rings that challenge the notion of ring

This isn't even a ring at all, but when on the hand looks like a ring.


This ring is a wearable flower pot!


This is actually functional - it is a bottle opener.


These are just pieces of pierced felt.

Rings

Jewelry has been worn throughout time for many reasons: to protect against evil or danger, as a magic charm, to adorn the body, or as a practical piece of clothing. Animals in particular were a common subject in early jewelry because they were considered sacred and had mystical powers.

Rings in particular, since their first appearance about 6,000 years ago, have never gone out of fashion, and no other type of jewelry has so many facets and functions. They are the most personal items among jewelry, conveying sentiments like love and affection as well as mourning. Rings frequently signal the owner's marital, professional, and social status as well as his faith, loyalty and wealth.

Magical and protective powers were ascribed to rings, and they could be used as containers for perfume, locks of hair, or relics. Rings served as tokens of affection, gratitude, and commemoration; they even could convey secret messages. They could be worn on every joint of every finger and also attached to necklaces, bracelets, belts, dresses, and hats.


Egyptian Jewelry
1500-900 B.C.
The protective power of jewelry was particularly important in ancient Egypt, where it was never worn just for personal adornment. Jewelry usually provided magical protection for both the wearer in both life and death. On their rings various things were engraved, most commonly of which was the scarab. Typical of the early part of the 15th century in Egypt are
gold signet rings - rings with a carving on them so you could stamp an image or letter onto another surface were used to seal contracts and letters to pass down power. They were used instead of a signature.

Estruscan Jewelry
850-325 B.C.
Estruscans jewelers were known for their remarkable technical skills. They excelled in filigree, repousse, and granulation, a technique they perfected in the early 7th century B.C. A lot of their jewelry seems to be of rare beauty and great value. The majority of the rings that I saw from this period are made of gold and are elaborately embossed, chased and inlaid.

Greek and Roman Jewelry
325 B.C. - 600 A.D.
This jewelry is characterized by the abundant use of gold. Their jewelry is enriched with precious stones now so less attention was paid to adding decorative elements to the metal itself. The Romans used a less lavish style than previously seen, combining a single type or color of gemstone in their rings with a gold setting. The use of coins in jewelry also became really popular at this time. Religious, mythological and heroic scenes were the themes the Greek and Romans used in their work. Snakes in particular symbolized fertility and were believed to ward off evil. Because of the animal's protective associations solid gold rings became some of the most popular types of rings.

Byzantine
Hellenistic and Roman traditions had a great influence on the rise of ostentatious Byzantine jewelry. Intricate filigree and enameling were the most common decorative techniques used in Byzantine jewelry. The use of multicolored gemstones can be seen a lot in their jewelry as well. Byzantine jewelers also continued the ancient Roman practice of incorporating coins into jewelry.


Most of my information came from the Bedazzled exhibition at the Walter's Art Museum and the rest came from books and the internet.

United Way Video

Here is a link for a video the United Way shot of my family on our experience during hurricane Katrina and how the United Way helped us. I made a one and a half second appearance. :)

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/unitedway/video/franklin.html

3D Iconic Form

Packaging, branding and trademarks are all so intertwined with iconic 3D forms. “The term 'icon' goes back to the Byzantium where local artists were trained to exactly replicate religious images so that no matter where the icons traveled, viewers would share the same emotional experience. Modern marketing is seeking to do exactly the same.”

See article on Designing Iconic Packaging - http://www.agiklearfold.com/news/article/PD_AGI_Iconic_Packaging.pdf

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In the case of the Ketchup (or catsup) bottle, the shape is so closely allied to the product that without labels any American can easily identify the contents of any traditional catsup bottle. Shapes not only have functions, they have associations. Further, without labels, anyone can identify the Heinz bottle. As any student of the art history of Western culture knows, traditional iconography and traditional forms are closely wedded together, it is quite possible, in fact, that iconography and form are functions of each other.

http://www.studiolo.org/Email/KETCHUP.htm

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Coca-Cola has just received trademark recognition for its iconic bottle. The elongated hourglass bottle became a registered U.S. trademark in 1960 and is honored by Russia and China, among other nations. Coca-Cola began fighting for Japanese trademark registration of its "contour bottle" back in 2003. Other shapes associated with pop culture and American food, notably Kentucky Fried Chicken's Colonel Sanders, have won Japanese trademarks. What made the Coke case different is the fact that its bottle has no lettering whatsoever. In fact, it's the first bottle sans lettering to receive a trademark in that country.

http://www.slashfood.com/2008/06/03/cokes-iconic-bottle-wins-japanese-trademark/

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There just aren’t that many great great great ad campaigns. I’m talking about the ad campaigns that transcend commerce and become art. But the Absolut Vodka campaign hits that mark. That’s why, of course, there are books and collectible posters related to the campaign, just as there have been with Volkswagen, Campari and other great brands, that focus on the iconic bottle shape.

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2006/01/absolut_ads_a_g.h

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Nabisco makes Barnum's Animal Crackers, arguably the most famous commercially produced version of the snack, due to the distinctive package art of a circus cage on wheels and full of animals, with a distinctive handle. The string handle was originally added so that the box could be hung on a Christmas tree or house plant.

Good Design with Food

I love food and I love design so naturally I would love these!

The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley

It was fun to reread the first five chapters of this book. IDEO makes work sound almost like play. It's great to think about how you can excuse the silly dress codes and stifling office environments and yet still get serious accomplishments completed. I still think that you have to be lucky enough to get the right people - not only smart and flexible, but with great work ethics and integrity. Because a lot of people would just use the freedoms in a place like IDEO to "flake off" and under-perform. With the right group mix, perhaps either they wouldn't last long or they'd change and become creative and reliable.

Chapter 1 - Innovation at the Top

Tom Kelley, general manager of IDEO and brother of David Kelley, IDEO founder, describes the 5 major steps of his creative methodology - Deep Dive:
1. Understand the market, the client, the technology, and the constraints
2. Observe real people in real-life situations to see what they need and what they hate
3. Visualize new concepts and who will use them
4. Evaluate and refine prototypes
5. Implement the new concept for commercial production

He details IDEO' Nightline show on having one week to create an innovative grocery shopping cart.

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Chapter 2 - Winging it in Start-up Mode

A short description of how David Kelley started IDEO.

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Chapter 3 - Innovation Begins with an Eye

IDEO designed the first stand-up toothpaste tubes and self-sealing sports bottles, fat and soft toothbrushes for kids, and all-in-one kids' fishing kit. He describes the initial observations, questions asked, attempts and re-attempts at designing these (and other) products.

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Chapter 4 - The Perfect Brainstorm

"The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas," says Linus Pauling. He details seven steps for better brainstorming:
1. Problem statement -could be a question - but has to be well-articulated and specific enough.
2. Don't criticize or debate ideas.
3. Number the ideas.
4. Build and jump.
5. No personal note-taking - scribe everything on paper on the wall for all to see.
6. Do group warm-up exercises before started brainstorming.
7. Do both 2-D and 3-D mock-ups of ideas - have lots of materials on hand.

Six things to avoid:
1. Boss gets to speak first
2. Everybody gets a turn - going clockwise and giving everyone 2 minutes - stifles creativity and sharing.
3. Don't be an expert snob.
4. Brainstorm at office - not at off-site retreat.
5. Anything goes - even silly stuff - in brainstorming. Don't ban silly ideas.
6. Don't write everything down like you're taking notes in class.

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Chapter 5 - A Cool Company Needs Hot Groups

Team building, teamwork - heart of IDEO method. Must have clear goal and firm deadline.

The Designer as Producer: Working Outside Mainstream Manufacturing by Victor Margolin

Margolin discusses the emerging global marketing structure that has changed the role of the designer - designers are becoming manufacturers and distributors as well, due to the use of advanced technology. Computers and the internet allow designers to immediately become entrepreneurs, creating and selling their designs world-wide and doing away with the old craft-based cottage industry with only local distribution. One particularly exciting area is sustainable products. He argues for design schools to move beyond the historical preparation of designers to serve manufacturers, and rather create design entrepreneurships, for designers who want to be both product innovators and manufacturers, to learn about technology, marketing, management, and design.