Dedicated to inspiring designers, inventors & the creative spirit in all of us.

The New York Times has just submitted its Year In Ideas 2008 collection for your approval. This alphabetical hit-list of great ideas was compiled for viewers to look back into a year of substantial ideas that have left their mark in many genres. Included are a few winners of the design world. TED viewers may recognize Josh Klein’s vending machine for crows design. Or maybe you saw Timesculpture earlier this year, an interesting display of video editing that was used for a Toshiba advertising campaign. Take the time to peruse this Year in Ideas and look at the innovative ways these creative people have gambled on a once seemingly odd idea. It can be an inspiration to all of us.

 Imagine taking the time to sort through all of your belongings in your home — minimizing what you want to keep, discarding useless items deemed unnecessary and streamlining how your home helps you function as a person. Before you delve into that great task, you may want to read this book. This guide can help you assess what it is that you surround yourself with, store but rarely use, or have never thought to include in your roster of ‘things.’ It includes the novel idea of using lighting as a way to wake your mind and body each morning, rather than a harsh audio stimulus that can get your day off to a bad start.

This food grade silicon cake mold is not only cool, but it is non-stick, oven safe to 570 degrees, as well as microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. The cake reminds me of the Jefferson Memorial – just a little smaller, more chocolately and not so old. Yummy!

For those of us who love to soak up a fact or two, Design Within Reach offers this catalog of designers to sort through and absorb a variety of personal and professional biographies. This takes me back to design school when I was given a laundry list of designers to read about who have made a difference in the design world.

No matter how you show your holiday spirit, make sure it is unique to you. How clever is this pencil shaving Christmas Tree? I would love to know where I could see this donut Christmas Tree display in person! Stacks of books are used to create a unique tree display in the library at Aalborg University. And my personal favorite (the designer in me) the Corner Christmas Tree, whose form follows function design couldn’t have been any more perfect if nature had designed it.

Being one of those people who filters home drinking water, the Britafrigerator is the ideal product design. Not only is this design functional, but it has a clean, slimline design with the aesthetic of the counter-top version of the Brita water pitcher. Equipped with a frost-free freezer compartment, child lock feature, and a powerful fan for circulating air to maintain an even temperature, this design is reminiscent of the state-of-the-art features of Loewy’s 1935 Coldspot refrigerator.

No designer’s Christmas stocking (or book shelf) is complete without this collection of titles. This box set includes an idea index, color index and layout index for reference to any design challenge. With over 1,900 illustrations, you don’t even need to know how to read to enjoy it!

Target has found an innovative way, time and time again, to keep customers coming back and giving them money. In many companies, the creation of gift cards is dominated by the legal and accounting department, resulting in ho-hum designs that are laden with restrictions on use. But Target has had great success using its marketing department to create imaginative designs and by sticking with two simple rules: make it cool and keep it void of expiration dates. So, whether it’s a sing-along light up show, a digital camcorder or a blow-up balloon, Target has consumers buying a great design.

I can never resist the temptation of a cleverly designed umbrella. Whoever invented this wine bottle umbrella design did a good job concealing the contents. This would make a great gift for that wine connoisseur who lives under a constant cloud.

1. What was your first impressionable moment that involved design? Customizing my Hot Wheels when I was little – wheels, paint job, detailing. That and being exposed to paint shops early on, bondo-ing and painting Corvette parts with my Dad.

2. Who/what makes you smile or relax at the end of a full day? After a long day of work and then going home to a second job of fatherhood, it’s nice to kick back and relax with my dog Spike and veg’ on the couch.

3. Name one person that influenced how you see things with a “designer’s eye”. Rajib Adikiri, my instructor from college. Positive, positive, positive. Never a negative thing to come out of his mouth. That is a great thing to be learned.

4. Name a needless product that you believe should be removed from every store shelf. Chia Pet. There has never been a more useless product. Bad jingle, bad commercials, bad idea. It is just plain tacky.

5. Reveal your sources of influence that you cannot design without. The Internet is my major influence. Between that, television and movies, my mind digests so much information.

6. How often do you spend time drawing in a personal sketchbook, free of client-oriented work and perpetual deadlines? Rarely, unfortunately. I wish it wasn’t that way, but I do not find the time to maintain a sketchbook.

7. The perfect client… Knows what he is talking about. Not full of &@#%, well prepared, and has thought things out. It’s easy when it’s grab and go.

8. If form follows function, then… Then function is the number 1 priority.

9. What should the ideal designer do every single day, with the intention of becoming a better designer through habit? Take the time to stop, recognize and respect one well-designed product they use. What you would normally take for granted can be seen in a whole new light by doing this. I have actually turned off my TV, and thought to myself, ‘yeah, this is awesome!’ Just take the time to appreciate what has been well designed around you.