Author Archives: Ida Torres

Acoustic panels uses textile waste for sustainable production

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With the popularity of fast fashion, there is also a lot of textile waste that ends up in landfills and have not been recycled or upcycled. There are several groups that have been advocating for more eco-friendly fashion that includes not supporting these kinds of manufacturers and looking for ways to have better use for household textile waste. You don’t even have to create new clothes from them but find other uses outside of fashion.

Designer Name: Sze Tjin Yek

The Sorbet acoustic panels is one such project, turning all these shredded textile waste into acoustic panels that can be used for homes, offices, and other commercial spaces. Panels like these are important to minimize noise pollution within closed areas for both the mental and physical health of users. But instead of the usual acoustic panels made from open cell polyurethane, these are made textile waste which have the second lowest recovery rate in Australia after plastics.

These panels are made from 100% laundered and upcycled household textile waste. These are durable enough but of course they need to be bonded together and the inventor used a starch-based glue. And since the textile used have different colors and textures, there are three aesthetic options created: Blueberry Lemonade (blue and gold), Red Velvet (red and black(, and Hundreds and Thousands. The third one uses more color options since textiles are of course varied.

This kind of panel is of course more sustainable than your usual ones that use recycled PET and textile fibers bonded with mycelium. The next step would be to create a process that can make this commercially viable and also look at installation methods for it.

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LEGO® Cataclaws to bring creative, festive fun this holiday season

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Depending on what activities you do, the upcoming holidays can either be the most joyful or the most stressful time of the year. Generally, children have the most fun during gatherings especially if there are toys and games involved. The spirit of play and fun sometimes goes out the window for grown ups but LEGO® thinks everyone needs reminding that there’s nothing more important than playing together this Holiday.

Designer: LEGO®

Cataclaws is a new icon that LEGO® is launching just in time for the holidays to become a “CAT-alyst” for play. The bricky rather than furry creature was actually born out of the minds of kids to remind both the young and the old that there’s no limit to where LEGO® bricks can take our creativity and imagination. This time it’s a tuxedo cat wearing a red and white beanie that will encourage people to play around this time of the year.

The brick-built feline is introduced in a short film showing it going on an adventure around the city to turn boring or tense situations into something more fun. In the video, you’ll also see 20 different products and builds, including a freezing cold queen, a cat who can’t wait to be king, and characters from a galaxy far far away. There are also some mini Cataclaws builds within the video if you want to play spot the Cataclwas.

If you want to dress up your LEGO® feline, they will also be selling a Cataclaws Christmas sweater while you can build the beanie yourself by following the building instructions. We’ll probably see Cataclaws in other campaigns next year as they are making it their new icon.

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Portable moka pot lets you enjoy coffee in the middle of nature

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While I will most likely not be going camping anytime soon, there are a lot of people who enjoy this kind of thing. There are also a lot of campers or outdoor enthusiasts who like to enjoy having a cup of coffee once they have pitched their tents or reached their mountainous destination. Sure they can just bring a flask or heat water for their instant coffee but wouldn’t you rather “brew” your own coffee when you’re marveling at nature?

Designer: Militello Design

This product concept is called Moka-mp and based on that name, you kind of already know what it is. It is a portable moka coffee pot that is light enough but still durable enough that you can bring it with you when you’re climbing a mountain or spending the night camping outdoors. It’s meant to help you enjoy your time with nature while still drinking a cup of brewed coffee.

The moka pot doesn’t look like your usual stovetop coffee brewer. If you didn’t know that it brews your coffee, you might think it’s just a regular portable cooking pot, albeit smaller. The bottom part holds the water while just above it is a safety valve and the space where you put your coffee powder and where the coffee magic happens.

This can become an essential part of your camping and outdoor gear if it becomes an actual product eventually. Those who love both coffee and the outdoors will have a good time as they sip their (hopefully) delicious cup while enjoying the wonders of nature. However, I’d stick to my cup of coffee in an air-conditioned coffee shop, thank you very much.

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Movable trolley cabinet lets you be more mobile in your work space

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Whether you’re working from home or from your office, you probably have just one desk or workspace where you spend most of your time. But there are also those that for one reason or another love to move around the room when working. It can be a hassle to keep moving your stuff when you need to move from one place or another. This product concept might just be the solution if you have that problem.

Designers: Keetae Kim, Jinsu Du, Young Jin Kim

Kimmipak (named after the three designers) is a concept for a steel trolley that you can help move around the stuff that you need to work on if you’re moving from one place to another in the room. It looks like a piece of luggage except that it opens up like a cabinet. But just like your luggage, it is something that you can store things in and then roll around if you need to bring stuff to and from your other workspaces.

When you open the cabinet, there are two layers but it can probably be modified as well if you need more shelves. You can ise it as a bookshelf, cabinet, and the top can also be a mini table. There is a removable toolbox at the top where you can place items like garden supplies, tools, beauty stuff, etc, if you need them carried around but you don’t need the whole trolley.

It’s an interesting concept for those who move around a lot in the room and you need your tools or stuff with you. Some steel or filing cabinets also have wheels for easier moving around if needed but this one was specifically designed to be portable and movable like your luggage.

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Apple Music releases limited-edition coffee table book version of 100 Best Albums

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When you’re searching for a definitive “best of” list, especially relating to music, you probably search for it on YouTube or streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. You don’t really look for a book to read since it’s missing the multimedia aspect that comes with most of these lists. But if it’s a very pretty, limited edition coffee table book, you probably might consider getting that instead.

Designer: Apple Music

That’s what Apple Music is hoping for with the release of Apple Music: 100 Best Albums, a companion to the list that they have previously published online. The list was compiled by their team of experts together with some artists like Pharrell Williams, Charli XCX, J Balvin, and Maren Morris. You can own this list presented in a minimalist but expensive looking book that you can display at home for bragging rights. Actually reading it is another thing of course.

The book has the album cover on one side and then the liner notes and in-depth analysis on the other side. It has a custom-designed translucent acrylic slipcase with the Apple Music logo etched on it. It has a linen hardcover debossed with the logo and the edge of the pages are golden gilded. The back of the case has the edition number and inside you have the hand-numbered ex libris.

The reason for the numbers indicated is that there will only be 1,500 pcs produced so they emphasize the limited nature of this item. That’s also the reason why the price tag for this coffee table book is pretty expensive. It is now available for pre-order for those willing to shell out $450 for it. I will probably stick to reading the list online and streaming it on my music service of choice.

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“Exposed” book strap lets you display your reading materials

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One of the things I make sure when I go out of the house is that I have a book with me, in case of “reading emergencies”. Most of the time though I just stick it inside my bag since my bag is usually big enough to hold multitudes. But for those who don’t usually carry bags big enough to hold a book or two, an alternative to just carrying around that book should be available.

Designers: MAEKAN x DSPTCH

The MAEKAN x DSPTCH Book Strap is that option for those who still want to carry around books or those who want their reading material to be on display. It is big, or rather, long enough to hold things like books, magazines, and even tablets and laptops. It is one way to “show off” that you still read printed media or at least carry them around in case you need to read one.

The book strap is made from a herringbone seatbelt webbing that is around 1″ long and mil-spec webbing. The elastic horizontal strap can be stretched to accommodate whatever it is that you’ll be carrying while the two vertical straps are adjustable. You can place the items in it and then adjust to secure. It is able to carry items between 8 and 16 inches. It is an exposed strap design so you have to make sure that you secure the items by adjusting according to what you’ll place “inside”. But you can also use it for a book bag that doesn’t have straps, in case you don’t want it to be that exposed.

As someone who has a lot of small things inside my bag along with books and my gadgets, the original design for this will definitely not work for me. I might also be paranoid that something will fall out although it seems like it’s designed for that not to happen. But it will definitely appeal to a certain segment of the reading market.

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Broom and dustpan concept utilizes your space’s corners

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Inventive product design isn’t always about the biggest, flashiest, and most complicated. It can be about a simple problem or issue that someone though long and hard about and came up with a possible solution. For example, if you live in a small space, each inch of your house is important and if you can place something in areas that normally don’t have anything there, then it’s a win.

Designer: Kim Jaeyoung

The corners in your house are often left unused because it’s a bit hard to place furniture or items there. But if you need to utilize that, this concept for a simple cleaning accessory might do the trick. The 90 Broom & Dustpan is just as its name says it is: it’s a broom and a dustpan that can be stored in the corner because the brush can be folded at 90 degrees.

When it’s folded, it solves another annoying issue we get with brooms and mops. When you have to stop in the middle of cleaning, you place it against the wall but they often fall down. But with this design, it can stand on its own. This cleaning accessory is in simple black (the broom) and white (the dustpan) colors, adding to its simple and minimalist look.

Efficiency and functionality are essential in product design, even with just a simple thing like cleaning materials. This doesn’t use technology or any bells and whistles that we expect from gadgets but the simplicity of the design while solving some cleaning and storage problems is appealing in itself.

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2-in-1 retro device concept brings an AI speaker and record runner together

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The recent retro craze when it comes to devices and even just designs of devices isn’t limited to just the people who actually experienced these things. The younger generation has a fascination with everything “old”, which can sometimes make older people really feel old. We’re seeing all kinds of product designs and concepts that play on this pseudo nostalgia (because it shouldn’t be called nostalgic if you didn’t actually experience it right?) and this trend will probably last for a long time. The best ones are those that are able to bridge nostalgia with modern sensibilities to get something that doesn’t just repeat what was done before.

Designer: Seunghyeon Kim (Focus Studio)

This concept for an AI speaker and record runner plays on the nostalgic feel that people are looking for. This is a 2-in-1 device for those who want to experience the convenience of a regular Bluetooth/AI speaker with the added different old school way of playing a vinyl record. The full device is a minimalist gadget that doesn’t give you a lot of features to maintain the external retro feel that you may be looking for.

The main part is a rectangular box shaped speaker complete with grills, a slider control for the volume, and the simple play/pause, rewind, and fast forward buttons. The power button and the slider control are the only colored spots in a silver monochrome device. There is a round thing on the left that at first looks like a detachable speaker but is in fact a record runner. This is a small record player that you place on top of an LP. It plays the record by pushing and pulling on the grooves, thereby earning the nickname of the vinyl killer (since some records get broken because of this).

The idea of a retro-looking speaker will most likely interest both those who want to get back to the good ole days and those that wanted to experience it in one form or another. The record runner feature may not be appealing though to those who prefer their vinyls to be played the regular way.

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Power bank concept is not only ergonomic but even comes with a mirror

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If you’re staying outside your house or office for a certain period of time, it’s almost always required that you need to bring a power bank. Well, unless you’re one of those people who can live without looking at their smartphone (or your device has a lot of juice). But for the rest of us that need our smartphones almost always, a power bank is attached to our bag as well as our devices. We don’t really think about the design of our power banks but some product designers do.

Designer: Anil Ramesh, Arun Kumar, Joel D’silva (Analogy Design Studio)

The folks over at Analog thought about adding a bit more functionality to the power bank and make it easier for users to carry it around. They focused on “usability, portability, and aesthetics”, the latter of which we don’t really think about as long as it gets the job done. But since we probably hold the power banks alongside our phone, it makes sentse to make it look better and also make it ergonomic.

The power bank has an elongated design rather than the normal brick version that most of them have. It actually looks like a cosmetic case and since that’s the look they’re going for, they added a beauty aspect to it. There’s a mirror inside of the power bank so you get another function for it aside from juicing up your device.

The power banks come in various pastel colors and because of the added mirror function, it might appeal more to women or at least those who need mirror on the go and like the color scheme. The ergonomic function will also be useful for those who may have some grip or muscle issues from holding phones for a long time.

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Old walkman becomes cassette player and storage unit

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“Everything old is new again” is an adage that we will probably never escape. How we listen to music continually evolves but it seems that we still have a certain fondness for the old way like vinyls, CDs, and yes, even cassette tapes. Streaming music on our mobile devices is the most convenient but there’s a certain nostalgia attached to “vintage” that we enjoy. And of course, the music quality is way different to the compressed ones we have now.

Designer Name: Love Hulten

This designer is obviously of the generation that still enjoyed listening to music on cassette tapes since the main component of this device is his old Sony Walkman WM-EX655. And he still has a collection of cassette tapes so we know he’s a serious collector. What he developed is something straight out of a 60s science fiction movie. But instead of using it to conduct experiments, you use it as it was originally intended: to play sweet, sweet music.

What he came up with is a cassette player and storage unit for the colorful cassette tape cases. There’s also built-in dual circular speakers, keyboard switches and buttons with various functions like play, stop, forward, rewind, etc. There’s also an audio waveform meter to go along with the beat of the music and even a tape slot to put in the case of the album you’re currently playing. The cabinet looking device blends design and technology to give you a truly retro piece of equipment that still performs its original function.

It’s of course a device that he made for himself since he has been collecting and keeping cassette tapes. But unlike vinyls and CDs that you can still buy from a lot of places, I don’t know that many stores that still sell cassettes. So the possibility of having a commercial version of this is very slim.

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