There’s no reason your office printer should be any less elegant than a BMW Z4 Roadster. At least, that’s the thinking behind BMW Group DesignworksUSA, a design-consulting subsidiary headquartered in Newbury Park, California. “When you look at most cars, you get the feeling that there’s one global manufacturer,” says president Laurenz Schaffer. “Same thing with many products. Our philosophy is to create something new and different.” To that end, DesignworksUSA is partnering with brands such as Starbucks, HP, and Microsoft, and applying its aesthetic to everything from coffeemakers to computer towers. Translation: You might own a BMW without even knowing it.

By separating electrical components based on how hot they get during use--and giving each its own cooling system--DesignworksUSA created a computer tower that's as efficient as it is eye-catching.

The design team revved up Bavaria's first "premium motorboat" with a wider bow and deck areas dedicated to BBQ, seating, and gathering around a fridge. "We wanted the space to be highly versatile," says Schaffer.

Xsmall's intuitive interface means "users don't have to read the manual," Schaffer says. Unlike most coffeemakers, the machine's glossy red-and-white exterior looks good from every angle--even the back.


To make Dassault's business jet appear more spacious, the design team widened the windows and contrasted the muted tones of the walls and furniture with the dark mahogany of the carpet stripe and dividers.

DesignworksUSA enlarged "interaction areas," such as the fax feed on the top and the printer pickup on the bottom, to make the machine appear more inviting without straying too far from HP's traditional design vocabulary.

Made from recycled BBQ grills (the wheels) and an oil drum (the body), this concept car uses hydrogen that's extracted from a fin-shaped fish tank. "We encourage our designers to think outside the box," says Schaffer. "But there's definitely an aspect of humor here."

This surgical platform uses ultrasound to remove cataracts. By loading it with an simple touch-screen and stacking its components vertically, like a Totem pole, DesignworksUSA helped Advanced Medical Optics save time and space in the OR.