Author Archives: Shawn McNulty-Kowal

Nike-inspired minimal trendy sneakers look so sleek, they’re destined for the moon!

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Averted Vision is a futuristic shoe collection inspired by what sneakers might look like if they were worn on the moon.

The further we progress towards a technological future, the more tantalizing outer space becomes. It can feel like we’re closer than ever to our dreams of moving to the moon or Mars. As we dream about the possibilities, we might imagine ourselves wearing our Earth-bound clothes–a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

Designer: Amr Elwan

But what would sneakers look like if they were specifically designed for use on the moon? Set on finding out, graphic designer Amr Elwan revealed his own sneakers design called Averted Vision, after “the first generation of human verbal expression on the moon.”

Defined by its cushioned design and minimalist profile, Averted Vision is practical and trendy. The cushioned soles take up around half of the shoe’s side profiles, providing ample bounce for playing without gravity. Conceptualized without shoelaces, Averted Vision could benefit from textile technology to form-fit around the wearer’s feet for a snug, comfy fit.

The silhouette of the shoe seems to be inspired by designs of today, like Yeezy Foam Runners and Boosts. These days, it sometimes feels like we’re a stone’s throw away from life on Mars, so it’s not surprising that designers tapped into the future are influenced by the trends of today. Envisioned in optic white and a slate gray, Elwan pictures his shoes with a minimalist appeal that’s rooted in the future but timeless by design.

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Relieve knee pain and heal injuries with this innovative dual-light therapy of the Reviiv Knee+

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We attach a lot of technologies to our bodies, not yet including the smartphones we keep close, most of which are designed to monitor our health or diagnose potential problems. However, none of these can do anything when something does happen, except perhaps to send an emergency message or call. That’s what sets the Reviiv Knee+ apart because it can actually help reduce knee pain or help accelerate the healing process, thanks to its use of LED and laser lights to simulate blood flow. Even better, the device’s modular and comfortable design lets you easily strap it around your injured knee, letting the medical-grade light panels get close to your aching joints and damaged tissues.

Designer: Reviiv Design Labs

Click Here to Buy Now: $289 $499 ($210 off). Hurry, use Coupon Code “YANKODESIGN EXCLUSIVE”. Offer ends May 1st 2022, midnight PST.

You might scoff at the thought of worrying too much about knee pains, but you might also be shocked to learn that 4 out of every 10 people in the world actually suffer from it chronically. The reasons are varied, ranging from unavoidable factors like genetics, age, and location, to choices we make ourselves, like our lifestyles or our work. Chronic knee pain isn’t hard to get, but getting relief and treatment is.

The Reviiv Knee+ makes it almost too easy, letting you place light panels on top of pain zones to work its dual-light magic. Adjustable magnetic straps not only hold those panels around your leg securely, they also make sure no one is left behind just because they have smaller or bigger legs.

Targets the right pain points accurately.

Knee+ uses the underrated power of light to help the body’s healing process through photobiomodulation. This scientific mouthful only means that light enhances the natural mitochondrial functions of cells to speed up the regeneration of damaged cells. In this case, LED and laser lights work in tandem to make sure that light penetrates the entire leg, from the 650nm depth of red LED light to the 808nm depth of near-infrared laser. Knee+ and its dual-light therapy can bring fast-acting relief and positively affect long-term healing no matter the cause of the pain or injury, like tired athletes, recovering patients, and people with arthritis.

Despite its medical applications, the Knee+ isn’t some heavy and bulky machine that needs to be kept in the trunk of your car or, worse, stuck at home. Designed to be able to come to the rescue at any given moment, the Knee+ can be easily stuffed inside a bag whenever you go out.

The modular connection between the straps makes it trivial to put it together and take it apart, while its carrying case doubles as a magnetic charging dock for the light panels, so you won’t have to worry about not having enough battery when you do need it. Best of all, you don’t need to ask a medical professional to use it. Simply put it on, and it will automatically determine and adjust the dosage cycle for you. And at less than $300, you won’t have to break your bank to heal your broken knee with the modular Reviiv Knee+ and its almost magical dual-light therapy.

Click Here to Buy Now: $289 $499 ($210 off). Hurry, use Coupon Code “YANKODESIGN EXCLUSIVE”. Offer ends May 1st 2022, midnight PST.

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This minimalist, unibody dog house is made using hot press machines from metallic elements + felt coverings

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The Cottage dog house is a minimalist dog house made from metallic elements and eco-friendly felt coverings.

Your dog deserves a corner of the home to call its own. Whether that means creating your own pillow fort around your dog’s bed or buying the latest, greatest dog house that only fits in the backyard, it’s up to you. Typically, dogs aren’t too fussy and they’ll find comfort wherever there’s a hint of it–on your lap or under the couch. The Cottage dog house from LSY and Jaeyeon Choi is a new kind of minimalist dog house that taps into comfort with a felt covering and sturdy build.

Designers: LSY . x Jaeyeon Choi

Like a traditional cottage, the dog house maintains a simple frame and homey appearance. Consisting of only three main parts, the Cottage dog house is formed around a weighty base that supports an internal cushion for resting, while an A-frame felt house covers everything. The internal cushion is meant to provide ultimate comfort for your canine friend and the removable roof allows for open-air or semi-enclosed sleeping.

Constructed on a hot press machine, the felt covering drapes over the metallic roof for a soft, plush exterior that feels warm and fuzzy to the touch. The hot press machine adheres the felt covering to the metallic roof for seamless covering and water cutting machinery is used to cut the felt down to precise corners and edges.

The felt used to cover the dog house is eco-friendly by design as it’s biodegradable and low-impact. The felt also provides soundproof features so that your dog can rest in peace day or night. The eco-friendly material also boasts a long life cycle so your dog will be able to enjoy its own tiny little home for as long as it needs.

“The cottage consists of three parts: base, cushion, and house.  Of course, various combinations of various colors are possible.”

“The cottage is made of ‘hot press’ method which takes the felt with high-temperature casting.  It is strong enough for an adult man to stay on the roof and maintain shape.”

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This Neutra-inspired tiny modernist home features a 30-foot-long wraparound glass facade

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N1 is a tiny modernist home defined by a 30-foot-long glass facade.

The possibilities of tiny homes are endless. It seems like every layout, every facade, every aesthetic has been done before. Even so, the tiny home archetype encourages designers and architects to test their own creative potential. Inspired by the modernist architecture of Richard Neutra, Kelly Davis of SALA Architects designed a 500-square-foot, flat-roofed residence that’s defined by its 30-foot-long glass facade. Tiny home building company ESCAPE constructed the prefabricated tiny home called N1 in an effort to design their first midcentury building.

Designer: ESCAPE

Clad with metal and glass, N1’s transparent facade is meant to bring residents closer to the surrounding outdoors. While the wraparound glass facade supplies the home with an air of elegance, its primary purpose is to break the barrier between indoor and outdoor spaces while providing the home with practical solutions to natural weather conditions. The home’s gray metal siding and white poly roof covering are, “very strong and highly reflective so that it prevents heat buildup,” as ESCAPE founder Dan Dobrowolski explains.

Inside, the home maintains an open-floor layout that’s finished in bright maple wood paneling for a warm contrast to the home’s reflective exterior. From the floors to the walls, ESCAPE builders wrapped the home in warm maple tones to evoke Scandinavian-inspired design. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows also collect pools of natural sunlight that help brighten the home’s interior walls further.

Concealed storage compartments and seamless doorway transitions, like built-in cabinetry and sliding wooden doors, help preserve the home’s open feel. The kitchen is combined with the dining area, which rests just next to the living room where residents can enjoy a sectional sofa, a coffee table, and large television. The main bedroom can be found just beyond the living room behind sliding maple doors and a second bedroom is kept near the home’s front door and laundry area.

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This wall-mounted analog clock displays the time of day in countries across the globe

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Bent Hands is an analog wall clock that denotes global cities and their corresponding time of day.

These days, checking the time and weather in global countries is as easy as scrolling through your text messages. With only a few clicks, you can find the local weather condition and time in cities you’ve never visited, or even heard of before. While the convenience of smartphones provides us with instant gratification and global information, the artful subtlety of the analog world has its perks. Bent Hands is a new analog wall clock for the modern home from UGLY.DUCKLING ID, an industrial design studio led by Gihawoo, displays the different times of major cities across the globe.

Designer: UGLY.DUCKLING ID

Named after the crux of its design, Bent Hands features a single clock hand that starts in the clock’s center point and crimps in a concentric formation to coordinate the time of day with corresponding cities. Speaking on the design behind their clock design, Gihawoo explains, “It is possible to see the global time at a glance by differentiating the size of the circle. The edge of the angled hand which was designed out of the attachment that the hands of the watch are usually straight shows the times in each country. It implicates the message that the world is moving together without breaking even though they are living in a little bit different time frame.”

Positioned at the top of the wall clock, the spot that’s ordinarily reserved for 12:00, users will find the major city of London displayed. Just beside the city’s name, a ballpoint indicates the time of day and connects to a long beam that traces the names of additional cities, denoting the time of day in other cities. Then, the beam connects to another ballpoint that reveals the exact time for Abu Dhabi. Moving closer to the clock’s center point, ballpoints correspond with more cities to reflect the time of day.

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Australia’s first self-inflating off-road camper sets a new bar for glamping

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The Space X Air trailer is Australia’s first automatic opening, stabilizing, and inflating off-road camper for the ultimate glamping experience.

There’s camping and then there’s glamping. For those who’d rather not go without a shower and spend the night on the forest floor, glamping offers campers the opportunity to still sleep under the stars, and running water is always a stone’s throw away.

Designer: Mars Campers

Delivering one way for campers to enjoy the great outdoors with a bit of glamour, the Space X Air from Mars Campers is Australia’s first automatic opening, stabilizing, and inflating off-road camper. Attachable as a flatbed trailer, Space X Air self-inflates with the push of a button to reveal a spacious, integrated living space.

When fully expanded, the trailer is large enough to accommodate four adults and two children. Then, when the trailer is closed, it folds down to 5900mm L x 2340mm W x 1560mm H. While the trailer is small and lightweight enough to attach to most automobiles, Mars Campers has been anything but skimpy on the built-in features.

When it comes to cooking, the Space X Air comes equipped with a full kitchenette and a dinette for sit-down dinners. The kitchen is complete with a Dometic SMEV 8003 3-burner stove, chopping board, sink, cold water tap, 20L mini bar cooler, external pantry, waterproof speakers, TV bracket, and two toolboxes. When it comes time for bed, the dinette lounge converts to a sleeping area.

On both ends of the trailer, campers can rest throughout the day on high-density, double-bed mattresses. While the roomy lounge area might be enough for some to stay comfy while glamping, Mars Campers equipped their latest trailer with off-grid perks as well.

Ensuring that no matter where off-roading takes campers, the designers at Mars Campers were sure to include two 100L water tanks, a portable toilet, and a 200W portable solar panel in addition to supplementary features like a water heater, batteries, a charger, as well as internal and external LED light fixtures.

Waterproof overhead coverings protect campers from the outside elements. 

The self-inflating trailer automatically opens up with the push of a button.

A fully-functioning kitchenette ensures ultimate comfort when glamping.

The stainless steel kitchenette is heavy-duty and stabilized. 

When expanded, the trailer provides ample storage space and roomy lounge areas to make your glamping experience as comfortable as possible. 

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This sleek at-home water dispenser designed at people who WFH can discharge water in three seconds

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The Supor Instant Water Dispenser is an at-home appliance constructed for today’s world of remote working and WFH.

As we grow used to spending more time inside the house as a result of stay-at-home orders, many of us are turning to appliances to bring outside comforts indoors. While there is no replacement for morning trips to the coffee shop, at-home appliances like coffee brewers and french presses make the experience a little more accessible. The Supor Instant Water Dispenser is a new at-home appliance concept from designers Guoyu Li and Weili Wu that can pour water out in a matter of seconds.

Designer: Guoyi Li and Weili Wu

Adopting an integrated design language, the Supor Instant Water Dispenser keeps a polished midcentury modern look. The gleaming metallic look gives the appliance a retro, yet timeless appearance so that it can fit into any modern kitchen or office space.

In addition to its adaptable design, the Supor Instant Water Dispenser maintains a slender body so that it can fit onto any countertop no matter the amount of space available. Thanks to a seven-speed touch screen, users can also adjust the rate of water discharge so that it can pour from the faucet as quickly as three seconds.

Marketed for stay-at-home mothers and remote workers, the Supor Instant Water Dispenser is an at-home appliance that can be used for anything from brewing coffee to making a pot of tea. Even when the deadline is quickly approaching or when the meeting is just about to begin, a cup of coffee or pot of tea can be made available sooner than you can punch in the Zoom meeting passcode.

In contrast to similar products currently on the market, the designers suggest, “The attributes of products sold online determine that products need to reflect differences in form and appearance, and at the same time need to increase user stickiness through experience design, so that products are not only satisfied with functional attributes but become a way of life that can be shared on social platforms.”

The seven-speed touch screen adjusts the rate of dispensing water to varying speeds.

The attached grated reservoir ensures no-mess operation.

The slim design of Supor allows it to fit onto most kitchen countertops. 

Supor is plug-and-play for ultimate convenience. 

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The world’s largest algae growth pond uses nature-based technology to capture CO2 emissions

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Brilliant Planet, a renewable energy semiconductor manufacturing company, operates a 30,000-square-meter production facility where they capture CO2 emissions via the largest algae growth pond in the world.

Algae is like magic. Consumed by humans as a superfood, algae promotes healthy skin, produces essential amino acids, and contains Omega-3 fatty acids. Then, on a larger scale, when algae are grown in the sunlight, the plants absorb carbon dioxide, like any other plant, and release oxygen into the atmosphere.

Designer: Brilliant Planet

For higher productivity rates, algae can be grown in controlled areas to absorb large amounts of CO2 and convert it to biomass and oxygen via photosynthesis. Brilliant Planet, a UK-based renewable energy semiconductor manufacturing company, is tapping into the magic of algae to create an affordable means of “permanently and quantifiably sequestering carbon at the gigaton scale,” as the company describes.

In 2013, Brilliant Planet began as a three-square-meter experiment on the shores of St Helena, South Africa. Today, they’ve grown into a 30,000-square-meter production facility based in the coastal desert of Morocco, where the world’s largest algae growth pond can be found. While algae systems, a full service that converts algae to energy, exist in high numbers around the world, Brilliant Planet stands apart from the rest by being entirely nature-based.

Speaking about their nature-based operation, Brilliant Planet notes, “We’re different from conventional algae systems. We don’t scale up an artificial test tube with artificial seawater and pumped in carbon dioxide. Our nature-based system scales down the ocean to use natural seawater, nutrients, and CO2. This natural process deacidifies seawater, enhances local ecosystems, and also enables paradigm-shifting levels of affordability.”

In the ocean, algae blooms take place seasonally, but Brilliant Planet developed a natural process that essentially “downscales” the ocean to grow algae quickly all year-round. Through this process, the algae system can sequester CO2 at far less cost and at a much quicker rate than direct air capture plants that are meant to capture airborne CO2 particles. For nearly five years, Brilliant Planet has been running its test site in Morocco to much avail, leading to plans for larger demonstration facilities and ultimately a commercial facility by 2024.

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This modern refrigerator optimizes storage and organization with smart technology

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The Aura refrigerator is a modern home appliance equipped with smart technology to optimize storage and use.

As we sink deeper into the world of technology, so do our homes and home appliances. Smart technology dictates most of the controls behind modern kitchen appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers, but their overall look has largely stayed in the past. Hoping to bring the refrigerator into the modern era by reshaping its structure and technical fittings to accommodate today’s smart technology and environmental needs, Aura is a new type of refrigerator. Designed by FUHUA Design Studio, the Aura refrigerator breaks down the conventional fridge into smaller compartments to allocate the energy used and minimize its impact.

Designer: FUHUA Design

The eggs and additional breakfast-ready food items can be found in one slide-out drawer, while the beers and other late-night beverages are reserved for a unique pull-out caddy. Describing the design choice behind breaking down the fridge into small compartments, FUHUA explains, “Dividing the door into smaller compartments allows users to have quick access to the frequently used items, thus reducing the energy waste by optimizing user behavior.”

Additionally, the refrigerator automatically turns its lights off when users aren’t around. Then, once someone enters the kitchen, Aura gradually illuminates its internal lighting to invite the users for something to drink and a bite to eat. Appearing like a genial cabinet, Aura is designed for optimal organization, allowing users to easily pull out food and drink items according to their designated compartment.

Without having to open the door, users will be able to see what’s inside the fridge thanks to the integrated backlight, “When approached by the user, the brightness increases as if AURA warmly greets them. At the same time, the soft back-light creates elegant silhouettes of the items inside on the translucent glass door, to remind the users what they have in the fridge without having to open the door.”

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LEGO launches its botanical collection to merge building blocks with gardening

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LEGO’s Botanical Collection marks the toy company’s latest effort in merging the joyful pastime of building blocks with the meditative work of gardening.

Two of the more popular pastimes to have gained traction during the pandemic have been gardening and building with LEGOs. It seems everyone is filling their homes with flower bouquets and greenery. While there’s no replacement for growing our own gardens, LEGO recently launched a collection of blocks that allow people to build their own bouquets and greenery with LEGO blocks. Dubbed the Botanical Collection, users will be able to replicate flowers like Birds of Paradise and orchids with corresponding LEGO blocks.

Designer: LEGO

Designed to provide users with a means for rest and relaxation, the Botanical Collection is like a sort of three-dimensional puzzle that merges the childhood joy of LEGO building blocks with the patient game of jigsaw puzzles. While children and adults enjoy collecting LEGO blocks and building microscopic cityscapes from that collection, the Botanical Collection marks a clear effort from the toy block’s company to ‘adultify’ their collection of LEGOs.

The Bird of Paradise collection features over 1,000 building blocks so users can take their time constructing artful three-dimensional replicas of bouquets and plant life. In addition to the Bird of Paradise option, the Botanical Collection includes pieces to build orchids, succulents, full bouquets, bonsai trees, and whatever else your imagination concocts.

On rainy days, when gardening isn’t an option, LEGO’s new Botanical Collection offers a moment of indoor respite for those of us with green-thumbed tendencies. Of the succulent collection, the designers at LEGO encourage adults to, “Discover the deeper virtues of our resilient friends. Venture into the plant kingdom and let your green fingers do what they do best, with this creative and relaxing build.”

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