The latest wares and gadgets to join Aalto’s tableware, Corbu’s lounges, and Nelson’s wall clocks at the Museum of Modern Art’s Design Store come from lesser-known sources. The store is partnering with crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to bring 24 products from 20 international designers to its curated online store. The collection, Kickstarter@MoMA Store, was announced this week as a part of NYCxDesign, New York’s annual design celebration, and will be available from May 13 to June 16. The store’s buyers sought out designers for the collaboration from Kickstarter due to an uptick they noticed in “impressive, new, and innovative products” being launched there, said Emmanuel Platt, MoMA’s director of merchandising, in a statement. We spotlight a few of the new products below.
Israel-based Studio Cheha laser-cut a two-dimensional A-lamp silhouette from an acrylic glass sheet that reflects the warm glow of LEDs planted in its birch base. Bulbing is offered in five designs, including a skull and a spiral that emulates conventional LED replacement lamps. In 2013, the studio completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for its illusory FlatLight candle holder. It is now crowdfunding Bulbing’s launch.
Defined by its soft, flexible strap, the Carpenter Watch from the Philadelphia-based Analog Watch Co. is made from wood that has a leather feel. The thin and pliable straps are crafted from lumber offcuts while the watch’s face features surrounds in species including blackwood, maple, and bamboo.
The matchbox-size Projecteo turns Instagram snapshots into a projector-style slideshow. Photos uploaded from Instagram via the company’s website are developed on 35mm Kodak film and set into a custom wheel that holds nine interchangeable images. An LED light source can project onto surfaces between 4cm and 50cm away.
Carrying your bike up the subway station’s stairs is uncomfortable at best, and dangerous at worst. Walnut Studiolo in Portland, Ore., crafted a leather handle that lets users tuck the bike under their arm for improved control and mobility. The Little Lifter is just one of the studio’s handmade products that help users transport everything from paper building plans to six packs.
Gigs2Go from Charlotte, N.C.–based design studio the Bolt Group features four chip-on-board USB insets in a credit-card-sized paper casing, which is made entirely from post-consumer recycled content. The drives hold up to 16 gigabytes per tab and can be detached from the housing for use.
