Cool Hunting
I started Cool Hunting in February 2003 after accepting that I'm much better at organizing digitally than physically. As an interaction designer I'm always looking for both inspiration and an understanding of the way people do things. I decided to catalog what I found on the web and haphazardly named it Cool Hunting because to me that's synonymous with finding inspiration. Some people think this site is about trends, but it is more about curating observations.
I get excited about obsessive compulsive art, elegant uses of technology, unusual and limited edition sneakers, and general paradoxes. I grew up in both Miami and Vermont which set a foundation for contrast that I live by today.
I am a Senior Partner at Bond Art and Science, the digital services firm I helped found. I was a User Interface Design Lead at Motorola, I've worked with big-brand clients as a Design Director at Razorfish and I ran product development for a little while at Upoc Networks. I have a BA in Communications and Cognitive Science from Hampshire College and a Master's in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University. I live in New York City and love my two Sealyham Terriers, Otis and Logan.
This photo was taken by Leo Zacharias during our party at the Art Director's Club in October 2006.
This morning in London, mobile phone manufacturer HTC unveiled the Touch Diamond, a new Windows Mobile Device that looks great! Yes, I did just say "Windows Mobile" and "great" in the same sentence. Focusing on delivering a killer experience, the device features a highly customized version of Windows Mobile called TouchFLO 3D. All the most important functions are accessible from the home screen using...
I use my RSS reader religiously but oftentimes suffer from information overload so I'm excited about Times, a new RSS reader released today by Acrylic. Instead of a vertical format reader that resembles your inbox, Times presents your feeds in an attractive, digestible and, more importantly, customizable newspaper-like format. Starting with a blank slate separated into three sections you have the freedom to customize...
In between watching 1080s galore at the U.S. Open a couple weeks backs, I had the chance to demo some of Burton's gear due out for the 2009 season. Most noteworthy is their Infinite Channel System (ICS) and Extra Sensory Technology (EST)—an integrated board and binding system. Reducing the binding mount to two screws, thus eliminating the plate from under your boot. Debuted for...
Simple tools are always the best way to accomplish simple tasks. Such is the case with my new favorite multi-platform app, Shifd. It's basically a really easy way to capture and view notes, places and links from your mobile phone, web browser or computer desktop. I most often use it for mobile notes-to-self; whenever I need to capture a name, place, task or thought...
New from Brown Sound, we're totally digging the psychedelic imagery of the "Nose Wheelie" (above left) combining a Yeti on a skateboard with Hibiscus flowers, radiating stripes and Edwardian script. Others that we're considering adding to the collection are "Unkle Kyle," (above center) a line illustration of an overwhelming beard printed over prepster stripes in a green, purple and white colorway. "Sarajevo" (above right)...
Mixing glow-in-the-dark particles with flooring materials, the Dutch company S. Lövenstein BV created one of those no-fuss design fixes that improves safety and convenience. The substance has limitless applications for things like signage or guide strips with the ability to be evenly and seamlessly distributed throughout a surface and masked into shapes and patterns. Integrated with contrasting colors, it serves a purpose in both...
The second crop of Friends With You Mimobots drops today and the collaboration between the character-themed thumb drive maker and the rainbow-splashed art collective couldn't be a better match. Adding three Malfis (smiling, the original, and super) as well as Mr. TTT (pictured above from L-R and in detail after the jump), the diminutive guys will store either 1GB, 2GB and 4GB your data....
A simple description of Jimenez Lai's work is difficult. Taking architectural plans and renderings, the Ohio-based artist brings them into the world of comics, drawings and models in two- and three-dimensions. The juxtaposition exposes the absurdity of CAD in comics and comics in CAD. (Click image for detail.) This isn't the first time Jimenez Lai has been written up but now he's breaking through...
