In the 2008 automotive line-up, more is definitely more.

This year in the automotive sector is one of transition and re-affirmation, with manufacturers generally choosing to go one of two ways: back to the past, falling back on nostalgia-rich tradition; or forward with new technologies and design formulations. The (fuel-electric) hybrids introduced just a couple of years back are seeing refinements and improvements, and more models in the line-ups offered in a hybrid version.

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BMW in 2015 – Istituto Europeo di Design Project

This year the third-year students of the IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) in Turin were challenged to design a BMW of 2015. The 35 students involved were subdivided into 18 teams, all coordinated by Fulvio Fantolino, Coordinator of the Transportation Design – Car Design Course and owner of F&F Design Studio. MORE…

Apple Wireless Keyboard, ID Design Distinction Award 2008

Apple’s wireless keyboard has been awarded Design Distinction 2008, Consumer Products, in ID magazine’s recent Annual Design Review. 

Apple’s wireless keyboard is a wafer of anodized aluminum with slivers of white keys, features Bluetooth with a 33-foot range and a battery charge that lasts for nine months of normal usage (it takes AAA batteries). According to one jury member, “it’s a highly evolved keyboard.”

Design: Apple Industrial Design Team (Cupertino, CA)

Shijyo Mokusei Building, Kyoto, by Kawai Architects

Kyoto-based Kawai Architects designed this office building (completed 2008) which serves as a proposition/solution for a contemporary lifestyle in the 21st century; and what the urban landscape of Kyoto, perhaps Japan’s most traditional city, should look like.

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Tertulia Folding Chair, by Efrain Velez

Tertulia is a folding chair inspired by the idea of its name, the Spanish word for gathering, a conversational get together. Tertulias happen spontaneously, so a folding chair seemed the most natural departing point-typology, says Austin, Texas-based designer Efrain Velez, for this project. MORE…

Toyota’s Tiny New iQ to Begin Production Late 2008

Toyota has announced it is to begin production on its tiny new iQ model – among the smallest 4-seater cars today – late this year. The company has introduced a number of innovations and new approaches in the design and engineering of the iQ. MORE…

ID Winner: Nokia Mini Speakers MD-6

The innovative design of Nokia’s Mini Speakers MD-6 puts portability and great sound together in one pocket-sized speaker system. They also feature built-in cable management and FM radio, making for an efficient, well-conceived package. MORE…

Tesla Motors Begins Regular Production of 2008 Tesla Roadster

Regular production of the 2008 Tesla Roadster commenced this past spring, marking an historical milestone for Tesla Motors and a watershed in the development of clean, zero-emissions vehicles.
The revolutionary Tesla Roadster – a high performance car that generates zero-emissions and burns no oil – was first unveiled as a prototype in July, 2006. MORE…

Apple iPhone: ID Best of Category 2008

Not surprisingly, the Apple iPhone was selected Best of Category 2008, Consumer Products, in ID magazine’s recent Annual Design Review. The iPhone combines three products in one — a phone, a widescreen iPod, and a unique Internet device with rich HTML email and a web browser. MORE…

Brix Fragments, by architect Claudio Silvestrin

I Frammenti (The Fragments) by Brix is a porcelain micro-mosaic (or cube-tile) created by architect Claudio Silvestrin. Each mosaic is made of 5mm cubes with the space between equally proportioned. The mosaics are available in eight non-glazed colors, six intense glazed colors and four mixes.

BBB Low-Cost Housing, Denmark, by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

The concept “bedre billigere boliger” – literally “better cheaper housing” – was developed through a number of architectural competitions. The aim – in Kvistgård, Elsinore, Denmark, was to offer significantly reduced rent-levels without sacrificing architectural quality. MORE…

Key modular storage system by Housefish

Key is a new highly modular storage system designed and produced by Housefish that ships flat and assembles easily – the only tool you need is a hammer. The parts are cleverly joined into an exceptionally strong structure by machined aluminum tenon keys. The wood used is sustainably harvested, FSC certified maple plywood, finished with a zero VOC finish. Available with optional sliding powdercoated metal doors in a variety of colors. MORE…