PMQ Render_Tiffany Wan Writer

Interview: Billy Tam of Thomas Chow Architects Limited

As you’re all aware, community involvement is core to our philosophy here at Design Museum Boston, and we’re not alone. As I dig and dive deeper into the design scene in Hong Kong, I’m learning that this idea and importance of community is becoming increasingly vital to the artists and designers in this financially driven […]

should you design for free?

As I’ve recently been grappling with some brainstorm sessions and possible side projects, this is a nice reminder indeed! Take a look at this flow chart from Jessica Hische at shouldiworkforfree to help you decide too: via designsojourn

Happy New Year! (and A Brandnü Way of Thinking)

Happy 2011! Wishing everyone all the best for the coming year :) Here’s to the first post of 2011 and an update of my own! Design Museum Boston is proud to present Tiffany Wan, the newest addition to our correspondents team. A graduate of Syracuse University and currently located in Beijing, Tiffany will be bringing an […]

local HK charms from G.O.D

I posted about Goods of Desire in the past and here’s another great little take away that they’ve launched. It’s a great way to take a bit of Hong Kong home with you. Part of what makes the travel experience is the “charm”, character, and uniqueness to a place. These small souvenirs from GOD address […]

must know Chinese companies

Recently, China surpassed Japan as the world’s 2nd largest economy. A couple months ago I had a discussion with a classmate about our adjustments to living in Beijing. One of the biggest adjustments that seem so simple and natural in our respective home countries is the idea of brands. We know who to trust, what […]

East and West: packaging differences

The Shanghai based branding firm Labbrand reviews the impact of packaging design on business in a cultural context, particularly in China. Product brand managers need to pay special consideration to how their consumers view color, materials, images and typefaces, while considering the contrasts between Chinese and Western markets. Packaging design and color has a a big […]

coffee corner

Dueling Starbucks and Peet’s coffee shops are located directly across the street from each other in the town of Alameda, CA (Bay Area). I’m sure it’s not the only corner in the area with multiple coffee shops. When two huge coffee chains open shop so close together, it certainly shows the presence of coffee culture. Coffee […]

movie: Lemonade

I had heard about Lemonade when it came out and recently watched it on Hulu, a 35 min movie about laid off advertising professionals, who turned the bad news into an opportunity: “It’s not a pink slip, it’s a blank page.” What do people who were once paid to be creative for a living do when they’re laid off? […]

yellow diaper stripes

Jan Chipchase writes a short entry about the failure and successes of color-changing diapers that alert parents of a wet diaper (or nappy): Yellow nappy stripes – a familiar, comforting sight for parents indicating that the contents of the container/nappy are dry – with a few drops of liquid the stripes turn blue. Whilst it […]

Shanghai Tang

If you don’t know about Shanghai Tang, (in addition to the Chinese translation of Shanghai’s Bund), it’s a high-end fashion brand that uses traditional Chinese design to influence it’s lifestyle and fashion products. Shanghai Tang is the first luxury brand emerging from China. Its design mission is to revitalise Chinese innovation and to interweave it with […]

trailer park hotel

Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa rents out it’s penthouse as a trailer park. Teaming with Cape Town design studio Whatiftheworld, the hotel worked with local artists to decorate the 7 American Airstream trailers as two-person accommodations. The trailer park is situated around the hotel’s rooftop bar. In addition to the concepts from “The […]

China pavilion – shanghai expo 2010

I previously posted my excitement for the Shanghai Expo. And here’s another pavilion that looks amazing! The china pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 is designed in the shape of an oriental crown, showcasing the spirit of traditional chinese culture. its main structure includes a six layer, 30 meter high roof made of  56 traditional wooden brackets. the brackets symbolize the […]