Tag Archives: Quarantine

IKEA’s latest Paris project is a fleet of bike-driven sleeping capsules for people to nap in!

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Photo by Twitter user @tomsDlu

La Sieste is an outreach project from IKEA that makes up a fleet of cargo bikes that carry sleeping capsules for people to take naps in while cyclists cart them around the streets of Paris.

We could all use a nap. The pandemic has changed our relationship with sleep and many across the globe experience sleeping issues as a result of the quarantine. According to a SleepStandards study, 98% of people in the US have developed new sleep problems post-lockdown. Thankfully, we can always nap and IKEA’s got our back. Hitting the streets of Paris from August 30 to September 3, IKEA launched La Sieste, a fleet of cargo bikes that cart sleeping capsules with beds around the city where people can take power naps in before returning to work.

In the midst of semi-returning to the office, we’re tired. Today’s workspaces have moved to the home and the lack of certainty around when we’ll be fully returning to the office is hanging us in an exhausting limbo. This newfound lack of sleep across the globe seems to be both a cause and effect of lifestyle changes brought on by the pandemic. Part-marketing strategy, part-wellness boost–IKEA’s La Sieste bike fleet will comprise of sleeping capsules outfitted with IKEA furnishings, such as a mattress, cushions, sheets, duvets, curtains, pillows, and bed frame. Nappers will have the option of blacking out their IKEA La Sieste capsule with heavy curtains or leaving the curtains pulled back for a brief, 30-minute micro-tour of the avenues in Paris.

When the itch for a nap comes, don’t yawn it away–take a trip around Paris in one of IKEA’s La Sieste sleeping capsules. Nappers will only have to post to their socials by mentioning @IKEAfrance on Instagram or tweeting @IKEA_france on Twitter with the hashtag #lasiesteIKEA. From there, a cyclist will slide into your DMs and confirm your nap before picking you up to catch some Zs.

Designer: IKEA

La Sieste will hit the streets of Paris on August 30 where they’ll remain until September 3.

Nappers will Catch be limited to 30-minute sleeping journeys.

Catch some Zs by tweeting @IKEA_france or mentioning @IKEAfrance on Instagram.

This Minecraft-inspired modular building system lets you customize your dream cabin!

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We’ve gotten creative with how we’ve passed the time in quarantine. Some of us have redesigned our entire homes, while some of us have taken up a new hobby. And you can find the rest of us sprawled on the couch playing video games or binge-watching sitcoms. In a sort of ode to how we’ve adapted to quarantine, JaK Studio, an architecture, and design firm based in London and Sarajevo, has designed HOM3, a customizable and modular Minecraft-inspired home-building system.

In creating HOM3, which stands for ‘Home Office Module Cubed,’ the designers at JaK Studio felt inspired by the home-building system featured in Minecraft– the best part of playing video games. To build your own multifunctional HOM3 cabin, JaK Studio is currently working with game designers from AI Interactive to make the process of creating the floor plan feel and look very similar to the process of building your Minecraft home. HOM3 essentially turns the virtual home design process of Minecraft into reality. Speaking to this, founding partner of JaK Studio, Jacob Low says,

“During [the] lockdown, our team became fascinated by the principles of games such as Minecraft which allow people to transform and customize their environments, and we began experimenting with the idea of customizable, modular micro-architecture. HOM3 transports what we found in the gaming world to the physical space, offering a really unique design solution for modern living.”

Committed to artfully showcasing all that we’ve done and learned in quarantine including our environmental impact, the modules built by JaK Studio are made from wood and cork material that has been sustainably sourced or recycled. Additionally, each module is designed following Passivhaus insulating principles, ultimately making for a self-sustained and contained home. The modules that comprise HOM3’s building system start off with a fundamental block module that measures 1.5 x 1.5 meters, which costs $1,193. I wouldn’t mind spending some quality quarantine time here.

Designer: JaK Studio

Future owners of HOM3 have the chance to set the size, shape, configuration, and location of their modular cabin.

HOM3 was designed to create a physical space where owners can spend time how they so choose– whether it be a spa, gym, bedroom, or office space.

The interior is also up to the future owner to configure. Depending on the size of the cabin, users can create space for working, exercising, and sleeping.

JaK Studio’s HOM3 system allows owners to create cabins fit for city spaces as well.

The modular layout of HOM3 allows the cabins to be placed anywhere.

The most basic, and smallest sized block modules can also be used in busy city spaces for private meeting places or rest spots.

This IKEA inspired bench holds a home gym while merging with your living room interiors!

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Stuck inside with quarantine, we’ve all had to get creative when it comes to staying healthy, but with working out indoors, it’s hard to not feel distracted by all the clutter from our home gym equipment. Our living rooms get left with little to no walking room because dumbbells get scattered across the floor and yoga mats and resistance bands take over closets and coat-racks. Our homes have turned into micro-networks of all the businesses we had once frequented daily. Oliver Perretta, having had enough of it too, recently designed Kondition, a flexible piece of home fitness furniture, in order to maintain the comfort of our home all while providing a solution for those who want to remain physically active.

Kondition was inspired by a piece of furniture that actually resembles a standard workout bench, IKEA’s BEKANT series. Both IKEA’s BEKANT and Perretta’s Kondition have similar personalities as they appear as modest, simple furniture designs whose true essence shines through in their ability to blend into any given room. At first, an unassuming side bench or low-rise table during living room hours, and then, an adjustable home workout with a sliding bench come gym time. Perretta was certain to make bullnose corners for Kondition’s workout station in order to enhance both the piece’s adaptive nature and its approachability in its inherent baby-proof design. Additionally, Perretta plans to utilize aluminum extrusion in any eventual construction process as that would ensure a high strength to weight ratio for more intense workouts. Stamped panels also make for easy and deep cleaning so that job won’t ever feel stressful after a good sweat.

The pull-out drawer is perhaps Kondition’s defining feature as this solves the problem of home gym equipment taking up too much space. On the planning surrounding Kondition’s drawer feature, Perretta says, “The drawer in this concept utilizes load-bearing rails of 100kg plus and small castors on the underside to make pulling the drawer out easy.” Along with Kondition’s drawer frame, Perretta integrated fixtures all around the bench that will allow users to perform resistance band movements such as rows, bicep curls, tricep extensions, and lateral raises. From the more disguised features such as the fixtures and hooks to the ample storage space given by the drawer, and then to the casual, yet durable upholstery that fits into living rooms and office spaces alike, giving your workouts that plush, extra comfort sometimes needed – Kondition, as Perretta remarks,  is as “adaptable both functionally and aesthetically.”

Designer: Oliver Perretta

This Smart Robot Is The Perfect Quarantine Companion For Youngsters!

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Quarantine has been an adjustment period for everyone, but especially for young children who only got a taste of what socializing and education could offer prior to the onset of today’s global pandemic. The world is most likely forever changed as a result, which true creatives embrace accordingly. Designers behind products like Xiaole, an educational company robot for young minds, adapt to today’s world while acknowledging the connective companionship that molded our world of yesterday. Xiaole offers a touch of sentimentality in its friendly accompaniment and an artful amount of respect for the young person of today in regard to their future world.

Companionship is essential for young children, so globally mandated quarantines might get in the way of fundamental growth. Jerry C, the designer behind Xiaole, created the smart companion prior to 2020, but it’s timelier than ever. Xiaole’s digital library is filled with high-quality content that helps inspire self-motivated education amongst youngsters. Reminiscent of robot characters from science-fiction films, this robot is also naturally comforting and familiar to young minds, so learning will always feel welcome and accessible. Speaking to the product’s accessibility, the digital library is stocked with integrated translators, encyclopedias, and entertainment components. This all-encompassing library provides thoughtful and leisurely entertainment for children of varying ages and backgrounds. Xiaole is warm in its shape, emotional in its digitized expressions, and dynamic is physical gestures. This smart robot is intuitive in its control buttons, so anyone, no matter how old or young, will be able to bring Xiaole to life With this merging of innovation and sensitivity, Jerry C notes that Xiaole is a “smart companion robot with a sense of technology and affinity.”

Ahead of its time, Xiaole’s design was conceived before the age of COVID-19, but its early arrival speaks to the young human’s inevitable need for connection and stimulation. With or without quarantine, we all need some good friends in today’s world, especially young kids, and if there ever was a time to implement lighthearted respect for our unstoppable future world through design, the time is now.

Designer: Jerry C

Work from home product designs that are the best investments of 2020!

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As I write this article, I am acutely aware that 2020 is entering its last quarter! The year has certainly flown by, but the new workflow implemented this year is here to stay. Remote working is no longer a trend and all of us who have been avoiding investing in creating our own workspace, well it’s high time for us to start shopping and we have the best designs curated to improve your shopping experience! Depending on your space to your budget, the designs featured here include your personal cabins to easy to setup partitions that are sure to improve your productivity and allow you to focus on your work, distraction-free!

The Zen Work Pod by Autonomous is perfect 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.

The Zero Gravity Balans chair was designed by Peter Opsvik to be a blend of relaxation and productivity. It is the vision of what a modern chair should be – multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing. What sets this chair apart is that it has no mechanical adjustment parts, it is made to be so ergonomic that your body movements dictate its positions. You can choose to adjust it at four different angles which gives you room to be flexible with your posture and the chair to mold itself according to the space it is set in. You can sit in whatever position that is comfortable to you from kneeling to the fully reclined – one works for Netflix party and one for working from home.

 

Igor Leal’s Sunken Studio is another unique design to add to that list, it was made to keep you away from the everyday disturbances by giving you a sleek subterranean workspace. Also, you can get creative with your ‘roof’ – will you like to have a picnic lunch or play golf? The 500 square foot studio concept was a custom solution requested by a client in Rio De Janeiro who wanted a fully functioning workspace that he could spend long hours in. That is why it features a sitting area, kitchenette, bathroom, and desk area. This is a modern, compact office that allows you to host small conferences, do video calls, and meet clients without any interference. Also, once you are in the zone you don’t have to come up above ground for small things like a snack or bathroom break.

Ikaria Design Co’s Soul Seat helps you sit in a neutral posture which 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.

The Fitwork was designed by Brian Oaks, a designer, and entrepreneur who ended up needing chiropractic adjustments and even back surgery because of this sedentary lifestyle. 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. While you’re sitting, your legs naturally rest on the Fitwork’s elliptical, allowing you to pedal away while typing out emails or attending zoom calls without really anyone knowing what a fitness buff you are.

Made so that it can be the extra room your house needs (now that everyone’s stuck indoors), the Hello Wood Studio’s Workstation Cabin is an insulated and soundproof room that can easily serve as a “workstation, a meeting room, a kids playroom, and a perfect hiding place if you are looking for a quiet space to read, relax and exercise”, according to the designers. After work hours, the cabin could even be converted into a makeshift bedroom for a night-out among the stars, or even for guests! Hello Wood Studios built the private retreat with the ability to later add extra features like heating/cooling, mood-lighting, in-built sound system, TV-screen, and WiFi setup, and can be assembled on your lawn/backyard or even on a terrace!

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.

Cose is a multifunctional neck massager that relieves pain without painkillers using 6 different technologies. It features EMS + TENS technology along with infrared therapy and thermotherapy to work on your muscles. EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) helps Cose imitate the natural signals that come from the central nervous system which make the neck muscles contract for better flexibility and strength. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), on the other hand, delivers small electrical impulses through the skin to flood the nervous system, reducing pain by stimulating your body to produce endorphins, our natural pain relievers.

Our modern lifestyle involves us being stationary in one position for long hours which is unhealthy and Pluching was created as an organic solution that brings more movement! The time spent sitting in one place has increased so much ever since the pandemic began because all we do is work from home and then watch Netflix at home. This can cause turtle neck syndrome, shoulder pain, back pain, and unhealthy stiffness which you can minimize using stretching equipment like Pluching. Heesuk Lee’s idea was to design exercise equipment that gives the effect of band exercise and stretching but could clip-on on the back of your chair for ease. Pluching uses a powerful neodymium magnet that is embedded in a silicon clip to secure the equipment and give you stability.

Panasonic has designed a simple solution to draw boundaries between work and play without taking up too much space with their Komoru cubicle and I need to order two when they launch on September 18th, 2020! The Japanese brand has infused this mini cubicle with simple details that help you work efficiently while not adding visual bulk to your interior space. Working from home has had many of us come up with creative ways to stay productive –  this Komoru cubicle saves your time and effort. You can easily assemble the desk and partition at home which are the two main structural components. Unlike a traditional office cubicle, this is four feet tall which allows you to see over the partition walls while still sitting at your desk.

Once you create your home working space, here are some desk setup inspirations to help you create your dream setup!

Quarantine Work Pods Keep Your Air in There

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For many of us, working from home is the best option for getting things done while preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other nasty bugs in the workplace. But not all jobs can be performed off-site, and sometimes in-person collaboration is required. Recently, an architect came up with an innovative replacement for the standard office cubicle that could allow for offices to reopen without as much distance between its workers.

Known as the “Q.workntine” system, these hexagonal pods are not only more space efficient than ordinary cubicles, they each feature their own private air circulation and ventilation system, reducing the likelihood of people contaminating each other. They’d be constructed from non-pourous materials, making them easy to clean and disinfect as well.

Architect and designer Mohamed Radwan envisions individual pods, each with an airtight acrylic door and skylight to let light in, along with a custom-made angled desk to maximize workspace. Ventilation fans would sit atop each unit, circulating fresh air and filtering out germs. The design also means greater privacy and a quieter work environment than cubicles normally provide.

The concept won the DNA Paris 2020 Design Award in the Responsible Design category for its innovative approach to a very timely and relevant problem. In addition to the standard hex-shaped pods, Q.workntine spaces could be configured into squared off end units and oblong units for larger spaces – though the idea of having a seating area inside for multiple people sort of defeats the purpose.

Personally, I’m still a fan of telecommuting whenever it’s humanly possible, but in the cases where a company must have employees on site, I could see this kind of system being beneficial to productivity and health. What do you think? Would you feel claustrophobic sealed in your own little work pod?

[via Yanko Design]

A barber’s tips on keeping your quarantine mane in check

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As we enter our sixth week of coronavirus quarantine, many of you guys are beginning to resemble Mr. Burns during his Spruce Moose phase. And while letting your locks flow free during this time of physical isolation can be liberating for a while, do...

How to livestream the majesty of nature from your couch

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Happy Earth Day, everybody! Today we celebrate the Pale Blue Marble herself, the only home in this solar system we’ve got (so far). And even though the COVID-19 quarantine has shrunken our individual worlds to roughly the size of our apartments, we c...

Unconventional Product Designs that help you keep calm and carry on during quarantine!

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Staying indoor is the new trend! We say trending (putting a positive spin!) while  COVID-19 has us all quarantined but there are only so many recipes we can follow before we run out of cooking supplies. To help you survive this impromptu indoor session, here is a list of product designs we know will up the ante for any quarantine situation – this one (hopefully Amazon will deliver our orders minus the 1-day rush) or just be prepared in case the next one strikes. Honestly, I’m sure we all have some survival/ emergency bags ready however our needs during quarantine and trying to stay healthy at home – mentally and physically is a whole new ball game. The curation here brings you designs that will challenge you, let you learn and help you grow with this bonus time we have been given away from distractions, trying to become the best version of ourselves we can be!

Maxwell Custom’s custom-made Infinitum guitar takes that age-old form and applies design-thinking to it the design brief. The Infinitum takes the existing design and tweaks it to create a new and improved experience. The body comes CNC machined out of native New Zealand timbers (kahikatea and black maire) and features two major upgrades. The iconic sound-hole is bid adieu for four ‘vents’ on the front and back that allow the sound to emanate outwards in a way that makes it easy for the player as well as the audience to hear the music. The second significant upgrade is the absence of the bridge or the piece of wood and metal that would be glued to the guitar’s body, holding onto the strings from one end as they wind around the turnkeys at the other end. Playing guitar is cool enough, turning up with this beautiful customer design is sure to get you some eyeballs!

The Nintendo Flex is to the Gameboy what Daniel Craig is to Sean Connery. Same James Bond, but modern. The Flex by YJ Yoon comes with a few very welcome updates. Bigger screen on a device that’s the same handy size (albeit thinner). The screen’s also mildly curved, giving you a slightly panoramic experience and adding just a tiny couple of more display inches into the same framework. The Flex retains the same keys and controls, but gives them a makeover too, opting for flushed surfaces rather than the original GameBoy’s chunky keys that stood out from the surface. There’s even a contrast slider on the side of the Flex. The Flex’s biggest overhaul, however, is the change in Nintendo’s cartridge system. Flex ditches the large squarish cartridges for something much sleeker and thinner, looking almost like a stylus. The stylus-sized cartridge slides conveniently into a slot in the Flex’s base, locking in place and becoming impossible to remove while in the middle of gameplay.

Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka has created a quick and easy face shield for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19, which attaches to the wearer’s glasses. Yoshioka’s template design can be used to create a face shield in three simple steps from a clear sheet of PET or PVC plastic. Printed on an A3 piece of paper, the template can be placed over the top of a clear sheet of plastic and used as a guideline for cutting around the edge of the shape. The user can then make cuts into the plastic sheet over the two small lines indicated towards the top of the template on opposite sides. The two temple arms of the wearer’s glasses can then be slotted into these incisions, leaving the glasses protected by the shield as they sit behind it on the user’s face. Let’s face it, this DIY mask is important to survive any global pandemic!

Japanese studio Nendo has designed a mobile battery that users can charge by rotating, to power-up their smartphone in case of emergencies. The minimal, stick-like emergency portable battery, called Denqul, was designed for use in disasters, to ensure people have a reliable power supply for their smartphones to access to basic needs such as communication and lighting. Coz we sure can’t imagine being stuck without power supply and our phones dying on us.

The LaserPecker Pro’s laser module is no bigger than a coffee-cup, and the stand literally folds up into something that can slide right into your bookshelf… but when assembled together, the LaserPecker Pro is arguably the easiest-to-use professional-grade laser cutter and engraver for the masses. The LaserPecker Pro simplifies the process of laser cutting/engraving into three simple steps. 1) Add your artwork to the LaserPecker app, adjusting it to reach the desired output. 2) Plug the LaserPecker module onto its stand and add the product/material you want to etch or cut underneath. 3) Hit print! LaserPecker immediately begins working to etch or cut out the pattern you’ve fed into it. Time to put all those DIY pins to use!

LifeSaver by VanBerlo Agency can be mounted on walls at accessible and prominent locations. If someone is suffering from a cardiovascular attack, you simply grab it and press the button for calling 911 below it. So while you perform CPR, the ambulance is on its way! The first instruction provided is to remove the clothes from the chest of the victim. After that, you open the box and remove LifeSaver from it. Place the AED on the chest of the victim, and follow the instructions. OLEDs and touch sensors guide you through the entire process. LifeSaver even helps you with placing the electrodes correctly and guides you regarding the location and rhythm for the chest compressions. While being great in public places, the LifeSaver is a boon in the current situation where you know the medical system is so overloaded, the ambulance may take time to arrive, while this gives you a fighting chance to save the person in need.

On a lighter note, whoever said “less is more” was right because these minimalist Uno cards just made game night a whole lot cooler. The clean look makes you feel like the OG Uno showered and put on a sexy aftershave. Even Mattel couldn’t resist it and now this beautiful design will soon be a part of the official UNO gang! So the next time you are under quarantine, you shall play Uno with your roommates but in style.

Designers Marion Pinaffo and Raphaël Pluvinage are using paper to build simple machines and gadgets. Titled Papier Machine (a play on the word Papier Mache), the designers compiled a 13-page book where pages can be torn off and folded into various different electronic mini-machines and sensors (that can sense mass, humidity, wind, and even color… all made out of paper!), powered by simple off-the-shelf batteries. The paper electro-toys rely on special types of conductive ink that are screen-printed onto the pages, bringing much more to the table than just colorful visuals. Fun and science packed in a neat well-designed bundle! Come out of this lockdown as a smarter you.

BassMe is a wearable subwoofer that rests conveniently on your shoulder, with the audio-element sitting against your rib-cage. Designed to be worn with headphones or even with a VR kit, BassMe helps you feel the audio, rather than just listen to it. Using state-of-the-art sound-wave and vibration technology, BassMe delivers rich low-end frequencies to you, widening the range of frequencies you experience while listening to music or to any sort of audio. This party for one is sure to rock your world!

Designed as a disaster survival kit, this clock can practically save lives by allowing you to be prepared during a disaster. The Life Clock comes with a hollow internal compartment that houses its own kit of emergency products. It comes with two potent glow sticks that can each shine for 12 hours, wrapped in a metallic foil that you can fashion a reflector cone out of and use as a makeshift flashlight. A foil blanket allows you to maintain core body temperatures by trapping body heat through thermal reflection, while an emergency two-tone whistle allows you to signal for help. Finally, an emergency kit that is functional even when not in use. Always be prepared.

The idea of the Ocean Community vessel by Wojciech Morsztyn is to extend a city’s coastline. By existing not more than 800 meters from the coast of a city, the dwellers of the Ocean Community can easily make their way to the city to access facilities and enjoy a normal city life before heading back to their sea-based home. “The creation of these new structures will serve as fully functional living spaces connected with existing land infrastructure so that new ocean communities become a natural extension of coastal cities”, says Morsztyn, designer of the Ocean Community concept. The vessels will also rely on the abundance of sun, water, and wind to harness the energy, helping them live off the coast but also off the electric grid.

We know the Ocean Community is quite a futuristic concept, but we can’t help but imagine social distancing while on the sea! But coming back to the present, we maintain our distance, keep our spirits up – learn a new hobby, finish a project you always wanted to do and emerge a better version of yourself after this experience!