Businesses have designs for the poor

As anyone who's fallen in love with an iPod or Wii game console can attest to, good product design matters. It can matter more, in fact, than how many (or what kind) of features are crammed into a device.

Birth of a Gadget: Inside the Industrial Design Process

Gadgets aren't immaculately conceived, in spite of what seems like lightning-speed development.

Kindle

CNET got one of the first review samples and had a chance to put the Amazon e-book reader through its paces. Here's what they think.

Jeff Bezos unveils Kindle

Minority Report becomes reality

Here's Jeff Han on TED Talks

A phone that's a pen

The product is not finished yet but you may want one. Take a look here.

The Best Inventions Of The Year

From the phone that has changed phones forever, to futuristic cars, to a building made of water, to a remote-controlled dragonfly, and a dazzling display of ingenuity. Check it here.

A Table Designed to Walk

Where Designers Rule

Electronics maker Bang & Olufsen doesn't ask shoppers what they want. Its faith is in its design gurus.

Design Vision

A conversation about the role of design-driven leadership.

Yahoo! Design Week: What makes design seem intuitive?

The always entertaining & insightful, Jared Spool- founder & principal of User Interface Engineering- spoke at Yahoo! Design Week about what makes designs...

Yahoo Design Week: Orgasming Flowers and Space Invaders

Evolution of the iPod...6 years later

Sunday will mark 6 years since Apple first released the iPod. This gallery takes a look at the evolution of the iPod and the changes that have been introduced throughout the last 6 years, culminating with the Touch.

Design Moves the Conversation Forward

If good design matters to the bottom line, why aren’t designers central to the business process?

That was the question three innovation design consultants from Stone Yamashita Partners (SYP) asked the standing room only audience in the Apple Store theater in downtown San Francisco, in the first of eight monthly presentations on the topic of “Why Good Design Matters.”

Timeline

Frog Design is a remarkable design institute. Their integrated process of strategy and design helps Fortune 500 companies evolve, expand, and envision their businesses.

Take a look at their past work via this timeline.

Streamlining HP

Sam Lucente's [ Hewlett-Packard's first vice president of design ] business is corporate design. Persuasion is his game.

Aptera's Future Car Set for Production

The Aptera could easily be named "The Official Car of the Future". The design references every space-car from the Jetsons' runabout to the cars from Woody Allen's Sleeper (pictured above. It's the one on the right).

See Aptera's website.

Blackbird Rider

San Francisco industrial designer Joe Luttwak, who is also an avid musician, wanted a portable steel-stringed instrument to take to the woods on camping trips.

IDEO interview

IDEO is one of the world’s most decorated design consultancies. Apple’s first mouse was IDEO’s work. The firm employs experts from disciplines as disparate as graphic design, mechanical engineering and anthropology to create human-centered design solutions for some huge clients.

Read the interview conducted by Good Magazine, where they asked an IDEO team to create the graphic statement—a blank canvas to interpret the issue’s theme: Design Solutions.

National Design Awards

The National Design Awards were conceived by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to honor the best in American design. First launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, the annual Awards program celebrates design in various disciplines as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world, and seeks to increase national awareness of design by educating the public and promoting excellence, innovation, and lasting achievement. Go here to see the 184 nominees.

The Fine Art of Designing a Clean Presentation

Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have given their fair share of slide show presentations. It's fair to say that there is a fine art in designing a presentation, let alone present it to a live audience. What follows is an article one how Bill delivers the message and how Steve delivers. You be the judge.

Designing for Diabetics

Inspired by consumer gadgetry, medical-device makers are creating slick tools for insulin injections and readings.

LifeStraw purifies water instantly for under $2 a year

There are gadgets that make life more fun, and then there are gadgets that make life possible. The LifeStraw from Denmark's Vestergaard Frandsen Group has the potential to fall into the latter category. A device about the size of a large pen or drinking straw, the LifeStraw is a complete water purification kit that draws its power from the person sucking down the water.

Jonathan Ive

Here's an article where Jonathan Ive of Apple, gives an interview discussing the fine art of great design. Even though the interview took place in December of 2006, Jonathan's feedback is worth noting.

Frog-Inspired Bike Design

Alex Suvajec’s concept bike design takes its inspiration from nature. It’s a fascinating adaptation of a frog’s motion and structure.

Why Designers Rule

I found this nice little list of reasons why designers rule over at Design Stamp. Read the rest of the article here about why designers rule.

Masters of Design 2007

Innovation and inspiration. Beauty and profit. Management and creativity. Fast Company's fourth annual report on the intersection of business and design.

EVO Cycle Concept Bicycle Bike Design

Digital Water Pavilion

The Digital Water Pavilion will be built at the entrance of the Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain. The digitally-controlled 'water curtains' will display messages and act as doors to enter and exit the building, which will house a tourist information centre, a cafeteria and an exhibition on the 'digital mile project' that will be a feature of the Expo. Check out the website, where you can watch a video of how the final thing should look, see a video of the real thing as a prototype, and find more information about the project.

Designers who Blog

DWB features blogs discussing graphic design, web design, illustration, marketing, photography, branding, writing and advertising.

Wanted: VPs of Design

More designers are reaching the executive ranks. But where are they getting the general business knowhow they need?

Paul B. MacCready, 81, inventor, dies

Paul B. MacCready, an awesomely accomplished inventor who studied circling hawks and vultures to figure out how to realize the loftiest dream of Leonardo da Vinci--inventing a human-powered flying machine--died Tuesday in Pasadena, Calif. He was 81.

The Future of Governors Island

Five architectural teams take on the challenge to create a New York destination.

The Buzz Around "Design Thinking"

The phrase "design thinking" is certainly in vogue these days. In design circles, it's been part of the lexicon for several years. Stanford's d. school, to cite just one example, even uses the term on its home page. But now...

The Ultimate Design Brief

Your design can only be as good as the brief you worked from. The best projects are borne from briefs that are open enough to inspire ideas, while being specific enough to feel workable. Shaun Crowley shows how you can elicit these kinds of briefs by providing clients with briefing templates.

In the Future, All Buildings Will Rotate

Sick of working in a boring old office block that just sits there and doesn't go anywhere? Tired of that same old view? So am I, and so is Dynamic Architecture, an Italian company that has designed an awe-inspiring new kind of tower. Each floor slowly rotates 360 degrees on its own axis, powered by -- wait for it -- wind turbines between the floors. Yes, you read that right: it's cool and green. (And for those commiting suicide, it finally answers the age-old question of whether you die before you hit the ground: those turbines will slice you in two before you get to the next floor).

Dynamic Architecture's first project, an apartment building in the oil-rich, novelty-happy country of Dubai, will produce an energy surplus to the tune of $7 million, according to the company. Just four of its 44 vast inter-floor turbines will be needed to power the 200 apartments in the building, meaning the company can sell the rest back to the state. With the resulting profits, perhaps the company should buy vertigo medication for its tenants.

This is your brain on video games, ads

Developing a first-person shooter video game that can rival the genre's top-selling hits like Call of Duty is always a long shot.

So game maker THQ tried an unusual research method last year to evaluate people's early emotional response to its in-development shooter game Frontlines.

CIMA Ladder

The ladder is made in a single piece using the monocoque technique, similar to that used in bicycle frames. The material used is a carbon fiber composite. Continuous shapes and the closed frame spread the forces in all directions.

Bike Dispenser

Springtime's Bike Dispenser allows you to rent a RFID-equipped bike from one vending machine, ride it to your destination, drop it off at another vending machine, and walk away. The Dutch company won an award at the 2007 Spark Design & Architecture Awards for their idea, which is perfectly suited for an urban environment.

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China Olympics: Beautiful Venues

Emerging from the landscape, and shaped by nature, the designs of the upcoming 2008 Olympics in China, will create a simple symbolic link - a bridge - between old and new, between people and country and China with the world.

Galactic Suite Space Hotel

It may sound a little Dr. Evil, or just plain far-fetched, but as of now, the Galactic Suite space hotel is a go for 2012. Barcelona-based architect Xavier Claramunt is promising a three-night stay 300 miles in orbit to anyone with 3 million euros ($4.15 million). The package includes shuttle trips to and fro plus an 18-week training program on a Caribbean island. Details surrounding certain creature comforts and necessities are still being ironed out.

Check out the Galactic Suite official website.

Logo design

Logos are graphical shorthand that can represent a company or product, and communicate certain characteristics.

2007 Geneva Auto Show

To mark its 95th anniversary, Bertone is bringing a 2-seat roadster to the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the Fiat Panda 100HP mechanicals, the diminutive barchetta is expected to offer stellar performance from the 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, which makes 100 bhp and 96 lb.- ft. of torque. Bertone estimates 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) times of 9.5 seconds.

The concept sports a cut-down windshield and innovative clear door panels that add to the open-to-the-air feel of the cabin. The sleek body sweeps rearward into large rear wheel arches that give the car a muscular look. See other cars here.

Apple's new metallic keyboards: in wired and Bluetooth flavors

The rumored pictures seemed plausible enough, and now Apple has confirmed the hopes / fears of typists the world over: there's a new desktop keyboard (er, two actually) in town. The new keyboards (one larger wired USB 2.0 edition with two USB 2.0 ports, one smaller Bluetooth 2.0 flavor) are crafted from anodized aluminum, and include dedicated keys for screen dimmer / brighter, expose, media controls, volume controls, and eject for optical drive.



Go to the Apple Store.

CORDhog

Wire management for your home, office, briefcase, or backpack. Small in scale but high in capacity. The CORDhog can hold up to 12 feet of cord. A simple design that locks the cord length, letting you take up the slack wherever needed. You can wind multiple cords onto the CORDhog, or multiple CORDhogs onto 1 cord. CORDhogs come in sets of 6. Untangle.

Designer: Jason Begin & Shawn Melton
Made in USA

Website

Design Management Review

Design thinking is a crucial business asset, one that can, indeed, move a company forward and improve the bottom line.

Online Shopping: Now it's personal

Customized fashions can mean perfect design, perfect fit everytime.

Eye on Design

Consumers say they don't want to be encumbered by the complexity of the products they buy. Designers are responding with seamless blends of software, hardware, and aesthetics.

The Science Barge

The Science Barge is a sustainable urban farm designed by New York Sun Works, an environmental nonprofit organization. The Science Barge tours New York City’s public waterfront parks, offering sustainability education programs to wide audiences.

Other pictures of the The Science Barge.

Dyson Airblade

Dry your hands in a jiffy.

Cutting Edge Designers

Bruce Nussbaum of BusinessWeek shares his thoughts on p and coming 'cutting edge designers'.

Blended Wing Prototype Takes to the Air

Air travel has a few problems. Airplanes are loud, both inside and out. Oh, and they're expensive. With fuel prices on the rise, airlines will be looking for new ways to decrease fuel expenses. If you ask NASA, maybe the best solution is to chop off the front and back of an airplane's fuselage, and just fly the wings.

MIT team designs sleek, skintight spacesuit

In the 40 years that humans have been traveling into space, the suits they wear have changed very little. The bulky, gas-pressurized outfits give astronauts a bubble of protection, but their significant mass and the pressure itself severely limit mobility.

Emily Chang - Strategic Designer

Emily Chang is an award-winning web and interaction designer, technology strategist and principal of Ideacodes, a web consultancy in San Francisco co-founded with Max Kiesler. She writes about web and user experience design, technology, and next generation web at EmilyChang.com, and is the creator of the popular web 2.0 resource, eHub and eHub Interviews (including the translated eHub Channel at CNET Japan).

Check out her blog site.

Le Tech: Technology of the Tour de France

The bikes in the Tour de France aren’t just regular bikes. They are technological marvels. some of you are thinking that there couldn’t be much tech since they are guys riding bikes. Well, you’d be wrong.

Breaking The Rules In News Design

Sometimes its fun to break the rules.

The Dosh Wallet

The Dosh wallet is designed and manufactured in Sydney Australia. The unique blend of flexible and semi-flexible polymers created a wallet that is durable, stylish, and packed with clever features for modern lifestyles. The patented design consists of purpose designed areas for storage of credit cards, notes, and coins.

Design Inspiration Gallery

Faveup is a simple gallery of inspirational design. Everybody gets designer's block sometimes so it's nice to have somewhere to go to get your creative juices flowing again. Faveup also gives credit where credit is due, rewarding great design with the respect and linkage it deserves.

3-D software gets real

Today's 3-D design software is so true to life that engineers can see how their products work even before they start to build them, reports Business 2.0 Magazine.

Design as Business Fodder

Industrial designer Robert Brunner
talks about his entrepreneurial career decisions and his post-Pentagram future.

The very first iPhone

In late June, the iPod iPhone hit the US market. Apple aficionados queued for days to be first in line to get their greedy little paws on the long awaited gadget. fudder-employee Marc Esslinger is an Apple-fan as well . Also because he has a very special relationship to Apple.

An ethnography primer

Great design always connects with people. Designers inspire, provoke, validate, entertain and provide utility for people. To truly connect, designers need to have compassion and empathy for their audiences. Designers need to understand the relationship between what they produce and the meaning their product has for others. And they need to observe the people they are designing for in their own environments.

AIGA, in collaboration with Cheskin, has produced a simple and straight-forward primer introducing the crucial role that ethnography plays in designing.

An Ethnography Primer

Norman Foster

Norman Foster was born in Manchester in 1935. After graduating from Manchester University School of Architecture and City Planning in 1961 he won a Henry Fellowship to Yale University, where he gained a Master’s Degree in Architecture.

He is the founder and chairman of Foster + Partners.

Extreme Sailing: The Biggest Boat in the World

Tom Perkins had done it all. He'd made a fortune, conquered Silicon Valley, even been Danielle Steel's fifth husband for a time. His venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, was an early backer of Genentech, Netscape, and Google. But when he turned 70 a few years ago, Perkins decided to do something even grander and a bit crazier: He would build the biggest, riskiest, fastest, most technologically advanced, single-hulled sailing mega yacht in the world.

Additional information about the Maltese Falcon

ESI Design

ESI Design is one of the world’s foremost experiential design firms — they create physical and virtual spaces for people to interact, exchange ideas and learn from each other.

They design for a wide variety of environments. Thier client list includes museums, retailers, corporations, real estate developers, parks, hospitals, foundations and so on.

Design e2

The Economies of Being Environmentally Conscious is an original HD multipart television series that explores the living vitality of the environment. Eight different topics, from sustainable architecture to water culture to alternative energy to organic farming to recycled clothing and more.

Cut & Paste

Cut & Paste wants you to take center stage once again for the upcoming 2007 tournament this fall. The call for entries deadline is July 17, and from that point, chosen candidates, based on "Originality, Technique, and Overall Dopeness", from each city will perform a 15 minute test round to qualify as a live tournament contestant. Like last year, they're not skimping on the prizes with a 13" Macbook for first place, Wacom Intuos3 Tablets for semifinalists, Adobe CS3 Master Collection for the Audience Prize, and a Wacom Cintiq 21UX Pen-Based Display for the Jury Prize. Eight final contestants selected from each city will be announced on August 3rd, 2007.

The Designer Who Inspired Intel and Apple

Design guru Naoto Fukasawa's philosophy of sleek simplicity and user-friendliness has influenced many top design firms with blue chip technology clients.

Other links on Naoto Fukasawa:

• Design Boom
• IDEO case study
• ICON
  

Top Ten Ways Japanese Live Small

Leave it to the Japanese, the same folks who invented the transistor radio, to come up with a multitude of ways to miniaturize their lives and save valuable space. "Livin' Large"? Not here, buster!

Apple applies for multi-touch mouse patent

Ooo la la, what's this? Apple filed a patent application for a "mouse with optical sensing surface."