Monthly Archives: April 2011

Warp – Universal Cleaning System for Digital Workspace by Andrew Seunghyun Kim

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The effervescent Andrew Kim is back again with yet another brilliant concept. This time its Warp, a cleaning system for your digital medias coupled with a system that hides wires and docks your iPhone. I simply love the clever attention to detail like the hidden USB ports in the underbelly of the dock. And not to miss the indents in the cleaner to reach the cracks and crevices of your keyboard and phone ports. Keep it up boy!

Designer: Andrew Seunghyun Kim

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GROOVESTRAP Strap for External Hard Drive to Convert It to MP3 Player by Jaineel Shah

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The GROOVESTRAP is a T-shaped handy thang that hooks onto an external 2.5-inch external Hard Drive and converts it to a useful interim MP3 player. Kinda getting you back into the groove with your music on the go. It features a knob on both the sides of the T, to be used as controls for volume and track shifting. Totally digging its minimal style coupled with utilitarian approach.

Designer: Jaineel Shah

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Eclipsion Wall Clock by Jay Jiwoong Baek for CAUCA

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Wall clocks, these days, are not just meant to be used to keep track of time.CAUCA produced this unique and interesting wall clock called the Eclipsion.
It’s intricately designed to measure time in a path that meets at a certain point to give the illusion of a solar eclipse. The movements of the clock leaves a lasting impression.

Features
Size – 270x270X30mm
Material – Steel, Aluminum, ABS
Color – black. white
Quartz movement with sweep second-hand
Requires 1 AA battery, included

Designer: Jay Jiwoong Baek for CAUCA

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D.N.A Stamper by Jamie Thoms

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The D.N.A Stamper offers the public the chance to contemplate the impact of granting someone access to their biological data. The aim of this project is to challenge them to think about how much they value their identity. Who should have access to this information? Itsimulates extracting a sample of the user’s D.N.A. and uses this to stamp a consent form, to verify the user’s identity and offer tissue for hypothetical testing. The owner of the sample will have to fill in the consent form expressing how much of the information in the D.N.A. the holder will be privy to.

Designer Jamie Thoms took inspiration from companies such as “23andMe” which processes peoples D.N.A. for a fee and films such as “GATTACA” which offer an extreme view of where we could end up if the use of the information contained in D.N.A. becomes public.If this service became a reality, would offering someone access to the information your D.N.A. holds, create a new level in social relationships or is this beginning of genism and discrimination?
Designer: Jamie Thoms

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Pregnancy Control – Baby Monitor by Luis Pedro Castanheira Almeida

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Surprisingly, urine can be a very good indicator of your health, which is why women who are expecting usually have a urine analysis conducted routinely at checkups. The Pregnancy Control is a take-home urinalysis instrument that anyone can use. With a simple placement of the urine sample into the device, the user can monitor their body for dehydration, malnutrition, infection, and other unwanted conditions in a flash. The elegant exterior and simple controls make for a modest and friendly design sensitive to the needs of moms-to-be.

Designer: Luis Pedro Castanheira Almeida

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Lamborghini Yacht by Mauro Lecchi

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

I’ll be the first (maybe in the world) to admit that I don’t love car maker Lamborghini. Don’t get me wrong, I understand it’s appeal… duh, it’s the ultimate super-car. But I just want to see something new- something unrecognizable! Well, designer Mauro Lecchi felt the same way, and now we’re getting exactly what we wanted. Introducing the Lamborghini power-yacht. This 50 foot, carbon fiber beast sports all the speed and luxury you’d expect from a super-car maker. Did I mention the prototype is under construction?! MmmHmm… check it!Though it started as just a sketch, the prototype is in production and is rumored to be powered by either two 550hp V12 Motori Marini Lamborghini engines ortwo twin 950 hp Seatek turbodiesels. As for the interior, it will be styled by none other than Fenice Milano, famous for working their magic on the Rolls Royce Ghost.

Designer: Mauro Lecchi
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Cesky Klin – Glass Plate by Martin Zampach

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The Cesky Klin glass plate is a great example that simple traditional production methods can yield unique and functional contemporary designs. Applying his family’s classical Czech glass molding techniques, designer Martin Zampach melts glass to a specially prepared mold to achieve a smooth glossy top and rough textured bottom. The resulting vessel is ideal for serving fruit, storing knickknacks, or as a unique decorative piece.

Designer: Martin Zampach

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CKIE Spotlight: Deckster iPod nano Time Piece

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

There are a handful of iPod nano accessories that turn the venerable nano into a proper watch but all of them come with caveats. I appreciate when designers not only address the aesthetic values of design, but also the manufacturing ethos they purport. A husband and wife team from Canada are working hard on their first CKIE project, the Deckster iPod nano Time Piece. Their goal? Create a watch strap for the nano that combines high quality engineering touched with handcrafted precision all in sustainable packaging. We gotta help them do it!

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Metronomie – Subway Concept by Yves Lombardet

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Unfortunately I don’t get to take the subway to work every day. Even though it sounds like fun I’m sure seeing the same irregular patterned seats and bad advertisements everyday would eventually become another humdrum activity. Yves Lombardet’s idea is to take the monotony and repetition out of riding the metro. Metronomie features a simple interior that uses variable themes and a modular standard coupling system that allows flexible seating and visual stimuli arrangements for a customized feel from car to car.

Designer: Yves Lombardet

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Guss – Modular Lighting by Santiago Sevillano

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The beauty of the Guss modular lighting system by designer Santiago Sevillano is that it has what seems like an infinite number of possible configurations. Though the curvilinear components are identical, they can be separated, recombined, and mixed and matched to create dramatic pendants, wall lamps, table lamps, or floor lamps that are not only unique but 80% less energy consuming than standard incandescent lights.

Designer: Santiago Sevillano

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Rising Chair by Robert van Embricqs

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

I have been admiring this design all day, and driving everyone around me crazy talking about it and making them check it out. What can I say? I’m fascinated! It looks more like a sculpture than a chair, and what makes this combination rare is that it’s flat-pack ready. Designer Robert van Embricqs achieved the organic form by pulling up slats cut into a flat wood surface to see how the material should naturally mold to make the seat, back, and base. Intricate yet functional, the result is evidence of the special connection between material and designer.

Designer: Robert van Embricqs

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Message in a Box – Communication Device by Rosanna Martlew

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Product Designer Rosanna Martlew has developed a way to improve communication between two individuals in a simple and intimate way. Drawing inspiration from Victorian writing slopes, Message in a Box displays one of four personal messages intended to prompt further communication at a more convenient time.

She’s combined traditional woodworking craft with the latest technology to create a user centered product that strengthens the line of communication between two people. When a text message is sent to the box, a glow emanates from within indicating a message has been received. Once the doors are opened, one of the four pre-defined messages light up brightly.

A bespoke piece, the user friendly interface becomes engaging yet intimate due to the hand-written messages which glow from within.
Message in a Box is a hand made product, created for two specific users, but touches upon an issue which many of us face daily communicating quickly but effectively.

Designer: Rosanna Martlew

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IPhone Dock and Vinyl Player Concept by Olivier Meynard

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The Turntable iPhone Dock combines two objects emblematic of their times to create harmony between past and present. Technology is often blamed for our disconnect with society but technologies were not created to isolate. The problem is products generally aren’t designed to create continuity. This turntable not only plays your old LP’s but also encodes them into MP3′s sent straight to your charging iPhone. Modern tech has also made possible for a small amp and sound bar down front for room filling sound. Very nice execution.

Designer: Olivier Meynard

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Feng Floor Fan by David Hu for Hu Yuwen Design

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Feng is a dynamic floor fan with an encompassing hood, crafted from laser-cut aluminum. It features glossy, low-slip rubber trimmings for protection and stability. Inspired by the pictorial Chinese characters (feng), meaning wind, the fan has only one speed – fast enough to breeze you up on a warm summer day. I think its unique form is delectable and appropriate for a bachelor pad.

Designer: David Hu for Hu Yuwen Design

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Handy Scale Luggage Weighing Scale Handle Design by Baek Kil Hyun

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

I am a smart traveler but packing my suitcase to stay within the weight limit always intimidates me. Low-cost airlines can be really nasty about excess baggage, so I always check the weight at home. And this as you know can be quite a bother, domestic scale + luggage = trouble! Handy Scale is an easy solution and I urge Samsonite and brigade to try it. The handle has a digital display that indicates the weight of bag when heaved up from it. Just refine this project to make it more durable and Im sold!

Designer: Baek Kil Hyun

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Ora – Lamp by Santiago Sevillano

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The Ora lamp by Santiago Sevillano takes inspiration from the classic and cool shape of the Bakelite Bell telephone handset. The lamp, made of injected polycarbonate, can be twisted between connecting components to easily direct light to desired locations. Aluminum reflectors inside the bulb area help transmit the light and enhance the inner ring making the element as well as the ambiance feel light and airy.

Designer: Santiago Sevillano

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Bamboo Cell – Furniture by Fanson Meng

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

I love me some bamboo… in the garden, as a wall, as an edible shoot, & when it’s incorporated intelligently into interior elements like the Bamboo Cell collection. This Red Dot winner brings traditional and modern materials together to create seating that is organic in form as well as durable and enduring. Utilizing bamboo in a nontraditional manner, the collection allows the user to appreciate, from a different perspective, the characteristic hollowness of the stalks shown through the stool’s resin top as well as the fibrous texture of the exterior on the bench’s seat.

Designer: Fanson Meng

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Futura – Auto by Nathaniel Lucero

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

I have always liked vehicles that look more animal than car- which is why I love this wild concept called the Futura 10. The Futura models itself after the Boxfish, a cute and cuddly sea creature (if you can imagine a cuddly gill-bearing scaled vertebrate) that somehow looks more alien than fish. Don’t let those soft lines fool you though, the Futura’s body, like the Boxfish, has great structural strength and proven aerodynamics.

Designer: Nathaniel Lucero

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Finalists – 2011 eVolo Skyscraper Competition

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

This year’s finalists for eVolo Magazine’s Skyscraper Competition pushed the bar and came up with some fascinating and innovative superstructures. From a vertical farm skyscraper complete with cows and chickens to an abandoned oil rig turned chic urban habitat, this year was clearly about imagining fully sustainable vertical environments and finding new purposes for existing structures. Hit the jump and check out these cutting edge concepts!

Designers: Various

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X-Grip Wiper Hand Grip Sanitizer for Shopping Carts by Kim Kwang-won

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

The X-Grip Wiper is a hand sanitizing system for shopping carts that works in sync with their coin-lock system. Most shopping carts are free-to-use, however the problem of unsanitary handrails is common to all. Germs GERMS! Locking system or not, I think its a good idea to have a X-Grip integrated on all carts. Many stores have complimentary sanitizing wipes but most people seem to ignore them.

Designer: Kim Kwang-won

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CKIE Spotlight: Nooka Wall Clock

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

I have quiet little corner in my heart for Nooka products. They’ve created a brand unique in a world of “me too” designs. Everyone and I do mean EVERYONE rocks Nooka wrist wear. Teens, dads, celebs – hell, even the most pragmatic people find something endearing about Nooka watches. But why limit it to your wrist? The designs are clearly strong and bold enough to exist in a different format. The Nooka Wall Clock is like a Nooka watch on steroids, sans wrist strap of course. Support it on CKIE.

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Bloated Objects – Furniture by Damien Gernay

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

This table isn’t prego and no, it didn’t eat too much. It’s the Bloated Desk and it and it’s siblings the Bloated Shelf and Bloated Coat Hanger, are, well… they’re just sort of bloated! This intriguing take on the familiar incorporates a fairly simple process to achieve the form – no complicated molds and no seams are used in production, instead, sheets of leather are filled with expanding foam, inflating the leather to make naturally unique pieces.

Designer: Damien Gernay

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On Display – Google Mobile Internet Device by Choi Koun

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Your socializing is just a tweet or a like away and to keep with trends, we have here the On Display MID. It’s quite a cool device with a dedicated Google search app with dual displays. When closed, the top half is occupied by a transparent display that gives you real time feed back from your social media spaces. Not much else is known about this concept. Has the palmtop form factor completely died out?

Designer: Choi Koun

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Flame – Lamp by Santiago Sevillano

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Though it’s aesthetically modern, the organic shape of the Flame lamp by Santiago Sevillano will deliver character and warmth to any space no matter the style. Using an internal battery with induction base, Flame is completely wireless and originally intended for use outdoors, however, it looks quite nice inside. I particularly like the evenness of the light distribution that creates an eye-catching, sort of 2D effect.

Designer: Santiago Sevillano

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ORCA – Nut Cracker by Designnobis & Dr. Hakan Grsu

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Journalist| Leave a comment

Orcas aren’t known for their nut cracking skills but that doesn’t mean kitchen utensils shouldn’t be modeled after them. This ORCA is adorable. Clad in trademark black and white, the ORCA nut cracker makes it easy and fun to crack open even the toughest nuts. Silicon surfaces make it easy to grip and the internal mechanism can crack nuts of almost any size. So cute!

Designer: Designnobis & Dr. Hakan Grsu

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