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1. LOLIWARE
2. BLOKKET
3. GEFILTERIA
4. COFRESÍ
5. PEPSI
6. LOVE ALWAYS REMAINS
7. THE CHICLE INITIATIVE
8. WATERFORD CRYSTAL
SPACE
What kinds of products will we need to exist in space or to partake in space travel?
COMPASSION: THE GOLDEN RULE
It is paramount that we are informed designers, responding to global challenges with compassion and ingenuity.
MIND MELT
'Mind Melt' is our term for brainstorming...it's more fun that way.
DIGITAL_NATION
The Frontline documentary digital_nation was incredibly inspiring for the development of the Phonekerchief.
"What technology makes easy is not always what nurtures the human spirit." - Sherry Turkle
EXPLORING OUR WORLD
We are constantly exploring, inquiring, and discovering - looking beyond our studio walls to find insights into the world around us, in search of a new opportunity for innovation.
BUCKY
"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty, but when it is finished if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."
"The best way to predict the future is to design it."
- Buckminster Fuller
THE BANYAN TREE
The Banyan Tree is a great network of entrepreneurs founded by our dear friend Tushar. Their mission is to "Build the leadership capacity of early-stage entrepreneurs by creating a global peer-mentoring network that support one another through the exchange of skills, knowledge and contacts."
OH BOYM !
The Boym's are a constant inspiration. CLICK HERE to read one of our favorite postings from their 'Collection of Curious Things and Critical Thoughts.'
LEO'S SONG
Leo's Song by IMPACTIST is one of our favorite animations. It's beautiful, simple, and hauntingly powerful.
BRUCE MAU
"Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we're going, but we will know we want to be there." - Bruce Mau
WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT
"By embracing the diversity of human beings we will find a way to true happiness." - Malcom Gladwell (talking about spaghetti sauce)
SUSTAINABILITY
From the moment we start a project until it's finished, we think about the impact it will have on people and the planet.
IMPACT
Design and the other 90% and Design and the Elastic Mind are some of our favorite exhibits because they showcase social impact through design and collaboration. A great example is Susanna Soares' Bee Project.
WRITE DOWN IDEAS
"Write all your ideas down. Don't let them die. Even if it doesn't make sense now, come back to it." - Carla Blumenthal
SELF-DIRECTED CIRRICULUM
We are fans of the 'education revolution' happening with groups like Skillshare, TradeSchool, and LifeLabs.
MENTORSHIP
We're always meeting with people who are older and wiser than us when we need help. Our mentor Bart Haney has guided us from the very start of our company, and we are always continuing to learn more from him and many others along the way.
PERSPECTIVE
Taking a step back allows us to see the whole picture.
GO OUTSIDE
We are infinitely inspired by nature and its incredible ability to design itself more efficiently and more beautifully than we could ever imagine.
DON'T BUY THIS SHIRT UNLESS YOU NEED IT
"You can never get enough of what you don't really need to make you happy." - Patagonia
HAPPINESS
There is a lot of talk today about happiness and what things truly make us happy. The NY Times article But Will It Make You Happy? by Stephanie Rosenbloom discusses how experiences make us happier than material goods. "Current research suggests that, unlike consumption of material goods, spending on leisure and services typically strengthens social bonds, which in turn helps amplify happiness."
Related Articles
The Corporate Pursuit of Happiness
Optism: Cure For the Resession
Are You Making Something?
Is Happiness Overrated?
INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK
We love collaborating with people outside of our realm.
"Design is not just about design." - Debbie Millman
"A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist, and evolutionary strategist."- Bucky Fuller
WHAT GOOD SHALL I DO THIS DAY?
Ben Franklin was an incredibly productive person and lived by a structured daily routine. This is BF's daily schedule, which we were introduced to by Tina Roth Eisenberg during her lecture:The Power of Side Projects and Eccentric Aunts, and we just started to live by it. It's changing our lives!
START ANYWHERE
"John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere." - Bruce Mau. This is how we begin a project. We are not afraid to jump right in, get our hands dirty, and find inspiration in unexpected places.
REDON'T
"You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it." - Albert Einstein
We can't keep asking the same questions and expect to get different answers. 'Redon't' is about the process of reframing in order to arrive at breakthrough ideas.
YES AND
This is a technique and mindset that is considered the cornerstone of improvisational theater. As one performer makes a new suggestion for the act, the other performers must respond by saying 'yes' to that idea and then building upon it. We adopted this technique to develop our process of cultivating ideas; every idea is a positive step towards creating a solution.
GO LATERAL
Lateral thinking encourages us to look beyond the obvious boundaries of the issue at hand. By considering a broader scope of ideas, we see new opportunities and achieve unexpected solutions.
Rug Bug and THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD are partnering to design a sustainable line of musical instruments for children. Rug Bug is a Brooklyn based company that offers programs giving 'children an opportunity to experience music, movement, art and play', with a philosophy grounded in environmental sustainability and the importance of play. These new instruments will serve as the main learning tool in Rug Bug's music classes and play programs, and allow families to create their own Rug Bug play experiences at home.
Photo by Joe Kohen
We created the branding and packaging for The Gefilteria "a boutique purveyor of Old World Jewish foods based in Brooklyn, NY." Beginning with an Identity Workshop, we translated The Gefilteria's manifesto into a visual brand and designed the graphics and packaging for 8 different products.
gefilteria.com
We designed the branding and packaging for the startup alcohol company, Cofresi Rum. The project began with research into the historical Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Cofresí, to develop the brand around his legend. Based on this inspiration as well as the company's values and target market, we constructed the pillars of the brand, adventure, integrity, community, and built a visual identity that embodies these characteristics including logo, packaging, and marketing strategy.
We worked with Pepsi to help unlock new growth around four key strategic questions, which focused on packaging innovation and a variety of their brands within hydration, energy, and carbonated beverages. A brainstorming session with their team kicked off the project as we explored the potential areas of opportunity together and re-framed the four key questions. This process led to a variety of concept developments that showed exciting opportunity, while being grounded in clear consumer insights. Our goal was to bring a fresh perspective to help Pepsi find what is meaningful to people and innovate within these areas.
The light and costumes were designed for Peter Zweifel's ballet, LOVE ALWAYS REMAINS, during Texas Ballet Theater's 2011 season. This ballet was a tribute to the choreographer's friend, Jack Buckhannan, who was revered as TBT's rehearsal pianist and ballet conductor until his untimely death in 2008. The lighting piece was the visual focal point of the dance, so we worked with Peter to design a piece that would help narrate the ballet's story through the movement of light.
photo by Jeff Resta
We helped Waterford Crystal explore different opportunity paths for new product lines. By analyzing the current market, we created visual stories that would appeal to Waterford's audience while also attracting new consumers. Our objective was to re-envision the use of crystal as a material to create striking pieces that allow this classic brand to inspire modern consumers.
We attended a Nestlé brainstorming session led by the talented Egg Strategy and assisted in generating new concepts for one of their brands.
The new fixtures and visual merchandising elements for Kiehl's Since 1851 were designed for their flagship store and global retail locations.
These color palettes were forecasted for the home goods company MindInSync by analyzing continuing trends with respect to key future events.
We were honored to assist Boym Partners with the exhibition, Fire In My Heart, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. "This first-ever major exhibition tells how this Budapest-born poet, diarist, and author of the hymn Eli, Eli discovered her love for the Land of Israel, how she volunteered for a mission to rescue downed Allied fliers and Jews from Nazi-occupied Hungary, and how she became an enduring symbol of courage and determination."
Images from the collection of the Senesh Family
read more here
We helped Boym Partners with the design of the newSigmund Pretzelcart located at the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The cart is stocked with recycling and compost bins, recycled paper goods, and the best hand-rolled soft pretzels in NYC. Try flavors like feta-olive or truffle-cheddar served hot-from-the-oven with mustard!
image by Matt Duckor
The Papabubble Pop-Up Shop inside Cappellini was designed for the recession; the store included affordable and edible versions of design icons all made out of candy. These candy creations allowed people to experience Cappellini's products in a fun and inexpensive way.
Photos by Davies and Starr
"Tobias Wong and Chelsea Briganti [of The Way We See The World] are now [tongue-in-cheek] trying to get their share of the market, introducing an iPad case disguised as a used document envelope, complete with an interdepartmental mail background for the home screen."
read more here
LOLIWARE is an exciting collection of edible cups in a range of vivid, all-natural colors and flavors that complement any beverage. Sure to spark conversation in the hands of guests at weddings and cocktail events, LOLIWARE's artisanal flavors and unique texture enliven every occasion. Made entirely of vegan, biodegradable ingredients, LOLIWARE is a delicious alternative to 'disposable' cups destined for the landfill. Put down the plastic, and celebrate your next event with LOLIWARE!
Order at loliware.com
BLOKKET is a signal blocking phone pocket designed in response to the way technology is changing our lives. It helps you turn off distractions and give your full attention, if only for a moment, to someone or something. It is made of a smart material that blocks phone signals and reads, "Goodbye phone. Hello World!"
Order at thinkgeek.com
THE CHICLE INITIATIVE is a line of beauty products designed to help the communities of the Yucatan Peninsula who harvest a natural material called chicle latex. Chicle was once widely used as a gum base but was replaced by petroleum, devastating the harvesting communities. Our goal was to develop products that use chicle, therefore creating a system that helps chicleros rebuild their economy.
Levi's found that 60% of the environmental impact of a pair of jeans comes during the consumer phase: drying your jeans is a huge waste of energy. Our solution, HANG ANYWHERE, helps educate consumers and inspires them to change drying habits.
HANG ANYWHERE is a call to action: part product design, part revolution. Inspired by Levi's signature red tag, The HANG ANYWHERE straps are fabricated using post-industrial scraps and are integrated directly into Levi's jeans, adding little to no carbon footprint. The eye-catching straps act as a constant reminder to help jump start this line drying movement.
We worked with Stem Cell scientists and Obstetricians to develop the concept of Mademoicell. Stem cells hold limitless potential for regenerating the human body, yet one of the most readily accessible sources of these remarkable healing agents remains stigmatized within our society; this source is menstrual blood. MADEMOICELL empowers women to collect and store their own stem cells with a special medical-grade silicone device and storage kit that is simple, convenient and easy to use.
The PHONEKERCHIEF was designed in response to the way that technology is changing our lives; it has become common behavior to put our phones on the dinner table, which distracts us from engaging in the present moment. The PHONEKERCHIEF is a polite way of encouraging others to turn off their phones and helps jump start this new etiquette for our digital world. It is made of a smart material that blocks phone signals and can be worn in any pocket as a symbol of this movement. Wrap phone tightly, and spread this idea!
Order at uncommongoods.com
We worked with Edward Hall to create the visuals for his talk on the poetry of science at TedxGotham. Some of our most exciting moments are when we get to collaborate with people in completely different fields.
Phonekerchief Promotion
To promote the PHONEKERCHIEF for Valentines Day, Uncommon Goods produced this short video featuring Ingrid discussing the inspiration for the project.Kickstarting Edible Cups
For our EDIBLE CUPS Kickstarter we shot and edited this video - asking folks to make a donation to help us realize a more fully developed and produced version of the project. It was a success! We met our goal and are are now working hard on developing EDIBLE CUPS!Levi's Care to Air
We collaborated with Gregory Davis for the Levi's Care to Air competition to promote air-drying jeans around the country. From New York to California, we are helping people reduce their carbon footprints.WHO WE ARE
CHELSEA BRIGANTI
Chelsea Briganti is from everywhere. As a child she and her family moved around a lot influencing her affinity for different cultures and customs. Chelsea is the type of person who can have a conversation with just about anyone-she has the ability of making just about anyone feel heard and welcomed. If you were to draw Chelsea, it would be a bold, energetic, and compassionate masterpiece.
Chelsea began her design career as a jewelry designer, upcycling post-industrial lucite pieces into wearable installations. She believes that design is merely a tool to bring about happiness, emotional connectedness and positive impact within peoples lives. Chelsea believes deeply in the cross-pollination of disciplines, ideas and resources.
LEIGH ANN TUCKER
Leigh Ann Tucker was raised in Marietta, Georgia. She has a burning passion for kitchen tools, spreadsheets, home decorating magazines, to-do lists, and all things edible. At 6 years old she was drawing section views of how she would pack her suitcase for vacation and architectural floor plans of her newest bedroom arrangement. In an alternate universe Leigh Ann is living as Martha Stewart.
Leigh Ann grew up with a constant urge to make things. It's no surprise that she has graduated as a product designer from Parsons.
She has taught herself not to accept the world as it is. She has found an interest in people's motivations and how that relates and affects the designed environment. There are countless creative solutions to every problem. Leigh Ann has always respected the idea of simplicity, frugality, and restraint in all its contexts, i.e. environmentally and economy when approaching any design problem.
MONICA BHATIA
Monica Bhatia is a self-described artist disguised as a designer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California to a big Indian family who supported all of her wacky art projects, such as splatter painting the family car, staging elaborate photo shoots in the back yard that involved covering nude models in glitter, or creating stop motion animations in the kitchen with raw meat. Today, she is known in the studio as eccentric and introspective. One who is more often drawing rather than speaking, and constantly observing and offering new ways of visualizing the otherwise mundane or obvious.
INGRID ZWEIFEL
Ingrid Zweifel's excitement for design, her appreciation of experience inherent to materials, the creative process, fellow humans, and nature was truly formed by her previous career as a professional ballerina.
Studying from a young age at the Houston Ballet Academy and later dancing with Houston Ballet, Ingrid discovered joy in the laser focus and curiosity required of professional dancers. She brings that curiosity and focus to every design challenge before her.
Ingrid's design philosophy is centered on peoples' happiness, fostered by experience and interconnectedness. To her, design is successful when it shifts focus back to these uniquely human qualities.
