Author Archives: Ida Torres

Ergonomic wooden laptop stand is portable, sustainable

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One of the things I have to do to not worsen my carpal tunnel syndrome and other things that can lead to repetitive strain injuries is to elevate my Macbook screen. I spend sometimes more than eight hours in front of the screen so I need to have more ergonomic tools to help manage my posture and not cause eye and muscle strain. Sometimes though these things can also be inconvenient, both to my workflow and my wallet.

Designer: Mickey Linskens

WOULDSTAND is a wooden laptop side that is ergonomic, sustainable, and they’re hoping eventually, affordable for ordinary employees (more on that later). The main purpose of this is to elevate your laptop screen to lessen the strain on your wrist and arms when using your device for a prolonged period of time. You can use it for laptops, tablets, and even books if you’re reviewing for exams or you’re just reading a lot on a table. It is designed to make sure that your screen is at arm’s length and the top edge is slightly below eye level.

The stand is made from renewable materials like FSC eucalyptus and Starplex plywood. It actually looks like a puzzle piece and can be easily assembled and there are also adjustable elements since different people would use it for different purposes. It’s also light enough despite the wooden material so you can carry it around without straining yourself as well. You can also use it even if you’re not at a table, like placing it on your lap or whatever stable surface you’re working from.

Since it’s locally produced and uses renewable materials, it’s also not as affordable as some in the market that are more mass produced. So the plan is to market it to companies by making the stand easily brandable. This way companies can buy it, have their logos included in the stand and then give it to their employees or to their customers. However, they’ll still sell it direct to customers for those who can spare € 30,00 to protect their muscles.

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Deflated balloon chair is an interesting piece of furniture

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One of the most comfortable places that I like to lounge in when I’m just reading or scrolling through my mobile device is a bean bag. Sometimes however, because it’s too comfortable or too deflated, I tend to just sink into it without concern for my posture or my position. That’s not always a bad thing of course especially if I’m just relaxing. But sometimes I need to work on something or I should be more mindful of how I sit and the design of most bean bags aren’t conducive for that.

Designer: Andrea Casagrande

This design for a bean bag-like chair called Balloon seems to both be comfortable and ergonomic in a sense that it supports your body. The main concept for it is also pretty interesting as it resembles a deflated balloon. The seat being the main balloon part only deflated and the back part that supports your back, arms, and head representing the bottom part of the balloon including the stem and knot, but again, it’s deflated.

The fabric upholstery used in the chair also replicates the texture of a balloon but hopefully it’s not as slippery as most balloons. It is also lightweight enough that you can easily drag it to different parts of the room unlike with regular bean bags or even regular chairs that can sometimes be too heavy. It comes in different pastel colors as well including blue, pink, green, and orange. They want you to have the sense of “floating” but also it is capable of holding you upright if you need to be.

If no one’s sitting in the Balloon chair, it may look like a ghost that’s sitting on the floor so if you’re a scaredy cat and it’s dark, then it can give you a fright. But it’s an interesting shape for a chair and can be a conversational piece in your living space.

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Bring your pet while riding your bike with trailer and backpack in one

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For fur parents that have bikes and need to bring their babies with them outside, having somewhere to place their pet safely and conveniently can sometimes be a challenge. Fortunately, a lot of pet-related brands have been coming up with different products to make life easier for both the owner and the pet. And we’ll probably be seeing even more innovations as they have realized there is a huge market out there for pet owners willing to spend money on their precious babies.

Designer: Waggin

Waggin is a new pet product company that wants to create products that are “sleek and innovative” and for their hero product they came up with Waggin G1, a pet bike trailer and backpack in one. Initially, the trailer is attached to the backpack so it’s easy to assemble and disassemble and carry it around. At the same time, there is storage space in the backpack so you can put stuff in either for your pet or for yourself. It can fit in snacks and toys for your pet and even a laptop and maybe some books and notebooks that you will need for your outing.

The trailer is easy (and safe) to attach to your bike so both of you can travel in comfort and in style. It uses lightweight materials including a rip proof mesh, performance nylon, and a security D-Ring to securely attach it to your bike. It has two entrances, a sunroof, a padded bed, and a safety clip so your pet will feel right at home even as you’re traveling. It is only able to accommodate small to medium sized pets so you may have to look for alternatives if you have a large fur baby.

The backpack also has padded straps and a backpack pad so you will feel comfortable carrying it around while you’re biking, with the pet trailer trailing at the back. It’s a pretty innovative product that makes it convenient to have daily outings with your dog or cat when you’re feeling bored working from home and your babies need some outdoor activity.

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Water filtering pitcher concept wants you to slow down while pouring a drink

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When you’re thirsty or you need to drink water, you just go to your ref, bring out the pitcher, or open a water bottle and just drink. You don’t really think about things like slowing down, mindfulness, staying healthy, or resting. You just need to quench your thirst or count the glasses of water that you drink. But actually if you think about it, drinking water can definitely be connected to all of that and can be your chance to take a break from your normal routine and take a few, deep breaths while drinking.

Designers: Krishna Pranav Vaddiparthi & Ria Shah

Osoi is a concept for a water filtering pitcher for Japanese tableware and lifestyle brand Kinto. The name of the product is the Japanese word for “slow” and its goal, aside from getting you to drink clean, filtered water, is to slow down while nourishing your body. The brand is the perfect inspiration as they are an advocate of using their products to “connect to life” or just taking a break from your work or studies even as you do something mundane.

The design of the pitcher itself uses several elements that represent what it means to slow down on a functional and aesthetic level. The pastel peach gradient represents joy but is also part of the water filtering process. Meanwhile, the spout, representing the water flow, lets you pour the water ever so slowly so you’re forced to slow down and have a sense of calm. The wooden handle is supposed to “celebrate the finer details” while the few wooden parts of the pitcher gives you a more tactile experience.

The Osoi pitcher render shows three different color hues: Blissful Blue, Gray Gardens, and Patient Peach. It’s a pretty interesting ideology to put on a mere pitcher but we all need to stop and smell the roses, or at least drink the water, every once in a while.

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Air purifier concept takes a page from SMEG’s retro aesthetics

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For those who live in spaces where natural air flow is a “luxury” or in cities where air pollution is a big problem, having an air purifier is a must. Well that is, if you want to breathe in good air and if you’re spending a lot of time there and you don’t want to spend a lot on healthcare expenses. But these kinds of appliances are really more functional and we don’t spend as much time on their design when choosing to buy one. If you can have something that has all the functionalities for an air purifier that you need and it is well designed and can fit in your space’s aesthetics, then that’s a bonus.

Designer: Khaavya Bhosale

This concept for an air purifier for popular home appliance company Smeg fits in with the brand’s distinct retro style. The Airissimo aims to integrate all the most advanced technology in air purifiers into the classic design that all SMEG products have. This includes the familiar pastel colors, ergonomic control knobs, detailed gaps, and the standard stand that balances their appliances. The final renders of the Airissimo concept will definitely fit in with their current line.

But it’s not just the look that the designer thought of, but all the functionalities and features that you need for an air purifier. It has an LED display that will show you the current air quality in your space. Inside you’ll find the electric board, support duct, motor, fan, fan duct and HEPA filter, all the necessary components for this kind of appliance. It uses ABS plastic and aluminum as its main materials. There is an app that you can connect to it to adjust the controls, to monitor air quality, and to also get reminders when you need to replace your filters.

The Airissimo looks like a huge smart hub that you’ll find in your living space or a sophisticated-looking air cooler. Most air purifiers currently in the market look like your usual air-related appliances (aircon, air cooler, humidifier, dehumidifier) so having something like this if SMEG does decide to eventually branch out into this would be pretty cool.

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45 square meter Ukraine apartment fuses vintage and contemporary look

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One of my home-related dreams is to have a space that is completely designed and customized according to my aesthetic of the moment (which of course, changes every few years or so). And of course, I will probably have just a small space because of budget considerations and also I prefer to have something smaller so it will be easier to clean. For now, I will have to live vicariously through all these spaces I’m writing about and this one is a pretty good dream to have.

Designer: Between the Walls

Between the Walls is a modern design interior studio and one of their newest projects is for their co-founder Victoria Karieva. They designed a vintage but contemporary space for her 45 square meter apartment in Kyiv, Ukraine, incorporating her love for cats and contemporary art as well as several heirloom pieces from her family. The centerpiece of the place is the kitchen combined with the guest room which has a 150-year-old restored cabinet and a 200-year-old icon from her husband’s family.

Since the theme is vintage mixed with contemporary, you also see a mixture of flea market and modern pieces. There are 70s vintage leather chairs and flea market chairs next to a marble round table. There are other smaller touches which play into her love for art, like a handmade wool lamp by a local artist named Nicholas Moon and two paintings by Anton Sayenko. There’s also a “secret” in this space: a sauna that is hidden in a closet. The rest of the apartment uses natural materials like stone, tiles, plywood, with the bathroom using Italian Vague titles. There’s also a lot of storage space even if it’s a small area.

The way the apartment is decorated shows that even if it’s a small area, you can still have a lot of space incorporated with the various small vintage and contemporary furniture. It seems like a perfect space for a couple, with a couple of cats thrown in. As a single woman without a cat, this is something to aspire for, at least in my dreams.

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Modular wooden bookshelf is inspired by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s vision

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I’m always on the lookout for new furniture that will help me store and display all the knick knacks that I have lying around my house. Most of the time I choose those that are mostly functional and of course, affordable. But I’d also like to have some pieces that are decorative and can even look like sculptures or art pieces, even if they probably won’t hold a lot of my stuff. This modular wooden bookshelf would be a nice addition to my space, especially as it pays tribute to the late great Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Designer: Kengo Kuma for More Trees

The acclaimed Japanese composer and pianist founded design company More Trees to create products made by local craftsmen using materials found in local forests in Japan. But before he could make the dream a reality, he passed away a year ago in 2023. His long-time friend Kengo Kuma has now taken over the company and is making the dream a reality by unveiling 〇〇□ (Marumarushikaku), a modular wooden shelf made up of different shapes stacked together. It can also looks like an art piece because of its unusual look and concept so you have a decorative shelf as well.

The structure of this piece of furniture is made up of rectangular shelf boards and round pillar boards stacked on top of each other. You can arrange the round parts randomly between the shelves so you can create your own look and design. It may not look that stable at first glance but you can place things like books, plants, bottles, pots, and other knick knacks that you need to display in your living space. The boards have slots where you can place the round parts in so it becomes an actual shelf that can hold and partition your various items.

The rotating plates and multi-leveled shelves made from wooden materials from local forests can add an interesting and minimalist look to your office or living room. The modular wooden shelf will be unveiled on the anniversary of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s passing on March 28 at the Ace Hotel Kyoto. They will be stacked up to eight levels so you can see that it works despite its seemingly “fragile” appearance.

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Desk accessories concepts help reduce risk of sitting at the desk the whole day

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As someone who spends almost the entire working day (and sometimes beyond) at a desk and in front of the computer, you can say that I face a lot of issues when it comes to my posture, my eyesight, and my muscles. I’ve tried several ergonomic products and also exercises to help me take a break from my regular work and literal position but I’m still having some regular problems from being a desk potato. I know that there are a lot of risks that will eventually (and some have already) make an appearance in my health journey so products that can help alleviate the strain on my body are always welcome.

Designers: Haneul Kang, Dohui Kim, Dagyeong Kim, Jeongyoon Kim, Yunseo Jung

A group of designers have come up with concepts for a series of products that can help with this problem. The collection is appropriately called DESKRISK as we all know that even if we are sitting seemingly safely at our desks, we’re still exhibiting risky behavior that will eventually need some sort of intervention. The first product is a desk clock that will remind us to take a break from staring at our screens to take better care of our eyes. The screen will blur after some time which resembles the dry eyes we experience a lot of times. After you’ve rested for a few minutes, you can move the button on the clock sideways to wipe away the blur and start the countdown all over again.

The next product is for those who need help with their posture while sitting at the desk for a long time. Well this is for if you’re using a lamp light source at your desk. The lamp has a light that will gradually move downwards from the angle you set after an hour. This way you are reminded to move along with the light source so that we’re not just bowing down towards our screens. There’s a gauge next to the lamp that also helps you track how much time has elapsed. You can also adjust and reset the angle by moving this gauge bar.

The last one may probably be the most useless for me, at least from what I understand from their product description. It’s a magazine rack that will supposedly resemble carpel tunnel syndrome or at least the overstretched wrist ligaments that come from having the same position at your keyboard for a long period of time. The sagging fabric will lengthen according to the size or weight of the books or magazines inserted. How this will help me with my wrist problem is unsure at this point. But aside from that, the other Deskrisk products are pretty useful for people like me who are at risk with the nature of our work.

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IKEA pet accessories collection is the minimalist vibe for fur babies

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The past years we’ve seen the growth of “fur parents” so this means there’s also a significant spike in products that will appeal to this market. There are a lot of options out there when it comes to accessories for dogs, cats, and all other pets that may need different kinds of habitats, toys, etc. But when a big name brand puts a lot of effort into research and product development for our fur babies, then they immediately catch our attention.

Designer: IKEA

Swedish brand IKEA is getting into the pet world craze with their UTSÅDD collection that is meant to bring joy not just to the cats and dogs but to their “parents” as well. The brand came up with this 29-piece collection by consulting with veterinarians and pet product specialists and also testing it out on those who will actually be using the products, the cats and dogs themselves.

This means that the products are not just well-designed but also are dishwasher-safe, water-repellant, machine-washable, durable, and of course safe and gentle for the pets. The collection has some items for playtime like the soft toys for dogs and the play tunnel for cats but also has functional ones like pet bowls, beds, and houses. The habitats in particular, like the dog bed and the cat house can both be fun and useful.

The collection will be available globally starting this April. And like with a lot of IKEA products, there is a wide range when it comes to affordability with items ranging between USD $2-70. Also as with most items with the Swedish brand, expect a clean and minimalist vibe.

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Miniature digital camera lets you add filters to your media

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In the middle of a concert where I was surrounded by Gen Z and younger millennials, I noticed that what some of the kids were using to take photos and videos were not their smartphones but digital cameras. That’s when I realized that the adage that “everything old is new again” is still very much true and that the younger generation was discovering gadgets that my generation thought was already dead. We’re seeing brands come up with different variants of digital cameras and now we’re seeing what might be the smallest yet.

Designer: Kenko Tokina

The Pieni M may seem like a toy at first given its tiny size but it’s actually a fully functional miniature digital camera. The name itself, Pieni, is actually the Finnish word for “small” even though the brand is Japanese. Lest you think that it’s just purely for aesthetic purposes, the tiny camera lets you take photos and videos and can even give you filters to make your multimedia look even more hipster than you initially intended. It looks like just any regular camera except that it’s a miniature version.

The camera even has an LCD display that can show you what it is you’re actually taking a photo or video of. Well, given its size, you may have to squint a bit to be able to fully see what’s on the screen. There is a button on the side that lets you switch between video recording and photographing. And if you’re using it for the former, you can actually record voices and ambient sounds. It also has a feature that gives your photos a watercolor-like look or you can use the other filters available including monochrome, orange, blue, or green.

The device is small enough for regular hands to hold it between your two fingers. There’s a USB port so you can easily transfer your media to your laptop or tablet or you can save it on a microSD card for easy storage and transfer. The Pieni M is available in black or grayish blue but it would also be nice to have it in other cuter colors eventually. Personally, I’d probably still use my smartphone to take photos or videos for better quality but if I wanted something more hipster, then this would be a good device to have.

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