Clock-o’s simple yet striking design reads like a continuous analog clock but actually processes time digitally. Its minimal LED digital display and seamless ring shape are, on one hand, breaking the stream of time, and on the other, reminding us of its continuity.
If you’ve seen the 1953 French film “Le Ballon Rouge” then you know where the Balloon Bench was inspired from. Although it appears as if the bench is floating, the illusion is created by the balloons actually being anchored to the ceiling. The balloons even act as lamps. Want one? Check Gallery SOMEWHERE in Tokyo.
The Life is a recycled paper-made water container designed for Milano Expo 2015. The idea is to dissuade people from using plastic bottles and use this one-day-use bottle instead. It’s crafted from natural cotton and recycled paper layer and it doesn’t use any chemical ink or adhesives that are tough to recycle. The handy green cord makes it easy for you to carry it along. Oh, and the proposal does include having water fountains around the expo area so that you can refill it several times during the day.
This isn’t your typical Brita or PUR water filter, this is an innovative reverse osmosis purifier, but it actually looks like a piece of art, not an appliance. The design is minimal and meant to be slightly organic – fluid like water. I LOVE the little spout. Hot, cold or room temperature – serve it up however you like.
NextOfKin Creatives goal in designing the EcoWater CES purification system was to deconstruct and reduce the system to its core components and simplest form to create the most compact design available. Three main cylindrical shapes make up the core and house the primary components: the filtration column, hot water tank, and re-engineered compact water pump. The cylinders are angled forward to create a sense of motion and play for the user, while paying an homage to the classic pitcher.
I love a design that makes you second-guess what you’re seeing. The Gravity Table by Simone Savini is one of those head-turning designs that will make a fantastic yet refined creative statement. Its abrupt transparent feet give the illusion that it’s floating on air, while its ghostly minimal body makes it almost seem possible. A great conversation piece that only gets more fun after a few drinks.
There’s a huge movement of ultra minimal chairs made of wood, metal, plastic and glass. Yes they’re gorgeous to look at but some would say, not as inviting to sit in. The Jamirang (loosely translated to “sleep” in Korean) is one comfortable looking chair. It maintains the unobtrusive lines I like, yet beckons to be sat on. Plump, is it alright to refer to a chair as plump?
This interactive watch by Julien Moise uses the wearer’s own renewable wind energy to power it’s icy blue display. To read the time the user simply blows on the propeller mechanism to generate just enough electricity to activate a short visual sequence. You might get some strange looks blowing on your wrist, but this watch’s cool minimal style totally makes up for it.
The world’s first interactive paper computer is set to revolutionize the world of interactive computing.
“This is the future. Everything is going to look and feel like this within five years,” says creator Roel Vertegaal, the director of Queen’s University Human Media Lab,. “This computer looks, feels and operates like a small sheet of interactive paper. You interact with it by bending it into a cell phone, flipping the corner to turn pages, or writing on it with a pen.”
The smartphone prototype, called PaperPhone is best described as a flexible iPhone – it does everything a smartphone does, like store books, play music or make phone calls. But its display consists of a 9.5 cm diagonal thin film flexible E Ink display. The flexible form of the display makes it much more portable that any current mobile computer: it will shape with your pocket.
Gotta love these Alessandro Marelli lamps. The laboratory flask-like base of the Gost lamp is the spotlight of this design. It’s like a chemistry experiment that yielded the perfect desktop glow. – Linked tubular sections of water pipe make up the base & column of the Tubolar Bell lamp for easy modification from tall floor lamp to directional table lamp. Industrial & minimal, these light objects leave little to be desired.
R Battery has three slots to hold AA and AAA batteries that are past their prime and into the graveyard. Near-dead batteries do have some charge in them and the good ole’ R here uses their juice to spike up as one big cell. I’m not sure of the dimensions of this new big battery, but I see where this project is going and with a few revisions, I’m sure it will be a winner.
TextBase is a device that produces scripture from the Christian bible depending on how you interact with it. It introduces a new way to engage with the word of God in a playful yet meaningful manner. When the user sends a text, keywords or themes are sniffed out by textBase and through the magical powers of the interwebs, an appropriate verse is printed. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, I find it intriguing to see technology integrated into faith based communities.
Federico Churba’s Hanoi lamp acquires it’s volume from the complex bending of a single sheet of PMMA (an economical and BPA-free alternative to polycarbonate). The shade which resembles the traditional conical asian hat, and footed base together appear to make a bow of greeting, while the downward diffused light creates a warm and cozy glow that adds to it’s overall elegance.
The Transducer Mobile Phone Concept breaks down the language barrier by being the perfect translator between you and the other caller. It has this cool function that allows all incoming calls to be translated to your preferred language and vice versa. Amongst other features like GPS, transparent LCD and mesmerizing color effects, you can use the phone to communicate with the hearing & sight impaired folks. Far-fetch but a concept we’d love to see become reality.
The digital scan feature allows you to read translated books, poster, menus etc. as well as turn text into audio feedback. I think I’m more sold on the fact that it looks sleek and pocketable.
You’ve heard of ‘Plug n Play’ for USB, but this time – a fun twist has been added to the hub. We have here the Puzzle USB Hub, which is like a cool Tron puzzle that need not be solved! Twist the caps to the outside and load in the key for it to complete the circuit and charge. More like Tron memory for your devices and gadgets that look hip! Love it!
How do you show a smell? No, I’m not talking about mirrored shelves at Sephora. I’m talking pure scent. En Esencia is an olfactory exhibition that seeks to answer this question by showcasing smells in two ways. In the first, the Pure Perception Room, “sniffers” stand under isolated boxes that are designated to specific scents. The perfume is then released, creating an untainted and pure olfactory experience for the user. The second showcase, the Lab Room, is the analytical and descriptive space of the exhibition where visitors can see the inspirations and formulas for individual scents.
Scrubbing is a very important factor when cleaning dishes and this has to be done perfecto! There’s no way around it. Keeping this in mind, Domus student Pietro Russomanno designed the KEWA concept, an acronym for Kinetic Efficient Water Appliance. It’s basically a dishwasher that uses air pressure to direct water through kinetic jets to create a ‘water-blade’ that cleans the greasiest of stains.
DONA is a robot that interactively solicits donations from passers-by. How? It engages people in a pet-like interaction. People rarely respond to adult humans in need but babies and animals? It’s very hard for us to resist. A wonderful exercise in behavioral science, sociology and robotics. Hit the jump for the video. I want one of these soliciting donations for my own personal project. It has to do with clothing and pandas.
The MIKEY is another analog watch concept that shakes up the “traditional” a little with its face divided up into three quadrants. Each one is demarcated to indicate hours, minutes and seconds. MIKESY is a newer edition of the MIKESYDÄN. The origin of this design was the conceptualization of a product that reflects the Japanese earthquake disaster – born under the triad concept (mind – body – heart) reflected in the three parts.
Millions of traditional telephones are still being made everyday but their form hasn’t changed much. Designer Chengyuan Wei took one apart and discovered the components have all been quite miniaturized so she conceived the Origami Phone. When you pick it up to answer and dial out, it changes from a flat surface to a tridimensional object suited to the hand. Minimal and efficient. LOVE IT!
This amp is made of aluminum, stainless steel, and 100% pure common sense. The super-cool looking Block amplifier sticks strictly to Hi-Fi audio rules by placing the components that spread the most electromagnetic interference (AC, power transformers, chokes) in individual compartments the furthest distance possible from audio lines. Block’s main soundboard swings up on hinges to enable dusting of the internal electronics without the need to disconnect cumbersome wires.
The guys at Architettura Sonora are redefining the listening experience with an array of sound modules that are both acoustically customized and geometrically shaped to enhance music listening indoors and out, freeing listeners from both spatial constraints and noise pollution. AS’s fine-tuned system of sculptures uses directional and omnidirectional sound emission to either direct or spread a flawless amount of music to a predefined space, creating an oasis of surround-sound or isolated music zone.
This line of lamps by designer Hiroyuki Murase for Suzusan Luminaires combines soft luminescence and textile art to produce refined pieces of light artwork. The collection’s lamp shades are produced using an age-old traditional Japanese technique called shibori in which cloth is patterned by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, and compressing it. The result is tridimensional artworks of light with a truly sophisticated look.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see the Disambigua – Unambiguous, is roast meat! The reason behind it is simple, the way you need to keep rotating the meat on a skewer for uniform cooking, likewise rotate this concept for uniform cleansing. One turn it’s a bathtub, another turn and it’s a washbasin. Now this is what I call a complete wash!
This design by Younes Duret takes inspiration from Eastern oriental graphics and the traditional Moroccan hearth to create a transportable and calming space heater. Canoon relieves tension by heating compact cherry pit-filled pillows that can be applied to any part of the body to ease pain and provide comfort. The unit is composed entirely of recycled plastic, uses less energy than the average space heater, and is easily controlled by a simple stroke of the hand on it’s top or lower components which vary in color between turquoise and red to indicate the units temperature.
The LIFEBOOK X2 concept takes a different approach to portability. It’s not only thin, but also folds into quarters which leads to some interesting features. Open the LIFEBOOK X2 halfway and you have sort of an ultra widescreen palm top. Unfold it completely and you have one full size notebook. This denotes a seam running right across the LCD which is enough for me to dismiss it but the idea is intriguing.
The Collector USB Flash Drive is one awesome concept that I’d love to see on shelves. The idea is simple. A USB Stick accommodates small capacity memory cards. Custom configure the stick or simply keep expanding, just do your techie thing and be happy! What a great way to use all those smaller cards laying around the house. Not sure how it deals with partitioning unless there are some smarts built-in to deal with hot swapping.
This simple and modern watch by designer Mickaël Chros presents a new perception on time telling. Minutes and hours are displayed on Revolutio’s rotating rings and are powered by a standard watch engine. The magnetic locking system is perfectly discreet. I’m really digging the center-less design- the loop, versus the standard circle, is an interpretation of eternity and reminds that time has no real beginning or end.
Very basic and minimal if you leave it to Vrouyr Joubanian! He’s designed the Void mouse with bare-minimums; only one button that functions all as right, left, middle clicks and scroll. The hollow, wireless mouse sports uneven thickness ranging from 4 to 10mm and all the electrical parts are contained in the bulky bottom. It looks ergonomic enough for us to give it a try, what do you say?
This modern design, inspired by the classic shape of the martini glass, brings hard and soft elements together to create comfortable and flexible seating. Screwless and glueless, the only components of the Martini Chair are it’s plywood seat, back, and base, and binding elastic string held firm by metal locks. All it’s missing is the perfect garnish.
Digital development tools are an integral part of design and construction processes. m • pad is a Tablet PC that is optimized for the needs of designers and developers. It combines the advantages of intuitive multi-touch operation with the precision of a pressure-sensitive pen. Ooh! hit the jump for more.
Important keyboard commands are arranged next to the 15.6 “OLED display: nine fixed buttons, such as ALT, CTRL, etc., and two programmable buttons rockers with e-ink display, with up to 24 short-cuts for each software application can be assigned individually. The scroll wheel completes the gesture control in fast 2D navigation is optional, and a 3D space mouse. Improved ergonomics, the m • pad are inclined 15 degrees. Left-handers simply rotate the board 180 degrees. The integrated ball-bearing hub enables quick and always optimal alignment of the board for character work. With just 430x280x25mm, the m • pad is the perfect solution for mobile working.
The aptly named Ecokiosk uses a number of techniques to flash that ever important “green card” in today’s culture. Companies are looking for new ways to move their businesses towards more Earth friendly practices. The Ecokiosk aims to solve many of the lingering issues regarding mobile retail/service setups.
Natural Heating, Air and Light Solution The louvre style roof is a solution for internal heating and natural air ventilation – yet become a natural light source for the kiosk while working inside.
Recyclable Materials Ecokiosk incorporates a high quality design with durable, and recyclable materials for outdoor weather.
Reduce CO2 The planter box in both sides of this kiosk become an agent for absorbing the C02 and enhance the overall aesthetics forms and structure.
Reuse Water The gutter and downspout system are designed to collect rain water and store it inside a tank underneath the roof. The water can be used for planting and filtered into tap water.
Unlike my camping buddies who will poke fun at me for this, I will always bring along every electronic device that I can fit in my pack. Gotta have the phone, the camera, and I’ve even been known to sneak a laptop on occasion. Problem is, the batteries are dead within the day and I inevitably regret the extra weight. The Alppac is for anyone like me. It uses a suspended load mechanism to produce an electrical charge when the user is walking. Plug in your phone, iPad, or any other electronic device and get a renewable, clean charge between stops.
The Tweety table lamp, designed by Bonaguro Giorgio has a simple and intuitive design, made up of two main parts – the bulb and body. These two elements are combined without using screws or joints but by simply letting the bulb hang from body, making it easy to clean, assemble and package. The lamp is made of eco-friendly polycarbonate and comes with an energy A class light bulb. It’s adorable!
Light Gap is a concept clock with solars cells on its backside. You stick it on a window so sunlight can illuminate the slit on the face to form the hour hand. As day moves into night, batteries kick in to illuminate a row of LEDs in the slit, thanks to the aforementioned solar cells.
Light Gap is a Red Dot Concept Design 2010 winning entry.
