Tag Archives: work pod

This futuristic vehicle design facilitates irrigation, agriculture and education

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Well, 2020 is getting really annoying by the day so I am going to look towards the future. Since I am always told to focus the bright side and be hopeful about the future when the present isn’t great, let’s do it through the design lens. Project Outreach is a modular transport vehicle that was designed to support and develop rural infrastructure in 2045 (of course, this is a concept design so don’t send me an email after 25 years). The conceptual vehicle has a very Tesla-esque aesthetic, it is futuristic without being aggressive like the Cybertruck.

Developing nations need a tech boost to uplift themselves. If the land is mostly flat, the infrastructure is not that hard to create but there are many nations like Africa that have a variety of massive landscapes that will need powerful machines like Project Outreach to do it efficiently. The vehicle’s main aim is reaching out as the name suggests. The goal is to reach the communities in need and provide supplies to facilitate rural development by being a one-stop-shop through its multifunctional modules – Water Mod, Plant Mod, Work Mod are just a few examples. This is meant for micro-communities and the staff will deliver the module to them and change it out when needed.

The Water Mod is equipped with irrigation and sanitation technology to help areas where there is a draught or generally improve water crisis. The Plant Mod comes with agricultural tools to help seed crops in a controlled environment and provide relief for food shortage. The Work Mod is more for research, study, educational needs, and providing a small living quarter. The concept design is something that will be a blessing to refugee communities. Imagine how one vehicle can be a school for a small group of children who have nothing else to hold on to, provide food and water in a crisis with capabilities to expand into a medical space if needed.

Project Outreach makes me hopeful about a future where can empower those who communities who were hard to reach out to. It may be a design but it radiates values and morals that are rooted deeply in kindness and making a positive change – after all, isn’t that what humanity is all about? We don’t have a wand but we have imagination, design thinking and equipment to make it happen so I’ll say that is close enough.

Designer: Alexander Edgington

This air sealed work pod was designed to let employees return to office post quarantine

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We all have a new work-from-home routine that everyone has had to adapt to overnight. Now some companies can afford to let employees continue working from home till a vaccine is made but there are many others who are open and functioning with bare minimum staff because their work is not digital. Just like working from home brought to light issues we didn’t have, working in the office during or after pandemic will have its own set of new issues and that is what designers are aiming to solve with concepts with Qworkntine.

The non-essential companies have to open up at some point to keep the economy (and our income) running. Qworkntine is an air-tight pod system that wants to make working in offices safe while we figure out long-term solutions. It protects the employees and can make it easy to monitor how many employees are in per square meter of the space – it also makes contact tracing convenient in larger offices. Its hexagonal shape lets companies arrange it in any format to suit their physical office – it is like assembling a beehive to keep all the bees healthy and happy! It can be customized to fit right-angled corners and can be elongated as per the needs.

This conceptual work pod features an automatic handle-free acrylic door that is controlled by facial recognition. It also includes ventilation fans and air purifiers to keep a continuous flow of air that is safe to breathe. The designer envisions the Qworkntine pod to be made from hygienic, non-porous materials that will be easy to clean and disinfect. The skylight makes it better for those who may not enjoy tight spaces. Winner of the DNA Paris Design Awards in the Responsible Design category, this design highlights that for the sake of our health (and wealth), we may have to adapt to new work environments. Instead of cubicles, we might have pods and that is basically the same size as having an apartment in Manhattan – say hi to the new home of ‘work-from-home’!

Designer: Moahmed Radwan