Ryan McManus

iRobot Scooba (designed at Manta Product Development) - I worked with Manta Product Development in Cambridge, Mass. on advising iRobot (the maker of Roomba, the robotic floor vacuum) about color directions for the second iteration of Roomba. They liked the suggestions and asked Manta (who then asked me) to design a new product, Scooba, the robot floormop. Designing a robot is pretty much as cool as it sounds. I went to iRobot and talked with their engineers, who showed me around their testing labs (which had a floor made of 2’x2’ squares of all different materials). I also got to see all the other robots they build, including ones for the military that do a whole lot more than clean up junior’s Cheerios. This was one of those nearly symbiotic working relationships between designers and engineers, too, which is always a tricky relationship. They listened to our concerns about usability, and we listened to theirs about water capacity. In the end, the product not only works (well, apparently - I still don’t have one), but its fit and finish are even nicer than its sibling, Roomba.

Coolhunting - Pair-o-Deez - Being unabashed footwear afficianados, Josh asked if we could do something fun to curate his massive sneaker collection. We agreed and flew to NYC to photograph the kicks and discuss concepts on how best to show these off to the world. We’re also big fans of 70’s board games and Memory (also called Concentration) was one of those lasting ones. We presented the idea of doing an online sneaker memory game, and Josh was into it. He also needed a promotional item for Semi-Permanent, a super design conference in NYC. We decided to not only make an online version but a real life memory deck as well. We called it Pair-o-deez. (Josh wanted to call it Pair-a-site.)

FatWear - FatWear (with Forrest Glick and Charlotte McManus) Body fat is an often overlooked method of conserving warmth. Yet in modern social circles, body fat is often viewed as a sign of poverty and/or poor health. FatWear resolves this conflict. Specially designed clothing like jackets, vests, or pants are filled with pouches of reclaimed, refined human fat to create a layer of warmth that is unparalleled, even by fur. It does not carry the unpopular social stigma of animal abuse, but is an equally visible statement of luxury, achievement, and, of course, excess. Originally conceived for Release1's DisturbDelightDesign exposition, Boston 2001.

Suicider - In American culture, there is a strong paradox between convenience and choice. We have infinite choice in our consumer products, but little control over our bodies and our fate. Suicider is born of the juxtaposition of these contrasting elements. It crosses the convenience of consumer food products with the taboo of euthanasia. We are allowed a painless death on our whim, with a choice of flavours. Originally conceived for Release1's DisturbDelightDesign exposition, Boston 2001.

NY Collective - Limited Edition - Our concept, ‘Limited Edition’, explored the nature of collecting, limited editions, blind assortments, and the boundaries they challenge in our desire. We began with a simple white t-shirt, the most iconic of its species, and we imprinted it with an original design in gold ink. We then coated the ink in 24k gold leaf (gold being the ultimate symbol of idols and wealth for aeons). We then turned the t-shirt inside-out and printed a second design on the inside declaring the serial number of that particular garment, the designer, and the patron. The shirt was then sewn shut at the collar, sleeves, and waist, and a pink ribbon with the Youth of Tomorrow logo embroidered in gold is sewn back-to-front on the waist, creating a ‘seal’. The garment has now lost any usefulness (as in its original intent of being worn) and has become simply an object to be admired. Or has it? The final state rests in the owner. The stitching can be ripped open, making the item wearable, but not before the owner would have to cut through the pink ribbon at the bottom (parallel to a ribbon-cutting ceremony in opening a bridge or building). Once this is done, however, it cannot be undone and that original form of the piece is lost. The owner then has two choices: does one wear the shirt inside out, with the limited-edition declaration displayed, or do they turn the shirt right-side out, discovering what limited design was contained? In addition, how often do they dare wear it, as the 24k gold on the design is fragile and will wear and wash away, symbolic of the value lost.