10 Iconic & Influential Women Designers Of The Last Century

8th March is celebrated as International Women’s Day, and rightly so, although in all honesty, we deserve every day to be Women’s Day! Women’s Day is the result of the efforts of a lady called Clara Zetkin, the leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany. In 1910, she proposed that every country should have a celebration every year on the same day – a Women’s Day, a day when women could press for their demands. Cut to 2024, and Women’s Day is a 24-hour period where we widely celebrate the women all around us, and in every aspect of our lives. And we’re taking it upon ourselves to celebrate the iconic women in our design world! These women paved the path for women in the design and architecture industry, changing the perceived status of women in this arena, and making space for their successors to push boundaries liberally and without hindrances. Although even today there is a gender disparity in the design world, with women designers facing experiences of bias and prejudice, and with the product and industrial design world being primarily 78-95% male. But let’s take a moment to celebrate these iconic women designers, creators, and innovators and raise a toast to them!

1. Zaha Hadid

The late Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in 2003, and also the first female star architect who managed to transform, and deeply influence the status of women in the design world. Known as the ‘Queen of the Curve’, her unique creative vision positively impacted and changed the design and architecture world, while also establishing that a woman can conquer these worlds in her unique way and style. Her feisty personality, intense determination, and desire to challenge the design status quo supported her in consistently pushing the limits of form and function. Her first major public building  – the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Ohio opened in 2003 and marked an important turning point, where critics and the rest of the world accepted her as the force she truly was.

2. Ray Eames

Everyone’s heard of the Eames Lounge Chair. It was the centerpiece of any office in the 1960s and 1970s, and it has still maintained its relevance and value even today. You’ve probably heard of the mastermind behind it – Charles Eames, but you may not be aware of his wife Ray Eames, who played an equally important role in its birth and creation. The duo spent most of their time experimenting with plywood, which led to their first mass-manufactured product – a molded plywood leg splint that would be purchased in abundance by the US Navy. They played around with different materials, using fiberglass, aluminum, leather, and plywood to build furniture. Even after Charles died in 1978, Ray continued to spread their design philosophy and beliefs through her writing and numerous talks.

3. Hella Jongerious

The Dutch designer Hella Jongerious is considered a master of colors and texture in her profession of industrial design. The strong-headed and independent designer once said “Design is not about objects. Design is about relations”. She founded her studio called the Jongeriuslab studio in 1993, and since then has worked with major clients such as Maharam, Danskina, IKEA, and KLM. Through her work with textiles, ceramics, and furniture, she has highlighted the importance and magnitude of colors and surfaces in contemporary designs. She designed the Polder Sofa for the Swiss company Vitra, which is one of her most distinctive and popular pieces. It is inspired by her home country – the Netherlands and is a beautiful mixture of asymmetrical shapes and cushions in various colors and fabrics.

4. Neri Oxman

Israeli-American architect, designer, and professor Neri Oxman is the founder of the Mediated Matter Group at the MIT Media Lab. Her work is incredibly pioneering, and she had to coin the word “material ecosystem” to describe it. She combines technology, biology, and design to create astounding projects such as the Silk Pavilion and the Wanderers Wearable Skins, which pushed the boundaries of what fabrication and design could do. Her 3D-printed wearable skins are designed for interplanetary pilgrims, and they have been merged with synthetically engineered microorganisms to make the hostile habitable.

“Nature does not come together. “It expands,” she said at Design Indaba. “At this point, there is a collision between the worlds of civilization and nature.” It is a gradual process, but they are coming together.”

5. Kazuyo Sejima

Kazuyo Sejima is a Japanese architect, and also the second woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2010, following Zaha Hadid’s lead a few years later. Sejima claims, “Being an architect. I am just interested in making architecture.”, and this comes through in her clean, minimalist, and yet innovative design style. Her works are highlighted by a subtle and minimal character, and they often playfully blur the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. One such project is the Laview commuter train, which features massive windows, and a curved edge glass nose. The commuter train was designed to make the passengers feel like they’re at home, instead of on a train moving between Tokyo and Saitama. The carriages were created to make the passengers feel comfortable and at ease, mimicking the experience of sitting in your own house.

6. Florence Knoll Bassett

Florence Knoll Bassett was an American architect and furniture designer who completely revolutionized and transformed the design of workplaces, in turn shaping the mid-century modern design movement. She was trained by the three giants of European Modernism – Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, which helped her immensely as she began working for her husband’s furniture company, which was later named Knoll Associates. She created the concept of the modern open-plan office, truly reimagining workplace spaces. Her open-plan ‘Knoll look’ interior completely rejuvenated the office landscape of corporate America, and the impact still lingers on how offices are designed today. She took over Knoll Associates after her husband died in 1955, and the company continued to grow and flourish under her leadership.

7. Greta Magnusson-Grossman

Greta Magnusson Grossman, a Swedish designer, seamlessly merged Scandinavian sensibilities with the midcentury design movement in California in the 1940s. Grossman was not only renowned for her furniture designs but also for her architectural projects, particularly homes in the Los Angeles area, which embraced open floor plans and integrated with the surrounding landscape. Despite her success in architecture, Grossman is best known today for her lamp designs, notably the Grasshopper floor lamp and the Cobra table lamp, both of which have gained iconic status in the midcentury-modern design canon. Towards the end of her career, Grossman also taught furniture design at UCLA from 1957 to 1963.

8. Suzanne Vanderbilt

Suzanne Vanderbilt, a trailblazing auto designer at GM, began her career as one of the original Damsels of Design. Vanderbilt joined GM after graduating from Pratt Institute in 1955 and worked on automotive interior design for Chevrolet and Cadillac. Her innovative work included patents for ergonomic automobile seats and safety switches, although these were never produced. Despite facing setbacks and sexism, she persevered, rising to become chief designer of Chevrolet’s Interior Studio by 1972. Vanderbilt’s career was marked by a pursuit of perfection and creativity, reflected in her dedication to automotive design. Her pursuits in the male-dominated automotive industry helped pave the way for other women designers like Diane Allen and Michelle Christensen.

9. Diane Allen

Diane Allen is a senior designer manager at Nissan Design America in San Diego, and she also manages the design programs for the Nissan brand assigned to NDA by the Nissan Global Design Center in Japan. She designed the 2016 Nissan Titan, which is a heavy-duty pick-up truck made from pure gearhead muscle, and capable of hauling everything from boats to horse trailers! She manages the design process of the TITAN family of trucks – overseeing the design concept and sketch development to the production sheet metal, and designing and prototyping of all the different parts, accessories, and wheels! She also managed the Nissan 350Z and 370Z sports coupes, the Rogue crossover SUV, and the Infinity QX56 SUV.

10. Michelle Christensen

Michelle Christensen made history by becoming the auto industry’s first female to lead the development of a supercar when she headed the 2017 remodel of the iconic Acura NSX. It is a second-gen hybrid supercar that was named “Performance Car of the Year” by Road & Track. The launch of the automotive was highly awaited, as it was being re-released 25 years after its original debut. She graduated in transport design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and went on to work for Honda, General Motors, and then Acura – the luxury division of Honda.

The post 10 Iconic & Influential Women Designers Of The Last Century first appeared on Yanko Design.

Smart earrings can read your temperature, paving the way for new wearables

When people talk about wearables or wearable tech, they are mostly thinking of smartwatches and fitness trackers, basically those that are worn on your wrist. Technically speaking, however, any kind of technology that can be worn on your body would qualify as wearables, hence the name, but we have been restrained by the limits of current technologies and design trends. Fortunately, it isn’t a dead end yet, and smart rings are starting to become a viable alternative, allowing some people to still keep track of their health while finally being able to wear their favorite classic watches again. These rings reveal the potential of jewelry that could deliver those same features while allowing you to maintain your fashion sense, like this earring that can read your body temperature, something that is still uncommon even on smartwatches today.

Designers: Qiuyue (Shirley) Xue, Yujia (Nancy) Liu, Joseph Breda, Vikram Iyer, Shwetak Patel, Mastafa Springston (University of Washington)

Our bodies are a treasure trove of data, depending on which part you are observing. Smartwatches try to shed light on our health by literally shining light through the skin on our wrists and down to blood vessels. Smart rings largely do the same, though on your finger, of course. While much of your body’s state can be calculated from these areas, some body parts give more accurate biometrics than others. There might still be some debate about it, but some researchers believe that the ears, particularly our earlobes, are a better source for that kind of information.

That’s the medical foundation that the Thermal Earrings are based on, a research project that is attempting to create a new wearable that is both functional and potentially fashionable, especially for women. The device uses two sensors, one that magnetically clips to the earlobe and measures body temperature, while another dangles an inch below it to measure room temperature. Comparing data from these two sources yields a more accurate body temperature reading compared to smartwatches that can’t properly differentiate ambient temperature. This accurate reading is crucial not just for knowing your body’s temperature but, for women, also for keeping track of their ovulation and periods.

The Thermal Earrings’ diminutive design presents both a challenge and an opportunity. It uses up very little power and uses low-power Bluetooth to transmit its data to a paired smartphone. In theory, it can be charged with solar or kinetic energy, but implementing a charging system for that is proving to be a bit tricky. And since only one earring is enough to read the wearer’s body temperature, it raises the question of what the other earring would do. Should it be a simple non-smart decoy to pair with the smart earring or can it also be used to read some other biometric as well?

More importantly, however, the Thermal Earrings open the doors to another kind of wearable accessory. Although the current prototype is largely limited by the electronics it uses, it can already be customized with charms and gemstones. More research into different materials and forms can hopefully lead to more chic styles, ones that ladies won’t be embarrassed to be seen wearing.

The post Smart earrings can read your temperature, paving the way for new wearables first appeared on Yanko Design.

Products designed to help women simplify + upgrade their daily grooming routine

Foldable Hair Dryer Behrad Ghodsi

Every woman loves some good old ‘me time’. That rare or non-existent hour where we get to relax, unwind and practice some self-care. Engaging in ‘me time’ seems almost impossible these days, but just because we cannot carve out a specified duration for it in our daily routine, doesn’t mean we cannot somehow integrate taking care of ourselves into our lifestyle. It’s very important to take care of our body and to listen to its needs, whether it’s diligently following a skincare routine, putting some extra effort into maintaining the health of your hair, or even taking a look at the general wellbeing of our teeth. And, we’ve curated a collection of product designs to help you do exactly that! From a foldable hair dryer that you can carry almost everywhere to a unique tweezer to painlessly remove ear hair – we’ve curated a collection of innovative designs to help you simplify and improve your everyday grooming process. Enjoy!

1. The Foldable Hair Dryer

Foldable Hair Dryer Features

Foldable Hair Dryer

This concept design is more compact and portable. The Foldable Hair Dryer is unique because it can be folded into a smaller form. The hairdryer part is cylindrical with the usually interchangeable tip. The handle can be moved to cover the tip and transform it into a smaller unit.

Why is it noteworthy?

The folded form of the hairdryer reminds us of either an umbrella or a water bottle. Of course, it’s more like a bottle with the handle, but others may even say it looks like a Victoria’s Secret perfume bottle, especially with the colors available: Maroon, Green, and Gray.

What we like

  • Can be folded into a smaller form
  • Easily portable
  • Available in a variety of alluring colors

What we dislike

  • We’re not sure how quickly it may heat up
  • Product material is still unknown

2. The Shower Scrubber

With a dual-sided design that lets you choose between a softer massaging side and an effective exfoliating side, the Shower Scrubber comes from the folks at Casamera, who shook up the industry with their ridiculously comfortable and absorbent bath towels and robes earlier this year. The Shower Scrubber comes with a radical new redesign, sporting a honeycomb pattern on one side, to open your skin pores, and a walnut-shell textured surface on the other side, for scrubbing off dead cells to leave your skin shining.

Why is it noteworthy?

While Konjac sponges aren’t new (the internet’s absolutely littered with them), the Shower Scrubber unlocks its true potential with its design and the various infusions. The large guitar-pick-shaped design comes with a honeycomb texture on one side, inspired by Casamera’s waffle-textured towels. The honeycomb texture helps gently massage and pamper the skin (especially around the face), open the pores, and more importantly, is incredibly effective at building up a lather. The other side, however, is a textural contrast, as the sponge comes with particles of walnut shells suspended within the surface, offering an exfoliating experience that’s great at removing dead skin on your body to reveal shining, supple, radiant skin underneath.

What we like

  • Dual sides to meet the different needs of your skin
  • Biodegradable

What we dislike

  • Not sure how well it would work on sensitive skin

3. Nikken’s Ear Hair Tweezers

Designed to work partly like a pair of tweezers, but also like a tiny epilator that easily grabs and plucks hair, the Nikken Tweezer is so easy to use that you can use it by yourself without any assistance.

Why is it noteworthy?

The unique pair of tweezers work safely, eliminating the need to go to a hairdresser or take a pair of scissors to try and groom yourself on your own. They’re easy to operate and work equally well with ear or nose hairs. Unlike scissors, which are incredibly unsafe when used by yourself, or regular tweezers, which are great at plucking hair that you see, but hard when it’s hair you can’t see, Nikken’s Ear Hair Tweezers sport a key difference. The tweezer’s ends have a tiny spring in between that grabs onto any hair that gets caught in the spring’s spirals, letting you easily grasp multiple small hairs and pull them at once.

What we like

  • Lets you easily grasp multiple small hairs and pull them at once
  • Nikken’s spring has a square cross-section, allowing it to hold hairs tighter so they don’t slip out of the tweezer’s grip while pulling

What we dislike

  • Not sure how well it would work for nose and eyebrow hair

4. The PURE 2-in-1 Electric Oral Care Kit

PURE 2-in-1 Oral Care Kit Details

Dyson-inspired PURE 2-in-1 Oral Care Kit

This Dyson-inspired oral care essential system is promised to have long-lasting durability. It doesn’t just look like something Dyson would introduce in terms of the colors and aesthetics; it also practices the same sustainability principle. It’s an electric toothbrush and water flosser in one.

Why is it noteworthy?

Like any Dyson product, the PURE 2-in-1 Electric Oral Care Kit offers innovation, reliability, and functionality. It is a creative system that saves space and allows more straightforward operation. You can use it either as a toothbrush or a water flosser when you need to deep clean your mouth. Just change the head module if you want to use the water flosser mode. There is a built-in airflow fan that can keep the brush head clean. It also prevents moisture so you can be confident your toothbrush is not contaminated.

What we like

  • It comes with a built-in water container for the water flosser
  • The brushes and the handles are stored inside to keep your bathroom clutter-free

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

5. The Dyson Coralle

The Dyson Coralle hair-straightener features flexing plates that bend according to your hair’s volume. The flexing plates curve around the locks of hair, heating them evenly from all sides while making sure to straighten them without flattening or damaging them. The curved copper plates, an industry first, come with tolerances as low as 65-nanometers (thinner than an individual human hair) and flex around your locks of hair to straighten them without reducing their volume.

Why is it noteworthy?

On the inside, the Coralle comes with a maximum heat setting that’s 40 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than most straighteners. Dyson’s engineers say that with the curved plates that distribute heat evenly, the straightener actually works just as efficiently as regular straighteners, with lesser heat. Moreover, the Coralle’s internal chip performs temperature checks 100 times per second to make sure it performs optimally with no temperature or performance deviations.

What we like

  • Designed to be wireless
  • Straightens your hair without flattening or damaging them

What we dislike

No complaints!

6. Nike LED Mask

This beauty device was aimed at expanding passion and potential through the CMF (color, material, finish) so the user can get comfortable quickly by identifying with Nike’s existing sporty and refreshing image. The form is smooth and sleek, you almost have an instinct that it will fulfill its purpose and that is what makes a design convincing – the trust through visuals because it is the first impression that leaves a mark, right?

Why is it noteworthy?

The mask has a very futuristic aesthetic and if we are going to wear masks in our new normal world, then we might as well wear one at home for some time if it takes care of our skin and reduces the need to go out. We don’t know what the future holds but I’d rather face it with good health, abs, and glowing skin.

What we like

  • An LED mask means no need to touch your face

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

7. The Squared Dryer

Unlike its bulbous, bulky ancestor, the entire hair-dryer is slender, foldable, and has the footprint of a small square box. The air blows out as a result in a vertical channel, allowing you to cover a larger part of your hair when held upright. Easy to slide into dresser drawers, or just as easily display proudly on top of the dressing table, the Squared Dryer even comes with a slick snap-on container for wire-management so that that unsightly cord isn’t all over the place. Plus, would you look at that absolutely delicious gradient on the base?!

Why is it noteworthy?

There’s no reason for the hair dryer to look the way it does. Here’s an image of the first-ever hair-dryer by Alexander Godefroy and it’s easy to see that we’ve done little to give it a radical makeover. Well, all that changes with the Squared Dryer by Jiyoun Kim & Junyoung Jang. The new, unapologetically radical, slender hair-dryer is a boon for every dressing table.

What we like

  • A slick snap-on container for wire-management
  •  Easy to slide into dresser drawers

What we dislike

  • Interesting form, but unsure how ergonomic and comfortable it would be to actually operate

8. Air Spa

You know that age-old trend of drying yourself with a towel after a shower? Boring, no? And pretty time-consuming too, if you ask me. I mean it’s 2021, we definitely need a cooler way of drying ourselves. I guess BDCI Design thought the same because they designed ‘Air Spa’…a body dryer! Yes, you read that right. The South Korean design consultancy created a dryer for your body, and defines it as a “refreshing bathroom experience”. The tall vertical appliance blows out air to dry your body after you take a shower.

Why is it noteworthy?

So, where does the spa bit of ‘Air Spa’ come into play? The appliance’s unique form and height support various little holes that blow out air. These ‘air holes’ feature multiple layers, and can be positioned vertically or horizontally, however you prefer. So, you have air blowing at you from different angles and positions, mimicking the experience of a massage or spa. It’s almost like a wind bath if you ask me. And, it could be the ultimate last step in unwinding after a long day at work.

What we like

  • Air Spa’s interesting height makes it perfect for users of all ages. The vertical appliance can be used for children and adults alike
  • Reduces our laundry load!

What we dislike

  • Unsuitable for tiny bathrooms with space constraints

9. Clip

Whichever toothbrush you prefer, replacing frayed bristles comes at a price. It’s costly, wasteful, and inconvenient. That’s why Edo Kim and Yeseul Kim, designers based out of London, designed Clip, a minimal toothbrush with a replaceable head.

Why is it noteworthy?

Citing the high number of materials used to create conventional toothbrushes, Edo and Yeseul made sure to design Clip so that far fewer materials are needed for manufacturing. Made from recycled polypropylene, Clip takes on the traditional shape of manual toothbrushes. Clip’s hollow unibody also remains intact over time and use due to polypropylene’s highly durable, long-lasting makeup. Compared to manual toothbrushes on the market, Edo and Yeseul decided to use far less plastic and nylon, replacing both materials with recycled thermoplastic.

What we like

  • Replaceable head
  • Made from recycled materials

What we dislike

  • There are other similar designs on the market

10. Cleanyst

Cleanyst’s modus operandi is simple. The device costs $99, and Cleanyst ships a variety of pre-mix sachets to the users. The user loads the sachet into the appliance, plugging Cleanyst’s bottle at the base, and loading the machine with your own tap water. Cleanyst’s simple UI guides users through the production process and voila, in a matter of minutes, the bottle is filled with the liquid cleaner of your choice. Cleanyst even lets you add essential oils to the mixture to create special blends, so you can easily make yourself a lemon-scented dish cleaner, or a lavender handwash. Cleanyst’s solvents are natural and plant-based, making them milder and easier on your skin, but just as effective on dirt and grime.

Why is it noteworthy?

Roughly 80% of the shampoo, shower gel, handwash, liquid detergent, dishwashing liquid you buy is just plain water. Imagine paying money to have 80% water and 20% chemicals shipped to you from various parts of the country. Sounds counterproductive, right? Cleanyst tries to hack that system. Practically a Nespresso-esque device for all your household liquids, Cleanyst lets you produce your own shampoos, detergents, handwashes, and conditioners at home.

What we like

  • Lets you produce your own personal care items

What we dislike

  • We’re not sure how suitable the special blends are for different skin types

The post Products designed to help women simplify + upgrade their daily grooming routine first appeared on Yanko Design.

NASA names its DC headquarters after its first Black female engineer

From this point forward, NASA’s Washington DC headquarters will be known as the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters, named after the agency’s first Black female engineer. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the change today.Jackson was one of...

These fitness-tracking toe-rings are the perfect fusion of wearable tech and Indian culture

The Lexus Design Award-winning Mettis Rings are the perfect confluence of heritage and the future. Building on the cultural significance of jewelry in India, the Mettis are toe-rings that are state-of-the-art yet culturally relevant. These toe-rings come embedded with the same technology as any fitness wearable, in a package that embraces traditional values. Toe-rings are often given to women as wedding gifts in Indian lore, and are considered to have health benefits that align with Ayurvedic practices… the Mettis builds on that by introducing technology into the rings in a way that makes those health benefits more direct and appealing to younger generations.

Even though they house technology inside, the Mettis rings embrace the persona of jewelry. Built for Titan, a prominent watch and jewelry brand in the country, the rings come with a metallic finish and sit inside one of two sleek, matte black cases – for charging at home and for charging while traveling. Originally toe-rings in the Indian culture come made from silver, which absorbs positive energy from the ground you walk on. The Mettis, however, use sensors that help monitor your health. Whether you’re walking, running, exercising, or even swimming, the rings capture your body temperature and your heart-rate, working just like smartwatches and fitness wearables do. The rings actively track your location, count your steps, monitor sleep patterns, as well as help you keep track of your period cycles… all while strongly echoing the cultural relevance of toe-worn jewelry in Indian customs and traditions.

Designer: Anshuman Kumar for Titan Industries

Female friendly products designed to empower you this international women’s day!

Intro

The Little Apricot Dresser by Tsing Hang is one dresser that lets you be in touch with your feminine side while maintaining a beautifully muted, wooden aesthetic that does not compromise on your need for a well-designed product. The felt wall holds your smaller products in place and seems to be easily removable, so you can go back to your minimal setup once you are done dressing up!

The Heer breastfeeding bench aims to conquer two existing status quo’s – First is to allow women to breastfeed in public without having to lock themselves in a tiny room to “finish their business”. Second is to still give them the comfort and privacy they deserve, keeping them safe from onlookers while being in a public setting. The cocoon-like structure of the chair envelops the mother and child with an open side that allows the mother to confer and stay in touch with their trusted companion while breastfeeding. Designed by 52 Hours, the Heer bench is normalizing women’s needs in an everyday setting.

The Present is a simple tweak to an existing product – the home pregnancy test kit, to help remove the fear and anxiety associated with positive pregnancy news at the first go. Aimed at couples trying to get pregnant, this kit gives a gentle reminder as to how the positive pregnancy test is the present the couple wants in their life. Designed collaboratively by Byeongjae Ha, Chi-eun Jang, Kiho Kim, and Jae Heum Lee, the strip is also equipped with a slot to showcase sonography pics for people who like to display this beautiful life-altering moment of their life.

Laila Laurel, a graduate from Brighton University has designed a unique set of chairs that helps to tackle manspreading! Using humor to address everyday issues, these chairs are designed for the female counterpart to spread-out and sit with east while another chair restricts the man’s legs, helping them sit straight and narrow while playing with gender stereotypes to create a neutral and comfortable environment!

Meet the Origamei outfit by Angela Wang, a project that has two purposes. One, to make fashion much more accessible, using the art of folding as a method to reduce a clothing item’s spatial footprint… and two, Origamei sees itself as more of an empowerment tool, as most clothes do, helping women dress in clothes that feel comfortable and make them feel confident. The fact that you can carry these clothes around in the palm of your hand, or even stash them in your clutch or the glove compartment of your car, means that the very confidence and self-esteem that you get from wearing good clothes, is made portable too.

Designer Anna Meddaugh has created a personal urinal, especially for women in refugee camps that can be used in shelters at night to avoid the threat of sexual violence outside. Meet the Night Loo, a portable and reusable toilet box with polymer beads that soak up liquid and odors, allowing women to pee in the relative safety of their space and empty out the contents during the daytime. The designer Anna actually received a US James Dyson Award for her prototype. Though designed keeping refugees in mind, this design can easily be repurposed to serve various other scenarios where women feel at risk while urinating.

The ALL DAY BAG by Johnathan Webster brings a new level of problem-solving and pragmatism to a product that’s clearly plagued with problems. By redesigning the core UX of the woman’s handbag, The ALL DAY BAG gives women the ability to do more and carry more, with the freedom of being able to wear their handbag the way they see fit. The ALL DAY BAG is essentially a well-designed backpack in the avatar of a woman’s handbag. It comes with a full-grain premium leather exterior in a silhouette that puts it at par with most high-end handbags, albeit with an adjustable strap system that lets you carry it like a handbag, wear it like a tote, or even strap it across your shoulders like a backpack (effectively freeing up your hands).

The Connect Life Jacket makes you critically question an age-old existing design makes it a success. The Connect integrates mother and child into one single jacket (also adhering with the practice of evacuating “women and children first”), allowing the parent and child to stay safe and more importantly together in the event of a maritime crisis. Designers Jialin Song, Kun Xu, Yumo Jiang & Chaojun Zhang have created the design in a way that the child’s positioning is conveniently close to the mother’s heart.

The Lapee is a shocking pink plastic structure that has three urinals arranged in a spiral, with curving backrests that provide privacy while allowing the user to remain aware of their surroundings. Designed by Gina Périer and Alexander Egebjerg, this product was aimed to help the standard female toilet for festivals and outdoor events that allows people to pee sitting down quickly and safely. The design is made to be used without a door, with its spiral design protecting the user from the front and back, giving them privacy without any additional risk of traveling to reach an enclosed private space only to urinate. Aimed at being the women’s alternative to men’s urinal, Lapee can truly change the landscape of public events!

Shahar Goren, a designer from Holon Institue of Technology in Israel has come up with the idea to design custom-made sandals that are not only fashionable but stylish too. Goren believes that as the structure of our feet are unique to us as individuals, it really isn’t a “one size fits all in that size” world. Goren’s idea sees making customized orthotics a solution to this problem. By taking a 3D scan of the foot at the shoe store the customer then chooses the shoe they would like. This scan is then digitally processed at the warehouse, to a CAD file of custom made orthotics. The factory then produces the orthotics, which are then created by a C.N.C. machine automatically. Then within a few days, the shop receives the orthotics for easy placement into the new sandals!