Cool Hunting


In a world becoming more advanced every minute, with everything from virtual reality pinball machines to the common smart phone, it's difficult to make sense of it all. U.K. design studio (and CH heroes) Troika (check out Troika on CH Video here) does just that with their recent book, "Digital By Design," a complete survey of the most innovative digital products and works of art today. Way more than your standard coffee-table book, "Digital By Design" assesses the relationships between technology, product design, immersive environments and human interaction from a standpoint of how they relate to our daily lives. Commissioned by renowned art publisher Thames and Hudson and featuring a foreword by MoMA's design curator Paola Antonelli, Troika explores intelligent design and the designers behind the objects extensively and with an objective perspective.

Graduates of the Royal College of Art, the trio behind Troika are particularly well-suited for the project, drawing on their backgrounds in graphics, communication, art, product design and engineering to create works that toy with technology's role and capabilities, most notably their recent digital sculpture, "Cloud," at Heathrow airport (see our 2006 video for examples).
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Part DIY, part inspiration for the future of fashion, Project Runway (and Cool Hunting Video) alum Diana Eng's recent book "Fashion Geek" is filled with creative ideas on how to tech up your wardrobe. Our personal favorite is the digital locket, which takes the usually drab digital keychain and gives it a sparkly new purpose in five easy steps. The result is an embellished necklace...
Wave Books is a poetry publisher clearly smitten with books as objects. Born from the ashes of Verse Press in 2005, the independent Seattle-based press consistently produces volumes that reflect the care and consideration given to the poems themselves. There's no clear thread running through their diverse catalog — Wave, instead, describes its aim as "publishing the best in American poetry by new and...
Nathan Shedroff's new book, "Design is the Problem", presents a practical and layman-accessible exploration of sustainable design. In it, he breaks the progress towards sustainability into five parts: learning how to reduce, reuse, recycle, restore, and process. And Shedroff isn't afraid to get in reader's faces about the issue, either, bluntly stating that we need to "get over the guilt or shock or outrage......
The new brand Snyper's inaugural design, the Snyper One, melds a rugged profile with superior Swiss craftsmanship for a watch with high-tech specs, quality materials and masculine good looks. The stylish watch—to be released June 2009—is blazing trails with its technological innovation. Sapphire glass backing supports the framework for the watch, which features 7755 S caliber movement, an evolution of the reputable 7750 movement...
by Tisha LeungChanging the aesthetic of what a commuter bike could be, the IF-Mode, a full-size folding bike designed by acclaimed industrial designer Mark Sanders is now available in the U.S. The innovative design incorporates the benefits of a folding bike but with large wheels, ease of collapse and clean design, it's aimed at the commuter who wants to get to their destination in style....
Design firm Minimal is adding modern style to the tea industry with their sleek kettle and gadgets, which the World Kitchen recently honored at their Tea-Off! design competition. Created to promote innovative thinking and critical problem solving, the competition focuses on the role of design as a fundamental value for the kitchen and housewares industry—the perfect challenge for Minimal, a studio that balances high...
