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The Top 10 product designs of February that promise to be the best investments of 2021!

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The month of February left us awestruck and drooling over some seriously cool product designs. Innovation has been at an all-time high, and designers are working tirelessly to dazzle us with products that are cutting edge, super functional, and also manage to improve our lives in some way or another. At Yanko Design, we tried our level best to discover and showcase the best of what the design industry had to offer, and now it’s time to round up and appreciate some of the best designs that were featured on YD in the month of February. From an iPhone fold concept that transforms into an iPad mini to real-time in-ear translator earphones, we’ve got a collection of unique and groundbreaking designs that you’ll be frantic to get your hands on. Enjoy!

The Rocco multifunctional outdoor furniture by Moróro is a barbecue, a sofa, a champagne bar, and more! 2020 has been about creating intimate moments at home, and nothing says intimate like a cozy evening in your backyard! To take things up a notch, we have Rocco which is an all-rounder piece of outdoor furniture. Its clever design transforms it from a fun barbecue into a sofa or champagne bar and even a smores pit – I think it’s safe to say Rocco is an essential this year! You can add a fire bowl to the base or choose from various other accessories like a grill, tabletop, ice bucket, and parasol base. Customize Rocco to fit what you define as a chill evening.

Think of every audio device you’ve got in your home… standalone speaker units, headphones, earphones, your TV, record player, etc. Now imagine they were vehicles. The larger ones would be cars, trucks, the smaller ones like headphones would be bikes or scooters. In this analogy, if these audio devices are vehicles, the Dense Home is like a turbocharger for your vehicles. Designed to look like a slick, innocuous box that blends right into your home decor, the Dense Home is a stereo amplifier that just makes the audio sound richer, louder, and frankly, more sublime. It boosts the ability of your audio devices by taking their input and amplifying the audio signal going in. Using a top-tier Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), the Dense Home transcribes the digital input signal into a near-perfect, high-fidelity, amplified analog signal. This means music sounds richer on your devices, and sounds/instruments you never noticed in your favorite songs end up becoming more clear. In every which way, amplifiers help you listen to music the way it was produced in the studio.

Designed for speed, storage, strength, and to be the subscription-killer (I’ll explain), the ECLLPSE is poised to be the future of data storage. Simply put, the ECLLPSE is a tiny, finger-sized SSD that’s encased in a rugged, virtually unbreakable, waterproof housing. With as much as 2 Terabytes of internal storage, the ECLLPSE gives you a way to store and carry practically all your data around with you, right in your pocket. It comes with multiple adapters built right into its design, giving you the ability to connect it to ALL your devices, from your laptop to your phone, and from your DSLR to your drone, letting you seamlessly back-up, restore, and transfer files between multiple devices. Although with that much storage, comes a pretty major responsibility… transfer speed. It’s a good thing though that the ECLLPSE boasts of read/write speeds that reach as high as 550MB/s, allowing you to transfer 8K videos in mere minutes. It also means you could use the ECLLPSE as external storage for your PS5 or Nintendo Switch and run games off it with absolutely no lag!

The iPhone Fold concept designed by Svyatoslav Alexandrov (for the YouTube channel ConceptsiPhone) comes in the familiar Galaxy Fold format, with a primary 6.3-inch screen on the outside, and a larger, 8-inch folding screen on the inside. It ditches FaceID for the reliable TouchID, and turns the entire primary display into a fingerprint sensor – so you can unlock your phone simply by swiping up. The lack of FaceID means a significantly smaller notch with just one front-facing camera for selfies. The back, however, comes with the iPhone 12 Pro’s entire camera setup, featuring wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses, along with a flash and a LiDAR scanner. Open the iPhone up and it transforms into a squarish iPad Mini that’s designed to be perfectly portable. While the concept doesn’t say much about whether this device supports the Apple Pencil, I’d like to think it does; and designer Svyatoslav Alexandrov does mention that the concept is MagSafe capable and 5G ready, which already makes it a pretty good iPad replacement, all things considered.

Hyunseok An’s design team Ulrim designed The Coral, an indoor micro-algae farm that looks as good as it is for you. Using algae to convert carbon dioxide into energy, The Coral implements the use of a bioreactor to support its micro-biological farm. The bioreactor provides a controlled environment for the algae to enact photosynthesis and produce the nutrients that are then contained within the wall-mounted cell blocks for future consumption. Each cell block is like a microcosm of stagnant ponds covered with a healthy coating of algae, the only difference being that The Coral is a controlled environment. This controlled environment allows each cell block to successfully perform the symbiotic relationship that occurs in nature as we witness take place in coral reefs. Each of The Coral’s 16 cell blocks contains two-grams of algae that darken as the algae grow. Once a cell block reaches its darkest blue-green, typically over the span of two weeks, it can be consumed and taken in as a daily health supplement, as the cycle is then replenished and continued.

While the Timekettle WT2 Edge doesn’t work with languages from alien civilizations as shown in most sci-fi depictions, it does its job of actively and instantly translating Earth-based languages rather well. Running on as many as 15 serves worldwide, the earphones provide you with real-time low-latency translation of 40 languages and 93 accents with an industry-leading 95% accuracy. 7 of the world’s most spoken languages are even stored offline on the WT2 Edge, offering translation even without an internet connection. All this is only possible because the WT2 Edge builds on the successes of technological innovations before it. The earphones are powered by 6 leading translation engines (DeepL, Google, Microsoft, iFlytek, AmiVoice, and Hoya) along with Timekettle’s own translation engine to provide translations between both languages and accents. Just pop these in-ear translators in and they can be used in 3 different modes. A “Simul Mode” lets you share one earpiece with the person you’re talking to, and both earphones work as individual translators, actively translating both input and output in realtime to ensure you have a seamless conversation.

Helmets are designed for protection, not prevention. A helmet gives you cushioning during impact… but it doesn’t help you avoid the impact in the first place. Designed to do both jobs, the TorchONE is a helmet that guards you as well as increases your visibility. With large removable curved lights integrated into the helmet’s front and back, the TorchONE helps you be seen in low-light settings. The TorchONE hopes to alter a scary statistic around cycling. In 2019, 56,000 cyclists lost their lives worldwide, and an estimated 60-70% of them were during low-light conditions. By integrating lights right into the helmet, the TorchONE approaches this problem with a two-fold solution – Prevention and Protection. A finalist at the 2020 EuroBike Awards, the TorchONE boasts of a streamlined, aerodynamic design that weighs a mere 382 grams with large, highly visible, removable lights on the front and back. Designed to provide 360° visibility, these are the largest lights to ever be fitted onto a bike, ensuring that they’re sufficiently visible even in bad weather. Attach them when you need and the lights can run 24/7, detach them during the day and the helmet’s weight drops to an incredibly lightweight 266 grams.

Meet the Christianshavn, a bedsheet that tackles this problem on a molecular level. Even though its name sounds like the kind of bedsheet that would put the fear of god into bacteria, it is, in fact, the unique material developed for and used by the bedsheet that helps it self-clean by automatically killing the microorganisms on it and preventing the spread of odors… so your bedsheet remains cleaner for longer, and doesn’t need changing so often. Nordifakt’s Christianshavn bedding is made in 100% organic cotton, which means it feels just as comfortable as your current bedsheets. However, it comes treated with Polygiene®, a fabric treatment that uses low concentrations of silver chloride that has anti-microbial properties. The Polygiene within the bedsheet acts like a natural disinfectant, using silver ions to break down germs that make their way into the bedsheet. These ions can break down VOCs or volatile organic compounds too, stopping the growth of molds and even keeping your bedsheets smelling fresh. The Polygiene treatment lasts practically forever because silver chloride isn’t water-soluble… which means washing the bedsheet doesn’t diminish its self-cleaning power.

BloomingTables, dubbed “the world’s first living furniture line,” creates household tables that double as indoor gardens to cater to that exact dilemma. It seems nowadays that people are trying to get closer and closer to nature, even in their own homes. Biophilic design is on the rise once more, and many of us who live in smaller spaces want to embrace nature indoors too. BloomingTables is a new biophilic desk design that embeds living plantlife into each table, just beneath the transparent, glass surface. BloomingTables comes in four variations: desk, coffee, entryway, and side tables. Each table is equipped with an acrylic tub that keeps the plant life, soil, and water in an airtight, designated space so that we won’t ever have to worry about leakage. The acrylic tubs are filled with layers of gravel and activated charcoal to absorb water and also to avoid the chance of overwatering the plant life. Once the soil layers are filled, we can then create our own arrangement of succulents, ferns, herbs, or even pebble art, ideal for those who like to cook, but don’t have enough room for both a desk and herb garden. The transparent glass surface adheres to suction cups and can be lifted to water the plant life below.

The HeimVision Assure B1 is a culmination of a lot of good ideas into one, neat package. It’s a CCTV but works as a two-way audio teleconferencing device too. It runs via an app, but can even be commanded via Alexa, making it simple to use without needing your phone around. The Assure B1’s basic kit (that’s the $79 one) comprises one wireless camera and one central hub that sits within your home. The camera features a tripod-mount for easy installation and runs on rechargeable AA batteries for a solid 12 months (with the option of hooking it to a solar panel for uninterrupted continuous power). The camera unit is a small, robust little device that weighs a mere 181 grams, but packs a solid punch. It can capture video in 2K Ultra HD with a 130° FoV, and even sports-colored night-vision. Fitted within its Stormtrooper-esque white and black body is also a passive infrared sensor that can detect motion as well as identify humans. A built-in floodlight helps illuminate the area at night, potentially scaring away any intruders, while the two-way audio I mentioned earlier lets you converse with people, leaving instructions for your delivery personnel, or letting people at the door know if you’re away. An IP65 rating on the camera means it can practically brave any weather, from sun, rain, and storms to even blizzards.

Multifunctional planter designs that combine your love of plants with the modern millennial lifestyle!

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Having plants in your home can really have a therapeutic and relaxing effect on you. It can create a sense of serenity and peace in your home, helping you feel at ease with your surroundings. As much as I love plants by themselves, designs that integrate plants into them, and also cater to my lifestyle needs are an added bonus! These product designs add a touch of green to our homes, all the while providing immense functionality and usability in our day-to-day lives. This collection of planter products range from an air purifier that doubles up as a planter, to a coffee table with a hidden miniature garden! Not only do they meet our ‘green’ requirements, but also the requirements of our home. I would love to incorporate these designs into my own home!

The Eva hydroponic fixture offers neglectful plant owners a no-effort solution in which the plant cares for itself – by merging an indoor garden with an aquarium! The Eva planter creates an environment in which the plants can survive without human help. How? By creating a symbiotic relationship between the fish and fauna that live inside it. The fishes produce ammonia as a waste product, which can become toxic in large amounts. As it happens, ammonia contains nitrogen, which is necessary for photosynthesis and helps with plant growth. In the garden above, the roots break down the ammonia, and the resulting waste product, nitrites, then become food for the fish. Simply put, it’s the circle of life — with only two organisms. Additionally, Eva includes light fixtures that mimic natural sunlight. This is not a new feature — we’ve seen it on similar planters — but it contributes to Eva’s mission: to sustain life in any indoor environment. It allows everyone to flex their green thumbs, even if their living spaces seem less than ideal for plant life.

The Briiv is a household terrarium, but more importantly, it’s a fresh take on air-filtration that ditches those HEPA filters and UV lights for something more natural. With the design that looks like a cross between a terrarium and an Apple Homepod, the Briiv is a modern-looking air purifier that adds a touch of green to your apartment. The filter comes with a special, sustainably-grown, dried moss on the inside that naturally purifies the air by trapping harmful particles, killing microorganisms, and releasing clean, fresh air. Sitting underneath the moss are multiple bio-filters, including one made from loosely woven coconut fibers, another filter comprising carbon-infused hemp, and a woolen microfiber filter that together combines to filter particles as small as PM 0.3 while also trapping and neutralizing bacteria, molds, and other volatile organic compounds to give you air that’s been freshened naturally, in a filter that’s designed to be the equivalent of as many as 3000 house plants in one device.

Providing a lovely dim light to your space as well as photons for a tiny kitchen-garden, the Brot is a lamp and planter combined into one slick, terracotta package. The lamp provides nourishment to a tiny kitchen-garden that you can literally pick from and use in your meals. The upper half of the Brot lamp houses the light, while the lower half acts as a torus-shaped vessel for growing plants. A stainless steel tray sits inside the lower half, acting as a holder for the plant. You can sow a variety of seeds in the Brot, and the process is pretty standard. The seeds need to be soaked in advance before being planted, and can then be placed in the Brot’s lower half. They need to be moistened (probably using a spray/spritzer) 2-3 times a day, and within a week you’ve got yourself a perfectly healthy, homegrown set of herbs or sprouts to use in your meals. Oh, and let’s not forget, the Brot can be used for ambient dim lighting too, because after all, it’s also a lamp!

SOLE, a home gardening system, poses first as a small coffee table only to reveal a hidden, self-maintained, miniature garden for city dwellers who want to fill their homes up with some natural greens, but not the fuss that typically comes with them. Thankfully, SOLE’s coffee table was designed to take up as little space as possible in order to fit into even the smallest of studios. Indoor urban gardening is usually practiced by using grow box containers that require a lot of window ledge space and natural sunlight – both of which can be hard to come by in city apartment searches. In order to make home gardening possible in any city-living space, SOLE maintains the perfect climate, temperature, and nutrients for you and your chosen plants so long as they fit inside the coffee table’s extensive body.

You love plants, plants love light, you love light, you’ll both love the Mygdal plantlight! It’s a revolutionary lighting solution not just because the luminaire is a completely self-sustaining ecosystem where the plants can grow undisturbed, but also because of its one-of-a-kind electrically conductive glass coating. It actually streams the electricity invisibly along the surface, so there’s no need for a cable connection between the power source and the LED. Bring even windowless spaces to life with a plantlight! The world’s easiest and most fascinating way of indoor greenery. They not only light up the dark but also bring nature indoors – even into spaces without any daylight. Thanks to their patent-pending SmartGrow technology, the plants do not require any care.

Designed by Ben Hansen, this simple yet innovative dog house uses excess water from watering plants and filters it into the dog’s water bowl! Rattan with green accents gives it a light, airy feel. The minimal dog house will brighten any corner of your home – hard not to when it holds a cute plant and pet! It’s an adorable piece of furniture that not only serves as a home for your pet but also doubles up as an elegant plant holder, harmoniously merging with the interiors of your home.

There’s nothing we love more than everyday lifestyle items with a twist! And if we get to save some water along the way, and grow a few greens… well, Milan-based DesignLibero’s ‘Fluidity’ allows us to do just that! Created by designer Ekaterina Shchetina, Fluidity serves a double function. A comely white dish rack by day, the multipurpose dish rack has an alter ego; it serves as a planter, or to be precise there are two built-in planters on its sides. Fluidity is designed in such a way that the run-off water from the freshly washed dishes trickles down to the roots of the plants, irrigating and nourishing them. The base, thanks to its fluid form, allows the water to be directed to the plant containers. Perforated at the bottom, the containers are filled with clay pellets and coconut fiber, to control the water environment of the plants and to keep the drainer base free from water residue.

Dubbed “Grow”, this is a hydroponic system for nurturing plants, herbs, and more utilizing water from dishwashers, washing machines, and toilets. The designer’s motive behind such a design is to offer indoor gardeners a more conscious way to water their greens. While using gray water for watering indoor plants sounds like a perfect idea, the initial information about the Grow proves a different scenario. From how it’s presented; when the water is flushed, freshwater flowing into the tank is first pulled by the planter system for irrigation and then it returns to the flush. This outrightly suggests that the Grow is not basically using graywater, instead, its utilizing freshwater for its needs. This may work beyond the idea of a worthy planter for the environmentally friendly; it for an instance sticks with us for the convenience of watering it offers. How the system checks the situation of overwatering or other tad bits of gardening, is something that still needs to come to light. Nonetheless, Grow does gives the notion of bringing nature into the home a new dimension!

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Designed by Nguyen La Chanh of Nection Design, The Moss Carpet looks at getting the grass to your feet, and that too in your bathroom! Made from imputrescible foam called plastazote, the mat includes ball moss, island moss, and forest moss. The humidity of the bathroom ensures that the mosses thrive. And that’s why you need to place it there and not anywhere else. Little gnomes not included.

There’s nothing that will bring a little life (literally) to your dwelling faster than a plant or two (or three, or four, or fifty!). However, not everyone is a fan of standalone planters and pots cluttering up their living quarters. The latest from Pentagon Design, the Kekkila Garden Series of home furnishings aims to provide plenty of room for all your favorite plants. The designs, which consist of shelving, boxes, ladders, and more, feature integrated containers and surfaces that make perfect homes for plants next to your books and other belongings. They take up the same size footprint that your standard furniture would occupy, only they give your space freshness and a natural component you can enjoy. Some units also contain built-in lighting to help plants grow indoors while providing illumination and ambiance to your room. Use them inside or out and put your green thumb to practice!

Innovative personal gadgets that promise to improve your modern millennial life!

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There are certain personal gadgets that you’ll always find on my person and in my handbag! These include my personal mobile phone and my Airpods for sure. They’re the gadgets that I simply cannot live without, and they make my life better in multiple ways. I’m sure there are a few of these on your list as well, and you’re always ready to add more! Hence, we’ve curated a collection of handy and super functional personal gadgets, that promise to make your daily life easier, simpler and efficient. They’re super easy to carry around and just organize your life much more. From ergonomic earphones that double up as a jewelry piece to super-fast SSDs, this range of versatile personal gadgets will make your modern and fast life easier to manage!

Being an audiophile means you take the audio quality and ergonomic fit of your earphones pretty seriously. If you get one that is stylish too, then you are in for a jackpot. Having a pair of earbuds that come with a snug fit, boast style statement and the reassurance of not being misplaced is something you just can’t ignore. We are talking about these earphones that are designed to double up as a jewelry piece. Designed by Yibai Science & Technology from Shenzen, these are called the “Jade Culture Earphone Jue 20.” That’s a bit odd name but everything else about these conceptual wireless earbuds listed on iF Design Award 2020 is super cool. When not in use, the earbuds magnetically lock together to take the form of a necklace pendant that’s suspended by the tethering wire. Then again, when you want to listen to your favorite tunes, simply separate the pendant and get groovy. Picture this scenario – your buddy compliments, “This pendant looks so cool, bud”, and you’ll detach them and plug-in into your ears to their amazement, “It’s my pair of earbuds, mate!” Added bonus – you surely won’t lose one of the earbuds as there is no accidentally falling down- speaking to you AirPods!

Compatible with most USB-C devices, the HybridDrive offsets your need for multiple hubs, dongles, and drives. With a multiport on one end, and an SSD on another, and a USB-C interface connecting the two, the HybridDrive bridges the gap between your portable devices (laptop/tablet/phone) and your desktop – in the sense that it gives you extra ports and expandable storage… something most desktops have in common. The multiport setup comprises a 4K 60Hz HDMI port, two USB-A ports with 10Gbps data transfer, a MicroSD card reader, an SD card reader, and a USB-C which supports 100W of power output along with high-speed video and data transferring. On the other end of the HybridDrive is an SSD that comes in 4 sizes, starting from 128Gb and going all the up to a whopping 2Tb.

OPPO has teamed up with Japanese design studio nendo (founded by Oki Sato) to present a radical three-fold phone concept at the 4th China International Industrial Design Expo (CIIDE) that has this year’s theme as “New Designs, New Trends, New Momentum.” Dubbed as the slide-phone, the motive of the design is to pursue “a comfortable relationship between people and their products through a human-centric approach to design.” Adapting a caterpillar-like moniker for the folding mechanism, the concept phone unfolds to a 7-inch screen with a slim profile, that’s wider screen real estate than most we’ve seen so far. When unfolded to the first fold it reveals the 1.5-inch screen area for basic notifications or functions like music player controls, call history, or more. The second fold reveals the 3.15-inch screen space for clicking photos, video calls, or playing games. Third and the final fold reveals the full widescreen for multitasking, taking panoramic photos, or playing games with an on-screen controller on each side. It even comes with a stylus for professionals, like the one on the Galaxy Note 20 series.

The Pixel smartphone went onto redefine what a pure Android experience could look like, becoming the gold standard in the Android OS experience. James Tsai’s Google Pixel Smartwatch concept does the same for the Android Wear OS. Embodying Google’s playful-serious aesthetic, the Pixel Smartwatch concept comes in a traditional round format, and in a variety of quirkily named colors. The Android Wear OS logo displays clearly on the always-on display of the watch, transforming into a colorful set of watch hands every time you look at it to read the time. The watch comes with Google’s top-notch voice AI, all of Google’s native apps, and a heart-rate monitor on the back, which ties in well with Google’s plan of acquiring Fitbit and their entire fitness-tech ecosystem. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wearable concept were entirely waterproof too, just to fire shots at Apple!

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What’s better than one audio device? A two-in-one! No?! A three-in-one!! I’ve officially hit crazy with the Level x3 Headphones. Just like the Matryoshka dolls, these babies are one big bag of surprises. Designed to be your everything-audio solution, the Level X3 is a pair of in-ear earphones, that fit into headphones. Audio synchronization allows your headphones to continue what you were listening to on your earphones. The only way to top off that awesome idea is to step it up with the Cradle, a docking device for the headphones that not only charges them but acts as an all-in-one speaker.

A portable, wearable, air conditioner is no more a thing of futuristic TV shows. The Reon Pocket is a smartphone-controlled personal gadget that was designed to be compact and cool. It works using thermoelectric cooling and can cool the user’s body temperature by 13 degrees celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) and raise your temperature by about 8 degrees Celsius (about 14 degrees Fahrenheit). Reon sits on the base of your neck in a special undershirt designed for it. It uses the Peltier effect which means a temperature difference is created by applying a voltage between two electrodes connected to a sample of semiconductor material. The heat is absorbed or emitted when you pass an electrical current across a junction to either lower your temperature or increase it without bulk or noise.

One of the most common reasons for accidents on the road is people wearing headphones or earphones while they walk, ride bikes, or drive. Earphones and headphones cut out a lot of ambient noise and we often get lost in the sound which can be unsafe. Portable speakers are not something you can slip into your pocket or carry around in your hand – it is simply inconvenient. That’s when a sleek, unobtrusive, wearable speaker like the BoomBand comes into the picture to give you the best of both worlds – you don’t have to ‘carry’ it and you will still be able to hear important announcements while having your music within your reach. It has six hours of battery life (more than any wireless audio earphones or headphones can claim) so you can actually get away with forgetting your portable Bluetooth speaker at a picnic if you have the BoomBand! Tech Life has designed this personal gadget to release crisp and clear sound while keeping the form as compact as a wristwatch, you can tune it to your desired volume or raise it if you’re the DJ in your social circle. This nifty device is lightweight, comfortable, and blends with your wardrobe seamlessly.

Joel Meredith, a 22-year-old student at the University of Technology Sydney wants to radically change the way we interact with our music, making it hassle-free while being stylish. That’s his idea for an accessory good enough to go with your style quotient and still being functional. Joel calls it the Melo Ring which sits pretty on your finger, and without even lifting your arm, you can interact with your music using touch or swipe gestures via the various sensors located all over the ring. Sharing songs with other Melo Ring users is also possible with the flick of a finger on the minimalistic piece of jewelry. Not only that one can add songs to a playlist, read out song names, or change the playlist without anyone else even noticing. Being more than just an accessory that you wear every day or probably never even take it off – turning it into something functional is the main motivation for the cool idea.

Designed for speed, storage, strength, and to be the subscription-killer (I’ll explain), the ECLLPSE is poised to be the future of data storage. Simply put, the ECLLPSE is a tiny, finger-sized SSD that’s encased in a rugged, virtually unbreakable, waterproof housing. With as much as 2 Terabytes of internal storage, the ECLLPSE gives you a way to store and carry practically all your data around with you, right in your pocket. It comes with multiple adapters built right into its design, giving you the ability to connect it to ALL your devices, from your laptop to your phone, and from your DSLR to your drone, letting you seamlessly back-up, restore, and transfer files between multiple devices. Although with that much storage, comes a pretty major responsibility… transfer speed. It’s a good thing though that the ECLLPSE boasts of reading/write speeds that reach as high as 550MB/s, allowing you to transfer 8K videos in mere minutes. It also means you could use the ECLLPSE as external storage for your PS5 or Nintendo Switch and run games off it with absolutely no lag!

The WGP isn’t exactly what you’d first think of when you hear the term Smart Glasses, but that’s almost purely on Google for creating that definition. The WGP, on the other hand, are smart in the sense that they put your Truly Wireless Smart (TWS) earphones right into your spectacles’ temple-stems. Designed to be entirely modular and seamless, the stems can easily detach from the frame of the glasses and re-attach onto another pair, essentially allowing you to switch out styles without losing functionality. The WGP comes with a pretty exhaustive catalog of frame styles, from sunglasses to reading glasses, and from acetate to metal frames. Just like all glasses, they can be optimized for optical power, have the option of polarized lenses, and even anti-scratch, anti-glare, and blue-light blocking coatings. On the audio front, the WGP Smart Audio Glasses are quite like any pair of TWS earphones you’ve used. They feature a touch-sensitive surface that lets you tap to control playback, answer and reject calls, and even summon your phone’s voice assistant. There’s even a dedicated gesture to trigger WGP’s game mode, which brings audio-video latency down to as little as 50 milliseconds.

The Top 10 work from home designs that will be the best investments of 2021!

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In 2020 our lives changed completely, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed what was considered the ‘norm’, and created new norms that molded the way we lived. One of these new norms is the work from home culture, and it has continued well into 2021. We’ve been working from our homes for almost a year now, and although we have adapted to it, it can be quite a bore at times. I, for one, am always looking out for options and ways to spice up my work from home routine. And I’ve found that adding new products, giving my home office a makeover, and looking for quirky designs to amp up my productivity really does help! Hence, here’s a collection of interesting, super functional, and productivity-enhancing designs that promise to be the best work from home investments of 2021!

Designers all over the world have been inspired to create innovative and productivity-enhancing work from home product designs that range from furniture to modular pods. The latest one to catch our eye was the Zen Work Pod because in 2020 you don’t need a shed in your backyard, you rather have a warm minimalist office instead! The company behind this work shed has been acing the game when it comes to well-designed office furniture like flexible desks and ergonomic chairs. The Zen Work Pod was a culmination of their furniture design mission clubbed with the need of the hour. The minimalist backyard structure is a stark contrast to the existing toolsheds, it is a modern workspace equipped with all essentials needed for a ‘zen’ workday. “It provides a fresh solution that completely redefines the home office, providing maximum focus during every working hour,” says the team who especially kept creators and freelancers in mind while designing it. The pod features floor-to-ceiling windows and an angular roof all wrapped in a sturdy oak, walnut, and aluminum structure. It is compact but the minimal build and sweeping windows make it feel spacious.

Meet the ‘Chaise Renversée’ – a desk that can also transform into a long chair by the famous French architect Pierre-Louis Gerlier. The literal translation of Chaise Renversée is ‘chair overturned’, I love how simply the French put everything. Since we are all cooped up in our homes, we are constantly finding ways to optimize space. Especially if you live in a city, you are likely to have everyday objects that are modular so that you have a functional space. Our current situation and the need to be flexible within a small space is exactly what inspired Gerlier to design the Chaise Renversée. It is the perfect blend of work from home and Netflix from home into one piece of modern furniture, it provides a stable table area to work and can then transform into the ‘Chaise Lounge’ when you want to relax.

Fitwork’s design sort of embodies a no-excuse mentality to being fit. Whether it’s the excuse of ‘being too busy’, or of ‘not wanting to go all the way to the gym’, Fitwork combats it by bringing the gym not just to your house, but to your workspace. Designed as a product to let you work and work out at the same time, this crazy hybrid of a desk-chair and treadmill keeps your legs active while you work. Whether you’re sitting in front of a laptop or standing in front of one, it’s the sedentary lifestyle that Fitwork tackles. The setup (which is sure to grab a few eyeballs) comes with an office chair attached to a treadmill underneath, and an elliptical in front. Coupled with an elevating desk, the Fitwork allows you to keep the lower half of your body active while you work, giving you cardio as well as keeping your spine engaged, whether you’re sitting or standing while working.

This portable armrest makes working on computers much more comfortable! The Mouzen by Gašper Kumprej cantilevers right off your table, giving your forearm a place to rest comfortably, instead of hovering in space. The platform retrofits easily onto the edge of any table and takes not more than 10 seconds to fasten. The platform comes with a freely moving armrest that sits on top of it. Using a patented ErgoFlow mechanism, the armrest moves and rotates in any direction with near-zero friction, giving you the ability to freely move your hand around as you switch from mouse to keyboard and back, typing, clicking, scrolling, etc. Built to take up to 50 lbs (21 kg) of weight, the mechanism has multiple shock absorbers and silencers built in to ensure the Mouzen works smoothly and silently.

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Productivity is a flexible skill, you can continue to develop and master it just the way you exercise and build up your fitness. A study shows that 80% of our disturbances are trivial and can be avoided with awareness. TimeChi is a compact desk gadget that takes care of one of the biggest distractions we all face – it blocks digital notifications from IM or your smartphone, time-wasting websites, and physical interruptions! That itself could save up to two hours from my day and I actually tested it out by putting timers on my apps to see how it would reduce my screen time during work hours. It takes 11 minutes to get your focus and attention back and while it is so tempting to see what meme your friend sent or to play a 15-second game with the filter, it unknowingly makes your day longer and eventually pushes your work into your personal time which right now is more precious than ever. “The app + device combo empowers you to reach your productivity potential, facilitate meaningful team collaborations, and boost creativity with a simple click on the TimeChi device,” says the team.

The Soul Seat helps you sit in a neutral posture that is effortless and comfortable. The springs on the elevated perch tilt the pelvis forward, open the hips and help align the spine. You can sit in several positions if crossing legs isn’t comfortable for you, the chair enables you to switch between multiple positions frequently keeping your body engaged and blood flowing. For some, this may also alleviate neck and back pain! The height of both levels can be adjusted to suit your workspace setup. I know there were many comments from our Instagram audience about it missing a backrest and while I don’t think it causes harm if you sit without one (people meditate and work in this very posture for hours in Asian countries), I do think having an option of a detachable backrest can help those who are just starting to work on their posture ease into it. It is about having that choice which opens up many more people to use the Soul Seat, however, there are countless reviews that mention it being comfortable as it is so it is a great design but it does come down to personal preference.

The Livit Studypod is a futuristic black-box style cube that you can place anywhere you want and focus on your work, study or even health! This composite cube structure works as your bedroom, home office, or study table and is designed for outdoor use. Easy to place on your backyard, garden, or anywhere with a view, the black-tinted hardened glass window gives an unobstructed view of your scenery. Since the cube is a closed structure, it keeps you safe from the weather across the year. Measuring 2.15 x 1.8 x 2.1 meters, this cube is perfectly sized for you to style it for your comfort, improving your headspace and keeping you stress-free. The pod does weigh 700 kilos but it also comes with optional wheels that let you move it and settle down for a quick change of scenery! The pod has oak flooring, a detachable desk, a power outlet, four downlights, and natural ventilation to keep the place airy.

Since we aren’t spending on cheap tickets and expensive popcorn, we can upgrade with tech like this Crestron UC video soundbar! It does a lot more than make binge-watching better, it is actually a smart soundbar that also features video conferencing capabilities and a camera to give your work from home setup a boost as well! The modular soundbar is available in three different versions, both the camera and sensor are attachable accessories depending on when they are needed. “The basic principle of the design is an architectural hierarchy, that optimizes the use of design elements and material,” describes the team. To make the soundbar more visually streamlined and ‘clean’, all technical elements of the product were moved and placed in a way that they are minimally visible.

Say hello to the Kolude KD-K1 by Jeremy Lin, a sleek external keyboard with a pretty interesting twist. With circular keys that sit within a machined aluminum base giving it a neo-retro vibe, the Kolude KD-K1 keyboard is a visual treat with tactile scissor-switch keys that make it a great keyboard to type on too. Designed to be the sleeker brother of Lofree’s keyboards, the Kolude KD-K1’s twist lies right above those keys. Built right into the back-face of the KD-K1 is a USB hub, complete with USB-A and USB-C ports, an HDMI port, and two card-reader slots.

Tai Matlin and Taiwon Choi of Fellowes have designed an office chair with a hanging seating position that follows the body movements. The hanging seat ensures maximum comfort for the spine, hips, and lower limbs at all times – no matter how long you’ve been sitting! The unique chair design with patented Omni-Kinetic Suspension Technology for micro-body movement in multiple directions prevents fatigue during long hours of sitting. Keeping in mind the extended working hours Elea chair has a contoured design to support natural spine alignment and lumbar positioning which all goes well for long-term health benefits. The chair also boasts adjustable tension and balanced support which most of the office chairs simply don’t have. Other than that a lot of thought has been put into the designing of every single little detail of this chair which will leave nothing to complaining.

Bicycle accessories that’ll make your next cycling experience safe, secure, and fun!

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Bicycles are slowly becoming people’s preferred means of transportation. People are ditching the fossil fuel consuming and air pollution causing automobiles for the more eco-friendly option of bikes! Not only are bicycles a boon to the environment, but they also promote good health and ensure we get our daily dose of physical exercise done. They’re a fun way of completing leg day without actually visiting the gym! Amping up your bike with handy and innovative accessories always adds to the cycling experience. From a smart self-sufficient helmet to award-winning reflector lights, we’ve curated a collection of accessory designs that’ll make your biking journey safe, secure, and fun! Bike on!

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“You’re used to changing your shoes and jacket to match the location or weather. Why shouldn’t you be able to do the same with your bike?” reTyre’s zippable tire-tread system gives your city bicycle the versatility to work off the road too. A simple zipping mechanism allows you to add a secondary, tougher tread on your tires, letting you go from riding on smooth asphalt to traversing through tough terrain. No matter the speed, the distance, or the condition, reTyre’s selection of treads make it the only set of wheels your bicycle needs… and in turn making your bicycle the only bicycle you’ll need too. reTyre’s special bicycle tire comes with a zipper lining and a selection of treads or skins that you can clad on your existing tire. The original tire works great on asphalt, and the wide variety of skins allow you to ride your bicycle on mud, gravel, rocks, or even snow. Working on straight roads, curved paths, and even on tough downhill trails, the tire treads give you exactly the grip you need, and the industrial-strength zipper system perseveres through rain, snow, or even rocky terrain… every single time. And when not in use, the treads easily fold up and go right into your backpack!

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It seems rather strange that the bicycle doesn’t come equipped with the basic accessories that motorbikes do. For example a brake (tail) light, indicators, or even rearview mirrors. Even with the relatively slower speeds of bicycles, compared to motorbikes, accidents do occur and can be pretty ugly. Here’s the RearViz, an arm-mounted convex rear-view mirror that allows you to look behind you. It comes flat-packed and can open out to reveal the mirror and even adjust in 360° to point wherever you want it. The Velcro fastener means one size fits all, and the curved mirror gives you a pretty wide-angle view of what’s behind you so you don’t have to turn to look around and risk having a bad encounter. Just remember, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear!

WertelOberfell, a Germany-based designed studio, recently debuted their energy self-sufficient bicycle helmet, ESUB Tracks. The helmet is designed to keep cyclists safe and the creative team at WertelOberfell certainly checked all their corners when considering the different obstacles cyclists face on the road. Built-in smart features buzz through this helmet and they’re powered by organic photovoltaics that gives this helmet all the energy it needs to keep you safe. In order to turn the ordinary helmet into an energy self-sufficient, smart helmet, the designers turned to science. Printed organic batteries and a Nano Arduino, a microcontroller, contained in one unit at the rear of the helmet, run the whole show and all the incorporated electric components, but the helmet’s surface provides the energy. The designers achieved the futuristic look of this helmet by wrapping flat, organic, printed photovoltaics all around in order to use the outer layer of ESUB Tracks as a PV module that absorbs sunlight and turns it into energy.

Now, this isn’t really a piece about the map per se, but rather is about being able to use your map more efficiently. Say hello to the NRG Power Stem, a power-bank that’s designed with an extremely well-defined purpose. The NRG Power Stem was designed to fit right on your bicycle’s handlebars, allowing your phone to remain charged while you have it mounted on your bike. The NRG Power Stem isn’t designed like your conventional power banks, because when your phone is attached to your bicycle, it isn’t really a conventional smartphone either. The smartphone takes the role of your bicycle’s dashboard, so the NRG Power Stem makes sure that this dashboard (and navigation system) runs efficiently and effectively, allowing you to cycle and navigate for hours without needing to charge your phone separately.

Meet the FLECTR 360 WING, from the two-time Eurobike Award-winning and German Design Award-winning company. The FLECTR 360 WING is superiorly engineered adhesive reflector panels that provide 360° coverage. From wherever a car headlight may hit the bike, FLECTR 360 WING will grab the driver’s attention making the biker visible with a stunning glow. Designed to be mounted on the rims of a bicycle’s wheels FLECTR 360 WING requires no electronics, battery, or upkeep. Their unique 3D form allows them to easily wrap around any bike wheel rim, while the extended wing design offers more visibility than before, keeping bikers safe and avoiding collisions. The FLECTR 360 WING works right out of the box, catching and scattering any light that shines on it. The reflectors come in 2 high-reflection formats, and 4 standard reflection variants in different colors.

The UFO Lights are a pair of pretty standard-looking pedals, albeit with a key difference. They come with detachable lamp modules that sit flush at the end of each pedal, and you can switch them on to help other vehicles on the road see you better. The lamp units come with 300-lumen LEDs on the inside that automatically switch on when you begin riding, and turn red when you decelerate, just like a taillight would. The lights move as your pedals rotate, creating a motion pattern that makes them easily visible in the dark – allowing cars, bikes, larger vehicles, and even pedestrians to be alerted of your presence. Beams are even cast on the road below to create a 1-meter halo, giving other vehicles a buffer zone as they overtake you.

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It’s a pain to store your bike outside because it might get damaged or stolen. It’s a pain to store your bike indoors because it carries all the outdoor grime and dirt inside along with it. Quite a dilemma, isn’t it? Velo Sock is like a massive sock for your bike that sits snugly over the tires and most of the body, making sure none of that dirt makes it to your freshly cleaned floor, or those rubber tires don’t leave skid marks on your pristine white wall. Made from a polyester and spandex blend (that are incredibly easy to wash), the Velo Socks can fit bikes that are anywhere between 1.6 to 2 meters long. What’s better is the fact that they come in an absolutely mesmerizing set of patterns that turn your bike into a piece of decorative art to liven up your indoors!

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It’s true that we have garages for our cars and motorbikes, but somehow, all the bicycle got was a bicycle rack. There are objects to tether your bicycle to, but not a dedicated space to store your bicycle in, to protect it not only from theft but also from the elements. This revelation led to Eric G. Pearson creating the Alpen, a compact, secure cocoon of sorts for your bicycle. With a hood that slides open and closed quite majestically, you can easily store one bicycle within the Alpen, and given its small framework and pleasantly sleek design, the Aspen itself can be placed (and even displayed) indoors or even outdoors. Built from virtually indestructible roto-molded polyethylene and equipped with an integrated locking mechanism, the Alpen is a custom home for your bicycle, made to protect your ride from the sun, rain, sleet, rust, and obviously, theft too. The Alpen can be secured to a floor, wall, pillar, or even the back of your truck, letting you carry your bike along with its own home wherever you go.

The TorchONE hopes to alter a scary statistic around cycling. In 2019, 56,000 cyclists lost their lives worldwide, and an estimated 60-70% of them were during low-light conditions. By integrating lights right into the helmet, the TorchONE approaches this problem with a two-fold solution – Prevention and Protection. A finalist at the 2020 EuroBike Awards, the TorchONE boasts of a streamlined, aerodynamic design that weighs a mere 382 grams with large, highly visible, removable lights on the front and back. Designed to provide 360° visibility, these are the largest lights to ever be fitted onto a bike, ensuring that they’re sufficiently visible even in bad weather. Attach them when you need and the lights can run 24/7, detach them during the day and the helmet’s weight drops to an incredibly lightweight 266 grams.

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Chances are, if you’ve ever had a bicycle breakdown, you haven’t had your tools handy to make the repair. Designed for casual and serious cyclists alike, Velojackr includes everything you need to make basic repairs and handle maintenance on the road… all squeezed into one compact case that fits any regular bicycle bottle holder! Better yet, the “tool bottle” itself transforms into a stand to protect handlebars, shifters, and handlebar-mounted tech from dirt and ground abrasion. The unit includes the case, a saddle cover, tire levers, puncture patches, and task gloves, and extra storage for other essential items. Just set it and forget it until you need to make a fix!

MUJI-worthy product designs that are a must-have for any Japanese design lover!

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MUJI is a success story that started as a local Japanese phenomenon and thanks to a unique vision on production, market, identity, etc… grew to become a universal brand and an icon in the design world. MUJI’s simplicity easily creates a color pallet that can be followed through in your home, with the Japanese attention to detail transforming a simple product design to a piece of art almost. It is this quintessential essence of products, minimalized to their core functionality with aesthetics that amplify their purpose, no wonder MUJI has a dedicated global fan-following that can’t get enough. This collection shows individual pieces by such designers/fans of MUJI who have created designs that are definitely worthy of being a part of the MUJI family!

Named the Muji 2.0, Sy Hyin Wong, draws inspiration from the strictly minimal and functional brand Muji to tell time using another Japanese classic – the paper fan! According to The National Institute of Health, “about 42% of Americans ages 12-54 are nearsighted”. This clock actually helps people with nearsightedness be able to tell time from afar because it is more comprehensible than the slim hands of a watch or small digits. Light strips are added in the folds of the fan so you can tell time at night too without your glasses. Removing the numbers instantly removes the urgency/anxiety that can come with clocks – and especially in quarantine when you look at it often, you want it to calm you down and if it looks beautiful then that’s a win-win. The clock’s design may seem confusing at first glance, but it is quite easy to identify the shapes and correlate them to the time. The clock’s fan moves in a clockwise direction, with the starting point of the fan representing the hour of the time and the other end pointing at the minute hand. In an almost meditative manner, the fan completely unfolds over an hour’s duration, regroups, and starts the process all over again, kind of like our everyday life.

Rich Park and Soohun Jung of BEBOP Design used metal extrusion, an incredibly precise and easily controlled manufacturing process to create this Aluminum Light. The minimal design language was designed to be scalable for MUJI, where it can be applied to a new line of products, and possibly even develop a system where different products can share the same components to maximize production efficiency. Aluminum Light takes advantage of silicone’s great tensile strength through an integrated strap. The silicone strap can be stretched to be wrapped and hang itself for an overhead light. When using the product as a flashlight, simply wear it as a wrist strap to prevent drops. The hygienic and tactile nature of the material makes it a great grip for a flashlight. And its translucent finishing diffuses the light evenly to be used as a lamp. A hidden screw mount is used to attach and detach the silicone light diffuser on either the front or back of the aluminum “head”, where the flashlight becomes a lamp and vice versa. Simple, multifunctional, modular – the Aluminum Light is designed to be a part of the Muji Family!

Bryan Wong and Chengtao Yi’s Zirconia Sharpener is the epitome of minimal design. This 2017 A Design Silver Award Winner is a sharpener and nothing else but the beauty of it lies in the use of materials, in this case, zirconia. We always sharpen our pencils – be it for note-taking or sketching. A pencil sharpener made with this level of beauty and durability is functional hence leads to desirability. The design is honest, thoughtful, simple, and analog with the blade and body are made from zirconia and fused into a single unibody block. By utilizing zirconia’s material property, the blade doesn’t need to be changed and offers a smooth sharpening experience. Almost poetic, this is a sharpener worth keeping with you forever.

After getting the sharpener right, let’s get the humble pencil the homage it deserves. Chengtao Yi realized that unlike most of the pens, pencils do not have a clip, which makes for very annoying user experience. He believes the pencil and notebook are made to be together. So he designed a notebook that has room for a pencil. Pencil Note is a notebook with a simple plastic (PC) cover that can house a standard pencil of almost any kind. The bulge on the cover provides the room and tightly secures the pencils. It also makes sure the pencil can be easily taken out. The translucent cover creates a frosted and vague silhouette of the pencil inside, almost looking like a health bar in video games, indicating how much of the pencil has been used.

Masamaro Fujiki started his design process with the question – why do we need a 2-in-1 air purifier with a humidifier? The multifunctionality of this design causes a very bulky form. Masamaro’s solution is to create an appliance that can do the functionality of both while operating separately from each other as well. The Air Purifier + Humidifier enables you to convert your room into the perfect environment by separating purifier function and humidifier functions. Winter nights keep your humidifier close while the purifier works the room from a corner, balancing the aesthetics of the room!

The ‘MUJI shower radio’ project was a case study project of working for one of the most unique and intriguing companies in the design world. Looking at MUJI as a Japanese brand that became universal, the students were to design the ‘German collection’ of MUJI. In the same way that MUJI offers general universal items mixed with more ‘Japanese items’, the aim was to adapt local (German) heritage and items into becoming universal Muji items. A shower and kitchen radio, inspired by the MUJI’s wooden brush was designed by Gerhardt Kellermann. The radio consists of a waterproof body with a built-in speaker and features intuitive tuning and volume control. In Europe, a lot of people turn on the radio for their morning shower or when cooking in the evening. This simple product is easy to use and fulfills the requirement without any additional frills.

Absolutely pure in its design language, the Maison TV by Seongkyeong Son & PDF Haus looks like something Muji would build. The simple white block form with the four detachable legs gives the TV a certain elegance which makes the television look like an object fit for a home, rather than a showroom. The thickness of the TV stems from its inclusive design, which has empty spaces in the back for storing streaming boxes, and even for cable management so that you’re left with a TV that doesn’t have any odd boxes or wires corrupting its beauty. The Maison TV comes with beautiful flush controls on the side, along with a remote that echoes the same style that makes the Maison TV’s design language tick every single box in Rams’ ten commandments of good design!

Nope, that’s not a new sculpture that you have put on your side table, it’s the Folded Cleaning Tool by Jinyoung Noh, Sua Jo & Boram Han. One of the reasons why I like brands like Muji is because they design everyday products that you don’t mind displaying in your living space – in plain view of every guest! This broom and dustpan set is something on these lines. Crafted from two sheets of aluminum, the design has clean lines and smooth curves, giving it the ‘extra appeal’ and worthy of being highlighted, when not in use.

What would a Muji power tool look like? It would look like it meant business but still retain an aura of serenity. The Muji power drill concept by Changho Lee takes two contrasting things and wonderfully combines them. The drill’s aesthetic couldn’t embody Muji’s style any more than it already is. The white color scheme and the simple cuboid meets cylinder design brilliantly represents what the Japanese design house stands for. Absolute, unquestioned simplicity!

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I forgive you for mistaking the Wall-Ti Tap Power Strip by Eunsang Lee as a famous CD player by Muji – let’s slide this by as inspiration – the purpose of the power strip is completely different than a music player. Typically, we see long devices with multiple sockets and switches, but the Wall-Ti Tap has an amusing donut form. You are expected to fit the plugs in the inner wall of the circle, while you can wirelessly charge your phone on top of the device. “Unlike the typical cuboid power strips, this power strip has a doughnut-shaped design. The round-shaped power strip can be put vertically, so it reduces the problems of dust getting into the sockets,” explained Eunsang Lee.

Muji’s clear-cut minimal design has garnered hard-core fans around the globe, you can check out more inspirational designs by IKEA here!