vending machines

Okay, so these aren’t exactly inventions (more like art projects) but both so cool I couldn’t resist posting them. The first is the Graffomat, a graffiti art supplies vending machine designed to “supply you with all of your favorite state of the art graffiti supplies.” You can even buy gloves and a ski mask. Do I see a design patent in their future (or maybe a trip downtown…)?

Anyway, next up is the Art-O-Mat, retired cigarette vending machines that have been converted to dispense art. There are almost a hundred of these machines around the country, including Omaha come summer 2010.

Maybe someone will put the two side-by-side and we’ll get an Art-O-Mat filled with graffiti. Or covered in it.

Ever wonder who invented the first vending machine?

Sharp-dressed man

I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these beard caps. You get to keep your face warm and look like a pirate–what’s not to love? The original design is a collaboration between Icelandic design team Vik Projonsdottir and knitwear manufacturer Vikurprjon, made from sustainable 100% Icelandic sheep wool and guaranteed to keep you warm, dry and looking like a Viking all winter long. For a cheaper American copycat check out Beard Head–their hats are mostly acrylic but they do have an interchangeable mustache option.

And if you’re really short on cash? You can always make one or grow one.

1) Beard Head Tailgate Collection in Blue/Grey, $33

2) The Beard Cap by Vik Projonsdottir, $78

3) Beard Head Pirate Edition, $33

4) DIY Crochet Pattern on Instructables.com, free

Quick and Quirky Throwdown on April 14th

I’m not sure yet how I feel about Quirky, the new crowdsourcing site for inventors and developers. I just don’t know if I’ll ever want to spend a hundred bucks, sign away all intellectual property rights and wait for… well, possibly nothing. So like I said: the jury’s still out.

That said, however, I did get an interesting email today from Quirky (membership is free) announcing the next “Quick and Quirky” event where the team at Quirky will chose one product to develop start-to-finish within a twenty-four hour period. Submissions for weather and garden-related products will be accepted at 11 am EDT on April 14th and the winning product will launch at 11 am the following morning. And the best part is: submissions are free! So if you’ve been wanting to see what Quirky is all about (but you’re cheap like me) this could be the perfect contest for you.

Besides, you don’t want those poor guys to stay up all night for nothing, do you? So start brainstorming and save the date for April 14th!

Find more details here on the Quirky blog.

Pantone Nail Polish

I absolutely love this concept by Renata Veiga. I hope someone makes them. Otherwise, how else am I going to match my nails to my Buff Cuff?

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

The new Buff Cuff packaging is almost done! I’ve been working with Oxide Design on branding and product design, and a few weeks ago was lucky enough to get my hands on their latest mock-up. It may still need a few minor tweaks, but overall, it’s exactly what I had hoped for! I stole the mock-up from their office and held it hostage for two weeks at my house so I could show it to friends and family, and the response I got was really positive.

Two of my biggest hopes for the package were that it would add some serious value to the product (think Apple) and that the box would be so fabulous that people would want to re-use it (seriously–is there anyone out there who actually threw away their iPhone box?). So far, I think that’s where we’re headed. The guys at Oxide are amazing communicators, and I feel like they really understand where I want to go with this product.

I was actually only supposed to keep the box for a week, but it was so pretty that I had a hard time parting with it. Turns out my designers missed it while it was gone too, so I guess that’s a promising sign. We’re all in love and it’s only a paste & paper prototype!

If I’m really lucky I’ll still loooooove the box when I have 10,000 of them in my garage.