My design work varies from the poetic to the pragmatic. With self-initiated projects, I tend to design for the domestic sphere, at the scale of the individual, and often without a lot of technology. My academic projects involve greater ethnographic research and participatory methods and tend toward systems-, service-, and strategic-design. The images below represents the "making" aspect of my design practice, often in collaboration with Stephanie M. Tharp and our studio, materious.
While road biking and mountain biking are different sports with vastly different personalities, the helmets are surprisingly similar and, in many cases, interchangeable (especially in the mid-1990s when this was designed). The descriptors, "road" and "mountain" express some of their inherent dissimilarity—mountain biking is closer to nature. Hence, the XO Skeleton concept and form are inspired by nature's solutions to protection: poisonous caterpillars, cacti, alligators, coral, snapping turtles, poisonous frogs.
XO SKELETON
Mountain bike helmets
Models: expanded polystyrene
1994
The design intentionally defies conventional thinking regarding aerodynamics as this is generally of little concern for mountain bikers who travel at much slower speeds and with inconsistent head positioning. Further, the protuberances and rougher outer surface are more expressive of the attitude of the sport and its riders.
The helmet that is more protective in many crash scenarios, cooler on the head, as light, if not lighter, and as easy to use, while still conforming to the aggressive nature of the sport.
GILA MONSTER
CITY RAT
Traditional helmet design focuses primarily on aerodynamics and forced convection (cooling air flow through the helmet), since the weight reduction seems to have bottomed-out with most new helmets ranging from only 6-9 ounces. The aerodynamics are of little concern to mountain bikers (especially to the vast majority who do not race) due to the nature of the sport--a greater percentage of time is spent riding slowly (or even carrying) the bike uphill than during the quick descents. Traditional helmets focus on creating channels for air to move in through the front of the helmet, over the head, and out the posterior. The effectiveness of this depends greatly on a static head position, more characteristic of road biking. The design problem is how to address the different conditions of mountain biking, while making the helmets as protective, lightweight, and cool.
POISON ARROW FROG