Image via Complex Original
It's not every day that someone can say, "I have a friend Yves Béhar," as Kanye West did last night on Late Night With Seth Meyers. While Kanye may be the household name out of the two, Behar is a name that many more should know, based on his historic innovations across design.
He's won countless design awards for ideas as diverse as chairs, vibrators, condoms, lights, laptops, speakers, vacuums, and more. The thread between all of his ventures in product and industrial design is an aim to promote health, environmentalism, and global access to affordable technology. These days, his ideas come to life through his company fuseproject, which is where he produced the now ubiquitous Jawbone speaker products, in addition to the "See Better to Learn Better" eyeglasses (400,000 pairs are given away for free every year) and "One Laptop Per Child" XO laptop (a $100 laptop designed for children).
On Late Night, Kanye said,
I have a friend Yves Béhar, [who] designed the Jawbone wristband and the Jambox and everything. As a designer, he's not in a box to only design a speaker. He can design whatever he wants. That's the type of creative expression and freedom any creative wants.
To show just how much we agree with Kanye (that Yves Béhar is a god and not in any sort of design box that we can see), we've highlighted 10 Designs That Prove Kanye West's Friend Yves Béhar Is a God. You're welcome.
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Year released: 2008
Béhar is the Chief Creative Officer of the wearable technology company Jawbone. Jawbone produces audio devices and activity trackers like UP, a bracelet that tracks everything you do—eat, sleep, exercise, get laid (although that probably falls under exercise)—and records it on an iPhone app. The company also released Jambox in 2008, a Bluetooth speaker that plays for up to eight hours at 75 percent volume. Blast Jambox and throw on UP, and you can have a dance party all night long and know just how hard you got down.
Year released: 2009
People don't usually think about the design side of vibrators, but Yves Béhar has. In collaboration with Ethan Imboden of Jimmyjane, Béhar designed the Form 2 with flexible positioning, four vibration modes, a waterproof exterior, and a wireless recharging system, paired with a lithium battery that gives the owner four straight hours of use on a single charge. The vibrator has won numerous awards including the IDEA Award and Fleshbot 2009 #1 Sex Toy of the Year, so people have been not-so-quietly thanking Béhar for quite some time now without knowing it.
The NYC Condom
Year released: 2008
Although the NYC Condom has been recognized for its trendy-looking wrapper, few people realize it was Béhar who came up with the design back in 2008. Béhar gifted both the condom's package design and a sleek dispenser to New York City's Health Department. To promote safe sex, the department had street teams distribute NYC Condoms to commuters in subway stations throughout the city. "The brand's friendly design and the dispenser's approachable shape convey openness and acceptance," Béhar told Desxigner. "They say condoms are nothing to be embarrassed about."
Year released: 2010
Béhar partnered with Mint Cleaner in 2010 to create the new version of their robot maid, the Mint Automatic Hard Floor Cleaner. The silent machine mops up your dirty home with microfiber cloths, clearing away dust and grime without any effort on your part. While it might be a little unnerving to come unexpectedly across the quiet robot creeping across your floors, it sure beats mopping.
Year released: 2007
The Leaf Personal Light was Béhar's first lighting project for Herman Miller. The energy efficient lamp has controls that allow the user to go from a warm light to a cooler working light, while most desk lamps only have on and off switches. The heat dissipation system and LED grid are highly praised innovative features that have lead the way for future fuseproject projects and inspired other lighting designs.
Year released: 2012
It not an easy task making work look comfortable. "I knew that creating a work chair is one of design's greatest challenges, an intimidating project in every possible way," Béhar said back when he first released the SAYL Chair. "There is no place to hide in a chair. Every part serves a structural or tactile purpose." Somehow, Béhar was able to make the typical swivel chair look a little more pleasing, starting at the low price (for office chairs) of $399. Drawing inspiration from his home's landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Béhar incorporated the bridge's geometric aesthetics into his creation. Even the name of the chair is clever, playing on those who sail beneath the iconic bridge.
Year released: 2005
Although he's put his design talents to use designing sleek condoms and high tech vibrators, Béhar has also created more kid-friendly products. He made the XO laptop for the project One Laptop per Child, an initiative that brings technology to students in developing countries. The laptop is a low-cost product, connected to the Internet and loaded with educational software. It is also designed to withstand the dangers of a clumsy child. While the XO laptop is almost the opposite of Béhar's NYC Condom, both are created for the greater good.
Year released: 2012
The Swiss designer is also behind one of the biggest drink fads of the year (thanks in part to Scarlett Johansson's Super Bowl ad controversy)—the SodaStream. In 2012, Béhar joined forces with SodaStream International to design the company's Source model. The Source's user-friendly design responds to simple, minimal touch and shows the strength of carbonation through an LED display.
Year released: 2012
The OUYA open-source gaming console was a huge deal when it was announced and Kickstarted back in 2012. Giving gamers the power to hack their own consoles and create games was something that was long overdue, and the anodized aluminum hardware that Béhar designed was smaller than other systems and of much higher quality with a much smaller price tag. The system is also designed to increase natural airflow, so loud fans are not necessary and overheating parts are no longer an issue.
Year released: 2010
Like his XO laptop for One Laptop per Child, this project is for the kids. See Well to Learn Better is a free eyeglasses program in partnership with the Mexican government and Augen Optics that provides durable eyewear for children. Béhar created frames for this initiative that children can use for any activity, from doing their homework to soccer practice. The frames come in different colors and shapes and are made from advanced Gilamid plastic. They are also hyper-flexible. Basically, it's impossible to destroy these puppies.
