Dornob Showcases Innovative Designs

In these difficult economic times, many people are looking to save money and many are looking to make money with their inventions.

One of the interesting websites that showcases new design ideas is dornob.com. The site features everything from architecture to furniture to accessories. 14,485 people on Facebook have already friended dornob.

A very creative sofa that it is displayed looks like a slinky toy and has the ability to keep adding seating just by pulling it out and connecting another piece. Another sofa uses 50 pillows to create seating. This way you can easily move the sofa, add on, and/or rearrange.

How about a big rig truck + bus + style for a mobile home ready to roll? Dornob displays this and other innovative housing ideas.

What is Dornob dot Com? Dornob is as much an interactive design archive as it is a collection of the latest architectural, interior, furniture designs.The primary focus of this design publication (alternatively: blog) is on works that take form and function to the next level - that defy particular typologies, diverge from conventions and are more than merely consumable objects. In short: this is where you will find out-of-the-ordinary designs that might not make it into your more traditional architectural, urban and industrial design publications - from over-the-top luxury to incredible design innovation.

Where Else is Dornob Mentioned? Glad you asked, as the site has been linked to from a surprising variety of sources in its relatively short existence. These include CribCandy, WebUrbanist, Materialicious, BoingBoing, Wired, Gizmodo, Io9, Asylum, Neatorama, The Huffington Post and many more. The site has also developed a loyal base of core readers on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites - which is part of how it has grown to have over a million pages viewed every month.

Who is Behind the Dor? Kurt Kohlstedt (founder of Webist Media) is the primary mind behind Misnamed Media, LLC, a lead author of Dornob | Design Ideas Daily and an editor Gajitz | Tech With a Twist). With an undergraduate degree in philosophy and a graduate degree in sustainable architecture and urban design, Dornob is in many ways right at the intersection of his interest in architectural theory, environmental building practice and designed-related writing.

What Makes Dornob Different? Unlike many design sites, dornob offers a huge variety of navigational options. You can search by the six primary categories listed at the top of each page - or the subcategories that appear on the sidebar once you click into a primary category. You can see a larger preview and title of a given design in the main column on the left, usually related to the page you are on, or navigate to random archived designs via thumbnails to the right.

Why the Name Dornob? No, the site does not buy, sell, market or manufacture door knobs. And, as you might imagine, the correct spelling of door knob dot com is long taken (as is door nob for that matter, though you may have noticed that dork nob redirects to this site). Also, there is a nice visual symmetry to "dornob" - particularly in lowercase letters, as in the original site logo. Don't you think? Regardless, the name was available and implied the kind of portal the site is envisioned to be - a place where people enter and move from room to room, opening up 'doors' to new design ideas daily.

But is it Green? Themes of smart sustainability, creative reuse and eco-friendly innovation form the foundation of Dornob. From adaptive reuse architecture and recycled furnishings to new material-saving products and multifunctional furniture, this site bridges the critical gap between sustainable style and practical living - thinking green and going green. However, the 'green meme' itself is a bit worn out - the view taken here is that environmental and social impact are key factors to consider in evaluating any design - alongside its general functionality, sense of style and aesthetic aspects. In short, good design is green-minded in one way or another.