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Over the past month, we have been busy with the Repper tool. We think there is some amazing potential for improvement and with your input we have decided on a bunch of new features for the next version. These will be:

• Improved interface
  You know we love creating easy and fun interfaces so the next one will be even better!
• New patterns
  You have seen the two patterns in the current Repper tool, but this is the top of the iceberg in pattern land. In total, there are 19 patterns and we will be implementing more and more of these. To make it even better, we will integrate a lot of them in the online version too!
• High-resolution input images and resulting patterns
  This is a much requested feature of all you pattern freaks online, and we’re happy to say that you will be able to go really big with the new version, so it can finally be used for print! We are really curious what you will do with this.
• It’s faster
  We have decided that an online app is all good and great, but if you want to use big images this can really put a strain on your internet connection. Therefore, the new version will be a desktop app, ready to use with a click of your mouse.
• We love the creators
  All of you who have created one or more patterns know how cool it is to design something yourself. Therefore we want to make it possible for everyone (not just you designers) to make real products with your patterns. This is very much an ongoing process, so we can use all the input from you. What do you want to make with it?
• Vector support
  This is more for the fabric creators amongst you. How cool would it be to make patterns for your fabric in any size? Pretty cool, we think.

Apart from these key new features, we will be adding more and more over time, based on your feedback. You might have seen that we put a short questionnaire on the Repper page. By filling in this questionnaire, you will be helping us to get a better idea of what you want.

There’s nothing left but showing you some screenshots of our work in progress.

More after the jump…

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Because of overwhelming interest in the Repper tool, we have decided to move to a new server with more space and faster access time. Over the next couple of days we will migrate our tools to the new server. During this time, you might experience some problems, such as broken links (if you use a linked patterns in your site) or the site being temporary unavailable. Please do not panic, this is all part of the plan to give you the best design tools ever !!

Regards,

The studio:ludens design team

We’ve been planning this for a while, but it is finally there: the Repper Gallery! With the gallery, you can explore all the patterns that you and other people have made with the Repper pattern making tool. All patterns in the gallery are released under the Creative Commons license for non-commercial use.

We have provided you with some options to find patterns in every shape, color or style you can think of. You can search on:

• Tags: find patterns with a certain subject or style. And if you find a nice pattern, please help all other people and yourself search for them by adding tags yourself. (we’ve just launched it, so not very many patterns have been tagged yet. We need your help!)
• Color: we’re really excited about this one! It’s still in beta-stage, but you can search for patterns in a certain color. Click the color box next to the search field to select the color you want and get inspired by the amazing variety of patterns out there.
• Size: different sizes of patterns can be used for different things. Small patterns often look really good as a stylish Twitter (video), MySpace or desktop background. Big patterns are good for situations where you need a lot of detail: use it in your personal art project or send a postcard with the pattern on it to your friends! (thanks to our partner Touchnote.com!)

As always, we’d very much like to know what you think of this new option. Repper is a community-driven project and we’d like to hear what you want to do with it. We’ve already got some new features planned…

More on this soon!

The past couple of days have been quite hectic here @ studio:ludens. After we put the word out that we had a new tool for you to play with, Repper, it got twittered, tweeted, twotted, twadoozled and twambled. At the moment, we have almost 3500 pattern designs. What we are working on now is a way to make all these patterns available to the community with a nice web-based interface.

We will keep you updated on our progress with that (follow us on twitter: @studioludens), but in the meantime I want to show you some of my favourite patterns.

Flower skin

Stairs

Nice flowers

Hands 1

Abstract 1

These are just some of the patterns that have been made using Repper. We are excited about the overall quality of the patterns and we want the best pattern makers to get credit for their work. So, if you recognize one of the patterns as one you made, comment on this blog post and we’ll give you credit!

More patterns after the jump…

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Here you guys can find all the files from the ‘Curious Cup’ project (Fablab workshop March 27th). Enjoy!

Flash 10 application

Flash 10 SWF

RFID Plastic case Illustrator File

RFID wood case Illustrator File

flashserver.as

Once again, we are present and showing our products on the Dutch Design Week 2008 in Eindhoven. This time, we have something new to show you. If you want to check out what we’ve been working on the past months, you should definitely check us out! you can find us at the Klokgebouw building on Strijp S.

Official Dutch Design Week website

Our flyer front

Location

Klokgebouw   Strijp-S
Beukenlaan 10151
5616 VJ Eindhoven
Za/18 okt    12:00 - 19:00
Zo/19 okt t/m Wo/22 okt   12:00 - 18:00
Do/25okt t/m Za/25 oct   12:00 - 21:00
Zo/26 okt    12:00 - 18:00

Design your own…

Who wouldn’t want to own a unique lamp, carpet or
coaster, designed by oneself?
With the digital design tools from studio:ludens everyone
can playfully design their own product. The easy controls
provide you with full creative freedom to make something
that tightly fits your personal taste.
…and take your own design-coaster home for free!

Come around and design your own Escher-inspired
coaster. With a laser cutter we’ll produce your design on
the spot. Impress everyone at home with your design
qualities!

We are experimenting with a 3D shape generator that responds to your voice. Here is a quick and dirty test we did. We are using vvvv to prototype this.

Youtube video

After a couple of weeks of testing, tweaking and tuning, we are ready to present to you epa:kato, ‘design your own coaster’. With this on-line design tool (based on Flash), you can play with shape, patterns and repetition to create a unique design. Read more on the product page…

The pattern system

To help you design a shape that always fits together (really, all shapes always fit together!) we use the system of regular tilings in our application. So, when you create a piece of the shape, it will be repeated in different ways to create the eventual design.

Mass-customization

epa:kato is a new type of mass customization application. When we design something, we like the open-endedness of the process. We have as much freedom as the materials and production process can give us. We try to translate this feeling of freedom and control to an intuitive interface in our design tools. You shouldn’t be forced to select options from a list, but have as much of the possibilities the production process provides as possible. That’s why we are experimenting with a free form spline tool.

Your feedback

We realise our design tool is far from perfect. We would like to see this as an experiment where we include you in the design process. After all, it’s you we’re designing the design tools for :).

We would love to hear your responses to our application. So, if you have comments, critique, questions, suggestions for improvement or praise, please let us know by posting a comment to this blog post.

The Dutch Design Week has been a success for us; we had over 250 visitors coming to see the Little Mountain creative environment and our exhibition. We showed the prototypes for out two new online design applications: lux:ludens and coaster:2.0. We received the most interest for the latter: an easy and fun way to design your own coasters. Based on the feedback we got from visitors, we decided to bring this product to you first.

Click through for some photos of our humble exhibition.

Now with text!

Well, we updated our coaster:2.0 design application with a number of new things. First of all, we implemented a way to add your own text to the coaster. It’s working now with four different fonts.

Six pattern types

Secondly, you have now the ability to experiment with six different pattern types. We got a little bored with the same square rotational pattern, so we made it into a little pattern family. Each pattern has it’s own style, peculiarities and possibilities. Additionally, the hexagonal shapes will give you some more safety margin in creating a sturdy coaster.

And remember: we want designing, experimenting and learning to be free! Our ordering and production system is nearing completion, so soon you will be able to transform your design into a real tangible product. Happy designing!