$5

fivedollarcomparison.org is a blog where ppl post what they can buy for five dollars all around the world. (found via jan chipchase's twitter :) )

$5-donkey ride in ecuador

$5-chicken in Uganda

$5-partial bale of alfalfa hay

$5-2 hr bike parking in montreal

$5- taxi in peru

$5-musical instrument in thailand

graphic office

packaging for whiteboard markers, permanent markers, hilighters, and batteries. all simple but excessively descriptive.

andreas and i were thinking about hyper-labeling the locations of things in our kitchen with huge, typographic signs. "trash." "recycling." "mugs." it would be great, but maybe not as great as office supplies are great.

bouncing silicone

Figure 1. A falling liquid stream rebounds off a deep bath of the same silicone oil.

"Normally a liquid stream colliding with a pool of liquid merges immediately upon contact, perhaps also bringing air into the pool with it. However when the pool is moving as the stream hits, it can slide along the surface being separated from the pool by a thin layer of air. The air layer supports the jet and lubricates the motion between it and the bath. The same process happens when sliding a piece of paper across a desk or when a car hydroplanes on a wet road. But instead of a hard surface like the desk or the road, the jet is on top of a liquid surface, which is flexible like a trampoline. Because of the weight of the jet and the force required to change directions, the surface is pressed downward and a dent is formed in the shape of a bowl. The sliding jet then ramps out of this bowl and into the air.

The bouncing jet is a new example of steady noncoalescence and a new example of a fluid flow with multiple stable states at the same conditions."

the undesigned

SDesignUnit is a collective of designers based in seoul. their manifesto: "we are designing the undesigned through observation." their site has a few of their works and a huge collection of observational photos-- lots of information graphics, urban/public design/architecture, foodstuffs. they take a really wide-eyed, playful approach to what is essentially needfinding.
























their enthusiasm for anonymous design reminds me of kiosk, a great store in nyc that i checked out this past summer. kiosk features "humble design" products from foreign countries visited by the store owner; the store features products from just one country at a time. currently, it's finland, the summer was germany. it's a great concept for a store, although i'm hardly the first one to have praised it. i got andreas's birthday present there: two kaweco sports pens from germany.























here's pictures of some items from kiosk's online store, along with some explanations.

Red Stripe Staples

Metal
2.5" x 3" x .5"

The concept behind the staples is simple, why pull out a staple when you can break it apart? The red stripe is the breaking point and the graphic makes things pretty clear.

Lottery Tickets

Paper and Metal Wire
5" diameter
Eslöv, SWEDEN

This type of lottery is called American in Sweden - the concept is enviously simple: Each ticket is perforated in the middle so that you easily can tear of one part and give to the loser winner. When you have expensively sold out of hope, you can easily break open the seal of the metal ring and get the stubs off for mixing. These types of tickets have been around forever. In Sweden you have to get a permit for each lottery you arrange unless you are a registered sports-club...

Bamboo Steamer Basket

Bamboo
11” diameter x 6 1/2”
Oita, JAPAN



Round Tape Dispenser

location unknown
5.5" x 6"



Large A1 Size Calendar

33” x 21 ½” /84cm x 54.5 cm
Hiroshima