• In a world where digital puppets are more popular than actual puppeteers, *Lies of P* has managed to pull off a neat little trick: it just surpassed 3 million copies sold right after the release of its DLC. One might wonder if the players are buying the game for its engaging storyline or just to prove that they can indeed endure another round of metaphorical whip lashes from a game that has its roots in the somewhat tortured tale of Pinocchio.

    Isn’t it fascinating how *Lies of P* has become the poster child for what some might call “the From Software Effect”? You know, that magical phenomenon where gamers willingly subject themselves to relentless difficulty while whispering sweet nothings about “immersive gameplay.” Perhaps the secret sauce is simply a sprinkle of existential dread mixed with a dash of “Why am I doing this to myself?”

    Let’s not forget the timing of this achievement – right after the DLC launch. Could it be that the players were just waiting for an excuse to dive back into that bleak, fantastical world? Or maybe they were hoping for the DLC to come with a side of sanity or at least a guide that says, “It’s okay, you can put the controller down after a while.” But no, why would anyone want a game that respects their time?

    Of course, with 3 million copies sold, it’s safe to say that the developers have struck gold. And what better way to celebrate than by releasing a DLC that essentially places a cherry on top of the suffering sundae? Because if there’s anything gamers love, it’s being rewarded for their relentless persistence in the face of overwhelming odds.

    And let’s take a moment to appreciate the irony here. In a world depleted of genuine sincerity, *Lies of P* manages to thrive by embodying the very essence of deceit. Is it a game about lying? Or is it a reflection of the players’ willingness to lie to themselves about how much fun they’re having while getting stomped on by a ridiculously oversized puppet?

    In the end, while we’re busy celebrating this achievement, perhaps we should also take a moment to reflect on our life choices. Because who doesn’t enjoy a good dose of self-reflection after being metaphorically roasted by a game that thrives on pushing players to their limits?

    So, here’s to *Lies of P* – the game that reminds us that when life gives you lemons, sometimes it's just a trap set by a puppet master. Cheers to the 3 million players who have chosen to embrace the lie!

    #LiesOfP #GamingNews #DLC #FromSoftware #GamingCommunity
    In a world where digital puppets are more popular than actual puppeteers, *Lies of P* has managed to pull off a neat little trick: it just surpassed 3 million copies sold right after the release of its DLC. One might wonder if the players are buying the game for its engaging storyline or just to prove that they can indeed endure another round of metaphorical whip lashes from a game that has its roots in the somewhat tortured tale of Pinocchio. Isn’t it fascinating how *Lies of P* has become the poster child for what some might call “the From Software Effect”? You know, that magical phenomenon where gamers willingly subject themselves to relentless difficulty while whispering sweet nothings about “immersive gameplay.” Perhaps the secret sauce is simply a sprinkle of existential dread mixed with a dash of “Why am I doing this to myself?” Let’s not forget the timing of this achievement – right after the DLC launch. Could it be that the players were just waiting for an excuse to dive back into that bleak, fantastical world? Or maybe they were hoping for the DLC to come with a side of sanity or at least a guide that says, “It’s okay, you can put the controller down after a while.” But no, why would anyone want a game that respects their time? Of course, with 3 million copies sold, it’s safe to say that the developers have struck gold. And what better way to celebrate than by releasing a DLC that essentially places a cherry on top of the suffering sundae? Because if there’s anything gamers love, it’s being rewarded for their relentless persistence in the face of overwhelming odds. And let’s take a moment to appreciate the irony here. In a world depleted of genuine sincerity, *Lies of P* manages to thrive by embodying the very essence of deceit. Is it a game about lying? Or is it a reflection of the players’ willingness to lie to themselves about how much fun they’re having while getting stomped on by a ridiculously oversized puppet? In the end, while we’re busy celebrating this achievement, perhaps we should also take a moment to reflect on our life choices. Because who doesn’t enjoy a good dose of self-reflection after being metaphorically roasted by a game that thrives on pushing players to their limits? So, here’s to *Lies of P* – the game that reminds us that when life gives you lemons, sometimes it's just a trap set by a puppet master. Cheers to the 3 million players who have chosen to embrace the lie! #LiesOfP #GamingNews #DLC #FromSoftware #GamingCommunity
    Juste après la sortie de son DLC, Lies of P dépasse les 3 millions d’exemplaires
    ActuGaming.net Juste après la sortie de son DLC, Lies of P dépasse les 3 millions d’exemplaires Sans doute l’une des meilleures alternatives aux jeux de From Software, Lies of P a […] L'article Juste après la sortie de son DLC, Lie
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Angry
    Sad
    162
    1 Comentários 0 Compartilhamentos
  • Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio

    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand

    Architects:
    Volume Matrix studio
    Area
    Area of this architecture project

    Area: 
    1500 m²

    Year
    Completion year of this architecture project

    Year: 

    2025

    Photographs

    Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep

    Lead Architects:

    Kasin Sornsri

    More SpecsLess Specs
    this picture!
    Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.this picture!this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.this picture!this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.this picture!this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.this picture!

    Project gallerySee allShow less
    About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice•••
    MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . < ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否
    You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream
    #brick #journey #volume #matrix #studio
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand Architects: Volume Matrix studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep Lead Architects: Kasin Sornsri More SpecsLess Specs this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.this picture!this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.this picture!this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.this picture!this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice••• MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . < ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream #brick #journey #volume #matrix #studio
    WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand Architects: Volume Matrix studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep Lead Architects: Kasin Sornsri More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.Save this picture!Save this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.Save this picture!Save this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.Save this picture!Save this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice••• MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1031113/brick-journey-volume-matrix-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream
    Like
    Love
    Wow
    Sad
    Angry
    498
    0 Comentários 0 Compartilhamentos
  • Tour a Midcentury Modern Gem Preserved in Winnetka, Illinois

    In the court of public opinion, acolytes of great architects are rarely treated as legends themselves. Take Chicago-area architect Don Erickson, who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin from 1948 through 1951. Although the Chicago Tribune lauded Erickson’s work as “delicate, beautiful, and always original” after his death in 2006, local interior designer Jennie Bishop reports that most of his houses “are often purchased and torn down or so drastically changed that you can’t recognize them.”Bishop discovered an exception in 2021, when a friend in real estate suggested a meeting with clients who had just purchased the Winnetka, Illinois, residence that Erickson had designed for photographer Richard Boyer in 1966. “I went in blind and just gasped,” Bishop recalls of arriving at the impeccably preserved home, adding, “I was saying silent prayers that they would not rip things out or depart from Erickson’s vision.”Bishop sourced a circular sectional, designed by Adrian Pearsall, for the great room’s living area. She and one of the clients plan to replace its vintage upholstery when the homeowners’ two young sons are less rambunctious.
    In the living area, a pair of lounge chairs upholstered in a Schumacher checkerboard pattern stand guard over an original fireplace.
    Bishop’s invocations were answered quickly, when the husband and wife described their predilection for living in unique spaces. They also explained that they had promised the previous homeowner to steward this midcentury gem and envisioned a delicate renovation ahead. Bishop started the commission as cofounder of Chicago-based Studio Gild, and she completed the project under her recently launched AD PRO Directory firm Bishop Studio.The Winnetka residence features several hallmarks of a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed house. Applying Wright’s concept of “pressure and release” to the 6,000-square-foot interior, for example, Erickson created a skinny formal entry hall that he made even more narrow by arcing a raised fireplace hearth into the space. Just beyond the hearth, the newcomer overlooks a great room that is as expansive as the entry was constrained.“We didn’t want all the fixtures to look like they had been left there,” Bishop says of layering a contemporary lighting vocabulary into the well-preserved interior. For the kitchen island, she specified a Light Object 015 from Naama Hofman to shed strong uniform light on the work surface. The island’s Afternoon Plus stools are from DWR.
    The kitchen’s perimeter cabinetry traces one of the orioles with which original architect Don Erickson had lined the west elevation of the house. The millwork was done by Abruzzo Kitchen & Bath.
    The kitchen’s breakfast area, as seen from the hallway dividing the great room from the dining room: a Heritage Unicolor pendant from Taiwan-Lantern tops the custom table and banquette; leather sling dining chairs from CB2.
    Other aspects of the house, such as its fan-patterned brick floors, historically evocative windows, and balletic ceilings, suggest that Erickson counted himself among the likes of A. Quincy Jones and Edward Durrell Stone—architects who were trying to reshape High Modernism for a popular American audience.Bishop determined that the Winnetka project required neither window replacement nor ceiling removal. At first, she planned to leave the enchanting brick floor untouched too. “We thought that its muted colors were original,” she says, “but we discovered a warmer palette underneath the kitchen appliances.” While Boyer and the homeowners who followed him had maintained the interior with almost religious devotion, their years of cleaning and coating the floors had unintentionally dulled their appearance. So began an exhaustive process of diamond sanding and resealing the surface, which Bishop admits caused moments of second-guessing: “It was painful to get to where we are, but now I’m super happy for the rusty and spicy colors that we achieved. We dramatically changed the house and honored it simultaneously.”A Maho sectional sofa by Wendelbo and a pair of vintage hammock chairs anchor the Florida room, which distinguishes itself from the great room by stepping down from the living area. The Florida room is oriented south to the patio.
    Bishop completed the project’s other major intervention in a similar spirit. While redoing the primary and children’s bathrooms in the bedroom wing, the interior designer preserved the spaces’ organization into eight-by-eight-foot modules and specified surfaces featuring period-appropriate patterns and colors. To make the three-compartment primary bathroom more gracious, she converted a never-used sauna into a wet room that remains crowned in its original cedar.For the house’s furnishings, Bishop dotted the interior with antiques. For new and custom pieces, she leaned more toward complementing rather than aping the past. “We’re surrounded by so much wood in this house that we expressed ourselves with stone,” she cites as one example. Bishop also explains that the trio’s admiration for this palimpsest has only grown with time, so much so that the homeowners have granted her right of first refusal, should they someday decide to sell the house.The house is ostensibly L-shaped in plan, its east- and south-facing crook enfolding a generous patio area. Bishop and the homeowners are spreading the love by including the nest in a home tour hosted by Community House. The annual event raises funds for the local nonprofit and, this year, it promises to raise the profile of Erickson too.
    Bishop reinvented the service entrance, located immediately adjacent to the three-bay garage, as a cozy entry wrapped in Cranes wallpaper by Milton & King.
    “Nothing in this house is super precious,” Bishop says, noting that the homeowners enjoy entertaining at home. To wit, the designer created a double-pedestal dining room table topped in Jadore Quartzite “that could be danced upon.” It is overseen by a Rib Vault Light by Talbot & Yoon.
    Within the great room, the Florida room’s glassed-in corner contains a vintage pedestal table surrounded by Crate & Barrel chairs upholstered in a House of Hackney bouclé. Bishop says she purchased and arranged the pieces on her own volition to help the then-unconvinced homeowners envision the vignette as a place for sipping wine or playing mah-jongg, “and they never left.”
    The primary bedroom occupies a semidetached volume at the easternmost end of the house. Here, a walnut Feve Desk from Ferm Living overlooks a custom king-size bed finished in wine-colored Kirkby Design upholstery.
    Like so many other original finishes in the house, the cedar ceilings in the primary bathroom suite were perfectly preserved. Bishop tacked a Mori pendant by RBW above the room’s middle module rather than tear into the cedar planks.
    The primary bath is a suite of three eight-by-eight-foot modules linked by travertine flooring. Jupiter’s Axis Wall Sconces flank the double vanity.
    The primary bath and this walk-in closet face one another across a hallway. Because the primary bedroom is so clearly distinguished from the rest of the house in plan, the two dressing areas form a metaphorical proscenium to the sanctum.
    The house’s privacy-giving serpentine wall is visible from the kids’ bathroom, in which a custom vanity sits against a backdrop of Claybrook Confiserie and Concrete Collaborative Pacifica tiles.
    The interior’s many swaths of pink are no accident—it is the husband’s favorite color. Bishop leaned into the hue with gusto for the powder room, using Sarah Von Dreele’s Brian XL wallpaper, a Twin 1.0 sconce, a slab of Quartzite, and other flamingo-like sources.
    Architect Don Erickson placed a serpentine brick wall in front of the house’s north elevation to shield the sleeping wing’s bathing and dressing areas.
    #tour #midcentury #modern #gem #preserved
    Tour a Midcentury Modern Gem Preserved in Winnetka, Illinois
    In the court of public opinion, acolytes of great architects are rarely treated as legends themselves. Take Chicago-area architect Don Erickson, who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin from 1948 through 1951. Although the Chicago Tribune lauded Erickson’s work as “delicate, beautiful, and always original” after his death in 2006, local interior designer Jennie Bishop reports that most of his houses “are often purchased and torn down or so drastically changed that you can’t recognize them.”Bishop discovered an exception in 2021, when a friend in real estate suggested a meeting with clients who had just purchased the Winnetka, Illinois, residence that Erickson had designed for photographer Richard Boyer in 1966. “I went in blind and just gasped,” Bishop recalls of arriving at the impeccably preserved home, adding, “I was saying silent prayers that they would not rip things out or depart from Erickson’s vision.”Bishop sourced a circular sectional, designed by Adrian Pearsall, for the great room’s living area. She and one of the clients plan to replace its vintage upholstery when the homeowners’ two young sons are less rambunctious. In the living area, a pair of lounge chairs upholstered in a Schumacher checkerboard pattern stand guard over an original fireplace. Bishop’s invocations were answered quickly, when the husband and wife described their predilection for living in unique spaces. They also explained that they had promised the previous homeowner to steward this midcentury gem and envisioned a delicate renovation ahead. Bishop started the commission as cofounder of Chicago-based Studio Gild, and she completed the project under her recently launched AD PRO Directory firm Bishop Studio.The Winnetka residence features several hallmarks of a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed house. Applying Wright’s concept of “pressure and release” to the 6,000-square-foot interior, for example, Erickson created a skinny formal entry hall that he made even more narrow by arcing a raised fireplace hearth into the space. Just beyond the hearth, the newcomer overlooks a great room that is as expansive as the entry was constrained.“We didn’t want all the fixtures to look like they had been left there,” Bishop says of layering a contemporary lighting vocabulary into the well-preserved interior. For the kitchen island, she specified a Light Object 015 from Naama Hofman to shed strong uniform light on the work surface. The island’s Afternoon Plus stools are from DWR. The kitchen’s perimeter cabinetry traces one of the orioles with which original architect Don Erickson had lined the west elevation of the house. The millwork was done by Abruzzo Kitchen & Bath. The kitchen’s breakfast area, as seen from the hallway dividing the great room from the dining room: a Heritage Unicolor pendant from Taiwan-Lantern tops the custom table and banquette; leather sling dining chairs from CB2. Other aspects of the house, such as its fan-patterned brick floors, historically evocative windows, and balletic ceilings, suggest that Erickson counted himself among the likes of A. Quincy Jones and Edward Durrell Stone—architects who were trying to reshape High Modernism for a popular American audience.Bishop determined that the Winnetka project required neither window replacement nor ceiling removal. At first, she planned to leave the enchanting brick floor untouched too. “We thought that its muted colors were original,” she says, “but we discovered a warmer palette underneath the kitchen appliances.” While Boyer and the homeowners who followed him had maintained the interior with almost religious devotion, their years of cleaning and coating the floors had unintentionally dulled their appearance. So began an exhaustive process of diamond sanding and resealing the surface, which Bishop admits caused moments of second-guessing: “It was painful to get to where we are, but now I’m super happy for the rusty and spicy colors that we achieved. We dramatically changed the house and honored it simultaneously.”A Maho sectional sofa by Wendelbo and a pair of vintage hammock chairs anchor the Florida room, which distinguishes itself from the great room by stepping down from the living area. The Florida room is oriented south to the patio. Bishop completed the project’s other major intervention in a similar spirit. While redoing the primary and children’s bathrooms in the bedroom wing, the interior designer preserved the spaces’ organization into eight-by-eight-foot modules and specified surfaces featuring period-appropriate patterns and colors. To make the three-compartment primary bathroom more gracious, she converted a never-used sauna into a wet room that remains crowned in its original cedar.For the house’s furnishings, Bishop dotted the interior with antiques. For new and custom pieces, she leaned more toward complementing rather than aping the past. “We’re surrounded by so much wood in this house that we expressed ourselves with stone,” she cites as one example. Bishop also explains that the trio’s admiration for this palimpsest has only grown with time, so much so that the homeowners have granted her right of first refusal, should they someday decide to sell the house.The house is ostensibly L-shaped in plan, its east- and south-facing crook enfolding a generous patio area. Bishop and the homeowners are spreading the love by including the nest in a home tour hosted by Community House. The annual event raises funds for the local nonprofit and, this year, it promises to raise the profile of Erickson too. Bishop reinvented the service entrance, located immediately adjacent to the three-bay garage, as a cozy entry wrapped in Cranes wallpaper by Milton & King. “Nothing in this house is super precious,” Bishop says, noting that the homeowners enjoy entertaining at home. To wit, the designer created a double-pedestal dining room table topped in Jadore Quartzite “that could be danced upon.” It is overseen by a Rib Vault Light by Talbot & Yoon. Within the great room, the Florida room’s glassed-in corner contains a vintage pedestal table surrounded by Crate & Barrel chairs upholstered in a House of Hackney bouclé. Bishop says she purchased and arranged the pieces on her own volition to help the then-unconvinced homeowners envision the vignette as a place for sipping wine or playing mah-jongg, “and they never left.” The primary bedroom occupies a semidetached volume at the easternmost end of the house. Here, a walnut Feve Desk from Ferm Living overlooks a custom king-size bed finished in wine-colored Kirkby Design upholstery. Like so many other original finishes in the house, the cedar ceilings in the primary bathroom suite were perfectly preserved. Bishop tacked a Mori pendant by RBW above the room’s middle module rather than tear into the cedar planks. The primary bath is a suite of three eight-by-eight-foot modules linked by travertine flooring. Jupiter’s Axis Wall Sconces flank the double vanity. The primary bath and this walk-in closet face one another across a hallway. Because the primary bedroom is so clearly distinguished from the rest of the house in plan, the two dressing areas form a metaphorical proscenium to the sanctum. The house’s privacy-giving serpentine wall is visible from the kids’ bathroom, in which a custom vanity sits against a backdrop of Claybrook Confiserie and Concrete Collaborative Pacifica tiles. The interior’s many swaths of pink are no accident—it is the husband’s favorite color. Bishop leaned into the hue with gusto for the powder room, using Sarah Von Dreele’s Brian XL wallpaper, a Twin 1.0 sconce, a slab of Quartzite, and other flamingo-like sources. Architect Don Erickson placed a serpentine brick wall in front of the house’s north elevation to shield the sleeping wing’s bathing and dressing areas. #tour #midcentury #modern #gem #preserved
    WWW.ARCHITECTURALDIGEST.COM
    Tour a Midcentury Modern Gem Preserved in Winnetka, Illinois
    In the court of public opinion, acolytes of great architects are rarely treated as legends themselves. Take Chicago-area architect Don Erickson, who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin from 1948 through 1951. Although the Chicago Tribune lauded Erickson’s work as “delicate, beautiful, and always original” after his death in 2006, local interior designer Jennie Bishop reports that most of his houses “are often purchased and torn down or so drastically changed that you can’t recognize them.”Bishop discovered an exception in 2021, when a friend in real estate suggested a meeting with clients who had just purchased the Winnetka, Illinois, residence that Erickson had designed for photographer Richard Boyer in 1966. “I went in blind and just gasped,” Bishop recalls of arriving at the impeccably preserved home, adding, “I was saying silent prayers that they would not rip things out or depart from Erickson’s vision.”Bishop sourced a circular sectional, designed by Adrian Pearsall, for the great room’s living area. She and one of the clients plan to replace its vintage upholstery when the homeowners’ two young sons are less rambunctious. In the living area, a pair of lounge chairs upholstered in a Schumacher checkerboard pattern stand guard over an original fireplace. Bishop’s invocations were answered quickly, when the husband and wife described their predilection for living in unique spaces. They also explained that they had promised the previous homeowner to steward this midcentury gem and envisioned a delicate renovation ahead. Bishop started the commission as cofounder of Chicago-based Studio Gild, and she completed the project under her recently launched AD PRO Directory firm Bishop Studio.The Winnetka residence features several hallmarks of a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed house. Applying Wright’s concept of “pressure and release” to the 6,000-square-foot interior, for example, Erickson created a skinny formal entry hall that he made even more narrow by arcing a raised fireplace hearth into the space. Just beyond the hearth, the newcomer overlooks a great room that is as expansive as the entry was constrained.“We didn’t want all the fixtures to look like they had been left there,” Bishop says of layering a contemporary lighting vocabulary into the well-preserved interior. For the kitchen island, she specified a Light Object 015 from Naama Hofman to shed strong uniform light on the work surface. The island’s Afternoon Plus stools are from DWR. The kitchen’s perimeter cabinetry traces one of the orioles with which original architect Don Erickson had lined the west elevation of the house. The millwork was done by Abruzzo Kitchen & Bath. The kitchen’s breakfast area, as seen from the hallway dividing the great room from the dining room: a Heritage Unicolor pendant from Taiwan-Lantern tops the custom table and banquette; leather sling dining chairs from CB2. Other aspects of the house, such as its fan-patterned brick floors, historically evocative windows, and balletic ceilings, suggest that Erickson counted himself among the likes of A. Quincy Jones and Edward Durrell Stone—architects who were trying to reshape High Modernism for a popular American audience.Bishop determined that the Winnetka project required neither window replacement nor ceiling removal. At first, she planned to leave the enchanting brick floor untouched too. “We thought that its muted colors were original,” she says, “but we discovered a warmer palette underneath the kitchen appliances.” While Boyer and the homeowners who followed him had maintained the interior with almost religious devotion, their years of cleaning and coating the floors had unintentionally dulled their appearance. So began an exhaustive process of diamond sanding and resealing the surface, which Bishop admits caused moments of second-guessing: “It was painful to get to where we are, but now I’m super happy for the rusty and spicy colors that we achieved. We dramatically changed the house and honored it simultaneously.”A Maho sectional sofa by Wendelbo and a pair of vintage hammock chairs anchor the Florida room, which distinguishes itself from the great room by stepping down from the living area. The Florida room is oriented south to the patio. Bishop completed the project’s other major intervention in a similar spirit. While redoing the primary and children’s bathrooms in the bedroom wing, the interior designer preserved the spaces’ organization into eight-by-eight-foot modules and specified surfaces featuring period-appropriate patterns and colors. To make the three-compartment primary bathroom more gracious, she converted a never-used sauna into a wet room that remains crowned in its original cedar. (Bishop notes that she could upgrade plumbing and electrical systems largely without touching the house’s historic fabric thanks to a crawl space that Erickson had presciently included under the bedroom wing.)For the house’s furnishings, Bishop dotted the interior with antiques. For new and custom pieces, she leaned more toward complementing rather than aping the past. “We’re surrounded by so much wood in this house that we expressed ourselves with stone,” she cites as one example. Bishop also explains that the trio’s admiration for this palimpsest has only grown with time, so much so that the homeowners have granted her right of first refusal, should they someday decide to sell the house.The house is ostensibly L-shaped in plan, its east- and south-facing crook enfolding a generous patio area. Bishop and the homeowners are spreading the love by including the nest in a home tour hosted by Community House. The annual event raises funds for the local nonprofit and, this year, it promises to raise the profile of Erickson too. Bishop reinvented the service entrance, located immediately adjacent to the three-bay garage, as a cozy entry wrapped in Cranes wallpaper by Milton & King. “Nothing in this house is super precious,” Bishop says, noting that the homeowners enjoy entertaining at home. To wit, the designer created a double-pedestal dining room table topped in Jadore Quartzite “that could be danced upon.” It is overseen by a Rib Vault Light by Talbot & Yoon. Within the great room, the Florida room’s glassed-in corner contains a vintage pedestal table surrounded by Crate & Barrel chairs upholstered in a House of Hackney bouclé. Bishop says she purchased and arranged the pieces on her own volition to help the then-unconvinced homeowners envision the vignette as a place for sipping wine or playing mah-jongg, “and they never left.” The primary bedroom occupies a semidetached volume at the easternmost end of the house. Here, a walnut Feve Desk from Ferm Living overlooks a custom king-size bed finished in wine-colored Kirkby Design upholstery. Like so many other original finishes in the house, the cedar ceilings in the primary bathroom suite were perfectly preserved. Bishop tacked a Mori pendant by RBW above the room’s middle module rather than tear into the cedar planks. The primary bath is a suite of three eight-by-eight-foot modules linked by travertine flooring. Jupiter’s Axis Wall Sconces flank the double vanity. The primary bath and this walk-in closet face one another across a hallway. Because the primary bedroom is so clearly distinguished from the rest of the house in plan, the two dressing areas form a metaphorical proscenium to the sanctum. The house’s privacy-giving serpentine wall is visible from the kids’ bathroom, in which a custom vanity sits against a backdrop of Claybrook Confiserie and Concrete Collaborative Pacifica tiles. The interior’s many swaths of pink are no accident—it is the husband’s favorite color. Bishop leaned into the hue with gusto for the powder room, using Sarah Von Dreele’s Brian XL wallpaper, a Twin 1.0 sconce, a slab of Quartzite, and other flamingo-like sources. Architect Don Erickson placed a serpentine brick wall in front of the house’s north elevation to shield the sleeping wing’s bathing and dressing areas.
    0 Comentários 0 Compartilhamentos
  • Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence

    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable. All images courtesy of Red Brick Art Museum
    Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence
    May 22, 2025
    Art
    Grace Ebert

    In one of the foundational texts of Taoism, Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou recalls a dream in which he was a butterfly, soaring through the sky with no recollection of his human form. Upon waking, though, he finds himself firmly in a bipedal body, prompting an important question: is he a butterfly dreaming he’s Zhuang Zhou or a man dreaming he’s a butterfly?
    This ancient story of transformation and the thin line between states of mind informs a dazzling new installation by Chiharu Shiota. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” suspends glimmering lights and faint butterfly wings above an iron-framed twin bed topped with a white blanket and pillow. Rejecting the strict separation between body and mind, Shiota references her belief in the spirit’s ability to endure long after one’s final breath. “While each time we slip into sleep, it is a rehearsal for death—a journey beyond the body,” she says.
    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable
    Exemplary of the artist’s interest in memory and knowledge, “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” is just one of the immersive works in the monumental exhibition Silent Emptiness at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing.
    On view through August 31, the show revolves around Shiota’s ongoing explorations into the “presence in absence,” this time extending such inquiries into ideas of emptiness as it relates to Eastern philosophy and enlightenment.
    Included in the exhibtion is an antique Tibetan Buddhist doorway that anchors “Gateway to Silence,” an explosive installation that entwines the elaborately carved wood structure in a dense, criss-crossing labyrinth of string. Red thread, one of the artist’s favored materials, symbolizes relationships. And in this case, it’s an invitation to introspection and finding an awareness of the present moment.
    Metaphorically interlacing art, memory, and faith, Shiota very literally visualizes the intextricable web in which we’re all bound, regardless of geography or era. Pieces like “Echoes of Time” and “Rooted Memories” incorporate materials like soil and large stones, presenting the passage of time as cyclical and the past as always shaping the present.
    Detail of “Gateway to Silence”, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable
    Born in Osaka, the artist has lived in Berlin for much of her life, and Silent Emptiness also tethers her roots to more global experiences. Shiota likened her understanding of herself to the way salt molecules appear as crystals only after water evaporates. “I was not visible as an individual in Japan,” she says. “Whereas I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was necessary in the water, I feel that I became an individual and crystal, and understood those things for the first time by coming to Germany.”
    Another example of finding presence in absence, Shiota’s migration and experience of discovery provides an important touchstone for her thinking and practice. She adds, “Absence does not signify disappearance but rather an integration into a vaster universe, re-entering the flow of time and forming new connections with all things.”“Gateway to Silence”, mixed media, dimensions variable
    “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable
    “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable
    Detail of “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable
    “Multiple Realities”, mixed media, dimensions variable
    “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable
    “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable
    Next article
    #through #fairy #lights #butterflies #chiharu
    Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence
    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable. All images courtesy of Red Brick Art Museum Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence May 22, 2025 Art Grace Ebert In one of the foundational texts of Taoism, Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou recalls a dream in which he was a butterfly, soaring through the sky with no recollection of his human form. Upon waking, though, he finds himself firmly in a bipedal body, prompting an important question: is he a butterfly dreaming he’s Zhuang Zhou or a man dreaming he’s a butterfly? This ancient story of transformation and the thin line between states of mind informs a dazzling new installation by Chiharu Shiota. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” suspends glimmering lights and faint butterfly wings above an iron-framed twin bed topped with a white blanket and pillow. Rejecting the strict separation between body and mind, Shiota references her belief in the spirit’s ability to endure long after one’s final breath. “While each time we slip into sleep, it is a rehearsal for death—a journey beyond the body,” she says. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness”, mixed media, dimensions variable Exemplary of the artist’s interest in memory and knowledge, “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” is just one of the immersive works in the monumental exhibition Silent Emptiness at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing. On view through August 31, the show revolves around Shiota’s ongoing explorations into the “presence in absence,” this time extending such inquiries into ideas of emptiness as it relates to Eastern philosophy and enlightenment. Included in the exhibtion is an antique Tibetan Buddhist doorway that anchors “Gateway to Silence,” an explosive installation that entwines the elaborately carved wood structure in a dense, criss-crossing labyrinth of string. Red thread, one of the artist’s favored materials, symbolizes relationships. And in this case, it’s an invitation to introspection and finding an awareness of the present moment. Metaphorically interlacing art, memory, and faith, Shiota very literally visualizes the intextricable web in which we’re all bound, regardless of geography or era. Pieces like “Echoes of Time” and “Rooted Memories” incorporate materials like soil and large stones, presenting the passage of time as cyclical and the past as always shaping the present. Detail of “Gateway to Silence”, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Born in Osaka, the artist has lived in Berlin for much of her life, and Silent Emptiness also tethers her roots to more global experiences. Shiota likened her understanding of herself to the way salt molecules appear as crystals only after water evaporates. “I was not visible as an individual in Japan,” she says. “Whereas I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was necessary in the water, I feel that I became an individual and crystal, and understood those things for the first time by coming to Germany.” Another example of finding presence in absence, Shiota’s migration and experience of discovery provides an important touchstone for her thinking and practice. She adds, “Absence does not signify disappearance but rather an integration into a vaster universe, re-entering the flow of time and forming new connections with all things.”“Gateway to Silence”, mixed media, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable Detail of “Rooted Memories”, red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Multiple Realities”, mixed media, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time”, black yarn and rock, dimensions variable Next article #through #fairy #lights #butterflies #chiharu
    WWW.THISISCOLOSSAL.COM
    Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence
    “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable. All images courtesy of Red Brick Art Museum Through Fairy Lights and Butterflies, Chiharu Shiota Tethers Presence and Absence May 22, 2025 Art Grace Ebert In one of the foundational texts of Taoism, Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou recalls a dream in which he was a butterfly, soaring through the sky with no recollection of his human form. Upon waking, though, he finds himself firmly in a bipedal body, prompting an important question: is he a butterfly dreaming he’s Zhuang Zhou or a man dreaming he’s a butterfly? This ancient story of transformation and the thin line between states of mind informs a dazzling new installation by Chiharu Shiota (previously). “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” suspends glimmering lights and faint butterfly wings above an iron-framed twin bed topped with a white blanket and pillow. Rejecting the strict separation between body and mind, Shiota references her belief in the spirit’s ability to endure long after one’s final breath. “While each time we slip into sleep, it is a rehearsal for death—a journey beyond the body,” she says. “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable Exemplary of the artist’s interest in memory and knowledge, “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” is just one of the immersive works in the monumental exhibition Silent Emptiness at Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing. On view through August 31, the show revolves around Shiota’s ongoing explorations into the “presence in absence,” this time extending such inquiries into ideas of emptiness as it relates to Eastern philosophy and enlightenment. Included in the exhibtion is an antique Tibetan Buddhist doorway that anchors “Gateway to Silence,” an explosive installation that entwines the elaborately carved wood structure in a dense, criss-crossing labyrinth of string. Red thread, one of the artist’s favored materials, symbolizes relationships. And in this case, it’s an invitation to introspection and finding an awareness of the present moment. Metaphorically interlacing art, memory, and faith, Shiota very literally visualizes the intextricable web in which we’re all bound, regardless of geography or era. Pieces like “Echoes of Time” and “Rooted Memories” incorporate materials like soil and large stones, presenting the passage of time as cyclical and the past as always shaping the present. Detail of “Gateway to Silence” (2025), antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Born in Osaka, the artist has lived in Berlin for much of her life, and Silent Emptiness also tethers her roots to more global experiences. Shiota likened her understanding of herself to the way salt molecules appear as crystals only after water evaporates. “I was not visible as an individual in Japan,” she says. “Whereas I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was necessary in the water, I feel that I became an individual and crystal, and understood those things for the first time by coming to Germany.” Another example of finding presence in absence, Shiota’s migration and experience of discovery provides an important touchstone for her thinking and practice. She adds, “Absence does not signify disappearance but rather an integration into a vaster universe, re-entering the flow of time and forming new connections with all things.” (via designboom) “Gateway to Silence” (2025, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Detail of “Gateway to Silence” (2025, antique porch and red wool, dimensions variable Detail of “Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories” (2025), red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Rooted Memories” (2025), red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable Detail of “Rooted Memories” (2025), red rope, boat, and earth, dimensions variable “Multiple Realities” (2025), mixed media, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time” (2025), black yarn and rock, dimensions variable “Echoes of Time” (2025), black yarn and rock, dimensions variable Next article
    0 Comentários 0 Compartilhamentos
  • The next design trend should start with your hands, not a computer

    Designing without modern tools isn’t regression — it’s a stance against authoritative, tech-imposed aesthetics.The Art of Suminagashi Japanese Marbling | Image source: youtube.comI find most design trends irritating — not because they exist, but because too many designers follow them instead of forging their own. Then again, maybe that’s just my rebellious nature talking.There’s nothing wrong with using trends for inspiration or to practice various techniques. But latching onto a popular aesthetic as if it’s your identity? That’s just uninspired — especially if you consider yourself a creative professional.Take Airbnb’s recent Lava icon format — currently causing quite a stir among designers. The icons stand out for their dimensional look — a so-called break from the flat, minimal trend that’s really just recycled Web 2.0 aesthetics. But more importantly than the visuals, they use a custom animation format. of using standard video, Lottie, or WebGL, Airbnb created a lightweight proprietary format for animated UI icons. It supports transparency and runs smoothly across platforms using their own playback engine. The result is a low-key, technically efficient solution tailored to their design system.Cool? Sure. Game-changing? Not really.It’s just another gimmicky trend that’ll be overused by designers until the next shiny thing comes out of Silicon Valley — assuming we’re still employed by then. But hey, I’m sure our AI overlords will credit us in the footnotes.The video below by Michal Malewicz shows just how effortlessly AI can generate these dynamic icons — maybe too effortlessly. Aside from the animation, these icons remind me of 2010 all over again — minus the part where designers actually, you know, design stuff. new aesthetic shift sparked a question in my mind — why are we so quick to react and follow design trends instead of creating them? And more importantly, why are we feeding those trends with the same technology that threatens to hollow out the value of creative work? That’s like a sheep teaching wolves how to season meat — it’s the opposite of self-preservation.Designers already have the tools — not just digital, but physical, emotional, and cultural — to shape what comes next. And with AI stripping creative work of depth and nuance, maybe the next shift shouldn’t be about advancing the tech, but about returning to what’s raw, handmade, and unpredictable. Less about outcomes, more about process.I’m not talking about arts and crafts. I’m talking about a process that requires both expertise and experimentation — where clear vision meets material intuition. Where the story of creation is just as important as the final result. And where the medium isn’t chosen for convenience, but for its ability to convey meaning through the craft itself.Most contemporary design leans on minimalism and “clean” aesthetics — traits that aren’t principles so much as trends, and like any trend, they’re fleeting. What passes for “usable” today often masks a deeper fear of disruption — a retreat into sterile, risk-averse conformity at the expense of expressive creativity.Maybe it’s time to be bold. Brave. Experimental. Unruly. Time to stop letting authoritarian tech giants like Google and Apple dictate the future of design. Maybe it’s time for humans — driven by imagination, emotion, and real creativity — to shape what comes next.We don’t need permission to create work that feels alive and personal. The trend should be the process of human craft, not the outcome.That being said, here are a few hands-on techniques that can reignite that spark — or at least offer an inspirational avenue for expression and experimentation as technology slowly strips away our creative soul.Hand Sketching with PurposeImage source: RedditNot as a wireframe or placeholder, but as a final aesthetic choice. Embrace smudges, uneven line weight, imperfect perspective — these things inject humanity. Digitize them, yes — but don’t correct them. The imperfections are the point.SuminagashiImage source: suminagashi.comThis ancient Japanese technique involves dropping ink onto water and manipulating the patterns with breath or tools before laying paper on top to capture the design. The result is a one-of-a-kind, fluid composition that feels spontaneous and alive. Scanning these marbled textures into digital work adds unpredictability and human touch.Gelli PrintingImage source: schack.orgA monoprinting technique using gelatin-based plates. You apply ink or paint to a soft surface and press textures into it — leaves, string, mesh — then transfer it to paper. The result is a layered, atmospheric texture full of nuance. Perfect for backgrounds, overlays, or subtle storytelling.Block PrintingImage source: mokuartstudio.comOne of the oldest and most tactile forms of printmaking. Carve a design into wood, linoleum, or rubber, roll ink across the surface, and press it onto paper or fabric. The pressure inconsistencies, ink bleed, and subtle misalignments give each print its own personality. Digitizing these prints introduces organic irregularity into otherwise sterile digital layouts.Photocopy TransferImage source: billchambers.netThis hands-on technique — something I picked up from a fellow faculty member at LIU — involves printing a design with a laser printer, placing it face-down on a new surface, and applying an alcohol-based solvent like acetone or eucalyptus oil to transfer the toner. The result is rough, imperfect, and full of texture — like a ghost of the original image. Perfect for adding grit, unpredictability, and a touch of rebellion to otherwise sterile digital work.Stop-Motion MicrointeractionsImage source: BehanceCreate frame-by-frame animations using physical materials — paper cutouts, clay, thread, even coffee stains. Photograph each frame and compile them into short animations using GIF or Lottie formats. These can be used for loading states, transitions, tooltips, or hover effects — anywhere your interface needs a moment of life.Analog CollageImage source: reddit.comRip up magazines. Cut out old photos. Layer tape, torn paper, brush strokes. Glue it down, scan it in. This physical interaction with media encourages spontaneous composition and leads to surprising juxtapositions that would never happen inside a grid system.Film Photography as Texture SourceImage source: behance.netShoot 35mm film, cross-process it, scratch the negatives, scan it all. Use these as grainy, unpredictable texture layers. It gives your design a worn-in honesty, unlike the sterile perfection of stock photos or digital renders.Hand-Lettering with Intentional InconsistencyImage source: youtube.comNot polished script or Instagram calligraphy. We’re talking rough, personal letterforms drawn with pencil, marker, or brush — complete with wobbly baselines, inconsistent kerning, and raw edges. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s character.Material Experiments with Failure in MindImage source: threadsmagazine.comWork with candle wax, clay, bleach on paper, or burning the edges of cardboard. These experiments are often messy and may “fail” by conventional standards — but the accidents are often the most expressive parts.Some might argue that AI can replicate the outcomes of these techniques — and they’d be right. But that misses the point. These aren’t just aesthetic choices — they’re philosophical stances. They resist convenience. They reject the sterile, corporate polish that defines so much of modern design. They demand time, intention, and effort. And that’s exactly the point.AI can churn out a thousand “good-enough” designs in seconds. And maybe that’s fine for companies that don’t value creativity. But for those of us who do? That’s not the bar. It’s an insult. I refuse to let corporations and tech platforms strip away the very thing that gives so many designers a sense of purpose.I believe we should be working toward a future where what truly sets a designer apart is their willingness to get their hands dirty — to make mistakes, challenge convention, and find meaning in the mess of the process itself.That’s how you create a trend worth following — not by imitating the machine, literally or metaphorically, but by doing what it can not — creating from passion, intuition, resistance, and imperfection. By making the process — and the story behind it — part of the value, you restore meaning to the work.Maybe if we’re brave enough, honest enough, the next big design trend won’t come from Figma templates or top-down tech mandates. Maybe it’ll come from a torn piece of paper, a botched ink spill, or a stubborn pencil stroke. Maybe the next trend begins the moment we stop chasing — and start making again.Don’t miss out! Join my email list and receive the latest content.The next design trend should start with your hands, not a computer was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
    #next #design #trend #should #start
    The next design trend should start with your hands, not a computer
    Designing without modern tools isn’t regression — it’s a stance against authoritative, tech-imposed aesthetics.The Art of Suminagashi Japanese Marbling | Image source: youtube.comI find most design trends irritating — not because they exist, but because too many designers follow them instead of forging their own. Then again, maybe that’s just my rebellious nature talking.There’s nothing wrong with using trends for inspiration or to practice various techniques. But latching onto a popular aesthetic as if it’s your identity? That’s just uninspired — especially if you consider yourself a creative professional.Take Airbnb’s recent Lava icon format — currently causing quite a stir among designers. The icons stand out for their dimensional look — a so-called break from the flat, minimal trend that’s really just recycled Web 2.0 aesthetics. But more importantly than the visuals, they use a custom animation format. of using standard video, Lottie, or WebGL, Airbnb created a lightweight proprietary format for animated UI icons. It supports transparency and runs smoothly across platforms using their own playback engine. The result is a low-key, technically efficient solution tailored to their design system.Cool? Sure. Game-changing? Not really.It’s just another gimmicky trend that’ll be overused by designers until the next shiny thing comes out of Silicon Valley — assuming we’re still employed by then. But hey, I’m sure our AI overlords will credit us in the footnotes.The video below by Michal Malewicz shows just how effortlessly AI can generate these dynamic icons — maybe too effortlessly. Aside from the animation, these icons remind me of 2010 all over again — minus the part where designers actually, you know, design stuff. new aesthetic shift sparked a question in my mind — why are we so quick to react and follow design trends instead of creating them? And more importantly, why are we feeding those trends with the same technology that threatens to hollow out the value of creative work? That’s like a sheep teaching wolves how to season meat — it’s the opposite of self-preservation.Designers already have the tools — not just digital, but physical, emotional, and cultural — to shape what comes next. And with AI stripping creative work of depth and nuance, maybe the next shift shouldn’t be about advancing the tech, but about returning to what’s raw, handmade, and unpredictable. Less about outcomes, more about process.I’m not talking about arts and crafts. I’m talking about a process that requires both expertise and experimentation — where clear vision meets material intuition. Where the story of creation is just as important as the final result. And where the medium isn’t chosen for convenience, but for its ability to convey meaning through the craft itself.Most contemporary design leans on minimalism and “clean” aesthetics — traits that aren’t principles so much as trends, and like any trend, they’re fleeting. What passes for “usable” today often masks a deeper fear of disruption — a retreat into sterile, risk-averse conformity at the expense of expressive creativity.Maybe it’s time to be bold. Brave. Experimental. Unruly. Time to stop letting authoritarian tech giants like Google and Apple dictate the future of design. Maybe it’s time for humans — driven by imagination, emotion, and real creativity — to shape what comes next.We don’t need permission to create work that feels alive and personal. The trend should be the process of human craft, not the outcome.That being said, here are a few hands-on techniques that can reignite that spark — or at least offer an inspirational avenue for expression and experimentation as technology slowly strips away our creative soul.Hand Sketching with PurposeImage source: RedditNot as a wireframe or placeholder, but as a final aesthetic choice. Embrace smudges, uneven line weight, imperfect perspective — these things inject humanity. Digitize them, yes — but don’t correct them. The imperfections are the point.SuminagashiImage source: suminagashi.comThis ancient Japanese technique involves dropping ink onto water and manipulating the patterns with breath or tools before laying paper on top to capture the design. The result is a one-of-a-kind, fluid composition that feels spontaneous and alive. Scanning these marbled textures into digital work adds unpredictability and human touch.Gelli PrintingImage source: schack.orgA monoprinting technique using gelatin-based plates. You apply ink or paint to a soft surface and press textures into it — leaves, string, mesh — then transfer it to paper. The result is a layered, atmospheric texture full of nuance. Perfect for backgrounds, overlays, or subtle storytelling.Block PrintingImage source: mokuartstudio.comOne of the oldest and most tactile forms of printmaking. Carve a design into wood, linoleum, or rubber, roll ink across the surface, and press it onto paper or fabric. The pressure inconsistencies, ink bleed, and subtle misalignments give each print its own personality. Digitizing these prints introduces organic irregularity into otherwise sterile digital layouts.Photocopy TransferImage source: billchambers.netThis hands-on technique — something I picked up from a fellow faculty member at LIU — involves printing a design with a laser printer, placing it face-down on a new surface, and applying an alcohol-based solvent like acetone or eucalyptus oil to transfer the toner. The result is rough, imperfect, and full of texture — like a ghost of the original image. Perfect for adding grit, unpredictability, and a touch of rebellion to otherwise sterile digital work.Stop-Motion MicrointeractionsImage source: BehanceCreate frame-by-frame animations using physical materials — paper cutouts, clay, thread, even coffee stains. Photograph each frame and compile them into short animations using GIF or Lottie formats. These can be used for loading states, transitions, tooltips, or hover effects — anywhere your interface needs a moment of life.Analog CollageImage source: reddit.comRip up magazines. Cut out old photos. Layer tape, torn paper, brush strokes. Glue it down, scan it in. This physical interaction with media encourages spontaneous composition and leads to surprising juxtapositions that would never happen inside a grid system.Film Photography as Texture SourceImage source: behance.netShoot 35mm film, cross-process it, scratch the negatives, scan it all. Use these as grainy, unpredictable texture layers. It gives your design a worn-in honesty, unlike the sterile perfection of stock photos or digital renders.Hand-Lettering with Intentional InconsistencyImage source: youtube.comNot polished script or Instagram calligraphy. We’re talking rough, personal letterforms drawn with pencil, marker, or brush — complete with wobbly baselines, inconsistent kerning, and raw edges. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s character.Material Experiments with Failure in MindImage source: threadsmagazine.comWork with candle wax, clay, bleach on paper, or burning the edges of cardboard. These experiments are often messy and may “fail” by conventional standards — but the accidents are often the most expressive parts.Some might argue that AI can replicate the outcomes of these techniques — and they’d be right. But that misses the point. These aren’t just aesthetic choices — they’re philosophical stances. They resist convenience. They reject the sterile, corporate polish that defines so much of modern design. They demand time, intention, and effort. And that’s exactly the point.AI can churn out a thousand “good-enough” designs in seconds. And maybe that’s fine for companies that don’t value creativity. But for those of us who do? That’s not the bar. It’s an insult. I refuse to let corporations and tech platforms strip away the very thing that gives so many designers a sense of purpose.I believe we should be working toward a future where what truly sets a designer apart is their willingness to get their hands dirty — to make mistakes, challenge convention, and find meaning in the mess of the process itself.That’s how you create a trend worth following — not by imitating the machine, literally or metaphorically, but by doing what it can not — creating from passion, intuition, resistance, and imperfection. By making the process — and the story behind it — part of the value, you restore meaning to the work.Maybe if we’re brave enough, honest enough, the next big design trend won’t come from Figma templates or top-down tech mandates. Maybe it’ll come from a torn piece of paper, a botched ink spill, or a stubborn pencil stroke. Maybe the next trend begins the moment we stop chasing — and start making again.Don’t miss out! Join my email list and receive the latest content.The next design trend should start with your hands, not a computer was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story. #next #design #trend #should #start
    UXDESIGN.CC
    The next design trend should start with your hands, not a computer
    Designing without modern tools isn’t regression — it’s a stance against authoritative, tech-imposed aesthetics.The Art of Suminagashi Japanese Marbling | Image source: youtube.comI find most design trends irritating — not because they exist, but because too many designers follow them instead of forging their own. Then again, maybe that’s just my rebellious nature talking.There’s nothing wrong with using trends for inspiration or to practice various techniques. But latching onto a popular aesthetic as if it’s your identity? That’s just uninspired — especially if you consider yourself a creative professional.Take Airbnb’s recent Lava icon format — currently causing quite a stir among designers. The icons stand out for their dimensional look — a so-called break from the flat, minimal trend that’s really just recycled Web 2.0 aesthetics. But more importantly than the visuals, they use a custom animation format.https://medium.com/media/85cb356a935a5b28844c2b60587db172/hrefInstead of using standard video, Lottie, or WebGL, Airbnb created a lightweight proprietary format for animated UI icons. It supports transparency and runs smoothly across platforms using their own playback engine. The result is a low-key, technically efficient solution tailored to their design system.Cool? Sure. Game-changing? Not really.It’s just another gimmicky trend that’ll be overused by designers until the next shiny thing comes out of Silicon Valley — assuming we’re still employed by then. But hey, I’m sure our AI overlords will credit us in the footnotes.The video below by Michal Malewicz shows just how effortlessly AI can generate these dynamic icons — maybe too effortlessly. Aside from the animation, these icons remind me of 2010 all over again — minus the part where designers actually, you know, design stuff.https://medium.com/media/366d8d8678e02caa2971f432cb9c9832/hrefThis new aesthetic shift sparked a question in my mind — why are we so quick to react and follow design trends instead of creating them? And more importantly, why are we feeding those trends with the same technology that threatens to hollow out the value of creative work? That’s like a sheep teaching wolves how to season meat — it’s the opposite of self-preservation.Designers already have the tools — not just digital, but physical, emotional, and cultural — to shape what comes next. And with AI stripping creative work of depth and nuance, maybe the next shift shouldn’t be about advancing the tech, but about returning to what’s raw, handmade, and unpredictable. Less about outcomes, more about process.I’m not talking about arts and crafts. I’m talking about a process that requires both expertise and experimentation — where clear vision meets material intuition. Where the story of creation is just as important as the final result. And where the medium isn’t chosen for convenience, but for its ability to convey meaning through the craft itself.Most contemporary design leans on minimalism and “clean” aesthetics — traits that aren’t principles so much as trends, and like any trend, they’re fleeting. What passes for “usable” today often masks a deeper fear of disruption — a retreat into sterile, risk-averse conformity at the expense of expressive creativity.Maybe it’s time to be bold. Brave. Experimental. Unruly. Time to stop letting authoritarian tech giants like Google and Apple dictate the future of design. Maybe it’s time for humans — driven by imagination, emotion, and real creativity — to shape what comes next.We don’t need permission to create work that feels alive and personal. The trend should be the process of human craft, not the outcome.That being said, here are a few hands-on techniques that can reignite that spark — or at least offer an inspirational avenue for expression and experimentation as technology slowly strips away our creative soul.Hand Sketching with PurposeImage source: RedditNot as a wireframe or placeholder, but as a final aesthetic choice. Embrace smudges, uneven line weight, imperfect perspective — these things inject humanity. Digitize them, yes — but don’t correct them. The imperfections are the point.Suminagashi (Floating Ink Marbling)Image source: suminagashi.comThis ancient Japanese technique involves dropping ink onto water and manipulating the patterns with breath or tools before laying paper on top to capture the design. The result is a one-of-a-kind, fluid composition that feels spontaneous and alive. Scanning these marbled textures into digital work adds unpredictability and human touch.Gelli PrintingImage source: schack.orgA monoprinting technique using gelatin-based plates. You apply ink or paint to a soft surface and press textures into it — leaves, string, mesh — then transfer it to paper. The result is a layered, atmospheric texture full of nuance. Perfect for backgrounds, overlays, or subtle storytelling.Block PrintingImage source: mokuartstudio.comOne of the oldest and most tactile forms of printmaking. Carve a design into wood, linoleum, or rubber, roll ink across the surface, and press it onto paper or fabric. The pressure inconsistencies, ink bleed, and subtle misalignments give each print its own personality. Digitizing these prints introduces organic irregularity into otherwise sterile digital layouts.Photocopy TransferImage source: billchambers.netThis hands-on technique — something I picked up from a fellow faculty member at LIU — involves printing a design with a laser printer, placing it face-down on a new surface, and applying an alcohol-based solvent like acetone or eucalyptus oil to transfer the toner. The result is rough, imperfect, and full of texture — like a ghost of the original image. Perfect for adding grit, unpredictability, and a touch of rebellion to otherwise sterile digital work.Stop-Motion MicrointeractionsImage source: BehanceCreate frame-by-frame animations using physical materials — paper cutouts, clay, thread, even coffee stains. Photograph each frame and compile them into short animations using GIF or Lottie formats. These can be used for loading states, transitions, tooltips, or hover effects — anywhere your interface needs a moment of life.Analog CollageImage source: reddit.comRip up magazines. Cut out old photos. Layer tape, torn paper, brush strokes. Glue it down, scan it in. This physical interaction with media encourages spontaneous composition and leads to surprising juxtapositions that would never happen inside a grid system.Film Photography as Texture SourceImage source: behance.netShoot 35mm film, cross-process it, scratch the negatives, scan it all. Use these as grainy, unpredictable texture layers. It gives your design a worn-in honesty, unlike the sterile perfection of stock photos or digital renders.Hand-Lettering with Intentional InconsistencyImage source: youtube.comNot polished script or Instagram calligraphy. We’re talking rough, personal letterforms drawn with pencil, marker, or brush — complete with wobbly baselines, inconsistent kerning, and raw edges. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s character.Material Experiments with Failure in MindImage source: threadsmagazine.comWork with candle wax, clay, bleach on paper, or burning the edges of cardboard. These experiments are often messy and may “fail” by conventional standards — but the accidents are often the most expressive parts.Some might argue that AI can replicate the outcomes of these techniques — and they’d be right. But that misses the point. These aren’t just aesthetic choices — they’re philosophical stances. They resist convenience. They reject the sterile, corporate polish that defines so much of modern design. They demand time, intention, and effort. And that’s exactly the point.AI can churn out a thousand “good-enough” designs in seconds. And maybe that’s fine for companies that don’t value creativity. But for those of us who do? That’s not the bar. It’s an insult. I refuse to let corporations and tech platforms strip away the very thing that gives so many designers a sense of purpose.I believe we should be working toward a future where what truly sets a designer apart is their willingness to get their hands dirty — to make mistakes, challenge convention, and find meaning in the mess of the process itself.That’s how you create a trend worth following — not by imitating the machine, literally or metaphorically, but by doing what it can not — creating from passion, intuition, resistance, and imperfection. By making the process — and the story behind it — part of the value, you restore meaning to the work.Maybe if we’re brave enough, honest enough, the next big design trend won’t come from Figma templates or top-down tech mandates. Maybe it’ll come from a torn piece of paper, a botched ink spill, or a stubborn pencil stroke. Maybe the next trend begins the moment we stop chasing — and start making again.Don’t miss out! Join my email list and receive the latest content.The next design trend should start with your hands, not a computer was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
    0 Comentários 0 Compartilhamentos
  • Desktop case, laptop chip? The Asus TUF T500 is a weird little gaming PC

    Mini PCs are all the rage at the moment, cramming laptop parts into a teeny-tiny space to give you a desktop that’s cheap and powerful, and at least a little bit upgradeable. But with most of them relying on AMD APUs, their gaming is limited. Can you make that setup work in a larger desktop form factor? Asus thinks you can, and at Computex it’s game to try.
    The TUF Gaming T500 looks like a small-ish desktop tower, complete with a transparent window on the side to show off its parts. But while the pre-installed graphics card is obvious. Take a gander above it, and you’ll see what looks like the smallest cooling setup ever on top of its processor, directly connected to a rear exhaust fan. It’s tiny because that’s a laptop processor, an Intel 13th-gen i5 or i7, depending on which version you buy. It’s also soldered in place — this is not an ATX or mATX motherboard, it’s proprietary. That CPU is the only one that the desktop will ever have.
    Which is not to say there are no upgrade options. With a desktop-style PCIe slot for the graphics card, two DDR5 SO-DIMMRAM slots, a pair of M.2 gen 4 slots for storage, and even two SATA ports, you’ve got plenty of options for just about everything except the processor. And that extra space means cooling is much easier and more efficient than on any laptop or mini PC. You can even upgrade the wireless with another M.2 card if you like.
    The TUF series is Asus’ mid-range or budget gaming line, as opposed to ROG. So the T500 is, nominally, mid-range in terms of performance. But with a starting price of it’s not really hitting below many pre-built gaming desktops without its restrictions. A little quick shopping on PCPartPicker let me build a substantially more powerful desktop from parts, with an upgradeable 13th-gen Core i5, for at the same level…and that was even including a wildly inflated RTX 5060 Ti price in the current market. And that’s the top-end option according to the specs, I don’t think you’ll get that card for So like Adam on the floor at Computex, I am skeptical of to whom this gaming PC will actually appeal. Granted, there are plenty who just want to play and aren’t all that concerned about what’s under the metaphorical hood…even if you can see through this one. But I still think it needs to offer a better value compromise if it’s going to stand out from other pre-built designs.
    For more on the latest PC gaming hardware, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube, and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd.
    #desktop #case #laptop #chip #asus
    Desktop case, laptop chip? The Asus TUF T500 is a weird little gaming PC
    Mini PCs are all the rage at the moment, cramming laptop parts into a teeny-tiny space to give you a desktop that’s cheap and powerful, and at least a little bit upgradeable. But with most of them relying on AMD APUs, their gaming is limited. Can you make that setup work in a larger desktop form factor? Asus thinks you can, and at Computex it’s game to try. The TUF Gaming T500 looks like a small-ish desktop tower, complete with a transparent window on the side to show off its parts. But while the pre-installed graphics card is obvious. Take a gander above it, and you’ll see what looks like the smallest cooling setup ever on top of its processor, directly connected to a rear exhaust fan. It’s tiny because that’s a laptop processor, an Intel 13th-gen i5 or i7, depending on which version you buy. It’s also soldered in place — this is not an ATX or mATX motherboard, it’s proprietary. That CPU is the only one that the desktop will ever have. Which is not to say there are no upgrade options. With a desktop-style PCIe slot for the graphics card, two DDR5 SO-DIMMRAM slots, a pair of M.2 gen 4 slots for storage, and even two SATA ports, you’ve got plenty of options for just about everything except the processor. And that extra space means cooling is much easier and more efficient than on any laptop or mini PC. You can even upgrade the wireless with another M.2 card if you like. The TUF series is Asus’ mid-range or budget gaming line, as opposed to ROG. So the T500 is, nominally, mid-range in terms of performance. But with a starting price of it’s not really hitting below many pre-built gaming desktops without its restrictions. A little quick shopping on PCPartPicker let me build a substantially more powerful desktop from parts, with an upgradeable 13th-gen Core i5, for at the same level…and that was even including a wildly inflated RTX 5060 Ti price in the current market. And that’s the top-end option according to the specs, I don’t think you’ll get that card for So like Adam on the floor at Computex, I am skeptical of to whom this gaming PC will actually appeal. Granted, there are plenty who just want to play and aren’t all that concerned about what’s under the metaphorical hood…even if you can see through this one. But I still think it needs to offer a better value compromise if it’s going to stand out from other pre-built designs. For more on the latest PC gaming hardware, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube, and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd. #desktop #case #laptop #chip #asus
    WWW.PCWORLD.COM
    Desktop case, laptop chip? The Asus TUF T500 is a weird little gaming PC
    Mini PCs are all the rage at the moment, cramming laptop parts into a teeny-tiny space to give you a desktop that’s cheap and powerful, and at least a little bit upgradeable. But with most of them relying on AMD APUs, their gaming is limited. Can you make that setup work in a larger desktop form factor? Asus thinks you can, and at Computex it’s game to try. The TUF Gaming T500 looks like a small-ish desktop tower, complete with a transparent window on the side to show off its parts. But while the pre-installed graphics card is obvious (an RTX 5060 Ti in this version). Take a gander above it, and you’ll see what looks like the smallest cooling setup ever on top of its processor, directly connected to a rear exhaust fan. It’s tiny because that’s a laptop processor, an Intel 13th-gen i5 or i7, depending on which version you buy. It’s also soldered in place — this is not an ATX or mATX motherboard, it’s proprietary. That CPU is the only one that the desktop will ever have. Which is not to say there are no upgrade options. With a desktop-style PCIe slot for the graphics card, two DDR5 SO-DIMM (laptop) RAM slots, a pair of M.2 gen 4 slots for storage, and even two SATA ports, you’ve got plenty of options for just about everything except the processor. And that extra space means cooling is much easier and more efficient than on any laptop or mini PC. You can even upgrade the wireless with another M.2 card if you like. The TUF series is Asus’ mid-range or budget gaming line, as opposed to ROG. So the T500 is, nominally, mid-range in terms of performance. But with a starting price of $1300, it’s not really hitting below many pre-built gaming desktops without its restrictions. A little quick shopping on PCPartPicker let me build a substantially more powerful desktop from parts, with an upgradeable 13th-gen Core i5, for at the same level…and that was even including a wildly inflated RTX 5060 Ti price in the current market. And that’s the top-end option according to the specs, I don’t think you’ll get that card for $1300. So like Adam on the floor at Computex, I am skeptical of to whom this gaming PC will actually appeal. Granted, there are plenty who just want to play and aren’t all that concerned about what’s under the metaphorical hood…even if you can see through this one. But I still think it needs to offer a better value compromise if it’s going to stand out from other pre-built designs. For more on the latest PC gaming hardware, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube, and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd.
    0 Comentários 0 Compartilhamentos