Design Matters

One of my favorite topics is the discussion of design classics. Everyone seems to have their own favorites that are always at the top of their mind. These are the kinds of things that you just can’t live without or their classic status provides even more desire to own one. To truly fall into this category it must have also stood the test of time. You can’t design something and declare it a classic: the classic level of status is earned.

One I love is the Zig Zag Corkscrew. Okay, there are entire museums devoted to the art of cork removal, but this one just keeps entertaining me. I’ve tried lever action, metal prongs, air pumps, and plain old brute force screw devices, but the Zig Zag seems to have more.

Designed in the 1930’s in France, it’s a kinematic masterpiece of fun. Everytime I open a bottle of wine guests ask me where they can get one. It doesn’t even seem possible that such a device would work, but it does. Whoever designed the original clearly understood the engineering principles behind linkages and the art of mechanical advantage. Every cork is effortlessly extracted time after time.This classic is a constant reminder that design at it’s best elevates even the most mundane task to a new level of joy.

Check out more at the virtual Corkscrew Museum:

http://www.bullworks.net/virtual.htm

I intend on posting more of my favorites here over time. Stay tuned.

David Hill

In Japan, robots fascinate and interest a lot of people – I personally believe the Japanese truly like Robots. (I asked my wife if she likes robots and she said she doesn’t, but she didn’t realized that Doraemon is a robot.) Unconsciously, we are already living everyday with robots. I think the Japanese affinity for robots can be traced to the generation influenced by Astro Boy in the 1960’s. Astro Boy taught the Japanese that robots must have a human, emotional touch and to be seen as a friend to humans. Astro Boy had this emotion and was born to be a friend to humans.

After that, the Japanese had plenty of robot characters in the works like Doraemon, Mazinger-Z, Brave Raideen, Dr. Slump, Gundam, Ghost in the shell…the list goes on. Even for a culture so interested in robots like the Japanese, for the longest time they were only simple toys, a part of a production line, or science fiction. The world was changed, even more so after the appearance of the Honda Asimo! We realized that a robot could walk on its own two legs! After the announcement, the Japanese strongly believed again that our future must be with robots. The engineer who developed Asimo said that he wanted to make Astro Boy real. Those words rekindle the old-robot-boy’s memory, as we believed there would eventually be a peaceful, technologically advanced future with the robots from our childhood.

Tom Takahashi

Recently I discovered that the Japan design team is very intrigued by robots. This came to light in a design strategy meeting we had in Beijing. In fact I learned that their interest is nearly a national pastime for all of Japan, not just designers. I had no idea this was true, so I started to do a little research on the subject. Here is what I found so far.

Many Japanese companies have manufactured or sold robots; The Sony Aibo dog, the Honda Asimo, and of course who can forget Mechagodzilla. Okay, officially you really can’t count him as a corporate robot, but I love the name and mental image of him stomping buildings flat. I also discovered that in Japan there are already robots that teach aerobics, dance in the Kabuki theatre, and apparantly have conducted orchestras. To me this alone suggests that there is something to this. I just read a fascinating article on CNN about robotics and Japan called: Robot serves tea just the way Japanese like it. If this really works it should be a great success .

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/03/02/robot.tea.ap/index.html

All of this has caused me to start thinking about robots and American culture. There are so many; Star Wars favorites R2-D2 and C-3PO, B-9 from the 1960’s television show Lost in Space primarily known as “Robot”, Gort of The Day the Earth Stood Still fame, and of course the Terminator. My personal favorite is Robby the robot from the 1956 classic science fiction film Forbidden Planet. The attention to detail on this hollywood masterpiece is incredible. Rumor has it that he contains over 2600 feet of wiring just to light up the many blinking lights and whirling bits. Maybe Lenovo should design a robot, we certainly have the engineering capability.

Read more about robots at the Robot Hall of Fame:

http://www.robothalloffame.org/index.html

David Hill

It looks like a lot of our respondents do use the WiFi switch, and judging from the comments left in the other posts a lot of you appreciate the ability to turn the wireless radios off without relying on software. Some good points were made about usage in areas where wireless communication is prohibited, like aboard airplanes or in hospitals.

Thanks for sharing your feedback on this feature everyone. Look for a new post from me soon!

David Hill

Most people who make the trek to China venture to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, or the Summer Palace. Those are must-see places that immerse you in the best of China’s ancient culture. How can you not be impressed with the magnitude and drama of the Great Wall? During my last trip there I visited the Wall for the first time. It was amazing.

Yao and myself trying to keep warm on the Great Wall

So what do you do when you finally get back to the hotel after a hard day of work and heated discussion about future design activities? Quite by accident we discovered that tucked away in the lower level of the hotel where we stay is a fully operational bowling alley. It’s become a tradition now that at least one night must be devoted to ” Bowling in Beijing”. If nothing else the alliteration is amusing. What a great way to unwind and recap the days activities. John Swansey, Lenovo industrial designer, dominated the evening by rolling a high game of 209! Not bad for an off the shelf bright orange ball with a chunk missing from it. To put this in perspective, this score is more than double that of another participant who has asked to remain anonymous (rumor has it he is taking lessons to avoid further embarassment) . John didn’t have a single open frame, all spares and strikes. This caused the computerized scoring device to nickname him ” The Great Sparedini” and a crowd of well wishers to form.

Alas John has since announced he is retiring from bowling to ensure he goes out on top. Somehow I’m sure he will once again be drawn to the alley on our next trip to Beijing in search of his lucky ball.

David Hill