Before leaving London, a friend who studied in Cologne recommended a visit to cafe bar institution - Hallmackenreuther.

The bar is rumoured to be furnished with the original furniture from Cologne Airport, so we expected to see lots of '50s and '60s classics of German design but...it wasn't so. For the duration of the festival, the vintage furniture has been replaced with the experimental 'Workshop' series by Jerszy Seymour -- a curious collection of coat stands, armchairs, bar stools and table, with structures built from common wooden batons joined together with an unusually hard-curing wax. Although they look fragile, the pieces are standing up well to the heavy parties the bar is famous for and will remain a functional part of the interior until the end of the festival on Monday.

We're in awe of the chilling beauty of the "WWII Bunkers" photo series by English photography Jonathan Andrew, currently doing the rounds on photography blogs.

Jonathan's treatment of these stunningly functionalist concrete structures—that appear as is from another world—are a poignant reminder of the scars left by war.

Check out Mr. Andrew's site for more photo wizardry

This is the final entry of a series of Q+As contributor Tamara Warren conducted with designers from the NAIAS 2011 show.

Adrian Van Hooydonk is head of BMW Design Group. He was responsible for the new 6-Series Cabriolet, the 1-Series M Coupe and the MINI Paceman concept on display at the North American International Auto Show. Hooydonk speaks to the future of design, which he says will include lightweight materials, sustainable materials and well-designed user interfaces.

C77: Is it more difficult to work with lighter-weight materials?
Adrian Van Hooydonk: Actually, no we find new materials very inspiring. Carbon fiber is a material that allows you to do any shape you would like. If you look at racing cars, they have very complex shapes, so it's possible with carbon fiber. In that sense, there was no restraint. The only thing with carbon fiber is that it's lighter than steel. To get the same stiffness you need a cross section that is bigger than on a steel beam. It's more an engineering problem than a design problem. For us in design, it was not that difficult.

It opened up new possibilities then?
Yes, it did. But we're used to working with different materials. For example on the 6-series if you look at the exterior we were working with aluminum, steel, and plastic all in the same body shape. When you work with three different materials in one car that is more of a challenge for a designer. Because each of these materials has different properties and allows you to create different types of shapes or different types of radii, as a designer you have to think a little bit harder about how to make sure this becomes something that looks like one car even though we use these different materials. We're using these different materials to make sure that the weight distribution of the car is right. In the interior we use many different types of materials all the time. In fact, we're constantly looking for new materials. BMW is one of the first and the only cars that use bamboo in a car interior as a new type of wood. It is actually very sustainable, because it grows very quickly.

You mention mobile technology, are you looking for people who have that kind of background for the design studio?
We draw people out of other businesses for sure. Almost every product in the future will have a user interface, a screen that allows you to interact with the product. We can draw from people from other industries, and we are. But we also always have to be aware that our car is a mobile environment. There is the aspect of driver distraction that we want to be aware of so our challenge is greater than a designer for a mobile phone.

Another trend is that luxury is in the detail. We operate in a segment that is highly competitive and our customers are well informed about what makes the product good or luxurious, both in the exterior and interior. Our current designs are thought of in much greater detail. If you look at a headlamp now, compared to 20 years ago, it's a different world. Today a headlamp consists of 60 pieces. The same is true for interiors. Every little detail is designed to a much higher level than it used to be. It gives us a bit more work to do, but in the end it becomes a far more pleasing.

[Ed: For more on BMW design culture, check out this video interview with Chris Bangle, former BMW Chief of Design!]

Tamara Warren, a Motor City native, is co-founder/editor of the car and culture blog Gotryke.com. Her articles have appeared in over 80 publications covering culture, music, the arts, automobiles and design. She has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Delta Sky, Nylon, Vibe, Automobile and Forbes Autos. Check out her work and Gotryke.com and her clips on Tamarawarren.com.

Having been on show at imm Cologne over the last week, the web has been all aflutter with talk of the red dot award-winning Rima desk lamp by Dreipuls. Just incase you've missed out on this ridiculously clever contraption, we thought it well worth another write up.

The strip lamp is in fact a series of 65 LEDs controlled by—what can perhaps best be described as—a curtain rail ring system; the rings being detected by optical sensors as they are slid along the rail. Most impressively the user has the option of one or two light sources depending on the situation. There's also definitely a touch of futuristic wonder and delight in extruding light between your fingers.

(Via Unplggd/Mocoloco)

Matthew Carter's Walker

MoMA has acquired 23 digital fonts for their Architecture and Design collection, a recognition of the ongoing power of typography and design in contemporary culture. This acquisition represents a new "branch in [MoMA's] collection tree." Aside from Max Miedinger's 36-point Helvetica Bold (designed in 1956), there previously were no typefaces in MoMA's collection. The department plans to begin with this digital font collection and work backwards to document the past century. The fonts will be on view starting March 2 in MoMA's Architecture and Design galleries, as part of a collection show entitled Standard Deviations; Prototypes, Archetypes, and Families in Contemporary Design.

From MoMA:

Type design follows the history of object and building design throughout the centuries; it similarly reflects social developments, advances in materials and means of production, cultural biases, and technological progress. Just like the design of artifacts and buildings, in the past two centuries type design has grappled with the industrial revolution first, and the digital revolution later. Just like architecture and object design, type design has had Modernist and postmodernist phases; like other designers, type designers have felt the need to find new inspiration in traditional examples, in the vernacular, and in popular culture. Type is a design universe unto itself, an essential dimension in the history of modern art and design. Typefaces--the building blocks of information printed or displayed onscreen--are design in and of themselves, even before they are used.

Schwab/Panther SP7 Tables

The [D3] Contest is a selection of outstanding work by recent graduates around the world. The show was a refreshing collection of strong individual projects exploring material and process, and mostly self-produced. The work has a exciting sense of energy -- full of new directions, questioning of standard procedures and personal agendas in design.

Students of automotive design and fashion at the European Institute of Design in Barcelona have joined forces to explore the futures of urban mobility, in collaboration with Iniciativa BMW. "Suits That Transport"—translated a little cagily from the Spanish "El traje que te transporta"— is the name given to an exhibition of the students final outcomes currently on public display on the Rambla Catalunya in central Barcelona.

The concepts on offer are imaginative to say the least. "Comme des Voitures" (above) supposes a mobile urbanite zipping through the city streets on boots soled with large ball-bearings whilst being bombarded with ambient and real time information on the intelligent visor. Similarly "City-Sking" offers up the idea of skis made for urban terrain—and a funky space-suit to match. Yet more blue-sky is the mysterious "Flying suit" (below)—what this inflatable-looking garment is intended to do we can only imagine. Oh and you heard it here first—black and white will be the new florescent hi-vis.

Smart-arse jibes aside—and credit where credit is due—we've got to give it to the participants for some highly creative concepts and some modelling of the highest order. Its great to see, as always, some imaginative energy being invested in alternative mobility solutions—even if they can verge on the Jetsonian on occasion.

(Via Trecool/Barcelona Daily Photo/Monkee)

As about 300 Compostmodern participants sat in the Green Room in San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, Joe Khirallah, CEO of Green Bear Group and our moderator for the day, led us in an exercise to extract 50 different topics that would be discussed in breakout sessions throughout the Unconference session. The assumption being that if "you gather a group of passionate people who have a shared interested, the conversation is destined to be fruitful."

Discussion topics ran the spectrum of sustainability and design, from big picture ideas to those seeking answers to project specific questions. How can we harness creativity collectively for solutions? How do we make sustainability desirable for the mainstream? How can we use design thinking to reconstruct curriculum in our K-12 schools? How can we radically rethink the way companies are structured to foster environments for greater creativity and productivity? How do we put design tools in the hands of communities so that they can design their own solutions? What will be the physical manifestation of our memories if everything is digital? How do you change the mindset that new is always better than used?

Before breakout sessions were formed, we were reminded of 5 key tenants of the unconference: the people who come are the best people who could have come, whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened it starts when it starts, it's over when it's over and the Law of Two Feet (if you aren't learning or contributing, it's your responsibility to find a better session for you). Once topics were displayed on the "marketplace," we were tasked with finding those in which we were interested.

As a newcomer to the unconference format, I found it incredibly exciting that we would be able to harness all of the inspiration from the previous day and take that to approach real, substantive questions.

As a student in California College of the Arts MBA in Design Strategy program, I was eager to sit in groups with equally motivated designers to come up with solutions. It was there that I saw how important it is to ask the right question in the first place. I was more compelled by conversations that encouraged us to look at the larger system and underlying motivations behind people's behaviors and then asked what sort of mechanisms we could put into place to change habits. Less successful groups ignored systems thinking because it seemed to be too daunting of a task.

I was reminded of a quote from Albert Einstein which essentially states that we cannot solve the significant problems that we face using the same thinking that created them in the first place. As designers, we are being given the opportunity to redesign the world in which we live, but it will not happen unless we ask the big questions. For instance, rather than simply finding ways to reduce packaging, we should look at recreating the system that requires an excess of packaging. Dan Phillips of the Phoenix Commotion challenged us to examine why we all assume that new is better than old and to create systems that encourage reuse rather than consumption. This thinking is what will change the world.

It is time that we all start acting like 4 year olds again by asking "But why?" ad naseum to our social and environmental paradigms. Instead of lauding design solutions that create a more efficient office chair, ask "but why do we need an office chair?" I am not implying that small steps aren't important because obviously small steps in the right direction are better than no steps at all. However, let's ensure that these small victories are not simply quick fixes, but rather are laying the groundwork toward a collective shift in thinking.

If you are interested in learning more about the solutions proposed in each of the breakout sessions, notes will soon be added to the Compostmodern Unconference Wiki.

Jessica Watson is completing her second semester of the innovative MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts' where she is focusing on sustainability and social entrepreneurship. This is her first Compostmodern conference, but she is sure it will not be her last.

Design Engineer
Humanscale
New York, NY

Humanscale Design Studio is the creative force that drives Humanscale, the leading manufacturer of ergonomic products for the workplace. Our passion is designing products that combine uncompromising function and honest aesthetics with ultimate ease-of-use. We seek an exceptional individual to join the team as Design Engineer. He or she must have an outstanding understanding of manufacturing and production, based on an excellent proficiency in SolidWorks. Working together with our designers and vendors, the design engineer will propose manufacturing techniques, suggest production materials, and produce production documents for pricing and production. Candidates must possess a strong willingness to learn in a fast-paced production environment. While it in not necessary to have a high level of experience in the field, the successful applicant will have an intuitive understanding of mechanical part design, be well-organized, and have an outstanding work ethic.

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The best design jobs and portfolios hang out at Coroflot.

The enormous fair at the imm has thousands of exhibitors arranged in elevn halls -- there's a lot to take in. Some people spend FIVE days just going around the stands. Most of it is geared to the contract furnishings world with a strong focus on large-scale commercial products, but the upper section, Hall 3's Pure Village, is dedicated to new and young design along with a look to the future trends in interiors. That's were I spent most of the day.

Particularly interesting were exhibitors who took a step away from the usual trade fair formula of ultra-branded stands and approached the fair as a forum to discuss the future directions of design, an opportunity to exhibit with friends (Mathias Hahn, Uli Budde and Mark Braun), or even a platform to discuss the journey from concept to viable commercial product (Furnism).

From a cognitive development standpoint, you could argue that the strength of Lego is also its only drawback: The parts are standardized. Which is to say, a child never has to think about the connections or the materials, as they're both fixed. They are free to create--as long as they remain within the boundaries of what the building blocks are capable of.

Enter Makedo, which is something like Lego for the real world. It's a system of connectors that lets the child join a variety of material together, paper cups, cardboard, empty boxes, and whatever else you've got laying around. A series of simple (and safely blunted) tools enable the child to perform primitive construction operations and modify materials to accept the connectors, truly reinforcing the notion that you can shape the world around you with a little imagination and elbow grease.

How to makedo - extended from MAKEDO on Vimeo.

via treehugger

There's something about using aquariums as a design element that people find aesthetically pleasing; trapping fish behind glass makes people think "luxury." I realized this as I looked at a design proposal for a Chicago restaurant called "Barrier Reef, a new wave in dining," which features 280 feet of aquariums and a three-story shark tower.

I want to see steakhouse- and fried-chicken-joint-variants, where you dine amidst cows ambling up Guggenheim-like ramps and chickens wriggling through Habitrails.

With the humble incandescent bulb being phased out across Europe—in favour of the energy-saving variety, of course—we've noticed a growing trend of designers passing comment on their new light sources and paying homage to a now outdated friend.

The latest example comes from Vienna-based designer Maciej Chmara whose "Sympathy for the Bulb" cleverly shapes the light from an energy saving bulb into a more rounded glow—a nostalgic reminder of the good old days. Nice packaging idea to boot.

(Via DesignEast)

One of the funniest things I ever saw during my corporate design years was the tech support guy who was trying to get fired. He never confided to me that he was trying to get fired, but no other motivation could explain his behavior. One day I called him in to complain about a faulty monitor. "Let the doctor take care of it," he said, grabbing the power cord. He then suddenly, savagely yanked it out of the wall so hard it was like he was trying to start a lawn mower. (And yes, he bent the prongs.)

The tech support guy had a good grip on the cord, if not job security; but for those with arthritis, removing a power cord from a wall socket can be an ordeal. Addressing this latter fact, UK design student Glen Crombie has designed a power outlet with a sort of eject button. Press it and the plug is forced out, easy peasy.

Crombie's outlet design took first prize in a design competition sponsored by product manufacturer The Future Perfect Company and the UK's College of Richard Collyer. (No word yet on whether it will see actual production.)

"Wooden Carpet" by Elisa Strozyk -- a reinterpretation of a floor covering that can change between 2 and 3 dimensions

The "Klara" chair by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso -- with its never-ending combinations of textures, colours and beautiful construction, in wicker, teal and red. This chair is my absolute favourite object of the whole fair.

Watches are essentially the only wearable technology adopted by the masses. You could argue that plenty of athletes wear iPods, but a watch is something worn by high schoolers and geriatrics alike.

So it makes sense to build more functionality into watches. The HD3 SLYDE timepiece, designed by Jorge Hysek, is a little too much watch for me, but I like the direction it points towards, with swipe-able screens (think Apple's Spaces) so you don't need to cram too much information on one screen, or fiddle with tiny buttons to access others. Globetrotting businesspeople would surely appreciate swipeable time zones, and I'd love to be able to quickly switch screens to check the weather or upcoming appointments, presuming the company could work out a hassle-free sync.

The video's a bit cheesy, but should give you the idea:

Given the speed technological advance moves at, I'll never understand why people invest in luxury versions of things that will quickly be osbolete, like gold-plated iPhones and such. But that never seems to stop companies from releasing such products.

The latest case in point is the Galet USB key, the result of a collaboration between Parisian luxury brand Christofle and LaCie. Yes it's pretty, yes it's silver-plated, but will 4GB cut it in several years' time?

Oh yes! You read correctly. A magnifying glass with zoom. Pack your bags, the revolution starts here!

In all seriousness, German manufacturer Eschenbach has proclaimed itself a pioneer in the cut-throat world of optical amplification with a product that professes to be a "world's first." Resembling an objective lens in both form and function, the Eschenbach magnifier uses two lenses to maintain crispness of image with up to 3.4x zoom.

Registration is now open for The Economist's annual The Big Rethink conference. This year's theme, Competing on Ideas, explores why ideas are an invaluable commodity. The discussion will center on "global challenges and changes that make embracing the power of thinking one of the most important qualities that leaders need to have now." Presenting speakers at the conference include global business leaders like Zein Abdalla (CEO PepsiCo Europe), Andy Fennell (CMO Diageo) and Kerstin Mogull (COO BBC Future Media & Technology); and creative entrepreneurs like Arthur Potts Dawson (Founder The People's Supermarket), Faisel Rahman (Founder Fair Finance) and Seth Priebatsch (SCVNGR).

Check out our coverage from last year's conference, Redesigning Business.

The Big Rethink conference takes place on March 3rd at Kings Place, London. Register here!

Coco Urhausen Martinez was born into a Mexican-American family in the Pacific Northwest. She resided in-and-out of Mexico throughout her childhood and adult life before moving to New York in 2005 where she began her close working relationship with Heatherette.

Her studies at PSU (BA), the Fashion Institute of Technology and Tech De Montteray in Guadelejara, Mexico alongside experiences as a florist, back-up dancer, costume designer, production assistant and seamstress are prevalent in her craft. Much of her esthetic draws from eclectic classical costume jewelry, specifically from her ancestors' long career in the Mexican Circus. Her grandmother, Auflelia Cardenas, who's crippling tightrope accident ended her career as a circus performer, designed and created costumes for the Mexican Circus thus passing on her craft to her grand daughter, Coco. Inspired by her family's heritage of versatile Mexican Circus performers including equestrians, acrobats, jugglers, and tightrope walkers, Coco skillfully combines and expresses their essence of adventure and discipline with her vast appreciation and knowledge of modern designs and fashion. As a result, she successfully merges costume jewelry esthetics with classical and modern eras by using contemporary mediums and techniques.

Coco designs and handcrafts all of her pieces. A mold for is produced for each of her designs. The molds and castings are made from silicone rubbers and urethane plastics, giving her flexible, careful control of each piece. Original designs are made from wood and wax carvings, or by the manipulation of previously assembled pieces. The earrings are hung from sterling silver or gold-plated posts. Select designs are adorned with plastic or brass chains. Finally, each piece is given a title referencing its inspiration.

Recently Coco has collaborated with Patty Wilson on custom pieces for photo shoots and with Ryan Watkins-Hughes for Heist Gallery in NY. On her own she has been doing specialty pieces for Screaming Mimi's in New York City and Mini Market in Brooklyn. She created both jewelry and hand bag pieces for Adam Arnold's fall runway show as well as many of the shows at New York Fashion Week.

Coco's presentation will showcase her work and demonstrations of her creative process including details about materials, techniques and safety advice. She will also highlight resources for materials and information.

Come on by Tonight!
Tuesday January 25th
6:00 PM
Coco Urhausen Martinez: Coco Cardenas

Core77's Hand-Eye Supply
23 NW 4th Avenue
Portland, Oregon

and right here via web stream at 6pm Pacific.