New and Noteworthy Wo r l d ch an g in g Book design by Stefan Sagmeister, M.S., Communications Design, ’89 $37.50 (Abrams, 2006) Stefan Sagmeister’s design for this 608-page volume for the environmentally-conscious citizen is consistent with the theme. A tab at the top of each page (in gradients of green) helps readers keep their bearings as they scan their way through the book’s very legible two-column grid. The book is printed entirely on New Leaf Opaque recycled paper (saving, according to its environmental impact statement, 3,846 full-grown trees), and wind credits were purchased by the publisher to offset electricity used in its production. The die cut holes of the recycled paper on the book cover yellow significantly over time, allowing the sun to imprint (and change) the book cover itself. Available at bookstores nationwide.
So l ar Sp inner David Jost, B.F.A., Sculpture, ’79 $24
Whi t e Coral Di nn e r S e rv i c e Ted Muehling, B.I.D., Industrial Design, ’75 $279 to $459 Muehling has just designed a new tableware setting for Nymphenburg Porzellan, called White Coral, a series of pure white plates with surface detail inspired by delicate bleached coral. As clean and meticulous as a starched doily, White Coral’s crisply conceived appearance lends high style to any dining experience. The line expands on his popular Coral Lantern and Vase, which were issued in his original launch with Nymphenburg. Available at the Ted Muehling store in New York City and through nymphenburgusa.com.
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Outdoors and in sunny windows the Solar Spinner—a novel New Age toy—creates a dazzling, colorful motion that brightens rooms and gardens. Jost’s inventive design combines solar cell technology, high-tech holographic materials, and simple physics to create a whirling centrifugal display. The self-starting device creates a sparkling color “bubble” from pure sunlight. The Solar Spinner is “green.” It does not require batteries or a plug. On its top, a solar cell converts sunlight to electricity powering a small DC motor within its chrome housing. The spinning parts, highly refractive holographic filmstrips, “inflate” via the centrifugal force of the spinning motor. Available exclusively through Kikkerland Design (info@kikkerlanddesign) in New York City.