Hisako Ichiki was born in Kamakura Japan. She graduated from Keio University (Japan) and the Southern California Institute of Architecture (Los Angeles) and currently works as an architectural designer in Los Angeles.

Takao Umehara was born in 1975 in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from Keio University (Japan) and Art Center College of Design (Los Angeles) and currently works as a graphic designer in New York.

When was the last time you saw the beauty in everyday objects? If you're like most people, you probably haven't paid much attention. To change all that, the authors of Extra Ordinary spotlight the simplest of objects and seemingly reinvent them into something new and unique.

In a world of high-tech gadgets and mass production, people live in a world ruled by excess, overstimulation, and waste. "Within this existence, the role of creatives shouldn't exclusively be to meet client demands, or act as a vehicle for innovation, but to question the idea of the ordinary," the authors say.

This book will help designers reinvigorate their creativity and observe what they would normally ignore, discard, or forget. The authors do this by taking objects such as a bra, tofu, and plastic spoons, and transform them into an evening bag, a pencil holder, or a pair of eyeglasses. Each of the new products, created from the every day things that surround us, is accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations and simple written explanations. The package is immediate, punchy, silly, and completely hysterical.