We were always taught that design was about solving problems (never mind that the decision making food chain and more common verbal usage relegate design to “styling”). Sam’s Club, a membership store owned by Wal Mart, made a simple design change that affects their bottom line. By changing the shape of the milk carton, they increased the amount of milk per cubic foot by 50%. This means fewer delivery trips and the elimination of water and labor costs associated with cleaning and transporting milk crates. Consumers found the pouring spout in need of further work but it raises the question – How many other things could be made more efficient/economical/green through design? Top photo by David Maxwell for The New York Times.

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Austin based exotic car company, Ronn Motor Company Inc. has just announced their first eco-friendly performance car, the Scorpion. This elusive design will be turning heads with its curvy, hand built poly carbon fiber body which houses the latest Acura V-Tech, V-6, 3.5 Liter, Type S Engine, code for really darn fast.

The Scorpion will run on a 30 to 40 ratio blend of gas and hydrogen, promising around 40 mpg efficiency while still being able to hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and capable of producing 450 horsepower with the twin-turbo option. Not so different from its electric cousin, the Tesla Roadster, a lithium-ion battery charged wonder that can accelerate from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds.

There are two kinds of Hydrogen Hybrid automobiles, a fuel cell vehicle and Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines or HICE. Fuel cell vehicles are electric cars that when hydrogen is pumped like gas, it feeds into the fuel cell where it is then converted into electricity with no combustion, no moving parts and no emissions other than water vapor. A HICE vehicle a vehicle that will burn a combination of hydrogen and gasoline and release no CO2 emissions, exactly what the Scorpion will be.

In the meantime, make your check out for $50,000 U.S. Dollars, a fully refundable deposit that will hold your place in line (complete price tag of $150,000). The first year production of this baby is limited to 200 automobiles and is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2008.

More photos after the jump.

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“If it is not beautiful, it does not belong on your face,” claims Yves Behar, chief designer of the new Jawbone Bluetooth® headset. This new design is 50% smaller than the original Jawbone and is operated by ‘invisible buttons’ on the touch-sensitive outer surface. The Jawbone is constructed with ultra smooth medical-grade plastic and available in black, gold or silver with optional leather ear loops. It is the only Bluetooth® headset with a Voice Activity Sensor that touches the skin of the wearer, feeling the speech and distinguishes the human voice from background noise, effectively removing ambient noise from the conversation. We’re happy to start seeing ear pieces that look more like an accesory that works with your sunglasses and your watch than one from the set of Star Trek (we’re looking at you Motorola). Get yours here for 129.99, package includes wall charger, USB Cable, 3 earbuds, and 4 earloops.

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A second-generation XO laptop was launched just 2 weeks ago in Boston, Massachusetts. Yves Béhar of fuseproject and the non-profit organization, One Laptop per Child (OLPC) are focusing energy on providing educational tools to help children in developing countries “learn learning”. The primary goal of this new “XO-2″ will be to advance new concepts of learning as well as to further drive down the cost of the laptop so that it affordable for volume purchase by developing nations.

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Dwell always goes big for Dwell on Design, the magazine’s annual festival of aesthetics that’s equal parts conference, product exhibition, and home tour. During the massive four-day event, more than 50 speakers discuss city-planning policies, pre-fab architecture, sustainable living, and everything in between. Full-scale structures landscaped and furnished by Dwell showcase cutting-edge design and construction methods. And, in case the more than 200 exhibitors don’t make you feel at home, numerous residence tours let you examine houses in LA’s Westside and Downtown neighborhoods. Most days are capped off by a cocktail party, where the magazine’s editors mix and mingle with conference speakers and attendees.

via Flavorpill

Since we don’t see a lot of innovation happening in the world of surfboard design we were happy to find this new cardboard-core design developed by Mike Sheldrake. Aside from the innovative construction, we love the honeycomb pattern produced by the crisscrossing lattice work of the laser cut cardboard framework. While surfboard construction hasn’t evolved tremendously over the last half century, product and industrial design certainly have. In recent years, corrugated paper construction has become the medium of choice for its light weight, flexibility and relative strength. While many traditional surfing enthusiasts will probably raise an eyebrow most industrial designers will probably wonder why this hasn’t happened sooner. Read the rest of this entry »

The streets of West Hollywood will be packed over in honor of the 11th Annual Art & Design Walk which kicks off this Saturday, May 31, 2008. The Avenues of Art & Design are located along Melrose Avenue, Robertson and Beverly Boulevards. They are the West Coast’s premier destination of interior design studios, art galleries, showrooms, specialty shops and restaurants. Art Afficianados, Stylephiles, and Home Fashionistas alike will be toasting to the latest trends in design, fashion, art, and beauty during this mile long open house. Admission is free and Urth Café will provide free coffee drinks and tea as well as free Fiji Bottled Water that will be handed out at the six hospitality stations throughout the Avenues. Meters will not be enforced that day, so we are going to try for a front spot to purchase that couch we’ve been eyeing at Armani Casa.

For more info you can check out the official 11th Annual Art & Design brochure, click here to download the pdf.

We knew when we first saw Jeff Han’s demonstration of multi touch screen technology at TED that it was going to change the game. We found these videos of a product designer Scott Hobbs using his new creation, the Attigo to scratch his Mp3’s to pieces.We can wait to see what happens when you can add a third screen with an 808 to go along with these. We know, we know, you’re a DJ purist and don’t ever want to let your vinyl go. But consider, all your electronic sounds come from a computer before they hit the wax, so why not skip the middle man? We’re Just sayin.

Thanks to our friends at Dustbowl for the tip.

Ken Tomita, of Tomita Designs, draws inspiration from traditional Japanese forms and the multi-cultural context of his upbringing when designing his furniture. A majority of his Asian-inspired pieces are custom-made from bamboo plywood and highlighted with a black ink called sumi, a Japanese calligraphy ink. Hard at work in Portland, Oregon, this architect turned furniture designer understands the need and use of more earth friendly materials.

“The potential of bamboo ply as a renewable contemporary building material is only starting to be appreciated” says Tomita. “Bamboo retains the warmth and tradition within the framework of modern design. I think my of my pieces as sculptures. I design each piece specifically for the area in which the client plans to use it, so I always visit the site before I begin.”

We appreciate the use of bamboo as a more sustainable and renewable alternative to wood. With the addition of Tomita’s stylish mix of organic and modernist design sensibilities it just sweetens the eco-friendly deal that much more.

Our Friends at Orange 22 released a new teaser for the Botanist Blank Canvas debuting later this month at ICFF. We did a few more in depth posts here and here about the rock star list of designers contributing to this project, and the refreshingly philanthropic twist that convinced them to get on board. To get it straight from the horses mouth you can check out Orange 22’s site.