Design is personal, so here is my personal top 5 of 2008. During 2008 I covered the design weeks in Stockholm, Milan and Tokyo. But I have to admit I'm growing increasingly tired of all the design fairs showings us the emperors new clothes over and over again. Instead I tend to find the most interesting design outside of the design world - in art, music, the D.I.Y movement, science etc.

I would love to top my list with innovations such as The Global Seed Vault at Svalbard, a camera for the blind, the 2008 redesign of Einstein's fridge, originally patented in 1930, which uses ammonia, butance, water and less energy for cooling than a global warming contributing freon fridge or the finally released Tesla Roadster electric car - but they are all listed on the TIME's Best Inventions of 2008 list so I've picked some more personal things.

5) Creators Inn by Elvine
Creators Inn by Elvine offers visiting creators short-term accommodation in custom designed rooms in Gothenburg, Sweden. Note that this is a bit of self-promotion since my company co-produce the project, but it has generated so much interest from all around the world that I simply couldn't overlook it writing this list. We are hoping to expand the project to other cities during 2009.



4) Svenska Grammofon Studion
4 years ago Kalle Gustafsson and Mattias Nyberg set out to create the recording studio of their dreams in an old industrial building in Gothenburg, Sweden. Using second hand building material and vintage furniture and equipment they have since transformed about one room a month into something truly unique. The three floor complex called Svenska Grammofon Studion now holds several recording studios, as well as apartments for artists, and a lounge area with bar - all with an ambience from the golden days of music recordings. Since it's built from the ground up with sound in focus each room is separately isolated and if you wish to record while at the toilet or in the cubby-hole, no problem, there are recording sockets everywhere.



3) Nagi Noda
Maybe she stole some of her ideas, but who cares. The designer, director, artist, art director Nagi Noda, who sadly passed away in 2008, will always be an inspiration. Without her we wouldn't have lovely things such as Han Pandas, poodle dance videos or fantastic hair sculptures.



2) Apocalypse Lab's Soap
In pure Fight Club style, two girls took over an abandoned laboratory in Malmö, Sweden, named it Apocalypse Lab and started producing soap out of recycled deep frying oil from the city's many falafel kitchens. The result is simply called "Soap" and it even has it's own soundtrack by Andres Corazón featuring sounds from a calypso steel drum made of pans that are used to carry falafel oil.



1) iPhone 3G
I'm a late adopter and have only had mine for about a week now. It looks, feels and acts like I have imagined the future. But it's here today, and it's affordable and accessible, and therefore my design pick of the year 2008.