SKAGGS

Working with TOTO has not just been an education in Japanese bathroom equipment, but also a linguistic lesson in American English… a tap is a faucet, baths are tubs and sinks are lavatories. Also rocket is arugula, the hash key is the pound key, blades get dull not blunt, wellies are galoshes and try asking for a plaster; I could have bleed to death yesterday before someone figured out I meant a band-aid! …Fortunately, of course, I know most of this already from watching Sesame Street when I was wee!

To quote Oscar Wilde, “Americans are identical to the British in all respects except, of course, language.”

Googly-eyes spotted around on my travels around New York. Guerilla art, graffiti, whatever you wish to call it, the Googly-eye cru’s campaign is inoffensive and always makes me smile.

Welcome to the ramblings from an Intern and the City. My name is Jeni, I’m from from Scotland and I am priviledged to join the wonderful Skaggs team in New York for an internship. Over the new few weeks I shall share my diary of events and thoughts as an Intern, but also as a travel journal as a first-time visitor to New York with observations, restaurant reviews and general tales. Carrie Bradshaw I am not, I have neither her wardrobe nor column writing ability. But I do love to gush about Design. I am hugely passionate about Design, across the board- graphics, architecture, web, products, illustration, interaction, fashion, typograhy, exhibition… and all, perhaps, an obsessive level! I read too many Design blogs, subscribe to too many Design journals, spend too much jet-stetting to Design events and own the complete Borders Books creative section. I can bore anyone who takes me out for dinner about the font choice on the menu, I get frustrated with poor illustrative diagrams building flat-pack furniture and detest things that don’t work due to thoughtless product design. I like things that are well thought-out and user-centered*, functional, simple, with a touch of aesthetic elegance. Keep an eye on my blog posts over the course of my time here at Skaggs.

* my spelling is not wrong or right, it’s just British.

The biggest event of the New York Design calendar ICFF hit the city last week. The massive 145,000 net square foot show hosted work by the familiar faces of Vitra, Kartell, moooi, Tom Dixon… and many many others, including my favourite picks from Areaware, Inflate, Danish Crafts and Refined Sugar Studio.

It was also great to see student work showcased; including MFA’s IKEA sponsored chair project, which challenged students to re-purpose a basic chair based on specific assigned personalities. Fun work.

My highlight was the DesignBoom DesignMart. Giving up-and-coming designers the chance to show their wares, DesignBoom selected just 40 designers, each only allowed to bring 100 pieces, priced up to a maximum of 0. My personal favourites included Mixko’s butterfly felt rings which I adore and suckUK’s continuing humourous approach to products. See more photos from my snap-happy day on our photosite.

Good Design comes in many forms. My personal favourites include the London Underground map, Macbook, Aston Martin Vanquish, Dyson ball vacuum, Olivetti Valentine typewriter, Chrysler Building and customisable doormat to name but a few.

But infact, the best pieces of Good Design are the inconspicuous things that make everyday life just that little bit better, like paperclips, biros, and folding chairs.

Today I acquired the most inspiring and useful simple object I have seen to date: a coffee cup stopper. This genius little device eliminates the on-the-move spill and scald issue familiar to surfing Subway commuters. I feel there is a market for personalised versions and marketing opportunities… something I’m planning to look into - watch this space!

This is why Starbucks is in a league of their very own.

The New Zealand brand Bloomsberry & Co have really done something different with their packaging and produced a range of vibrant eye-catching graphics. They also have a rather charming website.

Established only in 2001, the brand was set-up by Giles Barker, a Graphic Designer and his wife, a trained cook; a perfect match of good design and good ingredients.

Always appreciative of pretty colours and anything with sugar, these chocolate bars have got me hooked and determined to eat my way through the whole range – purely for the sake of design, of course.