Visual Scrap #9
The cool tools edition.
I have come across a bunch of useful tools lately, so this Visual Scrap is dedicated to physical things you can use.
The Chip Slip
One of these came with a Pantone book I got off Ebay, and I was wishing I could order more. When I asked the oracle (Google), it turns out I can!
Otis Tower
Our dining room table often functions as a project space, but it's a real pain in the ass to move project stuff back and forth when we need to pretend we actually eat at it. So I had been looking around for a storage option that felt more like furniture than something in an office supply closet. Practiko makes this Otis Tower which is slim and nice looking enough to fit under the table, but wouldn't look weird moved to the side of the buffet. It is made of metal and comes with a bunch of trays/dividers for the drawers. It seems a bit pricey, but the Ikea ones are not that much cheaper and are less elegant. Not going to work if you have a lot of bulky stuff, but our projects are usually lots of small bits. Seriously debating this one.
An IRL Pixelator
Maybe this is more novelty than tool, but I have been in a design situation where I needed to create an icon or otherwise simplify something, and I think this would be actually useful as a reference. The first batch of PixLens sold out, but you can keep track of restock at the link.
Oblique Strategies
I've been using card decks lately for brand discovery to fun and useful results. In my research I discovered this Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt designed deck that's actually been around since 1975. Sounds like a fun way to get out of a rut or just think about something differently.
Konstella Briefcase
Given Corpcore and the Severance aesthetic, I'm bringing back the briefcase. But a metal version that doesn't feel like a Bond villain. Or maybe just a little. Toyo steel makes a ton of cool steel boxes and trays if you poke around on their site.
📖 Bonus Reading
Such a clear piece on what I think a lot of designers are feeling. It's nice to feel validated by Pentagram. Pentagram partner Natasha Jen on the uneven relationship of design and business.
"Brands are engineered, optimized, tested, templated. They perform. But they no longer resonate."