Once upon a time, furniture was seen as more than just functional objects inside a house but also as heirlooms to be passed from generation to generation. That’s not only because of their ornate designs or luxurious materials but also because of the craftsmanship and longevity of these products. Mass-produced furniture these days has nothing on their ancestors, though, especially since they seem to be made to be short-lived in order to encourage buying new ones every so often. Then again, those elaborate pieces of furniture aren’t completely sustainable either, especially when they become completely useless when a single part or section gets broken. These qualities, however, don’t need to be mutually exclusive, and this simple yet stylish sofa tries to prove that by presenting a design that’s not only elegant but also long-lasting, even when parts of it need to be replaced.
Conventional sofas seem to be designed to be wasteful. Even those flat-packed minimalist pieces reach their ends early the moment a leg, backrest, or even cushion becomes unusable. They may come in distinct parts, but those parts are not easily replaceable when, not if, they need to be repaired or replaced completely.
The Spoke Sofa tries to provide an answer to the problem with a design that’s thoughtful, beautiful, and sustainable down to the smallest details. The parts used, for example, are made from recycled or recyclable materials that don’t compromise the product’s durability, integrity, and comfort. Of course, the processes are sustainable as well, like how the wood is treated with environment-friendly substances like pure oil or water-based lacquer that also let the surfaces develop unique patinas over time.
More importantly, every part of the Spoke Sofa is not only built to last but also built to be easily replaced. Even upholstery can be removed easily for cleaning, encouraging owners to take better care of the sofa. Replacement parts and upholstery will also be sold, so you don’t have to go out of your way to make your own wooden pieces to replace broken ones.
This sustainable sofa is designed to last almost forever, and that applies to its timeless aesthetic as well. Its minimalist appearance and functional form ensure that it will remain relevant, no matter the trend or time. And even if design tastes change, the Spoke Sofa’s modern style will remain a beautiful example of this era’s culture, turning it into an heirloom that doesn’t lose its usability, no matter how many generations it passes through.
With the rapidly evolving world, corporate endeavors seem far more difficult and tedious by the day. Industrial designers have been studying corporate behavioral patterns and trying to come up with innovative interior styles comprising newer furniture and other relevant product designs. One such design has emerged that challenges the workspace aesthetics and functionality. The Work Fence is a modern-day symbolic partition that adds a silver lining to the exhausted lives of the employees in office spaces.
Condensing how everyone is struggling at their own levels, into a simple metaphor by drawing a resemblance between how construction workers work long hours under the hot sun behind the fences and the people who work vigorously all day in front of screens at commercial offices. The work fence is a parallel drawn to showcase the fast-paced tedious lives and a realization of the need for some humor.
The work fence is an artistic and dynamic solution that reimagines the way we divide and organize our work environments. Traditional office partitions have long been criticized for creating physical and psychological barriers, hindering collaboration, and stifling creativity. In contrast, the work fence seamlessly blends functionality, style, and flexibility to create a harmonious and productive workspace.
Just as the fences at the construction site signal the pedestrians to park their cars or walk below at their own risk, these work fences are based on a similar concept of notifying people about your moods or ‘status’ and signaling ‘enter at your own risk’ within your space by simply installing these fences on top of the monitor. It is an intuitive and decorative object for your desk to add some fun to your monotonous office routines. It has a comical and light-hearted approach, these fences can be customized using letter plates to create words that represent your mood or cheeky captions to lighten the day. It’s almost like a Facebook or WhatsApp status but in real life. We’re evolving in reverse!
Work Fence stands out for its sleek, minimalist design, combining clean lines with a touch of artistic elegance. The form of the work fence is inspired by the scaffolding outside construction sites. The metal plates are modular in nature and one can connect as many as they wish to complete their sentence, in which the predesigned letters can be inserted. The modular construction allows for easy customization and adaptability to various office layouts and requirements.
Unlike traditional solid partitions, the work fence promotes a culture of flexibility and collaboration. The modular panels can be effortlessly rearranged, enabling teams to adapt their workspace to different projects and changing needs. The compact and sleek nature of the panels eliminates the boxed-in feeling often associated with cubicles and enclosed spaces.
The thoughtful design of the work fence has a significant impact on the productivity and well-being of office occupants. By fostering an open environment, the partitions promote communication and interaction between team members. The infusion of humor and vibrant patterns contribute to a more positive and stimulating atmosphere, reducing stress and boosting creativity.
The work fence is a game-changer in office design in a world where the lines between work and life are continually blending. Its unique approach to dividing up space not only improves the aesthetics of office settings but also fosters collaboration, adaptability, and well-being. Work Fence paves the way for a more dynamic, interesting, and productive workplace future by rethinking conventional office design.
Although it might seem like it, controllers for different devices and gadgets are actually designed to help make users’ lives easier. The overwhelming number of buttons on a traditional TV or set-top box remote, for example, are there to give nearly instant access to functions without having to dig your way through menus. Needs and trends change over time, however, and devices need to adapt with them, just like how those TV remotes have become significantly minimal, some with no more than five buttons. There are controllers, however, that can’t really be distilled down to half a dozen switches and buttons. Complicating matters is how different people might have different ideas on how to best use those controls. Straddling the fine line between those two camps, this design concept puts users in complete control of one of the busiest controllers in the market.
When there are so many things happening quickly that need your attention, the last thing you need is to fiddle with menus to remain in control. Sometimes, you don’t even get a few seconds to think about your next move and just function on autopilot. This is often the case with complicated controllers like the decks that DJs use to mix, scratch, and direct the flow of music at any given moment. A deck controller would have dozens of buttons, sliders, switches, and dials, but not everyone uses those same controls in the same way all the time.
This modular controller concept brings one of the rising trends in product design to the world of DJing, allowing the user to decide exactly how to arrange those controls or which ones to actually have present in the first place. The idea is to have a platform where one can easily add, remove, or relocate those gizmos where they’re most convenient. There are parts that are permanently attached to the deck, like the two large dials on each side, but the rest is fair game for the DJ.
This design is made possible by a grid of Pogo connectors in the middle of the deck, similar to those gold dots you’d find in older smartwatches as well as tablet keyboard covers. Here you can make any arrangement of buttons, sliders, and dials, some of which take up more than one “block” on that grid. In a way, it becomes a fun puzzle activity for DJs to build their own personalized deck.
The base design for this modular DJ controller leans more towards minimalist trends with its white coating and lack of decorations. Admittedly, this might look a little out of place among a DJ’s other tools, so there’s also a variant that brings those familiar accent lighting on a predominantly black deck, a better representation of a DJ’s vibrant and unpredictable style.
Fairphone smartphones are known for their ability to last, easily repaired and being sustainable. Now the Dutch social enterprise is extending this very design philosophy for a pair of headphones that are easily repairable and save you from buying a new pair when you feel like the audio drivers have gone obsolete.
Strangely called the Fairbuds XL (remember these are headphones, not earbuds) these over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones boast modular aesthetics for replacing components like battery, earcups or audio drivers with utmost ease. If Fairphone must be believed, the headphones can be fixed using just a Philips head screwdriver which is a damn good prospect!
The modular design consists of 13 separate parts that include a pair of speakers, headphone battery, joystick control, flat cable, headband base, and all the cushions and covers that make up this audio accessory. So, the next time the manufacturer releases a new pair of improved speaker drivers, simply swap the old ones to extend your audiophile journey without breaking the bank. The same goes for the 500-charge cycle battery which can be replaced once it reaches the end of life.
On top of this, the foldable Fairbuds XL is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum, pure recycled tin solder, 80 percent recycled plastics and fair trade gold. Thus, making it the preferred option for music lovers who are considerate of their planet-conscious choices. The IP54-rated headphones weigh just 330 grams and are easy to store given their compact form factor.
The cans are loaded with 40mm dynamic drivers that deliver 20–20,000 Hz frequency response and have 32-ohm impedance. Active noise cancellation is also present courtesy of 2 microphones on the left and 4 on the right earcups. Fairbuds XL support Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity and when the juice runs out they can be connected via the USB-C or USB-C to 3.5 mm audio adapter.
Supported codecs include aptX HD (plus AAC and SBC) and multipoint connectivity is another feature that should keep buyers interested. 800mAh battery on the headphones should last around 26 hours with the ANC mode turned on and 30 hours if turned off. Fairphones has given fast charging a miss here, so they’ll be fully charged after a painstaking wait of 3 hours.
Given all the specifications, the Fairphone Fairbuds XL should deliver respectable sound and ANC performance. Can they compete with the likes of Sony WH-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort 45 or Apple AirPods Max is still a consideration. Currently, they are up for purchase at a price tag of €249 in Europe and shortly in other parts of the globe too. Fairphone also plans to introduce replacement parts soon, so these headphones should be the next favorite for content creators and music lovers of course.
Although we really should be doing more than just once a year, it’s that special time when people all over the world give their mom’s some TLC. For some, that means bearing gifts or pampering them with food and service at home. For others, it involves giving their mothers some “me time” to enjoy life without having to worry about the family’s meals for the day. Some might even take their beloved mommas out on an excursion, perhaps somewhere relaxing and memorable. Whatever the plan might be, it will most likely involve the use of electricity, which may not always be available everywhere and all the time. Fortunately, BLUETTI has just the perfect products to deliver clean, quiet, and safe power anytime, anywhere, giving moms some much-needed peace of mind, whether it’s Mother’s Day or any other day.
Some moms might prefer to escape the hustle and bustle of cities and the noise of other humans during this weekend celebration. Camping out in the wild might be fun and reinvigorating, but worrying about modern conveniences is anything but relaxing. Need to keep her phone charged so she can instantly share those wonderful photos? How about coffee and warm food on demand? These are no problems for the BLUETTI EB3A, EB55, and EB70 compact and portable power stations, giving you all the electricity you need for a short wilderness trip or a magical sleepover under the night sky.
BLUETTI AC300 + BLUETTI B300 + BLUETTI B300
More adventurous mothers might prefer going places they haven’t been to before, and the Mother’s Day weekend is the perfect opportunity for a sightseeing road trip. With the BLUETTI AC200P, AC200MAX, and AC300, your mom won’t even have to worry about leaving the critical amenities of life behind. 2,000W to 3,000W of power is more than enough for the off-grid RV life, meeting the needs of almost any appliance, from refrigerators to hair dryers to CPAP machines. And if that much power still isn’t enough, you can expand the AC300 with B300 battery modules to bring it up to a whopping 12,288Wh. Thanks to fast and efficient solar charging as well as its clean operation, this BLUETTI AC series power stations let you enjoy life on the road as safely and as quietly as your mother would like.
BLUETTI AC500 + BLUETTI B300S
Mother’s Day might happen only once a year, but caring for these Wonder Women is an all-year-round job. Fortunately, BLUETTI’s powerful and sustainable solutions are useful any day, especially during those unexpected outages when you’re not around to help your mom. The BLUETTI modular AC500, which successfully raised $12 million from more than 5,000 believers on Indiegogo, can deliver 3,072Wh of power or even up to 18,432Wh when connected to multiple B300S battery modules. That’s enough to provide power to the entire household for a day or two, letting you use your 360W fridge or 1800W air conditioner during a blackout. The BLUETTI EP500 solar generator on wheels can also bring power to where it’s needed inside the house, offering enough juice for a 1500W electric grill, an 8000BTU A/C, or a 2000W coffee maker for hours.
Give your mother the perfect gift that will give her peace of mind, no matter the day of the year. BLUETTI is celebrating Mother’s Day by helping you save up to $700 on these portable power stations that prove their worth on any occasion. And with the company’s referral system, your friends receive a 5% discount, and you earn a BLUETTI buck for every dollar they spend. These BLUETTI power stations are more than just a one-off treat; they’re also a lifetime investment that will show your care and love for your mother every day of the year.
We are absolute fans of multifunctional and modular furniture since they never ever seem to lose their utility even after years of use. Space-saving being one of their prime advantages, the flexibility to transition from one utility to completely another is something that gravitates people into choosing them over any ordinary piece of furniture.
This modular flat-pack furniture piece carries these merits and the feature of being assembled using just straps. Yes, it has no tools, screws or hinges. This eliminates any unnecessary manufacturing processes, thereby making it eco-friendly furniture with minimal processing.
Designer: Hyunjun Yu
Dubbed “OPO=O” (that’s a very odd naming convention), the maker intends this consumer product to be a dual assembly structure functioning as a desk or a hanger depending on the need. The top and bottom panels of the flat-pack furniture are structurally robust, and each one of them supports the other for integrity. Considering these panels have to bear the weight of a workstation setup or the lateral weight of clothes hung in the walk-in closet configuration, the design has to be spot on.
The adjusting straps provide additional stability and add design detail to the minimalist panels. If we must nick-pick at something, then it would be the exposed strap fastening at the bottom that could be concealed in the panel design, especially if the desk is going to be set up in an open space. While the exposed straps could act as a foot stand, reoccurring tension on the straps with the load of the feet would not be such a good thing.
Coming on to the hanger utility, just rotate the structure at a 90 degrees angle, and you’ve got a compact, open-back cupboard. That structure at the top and bottom panels can be turned into a hanger with the bottom section acting as a shelf. The straps also perform double utility as hangers for clothes. Those dual straps at the bottom act as visual dividers for the section below. On top of the OPO=O one can keep seldom-used items to reduce any visual clutter.
Most people treat lamps and lighting fixtures as mere functional products that illuminate a given space. While that is indeed their primary function, the kind and quality of light can actually have an effect on our minds and moods. Some lamps have decorative designs that spark interest and awe, while others use different tones and intensities to soothe or excite. Most lamps that provide these varied experiences, however, are often tied down to their locations or are impractical to move around. Portable lamps, on the other hand, are more utilitarian in design. This simple-looking lamp tries to bridge the gap between those two extremes, offering a lighting solution that can easily be carried anywhere to set the right atmosphere while also looking stylish in any setting.
At first glance, this lamp might not even look like a lamp. On the one hand, it almost looks like a miniature stool, similar to those with round, rotating seats you’d see in some bars and diners. On the other hand, it might also remind you of mushrooms with its tall, thin stem and circular cap. Whichever way you look at it, the ICHI table lamp is going to grab your attention with its distinctive shape, its powder-coated iron finish, and its minimalist design.
The mushroom table lamp is so minimalist that you will see neither cords nor buttons on its pristine surface. Pressing anywhere on the edge of the lamp’s top turns it on and cycles through its different brightness settings before it turns off again. There’s no specific area you have to press, making it easy to operate the lamp even without looking at it. Each press has a soft and comfortable clicking feel to it, so don’t be surprised if you get a bit addicted to the gesture.
Six high color rendering LEDs generate the clicky table lamp’s warm light while a thick milky-white board diffuses it to a softer glow. The yellowish tone creates a more soothing atmosphere compared to bright white, and it can also make certain colors and compositions pop up, making food look more delicious, for example. The absence of cables suggests that the lamp is battery-powered, but it eschews the trend of using built-in rechargeable batteries and opts for AA batteries instead. This helps prolong the life of the lamp since you can easily replace the batteries when they run out of juice. Of course, you can also use rechargeable AA batteries to really capitalize on the lamp’s sustainability.
Almost like a mushroom, the ICHI lamp can pop up anywhere you want it to. Simply unscrew the top and the base and stash all three parts inside a bag to carry the lamp with you. With its warm light, tactile experience, and modular design, this minimalist lamp lets you create the atmosphere you want anywhere you go, allowing you to bring your own bubble of light and calm inside the house or outdoors.
I love a beautifully-designed lighting fixture because I truly believe a really great one has the ability to illuminate a space – both literally, and metaphorically. Besides the physical light that it quite obviously emits, a well-designed lighting fixture can add manifolds of personality and charisma to a room. They can function as sculptural pieces, that are an extension of your personal taste and preference, truly exhibiting the richness and niche-ness of your curation capabilities. And a stunning lighting fixture that I believe would do exactly that is the Tri Light by Tokio.
Designed by the design brand Tokio, the Tri Light is a modular sculptural light that is inspired by the Japanese shoji. The Japanese shoji is a door, window, or room divider in the form of a paper screen, that is quite popularly used in traditional Japanese architecture. The Tri light features an interesting honeycomb-like structure that directly drew inspiration from a shoji. “Inspired by the Japanese shoji concept, Tri Light is the combination of old traditions and modern technology – we set out to design something that would be modern, classical, and timeless at the same time,” said Tokio.
The light is built using milled and anodized aluminum triangles that were designed to be expanded and configured in different configurations and customizations. “An infinitely expandable design system, the Tri Light illuminates the timeless geometry of nature within the areas we inhabit. It is luminous and ethereal, yet as timeless as the laws of physics themselves. The Tri Light is an expression of fundamental forces that are universal yet infinitely diverse,” said Tokio. The light has a curving design, and it can be added, played around with, and configured infinitely.
The Tri Light has a dimmable light that can be tuned and modified from 2700K to 4000K lighting. The innovative design can be divided into multiple zones, so that each area can be configured to feature and emit different light strengths and temperatures, making it a pretty versatile and modular lighting fixture. The Tri Light was designed to “illuminate the timeless geometry of nature within the areas we inhabit”.
I appreciate when products are functional and no-nonsense at the same time. What else do I say about a modular, multi-functional set of cube-based lights that are quite simply called Cube? Meet the Yeelight Cubes, a set of magnetic, modular, and IoT-controlled lights that can be used for a variety of scenarios. Whether you’re a gamer or YouTuber looking to RGB-ify your space, a film nerd who’d like a backlight for your TV so your wall can color-match your movies, an audiophile who wants his room’s lighting to vibe to his music selection, or just an IoT enthusiast who wants to tinker with modular lights to build out different smart home products, the Cube’s laundry-list of features has something for you. With three cube variants – a Matrix Cube or text and symbols, a Panel Cube for lights and gradients, and a Spotlight Cube for shining light on surfaces like your wall, the Yeelight Cubes give you the ability to build out your lighting rig. Each cube comes with a modular design featuring pogo pin connectors and magnets that let you snap cubes together. A base unit lets you connect your creation to a power source, and mobile and desktop apps give you immense amounts of control over your newly built lighting setup. See? Functional and no-nonsense…
Designer: Yeelight
Click Here to Buy Now: $198$310 (36% off) Standard Kit with 4 Matrix Cubes + 1 Panel Cube + 1 Spotlight Cube + 1 Base & Adapter
Hurry! Just 7 days left!
The Yeelight Cubes are both customizable and incredibly capable, with their ability to transform into just the kind of light you’re looking for. The standard bundle of cubes comes with 4 matrix cubes, a panel cube, and a spotlight cube (like the setup shown above), letting you build out basic tools like a clock, music equalizer, notification machine, or any other type of device you want. Add additional cubes to the mix and you can get even more complex with your creations, building out 8-bit signboards, massive RGB ambient lights, or an entire discotheque setup that responds in real time to the music you play. That cheap Tiktok sunset lamp has nothing on the Cube’s dynamism and range of possibilities.
The three cubes form the framework for the Yeelight modular system. Like if LEGO met light!
What makes these lights more interesting than your average household LED bulb is their ability to be just the kind of lights you want them to be. Not only do you get to snap them together piece by piece to build the arrangement you need, you can activate/toggle them in a variety of ways. If you’re looking for just ambient colors, there’s a bunch of themes on the app. A DIY painter lets you paint each individual pixel on the Matrix block, and smartphone and desktop apps let you configure the Cube lights to work just how you want them to. Moreover, the Yeelight Cubes are IoT-ready and Matter-compatible, which means they can integrate into your smart home ecosystem of Matter-enabled products, and can be even activated via voice commands.
Immensely configurable thanks to its desktop Yeelight Station program and the smartphone app, the Yeelight Cubes can be programmed to do things like mirror the colors on your monitor/screen, react to music playing on your smart speakers, or even respond to your gameplay by connecting to it through programs like Razer Chroma or Overwolf. The smartphone app lets you tap into a variety of presets and dynamic themes, including giving you the ability to customize color and LED-paint the Cubes with your own colors, gradients, and shapes. The app even gives you simple controls to turn your Cube arrays into table clocks, calendars, and more.
Setting up your Cubes are a breeze as they simply snap and orient just the way you want them to. Given their power requirements, you can snap a maximum of 6 cubes to one base unit and plug them into an outlet. Any additional cubes will require an extra base and a secondary power outlet. You can then hop onto the Yeelight Station desktop app or the smartphone app to set your modules up to behave the way you want, or integrate them with your smart-home thanks to its Matter certification. Compliance with the Matter IoT standard makes the Yeelight Cube compatible with home assistants like Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, and more. The Yeelight Cubes run Bluetooth 5.1 and 2,4GHz WiFi to give them their broad connectivity.
Unlike other smart light solutions from brands like Nanoleaf, Govee, or Philips Hue, the Yeelight Cubes boast a kind of versatility and modularity that’s difficult to achieve otherwise. With matrix, panel, and even spotlight cube variants, you can achieve any kind of light-based setup you’re looking for, and with Matter compatibility, your Yeelight Cube setup becomes a part of your smart-home experience, so you can fire up responsive disco-lights while listening to Miley Cyrus’ 80’s inspired hit Flowers, or a backlight for your desktop monitor while you play Elden Ring or while you watch movies and documentaries online.
The Yeelight Cube comes as a $198 bundle of 6 lights, including 4 matrix cubes, a panel cube, and a spotlight cube, along with the connector base and power adapter. Individual add-on cubes can be added to your pledge for a price.
Click Here to Buy Now: $198$310 (36% off) Standard Kit includes 4x Dot Matrix Cube + 1x Panel Cube + 1x Spotlight Cube + 1x Base & Adapter
Hurry! Just 7 days left!
While I’m perfectly happy with my MacBook devices over the years, I know there are people who would prefer a much more customizable laptop for their various needs. There are some computers that you can customize and build yourself, but for laptops, the options out there are fewer. So for those who would like to have laptops that fit their needs and requirements, modular devices are pretty much welcome. And this computer hardware company is bringing one to your table.
Designer: Framework
Framework Laptop 16 is a modular laptop that you can customize according to the specifications that you need for your work or school needs. You will be able to switch out and replace parts like keyboards, number pads, etc. It has a “fully reconfigurable input deck” as well as “modular, upgradeable graphics”. The input modules come in small, medium, or large sizes. The small one has mostly color customization but can also add LED matrix and haptic sliders. The medium module can customize numeric pads, secondary displays, and macro pads. Large modules are also able to have several backlit keyboards and an RGB backlit version as well.
The laptop also has an Expansion Bay system so you’ll be able upgrade your Graphics Modules if you need something with higher storage. You can also choose where you will place your USB ports, charging ports, HDMI card readers, or 3.5mm headphone jack. In the future, there will also be a Framework Marketplace so that third party module makers can participate in the customizable ecosystem. But even now, they are already open-sourcing the designs specifically the documentation for the three systems: Input Modules, Expansion Bay Modules, and Expansion Cards.
The Framework Laptop 16 is made especially for gamers, developers, creators, or just people who would like a customizable mobile device. Pre-orders will start this spring and customers can expect it to start shipping later this year. Hopefully, it is also easy enough to assemble even if you don’t have much experience in putting together a laptop. The video makes it seem like it’s easy but of course reality can sometimes be different.
