Every month we take a look around and select some of the most interesting designs that was showcased here. Below you’ll find the most popular designs we’ve tracked over the last 30 days – an overview of designs you shouldn’t have missed in August 2009.
Designers: Various
Try this, blindfold yourself and pour a glass of water without spilling it over. Ok, make this tougher, fill in exactly ¾ th cup. Tough? Yeah, that’s how hard it is for the blind people to fill in mugs of beverages without spilling. Dipping the pinkie to anticipate the levels is ok for cold stuff, but what about scalding hot coffee! The Braun Bell Mug has 3 indicative levels on the handle and liquid-level sensors within the mug. The blind folks only need to choose their levels and keep pouring till the bell sounds.
Designers: Sang-hoon Lee and Yong-bum Lim
Fond of stacking up stuff viz-a-viz Lego? Cool, then enjoy this multipurpose iPod dock that can add stacks of speaker, light, air-cleaner and then some more speakers! Use a configuration that suits your needs and get docking!
Designer: Sang-hoon Lee
This SMS generation has come out with many ways to convey emotions across the waves: LOL ROTFL, U get d drift? Since technology is about convenience, how about a phone that texts your emotional status without much fuss? The point in favor of the “Icon Phone” is the simplistic gesture-based input. SMS addicts often complain of Text Messaging Syndrome; however the pen-styled input application will probably take care of this complaint!
Designer: Sang-hoon Lee
Will you think less of me if I confess that even at my age I find cartoons and children’s programs adorable? I mean, why is that grownups have to be judgmental and scorn Mr. Bean or scoff at Tom & Jerry? Why can’t we be as easygoing as innocent children? For example I can literally visualize many of you going “Tch Tch, why is this Shrek MP3 player here? This ain’t a toy store!” FYI, it’s here coz many well known MP3 manufacturers ignore something as vital as earphone management while designing their players.
Designer: Sang-hoon Lee
Sang-Hoon Lee’s Swing bench brings to mind that episode of FRIENDS, where Rachel is petrified of the swing and how Ross helps her overcome her irrational fears. For the life of me, I can’t imagine my childhood without the thrill of swinging in the park with innocent abandonment. Now that I’m all grown up (and a few pounds heavier), the kids won’t just let me take the joyride again. I guess I’ll have to make do with the Swing Bench to satisfy my urge to be a kid again.
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
Life isn’t simple anymore. You work minimum two jobs; you multitask and make the most of a situation. Yes, life sucks…so is it fair that we make our electronics and gadgets do only one job at a time? No ways! They too need to labor like us, give us the maximum benefit of their existence. We don’t want only an iPod dock; we want it to have speakers and may be some light. Gottcha! This one has it all!
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
Who says I can’t play with my electronics! Move To The Radio shoves a radio inside a traditional wood block car toy. The volume is controlled by the wheels so if you want to turn it up, you gotta push the car along, purse your lips, and make the VROOM VROOM sound! Okay that last bit is optional but if you’re gonna play, go all the way.
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
If it weren’t for lack of motivation and the trouble managing a set of dumbbells, I’d be one buff guy, for serious ya’ll! The Revolution Dumbbell enables you to digitally adjust weight by rotating a dial and pushing a couple buttons. Inside are tiny balls that spin. The faster they spin, the more weight is generated. No mention on how much energy would be required to power such a novel idea but that’s just all in the logistics. I need this now.
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
Preface; reading in the dark is bad people – like really bad. Students are especially notorious for this act. I know studying in the dark seems like a good idea because it makes you feel “cozy” but com’on, give your eyeballs a break. If you hate desk lamps that much, try the Sip of Light straw. Bend it to turn it on, straighten it to turn it off. Oh and keep drinking that caffeine. It’ll help you stay alert.
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
Break me off a piece of that! This portable hard drive looks like a chocolate bar but thats where the similarities end. Each piece is made of a modular flash drive. The central hub is a touchscreen to help you view and organize your collective files. In theory it sounds clever and usable but would this really work in the real world?
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
There’s this preconceived notion that books have to be displayed on shelves, ala library style but our modern lives don’t exactly allow for large shelving units and so we find other creative solutions such as smaller floating shelves. “Book in a Chair” takes a similar approach by integrating slats inbetween seat cushions along a bench. That way, a good book or magazine is always within arm’s reach.
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
Explore the best of YD. Our Archives are full of wonderful concepts from all over the world. Go ahead, don't be shy!
A cellphone with a touchpad used to write. The idea is to create a phone without all the bells and whistles for people who just want a basic phone to make calls and send text messages. Using hand writing recognition software, the touchpad translate your finger strokes into letters.
Other than being a concept already a reality with PDA phones, this concept seems about 5+ years behind.
Designer: Sang-Hoon Lee
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