Author Archives: James Hoare

Digital binoculars with real-time weather updates to keep you ahead of the storm!

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It’s always refreshing to see a product that’s design has gone stagnant receive a rejuvenating makeover. That’s exactly what this design has done to the humble binoculars, as it brings them straight into 2019! Carved into the beautifully designed product are informative capabilities that aim to provide a more seamless and engaging user experience; an LED matrix that is positioned beneath the sleek outer casing, displays real-time updates regarding the weather, time and even direction the user is facing. The consideration to the usability of the device goes even further than just its function; the touchpoints have been positioned on the top surface of the device to allow for quick, reliable access to the controls; not only meaning the hands do not need to move out of position, but the binoculars do not have to be directed away from the user’s eyes!

Designer: Jung Hee Won

Rotate this washing machine’s display to set your washing preferences with ease

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The humble washing machine has been somewhat neglected over the past decade; whilst the technology inside has developed considerably, the form hasn’t progressed at quite the same pace, which is unfortunately the same story for the user-experience! This is the issue that the Flexbar washing machine challenges, as it features a revolutionary informative screen that vastly improves the readability of the display.

Mounted on the front edge of the unit is a screen that spans its entire width; whilst a screen of this size is already a unique feature for a domestic appliance, its swiveling capabilities that really set it apart! The aluminum unit rotates to provide a more user-friendly viewing angle! Flexbar’s futuristic design doesn’t end there; integrated into the display is a biometric scanner that leads to a tailored user-experience, whilst the accompanying mobile application leads to an informative experience!

Designer: Efkan Çetin

Market Research

There are various ways to use displays; front, angled, top and flexible operation. The front operation works better if display can show details about process as an informative screen but the control is not that ergonomic. The angled operation offers the user an easier control and display can also work for informative purposes. The top operation provides a clean look for the front and ergonomic control. In this case, there is no info screen. Last, flexible operation works well both for easy operation and process readability, but the existing solution is not well executed nor integrated.

Ideation

After deciding on the product archetype, my focus was on finding interactions that can create a comfortable, efficient and safe experience. I came up with several interaction alternatives. First, using sensors to detect one’s foot so the machine can be woken up by a foot. Second, face recognition can be used by setting cameras in a variety of ways. Third, eye tracking can help to create an incomparable way of activating the device. Last, as a most promising and applicable option, touch ID can be used. Besides, the product details and finishes were developed.

Final Design

The Flexbar washing machine is unique with its adaptive bar display. Thanks to the rotatable aluminum bar unit, the interaction with the machine is taken to another level. The product has three modes that make it peerless; standby, active and informative mode. In active mode, unlike conventional washing machine displays, The Flexbar provides the desired display position/angle for each user. The position is set by an application. The informative mode helps the user to see and read the information on the display easily. The Touch ID ensures a customized user experience, every user has his/her own personal programs and settings that can be accessed by just a touch of a button. Moreover, it makes the washing machine safer for kids meaning only registered users can have the control of the machine, so children do not have the chance to be endangered.​​​​​​​

Standby

During the standby mode, the display is off and acting like an iconic part of a whole. This position allows the characteristic look of the aluminum bar to come to the fore as a dominant design element.

Active

Flexbar is activated by touching the touch ID featured button. After touching the button slightly, the bar display wakes up and gets in pre-set position. When the machine is in active mode, the user can have access to his/her customized menu where the favorite programs and settings can be found.

Informative

As soon as the user started a program the display starts working as an informative screen that shows the remaining time with a process bar. By rotating the aluminum bar 90 degree, the readability of the information on the screen is improved.

App & Button

The application helps the user to set the preferred display position. When the user adjusts the display angle in the application, the display itself starts changing its angle simultaneously. Thus, when the user feels comfortable, the display has its customized position. The touch button works in two ways. First, press the button to activate the display. Second, press and hold to open the door.

Water filtration fountains set up across London to reduce disposable plastic bottle usage

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So, it’s no secret that the new water fountains that have recently found a home within London have been greeted with a rather negative and unwelcomed response, however the motive for their introduction is extremely respectable; encouraging the cities occupants to re-fill their water bottles in order to reduce the amount of the planet-destroying plastic waste that we are guilty of creating. The intriguing collaboration between cloudandco design studio and Coway has led to this far more considered and appealing alternative to the aforementioned offenders. This minimalistic refill station is constructed from stainless steel and features a sink-less, uninterrupted design. The water that is distributed from the station has been passed through the internal filtration system that removes any nasty bacteria and micro-plastics to provide us with fresh, impurity-free water!

Designers: Cloudandco & Coway

“The Oxford Times states that if 1 out of 10 British people were to refill once a week, about 340 million plastic bottles can be salvaged. However, the main issue is not of awareness, but that of the reliability of drinking fountains. Currently, the public conception is that 77% is concerned with the fountains’ maintenance, as well as the quality of their water supply,” Cloudandco told Yanko Design.

To address this issue, Yeongkyu Yoo of Cloudandco reached out to Coway, a specialist leading in water purification systems. Together, they developed an evolved drinking water system that is not only convenient and affordable, but also informative—the Water (refill) Station.

A lamp that carries a beautiful narrative!

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A product can carry so much more than solely a beautiful aesthetic or functional purpose – it can carry a narrative so intriguing that it makes the device so much more desirable. The Subtle Lamp is a perfect example of this, as it uses Ken’ya Hara‘s philosophy of Emptiness and the research on Normality by Naoto Fukasawa to drive its design. The lamp relies on gentle user interaction to function; lifting the lamp’s head causes the light to turn on; this motion represented the sunrise, but is of course open to interpretation!

Rather than relying on glaring touchpoints that interrupt the seamless aesthetic, it uses its form to do all of the talking! The triangular shape of the lamp head hints towards the direction of travel, whilst the empty space that is left vacant when the lamp is turned on is a cue towards a space that requires filling.

Designer: Philipp Emrich for Gantri

“The bedside lamp is informed by my model of agency, geometric considerations, sensory communication and a sensibility towards the user‘s subjective authorship,” Emrich told Yanko Design.

“The light turns on when you lift the lamp head up and slowly fades off when you push it back to the base. This interaction can for example be understood as sunrise and sunset but it is open to the user to interpret it.”

“An object‘s Agency informs your Interaction with it. Agency is perceived through the afforded actions which the designer can emphasize by implementing cues. I designed the cues within the Subtle Lamp in the form of intuitive symbolism based on the principle of Don Norman‘s conceptual models.”

“The construction is informed by archetypical and modernist rules of geometry. This gives the bedside lamp a calm presence.”

This electronic piggy bank teaches kids the value of savings

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A piggy-bank isn’t much use when we are becoming an increasingly cashless society; with more of us relying almost exclusively on our plastic friends or mobile devices, we need to find another way to teach the youngest generation about the value of money!

This is exactly what Little Can does, and it goes about doing so in a particularly unique and innovative way! At the heart of the device is a friendly personality that provides a visual indicator of spending patterns; when a new deposit is made, the little device bounces up to alert the user! Little Can relies on physical interaction to be operated; shaking it will reveal the account balance, whilst twisting the base of the device allows the display to be navigated, which is located on the underside of the can! It doesn’t just have the children in mind, by connecting it to a parents mobile device, they can track and monitor their child’s spending habits, as well!

Designers: Nicol Boyd & Tomas Rosén for PUPUPULA

Principal Scenario – Savings

Key Interactions

Is Volvo PV the future of inner-city travel?

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Could this rather funky example of futuristic design be a glimpse of how we are to travel from point A to point B in the future… as we are more than OK with that, if that’s the case! The Volvo PV is the result of what happens when the distinct simplicity of Scandinavian design meets the demanding needs of inter-urban transportation.

Perhaps its most dramatically different and undeniably unique feature of all is the adaptable seating position; the user has the option of how they would like to travel, they may find a standing position for short distances more comfortable than the more reclined position that’s advised for longer journeys. This change in position doesn’t just alter the interior of the vehicle, the headrests are connected to the tail-lights which move with the seating, changing the exterior visuals.

It’s undoubtedly a bold and beautifully executed concept, that would certainly bring a change to how we travel within our densely-populated cities!

Designer: Rashid Tagirov

Below: Interior

Below: Exterior

Below: 1:4 Scale Model

Track your heart rate and oxygen level in style!

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An oximeter is a fundamental device when monitoring health, however, it’s fair to say that far more time has been invested into its function, as opposed to its form. Whilst this design decision is rather understandable, it does leave a lot of room for improvement, and one which Kenko takes full advantage of!

Kenko laughs in the face of the stereotypical aesthetic of medical products, as it instead carries a stigma-free, far more approachable design style. However, it isn’t just the aesthetics that have received a revamp… the entire user experience has been redesigned; the raised detector gives the user a tactile indication of where to position their finger, whilst the silicone insert can be removed for effective cleaning! Another of Kenko’s features that is rarely seen on a more conventional Oximeter is the OLED Display that provides the user with pointers and information regarding the seamless operation of the device!

Designer: Anish Shakthi

“Designed to fight the social stigma associated with conventional medical products. Thanks to it’s “gadget” aesthetic, it seamlessly blends into the world we live in today,” Shakthi told Yanko Design.

The curves make it appear friendly and the soft form sits well in the palm of your hand.

The bottom slides down to reveal the Photo-detector and the LED lights.

The raised detector gives you a tactile indication as to where to place your finger. In addition, the silicon pad is shaped to grip your finger well.

Works great for both left and right handers thanks to the opening on both sides of the device.

The OLED display is the main source of information and interaction with the device. Provides you information on how to use the device and is there when you need it.

The app tracks all of your readings and gives you health suggestions based on your conditions.

Who needs a display when this keyboard projects your screen directly on your retina?

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We love seeing concepts that challenge our perception of the future of technology by forcing us to rethink how we will one day interact with devices. Aura certainly achieves this, and it does so by transforming the humble laptop into an ultra-portable, productivity station!

So, you may be asking yourself how it functions without a screen, well that’s all down to the rather clever Eye-tracking Infrared Illuminators that locate eye-details and reflection patterns to project the image directly onto the user’s retinas! The futuristic technology doesn’t end there; in addition to the lack of screen, there is also concave keyboard with Glow Thru keys that’s been paired with an adaptive input service for maximum productivity!

Every single detail has been considered in immense detail; from the seamless and intuitive charging cable that is reminiscent of Apple’s iconic Magnetic cable, through to the careful selection of materials that elevate the premium feel of the computer! If this is what the future of computing could be like, then count us in!

Designer: Vince Wang

How it Works

Retinal display technologies do not need a physical screen. Instead, the viewer and the projector face each other, forming virtual images on the retina of the viewer.

Magical Eyetracking

Invisible infrared dots are projected and captured by the sensors for processing. By finding eye details and reflection patterns, eye patterns are calculated, giving perfect projections within the viewing angle.

Every Detail Matters

Every step of the way was methodical, increasing in fidelity and brought forward more and more details. Full-scale iterations revealed form and proportions changes that are hard to notice digitally.

Iconic & Timeless

A comfortable, familiar tactile gesture of rolling the bar turns the device on and off. Iris scanning allows you to unlock your device and setup multiple Iris profiles for multi-user use.

Secondary Keys

To declutter your workspace, secondary keys are hidden until you activate them with the numbers, ‘123’ button or the symbols “#+=” button. Press and your keys will magically glow through the trackpad. A new adaptive keyboard with no learning curve.

Invisible Aura

With no physical keys to press, you experience a fully seamless surface that is natural and easy to interact with. Haptic feedback adds a sense of touch by slight vibrations when you run your fingertips across the keys or press down on them.

Aura Can Take the Heat

Torx T3 screws allow you to do battery replacement on your own, clean out dust, and give you ultimate repairability and the ability to recycle. Rubber feet grip keep your device secure while raising it up to help with airflow and cooling.

Natural Cursor Movement

The trackpad you’ve grown to love is still there. Although this one lights up with buttons when you want it to. Aura uses eye-tracking for moving your cursor around, simply look where you want it to go. We reply on this natural human eye movement and use infrared lights to accurately track your eye gaze.

Seamless Intuitive Charging

No more lining up prongs or ports to charge your device. A simple magnetic inductive surface charges any way you snap it on, allowing you to beautifuuly charge your Aura as unobtusively as possible.

Could this be the successor to Apple’s HomePod?!

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A lot of the most popular models within Apple’s vast line-up of products are topped by a flagship ‘Pro’ variant, and thanks to this concept, we can get an insight to how the HomePod would look if it received the same treatment! This re-engineered HomePod transforms the device from the personal speaker that we have become familiar with, into an all-out home entertainment center!

Packed into the oblong form is a plethora of features that elevate its position within the home. At the forefront of its design is a 4K touch screen spanning the top surface of the device; through this, the user can control Apple TV, incoming Facetime calls and of course, music. These functions can be experienced in immersive definition that has been made possible through the 2 high excursions woofers, 10 ambient microphones and 14 beamforming tweeters! Its functionality now spreads into the workplace environment; keeping minutes, scheduling appointments and participating in group conferences can all be taken care of with this beautifully clever device.

Designer: Philip Goolkasian

HomePod Pro

An immersive soundbar with Dolby Atmos, an integrated Apple TV 4K with touch controls, and a secure platform for FaceTime and audio chart. With double the drivers and a wide range of features, HomePod Pro crosses over from personal speaker to all-in-one entertainment center.

Audio

2 high-excursion woofers, 10 ambient microphones, and 14 beaming tweeters deliver the same acoustic quality as the original HomePod, with twice the amplification range for powerful, moving audio and unbelievably rich sound.

Textile

To achieve an oblong shape, HomePod Pro’s textile pattern was completely reengineered. Using 3D parametric modeling scripts alongside familiar manufacturing methods, HomePod Pro’s space fabric maintains a seamless, consistent, and acoustically-transparent surface.

Apple TV 4K

With fully integrated Apple TV 4K, HomePod Pro delivers a comprehensive audio and video entertainment experience right out of the box. Watch your favorite shows from Apple TV+, HBO, Netflix and more in high-definition with just one device.

Stream Music, Podcasts, Movies, TV Shows & More

Control your HomePod Pro through the haptic touch interface. Pair HomePod Pro with your Apple TV remote or iOS enabled devices. Or just say “Hey Siri”. We’ll take it from there.

Surround Sound with Dolby Atmos

Pair HomePod Pro with up to 2 HomePods and be transported right to the center of the action. Stream breathtaking Apple TV 4K content with Dolby Atmos and experience completely immersive audio.

Ready for the Home & Office

HomePod Pro makes it easy to stay connected to your team. The microphone array uses ambient echo intelligence to automatically calibrate to large conference rooms and small huddle spaces. And with Workplace OS for HomePod, it consolidates your entire visual system – making it simpler than ever to get to work.

Group FaceTime

Start a Group FaceTime from Apple Calendar, Email, HomePod Pro, or your enables iOS devices. Through advanced audio processing, HomePod Pro knows the size of the room and the number of guests, and calibrates audio input and output to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.

Easy Scheduling with Apple Calendar

Set up an event with Workplace OS and Apple Calendar. Assign a room, invite guests, and HomePod Pro will be ready when you arrive.

Automatic Meeting Templates with Notes

With customizable meeting templates, it’s incredibly fast to document your team’s ideas – giving you more time to concentrate on what matters most. Minutes and links are automatically shared with the team, so everyone is kept in the loop.

Linked Presentation Files with iCloud

Avoid screencasting and awkward, unwanted notification pop-ups. Simply drag and drop your files into meeting invite from iCloud, and HomePod Pro will add them to the visual display. After meeting, links to the files are shared with the team to review and follow-up.

A wireless charger & desk fan that takes inspiration from renewable fuel

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Windfarms are popping up so regularly that they are rapidly becoming a common sight within our landscapes… this little device goes one-step further and introduces them into our homes, on a far smaller, more manageable level!

Inspired by the offshore wind farm located just off the coast of Jeju Island in South Korea, this intriguing device provides power to your mobile device through wireless charging. Okay… so the turbine doesn’t actually generate the power, but I think we can let that one slide considering how beautiful the aesthetics of the device is. The gentle surface detailing has been taken directly from the calm waves that gently break against the shores of the volcanic island. Just to elevate the alluring styles even further, it has been displayed in four color tones that beautifully reflect the conditions that surround Jeju Island.

Designer: Do Hyeung Kim

“Jeju Island is a special autonomous province located in the southernmost part of Korea. 90% of the island is made up of basalt. Compared to land, the oceanic climate is characterized by high temperature, high rainfall and high winds. As a result, there is a large wind farm in Jeju Island,” Kim told Yanko Design.