Theo Jansen has been creating strange animal robots for years, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I find Mr. Jansen particularly inspiring because he uses a completely different paradigm for how his robots move. Before, I would thing of extremely heavy gears and servos moving a bulky frame. Theo Jansen does everything the opposite of what we would expect. His creations are light, thin, and almost appear to move as if by magic. Prepare to be amazed

I’ve recently read John Maeda’s book, The Laws of Simplicity. It’s the perfect book for any young ambitious designer because the laws help bring any design down to its essential parts without being too simple. But if you don’t have time to read the book, then watch this Awesome video made at the TED Conference.”

Dudes! I’ve been meaning to put this video up for weeks! This is a video from the TED conference in Monterey, CA of a lecture given by Jeff Han. Jeff is an interaction designer… or one who designs the interface for people to interact with machines. He has created a touch screen for your computer that is amazing. Basically, it allows for the screen to be any size you want, and multiple people can work on the same screen at once. It’s truly a paradigm shifting innovation, and it will freak you out when you see the video.

What is the deal with all the TED videos? I know, I know. I can’t help it, though. These videos really put a spark in my mind when I’m designing as to how I should look at a project. But, the week is almost up , so I will be going back to covering fun stuff like the USB memory key in the shape of Mother Mary, or who knows what. I want to challenge you, though. If you read this blog, and you see a TED video that fascinates you, then please send it along to friends as well. So, what TED video do we have today? The cofounder of worldchanging.com Alex Steffan. I heard Alex speak earlier this year at SXSW Interactive Media Conference in Austin, TX. The speech was full of doom and gloom, but then the discussion opened up to all the possibilities of design and innovation with a push towards sustainability, and that’s when I really became interested. Definitely Check out his video from the Technology | Entertainment | Design Conference in Monterey!

Janine Benyus is the author of the book: Biomimicry and a self professed nature nerd. What she has unleashed with her book is a popular consciousness of the power of nature and nature’s design. In the video I’ve included from the 2006 TED conference in Monterey, Janine introduces 12 design ideas that have the potential to create new industries. The ideas are that powerful. So, if you are looking for some design inspiration, check out her video, and keep in mind that she’s giving you the tools to observe nature in a new light which could allow for great design innovation.