Attention Work-not-aholics!

By Gillian Wong, Editorial Intern

 Disguised as a gigantic book printed with Chinese characters, the Workaholic Pillow is actually a doublewide foam pillow that moulds to your head. Conveniently made into the format of a book, the Workaholic Pillow can be placed onto your office bookshelf, while your space retains that professional air that you took so long to create.

Unfortunately for true pretenders, the design is more appropriate for laughs than for deception: your boss may start suspecting something’s up if he or she sees the word “workaholic” printed on the back cover of this so-called book—or see that the pages you’re seemingly reading have no words on.

Of course, one could argue that the Workaholic Pillow is still comfortable to sleep on—desks can be very hard on the head.

However, the Pillow is a terrible 5,600 yen, or approximately $63.00. Surely there can be a cheaper way to get a giggle? And at a mere $24.99, you can get a decent pillow from Sealy too.

You can buy the Workaholic Pillow at geekstuff4u.com

Barbie goes to Shanghai

How do you celebrate the 50th birthday of an American icon? For Barbie, it's a trip to Shanghai. Recently, Mattel opened House of Barbie, the world's first Barbie-centric store in Shanghai, a 40,000-sq.-ft. ode to the plastic icon. Designed by New York-based Slade Architecture, the store houses the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of Barbie dolls and offers, of course, a huge range of Barbie products, services and activities. 

The two-layer façade references Barbic packaging, with a little decorative arts and architectural iconography thrown in. A feminine lattice patter of Barbie-trademarked iconography is printed on the exterior glass and the patterning is reinforced by interior, formed panels. Inside, of course, is a whole lotta pink and pearlescent surfaces. The central element is a three-story spiral staircase that encloses over 800 Barbie dolls. The result: everything, literally, revolved around Barbie.

Also included in the mix:

- The Barbie Design Center, designed by Chute Gerdeman Retail, where visitors get a glimpse into how to design a Barbie doll by selecting their own looks and walking out with their own Barbie.

- The Barbie Fashion Stage, also done by Chute Gerdeman Retail, where visitors can take part in a runway show, choosing their own outfits and receiving hair and makeup treatment.

- The Barbie Café, a restaurant and gelato bar which serves, of course, Barbie-inspired concoctions.

- A full-service spa (!)....still to come later this year.

Hardly child's play

While we normally focus solely on commercial design, we couldn't pass this by: The PBS show Design Squad recently held a competition called Trash to Treasure. Co-sponsored by Intel, the competition challenged kids to design entirely new products from discarded items and materials. The entries had to move things or people, protect the environment, or be played with inside or outdoors. 

Here's the part us social responsibility nuts love: The winner was 12-year-old Max Wallack, who crafted The Home Dome, temporary housing for those in need of shelter, out of packing peanuts and plastic bags. The dome is anchored by a built-in bed that uses the weight of the dome's occupant to anchor the structure. 

Even more fun, as part of his prize, he got a trip to the Newton, Mass. offices of Continuum (the minds behind a bevy of products, including Allsteel's Acuity Chair), to build a prototype. Check it out:

We Care....

This past week, Contract happily joined the New York design community for Herman Miller's annual We Care event. Here's a glimpse at the fun and a game of sorts: Who can spot Contract editorial director Jennifer Busch?