Stories — Innovation

Hand Made in 77 Steps. Built to Last. 

You’ve likely seen versions or depictions of this iconic chair on many occasions, and in a variety of places: homes, offices, restaurants, hotels; maybe even prisons and submarines. The chair features regularly in design magazines and movies, such as The Matrix, The Dark Knight, Law & Order and CSI.

It’s called the 1006 (pronounced ten-oh-six) “Navy” chair, and it’s made in Hanover, Pennsylvania, by Emeco, a company that was created in 1944 just to make that specific chair. The back story is a good one.

Super Important But Short for Nothing

SOS is a Morse code distress signal (· · · — — — · · ·) that is internationally recognised as a request for help. Contrary to what some people may believe,  SOS does not stand for “Save our Ship” or “Save Our Souls”. The letters "SOS" don’t, in fact, stand for anything. They just happen to be the letters that correspond to the Morse code signal comprised of three dots, three dashes, and then three more dots.

Design Classic with Unique Movement

The official Swiss railway clock, also known as the "SBB clock," is a clock design that was created for use in railway stations in Switzerland by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in 1944. The clock has become a cultural icon in Switzerland and is considered a global design classic. The movement of its hands is unique.

What do they remind you off?

There’s a reason why QR codes might remind you of something else.

"I used to play Go [the Japanese game involving black and white stones played on a 19x19 grid] on my lunch break. One day, while arranging the black and white pieces on the grid, it hit me that it represented a straightforward way of conveying information. It was a eureka moment."
  ~ Masahiro Hara on Nippon.com, 10 February 2020

Functional Pests Not Beyond Redemption

Let's pay homage to the quietly achieving functional objects that make our lives better and get things done; or rather one single thing done ... extremely well.