Vaso Gato minimalist and lightweight vase appears as if floating in the air

VASO GOTA Vase Product Design

A vase has one primary purpose: to hold something—it could be a single stem of a flower or a stalk of a plant, water or wine, or just about anything small you want to display. You can see at least one vase in most households, but you see many of them in restaurants as fancy decorations. No matter how you use a vase, such must complement a room’s aesthetics and personality if it is to stay in your environment. Good thing the vase can come in different forms, shapes, sizes, and textures so anyone can experiment with the design or get one that suits him. A vase may only have a few functions, but it can offer big things to people, especially if you put pretty flowers or plants, as the sight can help reduce stress, boost your mood, and for some people, help physically heal.

Designer: Maurício Coelho

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

Who wouldn’t want to use a vase as a decoration at home when this small object can do wonders to your mood? Designed by furniture and product designer Maurício Coelho, the Vaso Gota is an intelligently- designed vase that is functional and peaceful—like holding a flower or a plant and the ability to soothe the soul. The vase system is made of different materials—steel and glass—so it offers a balanced yet contrasting energy to anyone who can adapt to many different kinds of atmosphere, ambiance, cultures, and people.

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

The Vaso Gota (Drop Vase) features two parts: (1) the metal stand with its curves working as the frame and the vase holder; and (2) the glass vase in different shapes. The shape of the stand (frame) allows the vase to appear as if floating from the floor, but we find it interesting it can carry the vase without tipping. It’s not exactly magic because the exact design of both ends carries the weight of the vase, supporting any shape of the glass vase available. As for the shapes of the glass vases, there are three: two are cones but one is taller and slimmer, and another one shaped like an elongated teat of a baby’s pacifier.

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

The Vaso Gato is a minimalist creation that will look great on any surface or corner of the room. The available vases come in timeless designs, but they cannot stand independently. They remind us of those glass beakers used in science experiments but now with their own stand, so it’s looking like you’re about to start a new scientific discovery. The metal stand is available in either white or black, looking thin yet strong and lightweight.

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

Maurício Coelho isn’t a stranger to us as we have featured his previous designs like the unique-looking Chaise Espinhal chaise lounge and the Lightning Chair that looks ready to charge you anytime. This Brazilian designer is also a 3D artist who comes up with furniture pieces that are functional, intuitive, and personal. Most of his works are sofas and chairs, but we have also seen other smaller ones like the lamps and the vases. Coelho knows what he is doing for the home and furniture world because every design presented can go into production and be released in the market.

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

VASO GOTA

Vaso Gota Drop Vase

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IRIS Hybrid Speaker offers interactive artificial intelligence and illumination

IRIS Hybrid Speaker Product Design

Most Italian designers definitely know how to combine form and function. Italians often come up with aesthetically pleasing products that are compatible with the environment and the IRIS Hybrid Speaker is no different.

For the home, we desire new items that are not only powerful but also pleasing to the eyes. Perhaps the easiest to shop for is the entertainment system. We have seen several audio devices already, but we’ll never get tired of checking what’s out there. There are a lot of concept designs available, and we’re hoping some of them will get into production.

Designers: Alessandro Pennese and Alessandro Brintazzoli

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IRIS Hybrid Speaker Concept Design

The IRIS Hybrid Speaker could be the next music device you’d be displaying and using at your home. It fits most interiors that are minimalist yet high-tech. It is designed as an intelligent speaker, ready to offer voice assistance so you can control your other smart home devices or simply make quick conversations.

The IRIS Hybrid Speaker will remind you of donuts because of their shape. There appears to be a paper clip-like handle on the back. The handle allows you to place the speaker almost anywhere.

IRIS Hybrid Speaker Information

The speaker portion easily slides on the handle. That’s made possible because of the tracks that allow easier grip and slide. The donut speaker is covered by fabric while a metal bezel surrounds it. The bezel also functions as volume control for the speaker.

The unique design of the IRIS Hybrid Speaker will make you want to display it. You don’t have to hide or keep it less noticeable. Instead, you should celebrate and show it off because of the outstanding design that allows it to become an essential part of the home.

IRIS Hybrid SpeakerIRIS Hybrid Speaker Details

An audio device can be part of the living room or any room without overwhelming. The IRIS speaker makes it easier for anyone to decorate the home. It is expected to come with functions that will adequately help in-home space management. It can also be a light source as it functions as a lamp to add to mood lighting and create a more cozy atmosphere.

IRIS Hybrid Speaker Concept

The IRIS Speaker is imagined to come with interactive artificial intelligence. It’s more like smart furniture that offers different functions. It’s a fun iteration of a smart speaker technology that provides lighting and works as home decor. The speaker’s back shell is matte plastic, while the front is fabric. The rear shell doesn’t scratch as it can smoothly slide along the tracks. This is to mainly control the LED light’s brilliance and

IRIS Hybrid Speaker Features

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Forest Scent Diffuser brings the scent of nature inside the house

Forest Diffuser Details

Two years into this pandemic, many people still feel restricted about staying at home. Of course, who wants to stay inside one place for months? And since the global situation isn’t ending anytime soon, we might as well continue looking for ways to make our lives easier, more interesting, and maybe even smelling good.

A number of products and systems have been introduced to address the kind of boredom the pandemic has stoked. But, for those who love outdoor adventures and if you’re feeling lonely and locked up, you need to do everything in your power to ensure you’re not going insane.

Designer: Hanyoung Lee

Forest Concept

Take charge of your physical and mental health by using stuff that will help you relive positive experiences. That’s what Forest wants to bring you—the kind of warmth nature offers. Unfortunately, on-site and face-to-face events are still limited, so why bring nature to your home. You can do that with the Forrest scent diffuser.

Fill the room with your favorite nature scent. Perhaps it will be the forest or the sea someday, depending on your preference. You can turn the scent diffuser all day to smell the scent of nature. It’s really just another tool for you and me to experience the outside world, even if unnatural and for a short time.

Concept Forest Diffuser Design

Using a scent diffuser will make your home smell fresh. The same way the aroma of coffee makes you feel energized and less stressed, nature’s scent will also inspire you. The Forest will generate scent using coffee scraps and tea bags. There’s some science going on, and the result is the warmth of nature filling the surroundings.

The designer’s thought process began with the idea of a mailbox since it is used to deliver mail. As the mailbox becomes instrumental in communication, the Forest can also provide relaxation to the users indoors. This is also an eco-friendly project since you only need tea bags or coffee scraps. You put them inside the fragrance bin, and it will generate the scent you want to smell.

Forest Diffuser Design Concept

The Forest can be installed anywhere inside the home. Place it by the window, near your workstation, or maybe in the kitchen or the bathroom. It is easy to install, thanks to the wall brackets available.

The Forest Scent Diffuser is made from fabric and metal. The latter offers a more luxurious look and feel while fabric material adds softness to the device. It looks like another wireless speaker, but it doesn’t play any audio. Instead, it just gives off the scent of nature that may help reduce stress and fatigue. With the smell, you can also improve concentration and focus on work.

Forest Diffuser Photos

Forest Diffuser Photos

Concept Forest Diffuser

Forest Diffuser Design Concept

Forest Diffuser Design Concept Details

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This bubble-wrap inspired semi-translucent luggage is easy-to-spot and carry

In a world where the brand Rimowa is very popular among travel influencers, it may be time for us to look for an alternative. It’s not the only brand in the world. And no, we’re not getting any monogrammed trunk from another luxury fashion house.

Running Guy Studio is offering something new and different. From the same team that introduced the Air Type Keyboard a few weeks ago, here comes a new suitcase that will already come with bubble wrap-like protection. It’s not just another design that should remain an idea. We think this one should go into production. And if it does, we know it will quickly fly off the shelves.

Designer: Running Guy Studio

The Running Guy luggage is made of plastic shell. The translucent design comes from the bubble wrap idea. It doesn’t just show what’s inside but also protects everything in it. Like any bubble-wrapped item, your stuff can be well-protected.

The hard case is polycarbonate which is now a common material used for luggage. The overall look and feel of the Running Guy luggage are edgy. It’s not totally loud as your things are kept slightly covered but the design is one of a kind. Heads will definitely turn if they see you with this at the airport or rolling down the aisle of the plane.

The Running Guy Semi-Translucent Luggage Where to Buy

The bubble wrap inspiration translates to the kind of protection it offers. The aluminum hardware found in the corners and edges provides a rugged but classy look. Running Guy Studios’ design philosophy can be sometimes irrational but not this one.

The Running Guy Semi-Translucent Luggage Details

As an experience studio, the Running Guy Studio aims to make experiences real. There are reasons why a product design is such. It often answers the needs of the consumers. With this luggage, our demands to have an easy-to-spot and durable piece are answered. A metal version is also ready for those who don’t want others to see what’s inside their suitcase.

The life of a jet setter is something we may not freely live these days but no one’s stopping us to dream. And here we are dreaming and living vicariously with all these product ideas and concept designs. When the pandemic is over and tourism will be fully open as before, we’ll be ready with this translucent luggage from Running Guy.

The Running Guy Semi-Translucent Luggage Design

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The Metaverse is inevitable, and it’s already changing product design as we know it

As virtual and physical worlds collide, the way we design and appreciate products will change forever.

It’s easy enough to downplay the metaverse as an overly hyped buzzword that won’t last a few years. There’s also plenty of reason to be worried when a company like Facebook formally adopts it as its new prime directive. The metaverse, however, will eventually be our future, or at least the technologies that power the metaverse will be. But more than just something that geeks will enjoy, this new version of our reality will also affect everyday life, and it’s already causing a shift in the design world even as we speak.

Designer: Keiichi Matsuda

The Metaverse of Madness

What is this “metaverse” thing in the first place? Just like “the cloud,” the word existed long before it came to the attention of mainstream media and big tech giants, so its meaning might have become a bit muddled by now. It’s also impossible to talk about the metaverse without talking about the different “extended realities” (XR) that preceded it and enables it.

People will probably be most familiar with VR or virtual reality since it has so far been the most accessible to even the common folk. It immerses people in a completely digital world, with almost no connection to reality except as images and videos overlaid in the VR world. In contrast, augmented reality or AR puts digital objects in the real world, mostly to give additional information or put stickers in a mostly passive way. Then there’s the newly-minted “mixed reality” or MR that truly blends the physical and the digital, allowing objects in one world to manipulate the other.

Designer: Microsoft

The metaverse is an application of all these technologies, particularly VR and MR, with the added element of social interaction. Whether that interaction is happening in a completely virtual world or against the backdrop of real-world locations, the metaverse creates a social space where people can experience the same things as others in that same virtual space. It’s this blurring of the boundaries between the real and the digital that is going to inform the field of design in the years to come.

Product Design in a Mixed World

Product design has always been a discipline that aims to create things that give value to people, not just things that are pretty but solve the wrong problems. The metaverse, however, changes the rules on what will be valuable to people, and that will turn the field of product design on its head. In some ways, it improves on age-old processes and makes iterations faster and more efficient, but it also creates dangers that could impact people’s lives in less direct ways.

Products in the metaverse will no longer be limited to the constraints of physical materials and production pipelines. Changing designs on a shoe or even a car can be as simple as changing what people see through their AR headsets or glasses. We already see a shift in that kind of customizable experiences with BMW’s latest concept car, and many companies are already laying the foundations for their metaverse products. Nike, for example, recently acquired a startup that specializes in designing virtual sneakers for the future metaverse. The metaverse could also help make products more sustainable since changing designs or creating new variants will no longer require additional production processes or new materials that would eventually create more waste.

Designer: BMW

At the same time, metaverse-centric products can also reduce their inherent value, or at least the value we place on actual physical objects that actually do something in the real world. Taking the shoe example again, you can have a metaverse shoe that can look outlandish or out of this world in mixed reality, but they might not perform as well as specially-made running or basketball shoes. As human beings with physical bodies, we still put value in things that we can touch and feel, things that tickle the senses beyond sight and sound, things that these digital realities can’t fully replicate yet.

Designer: RTFKT

User Experience by Proxy

The metaverse can also change the way we will experience the world around us, which, in turn, will also change the way designers create products or user experiences. Hyundai, for example, presented the idea of “metamobility,” where Boston Dynamics’ Spot dog can be your physical representative on Mars. That, however, also requires designing new products that will let you physically experience those same sensations as if you were there.

Designer: Hyundai

A lot of these new concepts seem to revolve around cars, particularly the ones that can drive themselves so that humans can enjoy the metaverse in peace. LG’s concept unsurprisingly puts displays around the car’s interior, creating a virtual window into a digital world. Outside of vehicles, we will also need apparel and accessories that will not only reproduce sensations that should be felt in the physical world but also let us control the virtual world as naturally as possible.

Designer: LG

Even everyday products at home will be drastically changed, more in function than in form this time. In the metaverse, reality can be made to look different in a snap, but the underlying physical object still needs to be able to support its intended functions. A couch still needs to be a couch that you can sit on comfortably, no matter the reality. Designers, however, might be less interested in spending time on the finer details if they will be overlaid with a different design anyway.

Designer: Jeongin Lee

The Metaverse will change the Rules, but not yet

From product design to money, the metaverse both promises and threatens to change the world as we know it. It is equally exciting and frightening for everyone, from consumers to creators. The winds of change seem to have started blowing, but the good news is that the big changes aren’t going to happen just yet.

Beyond the hype being pushed by large companies (except Apple, it seems), the metaverse isn’t something that’s going to happen in just a few years, like 5G or a new smartphone. There are too many pieces still missing, starting with the devices that we’ll need to experience this metaverse, like ergonomic mixed reality eyewear. That’s not to say it won’t happen eventually, but the change won’t be as revolutionary as some companies like Meta would have people believe. And that is just fine because it will allow us to better prepare for when it does happen and not have our real reality come crashing down like a web server.

Designer: Panasonic

Designer: Beijing EM3 Technology Co. Ltd.

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Sustainable DIY flatpack storage for staircases rises to the challenge of modern cramped homes

Stairs have become the last frontier in storage space in some living spaces, and this product concept makes it almost too easy to convert them into makeshift bins.

Students and young professionals live in an almost ironic situation of having a lot of stuff with very little room to store them. From shoes to magazines to books, it’s almost too easy to fill up small rented housing with these items that often end up scattered or, worse, lost. Some more creative individuals have repurposed stairs as landing areas for their stuff without much organization or consideration for safety. Storage bins designed for stairs were born from this need, and a new idea puts a sustainable IKEA-esque spin to that design.

Designers: Bronwen Rees and Bryony Wood

Staircase bins need to take into account the particular shape of stairs, but not all stairs are made equal, so they have to be a bit more flexible or at least configurable. Given how in-demand these storage solutions might be, they also need to be durable and sustainable. These two product design students from Nottingham Trent University in the UK hit both birds with one sheet of plywood.

The Stair Cubby, as it was christened, can be assembled without the use of tools, with tabs simply going into slots and held down with pegs. The cubby is designed to sit on two steps of stairs, but the panel on the back can slide up and down to adjust to different stair heights. The storage has five open-access cubbies for shoes, books, and any other item that can fit inside, keeping things organized and out of harm’s way.

The choice of wood ensures that it will have enough rigidity to support heavier objects while still looking stylish on top of any staircase design. According to the designers, a single 1/3 sheet of 4×8 plywood is enough to make three units, so there isn’t a lot of wasted material. Even the packaging envisioned by the designers is meant to be sustainable while keeping in line with the branding of home decor company Umbra that served as the inspiration for this product concept. They also chose a plain white motif for the Stair Cubby, which not only works well with plywood but also matches minimalist tastes as well.

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The Best of CES 2022 – Product Designs that Wow

Here are some of the best consumer electronics we can look forward to this year or dream about in the near future.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show or CES has always been a time for companies to show off their latest and greatest consumer tech ideas and products. More often than not, it also acts as a barometer for the trends and directions that will eventually drive and affect people’s lives in the months to come, from mobile devices to AI to robots to, unsurprisingly, the metaverse. These products and concepts aren’t just pulled from thin air, of course, and they also showcase the thinking and work that goes into their design. Not all products are made equal, though, and some designs easily rise above others. Here are some of the picks this year showcasing some of the best product designs from CES 2022.

Samsung Freestyle

Smart projectors are almost a dime a dozen these days, even if they cost nearly four-digit figures. They come in all shapes and sizes, but Samsung’s latest entry into that market throws all design conventions out the window. It’s small, portable, multi-talented, and quirky. And it will be trying to put Samsung’s own smart TVs out of business.

The Samsung Freestyle is part smart project and part smart speaker, with a little bit of ambient lighting on the side. Designed for Gen Z and millennials, it cylindrical device offers almost everything you need for a video binge, including Samsung’s smart TV software. It won’t outclass larger projectors when it comes to brightness, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one that’s as portable as this. All you need is a dark room, a flat surface, and a power bank, and you’re good to go.

Designer: Samsung

(Samsung C-Labs) Prinker

Although tattoos are historically serious business, they have acquired a certain element of whimsy in the modern age. Temporary tattoos and stickers try to offer a brief glimpse into that experience but come with their own sets of problems and limitations. More importantly, they aren’t fun, which is what Prinker is trying to solve.




Born from Samsung’s C-Lab skunkworks program, the new Prinker M makes printing temporary tattoos almost magical. You can select a design from the mobile app or create your own, slide the handheld printer over your skin, and voila! Instant water-proof temporary tattoo. The sign of great product design is that you don’t have to think about how something works, and the Prinker definitely pulls that off pretty well.

Designer: Samsung C-Lab

OneLife X

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more concerned about the air they breathe, even at home. Although they don’t exactly kill the dreaded virus, air purifiers that help reduce the risks of getting sick have surged in popularity in the past two years. The OneLife X sounds like your typical air purifier if you simply read its features, but one glance at it, and you know it’s special.

Aside from its use of advanced technologies like a laser plasma field to detect and purify the air, the OneLife X stands out from the crowd by being more sustainable. The filter, for example, is reusable and can easily be washed under the tap or even inside a dishwasher. The wooden outer body is also a big plus and looks handsome to boot!

Designer: OneLife

Labrador Retriever

Robots are going to be part of our lives, whether we like it or not. These machines and AI might not completely take over our jobs just yet, but they are making their way even into our homes. Most home robots, however, are either toys or vacuum cleaners, but Labrador Systems designed a new robot that is a bit more homely. And despite its name, it doesn’t resemble a dog or Boston Dynamics’ Spot, for that matter.




This shelf on wheels can bring you your medicine or carry your laundry for you, all without you having to push or pull it to submission. Although everyone can benefit from this smart roving storage, the Labrador Retriever and Caddie are primarily designed for those with more limited physical capabilities. They also won’t look out of place standing with your minimalist furniture for those times when you don’t need it at your side.

Designer: Labrador Systems

Baracoda BCool

Medical and health-related gadgets have been popping up left and right as more people become concerned and conscious about their physical well-being. That, unfortunately, also means a rise in the use of plastics and other environment-unfriendly materials that are used to make these products. Digital thermometers have become one of the most common gadgets in this category, and Baracoda is launching one that keeps an eye on the environment as much as your temperature.

The BCool thermometer eschews batteries that almost all digital thermometers use, relying instead on kinetic energy to power the tool. Give it a few shakes, and then hold it near but not on your forehead to get a reading. No skin contact is required, making it also safe to use between different people. The device probably still uses non-recyclable or non-biodegradable materials, but it’s still a positive step forward towards making common tools like these more sustainable.

Designer: Baracoda

Albert 2 Pro Foot Scanner

The ongoing pandemic has changed a lot of things in our lives, from the way we work to the way we buy things. Stores have also implemented their own systems to minimize health risks, but those don’t always work for all retail products. Footwear is particularly tricky to get right, especially without first-hand (or foot) in-person fitting. That’s where Aetrex comes in with an almost futuristic way to get your foot size and shape.

The Aetrex Albert 2 Pro looks almost like a sci-fi prop, one that you step on to potentially teleport you somewhere. In reality, it’s a 3D scanner that makes it almost trivial to find the right shoe or orthotics to fit your feet. Adding to the futuristic feel is voice control, ensuring that only your feet make contact with the scanner and never your hands.

Designer: Aetrex

Anssil Mattress

Given its name, you’d expect that everything at CES will be about electronics. Technology, however, doesn’t always involve processors, circuits, and electricity. Sometimes, the most impressive consumer tech products are those that don’t even have those, applying instead smart materials, innovative manufacturing, and, of course, good product design.




The Anssil Mattress is one example of that, using specially woven “3D” strings to replace the use of springs. The mattress does have some external electronics in the form of a cushion control that can increase or decrease the tension of those threads to soften or harden the mattress. It’s definitely an interesting and impressive demonstration of ingenious product design that doesn’t rely on hi-tech electronics and AI to function.

Designer: Anssil

Roborock Auto-Empty Dock

Robot vacuum cleaners no longer look like oddities today, and many of them are starting to look or sound similar in design and features. That includes how you often have to manually clean out the robot’s dust bin, potentially exposing you to harmful particles. A veteran in this market, Roborock has finally figured out how to minimize how often you’ll have to empty out the bin.

Roborock’s Auto Empty Dock system sucks the dust, dirt, and other unwanted things that the vacuum cleaner accumulated in its bin and transfers them into a bigger bin. That bin will eventually need to be taken out, but the 3.0L bag automatically seals itself when you’re about to do that. As an extra feature, that dock also acts as an air purifier for your room.

Designer: Roborock

LG PuriCare 360 Air Purifier

While the OneLife X definitely takes the crown when it comes to sustainability, there are times and instances where you might need a more powerful solution to protect your family’s health indoors. There are plenty of solutions available from big brands, but LG’s latest goes the extra mile by also minding the pets that live with you. And it does so in a form that doesn’t take up too much space in the room.

The new LG PuriCare 360 air purifier combines some of the company’s best features in this category. Pet Mode, for example, pulls in even strands of fur and hair that could cause allergies or breathing problems. It also has AI that detects which part of the room has the most air contamination and automatically rotates to face the problem head-on.

Designer: LG

XGIMI Aura

The Samsung Freestyle might be cute and portable, but when it comes to a serious cinematic experience, it might fall short of a few desirable specs. It stops at 1080p Full HD content, for one, and really requires you to have a dark place to watch in. If you want the full shebang, XGIMI’s new Aura 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector will do nicely.

Yes, it’s quite the behemoth of a project, so you’ll probably want to keep it in a single place. Its sleek exterior and slightly curved top do give it a bit of charm and won’t mar the pristine interior design you’ve chosen. More importantly, its close range means you won’t have to set it up in the middle of the room when you need to use it.

Designer: XGIMI

Honorable Concepts

Not all the impressive things on the CES 2022 showroom floor made the cut, especially those that lean more towards the conceptual side of the fence. Here are some “honorable mentions” of designs we do wish would become a reality sooner rather than later.

Razer Project Sophia

Razer’s idea for a modular desk will save many creatives and workers not just time but also space and money. A single desk that can be reconfigured at a moment’s notice to fit your needs sounds like a fantasy waiting to happen. That it looks like the dashboard of some futuristic ship or console scores bonus points for design and tech geeks.

Designer: Razer

Movano Ring

Smart rings aren’t completely new, but they have yet to become the stylish and discreet accessories that their non-smart counterparts have been for centuries. Movano’s design, aimed at women, certainly makes it look like a luxury item, but it is serious business in keeping tabs on the wearer’s health. It will definitely be interesting when Movano finds a solution that will allow that same ring to monitor not just your typical biometrics but also your blood sugar level without having to draw your blood.

Designer: Movano

Dell Concept Luna

CES 2022 is unsurprisingly flooded with new laptops, but even ASUS’ take on the foldable laptop pales in comparison to Dell’s bold concept. A sustainable and repairable laptop probably goes against all business sense for a PC maker, but the long-term benefits to the environment probably make it the most important gamble Dell could ever take. It doesn’t have to happen all at once, though, and any step forward could still benefit the planet and consumers in the long run.

Designer: Dell

BMW iX Flow Concept




Forget flying cars, at least for a while. BMW’s iX Flow envisions a future where a vehicle can be more than just a status symbol but also a fashion statement. Of course, E-ink technology will still have to catch up, but it’s only a matter of time before we see a full-color version of this intriguing idea.

Designer: BMW

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These quirky + exciting product designs bring a touch of pop culture to your homes!

As much as pop culture evolves and changes, it never fades away from our lives! Whether it’s the latest Weeknd song, or the viral Netflix series Squid Games, pop culture is involuntarily and deeply embedded within our lives. And since so much of our time revolves around it, we decided to curate a whole collection of designs inspired by the popular culture today! From a Squid Game home security camera that guards your home and keeps you safe without any violence to Baby Yoda ears that function as a quirky little case for your Amazon Echo Dot – these eccentric yet exciting designs add a touch of pop culture into your everyday lives, and surround you with your favourite characters, shows, movies, and more! You can turn your ordinary old day into something fun with these few product designs. Enjoy!

The ruthless workers in the viral series, Squid Games, will now adorn the secure corners of our homes, as the security camera keeps us safe – well, a cliche of sorts. The rotating lens positioned right where the eyes of the character would provide a 180-degree view of the surroundings for complete security. The movement is actuated by motion and an audio sensor that sets the camera into action, tracking the movement. Since most security cameras attached to the servers can have access to all the inside activities when not intended by the user, the creators of this concept add a useful feature. To make sure there are no hacking attempts or unauthorized access to the footage, there is a privacy mask that physically blocks the FOV when the camera is not in use.

This friendly robot designed by VLND Studio has a strong vibe to it, the R2-D2 astromech droid influence in particular. While the acclaimed Star Wars robot served Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, and Luke Skywalker with reverence – the ARC BOT is the ideal mascot of human-robot relationships. This futuristic-looking bot is reminiscent of the delivery robots who serve their masters with the same devotion. ARC BOT is designed for internet portal NAVER LABS who already uses the robot in its headquarters building and now has plans to deploy the multi-robot intelligence system in its second head office building in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. The building adjacent to the Green Factory in Jeongja-dong in Seongnam will be the first robot-friendly building powered by the artificial robot cloud (ARC) system. It will be a robotic army of ARC BOT AI robots connected to the cloud for efficient service.

I love coffee, I love Apple and I love Star Trek, and thereby I love the Elemental coffee machine because it combines ‘elements’ from them all!  Torres takes a very stripped-back, modernist approach, with nothing hidden in terms of the machine’s function. You can see everything you need to make a good cup of coffee which adds clarity to the simple form. The interface is completely touch-based and therefore the UI had to be intuitive while still communicating movement as well as a sense of urgency. The UI is a homage to the ‘okudagrams’, an loving name given to the interactive and usually re-organizable displays found on control panels and computer interfaces in 23rd and 24th-century starships. It started with Star Trek and then spread to every sci-fi thing ever. The idea of integrating it here was to alleviate the comparatively long time it takes for filter coffee to brew, it almost gives the illusion that more is happening than there actually is.”I wanted to avoid the basic – almost traditional at this point – style of touch UI so I went with more of a sci-fi theme inspired by TNG LCARS, but actually, you know – usable,” says Torres.

With 590 pieces (including 6 faux Infinity Stones), this meticulously detailed LEGO Infinity Gauntlet definitely adds a Marvel-ous touch to your room (I had to make that joke. You know it). While LEGO’s Infinity Gauntlet doesn’t give you any sufficient superpowers, it’s definitely one of the most interesting pieces of pop-culture decor you can have in your room. Made from golden LEGO bricks, the gauntlet’s solid (which means you can’t wear it) and is slightly smaller than you’d expect… but LEGO makes up for it by incorporating movable joints into the fingers, which means the gauntlet can technically ‘snap’ its fingers.

 

The internet knows how to move fast, quickly flitting from one topic to the next, and this year we can all agree that the GameStop saga had everyone’s attention. It started with the Reddit group r/WallStreetBets banding together to take on hedge-funds that were targeting the share price of GameStop, a brick and mortar game retail store. While the hedge-funds had shorted the stock massively, an entire warrior-clan of Redditors decided to buy the company’s stocks, taking them so high that multiple hedge-funds went into severe losses. Far be it for a design site to discuss market speculation, but here at Yanko Design, we’re more captivated by these adorable vinyl figurines that were born out of this modern financial revolution! Say hello to Stonks and his alter-ego Stinks, two collectibles from Youtooz that stand at 5-inches tall and perfectly embody the pop-culture element of this movement. Clad in the classic suit and tie, while standing in front of an arrow chart that either indicates growth or decline (or a bull or bear run if you’re fancy), Stonks and Stinks are memes brought to life, and I honestly have never wanted something so ridiculous this bad!

Designed to be perhaps the most realistic working prototype of a lightsaber from Star Wars, the STARGLOW is best described as a vertical flamethrower. Just like the sabers from the hit sci-fi franchise, the STARGLOW comes as just a handle, featuring a button that turns its blade on. Press the button and a fiery beam emits from one end in either blue or green hues. The STARGLOW sabers come with a choice between blue and green flames – colors used by the Jedi, sort of also hinting at the fact that this device should be used for recreation and for good, not as a weapon. The hilts are styled to look very similar to the steampunk metal handles found in the Star Wars franchise, and come machined from high-strength aircraft aluminum, with two visual options – a polished metal finish, and an anodized gloss black finish.

Zeledón’s Coat Check Chair is truly an avant-garde representation of today’s wardrobe. Consider it a commentary on many things, from the consumerist culture, to a critique on cupboards, to even a reinvention of the mundane hanger into a product that has much more purpose, structurally, visually, and even emotionally. It manages to achieve all this while becoming a popular visual meme too. The Coat Check Chair is a winner of multiple design awards, including the coveted IDEA award and the Spark award. Flipping traditional furniture (and wardrobe) design on its head, the chair comes in a stainless-steel frame and even across different powder-coated color options. You can even choose the color of the hanger, giving you the feeling of choosing your furniture’s upholstery! The hangers can be used as seats, or periodically even in your wardrobe to hang your garments. When you’re done, slide them back into the chair, giving them more meaning, purpose, and visibility than they would get somewhere in a dark corner in your stuffy closet!

This is the Mclaren Can-Am car homage concept car, the brainchild of designer Yosuke Yamada who has reimagined the spirit of racing as a homage to the era when motorsports overtook football and baseball in popularity. The whole design of the racer is centered around aerodynamic performance to make the car run at top speeds without any airflow resistance. If you look closely at the back, there is a pneumatic cooling power unit that draws the air inside the power unit for extra efficiency and peak output. That’s well complemented by the supercharged aero wing for the funneling effect produced by the two blades. On the sides too, there is an aero turbine to accelerate the airflow for cooling and aerodynamics. Not surprisingly, the wheels are also aero optimized to make the racer glide through at stunning speeds. Yosuke has managed to culminate a unique interpretation of the McLaren design language with the apparent connection to the Can-Am racing cars with the sleek look to go with it.

Meet the Baby Yoda case by Otterbox, the studio that has brought us some great pop culture hits with their phone cases in the past! In a world where you give orders to your grey little Amazon Dot, you put on this little case and now you can actually converse with the Jedi master himself! Sitting on a beige base, the case is constructed “precision-fit, non-slip base” and is “engineered for optimal audio output.” But honestly, we would pre-order this just so we can add those tiny little ears to our voice assistant. The case is designed exclusively for Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen, this cutest little Master of the force promises to be an instant conversation starter for any home! If only Alexa could speak to us the way Master Yoda does, the fun will be having we.

In what possibly may be the most ingenious way to get kids to wash their hands more thoroughly and often, Slic3DArt’s Mickey Soap Dispenser Attachment turns that blob of foam into the silhouette of the most famous mouse in the world! The Mickey Soap Dispenser Attachment isn’t an officially licensed product from Disney, but is rather a clever fan-made product that retrofits onto most foaming handwash dispenser nozzles (although the designer recommends Bath and Body Works soap bottles). The attachment basically helps distribute the foamed handwash into three large blobs instead of one, making it resemble Mickey Mouse’s iconic circular head and ears (or Deadmau5, if you’re an electronic music aficionado). The 3D printed attachment is pretty simple to install and even simpler to use.

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The Top 10 Products designed to be the ultimate holiday gifts for the homes of your loved ones!

It’s November already, and before we know it holiday season is gonna hit us in the face! And, if you’re one of those late and tardy gift planners/buyers like me, then it’s probably not a bad idea, to start thinking up of some cool Christmas presents already! People always appreciate presents for their home, since personal gifts have a higher rate of failure than success. I mean everybody has different tastes, and the likelihood of you buying a present that perfectly matches your friend’s personal style is very low! Hence, we’ve curated a collection of unique and innovative gifts for homes that go beyond your ordinary scented candles, and traditional vases. This collection of products ranges from an automated kitchen appliance that let’s you grow your own mushrooms to a home security camera inspired by the viral Netflix series Squid Games! These exciting products are a far cry from the boring holiday presents we are so accustomed to giving and receiving. Brighten up the holidays for your loved ones with these inventive yet super functional designs!

Mella, an innovative new kitchen appliance from FirstBuild, a co-creation community backed by GE appliances, uses smart technology to grow and harvest your own mushrooms at home. Smart technology has made mealtime simpler than ever. With smart technology, we can program our appliances to do the hard parts for us. Mella’s automated programming brings just the right amount of fresh air and humidity into the fruiting chamber to allow mushrooms to mature at the right time and speed, growing into full-size, edible mushrooms. With automated technology running the show, seasoned mycelium harvesters and recreational growers can sit back and enjoy the show.

Tenement H is a modular cubby storage system that reflects the exhibition’s ‘domestic’ theme. Inspired by the multifaceted facades of Bangkok shophouses, Tenement H features customizable barriers that range from scissor gates to accordion doors, shutters, and railings. Constructed from aluminum, Tenement H is modular and versatile by design, allowing access to the storage units from all sides and multifunctional as a semi-partition for your room as well. Coated in glossy optic white, scarlet red, and light blue, the modules of Tenement H mimic the color scheme of Bangkok’s city storefronts. Each unit can be configured according to what your space allows–for smaller spaces, Tenement H can be built up vertically while larger spaces would allow for a wider base.

Built around a grid that’s mounted to each unit’s ceiling, these modular furniture systems are comprised of storage cabinets and bed frames that rise and descend according to the changing needs of each resident. When a component of the system isn’t in use, it rises and disappears into the ceiling to enlargen the unit’s available living space. Then, when one is needed, the furniture system recognizes voice commands, remote controls, and programmed settings to initiate a component’s descent from the ceiling to the unit’s floor. Crafted from wood, the furniture system brings a touch of comfort to each unit, giving the apartment’s industrial backdrop some organic warmth. Like a robotic housekeeper, Bumblebee’s furniture system also remembers where residents left certain pieces of furniture or smaller belongings so looking for your keys won’t keep you from getting a move on.

The ruthless workers in the viral series, Squid Games, will now adorn the secure corners of our homes, as the security camera keeps us safe – well, a cliche of sorts. The rotating lens positioned right where the eyes of the character would provide a 180-degree view of the surroundings for complete security. The movement is actuated by motion and an audio sensor that sets the camera into action, tracking the movement. Since most security cameras attached to the servers can have access to all the inside activities when not intended by the user, the creators of this concept add a useful feature. To make sure there are no hacking attempts or unauthorized access to the footage, there is a privacy mask that physically blocks the FOV when the camera is not in use.

Modeled as a WALL-E-ish robot with dog-like proportions, the Astro can follow you around the house, respond to your voice commands, allow you to video-chat with friends and family, and even monitor your house while you’re asleep or away, tying in with their Ring video doorbell’s alert services. The robot sports a large screen for a face (with ring-shaped emotive eyes), runs on wheels (so it can’t climb stairs for now), and even comes with two nifty little cup-holders built into its rear so it can carry your water, coffee, soda, or beer around, being an attentive little butler-dog-sentinel that’s designed to be cute and approachable… unless you’re an intruder, of course.

The TechnoGym Bench is your perfect alibi towards the goal of a healthy lifestyle without any unnecessary frills. This sleek and versatile bench holds all your workout tools and doubles as a workout leverage point for many different exercises. Thus, satisfying your need for a complete workout from the confines of your home if you are skeptical about heading to the gym amidst the ongoing pandemic. The functional training kit includes a myriad of over 200 body workouts. There are tools such as elastic bands, hexagon dumbbells, weighted knuckles and a training mat – in a compact footprint to cater to all your workout needs. Perfect for small apartments or urban spaces where space is at a premium.

Reminiscent of a Dyson fan, Stelae is a portable home speaker designed to deliver quality audio through a technical build that could be mistaken for a piece of sculptural artwork on your coffee table. While Stelae’s physical build is reminiscent of a Dyson fan’s, the inspiration for Stelae’s distinct form stems from sculpture work. Standing out from other home entertainment systems, Stelae’s speaker plumes from its circular base into the shape of a feather for a slim design that doesn’t take up too much room on the coffee table. The long tube-like portion of Stelae is also lined with four woofers.

Cosie is a siphon coffee maker designed to bring the emotional experience of watching your coffee brew at a cafe into the comfort of your own kitchen. Going to the coffee shop is not only a prerequisite for starting the day, it’s an emotional experience. We look forward to few things like we look forward to our first cup of coffee in the morning. In an attempt to capture that emotional experience and incorporate it into an at-home coffee brewer, the team behind Cosie built their machine with double-layered glass canisters that allow users to watch as their coffee is extracted and brewed. Since Cosie is a siphon machine, the coffee inside the canisters is extracted through steam pressure generated by boiling water, a process that users can watch while brewing their own coffee. The integrated siphon also makes the general upkeep and management of Cosie much easier to keep up with. After spooning in their desired amount of coffee grinds into the machine’s top compartment, users need only fill the main cartridge with water and turn its handle clockwise to kickstart the brewing process.

Designed to look like a slick lucite photo frame, Twelve South’s PowerPic mod has a way of being useful at all times – either as tabletop or bedside decor, or as a gadget that charges your smartphone… because under the photo and the lucite frame sits a Qi-compatible 10W wireless charging module. The concept of a photo-frame wireless charger isn’t entirely new. In fact, the original PowerPic was just that… although it came with a much thicker frame (or bezel if that’s what you want to call it). Although just like tech companies strive to make bezels smaller each year, the PowerPic mod focuses on going absolutely bezel-less, with a clean, minimalist design that still lets you mount photos and charge your phone.

While Riders Gonna Ride is a lifestyle brand whose roots come from mountain biking, Bike Box is a storage solution designed for bikers everywhere– from the mountains to the city streets. Bike Box is modular by design and built from black CDF and beech wood to ensure a versatile, yet durable storage unit. Constructed like a storage unit for a professional locker room, Bike Box’s frame is built from CDF, or Compact Density Fibreboards, a highly compressed material often chosen for its water-resistant and long-lasting nature. The storage found on each Bike Box is made available through a peg and socket system of wooden pegs and accompanying sockets. When customized to hang your bike or orient shelving units, the pegs can be positioned however each bike owner sees fit.

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Camping Products designed to help you achieve all your post-pandemic glamping goals!

After a tiring week at work, with the weekend joyfully looming ahead of me, I often find myself fantasizing about a short sweet getaway! Just a few days away from my hectic life, and this hectic world, in a bubble of my own, where all my worries are nowhere to be seen. The pandemic may restrict my actual traveling plans, but it definitely cannot restrict my daydreams about vacations! Jetsetting on a flight may not be a practical option right now, but I do think Camping is a plausible plan. Although camping does have a few downsides too! I mean, you have to get down and dirty, live life on the road, and tackle the moodiness of the elements. In such a scenario, having a set of trustworthy and handy camping products can make a world of difference! Having the right products by your side can make your life much easier during those crucial moments. From an adorable avocado-shaped glamping tent to a rooftop cargo box equipped with a solar panel, we’ve curated some fun and functional camping product designs for you. Enjoy!

You can find these unique tents in the Borgloon forest in Belgium if you are looking for a safer alternative to the usual touristy destinations post the pandemic. In fact, it has gained attention only now when people are looking to camp outdoors because it is safer, won’t require you to fly, is budget-friendly, and avoids crowds. Designed by the Dutch artist Dre Wapenaar, these ‘Tranendreef’ tree tents blend architecture and sculpture into one functional structure. The tent is suspended above the ground and basically hangs on the tree like fruit. The guests use a ladder to get inside/outside. It can host two adults and two small children. Originally installed as part of a public art project called ‘Pit’ (hence the avocado shape we assume) organized by Z33, it brought art into the public space of Borgloon. The designer also created ‘field furniture’ – seating, washing, toilet, and BBQ units to complete the camping site with the tents.

Grüezi Bag wanted to create a fully natural sleeping bag that respected nature while you enjoy nature! Wool is insensitive to moisture and regulates the sleeping climate in the bag. “In DownWool we combine the good properties of down and wool. All individual parts on the sleeping bag are OEKOTEX certified. At the end of its long life, the sleeping bag can be completely composted,” says the team. Thanks to its organic materials, it feels cozy and soft just like the traditional sleeping bags but without the negative impact on the environment. The down ensures cozy insulation and the wool works like natural air-conditioning. Thanks to its overlapping design, it can be opened entirely making it super easy to get in and out of the bag. You can adjust the width if you need more space and it also features a pillow pocket.

The camping gear comprises solar-powered independent items that are designed primarily for conscious travelers who want to camp in the wilderness with little or no impact on the environment whatsoever. The highlight of the gear is the smokeless camping fire pit, which is portable, lightweight, and easy to set up. Other accessories comprising the Elves include a coffee brewer, tableware, and hanging lights. Made with the idea to give your camping a glamping lift – sans environmental impact, the glamorous camping accessories have a sensory appeal and are all powered by clean energy. Yes, everything from the tripod-style fire pit to the drip coffee brewer and the hanging pendant lights to tableware is powered by the sun.

An exquisite carrying option worth every type of off-road vehicle, the durable CBX Solar with trail-ready aesthetics features an integrated solar panel for charging up to two portable devices when you’re off-the-grid. The premium Yakima cargo box with its interesting blend of modern outlook and functionality features 2 USB ports that can help charge anything from portable devices to camping gear with a USB port. For the adventurers keeping track, this solar cargo box boasts an angular finish and stealth-like texture on the outside and on the inside offers 16 cubic feet of cargo space. This space is ample to suck in tents, sleeping bags, camping gear, or anything else you have to throw into it. A removable torque limiting knob helps fasten the cargo box to the roof rails securely, while a dual-sided opening makes the box really easy to reach out from either side of your vehicle.

Breaking the shackles of mainstream travel trailer design and purposefulness is the Happier Camper HC1 which is one of the most versatile campers on the road thanks to its modular floor and a big hatch. It has an adaptive interior setup called Adaptiv system, comprising of six different components that fix into the floor like LEGO and make the modularity possible. These include a bench, kitchenette, table, cushion, floor panel, and lid. You can slot the components into place for a wide variety of interior layouts or even use these components as outdoor furniture sitting by the campfire or for outdoor cooking fun. The camper can also be left empty for hauling cargo if needed, which is a good added utility.

A portable light source is essential for every hiker or camper, especially during those dark hours. It can be a valuable protector, revealing dangerous/poisonous critters on the ground or sending an SOS signal if you are injured. The designers behind this product seemed to understand this importance. The Solarpill is a pendant-sized solar-powered lighting device that can attach to your body or almost any surface in the wild. How? The white half of the pill has a hole where you can thread a rope through to make a keychain or necklace. That part is also a cap, that when removed, reveals a needle-like stake that can be embedded into trees or soft rocks along your path. Igneous isn’t it? This ability to poke the light into any surface comes especially handy when we need to work hands-free, be it to cut some rope or while relieving ourselves while outdoors.

The Tego Adventure Kit takes the format of the roll-up toolkit and transforms it into something much more polished, and infinitely versatile. The very basic framework of the bag lies in its different modules – or sets of mesh-lined pockets – that are all differently designed to carry different things. Whether you’re using them to carry tools or toothbrushes, grooming equipment or charging cables, or just about any small item, the Tego Adventure Kit gives you different modules to easily organize, store, and separate them based on your need.

Instant Cooking Pot with Lantern

Meet WAMP, a camping cooking pot made from ultra-durable duralumin material, ideal for campers who value multiple uses of things they stuff in the backpack. Although a pretty basic utensil, this solves a very useful purpose. You can put it on top of any oil lantern to employ the heat dissipated to good use. Case-in-point, heating or keeping the food warm without expending any extra energy. Be it cooking piping hot canned food or preparing energy-boosting tea on a long trip to the mountains. This camping instant pot makes complete sense as it employs the lantern heat in the range of 200 – 300 degrees Celsius to judicious use. After all, out in the wild everything is at a premium – energy reserve in particular.

Cha Hongkun, a designer from China has pondered over tweaking the design of a portable light to an extent where it addresses an even wider array of activities. Cha calls it the “Ray” – an outdoor accompanying portable light with a never before seen form factor. It’s essentially a wide strap that can be hooked onto your bike, backpack, or anything one can think of. It goes without saying – Ray is an outdoor essential accessory that’ll never let you down. The ease of use and portable credentials make it one accessory I would want in my absolute essentials for a trip anywhere. The portable LED light can be charged with a USB-C compatible power bank or via a wall outlet. What’s got me hooked on here is the cool choice of colors the designer has penned for Ray.

Inspired by living life on the edge and documenting travels along the way, the iCam Pro was conceptualized using top-grade technology fit for the adventure seeker who isn’t about to be held back by limiting camera setbacks. Equipped with Apple’s A12Z Bionic Chip, the concept of iCam Pro boasts lightning-fast feedback and the same power efficiency we’ve all come to expect from Apple. In addition to its ultra-fast microchip, the iCam Pro comes outfitted with LiDAR sensors, an advancement in camera technology that fills out Apple’s camera to take videography to another level. LiDAR sensors essentially use remote sensing to examine the Earth’s surface, and all of its nooks and crannies to deliver photos that are as close to the real thing as you can get from phone cameras. In a similar vein, a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor expands the camera’s view to deliver fuller photos, while the iCam Pro’s 22 MP wide camera captures crystal clear colors for more realistic documentation.