(2 minute read)
“Limitation makes the creative mind inventive.”
Walter Gropius
While most of us would rather put the restrictive months of Covid far behind us, one Melbourne-based mother found inspiration during the lengthy lockdown period in the normally vibrant city.
As a Mum of 4 kids under 16, Lisa Cotton navigated the lengthy lockdown periods in Melbourne by using her bike to go on local rides and to the shops to do her grocery shopping.
Pulling-up at the local shops, she realised she had forgotten her bike lock. She also found another lady in the same predicament.
Lisa Cotton shares the story where she asked; “Excuse me. I notice you don’t have a lock either. What do you do?”
The stranger responded, “I tie my helmet strap through the spoke of the wheel to act as a deterrent.”
Cotton did the same, but had a lingering thought, ‘There has to be a better solution!’
During the ride home, her mind was getting creative, and solution focused.
“By the time I opened my front door, I had a fully formed idea in my head of a helmet that doubled as a lock. Never again would I forget my lock, and I wouldn’t have to carry my helmet around the shops.”
Fast forward to 2023, and Lisa Cotton’s idea has now gone to market, receiving the 2023 Good Design Award along the way.
Cotton openly shares her appreciation for the guidance, mentoring, and advice she received throughout her journey of discovery and invention.
For the cyclists amongst us, you can view the innovative design – Headlokt – which secured her the prestigious design award and solved the dilemma of thousands of like-minded bicycle commuters.