Carbon Design Group has received two 2012 Good Design Awards for the Domino Clock and the Milgard SmartTouch Patio Door Handle.
"It is neat to see two projects at such opposite ends of the spectrum be recognized with this distinction," said Peter Bristol, Carbon's Creative Director. "Joe Sullivan's Domino Clock has a pure, undeniable 'sweetness' factor, while the Milgard handle brings real innovation in usability to an area that has been stagnant for decades."
A borrowed form with uncommon function, the Domino Clock creates a time-keeping system that is unexpected yet familiar all at once. The concept is simple: three larger-than-life dominoes, each equipped with a set of articulating dots which flip from black to white as they keep time with silent precision. The first domino marks hours, the other two show minutes. A custom electro-magnetic coil provides a low-power solution while lending a sense of gravity to the transitions.
The simple, intuitive Milgard SmartTouch Patio Door Handle is easily operated with a single hand-all in one easy motion. In contrast, most sliding doors employ a separate button or lever to engage the lock. This makes for an awkward, two-step process. The SmartTouch handle pivots slightly so that locking and unlocking occurs as a natural result of opening or closing the door. Pulling back on the handle naturally pivots the handle away from the face of the door. Conversely, pushing the sliding door closed results in forces that push the handle toward the door. Simply push or pull. The result is an intuitive product that also leverages existing internal mechanics, enabling Milgard to develop a new premium door line for the development and tooling costs of only a handle.