Forward thinking

Dean Poole and Ben Corban, co-founders of Alt Group, recently made the trip to Europe to collect their Grand Prix prize at the prestigious Red Dot Design Awards. Ever industrious, they also kept a detailed travelogue. From the trend for pop-up stores to the rebirth of traditional arts and crafts, the pair share their musings on design and offer insights and predictions for the year to come. Here are their top five insights, written for Idealog on the long-haul flight back.

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Behind the shroud

Behold the true face of Jesus, set to be revealed on a History Channel special in the not-too-distant future. Turns out he didn’t have blue eyes or movie-star good looks. You can read all about how the 3D image was reconstructed by the studio using blood and “encoded information” lifted from the Shroud of Turin here.

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Here's to a brighter future

Finally: less talk, more action. The New Zealand Institute has launched NZahead, a project to measure the country’s performance and see where it’s falling short. A report card will grade New Zealand’s social, economic, and environmental wellbeing on 16 societal measures—none of which are currently scoring higher than a B, incidentally. For context, trends and comparisons with other countries are provided. And perhaps most importantly, so are proposed targets for 2015, along with information on what is being done to get there.

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In the neighbourhood

A melting pot of talent from New Zealand’s ethnic communities is collaborating with a group of UK artists to perform live shows in Auckland and Wellington next month. People In Your Neighbourhood will feature NZ urban ethnic performers and the Urban Soul Orchestra, bringing together Indian percussion, African dance, Chinese strings, Pacific stories and much more. The group will also be recording a contemporary album together—for more details, visit the website.

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Stimulating the senses

Witness the work of German designer Silke Hilsing, whose displays provide an interactive user experience based on touch. They use sensors in between layers of foam, which turn on an overhead projector when pressed. Cue lights, colours and out-of-body experiences (okay, maybe not the last one). It’s easy to control, too: push lightly for a small reaction or firmly to trigger more intense reactions. http://vimeo.com/3187100

Bird's eye view

Not many people can say they take pictures of the earth from the stratosphere with a balloon-mounted camera that can travel up to 35km high. Robert Harrison can. Since 2008, the IT director has launched 12 high-altitude balloons in total, which consist of parts costing just £500 in total. The result: a series of images taken from heights which only a rockets—or weather balloons—can reach. And it wasn’t long before NASA sat up and took notice; his homemade machine operates on a shoestring compared to what it costs the space agency to take similar photographs.

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Making waves

44% of the world population lives within 150km of a coastline, where they’re at risk from hurricanes, tsunamis and other natural disasters. But researchers at a university wave research lab believe engineering solutions can prevent the loss of life and property—and have created a gigantic wavemaker to test their hypothesis. Watch as they replicate 300,000 gallon waves, recreating nature at its most powerful.

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Tron's trailer facelift

This slick Tron trailer brings the ‘80s original into the 21st century with popping colours and a dramatic soundtrack. Said its creator: “I wanted to make an exciting trailer with a modern feel as opposed to its original marketing in the ’80s. I hope people will give this movie a try before they see Tron Legacy. Sure it’s dated but there was practically nothing like it in the day.” Watch and compare the fan and original versions here.

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Horse and Hummer

In an attempt to make a statement about consumerism, filmmaker and artist Jeremy Dean dismantled and refashioned a Hummer as a horse-drawn coach. The Hummer, he says, represents everything that’s wrong with consumer culture. The project was inspired by the “Hoover Carts” that cropped up during the Great Depression, when owners cut their vehicles in half and hitched them to horses or mules to save on fuel. (But did anyone stop to think about the animals?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moNTnDmygm4

Get in while you can

In a rare opportunity to meet some of New Zealand’s smartest start-up investors and mentors Idealog and Escalator are offering 80 places at a full-day workshop and seminar on April 15, followed by the chance to pick the brains of an angel over coffee. Speakers and mentors include Bill Payne, one of America’s leading angel investors. But don’t dawdle, numbers are limited, so click here to register online today.

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Quote of the week

“Sometimes what’s next is what’s already been.”

— Dean Poole and Ben Corban remind us that everyday classics, like good wine, improve with age.