Rough Cut - Part 1

I made a visit today to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City to check out the latest installation by Paola Antonelli, Rough Cut - Design Takes a Sharp Edge. It was my first time back to MOMA since the full renovation about 5 years ago and the whole place is simply amazing. The entire third floor is dedicated to architecture and design.

Design is not always pretty; but when it is good, it is undeniably powerful and meaningful - and therefore beautiful.

My attention was first brought to MOMA after reading Paola's book, SAFE: Design Takes on Risk, based on an exhibit of items with a focus on safety and security in the post 9/11 world - and of course good design. Rough Cut had a few items that were left behind from SAFE but also a bunch of new things as well. My interest, of course, was looking for the GreenZoneSolutions, and I found a few...

The Snow Grabber is a simple but clever solution to a problem most of us in New England have faced: getting our car stuck in an icy rut during a snow storm. Sometimes this can just be an inconvenience, other times it could turn into a matter of life and death. The Snow Grabber is designed to be kept in the trunk of your car and deployed under the spinning tires to provide traction and get you back on your way. What makes it a GreenZoneSolution is the fact that it is made from recycled paper and is still tough enough to be used multiple times. The Japanese company that manufactures the Snow Grabber also makes emergency medical equipment from the same process.

The Rechargeable MagLight is still a must-have item in any police cruiser. Although quickly being replaced by many of the smaller LED models that are coming onto the scene, the MagLight was ubiquitous throughout the 90's and still has a solid place in public safety, if only for nostalgia sake. Simple design, durable construction, rechargable battery all add up to make it a classic GreenZoneSolution.

These two cycles are great examples of clever design at work to create portable vehicles fueled by renewable resources (human powered) with a ruggedness factor making them appropriate for a harsh environment. This ItalJet Pack-A-Way - Pack2 moped was built in 1979 and looks to be pretty sturdy and folds down small enough to put into a car trunk. The Puma bicycle in the background folds quickly and has features like a rear disc brake, single speed and oversized tires to handle city streets.

These three items manage to capture the essence of a GreenZoneSolution. Tomorrow I'll post a few items that come close but just miss the mark of being renewable, reliable and remarkable.