Like all designers, we like Apple products, so whenever I stumble on Apple design process I have to share it. Just found this one on Core77. Check it out, it is a good 5 minute read. There is a slide show at the end of past Apple designers talking about their experience which is pretty interesting.

Even After Apple, Designers Dig Jobs
Apple’s design alumni agree: For a design-driven business strategy, you need the support of a single-minded risk taker like, well…Steve Jobs

by Helen Walters and Reena Jana
Innovation & Design

Read more

The CDF crew have all been pulling some serious hours on our “paying” jobs, so it is not serious lazyness, just partial lazieness….

Enjoy these photo’s of how it use to be, ya know back in tha day……. I think it was a Tuesday…….

peace

We haven’t figured out cars, but boats are their way to saving some money at the pumps. Check out the new glorified pedal boat. Could this be the answer to revitalize the slumping boating market?

If you don’t care for those pesky “motors” that they’re putting on boats these days, you should check out the Escapade Pedal Boat ($3,500). Its leg-powered, 15-inch two-blade propeller and rotomolded polyethylene hull glides smoothly through any body of water — from shallow canals to the Atlantic. With room for up to three drunkards, the boat sports a protective windshield and high freeboards, built-in bilge pump, collapsible polyester bimini top, and a dry shelf for towels, cameras, and the like.

Thank to Uncrate for the find.

Chinese vehicle brands set to rise in five years,
expected to take 40 percent of domestic market

Chinese car brands are expected to take about 40 percent of the domestic Chinese market by 2012, according to a new report from the automotive consulting firm Global Insight Inc.
John Zeng, senior market analyst for Global Insight, believes there are a lot of opportunities for Chinese locals in the future. “There are low penetration rates in the vehicle market and a trend to shift to the mid-class car segment,” he explained. “Favorable policies by national and local government also help promote domestic car brands, as supply structures improve and there is easy access to advanced technology from suppliers.”
In 2006, more than 982,800 Chinese-branded models were sold, accounting for 25.6 percent of the total passenger car market, according to China’s Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The auto industry has experienced average growth of 25 percent over the past five years in China, where only 20 out of 1,000 Chinese people own a car. Total vehicle sales hit 7.9 million units with a 25 percent growth last year, while passenger car sales topped five million units.
China is transforming from a bicycle kingdom into a car-driven society as people’s incomes rise.
Read more

Experts think new U.S. mileage standards may alter size and shape of future vehicles

Is this where we are headed. How is it that in over 100 years, engineers have not been able to design a more fuel efficient engine. Now instead of a better engine, car proportions are going to suffer to achieve a couple extra miles. This will surely help auto sales. Say good bye to the laid back gangsta style 300 and hello to the Nissan Versa to influence our future.

Good luck fellow auto designers, you certainly have your work cut out for ya. Here is a possible solution for the next ten years.

Over the next decade, significantly higher fuel economy standards are likely to bring about vehicles that are lighter, a bit smaller and taller. The silhouettes of the Ford Five Hundred sedan and Dodge Caliber represent the direction some auto manufacturers likely will take to meet the new standards.

Proposed U.S. fuel economy rules would dramatically increase the miles per gallon (mpg) of every vehicle sold in the country. The rules also could add a dimension – model classifications based on factors such as vehicle footprint (the area bounded by the four wheels), bumper-to-bumper dimensions, weight or passenger volume. In such a system, cars of different sizes would have different fuel economy targets. Similar rules already are being phased in for light trucks for the 2008-2011 model years.

Automakers would not necessarily be able to offset the low mileage of bigger, more powerful cars by selling small cars. That would increase pressure to improve the fuel economy of bigger cars.

“Four, five years from now, platforms may be somewhat different from what we are used to in terms of dimensions,” said Michael Robinet, vice president of global vehicle forecasts at auto consultant CSM Worldwide. “We may need to start ratcheting down at least the footprint of some of our vehicles.”

In some cases, making vehicles smaller may make a better business case than adding such expensive technology as continuously variable transmissions or mild hybrid technology, says Robinet. But retaining interior space will be a priority. The only way to gain more (interior) room is moving upward, said Robinet, and automakers are likely to create taller vehicles with upright seating positions. (Automotive News)

Toyota tops GM in total 2006 global sales,
also has sold more than 1 million hybrids

Image above, hybrid between a Lion and a Tiger….. A Liger

Last week, Toyota officially became the largest auto manufacturer in the world, edging out General Motors by a few vehicles. In 2006, Toyota sold 8,808,000 vehicles, and GM sold 8,679,860, ending U.S. automaker’s reign as number one.
A little-known Chinese microvan played a role in Toyota’s victory. GM had included the boxy, seven-seat van and other Wuling vehicles in its global total sales. But a Chinese company, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), owns 51 percent of the van’s joint-venture manufacturer, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Company. In its ranking, the Automotive News’ data center credits sales of a subsidiary to the parent company that owns a majority share. So the sales of Wuling – 420,140 units – are credited to Shanghai Automotive. And Toyota topped GM by 128,140 vehicles.
Also last week, Toyota officials said that it has sold more than 1 million hybrid vehicles since 2000, with more than one-half of those sold in the United States. And the pace is increasing.
“We anticipate combined sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids of a quarter million units in the Untied States in 2007,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota’s executive vice president.
Through May 2007, Toyota and Lexus sold 117,154 hybrid vehicles, a jump of 73.8 percent from the same period a year ago. (Automotive News)

Google of all companies has stepped up with some Benjaminz, to get this whole alternative fuel economy going. If we look at Google’s past successes, we can see Google does bet on losers! Flex Fuel (E85) is bullshit, and not even a stop-gap solution because it is still over 80% OIL. While electricity is not 100% the answer, at least it is a stop-gap solution. (With electricity much of the power is from coal, very dirty) There is also a new technology out there that will allow Nuclear reactors to run on nuclear waste, which can generate electricity. (At least something can be done with this colossal mass of waste we have been accumulating since the 60’s). Read on - Scott Digital

(Click here to go to Google source page)

Plug-in hybrids are the “killer app” of alternative automotive energy says Google. That’s a fancy way of saying they’ve got some Googlebux, and they’re not afraid to use it. The company’s funding a new program called RechargeIT, a Google.org initiative aiming to reduce CO2 emissions and petroleum use, but also to feed power back to the electrical grid. That’s correct — the once pie-in-the-sky concept of vehicle-to-grid (VTG) tech is getting a major supporter with the R&D pockets to get something mainstream to happen. How can you stop these people? Poor Yahoo! – Mike Spinelli

Some of you may not that I am 100% gear head. What some of you might not know is that I also have a passion for a cleaner and greener car. I alone consume loads of premium fuel from track days and driving “sportingly” on the road. This brings me to Batteries! I believe that batteies and electricity are the future…….. Why you might ask?? Well how about an electric’s motor being able to turn out almost 100% of it’s maximum torque from just about any RPM, and simplicity…. got to love the simplicity of the electric n

New ultracapacitor outperforms lithium-ion batteries,
has potential for electric cars, Texas company claims

Officials at Texas-based EEStor say engineers at the company have developed a power-storage technology that could make traditional batteries obsolete. They say a new Electrical Energy Storage Unit (EESU), based on the technology, could be available for electric cars later this year.
The EESU for vehicle applications would weigh less than 100 pounds, and provide enough electricity to provide 200 miles of travel for a small electric car. It also could be recharged in less than 10 minutes, company officials claim.
EEStor’s EESU is described as a “battery-ultracapacitor hybrid.” Ultracapacitors are larger versions of small capacitors used in electronics. They can hold electricity, but typically can’t match a battery’s storage capacity. In addition, they can charge and discharge rapidly.
Officials at EEStor say they have created a device capable of storing 280 watt-hours per kilogram, which represents twice the energy density of lithium-ion batteries used in laptop computers. (Personal Computer World)

Here is a cool competition that looks for the most innovative product materials and ideas in the sporting goods industry. Check the site out and read about the winners. Some interesting products. My favorite was Waldmeister, a bicycle with the frame made out of wood. Beautifully done as you can see by the pic above.

Here is some info on the show:
Every 6 months the jury of the world´s largest start-up competition in the sporting goods industry - ispo BrandNew - meets to test and select the best and most innovative young products and brands. Since 7 years, ispo BrandNew is the barometer for upcoming trends.

The 20th annual Eyes on Design car show is this Sunday the 17th. This is always a great show as well as always 90 degrees and sunny. If you have never been there it is a show with a different theme every year, so there is always a good mix of vehicles. This years theme is Aerodynamics and Streamlining - by Design. 200 vehicles in 15 categories celebrating automotive design.
I will be there and will take pics of the highlights and post next week.

For you designer types, don’t forget the Eve of the Eyes Design Reception held this year at Toyota’s Calty Design Research in Ann Arbor. A couple of us fetishers will be there drinkin’ up and schmoozin’ with fellow designers. Here is the party flyer for info.

Show Info;

Father’s Day
Sunday, June 17, 2007
10 AM - 4:30 PM

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
1100 Lake Shore Road
Grosse Pointe Shores MI 48236

eyesondesign.org