BKLYN DESIGNS

Stay tuned Monday for our favorite picks from BKLYN DESIGNS. I browsed the exhibits earlier today, and there were some familiar faces and a lot of new ones. 2007 is the five year anniversary of BKLYN DESIGNS with a great cross-section of Brooklyn designers exhibiting.

Douglas Hammers

Check out this sexy hammer (if there is such a thing)...It's sleek and looks like a hammer with a purpose. I like the niche for a nail/screw to help you make that initial punch into the wall.

Via Acquire.

Atypyk

Atypyk is a Parisian design studio made up of Ivan Duval and Jean Sebastien Ides. The Snapshot Mirror, the Souvenir Camera (27 pre-exposed images of Paris so that you can pretend to have been to all the touristy spots) the Good Mood pad and the Do Re Me Glass - all very clever products from Atypyk.

Arc'Teryx Arro 22 vs. Patagonia Lightweight Travel Pack

I love backpacks. There are a million types out there and they all have their own particular uses. I have 6 backpacks/shoulder bags that I use for different things. But what it typically comes down to is weight. Take these two packs for example. The Arc'Teryx Arro 22 (left) is one of my favorites, except that the pack weight by itself is already 1110 grams and has a volume of 1,350 cubic inches. Meanwhile, the Patagonia Lightweight Travel Pack weighs in at 284 grams and has a volume of 1,200 cubic inches. So picking the pack depends on what your outing at hand is and how much rough and tumble you plan on getting into. The Arro feels completely Jack Bauer bomb-proof and the Patagonia pack could probably be flown as a kite. But to carry around 5 times the weight in the pack alone is a big compromise. I say go lighter, your shoulders, neck and feet will thank you.

Lamp Lamp by Hironao Tsuboi

The Lamp Lamp by Hironao Tsuboi is a curious little oddity. I like that it turns the vernacular of the lightbulb into something that makes you think twice about how it engages the light fixture. Available at Unica Home

Pepin Press

The Pepin Press makes a number of great resource books for graphic designers. We just picked up a copy of Structural Package Designs (left) for a project we are working on. And the Special Packaging Designs (right) book is a great companion book to the package design set. They both come with cds with .eps files of each container design.

Suck UK Key Bottle Opener

The Key Bottle Opener from Suck UK is a nice little piece of hardware for your cluttered life. A skeleton key...for beer.

Vitamin, A Life Less Ordinary

Discovered these great product designers, Vitamin, A Life Less Ordinary via 100% Design. Check out their line of garden gnomes, some of which double as lights or speakers.