Design Classic Number 37: Sigg Bottle

Image from Twon

Unbeatable Reuseable Bottle from Biel

Creator: Ferdinand Sigg
Created: 1908
Origin: Biel Switzerland

The Sigg classic traveller drinks bottle is a lightweight aluminium beverage container with a tightly fitting looped screw top and translucent enamel coating in red. The Sigg bottle was born out of the need for a lightweight, unbreakable durable bottle for taking on climbing and hiking trips.

The first bottles were made in Biel Switzerland in 1908 and then later production moved to Frauenfeld in 1917. Production of the aluminium bottles continues to this day in Frauenfeld Switzerland employing skilled local workers. Sigg bottles are sent to customers the world over who appreciate the practical design and the high quality Swiss workmanship and attention to detail.

Ferdinand Sigg developed and refined the technique where by a cylindrical puck of aluminium could be progressively formed into the shape of a bottle and in more recent years refinements have been made to the linings and coatings to further improve performance and efficiency in production. The Swiss reputation for quality and the authenticity of a product which originates from a country of mountains makes for an iconic product particularly in it’s distinctive red translucent finish.

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Design Classic Number 36: Rubik’s Cube

Image from Jin.Thai

Popular Puzzle Still Packs a Punch 

Creator: Erno Rubik
Created: 1974
Origin: Budapest Hungary

Rubik’s cube is a mechanical puzzle where each group of 9 smaller cubes can be rotated relative to the others quickly mixing up the cubes from their original solved position. The puzzle can then be solved by rotating groups of cubes in a number of possible sequences to arrive once again at the solution. The puzzle was created in response to the challenge of finding a way of allowing 36 cubes to be moved in three dimensions around a central pivot point which had previously only been acheived in a 2 by 2 cube rather than a three by three cube.

The first prototype was created in 1976 while the inventor was working at The Budapest College of applied Arts as a Professor and became widely available in 1980. In 1992 the first Rubik’s Cube world championships were staged demonstrating it’s longevity and world wide appeal.

Erno Rubik was able to hold all of the pieces together and yet allow them to rotate relative to one another with only a three dimensional, spring loaded cross at the center which was originally adjustable to reduce or increase the force needed to make rotations. Erno Rubik was able to create this incredible puzzle no doubt through his experience as a sculptor and architect and the subsequent success was down to the inate inginuity and challenge of the puzzle rather than the usual marketing and showmanship.

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Daily Design Classic Number 35: Moleskine Notebook

Image from Pittaya

Take Notes and Make Sketches Like the Greats

Creator: Moleskine Srl
Created: 1997
Origin: Milan Italy

The Moleskine is a pocket sized, leatherette bound notebook with an elasticated black closure and a black ribbon bookmark fixed into the spine. The Moleskine was born out of the need for a notebook that would stay compact and closed in the pocket and not fall open when placed on a table the built in bookmark saves time when making a new note or sketch.

The Moleskine was first popularized in Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries by the many artists and writers of the times. In the late eighties production was ceased temporarily until a small Milanese company produced a batch of 5000 which were soon depleted in the Italian market alone.

The original Milanese company Modo & Modo which made the initial batch of Moleskines decided to focus on increasing production to meet demand within Europe and beyond and since this was now becoming their main ativity decided to register and start trading under the Moleskine name which is now a wdeg oy recognized brand. The books are made with environmentally friendly acid free paper and stitched at the spine to allow the pages to lay flat while sketching or writing. Famous users of the original Parisian Moleskines included Hemmingway, Picasso and Oscar Wilde.

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Weekly Design Classic Number 34: Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon

Image by Kevin Dooley

Go Back in Time in a Little Red Wagon

Creator: Anthony Pasin
Created: 1917
Origin: Chicago, USA

The Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon is a children’s toy in which one or two small children can be pulled along by an adult. The trailer is mainly of metal construction with solid rubber wheels . The Radio Flyer was designed to take advantage of the new metal mass production methods being used in the early car industry and to replace a similar toy then made from wood.

The inventor of the Radio Flyer Little Red Wagon was born in Venice Italy in 1898, He emmigrated to the United States at the age of 16 and began producing his Radio Flyer wagons in his Chicago factory in 1917.

The body of the Radio Flyer wagon is still pressed from sheet steel much like the early automobiles of the era. The wagon is steered and pulled by the sturdy handle which is carefully designed to avoid either tipping or pinching. Anthony Pasin the inventor of the Radio Flyer Little Red Wagon worked as a water boy for a sewer digging crew before saving enough money to rent a small workshop and tools for the production of his first wagons.

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Acorn Slipper Socks: As Used by NASA Astronauts and Here on Earth Since 1982

Image by Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Astronauts Clock Up Over 5,000,000,000 Miles in Their Acorn Slipper Socks

Creator: David Quinn
Created: 1976
Origin: Lewiston, Maine

As the name suggests Acorn slipper socks are half slipper and half sock with a non-slip suede sole and leather reinforcing band which surrounds the foot. The sole is lined with a layer of memory foam which moulds to the shape of the foot and keeps it warm. The sock part of the slipper sock is knitted from a non-itchy hypo-allergenic cotton yarn. Acorn slipper socks were born out of the need for a warm, lightweight and comfortable slipper that didn’t fall off the foot easily.

Acorn slipper socks were first created in 1976 but it wasn’t until 1982 that they were first taken aboard a space shuttle mission by astronaut Ken Mattingly shortly after which they became NASA standard issue for shuttle missions. Acorn slipper socks originated in Lewiston, Maine, USA a former mill town during the industrial revolution.

David Quinn, a childhood skier had remembered traditional slipper socks at the mountain chalets where he’d stayed. Not finding a readily available alternative he worked with a cobbler and local merchants to create a batch for family and friends and went on to create greater quantities for NASA, armchair astronauts home and comfort lovers around the world.

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Swedish Angel Chimes

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Traditional Christmas Charm Without a Trip to IKEA

Creator: Anderson & Boberg
Created: 1948
Origin: Gefle, Sweden

Liking Ikea as we do, it may not be the quickest route to the simple, traditional Christmases of times past. The Swedish Angel Chimes however may offer a small taste of exactly that. Swedish Angel Chimes consist of a collection of carefully made brass parts which are easily and quickly assembled to make a candle powered table top mobile. A trio of cherub like angels describe a circle as they turn striking a pair or chimes to create a gentle ringing sound. The chimes were created in 1948 for a simpler, cleaner, well more Swedish aesthetic than seen in earlier German chimes based upon the same principle dating from 1906 and probably much earlier than that.

Until recently the chimes were still made at the original factory in the port of Gefle, Sweden and now are produced to the same specification in Turkey using the same equipment and processes. There are also many look a likes originating from China which are based on the same principle but don’t quite match the Swedish design of 1948. The design was popularized by Anderson & Boberg who continued production for over 60 years with only minor refinements to the original classic design.

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Fermob Bistro Folding Chair

Fermob Bistro Folding Chair

Creator: Bernard Reybier
Created: 1989
Origin:  Thoissey, France

The Fermob Bistro chair is a folding outdoor chair made from powder coated steel available in wide range of modern and traditional colours. The chair was created in response to the need for a chair that was more easily mass produced and transported in the face of  the increasing popularity of plastic garden furniture. The chairs are produced using modern fabrication techniques using ethical, sustainable and environmentally friendly methods.

Although the original metal working shop was established in 1889 by a lone craftsman in Thoissey, specialising in the production of iron gates, production eventually moved to Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne under the direction of Bernard Reybier where the Bistro chair was made on a greater scale using mass production techniques but still in a traditional style using traditional techniques and materials. The success of the Bistro chair has allowed this iconic design to be produced indigenously in France for an increasing numbers of customers further and further a field with large numbers of chairs being exported around the world most notably for Times Square and Harvard University in the United states. Popularity is due to further grow since the Bistro chair is long lasting, completely recyclable and is undeniably chic.

Nelson Ball Clock

Wall Clock with Balls

Creator: George Nelson
Created: 1948
Origin: Zeeland, Michigan, USA.

Well if you have any kind of affection for the optimism of the fifties and it’s cheerful, futuristic designs then you’ll love the Nelson Ball clock. The technicolored wooden balls cast interesting shadows and the hands are bold and playful, almost cartoon like in style. The clock looks as though it might have been taken from a scene from a ‘Jetsons’ episode but the colors are harmonious and the design simple enough to look great in most modern interiors. The ball clock is said to have been created after catching the eye of George Nelson who discovered a sketch of the design after a dinner party attended by fellow designers Isamu Noguchi, Harper Irving and Buckminster Fuller any of whom might have had the original inspiration for the ball clock.

The Nelson Ball clock first went into production in 1948 in Zeeland, Michigan, USA and is now manufactured to the original specification under license in Poland by Vitra. George Nelson was an award winning architect and writer and is said to have started his architectural and design career after ducking in to the architecture department building during a heavy rain shower while an undergraduate at Yale University.

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Bose Wave Radio

Big Box Sound on a Bookshelf

Creator: Dr. Amar G. Bose
Created: 1993
Origin: Massacussetts, USA.

Today’s design classic was inspired by a recent visit to a Polish community picnic on Cape Cod. The music was full, loud and clear and despite lively conversation and a torrential downpour (covered picnic) the sound came from a single table top Bose wave radio. These distinctive bow fronted radios have a unique ‘folded organ pipe’ arrangement inside which gives a surprisingly solid sound from such a simple, elegant compact enclosure. The Wave radio was introduced as a more zen alternative to the overly high tech sound systems of the 80s and 90s.

The wave system was first made available in a table top radio in 1993 and now comes in a variety of configurations but in the same classic enclosure. Dr. Amar G. Bose has remained  inspirational throughout the company’s history. Bose started out in high school repairing radios and after gaining a PhD from MIT, winning contracts with the US government and NASA he is now honored by providing state of the art sound systems for no less than the Cistine Chapel in Rome.

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Preppy but with Pedigree

Sperry Top-Siders Boat Shoes

Creator: Paul Sperry
Created: 1935
Origin: Connecticut, USA.

Well I’ve always liked boat shoes and couldn’t pass up a visit to the sea faring, North East coast of the US without picking up a pair of the authentic original Sperry Top-Siders. The distinctive moccasin style, with chunky leather laces and metallic eyelets  are instantly recognisable but it wasn’t until I got them home and looked at them more closely that I started thinking about what made them so successful in the first place. At first glance the soles seem to have nothing but a lightly textured rubber surface just like carpet slippers and only when you flex them do you see a very fine herringbone pattern of  slits appear. This novel design came about as a solution to slippery decks and was inspired by the patterned paw pads of his pet spaniel ‘Prince’. The slits are individually razor cut to achieve the necessary fineness.

The first shoes were produced by Sperry in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1935 for sailing enthusiasts, then Abercrombie & Fitch and then the US Navy and now for people from all walks of life and all around the globe.

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