Do you ever think about all the paper you use to wrap those Christmas and birthday gifts? It’s a lot of waste! Graphic designer Amy Lewis decided to change that with her ecoChici reusable cloth gift wrap kits she conceived with the help of her husband.
Available in three sizes, four different designs, and in various colors, each wrap is hand printed in Australia and comes with two ribbon clips to secure it, as well as instructions on how to wrap.
The Heirloom print lets you keep track of the gift giving that goes on in your family by documenting the info every time a gift is given. It comes with a permanent fabric marker.
In this movie filmed by Dezeen for Philips Lumiblade, German designer Daniel Lorch explains the ideas behind his desk lamp, which will be the first to use OLED technology when it goes into production next year. (more...)
Designer Jiangmei Wu, a faculty at Indiana University and principal of Tacit Design, has created a series of folded light fixtures that are made from 100 percent recycled cotton paper and LED light bulbs. By using original origami folding techniques developed by Wu, each light shade can be unfolded into flat pieces of paper.
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Japanese company Ibasei recently devised a tiny underwater turbine that can be placed along a riverbank or canal to generate electricity without harming the environment. Hydroelectricity, produced by harnessing the energy in moving water, is the most widely used form of renewable energy in the world. Still, it’s not always popular among those who care about protecting the planet. That’s because hydropower is almost always executed on a large scale, requiring massive river dams that disrupt the surrounding ecosystem. But there’s no rule that hydropower generators have to be huge. Ibasei’s Cappa compact hydropower generator can deliver 250 W of electricity yet is small enough to be transported between locations as needed.
A clever alternative to running the tap that’ll save you water, razors, and a few painful bumps.
We’ve all seen the evolution. One blade. Two blades. Mach3s. Quatros. Fusion blades. Fusion blades turbo. Choosing a razor has become an episode of American Gladiators--the humdrum drugstore aisle is teeming with testosterone--yet razor burn from dull blades is still a daily problem for the most chiseled of jaw.
The Bonsai--yes, a nomenclature opposite--is a $79 Indiegogo product, co-developed by Tomorrow Lab, hoping to disrupt the world of shaving. It’s like a jacuzzi for your razor, pumping a filtered whirlpool of water (with a touch of oil) to clean, lubricate, and protect your blade during and right after a shave. The prototype has kept razors good up to three times longer than the normal sink routine, but it also does something equally important: It saves a heck of a lot of water compared to the faucet that most of us leave running during a shave.
“We realized we could build something to provide consumers with a better daily experience, but also allow them to conserve water without even thinking about it,” founder Craig Battin tells Co.Design. “It really represents sustainability without the compromise often associated with ‘green’ products.”
Developing the product started with “real Frankensteins,” Battin says. His first device was a hacked bathroom appliance of some sort. The second was crafted from a few household items and Tupperware. With Tomorrow Lab, Battin developed a much more technologically advanced prototype--what he calls a Wi-Fi connected car wash--that could be used to tweak the precise pressure, filtering, and other features needed in a final production model.
Now, admittedly, the Bonsai has a few drawbacks: Its rechargeable battery and filter will both have limited shelf lives, as all batteries and filters do. The filters can be replaced, though, and in this regard, a relatively disruptive product in the space actually fits right into the existing business models of Gillette and Schick, which sell higher-end handle bases for razor cartridges that need constant replacement. With that parallel in mind, it’s a bit shocking that neither brand has the Bonsai’s equivalent on the market. It’s not hard to imagine the Bonsai as a bundle in the larger ecosystem, with a few notches to stow one of those American Gladiator products and a metallic veneer to match.
Indeed, if the Bonsai manages to take off, the Riptide Turbo Extreme may be close behind.
by: Environmental Leader, 2012-12-17 15:50:57 UTC While Puma’s first-ever environmental profit and loss report accurately estimated the social cost of carbon, according to a panel of experts, the company could improve some other areas of its environmental impacts calculations, such as air pollution and water use. In November 2011, Puma’s parent company, PPR, published the EP&L, which calculated the 2010 environmental [...]
Designer Paul Nederend has turned his fascination for traditional woodworking into a beautiful new seat called Chair Pole.
The chair’s wooden frame, which is made of European oak, is created with traditional woodworking techniques and the seat is upholstered using a more contemporary fabric – Hallingdal from Kvadrat (1968).
I love the hard and soft mixture and the bit of texture in the seat. The rounded stick-like wood legs and armrests are very Scandinavian and remind me of architectural elements found in wooden buildings like cabins. Essentially, they’re trestles. Overall, it’s a very inviting and warm design.
The idea of self-driving vehicles has been getting increasing attention on several fronts. Google's self-driving car is perhaps the most widely publicized example, but other options are under development at various stages. Volvo is working on a different approach, with cars that are not completely autonomous, but that can safely follow others in a close formation known as a road train.
In a road train, vehicles equipped with wireless connectivity and control equipment will be able to follow other vehicles in close formation, with a lead vehicle being driven by a human driver. Computers and sensors will monitor the convoy, and automatically follow the lead vehicle with safe clearances. Once a vehicle is part of a road train, the driver can can switch their attention to other things.
Road trains would offer a number of benefits that are beneficial to the environment as well as to drivers.
Fuel mileage will improve, as vehicles stay at the same speed (acceleration reduces efficiency). Cars can safely drive more closely to one another, and will benefit from lowered wind resistance. With groups of cars moving at predictable speeds, congestion will improve. And the stress of the daily commute will be alleviated, with time in the car to read or relax.
The Volvo system has been undergoing testing for the past several years. A video presentation from Volvo shows vehicles operating on a test track to demonstrate the workings of this system.
London designer Dominic Wilcox shares his thoughts on 3D printing and presents some of his "fun, crazy" projects including GPS shoes, a combined coffin and desk and a reserve bungee jump in this movie we filmed at 100% Design. "We shouldn't be so scared of putting out ridiculous thoughts," he says. (more...)
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-31 09:26:29 UTC
The Wattcher consists of a sensor, a sending unit and a display. The sensor can be placed on any electricity meter (analog meters with a turning wheel ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-28 09:11:45 UTC
This fabric is made of a biodegradable fiber which is the result of research in starch and other grain byproducts.
Working with overspun yarn experts ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-24 14:41:50 UTC
Maximal functionality and comfort within minimal space, getting rid of the unused stuff. And this all without boredom! Like transformers go furniture. ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-21 13:16:56 UTC
The geman developed Loremo, which stands for Low Resistance Mobility, combines airodynamic desing with low weight construction to achieve high fuel ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-19 09:28:34 UTC
I happen to have done a bit of research in sustainable value of vacuum cleaners lately so I keep my eyes open for new sustainable vacuum clean solutions. ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-17 17:45:55 UTC
The activity of repairing is a form of re-appropriating control on our material world, allowing us to understand how things function and acting as ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-13 20:51:05 UTC
Pollution due to contamination in building interiors continues to be a relevant topic. Numerous studies have proven that off-gassing in interiors has ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-11 13:51:14 UTC
This light, Fonckel One, is fun! It invites to touch it and then reacts to you, where you touched it and how in a very precise way.
That it can ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-11 07:30:21 UTC
The "grasshopper" is a classic shoe that has got cult status. Comfortable to wear and walk in. it main characteristics are excellent quality and low ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-12-08 09:18:29 UTC
The Zeno Lamp brings natural sunlight indoors through a system of light collectors and fiber-optic cables. The beauty of the Zeno lamp lies in its ...
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