparent, allowing you to witness the transformation of the wine’s flavor and bouquet. Four small holes on the front allow the wine to come into contact with even more air, improving the wine’s flavor based on the patented Venturi principle that Menu has made well known all over the world.<br />
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The result is incredible; and highly noticeable. As we all know, wines release their true aromas when they come into contact with oxygen, significantly improving the taste experience. Blade adds 430% more oxygen to the wine. A result which no other decanting pourer on the market can match.<br />
<br />
The decanting pourer has inspired an entire series of Blade wine accessories including the decanting pourer, a vacuum pump, waiter’s corkscrew and twist corkscrew. The series is aerodynamic as well as ergonomic and all tools are equipped with a rubber coated surface for good and comfortable grip.<br />
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Each of the tools has its own, unique and practical characteristics: The vacuum pump prolongs the life of your wine by quickly and easily extracting air from the bottle. The waiter’s corkscrew sits comfortably in your hand and its practical shape makes easy work of uncorking bottles. The twist corkscrew has a clever magnetic closure mechanism that automatically brings the parts back in position after use.<br />
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The Blade wine series has been created by Designwright, one of the UK’s most acclaimed design teams, which has been working closely with Menu since 2011. Brothers Adrian and Jeremy Wright have a background in industrial design and focus on both the visual and the technical aspects of their craft. Designwright has won several Red Dot and Design Plus awards and earned the recognition of the British industry organization D&AD.<br />
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<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-39405806092193842702012-08-09T13:48:00.002-07:002012-08-09T13:48:41.209-07:00August 2012 NYIGF<pre>Come visit us at the Menu booth 3840 at the New York Gift Show </pre>
<pre>August 19 - 22. Below images from last show in February.</pre>
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<pre> </pre>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-67695845135006717492012-07-27T14:04:00.000-07:002012-07-31T21:58:53.212-07:00MENU has created the avant-garde bird pavilion Barcelona in honor of the legendary<br />
designer Mies van der Rohe. The Pavilion is a combined bird bath and bird table,<br />
made of hardwood acacia and inspired by one of Mies van der Rohe’s masterpieces – the renowned Barcelona Pavilion from the 1929 Expo.<br />
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Another great work of Mies van der Rohe's is the <a href="http://www.farnsworthhouse.org/history.htm" target="_blank">Farnsworth House</a> located in Plano, Illinois, which he began in 1946. According to the Farnsworth House web site, " the Farnsworth House embodies a certain aesthetic culmination in Mies van der Rohe's experiment with this building type. This house is perhaps the fullest expression of modernist ideals that had begun in Europe, but which were consummated on Plano, Illinois."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farnsworth House http://www.farnsworthhouse.org/history.htm</td></tr>
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“Mies van der Rohe as an icon of modern architecture has been our source of inspiration for this unique MENU design. It is important for us to push boundaries and let originaity rule without limitations. A bird pavilion with style of this magnitude clears the road for even more original thinking,” says Bjarne Hansen, MENU’s Creative Director.<br />
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"The bird table and bath is inspired by the building Mies van der Rohe designed for the World Expo in 1929 – the Barcelona Pavilion. This example of his work is one of my personal favorites because of the extraordinary materials, geometric simplicity and the large basin reflecting the architecture,” explains Bjarne Hansen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8.5pt;"><span class="SpellE">Mies</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8.5pt;"> van <span class="SpellE">der</span>
<span class="SpellE">Rohe</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8.5pt;">'s Barcelona Pavillion</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu Barcelona Bird Feeder</td></tr>
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The new and avant-garde garden feature is an arresting and decorative manifestation that pampers birds with a place to both eat and go for a dip. The bird bath - a beautiful black basin that arrestingly highlights the signature acacia wood - can easily be separated from the table, cleaned and refilled. The bird table is elegantly placed under the roof of the pavilion where the bird feed securely can be placed on two spikes.<br />
<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-87222775225643135952012-07-24T16:01:00.000-07:002012-07-24T16:01:38.818-07:00MOBILE DESIGN TABLE FOR FREE URBAN LIVING<b>Design by:</b><br />
Andreas Engesvik<br />
<b>Materials:</b><br />
Painted Wood<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7tfXlDssWc/UAhve9ilPzI/AAAAAAAABQ4/NbBB0R_MkWg/s1600/Andreas+Engesvik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7tfXlDssWc/UAhve9ilPzI/AAAAAAAABQ4/NbBB0R_MkWg/s200/Andreas+Engesvik.jpg" width="200" /></a>Modern urban life now has its own table that is perfect for a trip to the beach or forest. Pin Table is made for people who want to design their own space in just moments. In the garden, at the park, or in the city.<br />
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Norwegian Andreas Engesvik, one of today’s hottest designer names, developed Pin Table with a simplicity that fits urban lifestyles, where the relaxed and the impulsive are paramount. The table is on a post that you simply push into the ground with the button at the top of the post, instantaneously creating space for a picnic or a good conversation over a cup of coffee.<br />
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Pin Table is made of high quality wood and painted in five high-gloss colors. It matches any park, lawn or beach.<br />
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<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-26769528885568392692012-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:002012-07-22T23:39:30.470-07:00"This is Not a Pipe" - Menu Pipe Candleholders<b>Design by:</b><br />
Pernille Vea<br />
<br />
<b>Materials: </b><br />
Cast Iron<br />
Silicone<br />
Glass<br />
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Designer Pernille Vea talks about her latest creation.<br />
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“Ceci c'est pas une pipe.” The title of that famous painting also suits the outdoor Pipe Candleholder because it is not a pipe. But it is greatly inspired by the practical form of a pipe. Hence the name.<br />
However, the pipe is not the only source of inspiration for the Pipe candleholder. Designer Pernille Vea also takes inspiration from the Vikings’ rough candleholders, forged as a nail at one end and a candleholder at the other. They could be banged in wherever needed – in a wall, a wooden pole, or a tree.<br />
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The Pipe candleholder is created with the same powerful convenience, but is cast rather than forged. Bang it into one of the many possible spots in your garden and create a unique lighting design. Then it’s just a matter of lighting the candles and enjoying the cozy atmosphere outdoors.<br />
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<br /></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-46656859961328170252012-07-18T12:38:00.000-07:002012-07-19T13:29:31.827-07:00NORM WINE SET PROVIDES A GOOD GRIP<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Design by: </b><br />
Norm<br />
<br />
<b>Materials:</b><br />
Stainless Steel<br />
ZN-Alloy<br />
Rubber Coating<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duh2m8CGtW4/UAclXjVvV_I/AAAAAAAABPs/L_yYoy9_yfQ/s1600/Norm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duh2m8CGtW4/UAclXjVvV_I/AAAAAAAABPs/L_yYoy9_yfQ/s1600/Norm.jpg" /></a>Silicone</div>
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The Norm wine set provides a good and comfortable grip when handling your wine. This set from Menu includes a vacuum pump, an practical wine stopper and a genuine waiter’s corkscrew.<br />
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The wine set features a clean and simple bottle design that matches other Norm designs, such as the groundbreaking aerators, Wine Breather and Cool Breather. All of the pieces in the set have a rubber coated surface that provides a comfortable and good grip, making it easy to handle wine properly.<br />
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The vacuum pump sucks the air out of the wine bottle, creating a vacuum. This enables the wine to keep longer. The waiter’s corkscrew is designed with a knife at one end to quickly remove the foil and, at the other end, a stable spiral corkscrew and lever. The Norm wine set comes in carbon and ash shades.<br />
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<br /></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-44960066111134027472012-07-16T12:29:00.000-07:002012-07-19T13:27:49.864-07:00A SOLID WINE TOOL FOR CONNOISSEURS<br />
<b>Design by:</b><br />
Norm<br />
<br />
<b>Materials:</b><br />
Stainless Steel<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duh2m8CGtW4/UAclXjVvV_I/AAAAAAAABPs/L_yYoy9_yfQ/s1600/Norm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duh2m8CGtW4/UAclXjVvV_I/AAAAAAAABPs/L_yYoy9_yfQ/s1600/Norm.jpg" /></a>ZN-Alloy<br />
Rubber Coating<br />
Silicone<br />
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The Norm waiter’s corkscrew sits well in your hand. Menu presents a solid wine tool with a good weight to it and a comfortable rubber coated surface that provides a firm grip.<br />
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A comfortable rubber coated surface provides a firm grip when opening your wine. The corkscrew is designed with a knife at one end to quickly remove the bottle’s foil. And the stable spiral corkscrew and lever at the other end can easily handle both old and long corks.<br />
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The waiter’s corkscrew features clean lines that match other New Norm designs, such as the Wine Breather and Cool Breather aerators.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QGuen5xY_eA/UARrLp4Q6cI/AAAAAAAABNA/poWaynQj4PY/s1600/Norm+corkscrew+P+4610129_Download+300dpi+JPG+%28CMYK%29_65728+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03Ezh_T4e_A/UARrR1rOgHI/AAAAAAAABNQ/LdiaP7nib1k/s1600/Norm+corkscr+carbon_Download+300dpi+JPG+%28CMYK%29_65728+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03Ezh_T4e_A/UARrR1rOgHI/AAAAAAAABNQ/LdiaP7nib1k/s320/Norm+corkscr+carbon_Download+300dpi+JPG+%28CMYK%29_65728+-+Copy.jpg" width="104" /></a><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QGuen5xY_eA/UARrLp4Q6cI/AAAAAAAABNA/poWaynQj4PY/s320/Norm+corkscrew+P+4610129_Download+300dpi+JPG+%28CMYK%29_65728+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-coIRqwmjSnU/UAhtenDs3iI/AAAAAAAABQg/us5VSFEowCI/s1600/Norm+proptr%C3%A6kker01_Download+300dpi+JPG+%28CMYK%29_45944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-coIRqwmjSnU/UAhtenDs3iI/AAAAAAAABQg/us5VSFEowCI/s320/Norm+proptr%C3%A6kker01_Download+300dpi+JPG+%28CMYK%29_45944.jpg" width="104" /></a></div>
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<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-76414924611368734172012-06-29T11:23:00.000-07:002012-06-29T11:25:11.593-07:0010 Things We Learned in Scandinavia We saw this <a href="http://blog.buildllc.com/2012/06/10-things-we-learned-in-scandinavia/" target="_blank">blog post</a> by Build LLC the other day and thought we'd share it. Enjoy!<br />
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<h2>
<a href="http://blog.buildllc.com/2012/06/10-things-we-learned-in-scandinavia/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 10 Things We Learned in Scandinavia">10 Things We Learned in Scandinavia</a></h2>
<b>By BUILD LLC</b><br />
<br />
Last week we were invited to be part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecha_Kucha" target="_blank" title="Wikipedia">Pecha Kucha</a>
#36 at the Nordic Heritage Museum in the Ballard neighborhood of
Seattle. It was a blast closing out the event and we had a ton of fun
watching the other participants; see the full roster <a href="http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/seattle/36" target="_blank" title="Pecha Kucha">here</a>. The theme was “Nordic Love” and we decided to divulge the <b>top 10 things we learned while studying in Scandinavia</b>.
Afterwards, we were thrilled that so many people asked if the
presentation would be up on the blog. So we said, “Heck yeah, we’ll put
it up.” Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<b>Intro</b><br />
In the fall of 1993 we each boarded an airplane from our respective
universities with our sights set on studying architecture in Copenhagen,
Denmark. At the time we knew very little about Denmark; we knew about
the popularity of cheese, the public acceptance of funny sweaters and
the abundance of oddly named pastries. We had no idea how influential
Scandinavia would be in our lives and our careers as architects. <br />
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<b>1. Everything can be designed.</b><br />
Everything was designed well in Scandinavia, from entire buildings right
down to glassware at the local cafe. The Danes even applied their
design skills to the hot dog bun, or pølse, as they called it. The bun
was baked with a hole perfectly sized for a hot dog (insert humorous but
harmless phallic observation here).<br />
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<b>2. Good design always trumps fashion.</b><br />
The objects that surrounded us in Denmark weren’t just well designed,
they were timeless. They were designed in such a way that you bought
something once. You used it your entire life and then handed it down to
your grandchildren. A great example of this is the famed PH5 lamp
designed by Poul Henningsen in 1925 and manufactured by Louis Poulsen.<br />
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When things are designed well, like chairs, and books, and cabinets …
you don’t need fashion. This is the Egg Chair designed by Arne Jacobsen
in 1958. Did we mention that the Scandinavians are also very skilled at
marketing?<br />
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<b>3. Modest private spaces – celebrated public spaces.</b><br />
In Scandinavia, people live modest personal lives with unpretentious,
economical homes. Energy, resources and pride are put into the public
spaces. This is one of the many courtyards along Copenhagen’s main
shopping street, the Strøget.<br />
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Locations like plazas, courtyards and mezzanines become places to gather
and celebrate the daily rituals of life. The Royal Danish Library is an
excellent example of an indoor gathering space. The new addition,
designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, was completed in 2006 and is an
extension to the original library from 1648.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>4. Public transportation needs to be the path of least resistance.</b><br />
Not only is there an excellent public transportation system in
Copenhagen, but the policies around using public transportation are also
very clever. At the time of our studies, anyone who bought an
automobile was given a train pass. Even after you had abandoned the
public transportation system the Dane’s still didn’t give up on you. The
encouragement to use public transportation was astonishing.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Copenhagen’s “five finger” transportation system reaches each of the 5
main prominent neighborhoods. Like most things Scandinavian, they’ve
taken a complex system of information and have boiled it down to an
elegant and easily understandable diagram.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Csec289-7VI/T-3vRlAkSoI/AAAAAAAABLE/FRjcm1UraWM/s1600/BUILD-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Csec289-7VI/T-3vRlAkSoI/AAAAAAAABLE/FRjcm1UraWM/s320/BUILD-08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b> </b><br />
<b>5. Personal freedom trumps rules</b>.<br />
This is the Carlsberg Brewery, where decades ago employees of the
brewery were allowed to consume six beers per day on the job
(seriously). Naturally, workers maxed out their daily limit more often
than not.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQdBP8h4VYo/T-3vbWrul7I/AAAAAAAABLM/ANShcmAD6L8/s1600/BUILD-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQdBP8h4VYo/T-3vbWrul7I/AAAAAAAABLM/ANShcmAD6L8/s320/BUILD-09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When the brewery eliminated the limit, making it possible to drink as
many beers as one liked, the number of beers consumed per employee went
down.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChBkDpIx1qk/T-3vjH9QrZI/AAAAAAAABLU/JTAU-nuEhpE/s1600/BUILD-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChBkDpIx1qk/T-3vjH9QrZI/AAAAAAAABLU/JTAU-nuEhpE/s320/BUILD-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b> </b><br />
<b>6. Being good is more important than being famous.</b><br />
The anonymity of Scandinavian designers always impressed us. Every time
you turned a corner in Denmark you found great architecture by
architects you had never heard of, architects that don’t care about
popularity.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Scandinavian’s don’t yearn to be rich, famous or published. It’s enough
just to do good work and have a good life. This is the folding chair
designed by Hans Wegner in 1949.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AY2Mdc_mX2s/T-3vyFWDeJI/AAAAAAAABLk/Sy-FoXXQEdw/s1600/BUILD-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AY2Mdc_mX2s/T-3vyFWDeJI/AAAAAAAABLk/Sy-FoXXQEdw/s320/BUILD-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>7. Lower your expectations and you’ll be happier.</b><br />
The Scandinavian countries are cultures that believe they have enough; they’re happy with things just as they are.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The Dane’s do not tie their happiness to the stock market or what
they’re driving. Simple pleasures and daily routines can offer as much
joy in life as you want them to.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1jc7Ldhx48/T-3wXEq9OXI/AAAAAAAABL0/HCUHq2V3kvA/s1600/BUILD-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1jc7Ldhx48/T-3wXEq9OXI/AAAAAAAABL0/HCUHq2V3kvA/s320/BUILD-14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b> </b><br />
<b>8. Anybody can cook well.</b><br />
When we lived in Scandinavia it was all meatballs and potatoes. There
was no point in going out to eat because there wasn’t any good food. And
because no one would go out to eat, new restaurants wouldn’t open up.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Now the Scandinavians have the best restaurant in the world, <a href="http://www.noma.dk/" target="_blank">NOMA</a>.
On a typical Danish menu you can now find terms like herb emulsions,
sea foam, and foraged blueberry meringue. If the Danes can pull out of
this culinary tail spin, anybody can do it.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gpRLiC6kKnU/T-3wzMzqGuI/AAAAAAAABME/w5YxBZ14V7s/s1600/BUILD-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gpRLiC6kKnU/T-3wzMzqGuI/AAAAAAAABME/w5YxBZ14V7s/s320/BUILD-16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>9. Save the schnapps for last.</b><br />
There is etiquette to drinking in Scandinavia: you start with a beer or
two, then move onto wines with dinner and maybe an after dinner drink.
Later in the evening, Farfar heads down to the cellar to fetch a bottle
of that schnapps he made a few summers ago. This is an ancient drink for
the soul; it embodies the tradition, the beliefs and the happiness of
an entire culture.<br />
<br />
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<br />
There is a social significance of sharing drink; it happens with good
people around a table of food and stories and wine stains. It can’t be
bought, it can’t be acted out, and it can’t be found on Facebook.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wMXECd0iKo8/T-3xYpCZGOI/AAAAAAAABMU/lIKCY-p1EZc/s1600/BUILD-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wMXECd0iKo8/T-3xYpCZGOI/AAAAAAAABMU/lIKCY-p1EZc/s320/BUILD-18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b> </b><br />
<b>10. We all need more hyggelig</b>.<br />
The Danes have a word, hyggelig, that doesn’t even translate in the
English language because we don’t have enough of it. Its closest
relative is “cozy” but even that doesn’t come close to encompassing
everything that hyggelig embodies. It’s about a calm, comfortable
surrounding with good friends or loved ones, often while enjoying good
food and drink. And it’s something we all need more of.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GHI6BPcaq3c/T-3xwTc1IXI/AAAAAAAABMs/w9B2nAA6zCY/s1600/BUILD-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GHI6BPcaq3c/T-3xwTc1IXI/AAAAAAAABMs/w9B2nAA6zCY/s320/BUILD-20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-87050380506979478512012-06-20T09:01:00.002-07:002012-06-29T11:42:49.923-07:00The Pursuit of Happiness<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Below is a <a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/9104c45a-a9af-11e1-a6a7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1xLv" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the relationship between design and happiness by Kate Watson-Smyth from FT.com that we found interesting.<br />
<h1>
The pursuit of happiness</h1>
<div class="byline ">
<span>By Kate Watson-Smyth</span></div>
<br />
Can good design in the home actually improve your life? The Danish think so
<span class="firstletter"></span><br />
<span class="firstletter"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="firstletter">C</span>openhagen
regularly features on lists of cities that offer the best quality of
life. It is also hailed as one of the most environmentally friendly
places to live; its harbour is safe for swimming and 55 per cent of its
citizens commute to work by bicycle. In this year’s OECD global
happiness survey, the Danes were ranked as the happiest people on the
planet.</div>
Although the reasons for this national contentment are a matter of
debate, many say it has to do with the Danish belief that good interior
design improves people’s lives. And Danish homes, from traditional
townhouses to sleek studio apartments, reflect this philosophy.<br />
<br />
Interiors
are typically clean and minimalist: white walls and floorboards provide
a structural, almost architectural backdrop to simple, utilitarian
furniture. The color palette is monochrome and muted, with perhaps a
single splash of color from a lamp, cushion or chair. The curtains, if
indeed there are any, are white and open. And every house is full of
candles – a Danish obsession, which helps provide <i>hygge </i>(loosely translated as atmosphere or comfort), the state to which every Danish home aspires.<br />
<br />
This distinct approach to interiors dates back to the years following
the second world war, when architects and designers promoted the idea
that affordable, high-quality furniture would enable the average Dane to
live better. That view still holds true today, more than 60 years on,
and their simple and uncluttered homes are admired around the world.<br />
<br />
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Index: Design to Improve
Life, a non-profit organization that promotes the idea that interior
design is a decisive factor in creating a better world. Established in
Denmark, it is now internationally recognized and offers the world’s
largest monetary prize for design at €500,000.<br />
<br />
<div class="fullstoryImage fullstoryImageRight inline">
<span class="story-image"><img alt="Danish tiered chandelier" src="http://im.media.ft.com/content/images/03ce7140-b066-11e1-a79b-00144feabdc0.img" style="width: 267px;" /></span><br />
<div class="caption" style="width: 267px;">
Modern Danish tiered chandelier, $1,275, www.1stdibs.com<br />
<br />
</div>
</div>
Today
there are 400 furniture companies in Denmark producing about €1.75bn
worth of goods, of which 80 per cent are sold abroad, making homewares
the country’s fifth most important export industry. Much of this
furniture is still influenced by those original designers such as Arne
Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Verner Panton and Poul Henningsen.<br />
<br />
Their work, also known as Danish Modern, is based on the minimalist
principles of the German Bauhaus movement. The lines are simple and
every element of every piece is there for a reason. The old adage that
“form follows function” is rewritten in Danish design, where the two are
of equal importance. As a result of this attention to detail, many
original designs, such as Jacobsen’s Egg and Swan chairs, Wegner’s
Wishbone chair and Henningsen’s Artichoke light, remain in production
today and continue to be in high demand.<br />
Mads Johansen and Antonio Scaffidi were both trained at the Danish
Design School in Copenhagen. Their latest product, the Njord chair for
Kusch+Co, was shown in the UK for the first time at Clerkenwell Design
Week last month. Both acknowledge a debt to what Scaffidi calls the “old
masters and their attention to detail”.<br />
<br />
“It is a nice challenge that we have to live up to,” says Johansen.
“In that sense we are blessed that we have been given this insight. I
think it must be harder for designers in other countries because they do
not have the benefit of being around this culture of design.”<br />
<br />
<div class="fullstoryImage fullstoryImageHybrid inline">
<span class="story-image"><img alt="Danish interiors" src="http://im.media.ft.com/content/images/04dfab26-b066-11e1-a79b-00144feabdc0.img" style="width: 566px;" /></span><br />
<div class="caption" style="width: 566px;">
<br />
From
left: Bentwood floor lamp by Caprani Light, $550, vandm.com; mirror
sculptures rug designed by Verner Panton, £1,465 for 2m x 3m,
www.iconsofdenmark.dk; coffee table, €325, www.room-of-art.de; teak and
oak chair by Finn Juhl, $7,735, www.fkgallery.com; big drop grey and
dash coral 45cm x 45cm square cushions designed by RosenbergCph, €54,
www.rosenbergcph.dk; Finn Juhl Poeten two-seater sofa, $11,000, www.greatdanefurniture.com; gateleg table by Kurt Ostervig, £2,089,
www.matzform.com</div>
</div>
<br />
Marianne Brandi, creative director of the leading Danish design
house, DAY Home, believes the Danes are so used to good furniture that
they take it for granted. In primary schools, for example, children sit
on Fritz Hansen chairs and Poul Henningsen lamps illuminate hospital
foyers.<br />
<br />
“My father’s office had Poul Henningsen lamps over every desk,” says
Brandi. “They were even in the toilets. When I met my husband, he had
four Arne Jacobsen chairs, but they were the same as those in my
dentist’s waiting room, so I didn’t want them in my house,” she says.<br />
<br />
<div class="fullstoryImage fullstoryImageLeft inline">
<span class="story-image"><img alt="Candle holders" src="http://im.media.ft.com/content/images/15548114-b068-11e1-a79b-00144feabdc0.img" style="width: 150px;" /></span><br />
<div class="caption" style="width: 150px;">
Candle holders, $500 www.markfrisman.com</div>
</div>
Christian
Rasmussen, head of design at Fritz Hansen, which has been manufacturing
furniture since 1872, believes that to understand Danish style you have
to first look at the structure of the country.<br />
<br />
“Our society is based on a very traditional democracy,” he says. “We
have free education, free hospitals and health care. We don’t have
extremes of class like you find elsewhere in Europe, and that is
reflected in our approach to design. Furniture was built to last because
we couldn’t afford to go and buy another piece next year, and that idea
is firmly planted in the heads of our designers. Materials are treated
with respect, and there is always a good reason for why a piece looks
the way it does.” <br />
But, he adds, the climate also plays an important role in their style.<br />
<br />
“Our winters are long and dark and we keep the walls white because we
need to bring in as much light as possible,” says Rasmussen. “People
spend a lot of time and energy on their homes because it is our way of
showing who we are, how we live and what we believe in – and we believe
absolutely that beautiful interiors make people happy.”CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-90582257502955817112012-05-31T12:02:00.000-07:002012-05-31T12:02:14.148-07:00The Educated EyeCheck out the interview with Arango's David and Marianne Russell from MetropolisMag.com<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Educated Eye</span><br />
By Paul Clemence<br />
<br />
On a grey Tuesday afternoon, as ICFF exhibitors and attendees prepared
to depart the confines of the Jacob Javits Convention Center after the
latest edition of the design fair, I went to Carroll Gardens in
Brooklyn. There I sat down with Marianne and David Russell at the airy,
light filled indoor patio of Le Petit Cafe to catch up with the design
retail duo, principals at Miami’s iconic design store Arango. This year,
during the fair, I was busy with my video project screening at the
Boffo Showhouse and attending parallel events outside the fair, so I had
seen very little of the fair’s new design offerings. Their refined,
educated, and experienced eyes, lead me to ask Marianne and David to
tell me what I missed. Here are 5 highlights of what they saw and what
they had to say about them. The words are Marianne’s:<br />
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<ol>
<li>One piece that stood out in simple sculptural form was the Plateau
Chair designed by Danish designer Erik Magnussen. This is a comfortable
lounge chair and work chair, with a high back perfect for relaxing and
TV watching, while the right armrest is designed to hold a cup, glass,
iPad, book, or laptop. Plateau Chair was awarded the prestigious Red Dot
Award in 2011 when it was first introduced in Europe. We were impressed
by the quality and workmanship. Each chair’s upholstery is
hand-stitched in the same manner as the Egg chair. The Plateau Chair is
the best example of an elegant and personal design.</li>
</ol>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B81g15JwmCw/T8e9yyucg4I/AAAAAAAABIQ/-QZUHlkYYn8/s1600/2.Circa-pic-535x346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B81g15JwmCw/T8e9yyucg4I/AAAAAAAABIQ/-QZUHlkYYn8/s1600/2.Circa-pic-535x346.jpg" /></a></div>
Lighting was the most interesting category this year, with LED
technology generating stimulating new design concepts. Pablo’s Circa
Lamp, one of several using flat panel LED light source, was unique in
its design allowing the panel to pivot to direct the light where needed,
and giving a warm balanced ambient light.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OMlxOF9aEc/T8e913pICkI/AAAAAAAABIY/ESWxZBf6j6c/s1600/3-WC-Line-535x428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OMlxOF9aEc/T8e913pICkI/AAAAAAAABIY/ESWxZBf6j6c/s320/3-WC-Line-535x428.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Events and exhibitions outside the fair were even more interesting, with
great finds. Down the street from Javits, at Wanted Design, we ventured
into the stand of the American manufacturer Kontextur. They were
introducing a new WC Line of bathroom accessories, designed by Josh
Owen, made of durable sanitary silicone and tanoak. The most beautiful, I
may even say poetic, piece being the tissue box cover; all pieces from
plunger, toilet brush, to waste bin are available in pure white, black,
and terracotta red.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Also at Wanted Design, Josh Owen was presenting “Metaproject 02,” an
impressive exhibition of work by students from Rochester Institute of
Technology (RIT). Glass designers were paired with industrial design
students in projects utilizing recycled glass. Of the many interesting
solutions we enjoyed was “The Receiver” by August Kawski—an object
derived from the constant cultural clash between technology and
community. The Receiver, a large round glass dome with a handle cast in
form of a classic Dreyfuss handset, is intended to hold and mute mobile
phones during social gatherings, leaving everyone free of distractions
and able to interact with one another. A beautiful frosted glass
prototype was on display.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--QEVbmDVxZU/T8e99ApgwdI/AAAAAAAABIo/kODJDf7V_MM/s1600/5-vtray-w-appls-p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--QEVbmDVxZU/T8e99ApgwdI/AAAAAAAABIo/kODJDf7V_MM/s1600/5-vtray-w-appls-p1.jpg" /></a></div>
In Soho we went to Alessi to see the results of “Metal Workshop:
Cranbrook for Alessi.” An exhibition of prototypes from a collaboration
of a mixed group of recent graduates from the 3D Design and Metals
program at Cranbrook Academy of Art, working together for a week in the
metal shop to explore techniques and forms, which might later translate
into Alessi products. Presented were four pieces selected for
production. Our favorite was VTray designed by Adam Shirley.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0YngF1wqDDE/T8e9_yByAQI/AAAAAAAABIw/d30VOr9FCP4/s1600/6-VTray-11-535x389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0YngF1wqDDE/T8e9_yByAQI/AAAAAAAABIw/d30VOr9FCP4/s320/6-VTray-11-535x389.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A stunning piece of highly polished stainless steel, about 16” long,
folded in a repeated V profile with separate clear acrylic elements
fitting into the folds. A perfect tray for fruit, cheese and crackers,
crudités and condiments, also great in the office for paper and pens,
paperclips and note cards, or in the bathroom for Q-tips, soaps, and
small towels. This well-thought-out product is sure to be a commercial
success.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nnQUUs58fcg/T8e-DFmLZKI/AAAAAAAABI4/alxPuNhveXs/s1600/7-Interior-of-Arango-Dadeland-Mall-Miami2-535x413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nnQUUs58fcg/T8e-DFmLZKI/AAAAAAAABI4/alxPuNhveXs/s320/7-Interior-of-Arango-Dadeland-Mall-Miami2-535x413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
To comb through the array of new products and designs offered each year
is no easy task. It takes a well trained eye, like David’s and
Marianne’s, to go over countless stands and showrooms in search of items
that are not just “cool,” or “pretty,” but that actually have the
function and price that can make it into potentially a new design
classic. After doing so many fairs, here and abroad, and successfully
carrying Judith Arango’s legacy into today’s highly competitive design
consumers’ market, it is safe to say that the Russells know a thing or
two about how to select product. The items highlighted here, other than
‘The Receiver’ which is a study project, are sure bets and will be in
their Miami store this Fall.<br />
<br />
Paul Clemence, MetropolisMag.com <br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-30031377007566899112012-05-25T13:35:00.000-07:002012-05-25T13:35:05.688-07:00Welcome to the Era of DesignAll businesses, no matter what they make or sell, should recognize the power and financial value of good design.
<br />
Obviously, there are many different types of design: graphic, brand,
packaging, product, process, interior, interaction/user experience, Web
and service design, to name but a few.<br />
<br />
In this post, I am referring to design as a broad and deliberately
applied discipline, with the aim of creating simpler, more meaningful,
rewarding experiences for customers.<br />
<br />
You see, expecting great design is no longer the preserve of a picky
design-obsessed urban elite—that aesthetically sensitive clique who‘d
never dare leave the house without their Philippe Starck eyewear and
turtleneck sweaters and buy only the <em>right </em>kind of Scandinavian
furniture. Instead, there’s a new, mass expectation of good design:
that products and services will be better thought through, simplified,
made more intuitive, elegant and more enjoyable to use.<br />
<br />
Design has finally become democratized, and we marketers find
ourselves with new standards to meet in this new “era of design.” To
illustrate, Apple, the epitome of a design-led organization, now has a
market capitalization of $570 billion, larger than the GDP of
Switzerland. Its revenue is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-apples-business-that-will-blow-your-mind-2012-1#apples-revenue-is-now-double-microsofts-46-billion-versus-209-billion-3#ixzz1tFoUwH8A" target="_blank"><em>double</em> </a>Microsoft’s,
a similar type of technology organization but one not truly led by
design (just compare Microsoft Windows with Apple’s Lion operating
system).<br />
<br />
Every day my Twitter feed populates with astounding growth facts
about the likes of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Pinterest and the more
recent travel site, AirBnB. It is no coincidence that these successful
brands seem to really value design and utilize it to secure a
competitive advantage.<br />
<br />
Even the UK government has issued its “design principles,” naturally on a clean, easy-to-navigate <a href="https://www.gov.uk/designprinciples" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
But why have people become so design sensitive? Why does that credit card mailer look <em>so</em>
bad and dated now? Why can’t you access my account details? Why does
airport signage seem so unhelpful? Why doesn’t that technology plug and
play?<br />
<br />
Perhaps Apple’s global dominance has elevated our design
expectations, or Ikea’s vision to bring great design at affordable
prices to everyone on the planet has finally taken effect, or perhaps
the Internet has taught us what well-designed user experiences and good
design really are. Likely, it is a combination of all.<br />
What is certain is that the design bar has been raised and design-oriented businesses are winning.<br />
<br />
Think how swiftly and strongly a design experience shapes our opinion
of that brand, company or store, for good or bad. For instance, we know
quickly when a website is <em>bad. </em>And we associate that feeling of frustration, or worse, disappointment with that brand.<br />
<br />
Design-oriented organizations invest in thinking this stuff through.
They put design at the heart of their company to guide innovation and to
continually improve products, service and marketing. They recognize
that a great design leads to differentiation, customer loyalty and
higher profits.<br />
<br />
First Direct, a UK bank, has designed all its service touchpoints so
carefully that it has become the most referred financial brand in the
UK, with over 82 percent of customers happy to recommend it to friends.
It’s a joy to use via any channel, and despite being a bank, I’d happily
recommend it.<br />
<br />
When you buy Apple Care, instead of receiving the standard bland
letter or email, you receive a nicely designed box containing the
paperwork, guidance and all the information you need. You have
questions? No problem. There are clear user diagrams and a simple
section on the website to help you.<br />
<br />
The impact on brand is that customers see these brands as both
progressive and customer-centric.<br />
<br />
Thoughtful and innovative design makes
us feel good. It is no surprise that we are happy to advocate them,
talk about them in social media and can be fiercely brand loyal.<br />
<br />
As Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, once said, “A brand is a
living entity—and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time,
the product of a thousand small gestures.” That thinking still holds
true, but it all happens a lot faster now. Thanks to the Internet and a
hyperconnected, social-media-fueled society, brands can be instantly
undermined and that experience shared with millions.<br />
<br />
So this is a call to action for executives to recognize this new era
and make the effort to transform even a mundane product or service into
something more rewarding and more memorable. Try to assess each element
of your service or product and better it—to see design not just as a
marketing <em>thing</em> but as a genuine source of competitive advantage, customer and employee satisfaction and, lastly, a route to higher profits.<br />
<br />
<cite class="user_block type_inline_block"><span class="attach_user_popup user_popup_initialized" data-user-id="" data-user-json="" style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><span>
<a class="user" href="http://blogs.forbes.com/gyro/">Adam Swann</a><span class="desc">, gyro, Forbes.com</span>
</span></span></cite><br />
Adam Swann is head of strategy at <a href="http://www.gyro.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gyro</a> New York<br />
<br />
<cite class="user_block type_inline_block"><span class="attach_user_popup user_popup_initialized" data-user-id="" data-user-json="" style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><span> <span class="desc"></span>
</span></span></cite>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-66475895733719512122012-05-22T13:25:00.001-07:002012-05-22T13:25:24.911-07:00World’s Best Museum Gift Shops By By Karina Martinez-Carter<span class="blog-text">Putting in the time to peruse stands at local
markets can certainly unearth some winning on-the-road finds, though it
often seems that most vendors are selling the same forgettable
tchotchkes. The best place to search out memorable, quality items tied
to your travels is oftentimes found in museum gift shops. Since you
likely already plan to wander the halls of a local museum or two,
tacking on a stop in the gift shop could easily take care of your
souvenir needs in one easy shot. You’ll definitely want to spend a bit
of time—and money—in our five favorite museum gift shops, outlined
below. </span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ehi-LAEZXU/T7v1EVq8XMI/AAAAAAAABHg/gtf6UXBB--U/s1600/Chicago-Museum-of-Contemporary-Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ehi-LAEZXU/T7v1EVq8XMI/AAAAAAAABHg/gtf6UXBB--U/s320/Chicago-Museum-of-Contemporary-Art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="blog-text"></span><span class="blog-text"></span><br />
<em>Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago</em><br />
The <a href="http://mcachicagostore.org/" target="_blank">MCA Store</a>
is a bona fide toy store for the art- and design-loving adult searching
for interesting contemporary items to wear, play with, or display.
Merchandise spans categories such as apparel, art objects, and home
goods, and invites hours of fascinating playtime. Many of the objects
and books for sale relate to current and past contemporary artists on
exhibition, such as <a href="http://www.mcachicagostore.org/main/browse_subcat.php?c_select=7&sub=3" target="_blank">whimsical mobiles</a> evocative of Alexander Calder or <a href="http://www.mcachicagostore.org/main/item_detail.php?pid=2563&cat=7&sub=2" target="_blank">Frank Kozic plush toys</a>. For good measure, other goods pay homage to the museum’s home base of Chicago, such as the <a href="http://www.mcachicagostore.org/main/item_detail.php?pid=2809&cat=8" target="_blank">Chicago baseball</a>.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IshmJ_MemFo/T7v07WCeJWI/AAAAAAAABHQ/XDPyUoLBuEQ/s1600/London-Design-Museum-Shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IshmJ_MemFo/T7v07WCeJWI/AAAAAAAABHQ/XDPyUoLBuEQ/s320/London-Design-Museum-Shop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="blog-text"></span><span class="blog-text"></span><br />
<em>Design Museum, London</em><br />
The <a href="http://designmuseumshop.com/catalogue/desktop-stationery" target="_blank">Design Museum Shop</a>
can practically be considered another section of the museum itself. The
staff is thoughtful and discerning in its selection process for the
merchandise they put out, and the many up-and-coming designers behind
it. For those who particularly enjoyed an exhibit or featured artist,
the shop always has some related merchandise, be it books, screen
prints, or replicas of actual items, like this <a href="http://designmuseumshop.com/exhibitions/previous/this-is-design/new-objectivity-stool" target="_blank">New Objectivity Stool</a>. The museum also secures and sells a number of exclusive items, such as these sassy <a href="http://designmuseumshop.com/themes/exclusive" target="_blank">State of the Obvious</a> accessories and office supplies. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NCCT-WaV3BM/T7v0wIzRJyI/AAAAAAAABHI/aqc8U8xzOO4/s1600/New-York-City-MoMa-Design-Store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NCCT-WaV3BM/T7v0wIzRJyI/AAAAAAAABHI/aqc8U8xzOO4/s320/New-York-City-MoMa-Design-Store.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="blog-text"></span><em>Museum of Modern Art, New York City</em><span class="blog-text">
</span><br />
The <a href="http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/StoreCatalogDisplay_-1_10001_10451_" target="_blank">MoMA Design Store</a>
is such a standalone attraction it has even branched off with
additional storefronts throughout New York City (plus, its one
international locale is located halfway across the world in Tokyo).
International big-name designers and budding talent have their wares up
for sale here, including New York resident and jewelry designer Alexis
Bittar and Italian architect and designer Mario Bellini. For memorable
and creative holiday gifts, the MoMA Store is a one-stop shop, and staff
even introduce seasonal decorative items for the occasion. <br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zlX92qcxKeg/T7v0gmCB1CI/AAAAAAAABHA/OATxMj4xkx8/s1600/Barcelona-Museu-D-Historia-Catalunya-Store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zlX92qcxKeg/T7v0gmCB1CI/AAAAAAAABHA/OATxMj4xkx8/s320/Barcelona-Museu-D-Historia-Catalunya-Store.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="blog-text"></span><em>Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris</em><span class="blog-text">
</span><br />
This decorative arts and design museum, as well as its accompanying shop <a href="http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/english-439/107rivoli-the-boutique/" target="_blank">107 Rivoli</a>, are located in the western wing of the <a href="http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/france/paris/review-111758.html">Louvre</a>.
"Gift shop" is an unfitting term for 107 Rivoli, which is billed
instead as a proper boutique. Designer Bruno Moinard was put to work on
the four-part space, which includes sections for books, jewelry, and
design objects of both bygone eras and contemporary times. A little
slice of French and Parisian glam are on full display<br />
and available for
purchase here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1RzlGefODTg/T7v0bYs1CEI/AAAAAAAABG4/wLAQZCZsWys/s1600/Paris-Musee-Des-Arts-Decoratifs-Store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1RzlGefODTg/T7v0bYs1CEI/AAAAAAAABG4/wLAQZCZsWys/s320/Paris-Musee-Des-Arts-Decoratifs-Store.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<em>Museu d'Història de Catalunya, Barcelona</em><span class="blog-text">
</span><br />
Catalonia has a character entirely its own. This museum in Barcelona,
Catalonia’s capital, chronicles the history of the unique state and has
a <a href="http://www.en.mhcat.net/mhc/visitor_information/museum_s_bookshop" target="_blank">gift shop</a>
to match that singularity. Though it might seem ho-hum and book-heavy
at first glance, display cases hold delicate jewelry pieces at varying
price points from local artists, and smaller items like artistic
postcards featuring impressive photography, as well as other mementos
that incorporate the art and style of Barcelona. To brush up on the
history of the region, a multitude of books fill the shelves; varying in
genre and length, they're all related to Catalonia or its capital city.<br />
<br />
<span class="blog-text"><em>By Karina Martinez-Carter, Fodor's</em></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-83953201893416722632012-05-10T11:13:00.002-07:002012-05-10T11:13:30.436-07:00Danish Restaurant Ranked World's Best for 3rd YearA menu of lichen, pine needles and hay once again has trumped classic cuisines in a ranking of the world's top restaurants.<br />
<br />
For a third consecutive year, chef Rene Redzepi's diminutive but
innovative Danish restaurant Noma earned the top spot in Restaurant
magazine's annual S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards,
announced Monday in London.<br />
<br />
Redzepi cooks with a meticulous focus on indigenous ingredients, from
moss and snails to sloe berries and unripe plums. Since it opened in
2004, the Copenhagen restaurant has been credited with redefining Nordic
cooking and gets thousands of reservation requests a day. The current
menu includes items such as "Cauliflower and pine" and "Pear tree!"<br />
<br />
The list's second- and third-place restaurants also remained unchanged
from the 2011 list. Spain's El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, and
Mugaritz, in San Sebastian, once again were ranked Nos. 2 and 3. Also
placing from Spain was Arzak, in San Sebastian, at No. 8.<br />
<br />
The United States had three restaurants in the top 10, with Thomas
Keller's Per Se in New York leading at No. 6 (moving up from the No. 10
spot last year). Alinea, Grant Achatz' ode to molecular gastronomy in
Chicago, fell one spot to No. 7 in this year's ranking. Daniel Humm's
Eleven Madison Park in New York shot up from No. 24 last year to tenth
place this year.<br />
<br />
Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck, London's nod to the molecular
gastronomy movement, fell from fifth place to No. 13. But Blumenthal
remained in the top 10 with his recently opened Dinner by Heston
Blumenthal, also in London, going straight to No. 9.<br />
<br />
Other U.S. restaurants to place in the top 50 include: Le Bernardin in
New York (No. 19), Daniel Boulud's Daniel in New York (No. 25), David
Chang's Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York (No. 37), Keller's The French
Laundry in Yountville, Calif. (No. 43), and David Kinch's Manresa in Los
Gatos, Calif. (No. 48).<br />
<br />
The Top 10:<br />
1 — Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark<br />
2 — El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain<br />
3 — Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain<br />
4 — D.O.M., Sao Paolo, Brazil<br />
5 — Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy<br />
6 — Per Se, New York, United States<br />
7 — Alinea, Chicago, United States<br />
8 — Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain<br />
9 — Dinner by Heston Blumentahl, London, Britain<br />
10 — Eleven Madison Park, New York, United State<br />
<br />
<div class="byline_date">
<div class="byline_date_inner" style="width: 485px;">
<div class="byline">
ABC News, By J.M. HIRSCH, AP Food Editor
</div>
<div class="date">
April 30, 2012 (AP)</div>
<div class="date">
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/danish-restaurant-ranked-worlds-best-3rd-year-16246038#.T6wDrpiiaSp</div>
</div>
</div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-43794228525284285752012-04-26T15:18:00.002-07:002012-04-26T15:18:31.199-07:009 Principles For Great Branding By Design - By Mark McNeilly<ol>
<li><strong>Branding and design are, to a large extent, inseparable.</strong>
"A brand is not your logo or ID system," says Brunner. "It's a gut
feeling people have about you. When two or more people have the same
feeling, you have a brand. You get that feeling via smart design, which
creates the experiences people have with the brand. Everything you do
creates the brand experience, ergo design IS your brand."</li>
<li><strong>If design is the brand, stop thinking of branding and design as distinct disciplines.</strong>
"It's all about integrating design and brand," says Doucet. "We need to
cease thinking of them as different disciplines. The essence of the
Apple brand comes through its design. Take the logo off a BMW and you
still know it's a BMW."</li>
<li><strong>Brands need to create an emotional relationship with people.</strong>
"We are all emotional beings and we have emotional relationships with
brands we trust," says Brunner. "Designers need to make that happen. A
designer must take the values and assets of a company and transform
them in a special way that connects with people emotionally."</li>
<li><strong>Designers need to "get" the essence of the brand.</strong>
"For designers to build a great brand, they have to understand it,"
Hill points out. "You need to understand its history, its values, and
what it means to people. Can you imagine designing the latent Jeep
without understanding the brand archetype of what it means for a product
to be a Jeep?"</li>
<li><strong>Design needs to be strategic from the outset.</strong>
"For design to have a major impact, it's got to get involved at the
strategic level," said Hill. "It can't be an afterthought or superficial
trappings to be put on post product creation. Samsung's brand became
powerful only after they put a Chief Design Officer in place and made it
a priority for the company."</li>
<li><strong>Integrate design early in the process to drive innovation and create solutions. </strong>"Good
designers approach design as an opportunity to ask questions," says
Doucet. "Solution generation starts by questioning initial assumptions.
Rather than ask myself 'How should I design Widget X?' I need to be
asking 'Do we really need Widget X or is there a better solution to this
customer problem? So a designer needs be there at the beginning and be
connected to the decision-makers. For example, at Braun, Dieter Rams sat
across from the owner of the company."</li>
<li><strong>Don't overdesign.</strong>
"With the increasing emphasis on design in the world today, it's
important to avoid the 'over-designed syndrome,'" says Hill. "A simple,
well-thought-through, authentic design is often the best. Everything
doesn't need to be redesigned; sometimes what we have in hand is better
than what we seek. It's not all about being different; it's about being
better. If Levi Strauss wanted me to redesign the patch on the back of
their jeans, I would look in their archives for the original."</li>
<li><strong>Use design to continually reinvent the brand.</strong>
"Some folks think they know branding," says Doucet. "Figured it out
long ago. 'Hi. I'm someone you'll like. You'll know it's me because I
always wear a red polo shirt (pantone 185 to be exact) with blue pants
and a yellow belt.' You can't think that way today. Brands need to allow
themselves to constantly update, and be much more fluid. Look at
Google; they morph their logo for special occasions. Constant change is a
big part of who they are."</li>
<li><strong>Use design to make a difference.</strong>
"Design can make a difference in how we live," says Brunner. "Take
sustainability. A lot of what is done in that area is 'making bad,
better.' We're taking wasteful things and seeing how we can make them
not so bad. We need to start thinking about how we can use our design
tools to encourage people to change. You do that by making 'doing
better' also be fun, interesting and (importantly) the path of least
resistance. And you do it in an encouraging, not controlling, way.
Design needs to do that in order to reach a larger audience than just
the small group that is socially driven.</li>
</ol>
<cite>-Blogger <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/user/344361" title="View user profile.">Mark McNeilly</a>, Fast Company </cite>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-47174054099424323462012-02-28T15:26:00.008-08:002012-02-28T15:33:32.996-08:00January 2012 New York International Gift ShowIn case you missed the New York Gift Show this January, please see images of the Menu booth below.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fy9uwPvbHwY/T01jxAeCI_I/AAAAAAAABCo/o3DgZvlbeVw/s1600/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fy9uwPvbHwY/T01jxAeCI_I/AAAAAAAABCo/o3DgZvlbeVw/s400/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714333195793736690" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xhG1Yc7pYCk/T01j4juhIaI/AAAAAAAABC0/ViMMGPzfjkU/s1600/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xhG1Yc7pYCk/T01j4juhIaI/AAAAAAAABC0/ViMMGPzfjkU/s400/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714333325517201826" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcDZ9_xVbZM/T01jm7_aA_I/AAAAAAAABCc/N2gWLu4nQXc/s1600/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcDZ9_xVbZM/T01jm7_aA_I/AAAAAAAABCc/N2gWLu4nQXc/s400/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714333022792844274" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QAoW5DNzRuE/T01je_JpUoI/AAAAAAAABCQ/6yFQvbxIcgE/s1600/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QAoW5DNzRuE/T01je_JpUoI/AAAAAAAABCQ/6yFQvbxIcgE/s400/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714332886202143362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3L481TjNTk/T01jNkqOEJI/AAAAAAAABB4/XJvyhR-AdMk/s1600/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3L481TjNTk/T01jNkqOEJI/AAAAAAAABB4/XJvyhR-AdMk/s400/New%2BYork%2BGift%2BFair%2B-%2BFeb.%2B2012%2B008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714332587033235602" border="0" /></a>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-90102686406226463392011-12-21T22:22:00.000-08:002011-12-21T22:23:05.770-08:00Menu Wine Breather Featured on The Today Show<p class="MsoNormal"><span ><span style="font-size: 11pt; "><a title="blocked::http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/ns/today-kathie_lee_and_hoda/#45738249" href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/ns/today-kathie_lee_and_hoda/#45738249">http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/ns/today-kathie_lee_and_hoda/#45738249</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-31572575952754908822011-11-04T12:54:00.000-07:002011-11-04T13:20:54.507-07:00Danish Restaurant Aamanns-Copenhagen Features MenuDanish restaurant Aamanns-Copenhagen recently opened a New York City location in Tribeca. Treat yourself to a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich and catch a glimpse of some Menu top-sellers in their element. The restaurant is using the <a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=10&prod=4680069">Menu Wine Breather Carafe</a>, <a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=17&prod=4530229">Norm Thermo Cups</a>, Menu Wave Glasses and <a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=12&prod=4448339">Menu Red Trivet Propeller</a> in their kitchen and the <a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=13&prod=5306059">Menu Lighthouse Oil Lamps </a>to help create a unique ambience in the dining area.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-whmRUfWsKr4/TrRIZu3smBI/AAAAAAAABAU/HNiYQssRJKo/s1600/winebreatheraamanns.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671237437681866770" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-whmRUfWsKr4/TrRIZu3smBI/AAAAAAAABAU/HNiYQssRJKo/s400/winebreatheraamanns.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CzH3b_DtrtE/TrRIhgPVG3I/AAAAAAAABAg/MY5MnQt8WE0/s1600/AamannsBoth.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 298px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671237571193412466" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CzH3b_DtrtE/TrRIhgPVG3I/AAAAAAAABAg/MY5MnQt8WE0/s400/AamannsBoth.jpg" /></a></div></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-3792115039038643932011-08-31T11:44:00.000-07:002011-09-11T17:13:29.982-07:00NYIGF Fall 2011 Top 10In case you missed our booth at the New York International Gift Fair, here are the Top 10 Fall 2011 products.<br /><br />Download press releases <a href="http://creativedanes.com/press/?c=releases">here.</a><br />Please e-mail <a href="mailto:julie@creativedanes.com">julie@creativedanes.com</a> for high res images.<br /><br />1. Menu Cool Breather Carafe<br /><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=10&prod=4680089"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 153px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647105154777103554" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gdJsENVx1A/Tl6MN_fEPMI/AAAAAAAAA_4/r1JN-PK0eyU/s400/4680089%2BCoolbreather_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26550.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>2. Color Double Candleholder</div><div><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=5&prod=4743330"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 340px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647104687751248754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLWUIZxt2RY/Tl6LyzrbO3I/AAAAAAAAA_o/jaN7TQ8JVYU/s400/Doub%2Bcandh%2Bgroup_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26552.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>3. Bottle Grinder Set, Small</div><div><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=17&prod=4418399"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 179px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647104381967342434" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6SiQ_iAfcmY/Tl6LhAi3G2I/AAAAAAAAA_g/dUZhnv37q0A/s400/bott%2Bgrind%2B20%2Bset%2BB%2B4418399.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>4. Menu Wineset</div><div><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=10&prod=4657199"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 264px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647104000832256002" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZY8fEi8lnY/Tl6LK0tLOAI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/MC40ZE7vcv4/s400/Vign%2Bcorks%2Bdekant%2BE%2B4657199.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>5. Menu Water Jug, Color & Stainless Steel</div><div><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=10&prod=4662459"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 219px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647096799401274658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuCQxypYGFo/Tl6EnpSO7SI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/WY8I36rfd2M/s400/Watcaraf%2Bsteel%2B08_POS%25231756B_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26552.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>6. Menu TWOgether Candleholder</div><div><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=5&prod=4743099"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 156px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647095785939150834" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vq3XJvsrEPo/Tl6Dsp2CJ_I/AAAAAAAAA_I/eHe-GYsPTYc/s400/Twogether%2BE%2B02%2B4743099_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26552.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>7. Menu Viitri Storage Glasses</div><div><br /><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=12&prod=5014949"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 337px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647095138464370946" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WfZj2NxEgG4/Tl6DG90BEQI/AAAAAAAAA-4/4Vz-sUZlnk4/s400/90078X_Viitri_storage%2523E1691_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26550.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><br /></div><div>8. Menu Howdy Owls</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFe8nDdVNNI/Tl6C8guKNFI/AAAAAAAAA-w/ogvVcOFv9zI/s1600/Howdy%2Bowl%2BL%2BM%2BS%2B6500%2523395ADE_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26552.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647094958856483922" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFe8nDdVNNI/Tl6C8guKNFI/AAAAAAAAA-w/ogvVcOFv9zI/s400/Howdy%2Bowl%2BL%2BM%2BS%2B6500%2523395ADE_Download%2B300dpi%2BJPG%2B%2528CMYK%2529_26552.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>9. Menu Pipe Tealight Huuricane</div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=28&prod=4744119"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647094722244719778" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PgJGaT092jQ/Tl6CuvRhNKI/AAAAAAAAA-o/AoDd97LUFrE/s400/candleholder_in_wood.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>10. Bird Feeder</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/?cat=28&prod=7400019"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 283px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647094368721813378" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RxA2Hhawaxg/Tl6CaKTFv4I/AAAAAAAAA-g/ovnprVGLncQ/s400/Bird%2Bfeeder%2B7400019.jpg" /></a> </div></div></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-55272116410858158262011-08-25T15:47:00.000-07:002011-08-31T11:44:03.875-07:00Fall 2011 Collection<div align="center">Please check out Menu's <a href="http://creativedanes.com/menu/">Fall 2011 Collection.
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<br />CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-78703705987925071882011-07-11T09:07:00.000-07:002011-07-11T09:17:12.172-07:008 Reasons why every e-commerce site should get serious about video<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">The truth about doing business online today is that for many companies, increasing market share requires winning customers from competitors. Using online video to build business is one tactic that has been rapidly gaining popularity in the past few years. It delivers benefits that include personalization, competitive advantage and cost-effectiveness.</p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>By using QR codes on all gift boxes and having videos available for all new items Menu is pioneering the use of video. All videos are available for download in Menus image bank:</b></span></p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><a href="http://www.menu.as/en/press">http://www.menu.as/en/press</a></strong></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><br /></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">1. Video Attracts New, Relevant Search Traffic</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">No conversation about ebusiness is complete without discussing search engine optimization (SEO). An ebusiness cannot gain on a competitor until consumers know it exists and can easily find it through organic search. Today, ebusinesses that utilize video assets are at an advantage, since Google is structuring its search engine results to reward sites that include video. According to Forrester, any given video in an index of searchable keywords has a 50 times better chance of appearing on the first page of results than any given text page.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">To better promote their video investments and derive the greatest SEO rewards, ebusinesses are making videos more accessible to visitors, scaling videos to reach long-tail keywords, and automating video production in order to have video available as soon as new products are introduced.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">2. Video Assets Can be Easily Syndicated<br /></strong>Online video is usually channel agnostic. By syndicating video properties to multiple sites — includingYouTube, the second largest search engine today — ebusinesses extend their reach to innumerable eyeballs. In addition to traditional channels, online video plays equally well via mobile networks, TV, and in-store screens. It is a cost-effective way to maintain brand consistency and strengthen consumer awareness.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">3. Videos Encourage Sharing<br /></strong>Videos are far more likely to be passed and shared than text-based pages. Additionally, a video thumbnail on a social media platform — Facebook, for example — grabs more attention than static text and often results in more comments, more “Likes,” and more traffic to the brand’s website. When you like or share a video link, a thumbnail appears on your wall and is also seen by your friends.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">According to a study from YouBrand, pictures and video within Facebook get engaged with and clicked more often than just text and questions.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">4. Video Engages Site Visitors<br /></strong>Video provides a familiar user interface for site visitors. When videos are properly produced, they captivate the user. Instead of the need to navigate, scroll and click to access information, the video is a one-stop shop for information. It takes less energy than the hassle of reading and the user is engaged until he or she is ready to follow an embedded call-to-action. Today’s automated video production platforms easily enable this flow, in many cases directing visual and auditory calls-to-action that guide the viewer to a shopping cart.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">5. Video’s “Halo Effect” Drives Conversions<br /></strong>Video can give customers an in-depth view of a product or a demonstration that quells any hesitancy they might have about purchasing online. The peace of mind the customer gains from the video seeps into the way he or she feels about the brand and website overall, building trust and credibility. This is essential to gaining market share, especially for businesses that sell products with a lot of competition.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">6. Video Increases Customer Loyalty<br /></strong>Video newsletters are more likely to attract consumer attention. By some estimates, the open rate for a video newsletter is two to three times higher than for a text-based newsletter. While many <a title="brands" href="http://kompanigroup.com/what-we-do/branding/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; ">brands</a> compete for consumer attention with the latter, those who employ the former stand out from the crowd. These video communications can be personalized for each recipient with individualized greetings, references to previously purchased items, or offers based on shopping history, geography and segmentation.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">7. Video Creates Online Personalization<br /></strong>By improving and tailoring the customer experience, online retailers in every sector have increased customer loyalty, conversion rates and average order price. The quality of online personalization continues to rise and in many cases can rival or outperform the “live” shopping experience. This is a key factor in gaining market share, since consumers increasingly shop online but still express a desire for the personal touch and the social aspects of in-person browsing.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">When prospects go to a store, they get recommendations and help from in-store staff who point them to relevant products. Video delivers this experience online, with far less variability and chance. With new technologies that offer personalized video created on-the-fly, ebusinesses can bridge the gap between live and virtual experiences.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">8. Video Production Costs Are Falling, ROI Is Rising<br /></strong>Online video clearly has an impact on competitive advantage. But is it feasible for most ebusinesses? Thanks to today’s automated video production <a title="technology" href="http://kompanigroup.com/what-we-do/technology/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; ">technology</a>, the answer is “yes.”</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">Two decades ago, the market struggled to replace the labor-intensive process of website management. Today we hardly think about the steps required to update or add web content: Images and text are now template-based, database-driven and easy to manipulate.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; ">Video production is experiencing a similar change. While many website owners once fought the limitations of manually produced videos — including slow production times and prohibitive costs — today’s solutions tend to be automated, cost effective and high quality. With relatively little human intervention, online video production can increase a business’s competitive advantage while creating a better shopping experience for the user.</p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><b>By Yaniv Axen<br />Mashables.com June 2011</b></span></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547140742283047099.post-7498579987808774142011-06-14T12:03:00.000-07:002011-06-14T12:43:45.506-07:00The Story of Scandinavian Design"This article was written by Katrin Eyporsdottir, our talented and hard-working trainee from Iceland. As a designer with background in product design, Katrin is presenting her understanding of what has influenced the works of designers from Sweden, Norway and other North-European countries as well as the key attributes that these works possess."<br />-Smashing Magazine<br /><br />"While the countries of Scandinavia have extreme differences, they do have some common cultural, geophysical and historical threads. Without implying that certain principles apply to all art and design in this area, this article gives an overview of the influences and state of art and design in the Nordic countries." Read more of The Story of Scandinavian Design: Combining Function and Aesthetics <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/06/13/the-story-of-scandinavian-design-combining-function-and-aesthetics/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SmashingMagazine+%28Smashing+Magazine%29">here.</a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>Panthella Lamp (1971) and Panton Chair (1967), by Verner Panton. (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nstop/5098770880/">Image credit</a>) </div><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GlhMIDcQrQ/Tfe1Ilg6d_I/AAAAAAAAA9E/sIU6Kn7SVm8/s1600/DanishModernExhibitVernerPanton.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618158219281725426" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GlhMIDcQrQ/Tfe1Ilg6d_I/AAAAAAAAA9E/sIU6Kn7SVm8/s400/DanishModernExhibitVernerPanton.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Interior of Stockholm Exhibition, 1930 (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34380191@N08/3606520295/">Image credit</a>)</div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfjCQ65qQcg/Tfe2m2O6zcI/AAAAAAAAA9k/JA37MF3aTKU/s1600/Interior1930StockholmExhibition.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618159838677355970" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfjCQ65qQcg/Tfe2m2O6zcI/AAAAAAAAA9k/JA37MF3aTKU/s400/Interior1930StockholmExhibition.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The staircase and furniture in Aarhus Radhus (Aarhus town hall) were designed by Arne Jacobsen and his partners between 1937 and 1942. (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2780704352/">Image credit</a>)</div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_DtIVzI3fJ8/Tfe4B5WaDeI/AAAAAAAAA90/P7p3ANvvi8I/s1600/JacobsenStaircase1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 290px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618161402882166242" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_DtIVzI3fJ8/Tfe4B5WaDeI/AAAAAAAAA90/P7p3ANvvi8I/s400/JacobsenStaircase1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IjgT696Tbfs/Tfe3J6IoK4I/AAAAAAAAA9s/7-qMNdthS1M/s1600/JacobsenStaircase1.jpg"></a><br /><br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>-Katrin Eyporsdottir, Smashing Magazine </div></div>CreativeDaneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955030412848175184noreply@blogger.com0