Archive for November, 2008
Slimdesk Hides All Your Office Supply Unmentionables
By yanko at 25 November, 2008, 11:12 pm
Another practical furniture design from Manuelsaez, the Slimdesk reconfigures a desk’s drawers top open on the top of the desk, rather than the sides. Also hiding a power strip and USB ports beneath its cherry veneer, the desk takes everything in to account, even using one of its hollow legs for cable management. Now if it only came with a IV caffeine drip and a bed pan, I would never have to leave my desk. Designer: Manuelsaez No Tags
Read More >>Skinny Phone Fits Skinny Jeans
By yanko at 25 November, 2008, 10:35 pm
I know this phone doesn’t have a lot going for it, being concepted before the current spate of touchscreen wonder gadgets, but I’ve always had a hankering for longer, skinnier phones that won’t make pockets bulge. The designer, David Turpin, is based out of France, which might explain his preference for more elegant form factors. Designer: David Turpin David Turpin
Read More >>Unisex Wallet – Dosh Wallet Review
By yanko at 25 November, 2008, 9:21 pm
Women have their purses and men have their wallets – so the stereotype goes. However in this day and age, we are seeing more and more unisex items made available that touch both the feminine and masculine side of all of us. I have to be honest here, my man’s wallets, they have always seemed so boring and plain. I was searching online a couple of months back for a nice new wallet upgrade to give my hunny for Christmas this year, and stumbled upon these guys: Dosh - Wallet as Art . I couldn’t quit looking at the variety of groovy styled wallets available. The super friendly guys over at Dosh were kind enough to send me a little variety package of their wallets. When I opened the box and looked at the individualized packaging of each style, I became quite overwhelmed and couldn’t make the decision which one to try out first. After choosing one, I began to grab the money and cards from my boring little wallet and start placing them in the Dosh. I set out to the stores for a little retail therapy and an opportunity to show off my Dosh. When I whipped out the Dosh at the register, everyone did a second take and even asked me where I got it. Over the course of the past month, this retail therapy session was repeated. With each new wallet came new comments and compliments. I felt like the “it” girl around my neighborhood. The cool thing about these wallets is that they are made of a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane which makes them soft, water-resistant and gives them a longer life. Is there a Dosh purse in the near future? Good-bye dirty, pealing, cheap leather wallets, hello Dosh! What we liked: Variety of styles offered Variety of colors Incredible individualized packaging Flexibility Water-resistant Unique design both interior and exterior What could be improved: More inserts to place cards A little difficult to remove bills that are placed inside the wallet Designers: Henri Spaile & Mark Armstrong [ Buy It Here ] (left to right: model 001, 003 & 002) No Tags
Read More >>The Intensity of Small-Scale Weight
By yanko at 25 November, 2008, 7:44 pm
The simplest of devices need love, too. Here Emir Rifat Isik’s done some nice love for the kitchen scale. Three buttons, a flashy orange ring, and light, bright display screen. With so few features, each bit must be perfect and precise. Does this make the cut? Behold the intense description of this apple weigher by its designer, Emir Rifat Isik: The body functions as a measure when it is taken out from the weight panel. It can tare, show the time and make gram/cal exchange. It provides smaller space for storage that weight panel and the body are pulled through each other. It facilitates weight process and interface usage that control panel and weight panel are placed apart. The aim is to provide maximum usage facility in minimum space. By means of sensory mil weight, it measures the moment of the approaching surface and exchanges it for unit of measurement. Interface consists of three buttons and at the sama time these buttons are used to set the hour data. When the part on the lower panel is to be folded, it is positted on the coaxial gap on the acrylic part. The orange-coloured circle is a visual complement that ensures us placing the things to be weighted on the very middle point. Surely simple and nice to peek at. What features make an epic scale? Designer: Emir Rifat Isik Emir Rifat Isik
Read More >>IVY, The Organic Lamp Shade
By yanko at 25 November, 2008, 7:40 pm
It can be difficult to innovate when everything seems to have been done before, and most creatives would be familiar with the approach of product A + product B = innovation!. Nine times out of ten this will result in a boring concept of pseudo innovation and is thus generally frowned upon. Occasionally though it does actually produce some pretty good results. The IVY lamp by designers Izabela Cichecka and Marcela Kawka would be one such example. The LED lamp is planted into a flowerpot, and a plant is then grown around the LED’s forming an organic lamp shade. Here’s what the designers have to say about IVY; “IVY is a home source of light made from LED’s. The Lamp consists of modules. Connecting them we decide the form and size of the lamp. The base of the lamp is a flowerpot, in which we are planting plants like ivy. The light is penetrating through the leaves of the plant, creating interesting lighting effects and the unique mood in the interior. the design is our attempt to combine nature with technology, two seemingly unfamiliar worlds.” Designers: Izabela Cichecka & Marcela Kawka Izabela Cichecka , Marcela Kawka
Read More >>A Sink-Plate for Lazy Disgusting People
By yanko at 25 November, 2008, 4:50 pm
You’re a sink-eater? Come on. That’s just nasty. Sometimes things are designed for the people who just love to eat their hunks over the wash-bowl. This is a plate for your dinner-table or TV-dinner that -by the looks of it- is a sink, drain and all. But wait- if they can’t take the time to get a plate out, why would they take the time to buy a sink-plate? Sherwood Lee is a disgusting, horrible person, and a designer: One of the best practices in the world is eating over the sink. It’s comfortable. It’s casual. It’s quick. And most importantly, there are no dishes to wash up afterwards. But then there are some who oppose this method of eating, namely, those with so-called “manners”. Oftentimes, those people are our significant others. So, what to do if you’re fond of dining over the sink, but have to do it in secret for fear of being reprimanded for trying to enjoy your meal? For the pro Eating-Over-The-Sink camp, there’s nothing quite like eating over the sink, but there’s a close second with the Sink Plate. It’s a plate that resembles the bottom of a sink, so you can escape the nagging without losing sight of your most beloved dining venue. For the anti Eating-Over-The-Sink crowd, the Sink Plate is a better way of weening your loved one away from the sink than loud words and furrowed brows. Available in ceramic or steel sink styles with sink strainer decal. JK! Mr. Lee is not a disgusting designer. In fact, Mr. Lee is a return-champion, with several posts up on Yanko with several thousand hits! Check him out with a [Yanko Search] ! This project is gross, though. Yuckers! Designer: Sherwood Lee Sherwood Lee
Read More >>Skate Shortens Your Commute, Possibly Life Span
By yanko at 24 November, 2008, 11:04 pm
There are certain gadgets that are simply too cool not to do something dangerous with. Case in point, “Skate” from Matteo Gentile adds an electric motor to a stripped down hybrid of a skateboard and snowboard bindings, creating something altogether different, dangerous and cool. Ostensibly created for regular transport and short commutes, I think we all know what was going through Matteo’s mind when he sketched this bad boy out. Designer: Matteo Gentile Matteo Gentile
Read More >>A Lounge Fit for Captain Kirk
By yanko at 24 November, 2008, 10:40 pm
I know I’m not the only one salivating over the forthcoming Star Trek movie, so to appease our mutual appetites for the franchise reset I present the Daybed from Manuelsaez. Designed for its client Humanscale, Manuelsaez attempted to prevent unhealthy postures born of coffee table and couch computing. Although Intended for light home office use, anyone with one of these in their den is definitely putting in extra hours on the ol’ intertubes. Designer: Manuelsaez No Tags
Read More >>Rainbow Star Cutey Review
By yanko at 24 November, 2008, 10:29 pm
About a month ago, I had the pleasure of receiving the Rainbow Star Cutey by Lumenworks. I have a major weakness for groovy lighting, especially ones that change colors. This sweet little beast of a light is a smaller version to Lumenworks Rainbow Star light. Its base is made of metal and the transparent acrylic top is the icing on the cake for this little beauty. When I plugged it in the first time, I made sure that I was in a dark room where no light could enter in. The treat I received once the Rainbow Star Cutey started its rotation of colors left me relaxed and oddly enough, feeling quite cheerful. I couldn’t wait for the rest of my family to take part in this delightful eye treat. Needless to say, I have become quite addicted to its soothing effects and when I want to just chill and release the stresses of the day, I turn off the lights and turn on the Cutey. Not only would this little jewel be good for mellowing out, but put on some lively music, dim the lights just a hair and liven the ambience of your party. Lumenworks is a lighting company in Japan. They are recognized as being an eco-friendly company – Yay Lumenworks! – All of their illumination is from LED which results in conservation of energy as well as a longer lighting lifespan. What We Liked: The smooth transitioning of the light effects The compact size The vibrancy of the colors Green company What could be improved: More color options The time between color changes would be better if it was increased Designer: LumenWorks Design [ Buy It Here ] No Tags
Read More >>Steel in the Desert
By yanko at 24 November, 2008, 7:19 pm
Continuing our meme of unconventional homes, we direct your attention to Blank Studio’s Xeros Residence. Completed in 2005, this house uses its location in Phoenix, Arizona, to maximum effect. Positioned on a narrow lot, the house is composed of two long bars stacked one upon the other. Long banks of glass allow for great vistas, and the location of the main living space on the second floor maximizes the view. The best part is the rusted perforated steel scrim that covers sections of the house, offering both shade and an elegant take on industrial buildings of the Wild West. It’s an elegant take on the raw beauty of the desert. Designer: Blank Studio No Tags
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