Designblog

The title got me immediately.
40 years of Chinese rock’n’roll is the title of the book. The typical stereotype of Asian people is that they are quiet, down to earth and hard workers.
What I experienced with Asian people is that they aren’t indeed that outgoing as for example people from the United States.
So I expected some Rock’n’Roll pictures that will change my thoughts about the stereotype of Asian people.
The print on the cover shows Chinese men sitting behind baskets with something I guess like potatoes.
Is there a price card in the basket?
Because there are a lot of cards coming out of the baskets.
But they are all red.
There is also a light yellow in the cover that reminds me of Tuscany.
I’m always searching for those pastel colors because it reminds me of the Mediterranean happiness.
The happiness of being always welcome to have dinner with the whole family. Also getting a lot of food because there is plenty enough. Eating good food instead of designed restaurant food with always a piece of parsley.
Being surrounded by a lot of people and sunlight that will lighten up your whole world.
The inside of the book shows a lot of different pictures.
Paintings made of the same fragments but showing 1 image.
Like a picture, all the pixels will become 1 image.
The structured chaos is something that surprises me in the book.
I know that you shouldn’t talk bullshit so this is everything I wanted to say about the book.
But I will give you a Chinese poem to read:

Thoughts afar in moonlight
by Zhang Jiu Ling

A bright moon rising over the sea,
Shores apart, watching the same
Is someone dear to me.
I loath this endless night;
And could not sleep but think of thee.
In this full moon light,
Who cares for candlelight?
Stepping out I don my gown,
And feel dew on the ground.
I wish to offer you moonlight in a handful,
But, to my real shame, ’tis impossible.
Retiring to my bed, it seems, I might find happier days in dreams

Rietveld Library cat.nr: 16845


What I found interesting about the original object and wanted to use for my own design was the temptation to spin the handle and the hypnosis from looking through the transparent plastic.
It’s a simple and appealing 80′s kitchenware; sharp, round, white plastic meets metal, functional and no I-pod edges.

Sara‘s initial object was her cool black leather shoes (click here to see details), and we decided to work as a team, creating a  cargo-bike by the interesting combination of spinning space and rock’n'roll coolness.

The cylinder shape of the kitchen tool is used for the cargo box, which is made of a metal frame covered with strong white plastic band, braided in and out between the vertical bars of the box, which give the box a mix of curves and straight lines, just like the black leather shoes.

The intriguing contrast of white plastic and silver metal that we find in my original object is transmitted to the bike, through the white handles, cylinder and saddle versus the silver metal frame.

The shoes have a special pattern that we transformed into the triangular part of the frame, which gives the bike a distinctive and cool look, and by biking on it you immediately get into the ongoing rhythm of elevation and falling of the pedals, that makes you continue.

What’s more tempting than to make the wheels spin, by taking a ride on the Spinning Space Bike?