The Score

Listening to:Loneliest Girl in the World, Cary Brothers
Thinking of:

Taking a cue from my past research over the last year and general observation of things around us, we're suckers for all things aesthetic! Right, I'm not going to be drawn into an argument of form follows function and how people would pick something ugly that does the job rather than something that looks good, cost of design, price paid for allegiance and all that. (Damn, seem to have a tendency for dodging these things)

We all know that there are camps who support the notion that creative design innovation is dead. No "new" product in our massive marketing arsenal is particularly new. The concepts are to address the need and desire of the modern society 50, 100, 1000 years ago. Sure, there's always the point... Why bother reinventing the wheel?

Continous updating of design to fit into the the modern life take precedence ahead of the "creation" of something totally new and original. The walkman was something new and funky, then it was updated to the discman and later minidisc players and mp3 players and whatever.

There is no argument in this post, as there really isn't a solution or definite right or wrong. Some will say the change in technology (tapes to optical discs) or partial product design (Say the ipod click wheel) represents a jump in technology, innovation of product and packaging. Yet, another camp would say that the basis of this supposed innovation lies from the need to replace one item with a new novel product without any change of need or desire within the consumer.

Niche products, to fill in the gaps between particular product lines, to take advantage of the 10%, 1%, 0.1% of the crowd. Where do they come in in terms of innovation.

The Regency TR-1 transistor radio, made in 1954, had a decent claim to be a genuine piece of innovation, however. It was, by popular agreement, the world's first commercially sold transistor pocket radio.

Small enough to hold in your hand, and powered by batteries, it came in a variety of delicious colours, including green, pearlescent blue, lavender, white and red. Hi-tech, trendy colours, rock music, punchy slogans... remind you of something (hint: Now defunct apple mini)

The old iMac G4 mirrors its design from a bendy table lamp. Well, life is a continous series of piggybacks... Anyway, gotta run... Fuzzy buddy is making loads of noise DEMANDING that his servants (my brother and I, sometimes mom and dad) escort him on his daily escapades up the hill to survey his make believe kingdom. Anyway, I'll leave with a picture of the creature in one of his calmer moments.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4265374.stm

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