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Monday, September 17, 2007

It's a Small World After All


I read about the latest at the Cooper Hewitt on The Girl in the Green Dress. Traci points out that Design for the Other 90%, a timely show on social responsible products, ends September 23. Time to make the trek to the Upper East Side. I love the Cooper Hewitt; they have interesting, well-designed shows that aren't overwhelmingly huge.

Speaking of good design, The New Yorker announced last week that we'll be seeing Smart cars soon in New York.

I remember how excited people were when these cars made their debut. For the past eight years, they've been in Europe. Called 'Twofors', because they only seat two people, they are three feet shorter than Mini Coopers, (as a frequent Mini passenger, I find this incredible). A Smart car parked perpendicular to the curb is shorter than a Lincoln Navigator is wide.

All I can say is, what took so long?

Hopefully, we'll be seeing a change in the definition of what 'good' design is. A well-designed object should function well, look cool, challenge the status quo and consider the bigger picture.


Photo by myself from the edge of Greenpoint, looking out at the East River and Manhattan.

4 comments:

Traci said...

thanks for passing on info about the show. its great to see a exhibit that is so important to people right now.

and i'm with you on the smart cars!

Mom Knows Everything said...

There are quite a few smart cars around here. They look so tiny. I saw a lady at the grocery store the other day putting her groceries in her car and I don't know how she got them all in there. They were piled to the roof of the car. My neighbor has one and I have no idea how he drives it. He's 6 feet tall and he looks like a clown driving a clown car in a circus. I think they are great for single people, but not for anyone who has to take there kids with them. There is just my two kids in the back seat of my car and my daughter complains all the time that there isn't enough room or Aidan is touching her stuff. There is a seat between them, but I guess that's not enough for her. Teenagers!

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Love the blog honey. A little something to show my appreciation. Fish x

http://fishwithoutbicycle.blogspot.com/2007/09/belated-heaps-of-thanks.html

Kitty said...

Hi ladies

Traci, I hope I can actually see the show. I really love the Cooper building, too. It's so nice on the outside, a gem.

Tammy, I keep forgetting that you're not located in the US. How funny? I can see how the smart car isn't the greatest for families, but it's a good urban car, where parking space is limited.

Fish, I'll check it out, thanks!
-k