WHY DESIGN IS FOR LIFESometimes, often at airports, but also in cafes and frequently in €1 shops, I'll look with horror at an object - an uncomfortable bench, a ludicrous table, an odd ashtray, a candlestick that looks like a religious figure - and I'll think: my goodness, someone actually designed that.
And not only did someone sketch this alarming thing out on a piece of paper, but it actually went into prototyping, testing and production. Some peculiar things can happen in the name of Design.
Most of us tend to slide through life forgetting that design is behind pretty much everything that wasn't born or didn't grow from a seed. Taking place next week, Design Week aims to reacquaint us with the role of design in our lives.
Some may see design as little more than getting us to buy things we already have, or to pay more for those things we do actually need. There is the sleeker, slimmer, shinier iPod, the mobile phone with fewer buttons and the car stereo with more. A matte chrome tap has us reaching deeper into our pockets than the usual stainless steel one, convincing us that, as its new owners, we will be admitted to the ranks of the stylish and discerning. Forced to live in soulless apartment blocks and sameish housing estates, many of us turn to design to give our houses some of the character of the homes we dream of inhabiting.
At another level, however, design is about invention and innovation, about making our lives easier, sometimes even saving lives. As Conor Clarke of Design Factory, one of the organisations behind Design Week, puts it: "People get into design because they want to make the world a better place. Design is not a lofty thing, it's about the things we use every day."
Clarke has been working with Premsela, the Dutch Design Foundation, to bring an international element to Design Week, with talks, workshops and the exhibition Foreign Affairs of Dutch Design.
I recently made a trip to the Dutch Design Awards and to the graduate show of the Eindhoven Design Academy and was hugely impressed by what design can achieve. In the graduate show, there is the chair by Sophie van Heijningen with a covering that lifts to become a duvet, wrapping you up for those cosy nights in front of the television. A dining table by Sebastian Brajkovic has a recess so that you can grow your salads and herbs and pick them directly, fresh for your dinner plates.
Pjotr Goessen's playthings for sick children (an inhaler like a sea horse, an insulin pen like a stinging bee) show the ways in which design can improve life, as well as delight.
Back in Ireland, Design Week brings together Irish and international architects, graphic designers, furniture makers, interior designers, jewellery designers, advertising agencies and students. It's partly for professionals and partly for the general public.
There is a masterclass by KesselsKramer, the agency responsible for eight seasons of the groundbreaking Diesel Adverts, as well as the "Do" range of objects, which require input from the owner to complete them - such as the metal cube that is delivered with a large mallet, so that you can bash the shape of a chair out of it to suit your own backside. There is a talk on sustainable design by Natascha Drabbe of Premsela, and James Dyson (inventor of those funky bag-less vacuum cleaners) will be putting in an appearance too. Design Week aims to create a buzz, and maybe even to inspire some government investment.
Foreign Affairs of Dutch Design is in Cultivate in Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Nov 6-Nov 11. For more information, see www.designweek.ie. Gemma Tipton
DETOX WHILE YOU DOZE
Why wait until January to detox? A pre-Christmas inner cleanse will not only leave you more prepared for the festive season, it may even help you to avoid over-indulging. And worry not. One new way to detox couldn't be easier: it merely involves putting Dream On foot patches on the soles of your feet before bedtime. This night-time detox programme contains only natural ingredients. Clear in colour when applied, by morning the patches will have changed to a dark grey or brown, and they become lighter with continual use as the body becomes less toxic. You can buy a one-night trial pack of these non-invasive and discreet patches for €6, or a five-night course for € 27. From selected pharmacies and beauty salons, and from www.thetoxictwins.com. Phyl Clarke
100 KILKENNY APPLES AND ME
Here's a conundrum for you; how are you supposed to be all good and healthy, eating your five portions of fruit a day while at the same time embracing the concept of local food? I spent about 10 minutes foraging in the fruit department of my local supermarket for something even remotely local to eat before giving up despondent. France, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand all featured highly on the shelves. But not Ireland. "Are Irish apples not in season?" I asked the manager. They are, he informed me, but Irish people don't like Irish apples. There's no market for them. They're too small, and not red enough. People like the big shiny ones with uniform colour, like Royal Gala.
This is what we're up against. Instead of giving in to the supermarket's slavish attention to market research, we have to invest time and effort to find in-season, local food when it's available.
Thankfully I didn't have to go far, as a fruit shop across the road (Kervick Bros, Dunmore Road, Waterford, 051-856215) was stocking apples from the Kildalton College in Co Kilkenny. They taste fantastic too, like apples used to taste. I got a box of a 100 (just to spite the folks at the supermarket) for €20. If you think 100 apples are a lot, just think about all the uses: eat 'em, make cider from 'em, bob for 'em, bake a pie with 'em, juggle 'em. Or you could just store them in a dry, cool place wrapped in newspaper to keep a one-a-day pledge. Michael Kelly
THE BEST LITTLE OARHOUSE
Howth pier - for many years crying out for more action - is really jumpin' now, with new bars and restaurants and a popular market stopping traffic every Sunday. Our current favourite is John Aungier's cheekily named The Oar House, which is buzzing seven days a week from noon to midnight. It's a great place to have, say, a starter and a glass of wine after buying some fish: try the smokies (€6.95) or the sizzling prawns (€9.95).
That was our intention on our first visit but then we stayed on and ordered a yummy fish pie and a portion of fish and chips (€13.95). It doesn't get any fresher, and the decor doesn't get any cornier, with fishing nets (with a name like that, maybe they should add some fishnets too) hanging from the ceiling and life preservers on the wall. Unpretentious, fun and 55 seats almost always booked out. Ring 01-8394568 for a table. Patsey Murphy
T-SHIRT IN A MATCHBOX
You know Istanbul is becoming one of the most fashionable cities in Europe when a range of cool clothing proudly boasts the Turkish city as its place of origin. But that is only the second most interesting thing about the T-box range. The first is that its diminutive packaging fits in the palm of your hand. T-shirts, boxer shorts, bathing wear, G-strings and more are vacuum-packed into tiny boxes, some no bigger than a large box of matches or the size of an ice-cream cone. At that size, they make perfect stocking fillers, and are a boon to the space-conscious traveller. See www.t-box.ie for details.