Press Release
MinMax Folding Bicycle by Monica Oddone Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
Monica Oddone acknowledged for vehicle, mobility and transportation design by the international grand jury of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2020 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that MinMax Folding Bicycle by Monica Oddone has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
More About MinMax Folding Bicycle
MinMax is an innovative bicycle with folding wheels that fits a backpack when completely folded. Born to satisfy city commuter needs and movements, its design is unique and easily recognizable thanks to the colourful mechanic components of its folding system. MinMax is lightweight, solid and easy to carry even in its electric version.
About Monica Oddone
Industrial designer, graduated with honours in Ecodesign at Politecnico di Torino, who believes in design as a narrative form that conveys messages and shared values, capable of challenge the role of everyday objects. She received several awards from international design competitions and she is currently involved in different university research projects. For her freelance work, she imagines honest and empathetic products, respectful of mankind and the environment, made in accordance of best practice, technologies and digital dimension. Her interests include design for both industrial and artisanal context and the new exploration tools given by self-production and crowdsourcing.
Award Record
This recognition makes Monica Oddone a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design Award
The A' Vehicle Design Award is an international vehicle design competition recognizing good vehicle designs by best vehicle designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to vehicle designers, mobility solution providers, transportation design studios and automotive engineers from all countries. Entries typically include cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses and trains. Awarded vehicle designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/vehicle
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/82718
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/82718
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!82718
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/244916
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- MinMax Folding Bicycle
- Function
- Folding Bicycle
- Category
- Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Automotive
- Colors
- Dark Slate Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Lavender, Dim Gray and Black
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Monica Oddone
- Country
- Italy
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2019 - 2020
- Design ID
- #82718
Credits
- Image Credits
- Monica Oddone, 2019
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- MinMax is an innovative folding bicycle designed for the needs of city commuters. It is easy to carry everywhere thanks to the revolutionary foldable wheels. MinMax has three configuration (riding, dragging, packing) and, when not in use, can be placed in a backpack and then stored at home, at the office, on public transport. The basic model can be easily transformed in an electric version with a brushless motor and a battery.
- Inspiration
- In the field of sustainable mobility, the role of bicycle and, in particular, folding bicycle became very interesting for design research. Although the variety of models on the market, the actual solutions are not so foldable (bounded to wheels dimension), too heavy and hard to adjust for an ergonomic use. MinMax offers an alternative with new technical solutions and a particular focus on human needs and urban contest.
- Research
- The project started with an analysis and comparison of existing models of folding bike: strength features and weak points were evaluated with the help of the data collected through a questionnaire submitted to different kind of bikers. The design process was focused on the requirements not fully satisfied by actual bicycles like the need of a lighter and more compact solution. MinMax is assembled using the best standard components and some technical innovation, developed for this specific application.
- Challenge
- MinMax development was not only a technical challenge: bikers and commuters have new emerging needs, given by the constant evolution of personal habits and ways to live the urban environment. We can't respond to these needs using a standard approach. For these reason, the idea of "reinventing the wheel" was vital to design an extremely compact solution, not only functional but also emotionally significant for the users.
- Realization and Technology
- Bike frame is in 7005 aluminium alloy with TIG welding. The handlebar is adjustable in height and position, using the hinge on the frame. The saddle is adjustable in height thanks to the telescopic tube. The cardanic transmission guarantees durability, reliability and minimal maintenance. Both 23" wheels are equipped with mechanical disk breaks and foldable airless pneumatics. A 3 speed shifter is integrated in the rear hub.
- Operation and Interaction
- The passage from riding configuration to dragging configuration is regulated by two hinges: one is placed on the front fork and the other is on the main frame, near the saddle tube. When appropriately unlocked, they allow to reduce the bicycle in the wheels space. The passage from dragging configuration to packing configuration involves the placement of all the remaining elements within the established dimensional limits.
- Project Duration and Location
- Between 2015 and 2019, the project was developed from concept to structural analysis. In addition, market analysis, questionnaire and business plan has been elaborated in order to find partners for production and commercialization.
- Specifications
- Riding Configuration: 1450 mm x 530 mm x 950 mm Dragging Configuration: 700 mm x 530 mm x 650 mm Packing Configuration: 580 mm x 360 mm x 400 mm Weight: 9 - 9.5 Kg
- Keywords
- folding, bicycle, urban, commuters, foldable wheel, e-bike
