Desert island designs: Shane Mielke

What one artist may discard as rubbish, another may treasure, which is why the world is constantly being presented with unique and exciting designs. Interpretation is the key. And it's different for everyone.

With this in mind, we've set up a new weekly feature - Desert island designs - in which top designers tell us about five items they love or have inspired them in some way. And so far, some of the choices have been very interesting indeed. Check it out...

Kicking us off this week is designer and creative director at 2Advanced Studio Shane Mielke. Known for his excellent and web-defining work, Shane's career has seen him collaborate with many diverse brands, including EA, O'Neill, Sony Pictures Studios and Warner Brothers to name a few.

He has also contributed to numerous books, including FWA's Guidelines for Online Success, and leading industry magazines such as Computer Arts, .net and Advanced Photoshop.

C-Leg microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee

"My father recently became an above the knee amputee after a long battle with several knee replacement surgeries that went wrong. Seeing him walk again with his C-Leg has been emotional, inspiring and nothing short of amazing.

"The revolutionary microprocessor that controls the C-Leg receives feedback from multiple sensors 50x a second, making adjustments in real time. The C-Leg's superb stumble recovery and smooth swing activation provides a confident gait compared to typical prosthetics.

"The design allows users to speed up, slow down, take on hills and go down stairs step-over-step all with a secure, comfortable stride."

Nest Thermostat

"On the technical side, the Nest learning thermostat learns your temperature preferences, keeps you comfortable and of course saves you money. It is Wi-Fi enabled and you can change the temperature, adjust your schedule and check local weather from anywhere.

"Technical achievements aside, the physical design of Nest is circular perfection especially when compared to standard boring rectangle thermostats. The colorful interface design is simple yet stunning and a stark contrast to the typical archaic monochrome LED displays of the competition out there."

Incipio Bombproof iPhone Case

"Incipio was started by a grade school friend of mine. Their gear covers and protects iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macbooks, Blackberries, Tablets, eReaders, Smartphones and much more.

"The Bombproof case looks tough and is tough. With raised high density silicone ridges it has the look of a grenade. It's so tough that I've accidentally dropped my iPhone on the street several times without a single scratch. Because of its eye-catching unique design, I get stopped several times a week to show it off."

Oakley Kitchen Sink Backpack

"As a proud owner of this backpack I can truly say it is an amazingly product with a ton of personality.

"The metal clasps, metal brackets, cable zipper pulls and cable supports in the frame make it look like something you would find in the movie Aliens or your favorite sci-fi movie. Functionally it has a mobile phone pocket, headphone port, compression molded compartments, drainage ports at the bottom and it can even hold a 17" laptop comfortably."

Firefly LED light

"With its turbine looking heat sink this LED light looks like something out of the sci-fi movie Firefly.

"The unique design is actually functional as it helps move heat away from the bulb. This reduces the temperature allowing the light to last approximately 30 years before needing replacement.

"Because it's an LED it reduces energy costs by 90%, reduces carbon footprint by 75%, contains no mercury and is rebuildable. Unlike other LED bulbs the Firefly is also dimmable and has unlimited color temperatures."

Thanks Shane!

So, what do you think about Shane's choices? What items can't you live without or inspire you? Let us know in the comments box below...