Design Boom is a great site for the best in design news of all types and disciplines, Luckily I am subscribed to their RSS feed. This allows me to receive each of their articles into my Google reader inbox each day. Here I am going to round-up some of my favourite articles from which they have released in the past few weeks.

Lego Big Mac

Ever Wanted your chips made of bricks?

Istvan Kulinyi: Mobil Pixel Lamp

This is one sexy lamp, made by Hungarian designer Kulinyi.

Lava: Tower Skin

International architectural firm LAVA has developed a simple, cost effective, easily constructed skin that promises to transforms aged 1960′s buildings in Sydney, into sustainable, iconic buildings.

Augmented Reality T-shirt

The future in augmented reality is amazing to think of!

Solar Powered Lawn Mower

Creative design thinking at its best!

Monopoly Revolution

The classic board game undertakes a new look.

Notion: Air Helmet

A new form of head protection for snow sports.

Airmouse

The concept aims to prevent repetitive stress injuries by dissolving the standard desktop mouse into a floating device worn on the user’s hand.

Julien Renault: Hand Forged Aluminium Stools

Hand craftsmanship at it’s very best.

House Made with 15 Shipping Containers

How can you not be a little interested in this concept?

2010 Vancouver Olympics Medals

Everyone is buzzing over the Olympics, check out the medals the athletes are vying to win.

Olympic Medal Design

The design process by Omer Arbel.

Karim Rashid for XO

You’ve seen him on Objectified now check out his furniture and stools collection.

Toronto Interior Design Show: Prototype

Love some great prototype designs.

Article written by Jared Thompson

Owner and writer of Design Juices, currently studying Product design at the University of Central Lancashire in his final year. He has interest in minimal, clean and simplistic design styles.

Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

The extreme sports user can be categorized in many different ways, three of the main groups of extreme sports users involve: Water Extreme sports persons, Motorbike Extreme sports persons and Outdoor Pursuit sports persons. I wanted to look at the kind of vehicle an extreme sports user would use why they are suited, and for what else they could be adapted for and have design potential for an extreme sports user on the road.

Mini Beachcomber (Concept)

Looking at future vehicles that maybe coming into the market over the next few years, the Mini Beachcomber is a vehicle that has been specifically designed and aimed towards a market of users who are going to use their vehicle when taking their surfboard, wet-suit, down to the beach. The vehicle has been designed with the surfer and water sports user in mind, with a rugged ability for the vehicle to go off road when driving down to the beach, the seat themselves almost look like they are wet-suits themselves. The boot of the car offers large amounts of space for wet-suits, bikes, safety equipment and maybe even a hamper of food, so I see no reason why this couldn’t be used for day trips.

This concept could be explored further to incorporate a similar styled motor home/toy hauler trailer, by adding this trailer you would have the ability for the extreme sports user to be on the road for as long as they wished. The mini beachcomber could be used to pull the trailer between sites and locations whilst at the same time could unhitch the trailer and go
exploring when you arrive at your location.

Nissan Qashqai

Described as ‘A stylish crossover vehicle dynamic driving characteristics of a sporty hatchback with the robust, solid virtues of a compact SUV.’

The Qashqai has been around since 2007, and has now got a revamp in 2010. The Qashqai known for its economic features, with lower exhaust emission levels and improved fuel economy over other cars in its class. This car I would categorise to be aimed towards the outdoors pursuits user, someone who enjoys the outdoor lifestyle of camping and such activities as rock climbing. I would also suggest that motor sports adventurers that partake in motocross and bmx racing would also be attracted to this type of vehicle. The boot space can be extended with flattened back seats, which would allow more equipment to be stored. With the same token I feel this car would welcome the design of a stylised trailer which could be towed by the vehicle as a living space so users could camp overnight/weekend when at an extreme sports location.

Skoda Yeti

Could this be the answer in bringing together the high-riding nature of SUV and the practicality of a hatchback for an extreme sports user?

Much like the Nissan Qashqai it is a four wheel drive which aims to be a hybrid of SUV and hatchback, the Yeti offers the user large amounts of space throughout the whole car either for passenger comfort or more space to stuff in your extreme sports equipment? More space offers more room that if the car was to be used by a surfer/bmx biker, it would mean that the trailer doesn’t need to be as large and concentrate on being a living and sleeping space for when on the road.
The slightly elevated middle part of the bumper flows alongside the lines of the
elevation down both sides of the front of the car and these lines in styling flow right down the sides of the car. The car holds enough round and smoothed off areas for it not to be considered heavily boxed like and restricted, it has its own feel of smooth lines and flowing shape to be attractive (although not as much as the Qashqai.)
The four by four nature of the design would allow the car to adequately pull a small trailer (living space,) for an outdoor pursuits user. The styling and lines could be echoed in the trailers design carrying through from car to trailer, the trailer could be made a great stylistic extension of the car itself.

Ford Kuga

“its intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) system allows you to escape off-road… The bold, contemporary exterior is matched by an interior that’s sophisticated, spacious..”

This crossover vehicle aims to be a vehicle which can cater for the off-road user with the pictures showing the functions of carrying your surfboard, bicycle, as well as dealing with any type of road condition. Whether you choose to have your outdoor pursuits in the snow, the beach or off road in mountains and rocky roads.
The vehicle has very distinct styling and is something I am immediately drawn towards, with great space for loading equipment and takes advantage of the split rear tailgate technology. It looks rugged and at the same time maintains the styling of a sports vehicle which appeals to the younger audience which takes part in outdoor pursuits. I believe that trailers could be part of the Kuga’s design and take advantage of the styling and unique detail the Kuga has transporting it onto a trailers design making it distinctive in their own right as well as not looking out of place when the trailer is towed by the Kuga on the road. The Kuga would be a perfect vehicle for which someone could explore the mountains or surrounding area of a trip away leaving the trailer behind as a base camp to come back to relax to at the end of a long days extreme sports.

And for something which combines car and trailer design..

Mini Cooper: S Clubman

This design caught my eye for its flowing style, looking at the trailer you immediately see the copied stylistic lines and curvature. As well as the colour scheme in outside paintwork as well as the subtle use of the green/yellow used in the mini cooper’s front bumper is then used on the interior of the Clubman and in the inlays of the windows.

Although the height of the Clubman is obviously several feet higher the lines flow from the start of the mini through to the back of the Clubman, the curvature and subtlety of the back end of the mini cooper is also used at the back of the Clubman. The Mini Cooper often a fan to many water sports users (such as surfers) has the ability to carry the board on its roof rack, their is no reason why surfboards (and kite boards, etc) couldn’t be stored away safely inside the Clubman. The retro styling of the Mini Cooper (first released in the 70s) comes through in the Clubman with the interior it has, as well as the pair of Swan chairs.

Did you disagree with any of my selections?

Drop us a comment below.

Article written by Jared Thompson

Head writer of Design Something Blog, currently studying Product design at the University of Central Lancashire in his final year. He has interest in minimal, clean and simplistic design styles.

Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

One of the most common examples of great graphic design is packaging, apart from holding the relevant information for the product itself it becomes a brilliant tool for sales. Illustration often is the main feature in packaging but color and typography are also major factors.

Which design is your favourite?

Did you disagree with any of my selections?

Drop us a comment below.

Article written by Jared Thompson

Head writer of Design Something Blog, currently studying Product design at the University of Central Lancashire in his final year. He has interest in minimal, clean and simplistic design styles.

Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

At just 27 Jared Nickerson is a Freelance illustrator, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia but now settled in Seattle, Washington. Been in the industry for the past six years he now runs his own design studio known as j3 concepts. Not only does he run his own studio, but he does work for European clothing label lafraise. You may also know his works from the vector community Bloodsweatvector. He describes himself to be a specialist in editorial, character, product, video game and textile design, with specialist skills in art direction and management.

Find j3 Concepts over on Twitter

Find j3 Concepts on DeviantART

Find j3 Concept on Behance

These next pictures and illustrations are from “Daddy was a Jewel Thief” which was part of the BloodSweatVector Exhibition which is found at the West Berlin Gallery. The vibrancy and colours found in this work alongside the cuteness and sweet nature of the characters, show a real personality and fun.

These next images i came across through a wallpaper giveaway, all of which sit in my wallpaper folder and often brighten up my desktop.

Download all 20 wallpapers exclusively at BloodSweatVector

The next design is known as ‘Intergalactic Neff!,’ this t-shirt design was designed by jared for Neff! headwear.

These next pieces of illustrations are competition entries for the ‘crawl’ t-shirt for the band kings of leon, which can be found over at design by humans.

Another t-shirt design which is up for purchase on design by humans is this piece, ‘Every suitcase is a bomb.’

Don’t Forget To Leave Your comments below!

Article written by Jared Thompson

Head writer of Design Something Blog, currently studying Product design at the University of Central Lancashire in his final year. He has interest in minimal, clean and simplistic design styles. Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

Check out his Design Portfolio here!

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS Feed for the best in design blog posts every week of the year!

A laptop skin cover is a new wave of thinking in personalisation of your laptop, they can come in all sorts of styles, sizes and colours. Whether you want to brighten up your Macbook or your new shiny Netbook these laptop skins simply peel on like a sticker and give your laptop a new burst of life. They can easily be removed and interchanged, they can also help in preventing your laptop from undertaking such wear and tear.

‘rege indrastudianto’

‘Mapiurka’

‘Firefoxzilla’

‘MacMan’

‘skin for mac’

‘Blokk’

‘Swinging DAIM’

‘Red Metal’

‘H.R Giger’

‘Lady Lion’

‘Union Jack’

‘Fun 2 Funky’

‘Pop Skin’

‘L’

‘Depth styles’

Leave Your comments below!

Article written by Jared Thompson

Head writer of Design Something Blog, currently studying Product design at the University of Central Lancashire in his final year. He has interest in minimal, clean and simplistic design styles.

Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

Check out his Design Portfolio here!

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS Feed for the best in design blog posts every week of the year!

Philippe Starck is a French born Product design and probably is best known to me for two things, claiming that “design is dead,” and for his functionless juicer design. (Something which is a pet hate of mine.)

Philippe Starck has made designs in all kinds of industrial design and product design areas, from interior to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes and chairs. He has been working as an interior and product designer since 1975 and has accrued a vast reputation for several things across the design world, his work his wide ranging and something which can often found to provoke a response. His product designs are often usable household items which Starck himself helps to market for mass production. His awards are too long to list and his work is admired by many allowing him to work with many large multinational firms, so why does he have this success? Does he deserve this attention?

If you haven’t already seen it yet Starck has been the face of a new product design reality television show, the producers must love his wacky personality and style, (because the students themselves are nothing to shout about.) The show is about whittling down 12 students hand-picked by Starck to compete to win a place at his design studio. ‘Design For Life’ is a good show in the sense that it has brought the idea of product design into the public viewpoint and has shown the viewer what product design is. Starck provides for the viewer that eccentricity and exuberance most televisions shows showcase, it’s a shame he picked such mindless idiots who have little imagination and ideas to win a priceless place at his design studio.

The ‘Leggy Chrome Juicer.’

This is one of the single most useless products i have come across, what is it’s purpose? It has zero functionality and is simple a style piece. But it’s a juicer, surely the minimum it should do is it set function. Yet I have heard many designers speak of how much they love this item and confess to owning one at home, why? It is one of the main reasons I have had a black mark against Starck’s name.

Article written by Jared Thompson

Head writer of Design Something Blog, currently studying Product design at the University of Central Lancashire in his final year. He has interest in minimal, clean and simplistic design styles.

Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

Water is no longer just found in a simple plastic bottle, it can come in all shapes and sizes. Bottles of water can be made in small batches or made to last with recyclable materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing methods. Here I show off some ‘designer’ water bottles made by high end designers which have gone into production and some other great ideas of packaging water.

Boxed Water: about 85% of the Boxed Water container is made from a renewable resource, 20% of the profits go back to the resources from which the product is composed of; water and trees.

Plant it Water: Made from 60% renewable resources, with the famous Tetra Pak design.

GO Water: This has an oxygen concentration that is 35 times higher than regular water, and the packaging design is pretty sweet as well.

Ty Water: Designed by well know evolutionary biologist and designer Ross Lovegrove this water bottle was designed in 2001.

Evian 2005 Limited edition: Looks more like a fragrance bottle or something to hold your favourite liqueur.

Paul Smith Evian Water Bottle: The water bottle is adorned in vibrant colors with a festive theme and a nod to Smith’s signature stripes.

Ô Water: The bottle mimics the effect of a test tube based on the idea of a ‘specimen of purity’.

Lanjaron Water: The sleek, clear, groove-less shape of the bottle magnifies the Mulhacén mountain (Sierra Nevada, Spain) arising from its base.

Viz: Claims to be in a category of its own and packs a punch offering a fizz when you open the bottle each time increasing the potency life of the drink.

SEI Water: Inspired by the military canteen we all know this bottle does again look more like an aftershave bottle by a snotty french company, the bottle is based on the principles of portability and utilization of space.

Rustad Spring Water: Designed by Norwegian design agency Strømme Throndsen Design, the bottle and can design show great subtle qualities and would definitely be something consumers would latch onto being a product they would love to be seen with.

1Litre Water: Featuring an integrated cup this design and was awarded the gold medal for “People’s Choice in Packaging and Design at the Berkeley Spring Water Tasting Competition.”

Farraelle: Mineral water presented as clean, simple and minimal.

Veen: The double curvature in the design is seen to promote product purity.

Leave Your comments below!

Article written by Jared Thompson

Follow Jared (@Jthompsondesign) on twitter!

Your taught how to tell the time as a young child, whether it’s through a small wristwatch or a big grandfather clock you had in your living room. These clocks attempt to confuse you further and look at new and interesting ways in which we can tell the time.

Vadim Kibardin: ‘Killer Clock Concept.’

Myznik Egor: ‘Soft Clock Concept.’ (This was selected for a red-dot design award in 2009.)

Yiran Qian: ‘vice versa’