Speak & Spell iPad Case
This one is pretty straightforward, an iPad case based on the Speak & Spell educational toy from the 80′s (you whippersnappers might have seen it in the film E.T.). Obviously those from the late 70′s and early 80′s would appreciate the novelty of this idea more.
I know it’s a kids toy, but as I’ve often stated I like things that are inherently nostalgic. I believe only a few geeks would have scruples about being seen with such a childish case.
I suppose the only downside is the ironic hipster vibe this design wields. It’s retro, filled with social commentary about modern electronic devices, and is intended for an Apple product. I should just delete this post. *Sigh!* I’ll leave it be. You hipsters don’t linger around here too long, y’hear?
The odds of this happening are super-slim. Speak & Spell is owned by Texas Instruments, not exactly a competitor of Apple but no ally either.
Sorry to pimp other posts, but you might dig this Crayola 3DS case.
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Geeky Mailbox: Optimus Prime
I designed this mailbox to look like something that could be made in woodworking class (or “Industrial Arts” as I knew it to be called), to help save thousands of poor kids from having to make another napkin holder or birdhouse.
And Optimus Prime would make for a cool mailbox, if I may say so. There are already plenty of mailboxes based on trucks, but they lack that all-important geek D.N.A. (geeketics? Can I coin that?).
If you like this post check out my many Optimus Prime ideas, and this Bugs Bunny lawn ornament.
Hand Scanner Gadget
I was making something for another post that featured a hand scanner, when I decided to see what was currently on the market for hand scanners – even just decorative ones. And much to my surprise, there is nothing out there. I just assumed something like this door chime you can hang outside the door to give others the impression you are a Bond Villain, but nope, nothing available.
Now this wouldn’t be a functioning security device (it could be, but would cost a ton of money), but something that you hang on the wall by the door as a decorative piece. It could have a few operative functions such as beeps and lights when you press your hand against it, but it’s just a cosmetic gadget. You place it outside a door, or for a laugh on the fridge.
It could also double as: a night light, a wi-fi hotspot, a mini solar panel, a clock (add a time display), a thermostat, and a light switch to name a few.
If you like this check out this video game key idea, a steampunk door, a reversible door handle, and dummy-proof train doors.
Comic Book Mirrors
I had a mullet last year. Not something I’m proud of.
The idea of using a magazine cover as a mirror is an old one. Why not a comic book-themed mirror for us geeks?
This would be a large mirror (bathroom or dresser mirror, or a tall full-body mirror), because most comics feature the entire figure within the cover frame. The mirror would be adorned with stickers or decals featuring your favorite superhero’s logo, book title, publishing mast, bar code — all the bells and whistles.
In my opinion this mirror would be a great confidence booster. Think of it: if you are seeing yourself labelled as Superman or Wonder Woman everyday, you might subconsciously subscribe to the notion that you are indeed super*.
This would be a great DIY project. One thing to be wary of: if you are tackling the bathroom mirror, you are going to need some decals fit for a car because of the steam and moisture. Go to an auto detailing place because those decals are designed to withstand the elements (warning: you’ll need a paint stripping heat gun to remove the decals).
If anyone has any tips in regards to decals or large sticker printing (especially a website that specializes in them), please leave a comment and I’ll update this post.
UPDATE: A local car graphics company has informed me that vinyl decals will indeed do the trick. They are waterproof and UV resistant and all that jazz.
*If you’re reading this blog, you are super.
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Avengers Collection Blu-Ray Case
It’s been a looong time since I posted a Blu-Ray case design (October 12th!), apologies for that. There was once a time this blog was quite popular for those. I chalk it up to not really buying packaged media anymore.
This is a case designed to hold a plethora of Marvel films that constitute The Avengers, both the team and their respective solo outings. It is based on the Helicarrier, which is the Avengers and SHIELD’s flying fortress (I’m sure you knew that).
This massive case is designed to hold at least 30 discs. Adding more trays to the main hull can grow that number to 50. Enough room for all your Marvel superhero movies (though I’d prefer something like this instead).
This is a really basic version of the Helicarrier. If I had more reference I could go to town making it look more authentic, but this should give you the rough idea. I feel like Doc Brown apologizing that it is not to scale.
One feature would be removable “wings”, which would act like individual cases. Very handy not just for everyday use, but it would make for smaller packaging if this became a product. Wouldn’t want a huge box hogging up all the shelf space at Best Buy.
Speaking of the size, I know it’s pretty big (the biggest I designed), but it’s not completely out of reason. I estimate 26″ long, 16″ wingspan, and 12″ tall.
This is a case designed to hold all current and future Avenger films. But what really bums me out for these films and other franchises that appear to be here for the next several years (e.g. Game of Thrones), is that releases a few years from now might not be issued on Blu-Ray or DVD. It’ll be sort of weird to have an incomplete collection.
Ideally, I would just sell this with the lone Avengers film. That would keep the cost down and allow people to populate it with the other superhero films they already own. There is ample room for superhero video games, that is for sure.
Anyways I hope you liked this Blu-Ray case design and I hope you check out the rest.
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A Film Franchise That Can Be Salvaged: John Carter
Disney has already taken a bath on John Carter, so the likelihood of a sequel is pretty much extinct at this point. John Carter was slated to be a tentpole franchise that would be relied upon to be a cash cow for the next decade or two. This was supposed to be Disney’s Harry Potter*.
John Carter is steadily exiting theaters now, making room for The Avengers and Battleship and other widespread releases in the coming weeks (Note: I wrote this a few weeks ago). Can John Carter the film franchise still be salvaged? I think so. Here are some suggestions:
1. A re-release as part of a late summer double bill. Disney sibling The Avengers is one of those rare films that warrant repeat viewings in a theater. In the box office dead zone known as August and September, a double bill pairing John Carter with Avengers would bring more exposure to the overlooked Carter. This would be a break-even exercise with Theaters pocketing a bigger chunk of the gross, but the fanbase for Carter would grow and would convert more rentals of John Carter into purchases when the film hits home video.
2. Invoke the good name PIXAR for the home video release, albeit a different flavor of PIXAR. They didn’t market John Carter as a PIXAR film because of the violence and adult themes, which makes sense. Just as I have oft-mentioned that Cars 2 would be better served with a PIXAR Kids or PIXAR Family moniker**, John Carter could be buoyed by the PIXAR name if skewed for the adults. It would need a Criterion vibe; something like PIXAR Revue, PIXAR Cinema, or PIXAR Spotlight. This brand would give the film further credibility and perhaps a spot on the list of Disney PIXAR video collectors. Remember: strong video sales can give birth to a film franchise. Worked for Austin Powers, which tanked at the box office.
3. Acknowledge the different fan bases and provide alternate titles for the home video release. I haven’t done a Blu-Ray design here for a while, apologies. But for John Carter’s Blu I would include 2 additional covers for the box depicting alternate titles: A Princess of Mars and John Carter of Mars. This way fans can display the box with the title of their choosing. I’d go a step further and include those titles as being displayed when the film plays. Yes it would take a bit of trickery to allow for the choice and to swap titles on the fly, but it is do-able. This way fans can adopt the film title they like, and that adds a bit more appeal when it comes time to purchase.
4. Day one Director’s Cut. Film studios like to pocket Director’s Cuts for ‘double dip’ film releases down the road (usually opting to release a vanilla version first). Disney typically doesn’t do that, usually selling feature-rich combo packs to start off with. But for John Carter it would serve Disney well to throw in everything and the kitchen sink. That means a plethora of features and some game-changers like Director’s Cuts or Extended Editions. This release has to turn a lot of heads and get the cinephiles talking up a storm.
5. Supplemental media. This film must have been a merchandising nightmare. The books for which it is based are public domain, and you can’t do any toy tie-ins. How do you nurture a film franchise when the film is such a standalone product? In this day and age merchandise is a huge piece of the pie, and I’m a little surprised Disney sunk $250M on a film that relied almost entirely on box office alone. The Barsoom books were re-released in a shiny John Carter polish, but that was it. Put your Marvel acquisition to work Disney! Graphic Novels and Motion Comics would have introduced Carter to a new generation. These inexpensive mediums would grow the fanbase and expand the Barsoom lore.
This also addresses the lack of awareness for the John Carter character and Barsoom books. It seems to me that the film was released under the assumption John Carter was as engrained in the pop culture zeitgeist as Batman or King Kong. John Carter didn’t really have a built-in audience, at least not in this century.
*And Tron Legacy was supposed to be Disney’s Star Wars. Been a rough few years for the house that Mickey built.
** Cars 2 is not the same caliber of previous PIXAR films. I suppose Cars and even A Bug’s Life could be re-purposed for a kid-friendly PIXAR moniker too.
Be sure to check out the other entries in my “Salvageable Film” series.
Excellent article on the botched marketing for John Carter at Vulture.com.
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Thinkgeek Remix Part 4: LED Jellyfish Mood Light
This series is meant to be my take on existing Thinkgeek products, but these are turning out to be completely Nintendo inspired. What can I say? Got Nintendo on the brain.
This cool Jellyfish Mood Light from Thinkgeek would serve as the basis for a Metroid container, seen at the beginning of the SNES classic Super Metroid. I would just up the number of Metroids to three from one.
If the Metroids could retain the jelly-like property of the Thinkgeek product, they’d look lifelike. They’d appear to be flying in space, though somewhat drunkenly.
Note: picture not meant to be a size comparison, the Metroid tank would ideally be about the same height as the jellyfish tanks.
If you like this, check out this Metroid mouse, Metroid diorama, and smartphone design.
How NOT To Design A Game Case
I originally posted this back in December. It is a game concept I made for a creative agency that closed in September. The parent company for the game got upset that I used their logos and sent me a Cease and Desist. I have blurred out the logos. All references to the game have been removed. Original post as follows:
I did not design or conceive this idea, another artist did (images since removed – Lawyers got to him too. They have way too much time on their hands). I was tasked with making a 3D version and animating it for demonstration. Basically it was a motorized display case that contained an Encyclopedia and a video game. The case had a glass top and numerous LED lights all over. Read the rest of this entry
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New Orlean Hornets Rename Submission
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Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch is running this contest on ESPN asking for submissions to rename and redesign the New Orleans Hornets, as apparently the new owner has expressed an interest in doing just that.
For those who don’t know, the New Orleans Hornets were originally in Charlotte. When they moved they kept the name, and now the new owner feels it’s not representative of New Orleans.
To me New Orleans is about gothic culture, so I thought it would be fun to do something Vampire related – because I’m such a geek if you haven’t already noticed.
Names like Hunters, Slayers, and Bats were considered. My favorite was Daywalkers, but that is now used in reference to Gingers (thanks South Park!). Nightwings had a nice ring (like the Batman comic book character), but to make it symmetrical I opted for Nitewings, allowing me to turn the ‘W’ into a bat.
The main logo I didn’t have much time to work on – the submission deadline was this morning. Overall I think it works. It represents the city, the name is two syllables (two or less is ideal for a team), and it sounds similar to New Orleans. The color scheme unfortunately is too similar to the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. Black and Crimson seemed appropriate.
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Environmental Solution: Swing Arm Display Case Shelves
This goes back to an old idea I posted where I proposed a system that would feature plain-packaged food situated behind “gates” that would serve as the colorful signage for the product.
This design is for smaller items like toys and electronics – anything that would be stored on peg display racks. My belief is a simple placard isn’t enough to sell consumers on the product. We are conditioned to seeing the item displayed in a nice colorful package.
So I designed display cases which are mounted in front of goods that are packed in plain cardboard packaging (I’ll elaborate on the cardboard packaging in another post). The cases show off the product and are adorned with product branding and information – they essentially look like packaging you see on peg hooks currently.
The cases swing out of the way, allowing access to the corresponding products behind them:
In order to maximize shelf real estate, the rows would be offset (think building bricks). I found that display cases would hit display cases located directly above, so I offset the rows and added a “swing arm” that would swing the case clear without hitting other cases. Cases on the top row would flip open upwards, some cases on the bottom row would flip down. The cases with swing arms can be plugged into a bracket, holding it open for you while you grab the items off the rack.
The mockup I made is a small sample, in reality this system would fill entire aisles. Larger display cases (like the ones holding Optimus Prime) can be used to showcase multiple products. Smaller cases (holding R2-D2s) are used in the corners or gaps at the edges caused by the offset layout.
This system would help eliminate one-time use plastic packaging in favor of recycling-friendly materials like cardboard.
Cons: Harder to determine stock numbers at a glance, or to see if an item is sold out. Setting up individual displays cases can be time consuming. Consumers would have to inspect the plain packaging info to ensure it corresponds to the item displayed in front.
Pros: More apparent if someone is grabbing an item off the rack – helpful for spotting shoplifters. The aisles would always look presentable (shelves always look full). Reduction in plastic waste. Switching to recyclable materials for the product packaging.
This idea was provoked by a documentary I recently saw called Bag It, which I highly recommend. It’s a sobering look at the impact of plastics on the ecosystem. Companies like Hasbro are starting to phase out plastics in their packaging, which is great news. Maybe we’ll see something like the above design.
