12 Greatest Designs of the Century

one small seed — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:50:56 +0000

In the past century we have gone from handwritten letters and snail mail to social media obsessed zombies with iPhone apps for every situation in life. That’s why it’s not a surprise that the Apple Macintosh was recently selected as one of the greatest designs of the past century. What is shocking, are some of the others that made the list.

image: icsid.org

29 June was World Industrial Design Day to celebrate the latest inventions and designs that are constantly rocking our world. CNN sat down with top designers from world famous design firm, Continuum, to discuss which inventions they thought were the most important. Some list items are expected such as iPods and airplanes, but designers dug in the archives to bring remembrance to floppy disks. Designers also gave some credit to inventions that have become so normal we barely bat an eye at them anymore. Don’t forget about the first time you rode an escalator and took some unnecessary trips up and down for a few hours.

Take a look at the full list:

image: edition.cnn.com

Mac computer: Since it’s debut in 1984 Mac hasn’t stopped surprising us. With user-friendly interfaces and trend-setting designs, Macintosh is here to stay.

image: edition.cnn.com

Piaggio’s Vespa: One of the most functional and affordable means of transportation. It easily fits in smaller spaces than cars and is a much more graceful means of travel for women in skirts.

image: edition.cnn.com

Escalator: Possibly the coolest thing about going to the mall as a kid. Now escalators can be found everywhere as an effective means of moving foot traffic.

image: edition.cnn.com

Virgin Galactic Space Plane: In the age of world travel, the globe is starting to feel too small as space exploration becomes more popular. The first tourist service available outer space opened up the final frontier to a brand new demographic.

image: edition.cnn.com

AK-47: One of the most popular weapons used on the battlefield today.

image: edition.cnn.com

Floppy Disk: Prior to USB ports, portable hard drives, and jump drives, the floppy disk was the most popular means of digital file transfers.

image: edition.cnn.com

iPod: After years of Walkman and portable CD players, the iPod was the breakthrough ’90s fashion needed. It is the device that has defined a generation and helped transport music over oceans and continents.

image: edition.cnn.com

Aeron Chair: Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf designed this chair in 1994 which inspired countless styles that can be found anywhere there is a desk.

image: edition.cnn.com

Bang & Olufsen stereo: Karim Rashid, a U.S designer and owner of this sound system told CNN ‘I bought this stereo when I was 19. At the time it cost a fortune but I still use it today. It has never failed me.’

image: edition.cnn.com

Airbus A380: If you’ve ever travelled overseas, then you’ve air chariot was most likely an Airbus. It’s the largest passenger jet that can carry over 850 people across the world.

image: edition.cnn.com

Ford Model T: The list would not be complete without the Model T. Despite the revolutionary process of the assembly line that was developed through production, the Model T itself granted millions of people mobility and stability.

Jet Engine: Frank Whittle wouldn’t take no for an answer after he was initially rejected from the British Royal Air Force, Whittle overcame physical limitations, became a pilot and developed the first turbo jet engine.

Images courtesy of: icsid.org, CNN.com

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12 Greatest Designs of the Century