This spotlight-inspired speaker solves three problems to elevate your Netflix binge sessions

Have you ever been told that you are sitting too close to the TV? Or do you have an urge to always turn up the volume so you can drown out the noises from the environment around you? Have you strained your eyes to read the subtitles because you cannot sit too close to it at night and neither can you increase the volume? We need technology that makes watching TV from a distance a convenient and pleasurable experience without being that noisy neighbor and this conceptual speaker is here to solve exactly that problem!

The sound/spot was designed to route the sounds from the TV to the viewer and limit it to their area. It promotes a healthier relationship with watching TV, especially for kids who tend to sit closer if they can’t hear or raise the volume to an obnoxious level without understanding the impact it has on the health. The aesthetic and the sound distribution was inspired by a spotlight’s directionality and scope to shine in a specific space. The technology in sound/spot is taken from a sound signage speaker that has been reimagined as a lamp to disperse sound instead of light while blending in your interiors, unlike a bulky sound system.

For product stability, the speaker protrudes a little outside the center axis. The stand also features magnetic clips to keep the wires seamlessly attached to itself than hanging around for a cleaner look. A round magnetic remote control is also included. Its unique shape makes it stand out because at a first glance you would never associate it with a speaker. The standing lamp style lets you fit it in tight corners without occupying much of floor space or adding visual weight to the room. This speaker is certainly shining a light into a new direction for designers to make experiences better while also accounting for the health factor.

Designers: Kihyeon Kim, Lee Hyo Min, and Seongmin Kwon

This kettle-inspired dehumidifier solves the tedious process of emptying water

Our home appliances are getting more efficient by the day. To stand out in the competitive market, any appliance has to be either be a multifunctional product or be a portable version of its predecessors – and if you have them both in one product, you have a winning design. That is exactly what makes the Humi Pot a product design concept set for success because it combines the best parts of a dehumidifier with an electric kettle.

An appliance is universally loved when it is easily usable which means the fewer steps or behavioral changes it takes, the faster it will become essential in our lives. That is the idealogy the Humi Pot functions on as well, it took the simple inherent gesture of tilting the kettle to pour and applied it to how we use a dehumidifier. The action and function of the two appliances were then mechanically merged to give us a dehumidifier that is inspired by the functional form of a kettle. This solves one of the most cumbersome things about using a dehumidifier – the emptying of the water which now becomes a one-step process. So to empty the water in the Humi Pot, you simply pour the collected water out by slightly tilting the appliance. Cleaning is easy too, just detach the top part and rinse the container like you would with a kettle. Unlike the traditional dehumidifiers, this does not require multiple steps to separate the product parts and put them all back. It is also is very convenient for elderly living without assistance.

Since it is portable, you can set it anywhere you like and it doesn’t have to be tied down to a plug point on the wall. The cheery ergonomic build will brighten up your space up instantly unlike the dull, bulky traditional ones. The Humi Pot serves as a modern dehumidifier while saving space and time because of its smaller, more portable form and the elimination of steps that saves time.

Designer: Seongmin Kwon