What's Hot What's Not - Beam me up Scotty

The next step in the evolution of sky travel seems to have resulted in the partial dispensing with the check-in staff.

Booking online, checking in online and printing out your boarding pass at home, to avoid the queues at the airport, has become standard procedure for most people, but at Schipol Airport they've taken it one step further at the baggage drop.

I am ushered by KLM ladies, impeccable in their bright blue uniforms and practiced smiles, to an area with a series of short queues of fellow travelers. It is here we wait for our turns at a row of waist-height white and silver cabins, each with automated, latticed metal mesh fronts that open and shut at intervals, like hungry mouths.

My first reaction is that I’m about to be enjoy a new kind of treatment at a wellness spa, but the surroundings quickly put that idea to rest. The cabins look reminiscent of the decor from a set of the popular sci-fi series, Star Trek of the 70’s, and, as I suppress the urge to shout “Beam me up Scotty” at the top of my voice, I can’t help wondering if they have finally mastered the art of moving objects from one place to another, through space and time.

I realize I’m not the only one who’s new to this procedure, as I listen to the whispered anxieties of the Australians behind me, who then proceed to watch what I do, eagle-eyed. Blind leading the blind, I’m afraid, but, when the illuminated screen to my left requests that I heave my suitcase into the cabin, handle upwards, I oblige. A quick scan of the boarding pass and all your details appear along with the suitcase’s weight, and your allowance of 23kg. You are then asked, if this is you - ‘Press yes’. Momentarily, I wonder what kind of devilish chaos I could create if I chose ‘No’, but decide not to piss-off my fellow travelers by holding them up for my own amusement. ‘Did you pack your bag yourself’, is smile-worthy, but the potential ensuing sarcasm would be lost on a machine, at least in this century. And yes, I did omit: sharp objects, bombs, and nerve gas…this time!

All correct so far, the baggage label is printed out with the idea of being attached to your bag’s handle. Seen it done a million times, it should be easy you’d think - it’s not - the sticky part is very sticky indeed, and if you don’t get the ends attached to each other in one go, you run the risk of adding long tresses of hair, the machine wall and any rogue small children into the equation.

Final ‘Yes’ pressed and the metal mesh descends, partially obscuring the visibility of the luggage.  When it opens again - abracadabra! - the suitcase has vanished. Good to go, I turn on my heel and throw a parting comment to the queue behind me: ‘And, your luggage is never seen again!’

Ok, now to spoil the magic. It does not de-materialize, the floor does not open up and swallow it, nor is there a vertical wind tunnel to dramatically suck it out of sight. If you peer through the mesh, you will see, disappointedly, that the floor rises to an incline, knocks over the case onto a conveyor belt, which then carries it off (hopefully) to the loading bay.

With time to spare I trot through passport control, and decide to opt for a drink at a bar and a spot of people watching. A different one to last time’s rip-off experience, where to my surprise a glass of white wine cost me € 9,25; gob-smacked, I gave the woman behind the bar ten euros, and said ‘Keep the change’. This time, however, a glass of cold Heineken and bag of Doritos came in at the saner cost of € 5,60.

So, with this new development in sky travel - avoiding scary scenarios like the one out of the 1986 film, ‘The Fly’ (David Cronenberg), in which Jeff Goldblum accidentally merges with a housefly during a teleportation experiment - I wonder how long it will take before I’ll be able to step into the cabin too and be ‘beamed’ to my destination. 

Hear an excerpt of the story read by Alison Day: HERE

First published in the Connections magazine, Spring issue #35, 2012

View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)

© Alison Day Designs

Tin Head

Re-cycle, Re-use, Re-invent...tin head by artist, Subodh Gupta
Via Street Retards

Eat Me

When it comes to re-defining our wasteful throw-away culture, in the ongoing battle to save the environment, this bright idea turns us into the re-cycling implements. David Edwards (Harvard University Professor and biomedical engineer), who brought us breathable food in the form of ‘Le Whaf’ has just brought out  the new idea of edible containers. This means that after we have consumed our food and drink, instead of throwing the wrapping it comes in away, we will be able to consume that too!

Apparently, the packaging is made out of something called ‘WikiCells’,  which are natural food membranes held together by electrostatic forces and are said to be thin delicious membranes. For the future, a  ‘WikiCell Machine’ is also on the agenda, so that we can create our own packaging ourselves. 

I like the idea that the choice of what to package and how much, is finally reaching the hands of the consumer, but how much of this delicious stuff would one actually want to consume? Waste reduction aside, I would imagine it could also change the face of packaging design, when it comes to shape, colour and maybe even smell.

Design Taxi

Letters Never Sent

Hot off the press, in the hands of Jo Parfitt (Summertime Publishing).

Recently, I was asked by Jo Parfitt of Summertime Publishing to help with the re-publication (4th) of Letters Never Sent by Ruth van Reken. This involved resetting the internals and designing a new cover. Designing the cover was wonderful - it does something when one of your designs becomes a fully-fledged book cover! Resetting the internals, however, was initially not so wonderful and became a very steep learning curve for me indeed: learning a new program, intermittent major rants, as well as loads of cups of tea. But now, mission accomplished, it's out there and I'm very pleased to have been involved in its re-issue.

Letters Never Sent, is a series of letters written in retrospect by Ruth van Reken to her parents. Although never actually posted in letter form, it is her way of documenting her earliest childhood memories, not only for them, but for herself too. In the letters, she tries to explain the separation and loneliness she experienced, whilst her missionary parents were out doing  'God's work' on placements in other countries than where she was. 

From a young age, Ruth didn't see her parents for long periods of time, and we can feel the struggle and ensuing sadness inside her. We follow her journey from young girl to adult woman; notice her unwavering faith in God and her attempts to be happy and 'cope'. Often-times she is aided by a deep self-examination and an underlying feeling of shame, which emerges as her survival mechanism. All this is coupled with supportive friends, teachers and supervisors - her second family at boarding school - who help to establish her identity. Later, we are privy to her continuing journey through life: her marriage, the start of a family, and eventual following in her parent's footsteps.

Ruth van Reken is one of many whose childhood circumstances have led them to be referred to as TCK's (Third Culture Kids). This classification arises when a child lives in a third culture to which it is not native and is alien to those cultures its parents originate from. Although not a native to the third culture, the child will take it on in order to form an identity, and in doing so help to stabilize feelings of unrest or insecurity. As the movement of people the world over increases, so do the number of TCKs and global nomads at large. As a result this story may evoke a few 'Aha!' moments or a sympathetic understanding from those with similar histories. 

Letters Never Sent is an insightful, poignant and interesting read for all, regardless of your religious affiliations. 

For your own copy of Letters Never Sent, you can purchase it on Amazon as a Kindle edition or as a paperback .

Review: Expat Bookshop (16.04.12)

© Alison Day Designs

Pompous Poppy Bowl

This papiermaché bowl features a favourite design of mine that of Pompous Poppy, but there's only one available...to purchase it (plus other Alison Day Designs originals), visit my online shop here

© Alison Day Designs  

Spin Wash

The prototype (2008), for a revolutionary new bathroom concept, thought up and designed by Ron Arad with bathroom Italian bathroom design brand Teuco. 

Two in one, the large cylindrical dish-shaped structure morphs from shower to bath in one, 180 degree turn. Initially saving on the purchase of multiple bathroom furniture pieces, but you really need a spacious bathroom to accommodate it.

Via: The Cool Hunter

How doodle-you-do?

Having spent a large amount of time travelling on trains and in planes recently, I seem to have developed into somewhat of a doodler extraordinaire. Oblivious to the world at large, often plugged into music, with continual pencil sharpens and never ending rivers of black ink. But finally, my inspiration began to wane. A bright suggestion from my niece that I use the outline of a hand to start, means that doodling has me in its grip once more. Here are the most recent to date. - Top hand's mine, bottom one's hers. 

© Alison Day Designs