Our friends from Bookman, the Swedish bicycle accessory brand Bookman and German Notabag are bringing you the Notabag Reflective Bag & Backpack this Fall. The product is a clever combination of a bag and a backpack made from high visibility reflective material. With a pull of the straps it quickly transforms from a bag to a backpack and is ideal for cyclists since its design lets you use both hands for riding. The Reflective Bag & Backpack makes the cyclist really stand out on the street at night, and it also works great for pedestrians and skaters.
“Dieter Rams’ Ten Principles of Good Design were my mantra during the process of developing Notabag. I’m somewhat obsessed with simplicity and functionality, and wanted to apply that approach to every aspect of Notabag.” Adnan Alicusic, founder of Notabag.
“When Adnan approached us with his enthusiastic personality and showed us the Notabag, I knew right away that I wanted to do something together with him. The Notabag was already near perfect but making it reflective adds a useful function for cyclists. Not only does it enhance safety, but it also gives the bag a sharp look both in daylight and when lit up by beams of headlights.” Mattis Bernstone, Creative Director of Bookman.
The Notabag Reflective Bag & Backpack is available from [ bookman ] [ notabag ] and selected retailers worldwide from October 2015. RRP: €30/$35.
There’s no shortage of great looking, new bikes being designed all the time now, and as more and more urban planners around the world design their cities with bikes in mind – and bike riding moves steadily from the realm of the leisurely weekend jaunt to actual transportation – you can expect designers are only going to crank out more lustable bikes and accessories. With that in mind, here’s the latest crop of two-wheeled wonders and other bike-related news.
Cannondale/Junk Food Clothing Collaboration: Don’t let the name Junk Food fool you. The LA-based clothing company teamed up with Cannondale to make some seriously luxe leather accessories, including a saddle, a convertible messenger bag (it snaps onto the frame and can be taken off and carried as a bag) and an itty-bitty saddle bag designed to carry a rolled up t-shirt so you can change your sweaty tee post ride and arrive fresh. (You can also enter to win a sweet Cannondale Bad Boy.)
Oregon Manigest Bicycle Design Challenge: You’ve probably seen pictures of the striking, orange and white, surfboard-carrying bike designed by Yves Behar’s Fuseproject in collaboration with Sycip, but that’s actually one of three collaborations designed outside of the competition, presumably to give it some some star power without imposing their celeb status on the decidedly less famous participants. I don’t plan on biking to the beach for a surf sesh any time soon, but I would love another alternative to my awkwardly front-heavy wire basket. The contest ended a few weeks ago; Check out some of the entries.
“Modus,” a Quirky bike: Though Quirky is better known for designing better corkscrew, dog leashes and other home goods, the NY-based community-sourced design powerhouse recently teamed up with Sony Pictures Entertainment on the Moneyball project, a 24-hour design challenge to reinvent the bike. They came up with an open frame structure that houses a clip-in, multi-purpose accessory that is a bike lock, boombox, battery and briefcase, all in one. And yeah, battery means it’s a hybrid, so it’s even more functional as a commuter bike.
“Hal” skateboard light: Do you know how many nights I bike home and almost collide with a skateboarder gliding through the bike lane dressed all in black? Okay, maybe almost collide is a but of an exaggeration, but seriously skateboarders: you guys (and gals) are hard to see at night! Go put one of these new Hal (Clever 2001: A Space Oddyssey reference, anyone?) safety lights under your board so I don’t mow you down on my PM commute.
about perrin drumm
laurie rosenwald (designer) reveals how not working is better than working, and how to sell it [click photos to enlarge]
Author of this post (designer) cuts and pastes this and that, drafts a definition of design: (noun) refers to 1. a plan or convention, for the construction of an object or a system, manifested by an agent(s), intended to accomplish goals, in a particular environment, using a set of primitive components-or not, satisfying a set of requirements, subject to constraints; 2. no generally-accepted definition of “design” exists, and the term has different connotations in different fields.
With that definition in hand contemplate the purpose of the Cusp Conference—the design of everything. Greg Samata, Dave Mason, Kevin Kreuger (designers) of Smbolic (formerly SamataMason) and Joan Julian (glue) in four years have created a tightly run, cutting-edge, sometimes quirky, always inspiring, sold out, two-day creativity summit/boot camp.
matt diffee (cartoonist) always is asked where he gets ideas…he thinks of them. he points out the design of the images – and words if there are any.
sarah elizabeth impel is (founder/ceo/educator) of a chicago public elementary school connecting organic gardening, children, and education. one of many speakers making lemonade out of lemons.
van phillips (inventor) athlete and amputee is motivated to create flex-foot cheetah (oscar pistorius) shares refinements such as a limb designed for water skiing
yves behar (planet-hot designer) points out how to subtract materials from herman miller’s ergonomic & sustainable sayl chair. this award winner inspired by suspension bridges
Happy I attended again, sad I did not win the give-a-ways, again, like quite a few Herman Miller Sayl Chairs or Scott Wilson’s TikTok or LunaTik iPod Nano wrist docks among other things. A conference that displays design in many shapes, colors, and sounds. Follow DesignApplause and others via #Cusp @CuspConference | facebook.com/CuspConference | quote: the creative adult is the child that has survived @RitaJKing [ cusp ] [ herman miller ] [ lunatik ] [ designchat ]
Stylish, luminous and pocket-sized. A slim, detachable bike light from Bookman, a Stockholm based company that makes accessories for bikes and people on bikes.
The first collection of colors includes: Lemon Yellow, Goblin Green, Heavenly Blue and Pitch Black.
package content:
1 front light (white LED) and 1 tail light (red LED).
3 modes: Slow flashing, fast flashing and steady light.
Batteries: 2 x CR2032 in each light body.
producer: bookman
They may be neon orange, made of thick, durable plastic and protected by Federal law, but if they’re in your way chances are you’ll run them over.
After all, they’re only traffic cones. But what if it was more than just a cone? What if those bright orange safety indicators were shaped like helpless animals? Would you have the heart to run over a mama goose and a trail of her little ducklings? The answer, in most cases, is no.
This ingenious solution to the traffic cone dilemma is what designer Michael Savona calls the “family dynamic,” a brilliant redesign that goes beyond structural solutions and cuts to the heart of the matter. Savona, who’s currently finishing his Masters in Design of Designed Objects at the Art Institute in Chicago is still sifting through the Department of Transportation’s regulations he needs to meet in order to produce the Goose Cones, but in the meantime you can buy a palm-sized replica that stacks just like the real thing.
Designer: michael savona
about perrin drumm
Kiran Bir Sethi is a designer, teacher, principal, advocate, and social entrepreneur. She comfortably uses the language of design — iteration, prototype, design specs — to develop not only curriculum innovation, but also community-based social programs. Now her “Design for Change Contest,” a recent child-focused initiative that swept India in 2009, is expanding globally posing the question: how could children be active citizens in Ahmedabad a city of 5.2 million inhabitants? full story — changeobserver [RK]
ROHO collection sets new standard for bpa-free hydration bottles. The new line of reusable stainless steel bottles fuses modern art with functional design.
ROHO™ is the latest addition to the historically trusted and reputable line of BPA-free Thermos® products. Influenced by global, political, cultural and environmental issues, the new reusable stainless steel hydration bottles feature a variety of vibrant designs to reflect personal style without compromising safety. Offering safety and convenience advantages over current bottles on the market, the ROHO collection raises the bar of what is expected from a hydration bottle.
“Hydration bottles may have a trendy design on the outside, but many are still made with unsafe materials on the inside where attention to detail matters most,” said Kim Flanagan, ROHO brand manager. “The ROHO collection finally combines everything you’ve been looking for in a hydration bottle.”
Uniting innovative design and safety, the ROHO collection hydration bottles are made from 18/8 stainless steel and polypropylene, which means there is no BPA, no aluminum and no interior coating to be concerned about. The long neck shape of the bottle provides an ergonomic hand grip, while beverage capacity is still a generous 24 oz.
The initial ROHO collection will be available in 18 different designs with a variety of colors and graphics offering new ways to express individual style and personality. Each ROHO stainless steel bottle can be identified from other hydration bottles by the distinct leak-proof red flip-top lid.
The striking lid design also features a one-hand push button and an integrated carrying loop.
“The ROHO brand name was inspired by our signature red lid and our global focus,” said Flanagan. “Rojo means red in Spanish, making the brand fun, approachable and memorable.”
The ROHO collection will be available at Target stores and at Thermos.com.
Price: $14.99-$17.99.
Producer: thermos
Do you feel bit dorky sporting a bicycle helmet?
I do: an aesthetically dis-pleasing, strictly utilitarian experience. Helmets seemed made to be ripped off as soon as possible.
That was before I purchased my new “Nutcase”. A Portland, Oregon company comes up with stylish helmet alternatives to go with your other cool gear. Gigantic daisies super-imposed on black and white stripes gives my helmet a sturdy but slightly whimsical attitude.
Producer: nutcase helmets
