Tag Archives: concept

Minimal ‘mini’ home in the mountains of Turkey feels larger than it is

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Designed by Bologna-based firm STUDIOFEM, this beautiful 484 square-foot home is called the Mini – a name that does it justice quite rightly in appearance, but not in character. Although the home is still a concept and hasn’t made it to the ground yet, it still manages to be quite a beauty. Architects Francesca Morsiani and Mujgan Merve Rinaldi plan to tuck away the home in the village of Cavusin, Nevsehir, Turkey, surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Designer: STUDIOFEM

The home features a rectangular structure that has been clad in dark brown vertical panels. The box-like form of the home is quite cute to look at it, and the wooden facade gives the home a rather rustic yet cozy look. The panels are intersected with floor-to-ceiling windows, that provide stunning views of the surrounding landscape while lending the space an air of openness and fluidity. The windows also impart the exterior with a sense of sleekness, which in combination with the panels give the home a pretty minimal and clean appearance. The floor-to-ceiling windows also ensure that generous amounts of natural light will continuously stream in throughout the day. They also help sustain a connection between the interiors and landscape, giving the impression that the inside of the home is larger than it seems.

Although the home occupies a tiny footprint, the interior feels quite open and spacious, offering views of the outside from all angles. The living space is open-plan with kitchen cabinets running along one wall before they transform into a built-in bench located at the entrance of the bedroom. It can be utilized to store and displays books and other souvenirs. The walls of the home have been kept pretty simple as well, lined with wooden panels, that add a bit of texture and rawness to the space.

The furniture also seems to be wooden, and it maintains the same minimal and neutral tone that has been followed throughout the home. The furniture pieces seem to be carefully curated, such that they perfectly complement the home, and do not contrast against it. The exterior, interior, and furnishings of the home line up together perfectly to create a living space that is warm, cozy, and inviting.

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Diagonal sleeper car design is an innovative solution to increase comfort and space on an overnight train

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Traveling by train cross-country or long-distance is probably not the most comfortable way you can go. But there are times when this may be the cheapest or maybe even the only option. The sleeper cars that are currently available, at least for the budget-conscious, may give you cramps, claustrophobia, and even nightmares. There’s always room to improve these kinds of compartments without forcing people to upgrade to the more comfortable but more expensive kind of train accommodations.

Designer: 2050 Lab

This design for a sleeper car not only makes it a bit more comfortable for those who will be spending overnight in the space but it will also let the train itself increase the number of seats per car. What they did was to design coupe-capsules with two tiers that are angled diagonally to create a herringbone structure. Each car is separated by a wall and a curtain to give each occupant a sense of privacy.

Each capsule has a sleeping space but also an extended berth as well as a window. There’s also a table in case you need to work at any time during the night. There’s also a space to place your luggage since most likely you’re carrying a piece or more to wherever you’re traveling to. Since there’s also a limited space, some functionalities serve dual purposes. For example the ladder and ledges that have built-in cushions can also serve as a standing rest.

The product renders for this concept make it look like a space that you wouldn’t mind spending 12 hours, or at least part of that, in when you’re traveling. Being a bit claustrophobic, I still would prefer to travel like this but it’s still a better alternative to the budget sleeper cars I’ve seen (through pictures and videos). It would be interesting to if the train manufacturer would eventually adopt this to an actual train.

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Air purifier doubles up as a lighting fixture in your space with this 2-in-1 appliance

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For people who love their homes or spaces to have a certain aesthetic, products that are both functional and decorative are very much welcome. If you have a small space, you would of course not want to have all sorts of decorations clutter it up (well, unless you’re a maximalist) if they do not serve any other purpose other than just be pretty. So if you find something that beauties up your place and at the same time performs a useful function, then you got yourself a winner.

Designer: Hanyoung Lee, Eunji Ko

This concept for an air purifier is just one of those designs that are both functional and decorative. Abell’s main purpose is as a device to help purify the air inside your room or house. But instead of just standing there in the room, it is actually a lighting device. It will not take up space on your floor or on your table but it can be hung up wherever you want and it will give you cleaner air and also light up the room. And if you’re into the minimalist, monochromatic look, then it can also serve as an aesthetic addition to your room.

If it’s not hanging up there, it looks like your ordinary air purifier with a mushroom-like design. You probably can also use it as a table or shelf-top purifier although it’s unclear if it will light up as well. But if the bulb is under there as the product renders seem to indicate, then the lighting function may be useless if you don’t put it up there. Now when you use it as both a purifier and a lighting fixture, there is a controller attached to it so you can adjust how much light it emits.

It would be interesting to find out some more details about the air purifying aspect of the device. During the pandemic and even now when we’re getting back to whatever constitutes as normal, breathing fresh air even when indoors is an important part of our living. So the quality of air purifying that Abell can give is an important aspect of whether or not someone would buy it, if it becomes a product eventually.

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Toy camera design prints outlines of your photos on thermal paper for you to fill colour

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While I am very much a digital girl, there are still some things that I enjoy the analog versions of. That includes journaling and scrapbooking. I love printing out photos and adding them to my journals or putting them up on my cork boards. I’ve gone through my fair share of various photo printers but I’m always looking for something new that can make my notebooks prettier or more interesting. This concept for a printer seems to be unique and can add even more creativity to your journaling life.

Designer: Gabin Park and Subin Lee

Potto is a concept for a toy camera that prints different kind of photos. Unlike the polaroids and instax cameras and printers, this one doesn’t print your typical pictures but instead gives you an outline of the image that you took or that you sent to the camera. You get a line drawing that you can either keep as it is or color in the images if you want a more colorful or creative thing to add to your journal. It’s something that both kids and adults can appreciate as both may actually love the coloring part of the process.

The camera itself looks like your typical mobile photo printers with the round and soft shapes as well as pastel colors. The line photos are printed on a thermal paper rather than the polaroid or zinc paper. This means that the heat-sensitive paper is more affordable but will also eventually fade over time (apparently just like our memories). So if you want something that will last longer, then this is not the camera or photo printer for you.

The camera has a yellow button that lets you take the picture and then print them directly. There is also a display screen at the back so you can still see the images first before you take the photo. There is a cutting blade so you can easily cut the thermal paper, which are available in sizes 79 x 70 cm or 2 x 3 inches, depending on what you need. This is something that I would like to someday have so hopefully, this doesn’t remain just a concept.

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“Taco” device helps travelers communicate in other languages with ease

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When you travel to a place where you don’t speak the language, there are now tools and devices you can use to help you communicate with the locals who may also not speak your language. You can use your smartphone and various apps or services that can help you in the translation. For some people though, this may not be such a comfortable situation for them and can even be a barrier towards communicating with people. This concept for a device starts out with a “joke” but can become something actually useful.

Designer: Taewan Kim

This concept started out with the metaphor or pun “Let’s taco ’bout it” and it evolved into something that actually uses the idea of the taco, or at least the shape of it. The translation device is shaped like a taco and will be used by both the speaker and the listener. It’s actually like one of those two-way cup devices that you may have used when you were young (or at least those of a certain age) but now using digital technology. The basic idea is to make communicating more fun and functional.

The entire device really looks like a piece of taco but when it’s time to be used, you “cut” it into half and give the other part to the person you want to talk with. You press the button on your half of the device and speak into it and the other half of the device is the speaker where the translated voice comes out. It will also probably work the other way around so the person you’re talking to can also have their voices translated back to you.

The Taco device concept is pretty simple but if it works, it should be enough. It is an interesting way to talk to other people rather than just use Google Translate on your smartphone. There doesn’t seem to be any other function that the device can do but in terms of design, it is pretty cute and interesting.

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2-in-1 hydroponics device and night light helps kids appreciate plants and nature

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It’s never too early to start teaching kids about the cycle of life and the joy of taking care of plants. I wish my mom or grandmother taught me that when I was a kid but unfortunately, they also both had “black thumbs” so we couldn’t really keep our garden alive. But now there are things like hydroponics and other devices and ways for kids to learn about plant care and understand plant life. These things can be incorporated into their education in order to cultivate a love for plants and life.

Designer: Mona Safari

Spacecrop is not just a device where you can take care of plants but it also serves as a fun nightlight for your kid (and you). The design is modeled after a spacecraft, like the ones we see that land on the moon or planets but the difference is that there are seeds and eventually plants inside. There are buckets inside where the seeds will be placed and this space is filled with the lightweight hydroponic substrate Rockwool cubes. These cubes will help the plants grow and the air stones on top of the buckets will bring oxygen to the roots, along with the air pump included in the system.

The device also has something installed in it that will project the night sky in the child’s (or adult’s) room. They can also choose to play sounds like sea, wind, forest, rain, and other nature atmospheric sounds when you’re sleeping, reading, or meditating. This way, even if you live in the city and don’t have access to natural environments, the kids can still develop an appreciation for nature. They get to take care of the plants in a low maintenance and also have fun with the device.

I actually feel that while Spacecrop was originally designed for kids, it’s something that adults would enjoy. I’ve been considering hydroponics lately as I want to have plants at home but as previously mentioned, I somehow don’t have that green thumb. So having a pretty uncomplicated device to help me grow plants and also have pretty night lights seem like a good one to have at home, even if I’m far from being a kid.

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Flower-inspired vases are designed to accentuate the beauty of the flora

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There are very few people in the world who don’t appreciate the beauty of flowers. I, for one, am either calmed down or awed when I see beautiful flowers in the wild or even as decorations indoor. I wouldn’t be able to raise them or take care of them on my own, but they’re still very pretty to look at. Accessories that pay tribute to flowers and floral arrangements are also something that appeal to a lot of people so this collection that highlights nine different flowers and uses them to shape the design may be something flower lovers will be interested in.

Designer: Weijing Tan

The name of the collection is simple enough: In Praise of Flowers. The concept is made up of nine different “chapters” and the products range from vases to stands to sculpture-like accessories that can make flowers even more appealing and glorify their natural beauty. The nine flowers that were chosen for this particular “exhibit” are the following: Peony, Lavender, Hydrangea, Asian Orchid, Lily, Tulip, Narcissus, Rose, and Baby’s Breath. These flowers served as the design inspiration for the accessories in the collection.

The Peony or impressionist muse is a vase enclosed in two glass dividers where you can place peonies or any other flowers you want to inside. The fragrant Lavender accessory is a white vase housed in a small dome made up of circular white cups. The majestic Hydrangea looks like a lamp at first glance with what seems like a big mirror that will enhance the flowers that you place in the vase. Or it might be that the round thing has a kaleidoscope-like design of hydrangeas. The Asian Orchid, referred to as exotic, is a stand housed in what seems like an acrylic enclosure with a circular hole to look into the flowers placed inside.

The showstopper Lily is a black clamshell-like vase that is in direct contrast to the colorful flowers you’ll place in it. Since the Tulip is known as a delicate flower, the accessory inspired by it is a minimalist stand where a single piece of flower can be placed in. The Narcissus, which is of course associated with reflections because of mythology, has a stand that will reflect the single stalk of flower that you’ll place in it. The Baby’s Breath has a transparent glass to magnify its beauty. Lastly, the Rose is a flat accessory where you can lay it down like in a bed. This concept seems pretty interesting if you want mostly minimalist vases and stands placed in your space.

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This portable divider and monitor holder can let you set up your monitor and workstation anywhere

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There was a time before the world changed when most people who are in the corporate world were stuck to their desks for most of their 8 hours every day. But when COVID came and we were “forced” to work remotely, people finally discovered what digital nomads have been saying for years: you can actually work everywhere. Even now when some have gone back to their buildings and cubicles, people have learned to be more mobile so product designers have been coming up with various products to suit this new work lifestyle.

Designers: Nankyung Han and Jimin Seol

 

First Layer is a concept for a mobile desk that users can use for telecommuting and working from anywhere, without having to bring an actual desk with all the things you need. It’s basically something that can hold your monitor and can serve as a desk divider, and even as a trolley to bring your things around. When folded, it looks like a portfolio (a pretty big one) or a suitcase (a small one). When you unfold it, you get a pretty functional desk divider that can hold your devices and other work accessories.

As a desk divider, you can use it as a partition and a holder for your monitor. You can attach the monitor through a magnet and then if you need to move your work station to another place in the office (or even outside), you can carry your monitor with you within the “case”. The device also powers the monitor through the pogo pin when you attach it through the rear circular panel. The side panels lets you attach mobile devices including your smartphone, smartwatch, earbuds, and even analog things like sticky notes, pens, etc.

The trolley function not only lets you move the stuff around but can also serve as a stand for when you want to use your monitor as a vertical stand, in case that’s possible for your device. The renders show soft colors that should match your aesthetic, if you’re into that thing. On paper, the concept for First Layer seems to be an interesting one that can be useful, if it will function as advertised. It won’t be useful for people like me who rely on our laptops or MacBooks but if you’re using a monitor for your work process, then it may be something you’ll want.

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Lean On lets you rest while still staying on your feet

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As someone who spends more than half a day sitting in front of a computer screen or lying down scrolling or reading or watching, I keep reminding myself that I should get up every few minutes or so. The problem is that even if I’m just sitting down, my work is stressful enough so standing up takes a lot of effort. Most of the time, I still need to rest and relax even when I’m standing up and taking a break from work. So what if I could stand and rest at the same time?

Designers: Wonchul Lee and Boyeon Kim

The idea for the “Lean On” concept is to have that “three minutes” rest between sitting and standing that some are advised to do. This is perfect for people who like me who need to stand every once in a while to just stretch but also need to rest while doing so. This piece of furniture will capture that “ambiguous” moment in between sitting and standing. The curve of the object lets you have a few moments of rest even as you’re technically on your feet.

Think of it as a wall that you can lean against except there’s still a small seat to rest your hips and back on. The base and structure of the entire Lean On furniture is a continuous, tubular steel frame that curves slightly for the resting part and it is meant to fit the contour of the body. The “seat” or the “wall” is made from leather and can be different colors, as shown in the renders. You can actually place two of them perpendicular to each other so you and an officemate or friend can rest together while standing up.

The photos seem to show it is meant for tall people, or at least for people of regular height. I don’t know how people like me who are vertically challenged will be able to fit into the contour of the Lean On so maybe there will be some options as to the height of the curve so it can be more height-friendly.

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Minimalist weighing scale design uses one material and just two parts

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Sometimes, when we use small items at home, in the kitchen, or at the office, we don’t really pay attention to what materials are used, as long as they fulfill their function. But now that people are more conscious about where things come from and how they are produced, there are some product designers that have been coming up with great concepts that use minimal materials and are cost-efficient. As to whether they can become actual consumer products is still up for debate though.

Designer: Theodore Simon

It’s still pretty interesting though to look at these designs and concepts and see the possibilities. This minimalist and monomaterial kitchen scale was created as a diploma project at ECAL, a university of art and design in Switzerland. This entire scale was made from just plastic and is composed only of two parts, which will make it easier to produce and can also facilitate an easier recycling process even though it’s made from plastic. The concept for the scale is from ideas from micro-engineering and production.

Normally, scales are made from different materials as well as various parts to achieve its functionality of weighing ingredients and other materials placed on it. But with this concept called Lari, Simon was able to use the elasticity of plastic to just use one material and use just two parts. The first part is a tray where you place the item to be weighed and is linked to the base through two flexible parallel beams. The second part is a flexible indicator that is able to calibrate to zero and moves the tray by sliding in the base.

The look of the scale itself is as minimal as its parts and materials. The two parts are like puzzle pieces that you can connect in order for it to function. The accuracy of the scale though is something that may have to be experimented more on, if somebody is able to grab this concept eventually.

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