Biomega Bikes

Biomega unleashed their bicycles on the world around 2004 and have been tearing up the bike world with high design. Their cruiser is available at DWR for about $1200 and their commuter through Puma. These bikes are hyped as the 21st century bike for good reason. They replaced chain with drive shaft. They use new materials like plastic-aluminum combos. And they use crazy wheels.

Artist of the Month

Though AOTM is normally a section dedicated to recognizing new artists, I want to use this time to recognize an under-appreaciated man.

Carlo Mollino was a true renaissance designer. He did furniture, buildings, cars, and photographs. He lived a life of an intellect, a playboy, an adventurer, and an Italian.

You can see his work here.

Alternative Uses in Design and Reality

Jane Fulton Suri of IDEO and Richard Wentworth have eyes for catching interesting uses of the world around us. Just take a look at their pictures and feel inspired to notice the many "band aid" solutions that can be applied in our lives. Jane also has a book coming out on the subject, and her website and Flickr site are becoming a forums for these band aids.

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard would ask: how can we take one tool and put it to many uses? Though there will always be a limited-use luxury market, it's is increasingly important for the masses to design for multiple purposes.

Architecture for Humanity

The organization promotes architectural and design solutions to global, social, and humanitarian crises. They celebrate the power of good design. They recently asked the world to design a new logo for them. Humbling experience or cheap labor, I'm not sure. But it worked. Some info on the ongoing logo competition recently.

Artist of the Month

I feel so much cooler for knowing about this.

Of course I am not any cooler. I actually am more of a lame-o hype builder for bringing this up, but I love my silver ring from French streetartist and metalsmith Hoon.

The double-knuckle ring is so in right now ... says me. In the US, you can find his jewels at Reed Space on Orchard or Atmos in Harlem.

Design for Sale

Some of my favorites sites for useless, innovative, and/or pretty:

Compact Impact - Gadgets

GreenerGrassDesign.com

A list from Core77.com

menu.as

Dune Furniture

Desiron

Designer of the Month

Pam West and Matt Edmonds do some fun stuff with industrial/interior design.

http://www.frankhome.co.uk/

designer of the month

"Please God, save me from your followers." - Derek Hess

http://www.strhessclothing.com/

I have his calendar on my wall and it definitely attracts some noise in the office. Really dark, interesting illustrations.