Thursday, March 4, 2010

nooka lab studio visit: nigel sylvester

text by michael a. traverzothis past tuesday, we were fortunate to have nigel sylvester, bmx street rider out of the new york area, grace the nooka lab. nigel rides for some of the greatest in the sport, such as: dave mirra's bicycle company, nike 6.0, gatorade, and animal. nigel has made a name for himself with his moves, his own signature frame called the Chocolate and his own bmx, skate, and streetwear store in queens called format ny. be sure to check out his blog on high snobiety, a high-end fashion design site.

check out the neon blue zub zirc 20 that nigel picked up! pick yours up here!

purchase the zirc nt that matthew is wearing here!

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Monday, March 1, 2010

a better haiti through better design: part II

text by michael a. traverzoin response to the tragic events that occurred in haiti, nooka recently decided to donate 10% of all online sales over $100 to architecture for humanity. in a month's time (january 21st to february 21st) we were able to raise $3,000. we are incredibly happy that we were able to help; however, we wish we would have been able to raise more money for this amazing organization.

architecture for humanity is a nonprofit design services firm founded in 1999. they are building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design. recently, architecture for humanity launched a fund-raising appeal to support long term reconstruction efforts in haiti. learn more about them or make a direct donation here!

our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected in haiti and chile!

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Friday, February 26, 2010

nooka in vegas

text by michael a. traverzo

while in vegas, robert was kind enough to take a picture of reebok's booth at project, where they had a trade show display which featured the lime green zub zenh 38. Be sure to order yours here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

nooka needs your input


Hello Fan of Nooka—

We're taking a closer look at our website and we need your help. We're curious to hear what you like and dislike about the current design. Are there things you wish we had on the site but don't? Is it easy to find or buy stuff as it currently is, or are there times when you wish the layout of the site was different?

We're interested to know why you're coming to the site. For example are you only visiting to buy something, or maybe to see what's new. We have an idea why some people come to the site but any stories about why you come to the site will help us make a better experience for people that visit.

We're in the beginning process of collecting feedback as we consider options for the site as it evolves. Please feel free to email us at redesign[at]nooka.com or leave a comment below.

groovy nooz


well, today is my birthday. i started it by going to the gym, something i've been very lax with the past 2+ years! got to the office, wrote a bitchy blog post [seen below], had chinese take out with my team [we did a fancy b-day lunch for me yesterday as alex is off to thailand for vacation today, and he wanted to be a part of it], and then caught up with the nitty gritty of holding a design biz together.

i am actually writing this blog to let you know about our fire engine red nooka strip [belt]. i know i designed it and it may seem that i'm supposed to say this, but seriously, i LOVE this product. here it is on our e-store but the photo is a bit more electric than the reality – it's really fire engine red. goes great with my sounds good neon yellow hoodie [thanks yu in tokyo for the hoodie!] and zem watch.

i'm also wearing one of my favorite t-shirts from graniph in this foto which leads to a really exciting upcoming news bite – yours truly, matthew waldman, will be a featured designer for an upcoming t-shirt promotion! more on that soon...


one show updates?

i feel i have to blog about something that has been quite troublesome the past few weeks – students publishing their submissions for the nooka X one show competition.

from my few discussions via email and twitter, it seems that some students felt that they could publish on their own after they submitted. do students not read rules, terms and conditions? it clearly states in the forms:

"Submissions may not be published without the prior written consent of Nooka, provided that, entrant shall have the right to include the submission in his or her portfolio following the official announcement of the Competition winners by One Show."


it's frustrating that i have to explain this, but i do realize that the students do not have real world client experience. to them, please ask yourself: would an ad agency publish a client advertisement with out their input? would they publish work created for a client without getting paid? only the client can give feedback on their core values and whether or not the work produced reflects them.

publishing the work outside of the context of the one show competition shows a complete disregard for normal design process and the client, which in this case, is nooka. it's a competition, and the rules and regulations of competitions are specially crafted to protect the client and the applicants.

a few more questions for the students:

publishing the work outside the context of the one show creates confusion for my customers. is "confusion" a core value you want to promote as your special skill when you're looking for a job?

this is not to say that a lot of the work i'm seeing isn't good, but is it not the job of the fine judges the one club has gone through much expense to assemble to decide? how do you think your work will be viewed for originality if they saw it before the judging?

i hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but this is simply an issue of context and a key point of design that can not be ignored. publishing out of the context of the one club runs the risk of the submission being disqualified. publishing any work using another person or company's trademark opens you up to even greater problems.

so if you're happy to bypass the one club, that's cool, but you must add this to your work and to all the people/sites posting:
"Nooka" is a registered trademark of Nooka Inc. (all rights reserved) and may not be used without its express written permission. Nooka Inc. has not reviewed and does not endorse any products, concepts or viewpoints expressed on this website, and no business relationship with Nooka Inc. is implied through any use of its trademark.

here is a link to a student project published the correct way, and yes, it won awards!


Tuesday, February 16, 2010

nookafesto

ok, here it is, the nookafesto, core values for the nooka brand that i have been working on. i'm not 100% happy that it's complete, but then again, when am i ever 100% happy with anything? i'd be more than happy to entertain comments and suggestions to make it 100% ! that writ, it is a great little piece of copywriting and a wonderful tool for me and my design/marketing staff to check back on, to keep the brand moving forward in a cohesive fashion. for that, i think i can pat myself on the back.

Nooka speaks of a world of the tomorrow that is happening right now. It seems gloriously unattainable but is here in the palm of our hands. It is optimism, it is progress, and it is our future.

Core Beliefs
Universal Communication
Nooka believes in the power of universal languages like those used in math, science and commerce to increase understanding and enable diverse groups of people to work together. The universal visual language of Nooka creates a communication tool for all, promoting the exchange of ideas across the globe through great design.

Passion
Nooka believes that constant advances in technology and cultural change necessitate originality in design. Our lust for innovation through technoculture and our childlike belief that anything is possible drive us to constantly strive for the perfect design.

Interaction
The alternative approach to everyday objects in Nooka’s designs triggers thoughts of new possibilities and examination of our surroundings. Nooka products change the brain state of anyone they touch.

Purpose
Every Nooka object is designed with intention. It has the power of clarity, the power to reach the heart of everyone who interacts with it. Nooka is committed to the belief that anything is possible. It is only through a truly open mind that we may face the challenges ahead of us.

Inspiration
Nooka sees the whole world as inspiration; it absorbs energy from it and creates new forms.

Futurism
Nooka changes how we experience technology by placing it in new contexts. The futurist believes that this process always results in progress. Nooka is a futurist brand.

Nooka® - mindstyle™