ThingsAmongMany

Anyone else noticed the recent resurgence of the clothespin across the design world? This arguably outdated little home appliance doesn’t have much of a place in most homes these days - though there is something to be said for clothes dried outside on a line rather than in a dryer with chemical softeners. But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed a nostalgic comeback for this underdog.

After a bit of research, it appears that we can thank the Polish design team POOR for bringing to life this otherwise forgotten friend. By integrating a variety of useful everyday objects into a standard clothespin, the crew at POOR has created a line of go-anywhere pieces: a USB thumbdrive, a knife for spreading, and even an MP3 player.

Of course, their designs aren’t limited to clothespin designs. I was also quite taken by their 3D cross side-table. And there’s plenty more on the POOR site to explore. Have a look, it’ll be well-worth your time!

Always on the hunt for new things that inevitably haven’t ended up on my walls yet, I recently stumbled onto the work of Andy Pratt. An NYC-based illustrator/art director, Andy has created an awesome collection of prints and cards that are perfect for either small holiday gifts (Secret Santa anyone?) or those thank-you’s that we all dread getting around to after the new year.

His NY prints originally caught my eye; he’s got a complete series of 8×10’s that cover Manhattan, Brooklyn (x2), and Queens, each in limited edition runs of just 75. After a little more exploring though, I’m also a fan of the Vegetarian Stegosaurus print. And at just $20 each, they’re hitting right at the afforadable limit for friends and co-workers.

Andy also has a full line of cards that range topics from Holidays to Thank You’s to Congratulations. The cards are available as singles or as 8-packs (at a pretty solid savings!). Swing by his site or his Supermarket store to purchase.

So I’m going to try something a little new here. For the last few months, I’ve been populating a bookmark folder simply titled “Wants”. It’s the dumping ground of bookmarks for things that I stumble across that I…well, want. Those things - little and big - that I stumble upon in my journies across the webiverse and for one reason or another would love to add to my consumption collection. Since most of it will never actually find its way into my home, I figure it should at least find its way onto the blog.

The first in this ongoing collection is this Enamel First Aid Storage Box from Urchin. I originally saw it over on SwissMiss, and I believe it was the first item to encourage the creation of the “Wants” folder.

For the last four years, I’ve been using a standard travel kit for my bathroom accountrements. Figuring it was about time to find a more permanent storage container, I was all set to order this box to toss my toothbrush, etc. in while it was on the shelf. Unfortunately, a quick email to Urchin revealed that the shipping costs from the UK to NYC would run at least as much as the box itself. Somehow I wasn’t quite willing to shell out $60+ for a toothbrush/soap box.

Of course, if anyone happens across a similar storage container - even without the emblazoned cross - please give me a shout. Adding the decoration after-the-fact would be easy enough! And please, drop us a comment with some of your personal “Wants”. If this takes off, it would be a great way to continue sharing those little design bits that have caught your eye (and ours).

It’s always impressive when design is used to solve an everyday problem. I tweeted one instance here, when I noticed new, more ergonomic shopping baskets at my local grocery store. (Speaking of which, if you’re not already following *AmongMany on Twitter, jump on the bandwagon! We’ve already had a ton of new followers this week!)

I found another excellent example of a design solution to a common problem today: how often do you find yourself cramped under a desk or jiggling a plug back and forth to try and release it from a powerstrip with just one hand? I know for me, it’s more often than I’d like. Industrial designer Evan Ryan came up with a simple solution to alleviate the problem. His Eject Powerstrip allows the user to pop a plug from the strip one-handed by simply squeezing on either side of the plug:

One of, if not the most difficult aspect of a power strip is unplugging the power cords, especially if the power strip is under a desk or behind an object. When you squeeze the eject power strip, the plug “pops” right out eliminating the need to use two hands.

Simple. Useful. Elegant. Just what good design should be!