We'd like to wish our readers online, and our supporters of Design Folio magazine a very Merry Christmas. It's been a long year and we hope you manage to find respite somewhere design-minded over the holiday season with family and friends.

Merry Christmas, and here's to a prosperous 2012!

The Kube2 is positioned as the world's smallest mp3 player. Produced by Bluetree electronics, it has a battery life of 6 hours and a memory capacity between 512 MB to 32 GB. To change the song, simply swipe your thumb across the main face, or to change the volume, press down lightly at the top of the device to increase, or at the bottom to decrease. You can also purchase removable stickers to customise your Kube2. It's also marked as a very cost effective mp3, with the 4GB version retailing at a mere $35 USD in Singapore.

An0ther magazine commissioned Nick Knight and Alister Mackie to conceive a suitably 'floral' editorial for their Spring/Summer Issue. Merging the lines between contemporary dance, flowers and fashion, this beautifully executed editorial brings a more beautiful side of nature to the fashion front.

The paper-thin Katra chair is a recent work of Aparte, a French design agency. Made from a composite consisting of primarily ramie, the chair is not only durable but also incredibly light.

a) Hotel Missoni in Kuwait [Daily Icon]
b) Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi buy Brad Pitt's Architectural Malibu Mansion for $12 million [Daily Mail]
c) Ambiguity - between hot-dogs and high-rises [Style Park]
d) Beautiful tech: Top 10 Gorgeous Gadgets of 2011 [the coolist]
e) Hublot Magic Gold watches are the world's first to use scratch-resistant gold [born rich]

A fascination with objects and how they work led Lucas Wotawa to study industrial design at Massey in Wellington. Upon completion of his studies, he undertook an internship with one of New Zealand's most established designers Jaime McLellan. Currently working in the props department for The Hobbit movie for Peter Jackson, we caught up with him when he had a spare moment to find out what he will be producing for the Design Folio Incubator Award presented by Peroni.

What will you be looking to design and produce for the Design Folio Incubator Award?

I will be entering a collection of stools in which the upholstery can be changed quickly and easily. Through the means of a simple clamping fixture inspired by the mechanism of an embroidery hoop the user is given total creative freedom over the stools, allowing them to constantly adapt with the domestic space and the ever-changing personal preference. The stools can be embellished with your favourite materials like that of an adored shirt, an heirloom quilt or your prized cross-stitch.

(Above: Self Taut stools - Wotawa's entry in the 2012 Design Folio Incubator Award)

What key elements do you think define a successful piece of design?

Honesty, efficiency, attention to detail, consideration of the user and being uninfluenced by trends, all of these should culminate to create a successful piece of design for now and much more time to come.

What are your key design influences?

I try to learn about as many different materials and manufacturing processes as possible, and then consider applications for their unique traits to create a beneficial and innovative product.

What would be your dream future design commission?

Well if I’m really dreaming here I would love to do some commercial and office furniture with the likes of Knoll and Herman Miller, however, ultimately I would have to say Established & Sons, Vitra or Magis.

Get ready for the festive season with the best designer interpretation of a Christmas tree we've seen. Studio Roso's large-scale Christmas tree is taking centre stage at the V&A museum (the Victoria & Albert museum) in London. Made up of 3.3 miles of elastic cord, the tree reaches more than four metres high with a total of 1500 individual strands.

When Grohe launched its Rainshower collection in bright pop colours back in 2010, we couldn't help but hope they'd release a range in more neutrally inspired hues for the more conservative among us. Whilst we love a pop of colour, we do tend to remain fans of the softer tones when it comes to our bathrooms. Launched initially at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in 2010 to much acclaim, this new range of Rainshowers appeals to a sense of tranquility within the bathroom. With Grohe's own 'DreamSpray' technology (which distributes water evenly), you too can feel like your bathroom is a home spa, and, if you push the 'EcoButton' on the handle, you'll also reduce the flow rate by 40%.

Local enquiries to www.paterson.co.nz

from on .

With any great artistic pursuit, there is always discipline. Nothing proves this more than artist Miguel Endara who painstakingly draws 3.2 million dots to create a portrait of his father. Watch the video above for the incredible results.

Seo Young Deok, a Korean artist, has his impressive current exhibition 'Dystopia' on display at the INSA/Arko Art Centre. His sculptures are made from thousands of metres of chain (including bicycle chains), in which he tries to capture the anguish of his subjects. Some of the pieces appear to be decaying, slowing losing their form as time whittles away, whilst others remain imposing in perfect stature.