about   |   mailing list   |   writing   |   archives

Japan

Hospital Gift Norms

Tokyo: hospital gift norms
21 Apr 2008

In: Cultural Norms, Ginza
Comments Off on Hospital Gift Norms

Elasticity of Anti/Social Spaces

20 Apr 2008

In: Design Inspiration, Ochanomizu
Comments Off on Elasticity of Anti/Social Spaces



Mobile phones used in this Ochanomizu hospital, restricted to phone booths. In a world of smaller more discreet objects, how to know what activity a …
More »

Disembodied Voices

18 Apr 2008

In: Cultural Norms, Izu Koogen
Comments Off on Disembodied Voices



Customers of this vending machines situated in Izu Koogen station are talked through the process of obtaining a new travel pass by a remotely located …
More »

Tools for Mobile Activists

15 Apr 2008

In: Design Inspiration, Tokyo
Comments Off on Tools for Mobile Activists



The presentation-lite slides from last week’s Global Philanthropy Forum panel on Early Warning: Listening, Technology, Activism The three things on the device that will impact the …
More »

Form / Alignment

15 Apr 2008

In: Design Inspiration, Tokyo
Comments Off on Form / Alignment



Texture, Feeling, Technology

31 Mar 2008

In: Design Inspiration, Izu Koogen
Comments Off on Texture, Feeling, Technology



In an otherwise minimalist ryokan, the TV remote stands out both for its complexity, that by default that complexity is not hidden or disguised. It …
More »

Him, Her, Him, Her

31 Mar 2008

In: Cultural Norms, Izu Koogen
Comments Off on Him, Her, Him, Her



Household Norms

30 Mar 2008

In: Cultural Norms, Tokyo
Comments Off on Household Norms



The yukakiboo – hot water stirring stick commonly found in Japanese domestic bathrooms. In a culture where you scrub down before climbing in the bath and …
More »

Sufficiently Noise Cancelling Headphones

28 Mar 2008

In: Design Inspiration, Tokyo
Comments Off on Sufficiently Noise Cancelling Headphones



They don’t need charging, require a carrying case, or leave your ear’s hot after a long haul. They do cut out most of the ambient …
More »

Behaviours Reflected

24 Mar 2008

In: Akasaka, Future Perfect
Comments Off on Behaviours Reflected



This Akasaka coffee shop includes a row of accessible power sockets (running a long the edge of the window) primarily to support laptop use – …
More »