Michael Kritzer | New

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Project: Clutch Book

Have you ever needed a coaster for a drink when there wasn't one around? Or needed just a few more inches to grab a box from a shelf when there wasn't a step ladder in sight? Most likely, if you were in one of these binds, or in a similar one, you looked around and found the best object to help you in the clutch, your everyday book. Though books were never designed to help us in these situations, they more than easily fill in a pinch. The Clutch Book isn't a book for storing or sharing thoughts, rather it's a physical tool for all the little things we use books for, but now it will do them expertly. If this idea gets you excited, go to www.theclutchbook.com and tell us what you use a book for in a clutch.

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Project: B-station

Ever wanted to get around a city fast but didn’t want the hassle of driving? Thought public bike sharing sounded interesting but found the systems a bit daunting to use? If so, B-cycle, and the B-station – developed while at Crispin Porter + Bogusky – are there to help make renting a B-cycle as easy and thoughtless as tapping a RFID card to enter a building. 

The B-station draws upon a mix of experiences we run into everyday, helping make the new experience of using B-cycle as familiar and approachable as possible.  For example, if the B-station docks remind you of U shaped racks, that’s not a coincidence. Nor is having the iconic ‘B’ on the B-station resemble the 'P' in parking signs. Or, making renting a bike as simple to do as using a RFID card. Or, finally, making unlocking and securing a bike as simple as opening and closing a car’s rear door latch (the locking system actually is one). Since we already know how to use all of these experiences, we already know how to use B-cycle. 

Though the technology in B-cycle is great – ranging from its ability to be solar or gird powered, configurable from a single to a double sided solution, or editing the number of attached docks – at the end of the day, people simply want a system that gets them from point A to point B with as little thought as possible. And in that, B-cycle does its job, effortlessly. 

[michaelkritzer-blog]

Project: Knock Box

  Wouldn’t be great if ordering a fresh pizza was as easy and thoughtless as using a vending machine? Or how about getting fresh food delivered at hard to describe locations? With the Knock Box, developed for Domino’s while at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, makes ordering pizza as simple as knocking and saying what you want. And since all Knock Boxes are registered locations, Domino’s knows exactly where you’re at, whether that’s at the office, dorm, park, beach, or even Gate C28 in the airport.

Using the Knock Box for the first time is a journey of discovery, one that begins with a pulsing call to “Knock” and the mystery of what will happen once you do. To see the Knock Box in action, go to www.michaelkritzer.com/projects/knockbox.html

[michaelkritzer-blog]

Project: Poprazzi

Ever wanted the attention of being famous? Isn’t it nice to see celebrities, people paid to pose, be candid and real in spy shots? If so, Poprazzi, a USB spy camera, developed for Duh Technology while at CP+B, will show you your real, unposed life – and in the process, make you a star.

With its small form factor, deposable squid like legs, and time settings rangng from 8 min to an instantaneous shot, Poprazzi could be anywhere, waiting for the perfect shot. He could be hiding under a towel at the beach or hanging from a rear view mirror – snapping away and waiting for the perfect shot. And no matter where Poprazzi is, he's going to give you a candid glimpse into your real life. Whether good or.. well, interesting, a Popography shot is always going to be interesting.

[michaelkritzer-blog]

Project: Scrubby Tools

Do you find cleaning boring? Do you wish it was more entertaining? With the Scrubby Tools, designed for Twist while at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the act of cleaning is transformed into play.

Whether it's with the Potsicle dish wand that makes cleaning pots and pans feel like rolling cotton candy, or painting on clean with the Bubble Paddle, or polishing silverware with the Holey Spongey, or even spreading on clean with the Spongewhich and Ravioli Scrubby, the loathed and monotonous act of cleaning becomes playful and enjoyable. In fact, it’s messy – messy clean. And by embracing the mess, Twist Scrubby Tools clean up the act of cleaning by being fun.

[michaelkritzer-blog]

Project: Crate/Table

Can a wooden shipping crate be more than a temporary, wasteful product? Can it help say something about your brand and consumers? The Crate/Table, developed for Buell while at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is a shipping crate for Buell motorcycles that can be reassembled into a work bench. 

When bikes are shipped out of the factory, they’re partially assembled in shipping crates and then fully assembled at the dealership – where the shipping crate material, being useless, is then thrown away. While at CP+B, we looked at the crate and emotional identity of a Buell consumer – which is a person who knows how to expertly ride their motorcycle just as well as work on it – and saw an opportunity. With the Crate/Table, Buell buyers would now be able to receive their bikes directly at home, where they, and not the store, would assemble the bike – and afterwards, reassemble the crate into a workbench. 

Not only does the Crate/Table provide and define a Buell owner with a tool for their needs but it also uses a different take on sustainability, one where the focus isn’t on recyclability but longevity, to combat waste.

[michaelkritzer-blog]

Project: Palletini

Can drinking a martini be more than simple elegance?  With Palletini, a Bombay Sapphire martini glass, shaped like an artists palette, drinking a martini becomes experiential art.

By removing the stem of the martini glass, Palletini interacts with the world around it in a new way. And in doing so, it creates curiosity. The movement of the glass is similar enough to an art palette to help guide you on how to interact with the glass. And once you do, you will enter an experiential narrative where the mixologist becomes the artist, the gin the paint, the glass the palette, and you the canvas of the work. The art is then judged off of your enjoyment.

[michaelkritzer-blog]

Project: Herbi

Ever wanted to go your own herbs and spices but the big city life keeps getting in your way? If that’s you then Herbi is here to help. Herbi, the fully adjustable hydroponic herb garden, designed for Habit as a conceptual project, lets you grow your own favorite herbs and spices easily at home. All you have to do is place Herbi in a naturally well-lit spot and you’ll be rewarded with fresh, ready to pick herbs and spices all year round.

The Herbi unit was designed to be adjustable and require as little maintenance as possible. Simply connect 1 - 6 Plant Silos to the Control Unit, fill the control units containers with their corresponding elements, and Herbi is off and running for 1 plus months of hassle free operation.

Herbi can even communicate with you. The system is mainly autonomous, though from time to time, averaging out about once a month, the control units ph + , ph - , nutrient feed, and water reserve must be replenished. Herbi lets you know when it needs assistance by lighting up a light blue LED indicator behind the corresponding icon on the Herbi Control Unit. After the needed solution is added, Herbi will detect the change and you're good to go.