I’m so excited for this Friday! Im going to be participating in a focus group for super cool Israeli designers Peleg Design and Ototo! They are creating some new products and looking for some democracy-style design input from the less designing-savvy and more designy-loving among us natives.

I’ve been a fan of both Peleg Design and Ototo for a long time now. Their incorporation of functionality, aesthetics and humor had me at ha. It’s about not taking oneself too seriously, or design too seriously, and is about making design accessible – in every aspect of our lives from the office to the kitchen – and even allowing design to be fun. Just take a look at the new and featured products above to see what I mean.

Above:
Top left: Domino tabletop candle stand by Peleg Design
Top middle: Zip It bookmark by Peleg Design
Top right: Charging Charlie cable holder by Peleg Design
Bottom left: Tea Sub by Ototo
Bottom middle: Bunny Pops popsicle stick molds by Ototo
Bottom right: Rollertape desktop tape holder by Ototo

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Giving new vitality to a sleepy Israeli town, MIT students join Israeli researchers in an exciting international collaboration for urban renovation. Reported by Ariel Schwartz, Senior Editor, at Co.Exist:

“In the 1950s, rapidly built planned cities (also known as “development towns”) sprung up in Israel to accommodate the influx of new citizens, including Jewish refugees from Arab countries and Holocaust survivors. Now many of these development towns are struggling due to depopulation and an aging populace. Teams of MIT graduate students and researchers at Tel Aviv University are using one –named Kiryat Gat–as a living lab for a new kind of high-tech, environmentally sound planned city. The goal is to create a plan for Kiryat Gat that can be used in urban communities around the world…” More here.

The post Gat to Get it: Southern Israeli City Kiryat Gat Gets Urban Redesign by MIT Students appeared first on Designist Dream.

Loving this year’s national Independence Day or Yom Haatzmaot poster celebrating 64 years. Designed by Shlomit Tsur, a graduate of visual communications at Shenkar, and illustrated by Gustavo Viselner. (Id love to find more information about the artists if anyone has any leads, my searches didnt yield much.)

Anyway, the picturesque imagery strikes at the heart of what constitutes our identity, our land and our people: water. Nourishing us, sustaining us and what we all need to live, from plants to people. This year let’s be good to our Land, ourselves, our people and others. Happy 64, Israel, and many more…

The post When Im Sixty-Four… or Happy Independence Day State of Israel appeared first on Designist Dream.

Come holiday season, shit gets a little out of control round the blogosphere with everyone the world over making holiday decorations for their homes or for gifts. Although crafts for Chanukah seem to be improving every year, I find many of them dated in style, too blue or Magen David/ star-heavy. That’s why I was psyched to find this project from Creative Jewish Mom. Not only does Sara have some great, modern crafts for Chanukah, she also has a great deal of kid-friendly projects. So I set up the toilet paper rolls on our table, along with the tissue paper and some metallic paint thrown in for good measure, and somehow things started to take a decidedly, creatively different turn…

Introducing: The Chanukah Candle Mobile! (Yay!)

These eight ‘candles’ or painted toilet paper rolls are hanging in my stairwell (from the stair rail you can see in the photo at the bottom). Since the stairs get the most light and are breezy-central with everyone walking through them, the candles sparkle as they float around. Plus, they bring surprise holiday cheer as you walk down to the living room/ kitchen where all the Chanukah and family celebrations take place.

It was easy and fun, for kids of all ages, and to prove it, here’s how we did it.

You will need:
8 toilet paper rolls
1 paper towel roll (for the taller Shamash or lead candle – we didn’t do this part)
Metallic paints (gold, silver, bronze, copper… you get the picture) glitter paints in colors would work just as well
Tissue papers in flame colors (red, orange, yellow)
Metallic pipe cleaners
Fishing wire
Glue
Scissor

Step 1:

Paint your toilet paper rolls with the metallic (or glitter) paints. Feel free to be creative here, amping up the sparkle effect with glue and glitter, stickers (neon or shiny), sequins, fabrics…

Step 2:

Cut out flame shapes from your tissue paper. Vary the size per color for added flame likeness.
Glue tissue papers onto the inside of the toilet paper roll for fire effect. Let dry.

Step 3:

Using the edge of your scissor (this part’s for adults), poke two holes through the toilet paper roll, mindful of the tissue paper.
Insert the metallic pipe cleaners through the two holes, meet them together on top, forming a flame-top shape, and twist together to close. (The pipe cleaners give you something stable and central to tie the fishing wire onto and hang the candle from.)

Step 4:
Repeat above steps to create 8 candles, one for each night of Chanukah.
To create a taller shamash, or lead candle, repeat the above steps with a longer paper towel roll.

Step 5:

Tie fishing wire to the top of pipe cleaner flames and hang from your desired place (ceiling, window pane, chandelier, hooks…) I used the stair rail which you can see at the top of the photo.

With 6 more nights left to celebrate Chanukah – and holiday vacation with the kids ahead – it’s not too late to decorate your house with this easy and fun Chanukah mobile. Happy crafting! Happy holidays! and Happy Chanukah to all!

The post Happy Chanukah! And Holiday Crafting Fun to Boot! appeared first on Designist Dream.

About a year ago, I found these two items at the Yaffo flea market: A beautiful, hand-embroidered cosmetic case bound in a Tiffany-blue, textured leather and a similar compact mirror. The shop owner told me they were made in Israel in the early years of the State but he had no specific information, other than what was written on the inside lining: Orient Made in Israel.

Ive become a lot more obsessed with the idea of crafts lately. The idea of craftsmanship, its positioning as somehow outside of the fine arts but demanding expertise of skill and execution all the same, and the traditions of the field, how they’re unphased for the most part (or are they) by technological advances…

All this to say, I need your help, please. I want to delve deeper into Israel’s artistic history and practice. Beyond design as creativity and production and Israel as a meeting point for global influences and top notch approaches, what are Israel’s traditions of design as object? How did culture, history, politics, or economy impact design in every day life – and craft production too? What were the first Israelis’ crafts or home goods? When did design become an important aesthetic in their homes? Their lives?

There’s this romanticized view of Israel’s early pioneers (I mean in the 1940s and 50s specifically) as having lived with very little, both because there wasn’t a maximized economy or commercial market here, but more because they had to be so devoted and dedicated to the founding of cities like Tel Aviv. So then you find these cosmetic cases, “Made in Israel”. By who? And for who? A decorative compact case for what kind of woman or women – were there many like her or was it created for a select few?

I guess it’s a look into material culture meets visual culture meets design history. Like more than this particular example – the cosmetic case and the Israeli woman from the 1950s – what did homes and design look like in this period? There are graphic design posters from this period that can help shed light on a public aesthetic, but what about in private settings, homes, rooms… My Googling skills are now exhausted – without much success. So please send names of people, books or places for further research? Thanks for your help. I look forward to sharing my findings with you on the blog. Who knows, it could be fun.

The post Open Call for Info and Leads: A History of Israeli Crafts or Anyone Have Any Idea Who Made These, When, Where and Why? appeared first on Designist Dream.

Simply put: this poster box,

which holds this poster,

also becomes these alphabet cards and card box.

Israeli designer Oshrit Ben Gal, the brains behind Gugu Design, strives to create aesthetically engaging and mentally challenging games for children and babies that also contribute positively to our shared environment – as in less wasteful packaging and more pleasing repurposing. I personally love how her aesethtics are sweet and modern without overly childish commercialism or cheese, making this a great gift for any design-savvy parent looking to decorate their kids rooms with a bit of Hebrew and lot of pretty. If you have trouble with the site’s all-Hebrew-ness, contact Oshrit directly to order. (And if you still have trouble, contact me for more help.)

The post Shop Israel Chanukah Gift Guide: Design-Lovin’ Parents and Kids Go Gaga for Gugu Design appeared first on Designist Dream.

Discovering Barbara Shaw’s gift shop on Bezalel Street in Jerusalem was like finding the perfect present pitstop for friends and family in Israel or abroad. With graphics that combine kitchy fun with contemporary abstract, Barbara’s textiles, pottery and glassware offer a wide range of gift giving options for that special man, woman, baby, child, friend, coworker, dinner host, parent or family member in your life – yes, the gift options are just that good. And – AND! – they’re all reasonably priced, under $50!

Below are a few of my favorite selections from Barbara, favorites that Id love to give or receive this Chanukah, or click to her English site – complete with an online shop – to peruse her complete collection yourself (and make someone very happy this holiday season

This pillow will adorn my couch one day. I love the Jaffa Orange retro-meets-Warhol print/ pattern.

Budding artists, kids included, will enjoy this portable pencil roll up with patterned notebook. There wasn’t a good pic to download but on the site you can see the opened roll with all the pencil slots. From the Seven Species collection.

UPDATE: If you’re in Jerusalem, Barbara is hosting a pre-Chanukah party at her store, 2 Bezalel Street, on December 15th. Enjoy live music, drinks, nibbles and good cheer as you stock up on some Chanukah presents for friends in Israel or abroad (with enough time to send by post). Details here.

The post Shop Israel Chanukah Gift Guide: Kitsch meets Contemporary at Barbara Shaw Gifts appeared first on Designist Dream.

It’s more than taking time to stop and smell the roses. Now you can curl up with a good book and rest your head on a cushy pillow, right under your favorite flower or plant. Israeli design team Studio Libel bring the outdoors in with these unique pillow planters for your home.

Gives new meaning to the range of green or eco design options for your home – or perhaps just a more literal one… And now, starting at $40 USD, you can purchase a pillow (or two) from the Studio Libel Etsy shop. What a great, natural way to kick off this season’s Shop Israel Gift Guide! Hmmm, that gives me some ideas.. stay tuned for more

via::Inhabitat

The post Plant(er) Pillows: Studio Libel Brings the Lush Outdoors into the (P)lush Indoors appeared first on Designist Dream.

Israeli architect extraordinaire, Moshe Safdie, has set his creative sails for China’s port city of Chongquin, a historic economic center at the Yangtze and Jialing river junction, and a major manufacturing and transportation hub for all of Southwestern China.

Drawing upon the city’s cultural symbolism and historic significance, Safdie’s Chongquin Chaotianmen is a modern interpretation of a fleet of ancient Chinese ships. The eight rising towers resemble heraldic sails, their arch akin to winds blowing back their masts.

I love the swooping grandeur that he achieves with height, scale and arch. Just to peer out from these mast-high gardens, over the busy city and riverscapes below. I can almost smell the damp air, heavy with creativity, production and inspiration.

More here, via::Designboom

The post Holy Moshe! Israeli Architect Sets Sail for East appeared first on Designist Dream.

The woman behind the design – literally, ha!

You see, Tarazi and helpers created this metal chair by dropping a 100kg (roughly 220 lb) female mannequin onto the metal, square frame. It’s a ‘free fall’ effect by which her weight and its impact, force not only the dummy to ‘sit’ into the chair but also the chair to conform to her.

Bizarro cover of Tom Petty’s Free Falling song aside, the slo-mo video below is actually a compelling demonstration. If you’re at all like me, you’ll find yourself cheering that moment of impact – or shall I say that moment of creation or design.

For more on Tarazi’s forward-thinking and thought-provoking designs: designboom

via Core77

The post Free Fall Chair by Ezri Tarazi Or Israeli Design by Dummies appeared first on Designist Dream.