Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

Six-Legged LEGO Technic Walker Moves Like a Real Creature Thanks To Pure Mechanical Engineering

Posted on by

Walking machines are hard. Really hard. Which is why most LEGO motorized builds stick to wheels or treads, and the ones that do attempt legs usually end up with something that shuffles more than it strides. But every so often someone figures out the mechanical magic trick that makes it work, and this six-legged walker currently on LEGO Ideas is one of those builds that actually delivers on the promise. The creator has managed to build something that moves with genuine fluidity, the kind where you can see the weight transfer from leg to leg.

The secret is in the gearing system. Rather than trying to program each leg’s movement independently, the build uses variable-speed gears that automatically adjust leg velocity based on where it is in the stride cycle. Slow and deliberate when the foot is planted, quick when it swings through the air. Combined with a vertical stabilization mechanism and shock-absorbing feet, you get something that can handle real terrain rather than just demonstration videos on smooth surfaces. It’s styled as a space exploration rover complete with a crew cabin and solar panels, leaning into that AT-AT aesthetic without directly copying it.

Designer: Alexis_MOCs_FR

Here’s the thing about making LEGO walk. You can throw servos at the problem and program every joint independently, which is how Boston Dynamics does it and why their robots cost more than a house. Or you can do what Theo Jansen did with his Strandbeest sculptures and let the mechanism itself figure out the gait. Jansen’s beach creatures run on wind power and pure geometry, converting constant rotation into this weirdly organic walking motion that makes you forget you’re watching PVC pipe and zip ties. That’s the approach Alexis_MOCs_FR took here, using two L motors and a gear train that does all the thinking mechanically. No Arduino, no sensor feedback loops, just smart engineering that exploits the physics of rotating linkages.

The look is peak 1970s futurism. White body panels, black structural framework, blue solar arrays, elevated cockpit with room for two astronaut minifigs. There’s a satellite dish up top because of course there is. The whole thing sits maybe 12 to 16 inches tall based on minifig scale, and all that gearing is completely visible. Some builds try to hide the mechanism under cosmetic panels, but here the exposed gear trains are the entire point. Watching the motion transfer from motors down through the variable-speed system and into the legs is genuinely mesmerizing, like those transparent mechanical watch movements that cost absurd money because people will pay to see the machinery work.

The vertical stabilization bit is where you can tell someone really understood the assignment. When your upper leg is swinging through a 60 or 70 degree arc, keeping the foot flat on the ground becomes this annoying trigonometry problem. Most people either accept some wobble or add complexity with extra actuators. This build has a sliding element in the lower leg that compensates for the angle automatically. Upper leg tilts, slider adjusts, foot stays vertical. It’s passive, it’s reliable, and it’s the kind of solution that only works because someone actually prototyped this thing instead of just CAD modeling it and calling it a day.

High-stepping gaits hit hard. You’re lifting legs way off the ground and slamming them back down at whatever speed your motors can manage. Without damping, every impact rattles through the structure and either knocks gears out of alignment or turns the whole thing into a vibrating mess. Custom shock absorbers at each foot solve this, which is why the creator can apparently run it over rumpled blankets and piles of Kapla blocks without it face-planting. The build is allegedly both lightweight and robust, which sounds like marketing speak until you consider that you need enough mass for stability but not so much that momentum tears the gear teeth apart during direction changes.

The project is currently in its very early stages, with 424 more days to gather votes and hit the next milestone. If it gets to the coveted 10,000 mark, LEGO actually reviews it for production. The Technic lineup has been pretty safe lately, lots of supercars and construction equipment but not much that pushes mechanical boundaries. This thing demonstrates actual engineering innovation, the kind where someone solved hard problems with clever solutions instead of just adding more motors. If you want to see it become a real set, go cast your vote on the LEGO Ideas website!

The post Six-Legged LEGO Technic Walker Moves Like a Real Creature Thanks To Pure Mechanical Engineering first appeared on Yanko Design.

Someone Built a Biodegradable 8GB Hard Drive Out of Mushrooms

Posted on by

So here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: someone made a USB drive out of mushrooms. Well, technically mycelium, the sprawling fungal network that lives underground and occasionally pops up as the mushrooms we eat. But still. We’re talking about storing your family photos, tax documents, and embarrassing early-2000s selfies inside what is essentially cultivated fungus. And somehow, this makes perfect sense.

Enter the Soft Drive, which looks less like a tech product and more like something grown in a lab that studies alien artifacts. Designer Sree Krishna Pillarisetti built this portable drive with a shell made from mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, combined with hemp and bioplastics from waste materials. You can see the fungal fibers through the translucent case, all wispy and organic, protecting the electronics inside. It’s strange and beautiful and deliberately so. The whole thing is designed to make you feel the weight of your data again, to make storage physical and local and weird in a way that makes you reconsider why we ever outsourced our digital memories to faceless corporations in the first place.

Designer: Sree Krishna Pillarisetti

The translucent casing shows off the wispy, organic texture of mycelium mixed with hemp, wrapped around a standard memory card and heat sink. There’s a woven lanyard attached like it’s a charm you’d wear. It holds 8GB, which sounds quaint until you realize that’s exactly the point. This isn’t about competing with cloud storage. It’s about asking why we ever thought it was a good idea to hand over our entire digital lives to massive, energy-guzzling server farms we’ll never see or control.

The name is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and I’m here for it. “Soft Drive” as the inverse of “hard drive” is chef’s kiss levels of nomenclature. Pillarisetti, who completed this as his MFA thesis at Parsons, built the entire shell from materials sourced from waste streams: mycelium, hemp fibers, and polylactic acid (PLA). The mycelium acts as natural shock absorption, which is clever because dropping your drive has historically been a nightmare scenario. Fungi don’t crack the way plastic does. They compress, absorb impact, and generally behave like they evolved for this, which, in a roundabout way, they kind of did.

And I personally love how deliberately weird this thing looks. Consumer electronics have spent decades trying to disappear, to become these frictionless black mirrors we barely notice. The Soft Drive does the opposite. It foregrounds its materials, makes you aware you’re holding something that grew, that came from a living process. The translucent case means you see everything: the fibrous mycelium texture, the metallic components inside, the fact that this object has layers and history. It’s the anti-iPhone, and I mean that as a compliment. Pillarisetti calls it a “regenerative memory storage device,” which is a fancy way of saying it can eventually break down and return to the earth instead of sitting in a landfill for the next thousand years. The whole concept pushes toward decentralized local networks, physical sharing, data you can hand someone instead of emailing a Dropbox link. It’s romantic in a way tech hasn’t been in years.

The post Someone Built a Biodegradable 8GB Hard Drive Out of Mushrooms first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Off-Road Lamborghini Countach Concept Is the Rally Monster We Never Got

Posted on by

Marcello Gandini’s work on the original Lamborghini Countach was a masterclass in geometric purity and visual momentum. Its design is characterized by a single, powerful line that runs from the sharp nose to the abrupt tail, creating a sense of forward motion even at a standstill. The body is a collection of interconnected trapezoids and clean angles, forming a cohesive whole that is both brutally simple and endlessly complex. This was a car designed as a piece of kinetic sculpture, an object whose form was so powerful it became a cultural touchstone for an entire generation.

Akuseru’s redesign (dubbed CNTCH O/R) serves as a compelling case study in translating a core design philosophy to an entirely new context. The artist has lifted the vehicle to an impossible height and fitted it for off-road duty, yet the fundamental principles of Gandini’s vision are preserved. The primary longitudinal line remains the focal point, providing visual stability to the lifted chassis. The geometric window shapes and angular body panels are still present, creating a clear lineage to the original. It is a powerful demonstration of how a truly iconic design language can be adapted to speak an entirely different dialect of performance.

Designer: Akuseru

That ride height is the first real shock to the system, a complete inversion of a car that originally stood just over a meter tall. What Akuseru has done is fundamentally re-engineer the car’s relationship with the ground. The track width appears massively expanded, giving the chassis a planted, bulldog-like stance that prevents it from looking precariously top-heavy. The original LP400 was already wide for its time at 1,890 millimeters, but this concept surely pushes past the 2,000-millimeter mark, a necessity for maintaining stability with that much suspension travel. The huge, knobby all-terrain tires are tucked into muscular, squared-off fenders that feel like a logical extension of Gandini’s original hexagonal wheel arches.

The cooling solutions on display are a fantastic nod to the Countach’s history. The prominent NACA ducts behind the doors are a direct tribute, but the roof scoop is the real masterstroke. It immediately brings to mind the original LP400 “Periscopio” models, which had a small periscope-style trench in the roof for rear visibility. Here, it has been repurposed into a functional air intake, feeding the mid-mounted engine with clean air above the dust line. It is a clever, historically aware detail that shows a deep appreciation for the source material, blending a quirky design feature from the past with a genuine performance requirement for an off-road vehicle. The entire upper deck becomes a study in functional aerodynamics wrapped in that signature angular aesthetic.

Look past the aggressive rubber and you start to see the rally-raid DNA asserting itself throughout. The exposed red tow points punched through the front and rear valances are pure motorsport function, a stark contrast to the original production models that had bumpers tacked on almost as an afterthought. This is a machine built with the expectation of getting stuck and needing a pull. Akuseru’s design integrates these functional elements so they feel like part of the core aesthetic, not accessories. The entire lower section of the car seems reinforced, suggesting a full-length skid plate to protect the V12’s oil pan from whatever terrain it might be conquering.

 

The rear of the car is arguably where Akuseru takes the most creative license, and it pays off handsomely. The original’s simple trapezoidal taillights are replaced by a full-width, pixelated LED bar that spells out the Countach name. This is a thoroughly modern touch, yet it feels perfectly at home within the car’s angular framework. It gives the rear a sense of width and presence that the original sometimes lacked. Below it, the exposed exhaust system and industrial-looking rear diffuser complete the transformation from exotic supercar to brutalist off-road weapon. It is an unapologetically aggressive look that feels earned by the rest of the vehicle’s purposeful modifications.

The interior shots show those iconic scissor doors. This is both wildly impractical for off-road use and absolutely essential for maintaining that theatrical Countach character. Imagine pulling up to a desert bivouac after a long stage and throwing those doors skyward. The cabin itself appears surprisingly spacious, with what looks like modern racing seats and a cockpit designed around actual usability rather than pure drama. The tan and bronze color palette inside the copper variant creates a warm, luxurious contrast to the rugged exterior, suggesting this is a machine that can tackle the Dakar Rally in style. You can see the structural reinforcements through the open doors, beefy roll cage elements that speak to serious safety considerations beyond the visual concept.

From above, the proportions reveal themselves in full. The engine deck, massive and angular, dominates the rear third of the car with ventilation grilles that look ready to handle serious heat dissipation. Those “V12” badges flanking the rear air intakes are a nice touch, a reminder of the naturally aspirated heart that would theoretically be beating beneath all this rally armor. The wheel and tire package looks genuinely capable, the kind of setup you’d see on a serious off-road build with multi-ply sidewalls and enough meat to handle serious articulation. The fender flares are substantial without being cartoonish, maintaining the Countach’s taut muscularity while accommodating the larger rubber.

 

Akuseru’s CNTCH O/R understands the spirit of the Countach. The original was never about being the most practical, the most comfortable, or even the fastest car in a straight line. It was about shock, awe, and a refusal to compromise on its wild vision. Akuseru’s rally-spec redesign captures that same energy. In an era where even Lamborghini’s own off-road special, the Huracán Sterrato, feels somewhat restrained, this concept is a reminder of what happens when a brilliant design is pushed to its most illogical and exciting conclusion. It is a fantasy, but it is a well-engineered and deeply respectful one.

 

 

 

The post This Off-Road Lamborghini Countach Concept Is the Rally Monster We Never Got first appeared on Yanko Design.

LEGO Pays Tribute To The 40+ Year Journey Of Apple Calculator Designs

Posted on by

The iPad got its own native calculator app in 2024, just 40 years after Apple rolled out its first-ever GUI (graphical user interface) calculator for the Macintosh in 1984. The original was designed by Chris Espinosa, and was a favorite of Steve Jobs’ up until it was refreshed with the MacOS X in 2001. However, most of us are familiar with the original black and orange calculator UI that debuted as early as 2007.

The thing is, Apple’s calculator designs are a pretty great way to see the company’s design journey. Things went from strictly functional to visually contemporary to goddamn gorgeous (without ever compromising usability of course), and this LEGO set captures that journey perfectly. Put together with just 821 pieces, this fan-made build shows Apple’s transition through 4 stages – going all the way from the b/w 1984 calculator to the modern scientific calculator.

Designer: The Art Of Knowledge

The first calculator design was put together by Espinosa at the young age of 22 while under the leadership of Jobs. Famously a pedantic, Jobs ripped apart almost every design that Espinosa shared with him. After multiple iterations, Espinosa went to him with what we now look at as the final design. It was accepted, but not without a strong dose of criticism from Jobs, who said “Well, it’s a start but basically, it stinks. The background color is too dark, some lines are the wrong thickness, and the buttons are too big.”

The calculator was finally tweaked on the UI and semantics front by Andy Hertzfeld and Donn Derman, who retained this Jobs-approved graphical version. This remained a standard on Macs all the way up until the end of OS 9. The following OS X, again led by Jobs’ vision to break past old and usher in the new, saw a more skeuomorphic approach.

In 2001, Apple transitioned away from its classic Mac OS 9 calculator, known for its simple, functional design (influenced by Steve Jobs and Dieter Rams’ Braun aesthetic), to the new Mac OS X, featuring a refreshed look that emphasized minimalism, better integration, and user-friendly details like larger zero buttons, reflecting Jobs’ philosophy of simplicity and intuitive interaction.

The final calculator design we see today wasn’t always like this. Apple loyalists will remember a phase in 2007 when the iPhone did have a calculator app with the familiar black and orange colorway, but with rectangular buttons instead of orange ones. The circles only made their way into the UI as late as 2024, although design-nerds will remember the Braun ET55 calculator which heavily inspired Apple’s design efforts. Braun’s entire design philosophy, crafted by legend Dieter Rams himself, helped craft Apple’s approach to industrial (and even interface) design. Shown below are two versions of the same iOS18 calculator design – in basic as well as scientific formats.

“This model utilizes interlocking plates, tiles, and inverted tiles for a smooth, tactile finish. It is designed as a modular desk display, perfect for students, engineers, and tech historians alike. With roughly 821 pieces, it offers a rewarding build experience that fits perfectly alongside other LEGO office or technology sets. Attention is paid to the scale of the model to match as closely as possible to the apps,” says designer The Art Of Knowledge, who put this MOC together for LEGO lovers on the LEGO Ideas forum. It currently exists as just a fan-made concept, although you can vote the build into reality by heading down to the LEGO Ideas website and casting your vote for the design. It’s free!

The post LEGO Pays Tribute To The 40+ Year Journey Of Apple Calculator Designs first appeared on Yanko Design.

Why Cadillac Designed Its F1 Camouflage to Actually Stand Out

Posted on by

Formula 1 teams revealed their 2026 testing plans weeks ago, creating a strange temporal problem. Everyone knows Cadillac will run at Barcelona’s closed-door shakedown on January 26. Everyone knows the real livery reveal happens during the Super Bowl broadcast on February 8. That leaves a two-week gap where the team exists in public view but hasn’t officially launched. Most teams would treat this like dead air.

Cadillac’s response was to design specifically for that liminal space. The testing livery features what they call “the Cadillac precision geometric pattern” in gloss and matte sequences, turning functional camouflage into brand vocabulary. They’re using the constraint of secrecy to communicate design philosophy, establishing that their approach blends automotive prototype discipline with motorsport theater. The giant Cadillac crest draped across the engine cover isn’t trying to hide anything. It’s declaring that the space between stealth and spectacle is itself worth designing for.

Camouflage As A Design Language

Cadillac didn’t reach for F1’s usual testing camouflage playbook. They reached for Detroit’s. The vertical geometric pattern running front to back uses alternating gloss and matte treatments, which is straight out of automotive prototype testing methodology. When manufacturers test pre-production vehicles on public roads, they use dazzle camouflage patterns to break up body lines and prevent photographers from capturing accurate proportions. The gloss-matte alternation specifically disrupts how light reads surface contours, making it harder to discern where one body panel ends and another begins. Cadillac has imported that exact technique onto their F1 car, establishing a visual link between their production vehicle development and their racing program before anyone sees them turn a wheel.

This matters because F1 test camouflage typically aims for generic obscurity. Teams either run bare carbon fiber (functional, boring) or apply random geometric patterns (functional, slightly less boring). What Cadillac did requires actual design development work. GM’s press release confirms the testing livery came from “a cross-continental collaboration” between their global design office and the F1 team’s operations spanning the US and UK. They committed design resources to a livery that will only exist for four days of closed-door testing in Barcelona between January 26-30. That’s an unusual allocation of effort for something most teams treat as throwaway content.

The monochrome palette reinforces the automotive prototype reference while giving Cadillac room to establish brand identity without committing to race colors. Black and silver create what GM describes as “a striking and premium appearance” linked to “a modern interpretation of the iconic Cadillac crest and shield”. Translation: they want you thinking about Cadillac’s luxury automotive positioning while accepting that you’re looking at operational camouflage. The cognitive dissonance is intentional.

Founder Names as Front-End Real Estate

Cadillac embedded the names of their founding team members from both the US and UK facilities onto the nose section. This is where the design brief gets interesting from a messaging perspective. F1 teams occasionally acknowledge personnel on liveries, usually through small decals or subtle typography. Cadillac made founder recognition a primary design element on arguably the most visible part of the car during front-facing photography. The nose gets scrutinized heavily during testing because it’s where teams often trial different aerodynamic configurations. Every photo analyzing nose geometry will also capture those founder names.

The positioning serves dual purposes: it humanizes what could have been pure corporate branding while reinforcing that this program exists because specific people made it happen. Cadillac can’t claim decades of F1 heritage like Ferrari or McLaren, so they’re building a founding mythology in real-time. The test livery becomes the origin story document. When people look back at Cadillac’s first F1 laps, those founder names will be visible in every archive photo. That’s smart long-term brand narrative construction disguised as a nice gesture.

It also signals confidence. Teams worried about looking amateurish during their debut typically minimize branding and keep things conservative. Cadillac put a massive crest across the engine cover and devoted premium nose real estate to personnel acknowledgment. They’re treating Barcelona testing like it matters as a brand moment, which suggests they believe their on-track performance won’t immediately embarrass them. Whether that confidence proves warranted remains speculation until they actually run, but the design choices indicate they’re comfortable being highly visible during the shakedown.

Designing for the Gap Between Testing and Launch

The Barcelona test runs January 26-30. The Super Bowl reveal happens February 8. Official pre-season testing in Bahrain starts February 26, where all teams must appear in their actual race liveries. Cadillac carved out a specific design approach for that middle window when they exist publicly but haven’t officially launched. Most teams would use placeholder graphics or early-reveal their race livery to fill that gap. Cadillac treated it as its own design challenge requiring a distinct solution.

This approach mirrors product launch strategies in consumer tech, where companies often deploy teaser campaigns that reveal design philosophy without showing final products. Apple does this constantly with cryptic event invitations that establish aesthetic direction before unveiling actual devices. Cadillac applied that thinking to F1, using the testing livery as a teaser that communicates brand values (precision, Detroit heritage, automotive development discipline) while maintaining suspense about the race livery. The testing design becomes a prologue rather than a placeholder, giving them two separate moments of visual impact instead of one.

The gamble is whether anyone cares about F1 testing liveries enough for this strategy to matter. Cadillac clearly believes the Barcelona shakedown will generate significant coverage despite being closed to the public, likely because they’re the first new F1 team since Haas in 2016. They’ve got Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas driving, both former race winners with existing fan bases. Media attention will be high regardless of access restrictions. By creating a testing livery with actual design intent, Cadillac ensures that coverage focuses on their visual identity and brand positioning rather than just “new team testing in generic camo.”

The Super Bowl Gambit: Two Reveals, Two Audiences

Announcing a February 8 Super Bowl reveal for the race livery turns the testing design into an explicitly temporary statement. Cadillac could have just revealed the race livery now and run it in Barcelona, but separating the reveals creates narrative momentum. The testing livery establishes that Cadillac takes design seriously and imports automotive development discipline into F1. The race livery reveal during America’s biggest television event positions F1 as mass-market entertainment rather than niche European motorsport. Two different messages for two different audiences, with the testing livery handling the credibility building while the Super Bowl moment handles scale and spectacle.

The testing livery will also be on display at the Detroit Auto Show through January 25, giving Detroit-area fans a chance to see it in person before Barcelona. That’s a local market play that reinforces the “Detroit design heritage” messaging GM President Mark Reuss emphasized during the unveiling. Cadillac is working multiple audience segments simultaneously: F1 enthusiasts who’ll scrutinize Barcelona testing, Detroit locals who can visit the auto show, and mainstream American viewers who’ll catch the Super Bowl reveal. The testing livery serves the first two groups while building anticipation for the third.

Whether this layered approach actually moves the needle on Cadillac’s brand perception or F1’s American growth depends on factors beyond livery design. But treating the gap between testing and launch as a design opportunity rather than dead space shows sophisticated thinking about how modern brand reveals work across multiple channels and timelines. The testing livery exists because Cadillac recognized that the waiting room deserves its own design language.

The post Why Cadillac Designed Its F1 Camouflage to Actually Stand Out first appeared on Yanko Design.

Inside the Cheetos Cheesyverse: How PepsiCo Turned a Snack Brand into an Immersive Theme Park

Posted on by

In July 2024, an event in Mexico City called the Cheetos Cheesy Verse invited people to experience the Cheetos brand in person. The large installation, designed by PepsiCo, featured ten rooms, each with a unique theme. The concept was to create a fun, explorable space that represented the personality of the brand’s different snacks.

Each room was based on a specific Cheetos product, with distinct visuals and activities. For example, some rooms used hypnotic patterns and bright colors, while others were themed around concepts like Hollywood or sports. The overall project was a success, creating a memorable experience for visitors and winning an A’ Design Award for its interior and exhibition design.

Designer: PepsiCo Design and Innovation

The design here is so visually dense that it commands your full attention. Every surface is covered in saturated oranges, hypnotic swirls, or bold cheetah spots, creating a total environment that feels completely detached from the outside world. This level of immersion is a deliberate choice, engineered to produce highly shareable content. The entire experience is a meticulously crafted backdrop for social media, and that’s not a criticism; it’s a recognition of a very shrewd and effective design objective.

Executing on that objective is the hard part, and it’s where a lot of brands stumble. It’s one thing to have a mood board, but it’s another to translate the “personality” of Cheetos Poffs into a physical space without it feeling forced. The team got around this by anchoring each room to a strong cultural reference. The “Palomitaswood” concept is a perfect example; it’s a clever, immediate signifier for a Hollywood-themed popcorn room. It’s this kind of smart, efficient world-building that elevates the project beyond just a collection of cool-looking sets.

 

You can see this thinking in every detail. Visitors walk in, take photos against the incredible backdrops, and share them, effectively becoming the brand’s marketing department for the day. Look at the photo with the Shiba Inu; that’s a calculated nod to internet culture, designed to resonate with a specific audience. It shows a deep understanding of how visual trends propagate online, which is essential for making an investment like this pay off. This is what a modern marketing ecosystem looks like.

The post Inside the Cheetos Cheesyverse: How PepsiCo Turned a Snack Brand into an Immersive Theme Park first appeared on Yanko Design.

This PokéDex Wallet Holds 3 Pokémon Cards Along With Your Cash And Childhood Nostalgia

Posted on by

More like Gotta Cash ‘Em All, am I right?! Say hello to by far the nerdiest wallet I’ve ever had the pleasure to set my eyes on. Made for clearly Pokémon lovers, this wallet takes inspiration from one of the most crucial gadgets in the Pokémon universe – the PokéDex. Designed to look almost identical to the flip-based device used to identify the Pokémon you see around you, this wallet comes from the mind of Jalonisdead, with slots to hold (and display) your Pokémon cards along with your banknotes.

The wallet comes in a bifold format in that unmistakeable red finish, with a design to match the PokéDex perfectly. When shut, it looks like a red PokéDex waiting to be opened. Flip the lid open and you’re greeted with a card window on the left that you can use to store the card of your choice. The window lines up perfectly with the card’s graphic, making it look like you’ve ‘spotted’ that Pokémon. Meanwhile, faux graphics on the wallet look almost identical to the gadget from the game/series.

Designer: Jalonisdead

There’s space for multiple cards, although the one front-and-center is clearly for a Pokémon card. Two other slots on the right side can be used for payment and I’d cards too – this is a wallet after all. A slot on the top holds banknotes, although I wish there were place for coins too. The unusual shape lends itself perfectly to wallet use, and I’m surprised nobody at Nintendo thought of cashing in on this idea.

Each wallet costs in the ballpark of $56 USD, and ships in authentic Pokémon card-style packaging, along with 4 Pokémon cards in mint condition. Jalonisdead (the maker) isn’t a massive company, so each wallet is made-to-order and probably by hand too. This means the turnaround time for delivery is anywhere up to 2 months, but for a Pokémon aficionado, I’m sure it’s a small price to pay for perhaps what might be the coolest wallet I’ve seen in years!

The post This PokéDex Wallet Holds 3 Pokémon Cards Along With Your Cash And Childhood Nostalgia first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meet The IRIS eTrike, The SWAT Kats Style Commuter Pod That Doesn’t Need A Driver’s License

Posted on by

Remember the Cyclotron from SWAT Kats, that enclosed motorcycle where the rider sat inside a protective cockpit instead of perched on top like a regular bike? The IRIS eTrike looks like someone pulled that 1990s animation concept into reality, then made it street legal and available for around £10,000. Grant Sinclair’s creation wraps you in carbon fiber and acrylic while filtering the air you breathe, protecting you from weather and impacts, and delivering acceleration that made an astronaut audibly impressed on national television. The whole thing reads like a childhood sketch that somehow survived into adulthood and picked up a spec sheet along the way.

This is not a modified e-bike with a fairing bolted on. The structure uses a carbon fiber monocoque shell with integrated impact absorbing elements, the same construction philosophy you see in race cars and high end velomobiles. A 48V battery feeds motors ranging from 250W to 1000W depending on which regulations you want to play with. The result hits around 30 mph, travels roughly 30 to 50 miles per charge depending on source and configuration, and still qualifies as an electrically assisted pedal cycle that teenagers can legally ride without insurance or licensing in the UK. Sinclair calls it an answer to urban congestion and climate pressure. It lands visually like science fiction that escaped the screen and wandered into the bike lane.

Designer: Grant Sinclair

Here is where it gets interesting from a design perspective. Most e-bikes still cling to the visual language of the bicycle frame, even when the electronics and performance have drifted far from that origin. IRIS throws that out and starts from a capsule, then works backward to fit a drivetrain and pedals inside. The rider sits enclosed under an aviation acrylic canopy, with the company describing the experience as like riding inside a large crash helmet. That analogy works, because the shell is not aesthetic garnish. It is structure, safety device, weather shield, and aerodynamic surface all at once.

The numbers back up the design intent. Two 24 inch carbon BMX wheels up front, one 26 inch carbon MTB wheel at the rear, all on puncture resistant Tannus tires, give it a footprint that is still narrow enough for cycle lanes but visually substantial enough that you do not feel like a speed bump in traffic. Mechanical disc brakes handle stopping, which is conservative but probably easier to maintain for people used to bikes rather than motorcycles. Claimed weight is around 50 kg including the battery, which puts it in velomobile territory rather than microcar territory. That matters, because you are still pedaling. The motor is assist, not a throttle only scooter masquerading as a bicycle.

The IRIS’ closed cockpit won’t have you feeling the wind in your hair, but it does pack its own HVAC. There is a patent pending system that channels cooled air directly onto the 130 Nm motor to keep efficiency up on climbs. At the same time, the cabin air runs through HEPA filtration that targets smoke, germs, and general city gunk. This solves two classic velomobile complaints in one go, heat build up and stale cabin air. If you are going to seal someone into a plastic and carbon tube in London traffic, you had better be thinking about airflow. IRIS clearly did, and that is where you see the difference between a novelty vehicle and something that might survive daily use.

Of course, the £10,000 price tag is going to trigger instant comparisons to cars, cargo bikes, and very nice traditional e-bikes. From a pure transport economics viewpoint, a used EV or a solid cargo bike setup will look saner for most people. From a design and category perspective, though, IRIS is playing a different game. It targets the solo commuter who wants car like enclosure, bike like access to infrastructure, and sci fi visual drama. That is a niche, but it is a real niche, especially in cities that are tightening car access and expanding protected lanes.

All that performance capability creates an interesting regulatory puzzle, one that Sinclair has solved quite cleverly. The IRIS is officially classified as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle, or EAPC. This means that, in the UK at least, it can be ridden on roads and in cycle lanes by anyone aged 14 and over. There is no requirement for a driver’s license, road tax, or insurance, which removes enormous barriers to entry. By designing the vehicle to fit within this specific classification, Sinclair has created a high-performance commuter that enjoys all the legal freedoms of a simple bicycle, a brilliant piece of strategic engineering.

I keep coming back to the cultural lineage here. The Sinclair C5 is the ghost in the room, a low slung, underpowered, ahead of its time experiment that became a punchline. IRIS feels like a direct rebuttal. Higher seating, serious power, serious materials, a body that looks more like a velodrome helmet than a plastic bathtub. The same family name, but with four decades of battery tech, composite manufacturing, and urban policy shifts in its corner. You can see the quiet argument in the design: the idea was not wrong, the context was.

Does that mean IRIS becomes common on city streets? Probably not. It is too specific, too opinionated, too expensive to flood the market. What it does very effectively is stretch the Overton window of what an e-bike can look like and how much protection and tech you can wrap around human power before it stops feeling like cycling. If you grew up watching animated bikes that turned into fighter jets, IRIS feels like the first time someone took that sensibility seriously and then called the result an electrically assisted pedal cycle, with a straight face and a spec sheet to match.

The post Meet The IRIS eTrike, The SWAT Kats Style Commuter Pod That Doesn’t Need A Driver’s License first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple’s 50th Anniversary Gets a Retro iPhone 17 Pro Case Inspired by the Lisa and Macintosh

Posted on by

Spigen keeps one foot planted firmly in Apple’s past. Their retro-inspired cases have become something of a signature move, from iMac G3 translucent homages to see-through AirPods cases that capture Jony Ive’s obsession with showing off internal components. The accessory maker has proven there’s a market for nostalgia you can actually use.

The Classic LS marks a pivot from colorful transparency to utilitarian elegance. Celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary, this new case reaches back to the Macintosh 128k and Apple Lisa era, when computers came in beige enclosures and harbored revolutionary ambitions. The platinum-gray finish, ridged camera module, and rainbow logo placement all reference those iconic machines. Spigen has managed to honor the design legacy and vision Steve Jobs set in motion while keeping features like MagSafe and Camera Control Button functionality intact.

Design: Spigen

Click Here to Buy Now

Pivoting to the 128k and Lisa is a deliberate, almost academic move compared to their previous work. The iMac G3 was about making computers seem fun and harmless; the Macintosh was about making them seem possible. This case captures that earlier, more serious ethos. The horizontal ridges around the camera module directly evoke the necessary ventilation slats of those CRT-era machines, and the case’s texture feels like a direct nod to the plastics of the time.

All this design reverence would be wasted if it didn’t work as an actual case for a 2026 flagship. Spigen is limiting this to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, with built-in support for the Camera Control Button (rather than a mere cutout). For $39.99, you get the expected MagSafe ring and a discrete lanyard cutout, so the aesthetic doesn’t compromise modern convenience. This is a piece of designed history that actually functions as a daily driver, not just a shelf-bound novelty item.

It’s just refreshing to see an accessory that has a real, informed opinion. The market is drowning in a sea of identical clear cases and minimalist leather folios that say absolutely nothing. The Classic LS, however, makes a statement. It’s for a different kind of Apple enthusiast, one who appreciates the foundational designs that made today’s devices possible. It wraps a sleek, modern slab of technology in something with texture, history, and a point of view. Spigen has managed to create a product that feels both nostalgic and completely current.

Click Here to Buy Now

The post Apple’s 50th Anniversary Gets a Retro iPhone 17 Pro Case Inspired by the Lisa and Macintosh first appeared on Yanko Design.

DIY LEGO ‘Connect 4’ Brickset lets you actually play the game after building it!

Posted on by

There aren’t many LEGO sets designed to played with once they’re built. A lot of them are envisioned as show-pieces, and yes, you can do imaginary play with them like you would holding a LEGO Millennium Falcon and whooshing around the house, but this MOC from HH Bricks captures a kind of LEGO playability that’s absolutely rare. Inspired by his daughters’ love for building and playing with LEGO, HH Bricks designed this playable version of one of the world’s most popular tabletop games.

For those uninitiated, Connect 4 is a simple game where you drop tokens down a vertical slot-board, trying to build a set of 4 tokens in a straight line. Your job is to simply build a straight line without being stopped, while also consistently breaking your opponent’s ability to build a solid 4 streak on their own. The game just celebrated 50 years since it was first invented in 1974 (and commercially sold in ’75), and this set recreates the game’s strategic magic, just using LEGO bricks.

Designer: HH Bricks

Although HH Bricks doesn’t specify how many pieces come together to build this set, one could venture it’s easily in the higher end of the spectrum, just because of how many tiny single or double-stud bricks were used to build the set’s flat panels and the 42 tokens that come along with the board. Flat surfaces are fairly complex in LEGO, not because of any visual complexity, but just the fact that they require a lot of bricks to build out.

The rules are ridiculously simple. Each player chooses a color and gets to work, dropping tokens into any slot they want. Beat your opponent by building a connection of 4 tokens in the same color in a straight line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). Some people even play a double-streak round, trying to hit two connections to eventually win the game. Once the game is over, simply pull out the bottom tray and all the tokens come crashing out, reseting the game for the next session.

If you’re here you’ve probably heard of LEGO Ideas – the online forum where LEGO fans and enthusiasts build, share, and vote for MOCs (or fan-made My Own Creations). This LEGO Connect 4 set is a part of the Ideas forum too, having racked up more than 2,800 votes as of writing this. The ultimate goal is to hit the 10k vote mark (which this MOC has 478 more days to reach), following which LEGO’s internal team reviews the build and turns it into a retail box set if everything goes well. The first step, however, is to hit that 10,000 vote mark, which you can help HH Bricks reach by voting for their MOC on the LEGO Ideas website here!

The post DIY LEGO ‘Connect 4’ Brickset lets you actually play the game after building it! first appeared on Yanko Design.