Office Of Strategic Services (America's first intelligence service - created during WWII)
good/bad
this is my favourite example of a horrible thing with a beautiful name. the saffron hill ncp.
plumbers got design
right here's a lesson in design. i just happened to see both of these plumbers vans the same week. and they're both trying to engage with you a little, have some fun. but only one of them actually makes you want to phone them - only one of them delivers the values you want in a plumber. and isn't it interesting that what you want to see in a plumber is really old-fashioned stuff, not leading edge technology or anything. just a man from the fifties and his van. infact pimlico plumbers give out all the signals you want, even on their website.
full marks to mr bongo
this is the perfect response to all those ambient-media sticker-wielding tossers who deface our shops and street furniture. well done to the hiphop folks at mr bongo.
idiot architects
generally, I'm a big fan of architects. i like design and buildings and all that. but there's something they do (or designers or someone) which drives me mad. this lloyd's shop is a good example. but you see it on 'prestige buildings' all the time. they design a gorgeous, thought-through door / entrance / portal / reception area. and make no provision for the inevitable stuff that people are going to want to stick on the door. so you see a fantastically glamorous building with a badly printed bit of paper saying 'deliveries round the back' or 'please use other door' or whatever. they just don't think about the real usage of the things.
incongruity
there's someone who could have done with some consultancy. 'committee' just doesn't seem the right word to go with 'visit brazil'
urban camoflage
this is a great idea.
Urban camouflage
Public safety gear catalog
My Jeep is camouflaged to look like a commercial fleet vehicle. I made up a fake company name, appropriated a 1950s-era logo that once belonged to a nuclear energy mutual fund, painted safety stripes on the back, and plastered a fake vehicle number all over the place. I also added flashing yellow lights in the rear window, and a police-style spotlight and rubberized push bumper to the front. VERY FUN accessories ... and useful too (when used with discretion). The spotlight is incredibly versatile -- you can point/rotate it while sitting in the driver's seat -- and it's come in handy countless times for roadside emergencies, setting up campsites, or finding house numbers on dark streets.
This urban camouflage guise is very useful for parking in yellow zones, urban/industrial exploration, and crime deterrence. And the thing is... it really works!
The spotlight, bumper, and rear flashers came from my *all-time favorite* mail order catalog: Galls, "The Authority in Public Safety Equipment and Apparel."
It's a gold mine, full of handy things that you didn't think you were allowed to buy.
-- Todd Lapin