In the heart of Seouls historic Dongdaemun district, a design revolution is quietly unfolding. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), with its fluid Zaha Hadid-designed architecture, stands as a metallic metaphor for South Koreas seamless fusion of heritage and innovation. The most recent DDP Design Launching Fair aspires to position Seoul alongside Paris and Milan in the global design constellation. Among the diverse array of exhibitors, Articlier emerges with a collection that mirrors the DDPs sculptural metalscape, capturing the interplay of aluminum strength and acrylic light.Articlier, a Seoul-based design studio, bridges the divide between tradition and modernity with furniture that marries the precision of machine fabrication and the soul of handcrafted artistry. Their furniture pays homage to both the restrained elegance of Joseon-era craftsmanship and the functionalist principles of modernist pioneer Poul Kjrholm.The studios production process unfolds in Seouls Seongsu-dong district, relying on small-scale workshops and meticulous craftsmanship. Beginning with the selection of premium aluminum, the material is precision-machined with milling and turning equipment before being hand-sanded to achieve a texture reminiscent of finely finished wood. The final anodizing process not only ensures durability but also imbues each piece with subtle tonal variations that shift with the changing light, creating an ever-evolving dialogue between object and environment.Articliers latest collection consists of five meticulously crafted pieces, including tables, shelving, and sculptural lighting, all showcasing a harmonious interplay of metal and translucent acrylic. The CA88 Table features a round, two-tiered assembly. Its layered acrylic surface and sturdy aluminum legs create a multipurpose table with a soft, natural texture that softens the coldness typically associated with metal. The NK3 Shelf and NK4 Shelf, inspired by the chantak of the Joseon Dynasty, reinterpret heritage through a modern lens. Their modular design allows for easy assembly and disassembly.The CL12 Floor Lamp, arguably the most sculptural piece of the collection along with the CL4 Table Lamp, was designed to serve as a statement piece, capable of drawing attention while standing alone without use. Lastly, the RW12 Aluminum Table highlights the raw beauty of anodized aluminum. The precision-machined legs and refined surface bring out the warmth of the metal, allowing it to integrate with wooden or other textured furniture seen frequently throughout Korean homes.For more information on Articlier, visit articlier.kr.Photography courtesy of Articlier.

A journey of design, beyond solving a complexproblem.Noguchis art installation on his journey to find the design of public playgroundWhen you think about playing, what comes to mind? Is it fun? Liveliness? Engaging with video games, laughing while playing a board game, or simply swinging in apark?Play associated with non-serious activities that no immediate benefit (Bateson, 2014), in contrast to the challenges of complexity face up during the process of design. But the interesting partis:What if design itself is a form ofplay?What if the process of solving problems is like an ongoing puzzle game, with rules, chance, and exploration?We cannot view design as merely an activity for crafting things to look nice, drawing fancy images on a platform, or even generating AI-based pictures and writing more prompts to make them more beautiful. Design is not that easy. While the goal of design is to produce the best output, the journey to get there is a long and exhausting path to unfold effective and meaningful solutions.This writing tries to understand the connection between design as a problem-solving activity, which evolves into a disentangled activity to navigate problems, play and playfulness as a way to make the design journey more pleasurable, turning challenges into discovery opportunities instead of getting trapped in frustration.The evolution of design from crafting into liberal art of technologyFirst, we need to understand why design problems seem to become increasingly complex day by day. I get inspiration from Richard Buchanan (1992) for the term design as a new liberal art of technological culture. In the traditional sense, liberal art means a revolutionary transformation. Design began with fulfilling functional needs such as creating an artifact, painting, or propaganda poster (Buchanan, 1992). As society and culture evolved, so did design, it became a segmented profession, gaining exposure from technical and research knowledge, becoming a liberal art of technology. This means that design, as a creative skill, engages with technology, social culture, and human values, emphasizing the importance of design in shaping how we interact with technology and the environment.Therefore, the fact that design roles are shaping society does not merely focus on aesthetics but also requires the ability to think holistically and integrate various knowledge areas. Design forms both an art and a science of putting things together. One of the main challenges designers face, impacted by this evolution, is to enhance their individual abilities to see the big picture from the social variables while also shifting to the details to connect patterns and comfortably staying in uncertainty to understand a wicked situation.Design problem as a complexproblemStad, the art installation in Groningen from Frans and Hansje Hazewinkel-Loos, aimed at visualizing the complex city information using a playful installation.Can you imagine facing environmental issues such as food waste or wildfire? If these problems are too vague, consider the challenges when a brand designer needs to expand their product to a completely new and different target market, or an UX designer needs to create a persuasive design to increase productsales.Isnt it complex when they need to consider the cultural context of society, face fluctuating requirements, explore solutions while considering tight budgets, and connect psychological theory with hopes that their hypothesis leads to a successful outcome?Design problem as a wicked problemthe time of many problems occur, increasing complexity, rapid changes from the environment, and involving trans-disciplinary knowledge.Rebecca Price (2019), In Pursuit of Design-Led Transition.Design problems have transformed into complex, wicked problems, or maybe they always were before we realized itarticulated as conditions that lack clarity and definitive solutions, meaning there is no stopping rule that says the problem has been solved. Instead, it is necessary to continuously rethink and adapt to updated conditions. Designers need to navigate these conditions themselves, applying an iterative process, which makes exploration not as easy as it seems, it can lead to feelings of frustration, overwhelm, andanxiety.The star puzzle from Sherlock Holmess game, ruled to collect and connect all stars. Design activities seem similar: connecting the information and creating connections before choosing the final solution.The nature of design activities can be defined as two major phases: problem definitionan analytic phase where the wicked condition is disentangledand problem solutiona synthetic phase where designers explore potential solutions (Rittel, 1973). This concept is similar to the famous double diamond of the design process, in which the author divides the process into four phases: Discover, Design, Develop, andDeliver.The design process continuously shifts between these phases, all iteratively while embracing ambiguity to unpack the wicked condition. Due to that condition, one crucial aspect of design activities is pattern recognition to find cross-relations. Edward de Bono, in his book Lateral Thinking, talks about establishing code communication as a mind language that can create a symbolic system that allows for understanding complex concepts in a simpler way. The designers task is to establish their own code of communication to help unpack wicked problems, seek patterns, and connect them with different variables. This system acts like a self-established framework that helps designers make sense of disparate information.The play and playfulnessWe understand play as an activity that produces pleasure and fun. Johan Huizinga (1949), the Dutch philosopher and author of Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture, defined play as a cultural phenomenon that is older than culture itself. It is something natural that humans do without needing to learn it. In practice, play goes beyond just physical activity; it evokes feelings of joy, tension, and satisfaction. Interestingly, play doesnt necessarily have to be funit is pleasurable, which can come from serious or even dangerous activities (Sicart, 2014). In the six key principles of play, Huizinga mentioned that play needs to be temporary with specific approved rules, meaning players need to pretend in a created temporary sphere and within a limited time to complete defined goals. The goals need to be believed by everyone, such as the score in footballa translation of putting the ball into the opponents goal. Even the goals can be more abstract, like role-playing games with a purpose to explore different identities and understand different perspectives; players need to pretend to be someone else in a different context, which also enhances the ability to imagine different conditions.Childrens Games painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1560), exhibited in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, showing kids playing 90 games in one picture. Can you mention at least 10 games played in the painting?The activity of play evokes playful feelingspsychological, physical, and emotional perspectives regarding the activity. Scott G. Eberle (2014) identifies six play feelings: anticipation, surprise, pleasure, understanding, strength, and poise. These elements bring different emotions that make play enjoyable. For example, anticipation brings excitement as we look forward to what happens next, surprise gives us unexpected moments of fun, pleasure keeps us engaged with the activity, understanding evokes as we learn something new while playing, strength gives us confidence when overcoming challenges, and poise helps us stay calm while doing a task. These broad feelings contribute to a rewarding experience ofplay.Design, play, and playfulness.Play and playfulness must be understood as essential elements in creativity as a whole.Irvin Singer, Modes of Creativity: Philosophical Perspectives.So how do play and playfulness fit into the designprocess?Lets consider three aspects from the visual framework I developed:Circular Playful Design Model by theAuthorPlay as an activity: Based on Huizinga (1949), play determines the rules to create structure and spontaneity. Similar to design, we engage with a set of constraints, either the problem to solve, requirements, business goals, budget, or time. Moreover, both play and design involve an element of pretending; in play, we create imaginary scenarios, take on roles, and pretend that, with those roles, we can achieve the goals. Similarly, in design, we use imagination to think about possibilities that arent there yet. Designers often need to pretend and imagine themselves as the user, thinking about how a product might be used, creating a user journey to fit the users context, and considering many scenarios when users engage with the product. This pretending aspect helps both play and design move beyond the current condition, requiring belief in ones imagination.Playfulness as an attitude: Playfulness evokes due to the effect of play. Eberle mentioned that playfulness evokes six feelingsAnticipation, Surprise, Pleasure, Understanding, Strength, and Poise. These feelings evoked during play should also be involved in design. For example, anticipation mostly arises in the problem definition and problem solution phases, where designers try to explore edge cases of their product while asking questions to cover situations that might happen. Surprise in design comes when we find unexpected insights during the research process. Pleasure emerges after solving a problem effectively, seeing positive user feedback. Understanding arises during the process of learning user behavior, which can lead to better pattern recognition. Strength in design can be seen as experience; the more opportunities to unpack complex problems, the more designers can practice their skills. Meanwhile, poise is the designers ability to stay resilient when diving into the design process. Involving these playful feelings helps create a positive and resilient attitude, fostering an exploratory mindset.Design as a methodological approach: Design, as mentioned by Rittel (1973), forms two key parts of the journeyProblem Definition and Problem Solution. Throughout this process, designers need to juggle between analytical and synthetic parts. Designers need to be aware that the problem they handle is a wicked problem that requires thinking in layers. Solutions arent necessarily defined as good or bad, and this is similar to playwe learn from each move and adapt along the way due to different scenarios.By embracing play in design, we are not only thinking about how to solve a problem but also rethinking the nature of the design process, including what attitudes we need to prepare for uncovering challenges. To delve into the details of how this concept suits the design process, I modified the double diamond model as a basis for the designprocess.Circular Playful Design Model adapted to Double Diamond FrameworkDuring the design process, from discovery and definition, which can be included in the problem definition phase, its often abstract and full of ambiguity. Designers attitudes of anticipation and understanding of the social context may help in searching for new patterns and meaning. Throughout the process, designers face ideation, which involves the attitudes of strength and poise to continue working in uncertain conditions to reach a solution.This model visualizes how play can be a foundation to fill the design process with feelings of surprise, curiosity, and most importantly, joy.Moving forward,What if, instead of viewing design as a linear, boring path of problem-solving activities, we saw it as a playground?A sphere that we can explore, test, fail, laugh, and bounceback.ReferencesBateson, P. (2014). Play, Playfulness, Creativity and Innovation. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 2(2), 99. https://doi.org/10.12966/abc.05.02.2014Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked Problems in Design Thinking. Design Issues, 8(2), 521. https://doi.org/10.2307/1511637Cross, N. (2006). Designerly ways of knowing: with 15 figures. Springer.Eberle, S. (2014). The Elements of Play Toward a Philosophy and a Definition of Play. Journal of Play,6(2).Edward De Bono. (1992). The use of lateral thinking. Penguin.Huizinga, J. (1949). Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture. American Sociological Review, 16(2), 274. https://doi.org/10.2307/2087716Price, R. (2019). In Pursuit of Design-led Transitions. Academy for Design Innovation Management Conference 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332964016_In_Pursuit_of_Design-led_TransitionsRittel, H. W. J., & Webber, M. M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences, 4(2), 155169. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01405730Sicart, M. (2014). Play Matters. The MITPress.Singer, I. (2011). Modes of creativity: philosophical perspectives. The MITPress.Embracing play as the core of design was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Bluesky is certainly having a moment. The platform now has over 21 million users, and those users are active: posting, sharing, following new accounts, and creating starter packs for other users to join, too. Meta is, no doubt, seeing this success, and wants a piece of it for its similar platform, Threads. While Threads has way more users at the moment (275 million as of November), the platform of choice in online discussions is, no doubt, Bluesky. We've been covering it accordingly.Big changes to Thread's "For you" feedLikely in an effort to compete with Bluesky's current popularity, Threads is making some big changes this week. First and perhaps most importantly, the service is adjusting its default "For you" algorithm, to prioritize accounts you follow over accounts you don't. Instagram head Adam Mosseri posed on Threads announcing the changes: View on ThreadsIt's a good change, and resolves a problem Threads itself created. Threads, like other social media platforms, offers users two feeds. "For you," which displays algorithmically sorted content from both accounts you follow and those you don't, and "Following," which only shows posts from accounts you follow. The problem is, Threads always defaults back to the "For you" tab, even if you last left off on "Following." So each time you open a new Threads session, you're seeing content from people you don't follow, whether you like it or not. These new changes to the algorithm, then, should make the situation better. You'll still see posts from accounts you don't follow, but less often, as posts from accounts you do follow show up more frequently. While you're still stuck with the "For you" feed by default, maybe the algorithm will be tuned enough where you won't feel the need to switch over to "Following" every time. Plus, as noted by Mosseri, the changes will emphasize engagement from followers rather than from unconnected accounts. Hopefully, that inspires more Threads posters to create content tailored more towards their audience, rather than towards what they think will blow up on Threads in general. That should shift content towards more localized interests, rather than sensationalized bogus.In addition to algorithmic changes, Threads also rolled out custom feeds this week. These feeds let you choose a specific topic or set of accounts to follow, rather than simply scroll through the general For you or Following feeds. As it happens, Bluesky also has custom feeds, and has for some time now. Fancy that. The Best Black Friday Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet $149.99 (List Price $219.99) Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) $21.99 (List Price $49.99) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Security Camera (3-Pack) $99.99 (List Price $259.99) Dell Inspiron 15 3535 Ryzen 7 1TB SSD 16GB RAM Laptop $449.99 (List Price $699.99) Seagate Portable 4TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive $99.90 (List Price $124.99) Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $199.00 (List Price $349.00) Deals are selected by our commerce team

Early Black Friday deals are in full swing with retailers like Home Depot, Amazon, Target, and others officially starting their sales a week before the official shopping holiday. Walmart also has its own sale, and you can find some deals not offered at the other retailers that are worth checking out. You'll find deals on tech gadgets like AirPods, iPads, Xbox bundles, 100-inch Hisense TVs, Sony, Beats, and Bose headphones, and other products all at their lowest prices ever, according to the price tracking tools I use. Here are the best early Black Friday deals from Walmart I have found so far. Apple AirPods 2 $89.00 at Walmart $159.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal Get Deal $89.00 at Walmart $159.00 Save $70.00 2022 Apple iPad 10.9-Inch Wifi Only, 64GB $279.00 at Walmart $349.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal Get Deal $279.00 at Walmart $349.00 Save $70.00 Beats Solo3 Wireless Apple W1 Chip Headphones (Black) $99.00 at Walmart $129.95 Save $30.95 Get Deal Get Deal $99.00 at Walmart $129.95 Save $30.95 Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones $290.00 at Walmart $399.99 Save $109.99 Get Deal Get Deal $290.00 at Walmart $399.99 Save $109.99 Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones $229.95 at Walmart $349.95 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $229.95 at Walmart $349.95 Save $120.00 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones $329.00 at Walmart $808.20 Save $479.20 Get Deal Get Deal $329.00 at Walmart $808.20 Save $479.20 Samsung Q-Series Dolby Atmos Soundbar $199.00 at Walmart $379.00 Save $180.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.00 at Walmart $379.00 Save $180.00 Extra Controller Bundle. Edition Digital Edition, Data Storage 1 TB, Color Robot White. Xbox Series X 1TB Digital Edition + Extra Controller $489.98 at Walmart $509.99 Save $20.01 Get Deal Get Deal $489.98 at Walmart $509.99 Save $20.01 TCL 43" Q Class 4K HDR QLED Smart TV $198.00 at Walmart $278.00 Save $80.00 Get Deal Get Deal $198.00 at Walmart $278.00 Save $80.00 Hisense 100" Class U7 Series QLED 4K Smart TV $1,798.00 at Walmart $2,998.00 Save $1,200.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,798.00 at Walmart $2,998.00 Save $1,200.00 SEE 7 MORE AirPods and iPads up to $70 offThe 2nd generation AirPods are down to their lowest price of $89 (originally $129). It's a good time to get a pair if you've been waiting around for a good price drop. Back in September, the 10th generation iPad dropped to $299.99, its then lowest price, only to reach a new record low this Black Friday of $279 (originally $349). Even though it came out in 2022, it is still the latest and best base iPad model available.Beats, Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser headphones up to $120 offIf you're looking for a new pair of headphones, Walmart has a good selection to choose from right now. For those looking for the best ANC, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are $329 (originally $429), a great deal at the moment. The Sony WH-1000XM5, another great option, are down to $298 (originally $399.99). The Sennheiser Momentum 4 strikes a good balance between audio and ANC for a slightly cheaper price of $229.95 (originally $349.95). For those looking to spend less than $100, the Beats Solo3 are $99 (originally $149.95) but they won't offer the same quality of features as the previous three headphones.The Samsung HW-Q6CC soundbar is $180 offThe Samsung HW-Q60CC came out in 2023 as a mid-range option with a seven-band graphic EQ so you can customize the sound just how you like it. It does well overall for general use, but its ability to handle dialogue jumps out as one of its strengths. It is Bluetooth-compatible with your phone and other devices, and it can get very loud without sacrificing quality. You can get it for $199 (originally $379).The Xbox Series X Digital Edition with an extra controller is $110 offFor those waiting for a good deal on an Xbox console, Walmart has the 1TB Digital Edition Xbox with an extra controller (two total) for $489.98 (originally $599.99). At the time of this writing, no other major reputable retailer has this bundle, and the regular Digital Edition Xbox goes for the same price. So why not get the extra controller?A massive Hisense 100" TV is $1,200 offA 100-inch QLED TV is a statement. They are massive, and will likely need to be installed by a professional, but they will impress anyone who walks into your living room. The Hisense U76 QLED Google Smart TV was announced this year during CES 2024. Surprisingly, Walmart has it for $1,798 (originally $2,998), the lowest price since its January announcement. It has a native 144Hz resolution, Dolby Vision, and of course, local dimming to make the contrast and colors pop. If you're looking for a more budget option, the 43-inch TCL Q51BG, which came out this year, is $198 (originally $278). The Best Black Friday Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet $149.99 (List Price $219.99) Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) $21.99 (List Price $49.99) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Security Camera (3-Pack) $99.99 (List Price $259.99) Dell Inspiron 15 3535 Ryzen 7 1TB SSD 16GB RAM Laptop $449.99 (List Price $699.99) Seagate Portable 4TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive $99.90 (List Price $124.99) Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $199.00 (List Price $349.00) Deals are selected by our commerce team

iPhone users who want the smartwatch experience without shelling out a fortune have a great option in the Apple Watch SE, and the wearable is cheaper than ever right now thanks to a Black Friday deal. The Apple Watch SE has dropped to $169 at Amazon. That's a discount of 32 percent or $80. This is a new record-low price for the 40mm GPS variant. However, it's an all-time-low only by one dollar. The wearable was on sale for $170 during the October Prime Day event. The Apple Watch SE is a good choice for iPhone users who have yet to hop into the smartwatch ecosystem or perhaps are clinging onto a much older Apple Watch but don't need a flagship model. If you're looking for something more advanced, you'd be better off with the Apple Watch Series 10, which is also currently sitting at a record low price for Black Friday and is our pick for the best smartwatch overall. The second-gen Apple Watch SE is our pick for the best budget Apple Watch and we gave it a score of 89 in our 2022 review. It has the same chipset as the Apple Watch Ultra and Series 8, and it should feel faster if you're coming over from, say, a Series 6 or earlier model. The SE shares some, but not all features with flagship Apple Watches. It supports crash detection, heart rate monitoring and emergency calling, and it is water resistant to 50 meters. We felt that the screen was easy to view, even when the sun was shining brightly. Fitness tracking is accurate (which is pretty important!). Perhaps most crucially, the Apple Watch SE is light and easy to wear. The Ion-X glass isn't quite as robust as the sapphire crystal on other recent Apple Watch models, so you'll likely want to be extra careful with it. Other features present on other Apple Watch devices that are missing here include an always-on display, blood oxygen monitoring and temperature sensor. The very handy Double Tap feature isn't available here either. While we feel that this is a good price for the second-gen Apple Watch SE, it's worth bearing in mind that a new model could arrive in the coming months. Apple is reportedly working on an Apple Watch SE with a plastic casing in a bid to reduce the price and allow for bolder color options. It's unlikely that Apple will announce this model before next year, though. There are plenty of other Black Friday deals available on Apple products. We've put together a list of the best ones from across the web. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-se-hits-a-record-low-price-of-169-for-black-friday-183924884.html?src=rss

Apple devices are some of the most sought after this time of year as Black Friday deals bring their prices down to some seriously enticing lows. At the moment, one such deal is on the Apple Watch Series 10: Apples newest wearable is on sale for $329, which is $70 off and a record low. That price is for the smaller 42mm model without LTE functionality, and the 46mm size is also $70 off and down to $359. The Apple Watch Series 10 is our pick for the best smartwatch overall, but it's probably best to look at other options if you're an Android user. After all, you'll need a compatible iPhone to set up the wearable and get the most out of it. For Apple users who are after something a little simpler than the flagship model, the Apple Watch SE has also dropped to a record low price ($169) for Black Friday. We gave the Apple Watch Series 10 a score of 90 in our review. Apple redesigned the smartwatch to offer a larger screen and thinner frame, both of which were plus points in our book. The wide-angle OLED panel offers better viewing angles. The wearable has in-depth fitness and health tracking too, with new functions including sleep apnea detection. We found that there was a slight increase in battery life thanks to efficiency improvements, but some alternative smartwatches run for much longer on a single charge. Overall, this is a somewhat iterative update compared with the Series 9 and 8, but if you're upgrading from an older Apple Watch (or buying one for the first time), you may find the features, performance and charging speed to be impressive. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-series-10-is-70-off-during-amazons-black-friday-sale-180028994.html?src=rss

Check out promising lightweight Blender crowd animation tool Population. Version 2 of the add-on - for quickly adding 3D crowds to animation and visualization projects - makes it possible to paint crowd characters directly into your scene.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/11/check-out-blender-crowd-animation-add-on-population-2/

Free tools: download SideFX's Project Greylight for Houdini. The toolkit, created by VFX Supervisor Andreas Weidman, makes it possible to set up a professional, collaborative USD-based multi-shot workflow without the need for a custom pipeline.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/11/download-sidefxs-free-project-greylight-toolkit-for-houdini/

The Ai-Da robot recently made a painting that sold for over $1 million. Is that something to be celebrated or lambasted?

Slow Horses season 5 is on the way here's everything we know so far about the gritty spy drama's return to Apple TV Plus from trailer, plot, cast, and more.