Design is personal, so here is my personal top 5 of 2008. During 2008 I covered the design weeks in Stockholm, Milan and Tokyo. But I have to admit I'm growing increasingly tired of all the design fairs showings us the emperors new clothes over and over again. Instead I tend to find the most interesting design outside of the design world - in art, music, the D.I.Y movement, science etc.

I would love to top my list with innovations such as The Global Seed Vault at Svalbard, a camera for the blind, the 2008 redesign of Einstein's fridge, originally patented in 1930, which uses ammonia, butance, water and less energy for cooling than a global warming contributing freon fridge or the finally released Tesla Roadster electric car - but they are all listed on the TIME's Best Inventions of 2008 list so I've picked some more personal things.

5) Creators Inn by Elvine
Creators Inn by Elvine offers visiting creators short-term accommodation in custom designed rooms in Gothenburg, Sweden. Note that this is a bit of self-promotion since my company co-produce the project, but it has generated so much interest from all around the world that I simply couldn't overlook it writing this list. We are hoping to expand the project to other cities during 2009.



4) Svenska Grammofon Studion
4 years ago Kalle Gustafsson and Mattias Nyberg set out to create the recording studio of their dreams in an old industrial building in Gothenburg, Sweden. Using second hand building material and vintage furniture and equipment they have since transformed about one room a month into something truly unique. The three floor complex called Svenska Grammofon Studion now holds several recording studios, as well as apartments for artists, and a lounge area with bar - all with an ambience from the golden days of music recordings. Since it's built from the ground up with sound in focus each room is separately isolated and if you wish to record while at the toilet or in the cubby-hole, no problem, there are recording sockets everywhere.



3) Nagi Noda
Maybe she stole some of her ideas, but who cares. The designer, director, artist, art director Nagi Noda, who sadly passed away in 2008, will always be an inspiration. Without her we wouldn't have lovely things such as Han Pandas, poodle dance videos or fantastic hair sculptures.



2) Apocalypse Lab's Soap
In pure Fight Club style, two girls took over an abandoned laboratory in Malmö, Sweden, named it Apocalypse Lab and started producing soap out of recycled deep frying oil from the city's many falafel kitchens. The result is simply called "Soap" and it even has it's own soundtrack by Andres Corazón featuring sounds from a calypso steel drum made of pans that are used to carry falafel oil.



1) iPhone 3G
I'm a late adopter and have only had mine for about a week now. It looks, feels and acts like I have imagined the future. But it's here today, and it's affordable and accessible, and therefore my design pick of the year 2008.

1) Sovrappensiero: Scented Time
While I don't love the way this object looks, it articulates movement,
change, and the passage of time in a way I've never seen (or smelled).

2) L'Atelier A Francis
Francis' work is playful, but liveable. It avoids the irony that many designers use when they make fun objects.

3) Anafim Outdoor Cutlery
This cutlery set out to solve a problem and unintentionally ended up beautiful. My only issue is with the material choice - molded fiber would be perfect here.

4) Hardcore Finnish Design
I visited this show, and was floored by Yrjo Kukkapuro and Henrik Enbom's desk lamp. The LED array, aluminum armature, and thick concrete base make this a great example of the decadence-free luxury I try to achieve in my own designs.

5) Dress by Benjamin Graindorge
I love how these tables play with our perception of softness and solidity. They also invite the people seated around to tuck themselves in.

It seemed like in 2008 there was a lot of product and also a lot of disappointment. With the technology available it seems like anyone can be a designer these days. Thankfully, a few gems shined through the rubbish. Here are my picks.

1) Touch: Mana
I know it's annoying when people see something that looks simple and say "but I could make that!" With that said, I could make these! Which is great because everyone I know (present company included) is going broke. I've also never really liked the idea of repurposing items just for the sake of repurposing. It's like how you justify your ugly light. "But it's made out of old bottles!" Uh, I'll take a pass. Thankfully, this clever and unique jewelry by Mana Bernandes successfully repurposes regular household items in a way that I find both striking and beautiful.

2) Philippe Starck, Designer
It's not often that Harry speaks his mind on MoCo Loco, but when he does, I am thankful. It takes a lot of balls to publicly out a bigwig like Philippe Starck, especially when you're the man behind one of the most read and influential blogs on the internet. I also appreciate that instead of simply calling Starck out, Harry offered up a solution to Starck's conundrum: create sustainable design that improves quality of life. It's much, much more difficult and challenging than "reinventing" an orange juicer. Great designers are replaceable. Great design is not.

3) Help
There's a reason that brands like Muji are as internationally successful as they are. It's because they don't cloud their product with a bunch of unnecessary garbage. I like practical packaging for practical products.

4) Future Perfect: Part 1
I'm a huge fan of Sarah Cihat's work. Most of her objects exhibit a healthy juxtaposition of delicate design and industrial materials.

5) Tokujin Yoshioka "Second Nature"
I fell in love with Yoshioka after seeing his exhibit at Design Miami last year. This chair, like everything else he creates, is 100% completely badass.

For me, 2008 was more about music than design. I spent a good deal of my time writing about the state of music, starting a record label, recording two albums and beginning the task of reviewing every single CD that I own. Luckily, music and design are intertwined in no small way. My "top five" MoCo pics from 2008 show this intersection, from superficial to conceptual.

1) Darkcloud Silver for Oye Modern
People who love music are always looking for ways to express this feeling. Most music/street fashion is overt, over-the-top, and ostentatious; it's nice to see something subtle and stylish.

2) Parra + The Perfect Unison
A lot of rather fun and stylish headphones come out this year, and I'd probably come of as a bit of a "poser" if I was sporting these Parra headphones on the street, but that hasn't stopped me from checking back at The Perfect Unison's website to see if it will actually update.

3) Tove Adman's Tivoli
I'm a podcast fanatic through and through, but this Tivoli makes me wish I enjoyed radio. Tove's take on the basic Model One design is understandable and easily appreciated.

4) Hidden Radio
Another radio... will radio change my mind in 2009? Doubtful, but it's really nice to see thoughtful attention being paid to audio. I'm still waiting to see an iPod dock that doesn't promote idolatry, really. John Van Den Nieuwenhuizen's radio concept is unassuming and inviting: it truly looks like something that is good to touch.

5) Key For You
By far my favorite post of the year, Yamaha turned the piano keyboard into a way to cherish your thoughts, to make new friends, to decorate your apartment, and to show off. "Key Between People" is both functional and referential. "Key For Journal" is something I'd absolutely love to get my hands on (if you're listening, Yamaha).

My Top 5 Picks are Top 5 Exhibit Spaces. The right setting for an installation or exhibit can turn an object into an experience - adding visual intrigue that plain white pedestals just can't provide. These top five picks left a lasting impression and made the presentation as memorable as the work itself.

1) Oddfellows Restaurant
Castor created the perfect showcase for their work in the form of a neighborhood restaurant. Not only are the concept and designs superb; the venue also hosts a weekly grazing night!

2) Klaus Haapaniemi at Iittala
The juxtaposition of Haapaniemi's beautifully intricate and whimsical ceramic plates in a less than perfect concrete room was striking.

3) Tyvek World
Diego Ramos & Luis Eslava's intensive exploration into the world of Tyvek was set in a humble shipping container. Cover any space in a singular material and I would probably be a fan, but the addition of their hand crafted furniture and lighting was fantastic.

4) Maarten Baas at Via Voghera 8
The backdrop for Maarten Baas's show in Milan this year was an old mechanic's garage. Not only did the scene reference Baas's own workshop, it forced visitors to search and explore, an idea I love for any exhibit.

5) Come Up to My Room
This unique curatorial event, set in a historic Toronto hotel, asks artists and designers to create site-specific, new work in a variety of rooms throughout the building.

The following objects strike me all as results of sensitive, relevant and forward thinking design. As a designer and consumer, I ask for nothing less. Here are my 5 MoCo picks, with comments in haiku format.

1) Florian Kräutli's Magnetic Curtain

Simply magnetic
Cloud frames adorn my windows
Crumple beautiful



2) Tord Boontje & Emma Woffenden's Transglass mirrors

Guatemala mix
Conscience driven production
Tomorrow mirrors



3) Maximal Design's Soul Ash Solace

Ceremonial
Materials of rituals
Solemn depart



4) John Van Den Nieuwenhuize's Hidden Radio

Interface design
I dig formal coalescence
Minimalism



5) Mike and Maaike's Baja BBQ Firepack

Clever delivery
Packaging turns to flames
Ashes to ashes