As those of you who hang around the internet a lot have probably noticed, design blogs these days have been chock-full of things that look digital but aren’t.
This is only natural for us young designers. We’ve grown up alongside floppy disks, keyboards, printers, pixels - and after all, designers are prone to abstracting their surroundings into decoration. And since decoration came back into style we can do basically anything we want, which is pretty sweet (just as long as it’s not floral-viney things or baroque silhouettes. Let’s all agree to not do that any more, hm?).
So let’s take a look at some examples of this trend…
This is called the “Pixel Couch” and is by a designer in the UK named Christian Zuzunaga. The designer’s website says that this is a “collaboration” with Moroso, which may or may not be true. I’m too lazy to verify, but am suspicious that it might be like if I screenprinted something on a Klippan slipcover and called it a “collaboration” with IKEA. We all know what a good resume-padder that would be. Anyway, this thing is sweet. Just look at it. I have no idea what context I would imagine this sofa in – the floor would probably have to be painted white like in this photo – but I’m going to buy it once articles like this make me rich. Until that happens, maybe those of us without budgets for Moroso haute couture can settle for this thing:
Which is the “Digital” party platter by French Bull. It is melamine and costs $18.00 from a website called “Plum Party.” Unfortunately I have no idea what “party platters” like this are used for, which probably means my lifestyle is not cut out for Moroso sofas anyway.
In case you couldn’t tell by my breathless praise for the Pixel Couch, most of the time I’m all for this trend. It’s an easy way for me to tell myself “the future is now!”, which I do basically whenever I can. That said, I’m still willing to call bullshit where appropriate. Take these, for example:
This is the “Neo Rococo” collection by Smånsk. The table is called “Jean Pape” and the other thing is called the “Haupt.” Basically, these look terrible. On their website the designers say that they wanted to “modernize the [rococo] shape itself,” rather than just make rococo-shaped things in new materials. That seems like a mission that I would support 100%. So they did this by getting themselves some original rococo blueprints, pixilating the shit out of them, then – and here’s where the problem starts – SCRAMBLING those new polygons around so they don’t recall pixels any more. Then for good measure they flipped the legs upside down. I mean, come on. Original rococo furniture was over-the-top, but it least it had proportions derived from nature – the haunches of heroic beasts and whatever. These have the proportions of knock-kneed baby horses and that obese cupboard-thing from Beauty and the Beast.
No, thank you.
By now you might be thinking that pixilation is the only way that this trend is showing up. Not so, sailor! Have a look at this here:
This is Alvin Aronson‘s d/a clock, which is made out of Corian and kicks so much ass that I almost can’t stand it. Look at it! Also, I’m friends with Alvin and he’s pretty rad. The little number segments on this clock move in and out very slowly, so the time changes are almost imperceptible. It’s also gigantic. I love everything about this. Go Alvin.
And here’s something in a similar vein:
Which is the Digimech clock by U.K. designer Duncan Shotton. The numbers are made by the sliders showing through the clock’s face at the appropriate times. Pretty clever! Even though these things probably fall out awkwardly at the end. Oh well.
Moving right along, there are also things that look like the crap we associate with digitalness, but are not digital per se. Like these:
Which are CD-r’s shaped like floppy disks. GET IT?? They are by a group of Polish designers who call themselves Baba Akcja and in real life have the totally sweet names Zosia, Monika, and Klementyna. I’m pretty sure these are/were sold in the Designboom Mart. These would have been great a few years ago, but I can’t remember the last time I actually burned a CD. How about we get on making a USB flash drive in the shape of a déjà vu? That I’ll buy.
As we can see, though, it’s the pixilated stuff that abounds. Here are some more examples:
This is a nightstand by Anton Alvarez. I can’t find any information about this (he apparently doesn’t have a website) but I can’t help but love it. It looks like it was eaten by digital termites. Rad.
Somebody’s pixilated street art in NYC.
Some pixilated leather jewelry by Mike and Maaike.
FRONT design’s cupboard with the neat rotating face.
My bedspread.
And to bring some art into the conversation, the awesome Wooden Mirror by Daniel Rozin. Yes, it does what it looks like it’s doing, and is made out of wood. I guess it could be argued that this is digital. Whatever.
So as you can see, Things That Look Digital But Aren’t is a widespread trend that shows little signs of dying down, even though you can tell it’s one of those things we’ll all ridicule at ICFF 2010. So let’s enjoy it while we can. I’ll leave you with a bonus:
I told my boyfriend that I was writing this article and he sent me this. I have absolutely no idea what it is, but there was no way I couldn’t include it. Look at it. Holy crap.
*Originally written for and posted by the lovely Sally Kuchar on sallytv.com
