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

Oobject has compiled a top 10 list of folding bicycles, complete with odd, ugly and functional designs for your viewing pleasure. In some of these concept designs, the designer has forgotten to consider the ”form follows function” theory. Creating a folding bicycle is no small feat, so there is not much room for criticism. I will say, however; I personally would prefer not to look like a bear on a bicycle when riding; the size of the wheel seems to be of great importance for ease of pedaling, and the suitcase-style contraptions seem very 1960’s. It was amusing to peruse this roster of fantasy bicycles, though.

This sketchbook offers a compromise for all of the blight-ridden commercial building owners and street vandals who claim to have no other place for displaying artwork. Full-page spreads of New York City’s grimy cityscapes, abandoned vehicles and vacant storefronts make this sketchbook a means for cathartic artistic behavior without having to incur property damage or create an everlasting eyesore for commuters and city residents.

There are few things as rewarding as building something yourself and then using it. Well, maybe cooking something great and then eating it. Anyway, this snap-together camera is a nice way for young children or curious adults to see how a camera goes together. Just like the G.I. Joe vehicles and model cars I would get as a youngster, users assemble the pieces of this camera, then it’s ready for point and shoot. What a great way to invigorate your comprehension of how simple mechanics work!  I would recommend sharing this do-it-yourself with any curious minded person.

John Caswell Design offers a few not-so-conventional designs, including a chair named “zippy.” Assembled unlike any other chair, zippy is held together with zip ties. Other designs include two-legged chairs, a mirror comb set, and rubber infused wood table named “grippy.” Be sure to take a look; seeing this designer’s imagination in motion will definitely stir your imagination!

There is a lot of hype about the sleek new design of the iPod Shuffle. People are eating up the re-design, paying much respect to the size with little regard to the true benefits that have been incorporated with the new speaking feature.

The iPod Shuffle is being drooled over for all of the wrong reasons. The ADA-friendly music device has bridged the gap between the visually impaired and the audio aficionado. Never mind how the speaking feature can be used for the blind, say design blog authors, look how small it is!

Bloggers and gadget geeks are abuzz because the Shuffle tells you what you’re listening to in a cool robot voice. But, have you heard that if you use a PC to load music, you get the lesser of cool robot voices (think Marge Simpson’s sisters) telling you what track and artist you are listening to? No, but you have heard many times over about how it is the size of a house key.

There is no doubt that a bunch of people are going to race out and buy this device blindly, paying no mind to the new features other than they are new, it’s Apple. There are people who will have to have this, using it as nothing more than an accessory or as a status symbol for coolness.

This design’s best achievement, making music more accessible to the blind or visually impaired, is what should be hyped by the press. The fact that the display-less mp3 player can be controlled using a toggle on the wire of the ear buds is where it’s at.

News for all of you Apple-loving design bloggers: the smaller a gadget gets does not gauge how cool it is. Look a little deeper, think a little harder. A lot of what is designed goes further than just size.