Whipsaw

Design Factories

By: Tim McKeough

American industrial designers are the secret heroes of the marketplace, finessing products to make them easier to use and help them sell better. Here’s how five top firms have been busy shaping our world.

Beyond offering solutions to design problems, San Jose, California-based Whipsaw aims to expose the essence of a product and strike an emotional chord with consumers. “It’s like design psychology,” says president Dan Harden.

1. Etón FR Radios
   Designed for emergencies, these radios have rugged shells, flashlights, and phone chargers. Powered by hand crank or solar. From $30
2. Vudu Box
   For the streaming video service, a curvy case and a minimalist remote. $299
3. Linksys Wireless Routers
   These wireless routers even look fast. Antennae hide behind the sculpted rim. From $100
4. LeapFrog LeapPad
   Designed to look like a laptop for kids, the colorful LeapPad transforms printed books into multimedia experiences with interactive sound. $25
5. Topcon GR-3
   Communicating with 36 satellites, this GPS receiver for surveyors is accurate to within 1 millimeter. Competing receivers are boxy devices set on posts, which tend to fall over in the field; this one is stable thanks to its heavy batteries being centered in the handle. From $20,000
6. Adiri Natural Nurser Bottle
   On the theory that Mother Nature knows best, here’s a bottle that mimics the shape of a breast. The top half is cushy elastomer, the bottom has a petal-shaped vent to reduce colic — and the entire thing is BPA-free. $13
7. Pano Logic zero-client computer
   Running apps off a central server, this tiny energy-efficient box replaces your desktop CPU by serving as a conduit between keyboard, monitor, and mother ship. $300
8. Intel Motion C5
   Say good-bye to the nurse’s clipboard: This touch-sensitive tablet communicates with a hospital’s server and boasts a bracelet scanner and a digital camera. $2,199
9. Roku SoundBridge
   Think of it as a middleman between your computer and audio systems, streaming digital music throughout the house. Its tubular shape makes adjusting the angle of display simple. $180