Resources

Product Wars

The Product Wars site is a battle zone where toilets, sofas, chandeliers and armchairs duke it out for first place. The website runs like a game: When visitors arrive at the site, they’re immediately taken to “The Battlefield,” a screen that asks them to choose between two similar household amenities with modern, minimalistic designs. By clicking on their image of choice, visitors vote for the design they prefer. A small box pops up, displaying the percentage of voters that agree or disagree with the choice. It’s incredibly addictive, thanks in part to short, playful messages at the top of the screen that entice you to keep on clicking: “This is way more fun than working. Duh,” and “Click again for a chance to win a date with Brad Pitt.” Check out “The Leaderboard” section to view a list of the winners. The page ranks each product according to the number of votes it’s received. Simply click on the featured item to learn more about it and to find a link to the manufacturer’s website.
 

BLDGBLOG

BLDGBLOG is the brainchild of Geoff Manaugh, Senior Editor of Dwell magazine, and features dynamic postings on architectural news, urban growth and landscape design.
No subject is off-limits for Manaugh: He analyzes a wide range of topics, from historical structures like a Soviet-era biological warfare testing facility; to the hidden tunnels that lie beneath urban areas; to scientific phenomena like lunar landscapes.
His posts often take on a literary quality, since he writes book reviews and conducts interviews with innovators and scholars of architecture, science and history, among other disciplines. And the photos and diagrams of buildings, monuments, maps, mazes, people and places he incorporates are just as informative as the text that accompanies them. Manaugh never ceases to explore the world’s possibilities — at times, it’s almost as though he blurs the line between fantasy and reality since he often speculates about the forms tomorrow’s landscapes could take — even if they seem impossible to construct. If you can’t get enough of the site’s extensive content (its archives date back to 2004), check out Manaugh’s The BLDGBLOG Book, a publication that transfers his brilliant ideas into print. 

dezeen

With more than one million visitors each month, dezeen is a hot spot for the latest projects in architecture, design and interiors from around the world. The blog claims it’ll bring you the latest news and trends in design “before anyone else.” In addition, the site features interviews with top designers, podcasts and even a gossip section that provides juicy tidbits about goings-on in the design world. Dezeen is so cutting edge that both Time and Design Week, the U.K.’s leading design Web site, listed it as one of the most influential forces in the design world.

 Inhabitat 

Inhabitat is a hub for designers committed to the green and sustainability movement. Started by New York designer and architecture student Jill Fehrenbacher, the site examines the impact innovative technology, building practices and products have on society. The blog’s tagline, “design will save the world,” reflects its creator’s belief that sustainable building practices will build a smarter future. The bloggers also uphold the modernist philosophy that good design is only achieved through a proper balance of style and substance.

This Ain't No Disco
(it's where we work)

This Ain’t No Disco (it’s where we work) peeks into the walls of design, advertising and media agencies around the world, from well-known companies to smaller, obscure ventures. Vibrant photos of each office space are proof that commercial design can nurture a culture of creativity in the workplace: Office spaces don’t have to be simply plain and functional. The best part is that anyone can submit a photo of his or her own office for a chance in the spotlight. A welcome message on the site tells visitors, “Try not to drool too much.” Too late: We’re drooling, oohing and ahhing.

DesignMilk

A favorite of folks in the design, entertainment and publishing industries, Design Milk is a popular online magazine that keeps an eye on the latest trends in modern interior design, architecture, furniture, décor, fashion and technology. The writers and editors of the site know design and designers: They demonstrate their expertise through thoughtful analysis of their subject material and give due credit to the people who created and worked on the projects. If you still can’t get enough, head over to Art Milk (www.art-milk.com), the recently launched sister site that hosts the work of budding artists.
 

CoolBoom

 CoolBoom underscores the news, trends and achievements across the globe in the interior, architectural and landscape design worlds. A blogger named Sylvia, who is based in Valencia, Spain, packs the blog with dynamic photos and insightful commentary on a broad range of topics, from the design of restaurants and office spaces, to creative ways to use materials, to multimedia that will help designers succeed in their profession. As a bonus, the “Weekend Links” section directs readers to an abundance of the latest design resources on the Web.
 

Daily Icon

This online magazine is an image-focused site that showcases designers, architecture and products. Daily Icon emphasizes furniture, accessories and lighting, but there’s also a library teeming with book reviews and sections on other topics like building interiors. The site presents eye-popping pictures that cover unique spaces and quirky products from several angles, putting each place into perspective. Visitors can count on frequent updates on their favorite topics, since there are regular columns and a theme assigned to posts for each day of the week. Themes include architecture icons on Mondays, best interiors on Tuesdays and food and travel on Fridays.