The Inspirations Collection.
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Welcome to designbivouac’s inspiration collection.
Exploring design and innovation.
Over 30 years of collaboration, designbivouac has uncovered lasting insights. Inspirations is a curated collection of inspirational objects and ideas shaping a continuous journey of creative exploration.
Search Inspiration Entries
Lamborghini Reventon
Inspired by military aviation and the stealth aesthetic, the Lamborghini Reventon is admirable for its purity of statement.
Inspired by military aviation and the stealth aesthetic, the Lamborghini Reventon is admirable for its purity of statement. It is also not a bad performer, as evidenced by its recent run against an Italian Air Force Tornado.
Images: caricos.com
Sony Rolly
The Sony Rolly is captivating to watch—a candidate for the bivouac's notable products category.
The Sony Rolly is captivating to watch—a candidate for the bivouac's notable products category. It delightfully conveys the magic of music through movements and lighting effects that owners can choreograph. Thanks to Nicholas for the heads up.
One Laptop Per Child
The One Laptop per Child initiative was aimed at getting technology into the hands of more children so that they could learn programming and experience computing at an early age.
Starting November 12, One Laptop Per Child will be offering a Give 1 Get 1 Program for a brief window of time in North America. For $399, you will purchase two XO laptops—one sent to empower a child to learn in a developing nation and one sent to your child at home.
Reminds Me Of Remind Me Video
Regardless of how you might feel about nuclear energy, here is another fine example of super clean and delightful isometric animations promoting the energy company Areva by Euro RSCG C&O and H5.
Regardless of how you might feel about nuclear energy, here is another fine example of super clean and delightful isometric animations promoting the energy company Areva by Euro RSCG C&O and H5. It reminds me of the Royskopp “Reminds Me” video from years ago.
Meredith Davis on the Cult of ASAP
Design educators are thinking more about design thinking these days. Meredith has long been one of the best.
Design educators are thinking more about design thinking these days. Meredith has long been one of the best.
"We have to teach smart. We have to look at trends whose trajectories are likely to define practice for students across a fifty-year career. We have to challenge traditional paradigms of design education and invent new ones. We have to integrate content across courses and scaffold experiences so that students don’t start over with every project or every course. Not all new content requires its own turf. And we have to value the reflective component of design as much as we do the active one. There are some great models for doing this and where they are successful, life is less frenetic; students are engaged in producing a body of work, in understanding big ideas that are at the core of the discipline and the practice. In other words, they behave like students, not trainees, and their output and mastery build across time, not in some last minute rush to the finish. "
-Meredith Davis
Director of the Graduate Program in Graphic Design
North Carolina State University
Old and New Make Something Newer
This work by Daniele Marques has made a lasting impression at the bivouac.
This barn conversion work by Daniele Marques has made a lasting impression at the bivouac. In particular, it shows how new designs can co-exist with history beautifully.
For more about Daniele Marques' work, visit: www.marques.ch
BMW X5: Before and After
Some people may have difficulty spotting the differences between the older model X5 and the all-new 2007 redesign. However, enhancements and changes are significant.
Some may have difficulty spotting the differences between the older model X5 and the all-new 2007 redesign. However, enhancements and changes are significant. This morphing promotional video shows that signature character elements remain while achieving significant design revision.
The 2007 BMW X5: Arguably the best design of the series. With its introduction, the problematic rear design was resolve and a new, sleeker dynamism appeared up front. Wheels on the 4.8i are remarkable.
Give A Little Love
Perhaps we should all take the message from Coca-Cola's recent video game-inspired commercial to heart this year.
Perhaps we should all take the message from Coca-Cola's recent video game-inspired commercial to heart this year. Created by Sheena Brady and Shannon McGlothin of Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, and produced by Nexus Productions UK, the spot serves up a cool and refreshing spin on the Grand Theft Auto genre of video games.
Michelin Tweel
Coming to a vehicle near you. Not clear when, but Michelin is working on an airless wheel called the "Tweel"
They are coming to a vehicle near you. It's unclear when, but Michelin is working on an airless wheel called the "Tweel". Beyond not having to worry about air pressure, advantages include unique contact patch capabilities. Tweels also have obvious applications for lighter personal vehicles.
For more information, visit Michelin's press release page.
Let's Tango!
The Tango!, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device created by Blink Twice, helps children who are speech or hearing impaired with communication and self-expression.
The Tango!, an Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) device created by Blink Twice, helps speech—or hearing-impaired children with communication and self-expression. Users create and customize sentences using touchscreen pictograms and text, which the device then reads aloud. A built-in camera allows users to build upon vocabulary. The device is also useful as a tool for teaching English.
The device also has a USB connection for expanded functionality, CompactFlash, and SD, with the keyboard option. Cellular connectivity is planned for later models. Current prices for the units are still very high at approximately $6899. Blink Twice hopes to make prices more accessible by meeting quantity orders in the future.
Touring with Tourist Trophy
The bivouac recently logged some laps with Polyphony Digital's Tourist Trophy Playstation 2 motorcycle simulator.
The bivouac logged some laps with Polyphony Digital's Tourist Trophy Playstation 2 motorcycle simulator. Polyphony is the same company that brought us the excellent Gran Turismo racing series, and this title is equally impressive.
Beyond convincing riding dynamics, an extensive range of motorcycles and riding gear to explore, and near photorealistic racing venues, perhaps one of the most pleasant features of the simulator is the photo mode. It allows riders to replay a race and capture memorable moments. Extensive image manipulation capabilities are available so riders can pan to a perfect angle at a critical moment in the competition and stylize their photos to their choosing. As for the level of detail achieved, the images below are photos output from the simulator.
It was straightforward to plug an iShuffle USB drive into the PS2 and save the photo content. Add a Yamaha Motor Sport Game Controller for added control and immersion. Ride safe, smart, and strong.
It was remarkably easy to plug an iShuffle USB drive into the PS2 and save the photo content. You may want to add a Yamaha Motor Sport Game Controller to the mix for added control and immersion. Ride safe, smart, and strong.
Catch You on the Flipside
So, what can designers do to make watches more usable? First, keep things simple overall.
So, what can designers do to make watches more usable? First, keep things simple overall. Then, why not put the manual on the back? Sound impossible? That is close to what Philippe Stark did when creating his "Sand" digital watch.
The rear base plate contains a legend showing the four main function button icons. Each icon includes one to four dots, and the corresponding function for each icon is listed. This reference is close to the hand (or wrist) and keeps the exterior surfaces of the watch clean.
Thank You for Kool Titles
Shadowplay Studio's title sequence for "Thank You for Smoking" does an excellent job highlighting all the attention to detail tobacco companies have designed into their product packaging over the years.
Shadowplay Studio's title sequence for "Thank You for Smoking" does an excellent job highlighting all the attention to detail tobacco companies have designed into their product packaging over the years.
To light up the sequence visit: Shadowplay Studios
Old School in New Schools
During a recent trip to Los Angeles, I was reminded of all the hours I once spent creating and learning with Sim City 2000. These memories are timely given that this month's Wired Magazine special edition entitled "The New World of Games" is Guest Edited by Sim City's creator, Will Wright.
A recent trip to Los Angeles reminded me of all the hours I spent creating and learning with Sim City 2000. These memories are timely, given that this month's Wired Magazine special edition, "The New World of Games," is Guest-edited by Sim City's creator, Will Wright.
There will always be a special place in my heart for the Sim City 2000 release. While the game title has evolved over the years, the particular release, with its meticulously detailed, pixel-pushed, dimetric city views, gained my respect when I first launched it. Although Sim City 2000 may now be considered “old school,” I sometimes wonder about the benefits it could offer to today's “new school” students.
While we continue to debate the merits and potential adverse effects of gaming, particularly on our youth, the Sim City series indicates where we should focus more on our “gaming” development efforts. By using Sim City 2000 in classes, students could learn by building something rather than destroying it, which is all too often the focus of too many gaming titles these days. They could explore cause-and-effect relationships quickly, reducing the repressive effects associated with the fear of failure. Students build something else by resolving infrastructure tensions that arise as new commercial zones require larger power plants or underground pipe systems that must be modified to accommodate subway stations. This is significant in today’s “who shall we blame next” society.
After recent events like the Katrina disaster and the California power crisis, developing empathy for the scores of government workers doing a good job is sorely needed. We are training through play by allowing students to experience even a tiny part of what it is like to build and manage a functional city. Bonds must be passed to balance the books. As cities grow, citizens must be alleviated by adding green belts, amusement parks, and other services. Weighing decisions like inviting military bases (a potential source of income) to a city must be carefully considered. Perhaps a spark will be ignited for those who find it most engaging, drawing them into public service. And there is something magical in that process. Aligning youth with the skills and interest to serve is critical to recovering faith in our public institutions. It gets passionate and skilled people into positions that can make a difference. And who would have thought this could all begin with a simple game?
As I looked down during the approach to LAX, I smiled inside and wondered what the city beneath the city looked like. I have to thank Will Wright for knowing it was there and thinking about all the small and large decisions that have gotten the city to where it is today. It is easy to question why things are the way they are, but reflecting upon the cities I built reminds me that urban planning is a tricky business, even in the virtual world. I can only hope that Los Angeles Version X.X is on its way to being incrementally better and more robust than the current version…just like each successive Sim City I built turned out to be.
Watching the Details
It is nice to see fashion-oriented companies getting the technological aspects of their offerings right. Nixon takes the time to custom craft numeric characters for their "Connect" watch.
It is nice to see fashion-oriented companies getting the technological aspects of their offerings right. Nixon takes the time to custom craft alpha and numeric characters for their "Connect" watch, resulting in characters of character. The delicate line intersection areas in the numbers add distinction and an element of precision to the timepiece.
A Classic Educational Software Experience
The classic Broderbund title "Just Grandma and Me" reminds me of one of the simpler days of interactive media.
The classic Broderbund title "Just Grandma and Me" reminds me of one of the simpler days of interactive media. Hypercard-like in its simplicity, this clever and engaging title leverages delightful animations and sounds, which encourage kids to explore all of the nuances and details in the interactive illustrations. The written text of the story is interactive as well. Sentences can be read to children, or they can click on those tricky words to have them sounded out individually.
There are many learning websites for kids today, to be sure. However, this title, produced before SpongeBob SquarePants and the like, paved the way for all that has followed while keeping the quality bar high. There is little doubt that even Grandma would approve of this one.
BMW X3 "Mix Your Playgrounds" Campaign
BDDP & Fils, Paris won the 2004 Epica award for their BMW X3 "Mix Your Playgrounds" print campaign.
BDDP & Fils, Paris, won the 2004 Epica award for its BMW X3 "Mix Your Playgrounds" print campaign. Congratulations to the agency for capturing the X3's unique combination of modern elegance and technical capabilities.
The talented artist who created these works is Jean-Marie Vives.
The Future of Flight
The Embassy created noteworthy visualizations of future aircraft for a feature article appearing in the October 2003 issue of Popular Mechanics.
The Embassy created noteworthy visualizations of future aircraft for a feature article in the October 2003 issue of Popular Mechanics. What makes many of these futuristic aircraft visualizations so convincing is their placement in photorealistic background settings and remarkable attention to detailed texture mapping, which gives the vehicles a real-world lived-in look.
Catch a glimpse of things to come via theembassyvfx.com/portfolio/popular-science-the-future-of-flight
A Moving Piece of Motion Matching
The 2004 X3 launch advertisement is an excellent example of how to use video motion matching to tell a story.
The 2004 X3 launch advertisement is an excellent example of how to use video motion matching to tell a story. The commercial conveys the strength of the X3's new x-drive technology, which brings four-season capability and new levels of versatility and performance to the Sports Activity Vehicle market.
