After the successful joint development of the Motorsports carpet collection three years before, Lees Carpets approached BMW Group DesignworksUSA in 2007 to create another carpet collection. The product line, appropriately named “Progression”, should take the same design approach taken with fine automobiles and consumer products and explores a new product direction concerning proportion, detail and surface."Channels" - reinventing the traditional stripe
The Designworks team evaluated how patterns are viewed from a distance and close up and also how different viewing angles and light directions change the perception of the pattern. For inspiration, the team relied on modern architecture, contemporary furnishings, and geometric patterns. Progressions provided varying perceptions of its patterns and varying reads every time depending on angle and distance. The designs don’t reveal themselves with the first look, rather they continue to evolve over time. “This collection is all about process and transition,” said Johannes Lampela, designer for BMW Group Designworks USA. “Progressions reflects the shift in thought and theory needed for our multi-disciplinary design team to create carpeting. It also translates to the perception of its patterns and how each one reads differently every time depending on angle and distance.”The Progressions collection resulted in four distinguished designs and a palette of 12 contemporary colors. The Pix and Connexion products are mosaics of pixilated squares while Passage and Channels reinvent the traditional stripe."Shanghi"
Furthermore, DesignworksUSA and Lees Carpets were passionate about creating a sustainable design. The modular collection features a PVC-free, 100 percent thermoplastic backing system named Encycle. A model of sustainable design, Encycle is designed with three thermoplastic layers and zero water-based components, enabling complete recyclability back into itself without separation. With superior strength against delamination and edge ravel, the durability of Progressions’ products ensure that the carpet stays in use and out of the recycling stream longer.

To change the way the world recycles - this was the ambitious aim of Troy Hoidal when he was forming a company focused on making recycling "simple and rewarding" through eco-efficient products.To translate this brand promise into a design language, the two initiators approached BMW Group Designworks USA in September, 2005. The project: To develop a clean and worry-free home recycling center with a chic design: The Ecopod!Chic, creative, clean: The Ecopod
Since this was the first ever compact recycler, Designworks conducted a market study to understand the users at first. The designers had to build from a design and engineering standpoint the product from the ground up. For phase three of the project, the team applied the product values to context. There they developed the mechanics for this one of kind aluminum can and bottle can compacter. From an engineering standpoint, approximately 180 patented, crushing mechanisms existed, but none were designed to handle the range of sizes of both large and small cans as well as all the different sizes and shapes of plastic bottles. Next, the crusher needed to be quick, clean, simple and easy to operate. There were also explorations into hand operated versus foot operated versus powered crushing. Ultimately, the design included a foot pedal and a circle opening at the top. Additionally, the unit had to be in alignment with the product’s promise of compact and recyclable. The materials used were recyclable and the unit was rather small and compact.

The Ecopod in action
Lastly, the revised prototypes were created. From there, the prototypes moved into production. The ecopod released in November, 2006 and was resoundingly successful: BMW Designworks received the iF Product Design Award for the ecopod. After showing the designs to various high end retailers, Ecopod has had to increase their sales forecast dramatically. The hope is that being proactive in protecting the environment will become a habit and not a flashy trend.