Author Archives: Ida Torres

A Button, A Loop, And The Problem Of Where To Put Your Glasses

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Look, I’ve lost my glasses in some pretty creative places. Between the couch cushions. On top of my head while frantically searching for them. In the fridge once (don’t ask). And I know I’m not alone in this very specific modern anxiety: that moment when you take your glasses off and suddenly have nowhere to put them that won’t end in disaster.

Cubitts, the London-based eyewear brand that’s been quietly revolutionizing how we think about spectacles, has come up with a solution so elegantly simple you’ll wonder why no one thought of it sooner. It’s called On The Wing, and it’s basically a small leather loop that attaches to any button on your shirt. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. And somehow, it’s brilliant.

Designer: Cubitts

Made from supple vegetable-tanned leather, On The Wing transforms whatever you’re wearing into a temporary perch for your frames. It’s designed for those in-between moments when you’re not wearing your glasses but don’t want to commit them to a case or risk the inevitable “left them at the restaurant” panic. You slip the loop onto a button, hang your glasses from it, and go about your business. No stretched-out necklines from hanging them on your collar. No bulging pockets. No setting them down on a table and walking away without them.

The design came out of a collaboration between Cubitts and industrial designer Daniel Weil, part of a broader collection of accessories that share the brand’s philosophy: functional, beautiful, and made to last. Weil has spent decades thinking about how objects interact with daily life, and you can feel that consideration in On The Wing’s simplicity. It’s barely visible when you’re wearing it, but always there when you need it.

What I love about this is how it acknowledges a real problem that glasses wearers deal with constantly. If you wear glasses full-time, you know the dance. You take them off to look at your phone up close, or to rub your eyes, or because you’re transitioning from reading to eating. And then what? Do you set them on the table where they’ll get scratched? Balance them precariously on your head? Shove them in a pocket where they’ll get smudged or bent?

The thing is, glasses have become such an integral part of personal style. People spend serious time choosing frames that reflect their aesthetic, whether that’s vintage-inspired, minimalist, or boldly contemporary. Cubitts understands this better than most brands. Their frames are designed to be enduring companions, repaired and serviced over many years rather than treated as disposable fashion. So it makes sense that they’d think about what happens to your glasses when they’re not on your face.

On The Wing costs about $14 and comes in a few colors to match different wardrobe aesthetics. It’s the kind of accessory that feels almost too simple to be worth it until you start using it and realize how much mental energy you were spending on the where-do-I-put-my-glasses question. There’s something charmingly analog about the solution too. In a world where every problem seems to require an app or a gadget with a battery, here’s a piece of leather and a button doing exactly what they need to do. No charging required. No setup. No learning curve.

Will a leather loop on your shirt button change your life? Probably not. But will it solve a small, persistent annoyance in a way that feels considered and well-designed? Absolutely. And sometimes that’s exactly what good design should do: notice the little frustrations we’ve all accepted as normal and offer something better. For anyone who’s ever patted down their pockets in a panic or retraced their steps through a entire building looking for their glasses, On The Wing makes a lot of sense. It’s the kind of simple solution that feels obvious in retrospect, which is usually the mark of genuinely smart design.

The post A Button, A Loop, And The Problem Of Where To Put Your Glasses first appeared on Yanko Design.

IKEA’s $10 Donut Charger is the Quirkiest Tech Accessory You Need

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IKEA has always understood that good design is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about making everyday life just a little bit smarter and a whole lot more delightful. From the iconic, ubiquitous flat-pack furniture phenomenon that has furnished college dorms and first apartments worldwide, to their surprisingly savvy and rapidly expanding smart home gear, the Swedish powerhouse consistently sneaks into our lives with functional, well-priced objects. They have a unique talent for translating high-level function into accessible, everyday items, democratizing design in a way few other companies can match.

But their latest accessory, the VÄSTMÄRKE wireless charger, feels like they stopped designing furniture for a minute and started making tech that belongs on a designer’s desk or maybe even a breakfast tray. And truth be told, I’m all for this kind of quirky but also highly functional kind of device, especially for someone who always needs to charge one gadget or another and appreciates a bit of personality in their tech landscape.

Designer: IKEA

Forget the sleek metal pucks and boring black slabs that define the typical wireless charger landscape. The VÄSTMÄRKE arrives in a striking, happy red color which is a shade that manages to be both playful and aggressive. It is wrapped in soft, tactile silicone, and is shaped unmistakably like a bright, circular donut. Yes, a donut. This accessory is a masterclass in playful industrial design, immediately standing out in a crowded market where everything is trying desperately to be minimal and invisible, striving for that elusive “zero design” aesthetic. The VÄSTMÄRKE loudly rebels against that. At around ten dollars, it’s an absolute steal and an impulsive buy designed to bring a little pop culture fun and necessary color into your daily tech routine. It’s an instant dopamine hit for your desk.

But don’t let the adorable, pastry-like exterior fool you into thinking this is merely a cute paperweight that’s all style and no substance. Underneath that cheerful, friendly silicone exterior is a genuinely modern piece of charging tech that proves IKEA is serious about functionality. The VÄSTMÄRKE supports the new Qi2 standard, which is the current industry gold standard for magnetic wireless charging. This means it offers fast 15-watt charging speeds which is on par with high-end, premium alternatives, and, crucially for modern phone users, it includes precise magnetic alignment. This makes it instantly compatible with systems like Apple’s MagSafe or Google’s emerging PixelSnap standard, ensuring your phone snaps perfectly into place every single time. That magnetic click maximizes charging efficiency and eliminates the frustrating hunt for the sweet spot, a common annoyance with older, non-magnetic wireless pads.

Where the VÄSTMÄRKE truly shines, however, is in its secret identity, offering two hidden functions that transform it from a simple charger into a genuine utility tool, a Swiss Army knife of power. The whole device is built around a clever fold-out core. You can flip the top half up and invert the ring, effectively turning the charger into an impromptu, stable, PopSocket-style grip for your phone. Imagine charging on the go, then seamlessly using the attached charger, which is still magnetically clamped to your device, to secure your grip while scrolling through social media, watching a video, or taking a complicated selfie. It’s a brilliant crossover of charging and ergonomic convenience that no one specifically asked for, but everyone who uses it will immediately wonder how they lived without it.

The second genius trick tackles the bane of all tech lovers: the cable tangle. That circular cutout, which doubles as the grip, is also a clever storage solution. The VÄSTMÄRKE includes an integrated USB-C cord, which is another nod to modernity and universal compatibility. When you’re done charging or ready to travel, you can simply wrap the cable neatly and snugly around the center gap and snap the silicone top back down. The cord disappears completely into the design, keeping your bag or pocket blissfully knot-free and preventing the charger itself from becoming a tangle magnet. It’s a supremely thoughtful nod to portability, making this the ideal budget travel companion for anyone constantly on the move.

The VÄSTMÄRKE is the perfect embodiment of IKEA’s approach to the smart home and personal tech. It’s cheap, utterly practical, uses high-level Qi2 technology typically reserved for more expensive gear, and comes wrapped in a delightful design that is guaranteed to spark conversation and smiles. It’s a testament to the idea that functional tech doesn’t have to be visually dull or take itself too seriously. Sometimes, the best design is the one that looks like it belongs on the menu rather than on the motherboard. If you’re looking for a dash of color, a clever set of features, and next-gen magnetic charging without emptying your wallet, this little red donut is an unexpected, delightful, and highly functional winner.

The post IKEA’s $10 Donut Charger is the Quirkiest Tech Accessory You Need first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rotating Kitchen Cubes Make Wasting Food Actually Impossible

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We’ve all been there. You buy fresh produce with the best intentions, tuck it away in the fridge or pantry, and then discover a wilted mess two weeks later. It’s frustrating, wasteful, and honestly, it happens way more often than we’d like to admit. But what if your storage system actually worked with you instead of against you?

Enter Saveit, a modular food storage concept by designer Yerin Kim that’s making me rethink everything about how we organize our kitchens. At first glance, it looks like something straight out of a design museum with its sleek metal boxes, perforated panels, and pops of color. But the real magic happens when you actually use it.

Designer: Yerin Kim

The system is built around a brilliantly simple idea: rotating storage that follows the FIFO principle (first in, first out). You know how grocery stores stock their shelves so older items move to the front? That’s exactly what Saveit does for your home. The modules feature these clever two-way rotating structures, so when you add new food from one side, the older items naturally move toward the exit point. No more mystery tomatoes rotting in the back of your produce drawer.

What makes this system feel genuinely different is how modular and adaptable it is. The stackable metal units can be configured in countless ways, kind of like edible Tetris. Need more space for root vegetables this week? Rearrange. Stocking up on citrus? Adjust accordingly. The colored sliding trays and hanging hooks accommodate everything from loose potatoes to bunches of bananas, and each component is designed to maximize airflow through those perforated backs, keeping produce fresher longer.

The aesthetic is industrial meets playful, with that brushed metal finish that feels both serious and approachable. Those bright red, green, blue, and yellow accents aren’t just for looks either. They help you quickly identify different food categories or rotation systems at a glance. It’s functional design that doesn’t sacrifice personality.

But here’s what really sold me on this concept: every single part slides out and pops into the dishwasher. Anyone who’s ever tried to clean a traditional produce basket or drawer knows that trapped dirt and sticky residue situation. Saveit eliminates that headache entirely. The removable design means you can actually keep your storage clean without contortionist-level flexibility or a dedicated scrub brush.

The environmental angle here is significant too. Food waste is a massive problem. We’re talking about roughly a third of all food produced globally ending up in the trash, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and represents billions of dollars thrown away annually. While Saveit won’t solve food waste entirely, it tackles one of the root causes: poor visibility and organization at home. When you can actually see what you have and the system naturally prioritizes older items, you’re far more likely to use everything before it goes bad. There’s something refreshing about design that solves real problems without overcomplicating things. Saveit doesn’t require an app, doesn’t need to be plugged in, and doesn’t come with a subscription service. It’s just smart, thoughtful design applied to an everyday challenge. The kind of thing that makes you wonder why storage hasn’t worked this way all along.

Yerin Kim’s creation sits at this interesting intersection of sustainability, functionality, and visual appeal that feels very now. It’s the type of design that tech enthusiasts appreciate for its systematic approach, that eco-conscious consumers love for its waste-reduction potential, and that design lovers simply want to display on their countertops. It transforms a mundane task (food storage) into something that actually feels considered and intentional. Whether Saveit moves from concept to production remains to be seen, but it represents a shift in how we think about kitchen organization. Storage shouldn’t be something you work around. It should work for you, making sustainable choices easier and more intuitive. And if it looks this good while doing it? Even better.

The post Rotating Kitchen Cubes Make Wasting Food Actually Impossible first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rotating Kitchen Cubes Make Wasting Food Actually Impossible

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We’ve all been there. You buy fresh produce with the best intentions, tuck it away in the fridge or pantry, and then discover a wilted mess two weeks later. It’s frustrating, wasteful, and honestly, it happens way more often than we’d like to admit. But what if your storage system actually worked with you instead of against you?

Enter Saveit, a modular food storage concept by designer Yerin Kim that’s making me rethink everything about how we organize our kitchens. At first glance, it looks like something straight out of a design museum with its sleek metal boxes, perforated panels, and pops of color. But the real magic happens when you actually use it.

Designer: Yerin Kim

The system is built around a brilliantly simple idea: rotating storage that follows the FIFO principle (first in, first out). You know how grocery stores stock their shelves so older items move to the front? That’s exactly what Saveit does for your home. The modules feature these clever two-way rotating structures, so when you add new food from one side, the older items naturally move toward the exit point. No more mystery tomatoes rotting in the back of your produce drawer.

What makes this system feel genuinely different is how modular and adaptable it is. The stackable metal units can be configured in countless ways, kind of like edible Tetris. Need more space for root vegetables this week? Rearrange. Stocking up on citrus? Adjust accordingly. The colored sliding trays and hanging hooks accommodate everything from loose potatoes to bunches of bananas, and each component is designed to maximize airflow through those perforated backs, keeping produce fresher longer.

The aesthetic is industrial meets playful, with that brushed metal finish that feels both serious and approachable. Those bright red, green, blue, and yellow accents aren’t just for looks either. They help you quickly identify different food categories or rotation systems at a glance. It’s functional design that doesn’t sacrifice personality.

But here’s what really sold me on this concept: every single part slides out and pops into the dishwasher. Anyone who’s ever tried to clean a traditional produce basket or drawer knows that trapped dirt and sticky residue situation. Saveit eliminates that headache entirely. The removable design means you can actually keep your storage clean without contortionist-level flexibility or a dedicated scrub brush.

The environmental angle here is significant too. Food waste is a massive problem. We’re talking about roughly a third of all food produced globally ending up in the trash, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and represents billions of dollars thrown away annually. While Saveit won’t solve food waste entirely, it tackles one of the root causes: poor visibility and organization at home. When you can actually see what you have and the system naturally prioritizes older items, you’re far more likely to use everything before it goes bad. There’s something refreshing about design that solves real problems without overcomplicating things. Saveit doesn’t require an app, doesn’t need to be plugged in, and doesn’t come with a subscription service. It’s just smart, thoughtful design applied to an everyday challenge. The kind of thing that makes you wonder why storage hasn’t worked this way all along.

Yerin Kim’s creation sits at this interesting intersection of sustainability, functionality, and visual appeal that feels very now. It’s the type of design that tech enthusiasts appreciate for its systematic approach, that eco-conscious consumers love for its waste-reduction potential, and that design lovers simply want to display on their countertops. It transforms a mundane task (food storage) into something that actually feels considered and intentional. Whether Saveit moves from concept to production remains to be seen, but it represents a shift in how we think about kitchen organization. Storage shouldn’t be something you work around. It should work for you, making sustainable choices easier and more intuitive. And if it looks this good while doing it? Even better.

The post Rotating Kitchen Cubes Make Wasting Food Actually Impossible first appeared on Yanko Design.

When Your Desk Lamp Becomes Your Study Partner: Check Mate

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We’ve all been there. You’re three hours into a study session, hunched over your desk with tabs multiplying like rabbits, your phone buzzing with notifications, and that nagging feeling that you’re not actually retaining anything. Digital learning promised us flexibility and endless resources, but sometimes it feels more like drowning in information while learning nothing at all.

A new concept design called Check Mate is tackling this exact problem, and it’s making waves in the design community for all the right reasons. Created by a team of seven designers (Dongkyun Kim, Jaeryeon Lee, Eojin Jeon, Noey, Jaeyeon Lee, Jagyeong Baek, and Jimin Yeo), this concept reimagines what a study companion could look like if we actually designed for how people learn in the digital age. While you can’t buy it yet, the ideas behind it are definitely worth paying attention to.

Designers: Dongkyun Kim, Jaeryeon Lee, Eojin Jeon, Noey, Jaeyeon Lee, Jagyeong Baek, Jimin Yeo

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The name itself is clever. “Check Mate” borrows from chess, evoking that decisive moment of victory, but it’s also wonderfully literal. This concept envisions a device that genuinely acts as your learning mate, checking in on your progress and helping you actually achieve those goals instead of just feeling busy. The design language speaks to this dual nature with a clean, minimalist aesthetic in soft gray tones, punctuated by shots of energizing yellow that feel like highlighting the important bits in a textbook.

What makes this concept compelling is that the designers didn’t just jump to solutions. They actually did their homework (pun intended) by researching what digital learners need and where current methods fall short. Their field research identified some uncomfortable truths: digital learning can create passive attitudes, make us susceptible to misinformation, and ironically, despite all our access to information, contribute to declining literacy levels. We’re getting really good at searching and depending on AI, but are we actually learning?

The proposed device looks deceptively simple. At first glance, it’s an elegant desk lamp with an adjustable arm and a cylindrical head wrapped in fabric, giving it a softer, more approachable vibe than your typical tech gadget. But the concept goes deeper, packing some serious multitasking capabilities into that minimal form. The lamp head would rotate and adjust, there appears to be a projection or camera system integrated into the design, and the base doubles as a wireless charging pad. Those yellow accents aren’t just for looks either, they’re envisioned as tactile interaction points that make the technology feel more human and less intimidating.

Where Check Mate really shines as a concept is in how it reimagines the learning experience. The visualization shows it functioning as a projection device that could display educational content, video calls with instructors, or interactive annotations directly onto your workspace or wall. Imagine highlighting text on actual paper and having that integrate with your digital notes, or being able to project your screen large enough to actually see what you’re working on without squinting at a laptop.

The concept addresses one of digital learning’s biggest weaknesses: that narrow, passive relationship we have with our screens. By proposing a way to bring information into your physical space and allowing for more natural interaction, it suggests learning could feel less like staring into the void and more like an active, engaging process. You wouldn’t just be consuming content, you’d be working with it in a space that feels comfortable and personal.

The packaging design in the concept presentation deserves a mention too. Everything is shown organized in a beautifully designed kit with that signature yellow and gray color scheme. It’s the kind of unboxing experience that would make you feel like you’re opening something important, not just another gadget. There’s a psychological element to that. When something looks and feels intentional, we treat it more seriously. As a concept, Check Mate represents the kind of forward thinking we need more of in the education technology space. It pushes conversations forward about how we should be designing for learning, how technology could support rather than distract, and what the future of education might actually look like when we stop thinking about it as just “Zoom, but make it fancier.”

The reality is that digital learning isn’t going anywhere. Remote work, online courses, and hybrid education models are here to stay. So maybe concepts like Check Mate can inspire the tools we actually need, devices designed for this reality instead of just adapting what we already have. The best part? It suggests that the answer isn’t more screens or more apps, it’s smarter integration of digital and physical spaces, and technology that adapts to how we naturally learn rather than forcing us to adapt to it.

The post When Your Desk Lamp Becomes Your Study Partner: Check Mate first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bang & Olufsen’s $150K Speakers Shift Color As You Walk By

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There’s something almost surreal about watching Bang & Olufsen celebrate its 100th birthday. While most brands would throw a retrospective exhibition or release a commemorative coffee table book, the Danish audio company has decided to do something far more ambitious. They’re taking their most advanced loudspeaker and reimagining it as high art.

Enter the Beolab 90 Phantom and Mirage Editions, two wildly different expressions of the same technological marvel. These aren’t just new color options thrown onto an existing product. They’re part of a five-edition Atelier series, each limited to just ten pairs worldwide, where Bang & Olufsen’s designers and craftspeople have pushed materials and finishes to places they’ve never been before.

Designer: Bang & Olufsen

Let’s start with the Phantom Edition, which feels like something out of a science fiction film. The classic fabric covers that typically wrap the Beolab 90 have been stripped away and replaced with custom-designed black metal mesh. It’s a bold move. The coated stainless steel creates this hologram-like effect, letting you peek through at the powerful drivers underneath. There’s something mesmerizing about seeing the technology usually hidden behind elegant fabric, now revealed like the inner workings of a watch through a sapphire caseback.

The aluminum skeleton features pearl-blasted surfaces and unified structural beams, with precision-machined trim details that speak to the hundreds of hours invested in each pair. It’s technical, it’s architectural, and honestly, it looks like it could double as a prop in a high-budget space station scene. But that’s precisely the point. The Phantom Edition isn’t trying to blend into your living room. It’s demanding attention.

Then there’s the Mirage Edition, which takes an entirely different approach. Imagine a speaker that appears to shift and transform as you move around it. The surface flows from vivid blue to rich magenta through a bespoke gradient anodization applied entirely by hand at Bang & Olufsen’s Factory 5. It’s the kind of finish that makes you want to circle the speaker just to watch the colors dance and morph.

This isn’t airbrushing or a printed vinyl wrap. The gradient effect is achieved through meticulous anodization of the aluminum components, a process that requires incredible precision and skill. The result positions the Mirage Edition as what Bang & Olufsen calls “a visualisation of sound itself”. It’s poetic, sure, but also surprisingly accurate. Sound is movement, frequency, vibration. Why shouldn’t a speaker designed to reproduce it perfectly also capture that sense of constant transformation?

Both editions maintain the same acoustic platform as the original Beolab 90, which launched back in 2015 and remains the brand’s most advanced loudspeaker. We’re talking about 18 drivers and beam-forming technology that can literally shape sound to suit your room’s acoustics. These Anniversary Editions keep all of that sonic prowess intact. The innovation here is purely about design and craft refinement.

That’s what makes these releases so fascinating. Bang & Olufsen isn’t trying to improve the performance or add new features. They’re exploring what happens when you treat a speaker as a canvas for material experimentation and artistic expression. It’s a luxury approach, certainly, but it also raises interesting questions about how we value design objects in our homes.

These speakers join the previously released Titan Edition, another ultra-limited variant featuring raw cast aluminum. Together, they represent a century of design philosophy distilled into physical form. Whether you lean toward the architectural drama of the Phantom, the fluid artistry of the Mirage, or the industrial purity of the Titan probably says something about your design sensibilities.

At a time when so much consumer tech prioritizes invisibility (think hidden speakers, frameless TVs, voice assistants tucked into fabric cylinders), Bang & Olufsen is moving in the opposite direction. These Atelier Editions celebrate presence, craftsmanship, and the idea that exceptional objects deserve to be seen, not just heard.

The post Bang & Olufsen’s $150K Speakers Shift Color As You Walk By first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Smart Griddle Just Combined 4 Breakfast Gadgets Into One Device

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Look, we need to talk about kitchen appliances. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a toaster shoved in one corner, a waffle maker collecting dust in a cabinet, and maybe a sandwich press you haven’t seen since 2019. The countertop real estate struggle is real, and it’s a problem that designer Nikhil Thomas Zachariah just solved with BrioChef.

Picture this: one sleek appliance that houses a griddle, sandwich maker, toaster, and waffle iron all in one sculptural package. Yeah, you read that right. Four appliances, one footprint, and honestly, it looks like something that wandered off the set of a sci-fi movie and decided to make you breakfast instead.

Designer: Nikhil Thomas Zachariah

The design itself is striking. That bold coral-orange body with black cooking surfaces isn’t trying to blend into your kitchen. It wants to be seen, and frankly, it’s earned the right. The form flows in this organic, almost architectural way, with a raised section on the left housing the griddle and sandwich maker, while the right side keeps the toaster and waffle maker ready for action. It’s like someone finally asked, “What if kitchen appliances were actually cool?”

But here’s where BrioChef goes from “pretty cool” to “okay, I’m interested.” Everything is modular. Those cooking surfaces? They pop out with spring-release mechanisms, making cleanup actually manageable instead of that weird scrubbing dance we all do with traditional appliances. The griddle has removable bars that flip between flat griddle mode and sandwich press grooves. The toaster and waffle modules lift right out. All of it is food-grade material that you can clean with whatever you already have under your sink.

The touch display embedded in the surface is another smart move. It’s not just a timer and temperature control (though it does that). It actually walks you through recipes step by step. So if you’ve never made a proper Belgian waffle or you’re not sure how long to press a panini, the appliance literally guides you. It’s like having a patient friend who actually knows how to cook standing in your kitchen at 7 AM, except this friend doesn’t judge you for making a grilled cheese for dinner.

Let’s talk about real-world usage because that’s what matters. Morning rush? Throw eggs on the griddle while your bread toasts. Lazy Sunday? Waffles on one side, bacon on the griddle. Late-night munchies? Grilled cheese in minutes. The versatility here isn’t just a nice feature but the entire point. You’re not just consolidating appliances; you’re opening up possibilities because everything is actually accessible and ready to go.

The thoughtful details pile up when you look closer. There’s an oil and liquid drain built into the griddle section because of course there is. Warning lights tell you when surfaces are hot so you don’t learn that lesson the hard way. The lid design on the griddle and sandwich maker allows waste to be removed while cleaning, which sounds small until you’ve tried to clean out a traditional sandwich press and wanted to throw the whole thing away.

From a design perspective, BrioChef does something that kitchen appliances rarely achieve: it makes you reconsider what’s possible in the space. We’ve been trained to accept that kitchen gadgets are clunky, single-purpose items that we hide away. This challenges that assumption entirely. Why shouldn’t an appliance be modular, beautiful, and smart all at once? The compact footprint means this could work in a tiny studio apartment, a college dorm, or a sprawling kitchen where you just want less clutter. It’s democratizing in that way, meeting people where they actually live and cook rather than assuming everyone has unlimited cabinet space.

Is BrioChef going to revolutionize your entire life? Probably not. But it might revolutionize your morning routine, your countertop organization, and your willingness to actually make breakfast instead of grabbing whatever on your way out the door. And honestly, in a world where most kitchen gadgets are forgettable at best, creating something that’s genuinely useful, thoughtfully designed, and kind of gorgeous? That’s worth paying attention to. Sometimes good design is about solving problems we didn’t even realize we’d been tolerating. BrioChef makes a compelling case that the four-appliance breakfast setup was one of those problems all along.

The post This Smart Griddle Just Combined 4 Breakfast Gadgets Into One Device first appeared on Yanko Design.

RC Outdoor Supply Made a Sacoche Bag for Actual Hiking

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You know that feeling when you’re torn between bringing your sleek crossbody for a coffee run and a clunky backpack for a day hike? RC Outdoor Supply just solved that dilemma with their Trail Sacoche Bag, and honestly, it’s about time someone did.

For those not in the sacoche know, these compact bags have been having a major moment in streetwear circles. Originally a French term for a simple shoulder bag, the sacoche has become the go-to for minimalists who refuse to lug around more bag than they need. But here’s the thing: most sacoches are designed for urban jungles, not actual ones. RC Outdoor Supply flipped the script by taking this city slicker silhouette and giving it proper trail credentials.

Designer: RC Outdoor Supply ca

The Trail Sacoche hits that sweet spot of being compact without feeling restrictive. Made from durable nylon ripstop (the same stuff that keeps parachutes intact, no big deal), this bag laughs in the face of branches, rocks, and whatever else nature throws at it. The dimensions are clever too. At 11.5 by 8 inches when fully opened and 6.5 by 8 inches when folded, it’s like getting two bags in one depending on how much stuff you’re hauling around.

What really sets this apart from your average crossbody is the thoughtful pocket situation. There are two exterior cargo pockets on the front for quick-grab items (phone, trail snacks, that chapstick you’re always losing), plus a mesh pocket on the back that’s perfect for things you want visible but secure. The top closure uses bungee cording, which might sound casual but is actually genius for uneven terrain where you need flexibility and security at the same time. Inside, there’s a key ring because nobody wants to dig through their entire bag to find their car keys after a long hike. It’s these tiny details that show RC Outdoor Supply actually tested this thing in the wild rather than just sketching pretty pictures in a studio.

The brand, founded in California, has a specific philosophy: create clothing and gear that transitions seamlessly from the trail to the city. With the Trail Sacoche, they’ve nailed that brief. The bag comes in three colorways that work equally well on a mountain trail or a city street: Lichen (a muted green-gray), Saffron (a warm golden yellow that adds a pop without screaming for attention), and classic Black. Priced at $62, it sits in that reasonable middle ground where you’re not wincing at checkout but you’re also getting quality materials and construction. In a market flooded with either cheap fast-fashion bags or designer pieces that cost more than a weekend trip, this feels refreshingly honest.

What’s interesting is how this bag represents a larger shift in outdoor gear design. For years, the outdoor industry was stuck in a rut of aggressively technical-looking gear that screamed “I own expensive hiking equipment!” Now brands like RC Outdoor Supply are proving you can make functional gear that doesn’t look like it belongs exclusively on a summit attempt. The sacoche format itself is proof of this evolution, borrowing from fashion while adding legitimate outdoor functionality.

The versatility is the real selling point. Morning farmers market? Trail Sacoche. Afternoon hike? Same bag. Evening concert? Still works. This is exactly the kind of multifunctional design that makes sense for how people actually live, especially if you’re someone who refuses to be boxed into either “outdoorsy person” or “city person” categories. If there’s a critique, it’s that at this size, you’re definitely packing light. This isn’t replacing your daypack for serious hikes. But for short trails, urban exploring, travel, or just running around town with more style than a tote bag offers, it hits perfectly.

RC Outdoor Supply might not have the name recognition of legacy outdoor brands yet, but pieces like the Trail Sacoche Bag show they understand something crucial: the best gear works everywhere, looks good doing it, and doesn’t require a manual to figure out. Sometimes innovation isn’t about adding more features. It’s about doing something simple, exceptionally well.

The post RC Outdoor Supply Made a Sacoche Bag for Actual Hiking first appeared on Yanko Design.

The World’s Smallest Full-Size Umbrella Has an OLED Screen

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Look, I’ve broken my fair share of umbrellas. That satisfying snap when a gust of wind hits you at just the wrong angle, the metal rib poking through fabric like a broken bone, the awkward dance of trying to fold the thing back into submission. We’ve all been there. So when I first saw the Ori umbrella, my immediate thought was: wait, where’s the rest of it?

This sleek little cylinder looks more like a fancy pen or a futuristic flashlight than an umbrella. And that’s entirely the point. Ori just announced what they’re calling the world’s first frameless umbrella, and honestly, it’s one of those “why didn’t anyone think of this sooner” moments that makes you question everything.

Designer: Modestas Balcytis

The magic is in the origami. Founded by MIT engineers and origami specialists, Ori uses a patented folding technique based on the Miura fold, which is the same kind of engineering NASA uses for deployable spacecraft structures. Instead of the traditional setup of metal ribs covered in fabric, the canopy itself becomes the structure. No ribs. No fabric stretched over a frame. No failure points waiting to betray you on a windy Tuesday.

When folded, this thing measures just 3.5 by 23 centimeters. That’s genuinely pocket sized, and I’m not talking about cargo pants pockets either. It compresses a full one meter canopy into something smaller than most water bottles. The canopy unfolds with what they call “1-degree of freedom motion,” which is engineering speak for “it opens with one smooth movement and doesn’t fight you.”

But here’s where Ori gets really interesting. They didn’t just reinvent the umbrella’s mechanics. They added an OLED display right into the handle. This isn’t some gimmicky addition either. The display shows you real time air quality data through something called AirSense, measuring particles and UV levels right where you’re standing. There’s MoodShift, which adapts the display visuals based on weather and your preference. You can customize the display themes, and everything operates with a simple tap to open or close.

The design itself is gorgeous. Available in iPhone grade aluminum housing with finishes in silver, rose gold, and sky blue, it genuinely looks like something Apple would make if they decided to tackle rain gear. The comparison to Dyson and Apple isn’t just marketing speak. Founder and CEO Modestas Balcytis explicitly said that’s the goal: to become the premium design brand in a category that hasn’t seen real innovation in 170 years.

And he’s not wrong about that timeline. The basic umbrella design has remained essentially unchanged since the mid 1800s. Sure, we’ve gotten automatic open buttons and wind resistant frames, but the fundamental architecture of fabric on metal ribs hasn’t budged. Meanwhile, we’ve completely reinvented phones, watches, even how we vacuum our floors. The umbrella just sat there, breaking in the same predictable ways, generation after generation.

The umbrella market is massive too. We’re talking $7.4 billion annually, with 1.2 billion units sold every year. Yet there’s no iconic umbrella brand. No household name that owns the category. It’s a completely fragmented market of cheap airport kiosk purchases and forgotten drugstore impulse buys. Ori sees that gap and wants to fill it with something people actually want to own and show off.

At $249.99, this isn’t an impulse purchase. But neither was the first Dyson vacuum or the original iPhone. Premium pricing positions this as an investment piece, something that should last years instead of months. With four patents filed covering everything from the folding architecture to the locking system and smart core, Ori has built serious intellectual property around this design.

The first Founder Edition units are expected to ship globally in 2026. Whether Ori succeeds in becoming the Dyson of umbrellas remains to be seen, but they’ve definitely created something worth paying attention to. Sometimes the most innovative products come from rethinking the everyday objects we’ve stopped questioning. And honestly? I’m ready to see umbrellas get the glow up they deserve.

The post The World’s Smallest Full-Size Umbrella Has an OLED Screen first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Lamp Blooms Like a Peacock’s Tail and It’s Mesmerizing

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There’s something almost magical about watching a peacock unfurl its tail feathers. That moment of transformation, when something compact suddenly explodes into an elaborate fan of color and pattern, never gets old. Dutch designer Jelmer Nijp must have felt the same way because he decided to bottle that exact feeling into a lamp, and the result is nothing short of captivating.

Meet Pavo, a lighting design that’s part industrial fixture, part nature-inspired sculpture. The name itself is a nod to its inspiration. Pavo means peacock in Spanish (and Latin, for that matter), and once you see it in action, you’ll understand why Nijp couldn’t have called it anything else. This isn’t your typical table lamp that just sits there looking pretty. Pavo actually moves, transforms, and reveals itself in a way that makes you stop and stare.

Designer: Jelmer Nijp

The design is deceptively simple at first glance. When closed, Pavo looks like a sleek metal tube, the kind of minimalist object that wouldn’t look out of place in a modern apartment or design studio. But here’s where it gets interesting. That tube retracts, and as it does, a pleated shade unfurls like a fan, spreading outward in a graceful, almost organic motion. Light radiates from the center of this fan, creating a soft glow that highlights the geometric pleats and folds of the shade. It’s the kind of moment that makes you want to show everyone in the room, “Look at this! Did you see that?”

What makes Pavo special is how it bridges two worlds that don’t always play well together. On one hand, you’ve got this very industrial aesthetic with clean metal lines and mechanical movement. On the other, there’s this undeniable connection to nature, to the beauty and drama of a peacock’s display. Nijp manages to merge these seemingly opposite ideas into something that feels both sleek and alive, modern yet timeless.

The movement itself deserves special attention because it’s not just a gimmick. The way the shade unfolds is smooth and deliberate, mimicking the natural grace of an actual peacock. It’s unexpected in the best possible way. You don’t often encounter furniture or lighting that has this kind of kinetic quality, especially not executed with such elegance. This is design that understands the power of transformation and uses it to create a genuine emotional response.

Nijp is a 2025 graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, one of those prestigious schools that consistently churns out designers who aren’t afraid to experiment and push boundaries. His approach is hands-on and experimental, using the process of making itself as a way to explore materials and forms. You can see that philosophy at work in Pavo. This isn’t a lamp that was designed purely on a computer and then manufactured. It has the feel of something that was worked out through trial and error, through actually building and testing until the mechanics and aesthetics came together just right.

The lamp was showcased at Dutch Design Week 2025, where it attracted plenty of attention among a sea of innovative projects. And it’s easy to see why. In a design landscape that often leans heavily into either pure functionality or pure aesthetics, Pavo manages to be both functional and beautiful while also being genuinely delightful. It’s a light source, yes, but it’s also a conversation piece, a kinetic sculpture, and a little moment of wonder in your living space.

What Pavo represents is a growing trend in contemporary design where the line between art and utility becomes increasingly blurred. Designers like Nijp are asking why everyday objects can’t be more engaging, more interactive, more memorable. Why should a lamp just be a lamp when it could also be an experience? There’s something refreshing about a piece that demands your attention, that makes you think differently about what design can be. Pavo is a reminder that good design doesn’t have to choose between form and function, between nature and industry, between stillness and movement. Sometimes, the best design happens when you bring all these elements together and let them play off each other in unexpected ways.

The post This Lamp Blooms Like a Peacock’s Tail and It’s Mesmerizing first appeared on Yanko Design.