LightLane ‘Virtual’ Bike Lane Wins Gold International Design Excellence Award (IDEA)

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With bike lane installation costs of up to $50,000 per mile, designers Alex Tee and Evan Gant have prototyped an elegant—and far more affordable—way for cyclists to ‘bring’ their bike lane with them. Dubbed “LightLane,” Tee and Gant’s device combines high-visibility green lasers, super-bright red LEDs and a 3-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery to project an illuminated bike lane up 10 feet behind a bicycle. Today the design industry recognized Tee and Gant for their achievement, awarding LightLane the prestigious Gold International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) co-sponsored by Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), BusinessWeek, Target and Autodesk.

“The concept is fantastic and viable. A design that immediately resonates with the viewer and extends the perception of biker space beyond the bike itself. This is a great solution for increasing biker safety.”

The 2009 IDEA jury, comprised of 20 world-renowned designers and design thinkers, spent weeks previewing entries online and days of intense, face-to-face evaluation and debate on IDEA. One juror—Jim Wicks, IDSA, corporate vice president of consumer experience design, Motorola—shared his impression of LightLane: “The concept is fantastic and viable. A design that immediately resonates with the viewer and extends the perception of biker space beyond the bike itself. This is a great solution for increasing biker safety.”

“We originally conceived of LightLane while entering a design competition to win a bike,” stated Alex Tee, a mechanical engineer who cycles to work at the product innovation firm, Altitude, Inc. “While we didn’t win the competition—or the bike—it seems that we may have found a way to help cyclists commute more safely, particularly in the evening hours when visibility is low. My design partner, Evan Gant, and I are awed by this professional recognition. We hope to do it justice as we refine our prototype for commercialization.”

Tee and Gant, an industrial designer also employed by Altitude, have formed an advisory board that will support their efforts to usher LightLane into the hands of consumers.

LightLane advisory board member Brian Matt, also founder and CEO of Altitude, Inc., commented: “In my experience, something like 1 in 100 products has the commercial appeal of a LightLane. Since Alex and Evan launched their website in June, their proof-of-concept YouTube video has been viewed over 200,000 times and they literally receive hundreds of emails weekly from avid cyclists and bicycle commuters asking when the product may be purchased. I would like nothing more than to see them realize commercial success through LightLane, because as deserving as they both are, it is consumers who will benefit most greatly from this new breed of safety device.”

About IDEA & IDSA

The IDEA program fosters business and public understanding about the impact of industrial design excellence on the quality of life and the economy. IDEA winners will be recognized in an awards ceremony at Loews Miami Beach Hotel on September 26, 2009, the final day of the 2009 IDSA International Conference. IDSA is the voice of industrial design, committed to advancing the profession through education, information, community and advocacy.

About Altitude, Inc.

Altitude is a product innovation company, staffed by a collective of creative thinkers united in a common purpose: bringing business success to clients. Altitude’s expertise in design strategy, design innovation, product realization, and brand expression enables clients to more easily clarify their goals, achieve competitive differentiation and reduce environmental impact. The end result is a clientele offering solutions that are wholly relevant to consumers. Altitude’s clients include leaders in consumer goods, consumer electronics and mobile devices, biomedical systems and industrial equipment. For more information, please visit www.altitudeinc.com.

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