YVES BEHAR –DESIGNER

“Design Brings Stories to Life.”

Yves Behar and his studio fuseproject designed the XO Laptop Computer and the Leaf

Lamp we display in our Craft and Design Museum.

Designer Making a Difference The headline of Yves Behar’s fuseproject website is “Design Brings Stories to Life”. While a

good headline, it might also be “Designer Making a Difference”. Yves Behar has been very

successful and while doing so has also been an agent for social change. His designs typically

include using recycled materials, recyclability of the product itself, low power usage and other

environmentally friendly features.

Biographical Information Yves Behar was born in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1967 of a German mother and a Turkish

father. His multicultural background was a positive influence with consistency and innovation

being learned in Switzerland and storytelling and a love of human connection being learned

during summers in Istanbul with his father’s family. In his presentation at the 2008 annual TED

(Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference, he talked about realizing as a child that

objects tell stories. He saw these stories in carpets with battles and love scenes and in furniture

with carved figures. As a teen he decided to become a designer in order to tell stories.

Yves Behar studied industrial design in Europe and the United States. He holds a B.S. in

Industrial Design from the Arts Center College of Design, in Pasadena, Calif. He began his

career working for design firms with clients such as Apple, but he realized the clients didn’t

really want the designers to change the insides of their products. They were looking for the

designers to create the skins, to put some pretty stuff outside the box. He “wanted to be involved

with the products themselves as well as the outsides so he struck out on his own in San Francisco

in 1999”.( Yves Behar, TED May, 2008) Over the course of the next 14 years between then and

now his studio, fuseproject, has produced numerous designs, won a number of awards and been

very successful. He has had exhibits in London; Holon, Israel; Milan, Italy; Vienna, Austria,

Beijing, China and in many major US cities. He has been featured in magazines such as Time,

Azure, Modern, Business Week, The Christian Science Monitor, Oprah Magazine as well as

design magazines such as I.D. and Masters of Design.

This paper will focus on two items in our Design Gallery as well as some additional objects he

and his studio, fuseproject, have developed in keeping with his commitment to the wellbeing of

our planet. Some have a connection to Charlotte. The first is the XO Laptop computer. At the

time this paper was written, the laptop was on display open and facing the viewer. The cover

with it’s distinctive X and O can be seen if one walks around the side of the cabinet and looks for

it but that is probably not an expected path. It might be good to see the cover more prominently

displayed as it is the most recognizable part.

XO LAPTOP 2007 Yves Béhar (Swiss, 1967 - present)Designer

One Laptop Per Child (2002 - present)Manufacturer/Studio

Mixed mediaMiscellaneous design

Measurements: height: 1.25 width: 9.0 depth: 9.5

Gift of Yves Behar / fuseproject2010.52.1

Nicholas Negroponte created the One Laptop Per Child foundation and worked with Behar’s

fuseproject to create a low-cost laptop specifically adapted to children and their environment.

OLPC’s mission was simple: “To empower the world’s poorest children through education.” To

that end, it worked with education ministries around the world, and has distributed more than 2

million XOs in 42 countries. While Uruguay was the first participating country, the largest

deployment by far has been in Peru, involving more than 8,300 schools and 980,000 laptops.

www.One.laptop.org.

The XO is recognizable as a child's product with soft edges and rubber keyboard but not

a toy

It has the look and feel of a high-quality tool for education.

The color options for the X and O on the cover allow for 400 easily recognizable versions

of the product.

There is an integrated video camera, three USB ports, a microphone, speakers and a

battery that can be charged with a hand crank, foot pedal, solar powered charger or

several other devices.

The XO was awarded the Green Electronics Council’s first ‘Electronic Product

Environmental Assessment Tool’ Gold level rating as not only non-toxic and fully

recyclable, but lasts longer, costs less and is more energy efficient. Green Electronics

Councils sole purpose is assessing and measuring the impact laptops have on the

environment. This is interesting in light of comments by Yves Behar in his TED 2008

presentation when he said “his designers and engineers fought the manufacturers and

suppliers like animals to make this computer". (Yves Behar, TED May, 2008) He said as

much time or more went into this computer than many standard computers but the long

term results and cost savings were worth it.

“In many schools such as this one in Ramallah, students use their XOs in class

and out. These girls are on their way home.” www.One.laptop.org

“Three young students work together on the curb outside school in Uruguay.“

www.One.laptop.org

Charlotte Connections The XO laptop is one of the designs from Yves Behar with a Charlotte connection. A front page

article in The Charlotte Observer February 8, 2013 states “Project LIFT also is providing laptop

computers to elementary students through the One Laptop Per Child program.”

Another article February 27, 2013 by David Perlmutt again highlights the laptops, “At Druid

Hills Academy, representatives from Project LIFT and the international nonprofit One Laptop

Per Child began handing out the first of 2,000 laptop computers that will go to every first-,

second-, third- and fourth-grader in the LIFT zone.” He also wrote, “It marks One Laptop Per

Child’s largest U.S. project in it eight-year history.” Perhaps very soon we will have students in

our tours recognizing the laptop and being excited to see something of theirs on display.

“First-grader Tamia Baldwin hugs her new laptop computer at Druid Hills Academy Tuesday.

More than 2,000 laptops were handed out to first-, second-, third- and fourth-grade students in

the Project LIFT zone. TODD SUMLIN” The Charlotte Observer, February 23, 2013

Charlotte is also featured in One Laptop’s website

OLPC Heads to Charlotte, North Carolina Thanks to Knight Foundation, OLPC will be providing laptops and training to over 2,500 teachers and students in Charlotte’s

Project L.I.F.T. Zone

“North Carolina is one of 45 states that has adopted Common Core, a comprehensive K-12 curriculum that

emphasizes 21st century learning skills and real world application of content. Community leaders, administrators

and teachers all believe that these laptops are one tool that will position their students for success in the global

economy.” www.One.laptop.org

Leaf Lamp

Leaf Lamp in our gallery

The second Yves Behar design at the Mint Museum of Craft and Design is the Leaf Lamp.

Fuseproject designed both the bulb and the light for Herman Miller over more than four years.

The light can be switched from a soft warm light to a bright work light by sliding a finger

along a groove in the base.

Even though it has LED lighting the lamp is not hot to the touch through the use of a heat

distribution system which does not include a fan. This network of vents and a heat sink

are the components that took nearly four years to engineer.

The Leaf’s 20 LEDs use 40% less energy than a 13-watt compact fluorescent bulb.

The Leaf is made of 37% recycled materials and is up to 95% recyclable.

The Leaf has received numerous awards and been included in the permanent collections

of museums worldwide, including the Musée National D'Art Moderne/Centre Pompidou,

Paris; MoMA,-New York; The Art Institute of Chicago and the Mint Museum of Craft

and Design. It was also chosen by TIME Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2007.

Some other designs by Yves Behar and fuseproject.

"See Better to Learn Better" is a free eyeglasses program in partnership with the Mexican

government and Augen Optics, a Mexican company.

Free eye exams are administered in schools and students pick their own frames.

Frames are produced locally and then delivered to the schools.

The stigma of wearing of glasses is eliminated by key elements like shape and color that

make wearing the glasses fun and personal.

Two-part frames are fully customizable with top and bottom colors that can be mixed and

matched to fit all children’s personal choices.

Nose pads let children with more petite noses wear the glasses comfortably.

Through the use of the two part construction, 7 colors, 5 shapes and 3 sizes, these glasses

can be swapped and adjusted in the field in order to update prescriptions.

The glasses use Gilamid plastic, with its hyper-flexible property, making them practically

indestructible. The plastic is more expensive initially but is a better investment long

term.

Jawbone

UP UP is a computer for your wrist. “This little wristband computer has a processing core, battery,

vibration motor, sensors and memory. … robust enough to survive the traumas of 24/7 wear”.

www.fuseproject.com

The UP bends, it adapts to each user’s wrist shape, it is flexible, and it is water resistant.

“It tracks hours slept, light vs. deep sleep and waking moments, tracks every move,

including distance, calories burned, active time, and activity intensity, keeps track of

what you eat, finds hidden connections and patterns in your day-to-day activities,

reminds you to move when you've been inactive for too long. Wakes you up refreshed—

at the right moment in your sleep cycle. “www.fuseproject.com

Jawbone JAMBOX

Jawbone and fuseproject introduced the wireless speaker and speakerphone, JAMBOX.

The JAMBOX allows people to connect with all of their audio devices with the ability to

seamlessly stream and share music, movies, games, phone and conference calls

anywhere.

The JAMBOX is portable, it has stainless steel construction and industrial-weight molded

rubber casing. All four sides of JAMBOX are wrapped in a single grill to cut down on

moving parts.

Jawbone ICON Bluetooth headset

“The Jawbone ICON is available in six designs. It recognizes when you are speaking. Resting

on your skin, it takes out background noise when you speak. The ICON also introduces

MyTALK, with an array of apps. MyTALK customizes with an easy access button that links to

411, voice-to-SMS and voice dial, or turn on/off the voice tones that whispers the battery life and

caller ID.”www.fuseproject.com

“If it isn’t beautiful is doesn’t belong on your face.” Yves Behar, TED May, 2008.

Puma Clever Little Bag

Behar and his studio, fuseproject, partnered with PUMA to create a packaging system that would

reduce their footprint and contribute toward cleaner, greener, and safer practices. The challenge

was packaging, and more specifically shoeboxes. Boxes contribute to millions of tons of waste a

year. Their new design solution was a “clever little bag”.

The bag uses 65% less cardboard than the standard shoe box, has no laminated printing,

no tissue paper, takes up less space and weighs less in shipping.

The cardboard structure is die cut from one flat piece of material and has no additional

printing or assembly.

The bag is non-woven which means less work and waste (it is stitched with heat).

The “clever little bag” is a brand element upon leaving the store as it replaces the plastic

shopping bag.

The bag is made of polyester consisting of polypropylene, and is also recyclable.

GE WattStation

Fuseproject's vision for the WattStation is an electric-car-charger design that is as durable as

street furniture, as visible as a light beacon, and as beautiful as street greenery.

www.fuseproject.com

An LED light ring indicates whether the WattStation is available (white), fully charged

(green), charging (red), or out of order (yellow).

GE's Smart Grid technology is imbedded which enables charging a vehicle in 4-8 hours

compared to the typical 12-18.

Wireless communication with digital platforms and mobile devices allows users to

remotely locate, operate and monitor the unit.

The WattStations will be found all over the US, as well as Europe and Asia. At this time

there are four in Charlotte with one about two blocks from the Mint Museum Uptown.

City of New York NYC Condom

According to the NYC Department of Health, New York City remains the epicenter of the

HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. The city has more AIDS cases than Los Angeles, Miami, San

Francisco, and Washington, DC combined.

Condoms are the most effective method of reducing the risk of sexual transmission of HIV. So

the Department of Health launched an initiative to dispense its own condoms for free.

Fuseproject was brought on board to design the NYC branded condom and its dispenser.

www.fuseproject.com

The goals were to prevent AIDS and teen pregnancies.

Fuseproject felt the wrapper and dispenser needed to be identifiable to the NYC citizens.

The dispenser fits in a variety of venues, from dive bar, homeless shelter to convenience

stores.

The wrapper and dispenser encourage dialogue and use.

Launch was Valentines Day 2008 and use far exceeded expectations. NYC tripled the

original goal with over 39 million condoms distributed in the first year of the program.

Learning Shoe

“Commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Learning shoe explores how a

mass-produced object might address individual ergonomic needs.

The shoe features a reactive sole material and an embedded "learning chip" that collects data

about its wearer's feet and gait. This information is stored on the chip. When the customer

returns to the store for next season's style, the data is uploaded and used to create custom

ergonomics. Thus the Learning shoe evolves with its wearer.” www. fuseproject. com

O

Birkenstock Footprints

In 1967, when Birkenstock shoes were first introduced to the American market, they rapidly built

a successful, counter-cultural brand. In order to grow, however, Birkenstock needed to break free

from the rigidity of its past. They approached fuseproject to help develop a new line of shoes

under the name Footprints. They wanted to maintain their commitment to comfort, green design,

recyclability and sustainable manufacturing, while simultaneously attracting a new audience - the

modern urbanite.” www.fuseproject.com

Mission Motors

“Mission Motors is an electric motorcycle with no gas tank or tail pipe. It has a battery pack

enclosed in a lightweight aluminum structure. The motorcycle was designed to be a performance

bike rather an ‘eco-toy’ even though it is fueled by alternative energy.” www.fuseproject.com

Fly Bench

“The FLY bench was designed for Bernhardt as part of the Global Edition furniture. FLY is a

solid oak plank lifted in mid-air by two stainless-steel triangles. The two sides of the bench

gently slope inward for sitting comfort.” www.fuseproject.com

If this bench looks familiar don’t be surprised. They are the benches near the escalators at the

Mint Museum uptown.

SAYL Chair

“The SAYL chair collection is inspired by the principles of suspension bridges.”

www.fuseproject.com

The SAYL offers the first frameless suspension system.

Anything not necessary was removed.

Lower carbon footprint (30% lighter) and lower retail cost are due to materials and

assembly savings.

Voyage

Yves Behar and fuseproject have designs which go beyond the consumer products so far

included. “Sponsored by Swarovski and Bombay Sapphire, Voyage is a fluid shape light

sculpture 5 meters long, and weighs 1.3 tons. Voyage is made up of over 50,000 Swarovski

crystals that, combined with motion sensing LED lights, produce a motion effect that ebbs and

flows, creating a form that represents a perpetual journey, a continual coming and going.”

www.fuseproject.com

Voyage was installed at JFK's Terminal 4 international airport that welcomes travelers as

they pass through.

A mini version of Voyage has been permanently installed in the lobby of the newly

opened Museum of Art and Design in New York City.

Morpheus

“Swarovski challenged us to "reinvent" the chandelier for its "Crystal Palace" collection at Art

Basel Miami, the preeminent biannual art-world gathering.” www.fuseproject.com

Rather than a traditional object to be viewed, Morpheus is a chandelier that changes its

form.

The viewer becomes a participant using a hand held touch screen tablet to control the

shapes and brightness of Morpheus.

Servo-motors and lead cables apply pressure to a flexible spring steel assembly and allow

movement of the 10 foot diameter and 16,000 crystals light sculpture.

Values a designer can bring to his work are

environmental issues like sustainability and low

power usage. They can be function and beauty

and they can be about business strategy.

“Design is the glue that brings these together.”

Yves Behar, TED Conference 2008

Yves Behar and fuseproject have many other designs developed for a wide range of businesses,

non-profits and governments. And he is not alone as a designer doing his part to make a positive

difference in the world. He included designers like Jonathan Ive with Apple, Nicholas

Negroponte with OLPC, Dieter Rams with Braun, and Deyan Sudjic of London’s Design

Museum along with three others in a 2012 article in Forbes. “Design needs a new relationship with the world, one that is more focused on our planet’s needs.” “Yves Behar: World’s 7 Most Important People in Design” Forbes

Design is more than what something looks like.

References

Helms, Ann Doss. (February 8, 2013) “Project LIFT Aims to Get Students Netbooks, Internet

Access”. The Charlotte Observer

Perlmutt, David (February 27, 2013) “Laptops LIFT Students”. The Charlotte Observer

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/27/3879197/west-charlotte-students-to-

receive.html#storylink=cpy Accessed February 27, 2013

Said, Carolyn. (July 2, 2003) “More Than Meets The Eye/ S.F. Designer a Master of

Understatement”. San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/More-than-

meets-the-eye-S-F-designer-a-master-2605914.php Accessed February 12, 2013

Chislett, Helen. “It’s Not All About Yves.” Financial Times, [May 7, 2010]: 8-10.

http://howtospendit.ft.com/philanthropy/1713-its-not-all-about-yves Accessed February 12,

2013

McGray, Douglas. “The Laptop Crusade” Wired, [August 2006]

www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.08/laptop.html. Accessed February 25, 2013

Perlroth, Nicole. (November, 2, 2011). “Yves Behar:World’s 7 Most Important People in

Design”. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleperlroth/2011/11/02/yves-behar-the-worlds-

7-most-powerful-designers Accessed February 12, 2013

Rich, Sarah. “Yves Behar Reveals His Brand Logic”. Azure Magazine, [Sept 2010]; 65-68.

Van Dyk, Deidre. (August, 14, 2007) “Top 25 Visionaries”. Time Magazine

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1647860. Accessed February 12, 2013

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. TED Conference Filmed February 2008, Posted May, 2008.

http://www.ted.com/talks/yves_behar_on_designing_objects_that_tell_stories.html Accessed

February 20, 2013.

www.fuseproject.com. Retrieved February, 12 – 27, 2013