Elliott's Blog #3

For this blog I looked for companies that I hadn't heard of before. I wanted to find brands that both relate to the readings and that are new and interesting. I found most of them by looking through the sites under the Of Interest section of our blog. The three brands I decided on are:
#1. BumpTop
#2. I Make My Case
#3. Me To We Style
They are all fairly new companies and are headed in positive directions in terms of their brand and how they use design to further their brand.

BumpTop

BumpTop is a new software that you can download for both windows and mac that transforms your desktop into a virtual 3D space with a floor and walls. You can leave your documents and files lying on this desktop just as you would leave real life papers on your actual desk. You can pin things to the walls and stack files up and then move them around and watch as the physics that is incorporated into BumpTop makes your files bump against each other and move around as they would in real life.

BumpTop is breaking new ground. It is thinking of the future and anticipating the next step in computers and virtual space. It is already functioning with touch screen PCs which allows you to move files around with your finger. Though three-dimensional computer screens have yet to be invented, BumpTop is ready for when they are, and will likely be at the forefront of 3D desktop design when it happens.

It relates to the idea of 'breaking boundaries' that is mentioned in the '5 Key Design Trends' article. Breaking boundaries is about "a transformation between different anti poles, such as local/global, technology/philosophy and body/mind." BumpTop is a transformation between real life and the virtual world. It is taking the real life desk top that we are all familiar with and combining it with the virtual desktop to make it more of an individual experience.

Here is BumpTop's website,
And here is one of the articles that led me to find BumpTop, which features a neat video of it in use.

I Make My Case

I Make My Case is a website where you can design your own phone case. It uses many featured artists in order to create the designs that you can then utilize and adjust to your liking.
You can play around on the site here.
I did look at a few other sites where you can customize your phone case. Such as the Zune site which is fairly impressive because of the ability to move the zune in 3D space while customizing it.

I Make My Case is definitely the best one out there though. Not only because of the customization tools it offers, but also because of the site design itself. The colorful doodles and fun interaction really creates an aesthetic that carries through to the actual product. Without this effective site design, the product may not stand out as much from it's competition.

There is definitely something 'sensuctive' about I Make My Case. It really appeals to our senses. It makes us want it; we want to look at it, touch it, and show it off to our friends. Sensuctiveness is about designing for human desire and pleasure and I Make My Case is a good example allowing the consumer to become the designer in order to achieve the greatest level of pleasure possible.

I believe there is something 'cooltural' about I Make My Case too. It really offers a unique experience. Everyone is used to seeing and having the same generic phone cases, so it is nice to be presented with the opportunity to be different. We are constantly looking for something unique that only we know about and that we can show off to others. It helps separate ourselves as individuals. This isn't specific to just I Make My Case, but to all of the companies that allow you to personalize your phone, iPod, computer, etc...

There is a blog entry on Three Minds that covers I Make My Case, which mentions some of the pros and cons that I looked at.

Me To We Style

Me To We Style describes themselves as being "a new social enterprise that is committed to providing ethically manufactured, quality apparel for the socially-conscious consumer. Our product line is domestically produced, sweatshop-free and made using certified organic cotton and viscose from bamboo."
They have a partnership with Free The Children and donate 50% of their profits to help support international development projects.
Environmental influence is important for their brand. They show responsibility by showing an interest in the world today and trying to fix problems that exist. The company is beneficial to both society and the environment.

Me To We Style shows aspects of rationaissance. They are about going beyond the short term, looking to the future and positively affecting the world. Their brand is functional and rational while their designs are stylish and iconic.