Ross Lovegrove

You've probably seen Ross Lovegrove's work many times, even held it in your hand, though the name may not be familiar. The Welsh-born designer first made his reputation with such iconic products as the Sony Walkman and the Apple Computer. More recently, his flowing, liquid designs have ranged from water bottles and spiral staircases to bicycles and airline seats (the comfortable kind). Lovegrove likes to think of himself as "an evolutionary biologist, more than a designer." One of his latest projects is solar street lighting, seen here in front of La Scala opera house in Milan. These "solar trees," he says, "communicate the trust of placing beautifully made, complex natural forms outside for the benefit of all of society."