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Let's look at eleven of the most exciting modern day concept cars and, as we admire their lithe lines and futuristic features, dream a little...

11. Ford Airstream concept

Anyone old enough to remember Airstream trailers? This striking new Ford concept isn't anything like them, don't worry! A fixture of the 2007 auto show scene, the Airstream concept previews the crossover vehicle of the future. Look beneath the Airstream's awesome appearance and you'll find a new plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell called HySeries Drive that provides continuous electric power without the need for fossil fuels.





10. Toyota i-Real concept

The i-Real takes "personal transportation" to the next level while blurring the line between car and scooter. Not those Razor Scooters beloved by teens, I mean those electric rolling chairs beloved by oldsters. As the Baby Boom morphs into the Elderly Explosion, a vehicle like the I-Real could find itself in great demand. It looks cool, is controlled by joysticks and it's a Toyota - sounds like a sure winner!




9. Nissan NV200 concept

The Nissan NV200 concept is the neatest thing since sliced bread - it even features a unique pull-out storage module that slides out from the rear doors like a loaf of bread from a plastic bag. In effect, the NV200 turns storage inside out... or is that outside in? Any way - you say it, Nissan's designers have offered a new option that could be just the thing for certain niche professions. Pictured below, is a concept fit for ocean photographers.





8. Mazda Ryuga concept

It's not often that design and engineering complement each other without compromise, and the Mazda Ryuga concept is an exquisite expression of creative cooperation! With its flowing lines, gullwing (more like bat-wing) doors and retro-futuristic interior, the Ryuga is simply stunning any way you look at it. Are there any practical reasons for bringing the Ryuga from concept to concrete? Maybe not... but humanity's desire to make dreams come true has to be respected. Zoom zoom? Yes please!





7. Acura NSX Advanced Sports Car concept

The Acura NSX was Honda's interpretation of a Ferrari-esque supercar, and it sold in modest numbers from 1990 to 2005 without much in the way of appearance or engineering changes. That was then, this is now... the Acura NSX Advanced Sports Car Concept picks up where the old NSX left off - in fact, Honda's CEO announced the new NSX's development program within days of the previous model's last production day. Though only a concept car at the moment, the Acura NSX Advanced Sports Car Concept should hit the streets later this year. Features include a Formula One-inspired V10 motor and the SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system currently used in the Acura RL. Here's hoping Honda follows through on their promises!





6. Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car concept

Hybrids... they're the queens of the green, clean fuel-sippin' scene. They're NOT mean drivin' machines, however, but all that may change if Toyota has anything to do with it - and they do. The FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car concept is not your grandmother's Prius though it's still powered by a hybrid motor. The difference is, the motor in the FT-HS can push the sleek 2-door coupe to 60 mph in 4 seconds flat! If the rumors are true, the FT-HS is the forthcoming replacement for the Toyota Supra.





5. Lexus LF-A concept

As hot as the Toyota concept cars may be, some of the ideas bubbling out of Lexus are even hotter! That's how it should be, since Lexus is Toyota's premier brand and has a lofty image to uphold. With the LF-A concept, that image is set to fly even higher. This concept is "on track" to be produced as a 2009 model and let's just hope the track has no obstacles. Is the LF-A going to be the next - or rather the first - Lexus supercar? A mid-engine layout with perfect weight distribution, rear-mounted radiators and a top speed of over 200 mph answers that question emphatically - YES!





4. McLaren M Eleven B concept

How do you improve upon the best? That was the question put to students of the Istituto Europeo di Design's Transport Design course, who were asked to design an updated version of McLaren's legendary supercar, the F1. Hailed as one of the finest iterations of the supercar class ten years ago, the F1 is still relatively unmatched in virtually every category. Students at the Turin, Italy based school were asked to design the next-gen McLaren supercar, using a mid-engine format, a 200 mph top speed and the ultimate in road-going performance. The winner of the competition was the M Eleven B. Will it be built? As long as there are those who demand the very best, the M Eleven B will find a market at any price.





3. Maybach Excelero concept

Maybach is Mercedes-Benz's icing on the automotive cake and the Excelero, of which only a single concept has been made, is the crèm de la crème. The Excelero certainly looks formidable, and it's got the power to back it up - though it's hard to imagine this car ever backing up! But I digress... a twin-turbo, 5.9 litre V12 engine puts out an awe-inspiring 700 hp. Can the tires take it? Who cares - if you're in the Excelero's target market, tires are not your concern.





2. Toyota Volta concept

Toyota seems intent on banishing the hybrid car's meek image for good - and the Volta hybrid sportscar concept is very, very good indeed! The Volta takes the basic hybrid engine blueprint and squeezes every bit of potential out of it. The result? A 435-mile cruising range and an, er, electric 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds flat! Most enticing, the Volta features a unique drive-by-wire control system that allows any of the three - yes, three - front seat occupants to assume control of the vehicle just by having said controls moved in front of them. Memo to Toyota... make the Volta, please!!





1. GMC Denali XT concept

Oil crisis, what oil crisis? If the radically styled GMC Denali XT concept could talk, that's what it would likely say - and it would find a lot of ears ready to listen! Should this beautiful brute actually make it into production, an entire fleet of Hummers, Excursions and Suburbans is going to look really old, really fast. Best of all, though the Denali XT concept looks like a fuel-hog, it really isn't - and that's notwithstanding the 326 horsepower, 4.9 litre V8 ensconced beneath its sculptured hood. Flex-fuel capability, direct fuel injection and GM's proven Active Fuel Management system delivers twice the fuel economy of a standard setup. The Denali XT concept is one mean, green machine!





These eleven exceptional concept cars prove beyond a doubt that the auto industry is thriving under the combined pressures of competition, regulation and market saturation. It takes a lot to get yourself noticed in this type of environment, and the world's creative designers, engineers and marketers know it - and are doing something about it. Hey, they've got my attention... and if they bring these classy concepts into mass production, they just might get my order!

Article by Steve Levenstein from Inventor Spot. Steve writes about weird and wonderful Japanese innovations on a regular basis and you can catch up on current & previous examples at his blog. Submit your thoughts - click here!

There are some graphics that could be readily used from the wallpaper and the banners with different slogans on them. I'm not sure as to what to go with and would like to ask you the same question I asked Derek. Could give me some feedback as to what you might enjoy wearing, what type of clothes (hoddie, shirt... etc.) and the design/slogan on it?

The other question in my mind is which store to have these produced by. I've heard that the stuff you get from CafePress are not as nice or longer lasting than some other stores like Brunetto or GoodStorm. What was your experience with merchandise from these store if you made previous purchases? Any other ideas?

The research of Dr. Edward de Bono is of significant value to everybody working in an environment where creativity is important. His work shows how one can learn to use the brain more efficiently and - ultimately - become more able to produce a higher number of ideas. This article briefly explains de Bono's theories about the brain as a system, and will also present the creative tool PO as a way to beat that system - and be more creative.

A vital concept to understand, and the foundation of his work, is the theory of the brain as a self-organizing information system. When the brain receives information, it organizes itself based on experiences from the past that have already left their marks. Edward de Bono presents the following analogy:

A spoonful of ink is poured onto a towel spread out flat. The ink is absorbed and leaves a permanent stain. The stain can be referenced to by coordinates taken along the edges of the towel. A spoonful of hot ink is poured onto a bowl of jelly. The ink melts the jelly slowly, but cools down quickly. A depression has been made in the surface of the jelly. The ink stains represent information input. When several spoonfuls are poured onto the towel, more permanent stains are made. They never change; it becomes a record of everything that has happened to the towel. When several spoonfuls are poured onto the jelly, the holes will connect and the ink will flow into the existing depressions and make them deeper. The jelly is self-organizing; the towel is not.

The patterns generated by the brain are asymmetric; we go along the deepest patterns without noticing the side track. If we - randomly or by using techniques deliberately - get over to the alternative track, "the route becomes obvious in hindsight. This is the basis of both humor and creativity." When the solution becomes logical in hindsight, we believe that the solution could have been found logically from the start; this is a belief that makes us focus more on logic rather than creativity. In a passive, self-organizing system like the brain, an idea that is logical in hindsight is not necessarily accessible by logic in foresight.

PO is the fundamental tool of the creative system. It is a word created by Dr. de Bono for this purpose. Its need arises from "the deficiencies of the special memory-surface". He argues that "the use of PO is a skill that can be learnt and practiced just as you learn to drive, cook, surf or play golf". Its function is purely creative, just like the function of yes/no is judgemental. PO is a tool that acts to break down patterns and conquer dogmatism. It introduces discontinuity, and helps you move sideways across patterns instead of getting trapped by them and being led in their tracks. To use PO as a specific thinking tool, there are three basic uses:

PO1 - The Intermediate Impossible
This process can be said to be an extremely powerful variant of the word suppose. It is built upon the concept that wrong and/or impossible ideas can be used as gateways or stepping stones to ideas that are not wrong. It is a way to jump over the barrier of judgement, and continue in a seemingly wrong direction. This tool is often used as provocative statements. From a graphic design point of view, an example might be "PO this copy should not be readable". The objective is to explore unfamiliar landscape, and see where the provocation is leading. Results of this PO could be to have the text presented in the Braille system, a feature for audio playback of the same text, communicating the same message purely pictorial, or special glasses that make the copy readable.

PO2 - Random Juxtaposition
This requires a completely random word, and is a technique to form ideas between two concepts that have no previous connection in your memory bank. This technique provides two unrelated starting points, and your brain will try to find a path to connect the two concepts - a process that will force you to explore new thoughts and ideas. "The subject was cigarette. The random word was traffic light. From that quickly came the suggestion of putting a red band around cigarettes so that the smoker had a decision zone. If he or she stopped at the red band, then the smoker was gaining control over his or her smoking habit."

PO3 - Challenge for Change
The third use of PO is simply a judgement by-pass technique. It is an invitation to generate alternative solutions and fresh thinking, even if an adequate and fitting solution already is found. It is a formal way of saying "Why?", "Why this concept?", without getting a defense of the initial idea as an answer. It is an attempt to fight complacency and arrogance, by putting an existing idea to one side and keep on searching for new solutions. It sums up the following statement: "That is one way of looking at things and it is perfectly valid, but it does not exclude other ways, so let us try to find some".

A major point that de Bono advocates, is to suspend judgement throughout the entire creative phase. Critical thinking and creative thinking are two incompatible processes. Another author in the field, Dr Michael LeBoeuf, agrees, and introduces the following analogy: "To use your judgement and imagination simultaneously is like stepping on the brakes and the accelerator of your car at same time". One must allow invalid statements, untruths and steps in seemingly wrong directions, in order to create a mental environment for creative thinking. This is a vital principle that needs to be understood and practiced. High-paced, effective idea generation without any room for critical thinking will result in a much higher number of ideas, which then can be judged critically and logically in the selective phase. A thought that presents itself as a bad idea at the time, might lead you onto something else - something that you would not have seen if you had abandoned the initial thought. This is a significant part of lateral thinking, and it is fundamentally different from vertical thinking. "The need to be right all the time is the biggest bar there is to new ideas".

Katie Konrath, who recently finished a Master's in Creativity and Innovation at the University of Malta, is a certified lateral thinking instructor. She explains that the more ridiculous the PO is, the better the creative output will be. The goal is to make your brain so "disturbed by the apparent lack of connection between your creative challenge and the PO statement that [it] will plumb its depths for any connection possible". She, too, mentions the dangers of judgment. If you get selective in the generative phase, your creativity will be drastically limited.

This research provides an understanding of how the brain functions as a system. That understanding can be used to overcome the natural barriers that restrict your creative sessions, and thereby improve your creative capacity. There are several misconceptions about creativity, and de Bono addresses them all in a way that is simple enough for youngsters to use and simple enough to make academics angry. You can download the full article about this study here [PDF]. For further reading, the books Lateral Thinking and PO: Beyond Yes and No are excellent starting points.

This article was written by Asgeir Hoem from Journale. It a site updated with articles on design, typography, creativity and cool randomness. If you are interested in contributing to the thinking process and become a guest writer on The Thinking Blog, find out more information here and be my guest!

Honorable Mentions:

• Mert Erkal's Let's Meet Where The Continents Meet!
• Jowell's The Blue Addictions
• Nina Munteanu's The Alien Next Door
• Josh Sankey's I Love Josh
• Jeaux's Fickle Food
• Someone's Hidden Council
• Jean Jeanie's Growing Up
• The Average Girl's Guide to Being a Princess
• The Artist's Blank Canvas
• Cristle Girl's Mixing It Up

Lost Reviews: One review link was broken but I will give the link here anyway. The Junky's Wife (broken link)

Blog Design Winner: Pearl's Interesting Observations. The re-design couldn't be implemented perfectly yet - but here is the favicon . Thank you for this honest review Pearl!

For those who didn't review The Thinking Blog yet: Well, now it's too late (at least to get a linkback or a re-design). Though stay tuned because I will have a big contest coming soon with a real prize.

As a freelance graphic artist, I also needed such a site. Actually, it was even long overdue but I finally got around doing a very basic portfolio for the moment. One of the most important aspects of an online portfolio is to show the work done in just one page - rather than having thumbnails or slideshows which require more clicking and browsing. It should be right there layed-out in front of everyone as if all the sample designs are spread out on a table like playing cards. I went a step further and created the whole site as one page. I think it's much better that way, what do you think? Click here to view my portfolio. Comments and suggestions welcome!