Most of us take for granted the fundamental human need for enlightenment. No, I am not talking about being one with the Universe or counting beads. Besides, I look positively horrid in orange. I am talking about the simple need to physically see after the sun sets. We are not like most other creatures on Earth and don’t come equipped with super sweet night vision eyeballs.

Designer: Industrial Facility Studio

The word luxury is more a fluid concept than some absolute definition. My definition of luxury will most probably differ completely from that of say an Inuit Tribesman living above the arctic circle. We are used to seeing some luxurious elements mixed together, but only in our general idea of proper context. eg., a Cadillac interior would have associative luxurious elements such as rich wood, hand stitched leather and polished metals.

Designer: Adele Rotella

The Natural Radio concept is a bit convoluted in its approach changing volume and frequency. Instead of dials or buttons, it uses a scale. By placing stones on either sides of the scale, you have organic control over radio. Functionality isn’t really the idea here. This is clearly an attempt to humanize a device that pretty much revolutionized communication. Can you image how many stones you’d have to pack on to get the right volume.

Designer: Cheol-Ki Jo

Did you know baby walkers don’t help toddlers learn how to walk? Scientific research shows baby walkers distribute all the weight off the legs. For most parents, they could care less since it’s a way for baby to get around and they do seem to enjoy it. For designer Wilson Song, that wasn’t good enough. He created the Jump Baby walker that has an elastic ring to support baby in both seated and upright positions.

Designer: Wilson Song

In these fast paced days of RSS feeds, text messaging and pneumatic wine bottle openers, it is always nice to see a young designer take a risk and go against the grain by reinterpreting an almost forgotten and completely ubiquitous item like the hand held mirror.

Designer: Alissia Melka

The Intimate Utensils product line is all about the intimacy of eating food. Most eating utensils are about leverage, elegance, and efficiency. The Intimate Utensils’ unique shape brings food much close to the hand, thus closer to the mouth. It’s a modern take on how primitive people ate long long ago. I still prefer chopsticks.

Designer: Kristrun Hjartar

Interesting things happen when architects are hand-cuffed guided by local restrictions and client’s desires. A custom home design more often than not will look like a watered-down version of an original idea that might have stood for something spectacular if not ultimately designed by committee. This F-117 Stealth Fighter inspired house in Kronberg, Germany, is very much the exception to this rule.

Architect: Meixner Schluter Wendt

One of the biggest issues with USB peripherals is the protruding nature of any design. From a Bluetooth adaptor to the tiniest of Flash Memory Drives, they all stick out like a sore thumb(drive). This issue with these protrusions is not just aesthetics, but function. USB peripherals are constantly being accidentally ripped out, knocked off or jammed into your computer causing not only damage to the external item but the computer’s USB plug itself.

Designer: Damjan Stankovic

Every year, here in the U.S., during the Christmas holiday season, televisions airwaves are filled with commercials for some of the silliest gift ideas ever invented. Year after year we are inundated with ads trying to get you to succumb to the charms of legendary products like the magnetized “miracle-cure” bracelet, 9/11 Commemorative Collectable Coin, US Civil War Chess Sets and the king of all useless items, the Chia Pet.

Designer: Jamie Wieck

Designer Kyle Cherry has envisaged a new type of computer with creatives in mind. Called simply “Canvas”, the computer is designed to increase the quality and productivity of the designer or artist. It is intended to allow a user with little or no experience to make the switch from traditional to digital workflows by building the system around a more familiar interface. This concept should even make Wacom Clinq owners jealous.

Designer: Kyle Cherry