Aitor Throup - Designing a Process Instead of Product

I first came across Aitor Throup when researching fashion illustration styles while at Parsons School of Design. I was amazed at the fluidity and motion that his illustrations portrayed, but even more impressed when I found out that he actually designed the clothing he was illustrating. Throup continues to design apparel, and products, focusing on his processes versus the products themselves. Take a look at this video in which he describes his design philosophy, and gives a glimpse at the way he works.

Nike Pro TurboSpeed

source: http://coolhunting.com/index.php?page=1

Nike's latest take on the track and field uniform could be easily equated to the perfect waiter—at your service but, at the same time, so seamless in execution it seems invisible, so you can focus on what's before you. The culmination of 12 years of research and more than 1,000 hours of wind tunnel testing, the new streamlined Olympic kit is what Nike calls a "zero distraction" garment.

"This is the most minimal way we've had to finish a garment," explains Scott Williams, Nike's creative director of Olympics and innovation. "When you have an athlete there, you don't even want them to think about apparel." The super smooth trim means no potentially scratchy stitching and no zippers, and, best of all, more simplified construction. "In Beijing it took eight pattern pieces to make the sleeve, here it only takes two," Williams adds.

The Nike Pro TurboSpeed kit is also the fastest uniform to date, using what the company calls "Zoned Aerodynamics" to redirect air in targeted areas. Working in the manner of a golf ball, the dimpled swaths of the "AeroSwift" fabric "trip" air on the limbs, which can reach speeds of up to 47 MPH while sprinting. "It's counter-intuitive to most people that skin is actually very slow. explains Williams, in describing the full-body track suit. "Nike studied hundreds of textures when fashioning the uniforms, the aesthetic and aerodynamic benefit derived from their results." Williams adds that the marriage of form and function is "truly an expression of data-informed and body-led." Scanning technology maps of athletes' bodies to the nearest millimeter, ensuring that the uniforms, once built, will fit like a second skin.

Aesthetically, the kit makes athletes and their enhanced dimensions look like larger-than-life superheroes. Spectators will be able to see the uniforms' white swaths on the arms and legs and the "flicker" effect they create when the wearer is running at full tilt. As HD viewing becomes increasingly commonplace, the progressive look and seamless fabrics promise to transform accomplished athletes into national idols.

Nike boldly claims that the speed differential in the new track suits could be the difference between a medalist and an also-ran. After launching the USA kit last night, Nike will continue to roll out the rest of the nations' as the games approach. While colors will of course vary by country, the construction of the garments is identical for a thoroughly level playing field.

Rinser Toothbrush

Design is about solving problems. Some of these problems may be trivial, but it feels REALLY good to have a solution to them. Case in point: the rinser toothbrush. Instead of having to use a cup or your hand for water to rinse your mouth after brushing, the toothbrush has a built-in power fountain (or in New England terms, a bubbler). Brush your teeth, and while rinsing the brush, aim the water into the fountain, and voila! Bubbler action!

Turning Vintage Baseball Mitts Into Wallets

Ah, I love this current trend of recycling old products into something new. Coach, the famous supplier of accessories and shoes for men and women, has jumped on the bandwagon with their latest collection of limited-edition billfold wallets. Instead of using new leather for this collection, Coach has used vintage baseball mitts as the material, giving the wallets an incredible patina and sense of history. I love that the wallets have inherited a lifetime of wear and use, and provide a real relationship between the consumer and product. 

Airborne Wind Turbines Produce 50% More Energy

source: http://www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/airborne-windmills-produce-50-percent-energy/

Makani Power has created a tethered wind turbine that can generate power by flying aloft in large circles, much the way a kite does.

The benefits of wind energy have long been harnessed as a useful power source. Now a Californian company aims to increase the energy output of this resource. Rather than situating windmills on the ground, as tradition dictates, Makani Power has created a tethered wind turbine that generates power by flying aloft in large circles, much the way a kite does.

The Makani Airborne Wind Turbine flies at between 800 and 1,950 feet above ground level, meaning that it stays well below normal commercial and civilian aviation. At the same time, it flies at an altitude above that of most birds, meaning that any potential harm to flying creatures is minimized, it says. Meanwhile, at these heights the wind is stronger and more consistent than that which terrestrial wind farms encounter, and 90 percent of the material used in conventional wind turbines can be eliminated. The video below illustrates the premise in more detail:

In 2011 Makani Power built and tested a 30kW prototype, known as Wing 7. So far, benefits it touts over traditional windmills include 50 percent cost savings, a 10 percent reduction in mass, 50 percent more energy production, and a lower environmental impact, the company says. Energy entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?

Website: www.makanipower.com
Contact: info@makanipower.com

Bulletproof Vest With Built-In Cooling System

Swiss company Empa has created a new bulletproof vest with built-in air conditioning, designed to make protective gear more comfortable.

Sportswear has been considerably refined over the years for enhanced breathability and performance under various weather conditions, but improvements to protective gear that must be worn by police officers and others in the line of duty have been less forthcoming. Enter Swiss Empa, which has created a new bulletproof vest with built-in air conditioning.

Kevlar is the material that gives many bulletproof vests their protective properties, but along with that impenetrability comes a lack of breathability. For the wearer, the result is considerable discomfort and a tendency to sweat profusely in warm weather. Empa’s solution includes an integrated cooling system based on the company’s Coolpad technology, which was originally designed for use in medical applications. The vest’s internal Coolpad is filled with water, which is allowed to evaporate to promote cooling. A miniature built-in fan, meanwhile, blows air though a soft and flexible fabric spacer behind the pad, providing further cooling. To refill the coolpads, a portable filling station can be attached to the vest with a quick-release fastener. At the same time, mini fans can be exchanged for those with freshly charged batteries ensuring the vest is ready for another three to four hours of duty, Empa says.

The new vest has already been tested by Zürich’s police force, and production will begin soon, according to the company website. Specialty clothing entrepreneurs and retailers: one to get involved in?

Website: www.empa.ch/plugin/template/empa/3/119954/—/l=2
Contact: markus.weder@empa.ch

The Making of Making

Nike tackles the subject of sustainability in their short new video, an inspirational piece on "the making of making". For anyone in the design or skill-based craft industry.... your chest will puff up with pride.

Turning Plastic Bottles Into Piggy Banks

Recycling. It's a great thing. More and more states are firming up their recycling policies, making it even easier for consumers to recycle as much of their waste as possible. To make things even better, designers are coming up with ways to take used products and recycling them into a new product.

Take Taylor McKenzie-Veal, a fellow Rhode Island-based designer. Taylor takes a commonly recycled piece of plastic, the sode bottle, and turns it into a piggy bank. "By reiterating the original, high-tech manufacturing process of blow molding in a low-tech manner using basic tools and components, the empty bottle is converted into a vessel of value. In just minutes a small oven, an air compressor and a plywood mold are used to re-blow mold an empty bottle into a newly functional item." 

Not only is this a great example of what good design can do, it's an even better example of how designers need to be thinking in the near future. Products should be designed with the inevitable fate of being recycled, and hopefully turned into something functional.

Pantone - How Color is Forecasted

In the design world, color is a mischievous creature, changing hues with every season quicker than a chameleon can blend in with its surroundings. Every year, certain colors are named as being the top colors of the season, with little rhyme or reason as explanation. Have you ever stopped to wonder why?

Pantone is an American color forecasting company based in Carlstadt, NJ. While an American company, the forecasting board is made up of numerous people throughout the globe, in the design industry as well as culinary, education, business, and more. Pantone proves that while color drives design, color inspiration comes from life itself. 

Slate Magazine recently featured a great article about a visit to the Pantone HQ, and what goes on behind closed doors. Click here to read the full article and hear how Pantone turns color into trend!

A Champion Racing Yacht Designer - JUAN KOUYOUMDJIAN

We at DesignWorks Studio can't get enough of the Volvo Ocean Race, especially the magnificent vessels they use in the race. These boats are built for speed and precision, not comfort. As someone who has quite a few friends sailing in the race... I know that there is nothing enjoyable about being below deck except for the chance to get out of the sun and spray! 

Fast Company has an excellent article that features a man who designed 3 of the 6 boats being used in the race. Juan Kouyoumdjianis an Argentine-born naval architect who has a naval architecture business, Juan Yacht Designs, based in Valencia, Spain. He is a true master of his craft, devoting countless hours to honing his research and development process (and on his own dime. He considers his R&D process important enough to do on his own hours, away from his clients' pockets). 

For an amazing article, and incredible images, click here!