Scoop Server

New York-based design studio MyDesign Group has recently completed a metal collection for Nambé. The main design in the collection is the Scoop Server, a really fun “chip & dip” bowl where the dip bowl seems to hover effortlessly over the larger serving bowl.

Wei Young, head of MyDesign, explains the inspiration for this piece:

The inspiration for the Scoop Chip and Dip came from the sweeping, fluid motion one performs when scooping an actual chip into dip. The captured movement lead way to the curvaceous lines and spherical silhouettes of the piece. The Scoop was designed to immediately convey it’s function while being inviting and alluring to the user. The two bowls seamlessly blended together creating the distinctive profile. Simple yet complex in form, the shape of this object would be highly difficult to produced in one solid piece using typical molding processes and techniques. The Scoop lends itself perfectly to Nambé’s signature hand crafted alloy and intelligent manufacturing processes. I wanted to created an object that reflects the energy of our modern era, and be classic in form to last into generations to come. Aesthetically original in form and function, the Scoop is for entertaining as much as it is for conversation.

Nambé let us know that the Scoop Server will be available at the end of August.

My Scratch Map

If you want to show off where you’ve been, instead of a world map and pushpins why not buyMy Scratch Map, a wall map created from the same scratchable stuff of lottery tickets. Simply scratch off the gold foil where you’ve been on the map to reveal a color underneath. What a great gift for the world traveler!

Pod à Porter

Pod à Porter by Michiel Cornelissen Ontwerp is an accessory for your iPod shuffle. Michiel searched for an easier, more natural way to wear his music while avoiding wire-tangle and dropping the headphones. The result is this necklace-like iPod shuffle accessory.

Planters

BACSACS are an amazingly inexpensive, eco-friendly alternative. They’re made by the namesake French company and are rapidly gaining star credentials. BACSACS are already part of an installation at Beaubourg, the Parisian modern art center!
Basically, they are weightless and portable bags creating a new generation of flexible plant containers. Each BACSAC is made in a double-walled geotextile fabric and is 100% recyclable. The special construct of this fabric maintains the necessary balance between air, soil and water. Surprisingly these designs are frost and sun resistant. The handles and low weight make transportation easy (or easier!).
They come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. One even works as a saddle over a balcony railing…

The Carpet by Laurens van Wieringe

The Carpet by Laurens van Wieringen was constructed from many little “foam-bars” in different colors and heights. Together these foam bars show an image of a landscape in color and a relief in height, kind of like a topographic map. Laurens worked with the help of 29 friends to put together the carpet.

Gear Ring by Kinekt Design

The Gear Ring by Kinekt Design has a cool design, but the cool factor is taken to a whole new level when you realize that the gears actually turn!

For those of you who fidget, this is like a gold mine. Kinekt offers ten different ring sizes 5 to 14 for both men and women and size 15 is coming soon! They also stand behind their product offering a lifetime warranty.

Universal Packaging by Patrick Sung

Patrick Sung has designed Universal Packaging System (UPACKS), a conceptual packaging system that forms to whatever it is that you’re shipping. Although it bends around your package, it is designed to be sturdy and strong. The idea is that no one box fits all. Often times, packaging is wasted to fill and pad empty space in boxes.

I know I’ve received a lot of packages that are way too large for their contents. What do you think about this concept?

Bat House

Estudio Estres designed a bat-style birdhouse called Mus.

2010 James Dyson Award Competition US Winner

The US National Winner has been announced in the 2010 James Dyson Awardcompetition: Christine Outram and a team of MIT students invented of the Copenhagen Wheel, a wheel that turns a regular bike into a smart, electric hybrid. This tech-wheel allows riders to capture the energy dissipated when breaking and cycling and save it for when they need a boost. Like most cutting-edge technology, the Copenhagen Wheel is controlled through a rider’s smart phone.Next month, the international finalists will be announced and a panel of esteemed judges will review the remaining entries. James Dyson himself will select and announce the global winner on October 5, 2010. The award is his call to action to motivate and educate students about design engineering.

Garden Studio by in.it.studios

in.it.studios creates modern, eco-friendly and customizable garden studios and offices that are a perfect backyard addition to your home’s square footage. This can be added to our growing collection of backyard offices. But don’t call these a shed! These garden studios are true outdoor rooms, built with the same methods as a timber-framed house including insulation and double-glazed windows. They also include heating, lighting, power outlets and you can even customize them to include bathrooms or kitchens!

The Garden Office Studio is in.it.studio’s smallest and most affordable building. Designed to meet planning restrictions for smaller spaces, the office can be positioned right up against a wall, fence or boundary due to its height of only 2.5m. Although it may be small in size, it can comfortably provide a relaxing space for two people to work in.

Green building methods and materials are applied: in.it.studios uses sustainably sourced FSC and PEFC timber ensures that the building’s materials are from well managed forests. in.it.studios is committed to environmentally friendly methods and excludes any use of PVC from its buildings, even down to the rainwater gutter!

R&L Goods

R&L Goods presents distinctive handmade objects that complement the Right & Left sides of your brain, the creative and logical sides of your life. Designed in collaboration with design studio Piano Nobile, the line includes limited edition, hand-printed textiles ranging from wallets to refillable notebooks. I think that the gray grid pattern wallet is pretty sweet.