Cool Hunting

If you had to name countries famous for design, Italy or somewhere in Scandinavia would probably be the first places that spring to mind. But what about the U.K.? In the past century, British designers have hit the form/function bullseye more regularly then you might realize.

London's Design Museum and the BBC's Culture Show are collaborating on the Great British Design Quest to discover the best British design icon since 1900.

There are 25 examples on the shortlist—from the famous red London double-decker bus and 1920s phonebox, though 1960s classics like the cover of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the original Mini to the more recent ground-breaking designs of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and the very thing you're reading this on: The World Wide Web. Sadly, no mention of the iPod, despite being designed by Apple's resident Englishman Jonathan Ive.

The initial poll has just opened at the Culture Show's website.

Contributed by SummerSeventySix