When the now owner of Bike-O-Rama first approached me, the concept for his future store was vague. “I want a punk rock bicycle hangout clubhouse!”, he told me as we talked about the potential for his new space. After I took on the project, we talked about all the influences and personality he wanted infused into his store’s identity. He wanted Los Angeles and the South Bay to be major identifying design cues. From the beginning, this design direction was conflicted because LA itself is a cultural mish-mash. Going from one street in the city to the next can be like stepping into a different country. We soon agreed that it didn’t matter too much if the design of the shop was a bit schizophrenic because he enjoyed the wild mixed nature of the city. We operated on the assumption that the customers, although perhaps initially overwhelmed by the space, would appreciate the fun energy with which it was produced.

We moved forward and experimented with retro Americana, Latino, Asian, Punk, Surfer, Skater, Biker, and Hot Rodder cultural themes. We kept an eye out for the common elements in each of these sects. A synthesis of the imagery, color, and feel from each of these began to emerge. In the end, we came out with a shop and a company identity which has a fun self-aware crassness. A perfect punk rock bicycle hangout clubhouse.

Final Photos of the store coming soon!

This is the Superskin Helmet developed by Dr. Ken Phillips at Lazer helmets. The helmet design mimics the way skin stretches around bone to reduce the transferred rotational force from a glancing impact. More at Lazer Helmet’s website.

Craig Mod, “Post Artifact Book Design Thinking” from MFA Interaction Design on Vimeo.

Have you ever been trying to sleep when a car passes by with the bass thumping? What about that time when you where reading that really interesting book and your neighbor’s sound system rendered the deep vibrations of an explosion directly through your concentration? What is it about having the bass turned up that is so enticing so as to make people risk alienation from their neighbors and roommates to experience it? The answer is simple: People want to feel their media, not just hear it. They want to get pulled into that latest FPS videogame, or feel as if yo yo ma’s cello was really in their lap.

The KOR-fx is a product that is designed to give you that sensation without all the angry neighbors. It picks up on signature frequencies in videogames, movies and music, amplifies them, and then pumps them directly into your chest. It turns out that this sensation is even more convincing to the brain than a sub-woofer on the floor. The neuro-pathways which are activated by the KOR-fx’s vibration paddles are the same which are activated when speaking. In short, the brain thinks that these vibrations are really originating in you.

Designed to be a premium gaming product initially marketed towards younger gamers, the KOR-fx technology has many applications both in entertainment and in medicine. It has been awarded several patents.

Midea, A well established Chinese brand, who’s name is associated with everything from cooking pots to large appliances in mainland China, is known mostly for their air conditioners in Europe. They came to Milan seeking Continuum’s design expertise in order to develop a new line of products which catered to European tastes in domestic appliances. The first appliance chosen for the new European identity was a front loading washing machine. Wanting introduce a product with a high perceived value, the aesthetics of the washer had to coincide with the often modern, clean interiors still dominating the European interior design landscape.

An intense development period of research, ideation, and cross continental coordination yielded the Pearl, a washer that boasts a high tech user interface, solid engineering, and a design that feels right at home in Europe.