Please Express Approval for My Awesome Laptop Idea

I just wrote a post for Intel and ASUS about how I want a sneaky laptop that looks like a Moleskine:

They hired me to conceptualize eight imaginary laptops for them, and I’m a little panicked. Most of their posts trend toward the uber-geeky — they’re discussing charger cord patents, so I kind of sound like, “I want a laptop with flowers on it! Eeeeeeee!”

(By the way, these copywriting campaigns are how I make a living. Advertisers are like, “We need more women to want laptops! [hand cream! cell phones! little black dresses!]” And I’m like “Women do want those things.” And they’re like, “Who are these women of which you speak?” And I’m like, “Uh, all women.” And then they pay me to write stuff. Stuff that’s way more fun than the copywriting I used to do, incidentally, where they mostly assumed customers would be confused by wit. Hence, I like this better. Questions welcome in comments.)

Anyway, these laptop ideas inform their prototypes of new PCs, and I would like a Moleskine laptop, please. Quite possibly one with flowers on it; I’m not ruling it out. So please go read my post, and back me up if you feel the same.

Also, I think my next post will be about a laptop that fits in a wallet so you can use it when you’re out at a bar. Is that called a cell phone? Possibly, but shut up, it will be rad.

Design Trend: Sound Waves

When I was in labor with Hank, I asked for a printout of his heartbeat, so I could have it engraved on a ring later (much like the Pulse Ring I listed on Mighty Goods a few years ago). Design incorporating sound is everywhere lately. Here’s a few more examples.

-The Sound Advice Project (on Mighty Goods) makes a bracelet from your voice recording.
Sakurako Shimizu’s Waveform Series makes rings, brooches, bracelets, cufflinks and more by cutting sound-wave replicas out of metal.
Sounds Butter Interactive Design did a prototype of a sewing machine that represents sound waves through stitch pattern. (Pretty sure I’ve linked to that before)
-The Sonic Waves typeface (pictured above) let’s you “play” a phrase or message. Click through for a quicktime demo.

The Mighties: Easter Basket Guides

I love Easter, and I had a lot of fun doing these this year. There’s a vase from Urban Outfitters that’s modeled on those bird water whistles we had as kids. At first I thought it was just a ceramic water whistle, and I was so excited. Then I was surprised that no one makes those yet. How cute would that be worn as a necklace? Get on it, Etsy.

In the meantime, go have a look at my picks for your baskets.

Easter Baskets for Grownups

Easter Basket Guide, For Kids