GIVE DESIGN A CHANCE

AJ cutlery by Arne Jacobsen (1957)

Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen (1948)

After winning the Museum of Modern Art Organic Design Competition with Charles Eames for their experiments with bent plywood in 1941, Eero Saarinen was eager to continue exploring the possibilities of a chair that achieved comfort through the shape of its shell, not the depth of its cushioning. Initially, he began the investigation with designs for smaller fiberglass task chairs, but changed direction when Florence Knoll approached him and asked, “Why not take the bull by the horns and do the big one first? I want a chair that is like a basket full of pillows…something I can curl up in.” While that’s not exactly where Saarinen ended up, the suggestion inspired one of the most iconic, and comfortable, chairs of the modern furniture movement.

Stack Printer by Mugi Yamamoto

When printing, “Stack” slowly moves downwards and swallows the pile until no paper is left. The paper disappears under the printer and exits on top, where it creates a new pile.

Thanks to this new way of printing it is possible to remove the paper tray, the bulkiest element in common printers. This concept allows a very light appearance and avoids frequent reloading.

Bike Lift & Carry by Aleksandr Mukomelov

Bike Lift&Carry is designed for city commuters and allows easy lifting and comfortable carrying of a bicycle or e-bike as if it was a shoulder bag.

High quality belt length fixation mechanism provides comfortable usage for any person tall and bicycle dimensions. The hook used to fix the belt on the bicycle handlebar is easily fixed on the bottom part of device housing with the help of special silicone catch.

Designed by Apple - Intention

What do we want people to feel? According to this video, that's what Apple design team ask themselves before starting to design a new product. But is that so?

Jony Ive was quoted several times remarking how every new project is started by searching for “its design “story”—that is, by asking himself, What’s the story of this product?”

"Developing the design story was an essential first step in conceiving something entirely new. “As industrial designers we no longer design objects,” Jony said. “We design the user’s perceptions of what those objects are, as well as the meaning that accrues from their physical existence, their function and the sense of possibility they offer.”

While designing the first iMac, the design team at Apple "didn’t start with engineering dictates,” Jony said. “We actually started with people.”

They discussed topics like “objects that dispense positive emotions”; one of the designers suggested a transparent gumball dispenser as an example of this. The IDg also discussed how other businesses, like the fashion industry, might approach the problem. “We talked about companies like Swatch—companies that broke the rules—that viewed technology as a way to the consumer, not the consumer as the path to the technology,” Jony said."

Of course, this is no news for here industrial designers that will relate all of this topics to the framing of the project: every product that is designed needs to fulfill a purpose, to be used on some environment and of course be related to the people that's going to use it. So, in this way, isn't to design something questioning firstly "what do we want people to feel?" a fair way to proceed?

FoldPot by Emanuele Pizzolorusso

Halo Light by Pensar and Illumagear

The numbers don't lie: In 2012, 4,628 construction workers were killed on the job from a number of hazards—falls, scaffold collapse, electric shock, failure to use proper personal equipment. 

The HALO Light is an LED light ring that attaches to a number of hard hat styles for increased visibility. Unlike other single-sourced headlamps, the HALO light provides visibility on all sides of a worker. Futhermore, it needs no tools and is fast to install/remove.

Flare pans by Tom Povey for Lakeland

Povey's radical-looking cast-aluminum Flare line, which UK kitchenware brand Lakeland began selling last week, employs something you see on turbines: Fins. These carry the heat from the base to the sides more efficiently, reportedly cooking food some 44% faster than a conventional pan. And a conventional pan requires 40% more energy to achieve the same results as you'd get with a Flare pan, making it ideal both for camping—less gas to carry—as well as appealing to kitchenbound consumers for both the energy savings and the evenness of the cooking.

Happy Industrial Design day!

Skylino - Child Restraint System for use in aircraft by Karsten Willman

The idea for Skylino was based on modern flight seats with 3-point belt (like in cars), which offers the opportunity to include a child-restraint system to secure the child in front of its parent. After reaching the travel flight altitude, the shoulder belt can be removed, which then allows the infant to be placed in a kind of hammock position. The parent is then able to move and relax.

If there is an emergency, the parent simply needs to unlock the belt and get up with the child, being able to leave the aircraft as quickly as the other passengers.

11-Year-Old Makes An Unbreakable, Spill-Proof Cup For Her Ailing Grandfather

When Lily Born noticed her grandfather, who suffers from parkinson's, was spilling his drinks, she decided to design him a better cup. The young entrepreneur is now selling her product on kickstarter.

LAB.C Cable Case by Yougin Koh

Smartphone is an essential product in our life today. However, one inconvenient weakness is that the battery discharges so quickly. It is annoying to bring both a cable and an adapter. 

An 8-pin USB cable is stored in a grooved part at the back of the case. So users can charge their mobile phone anywhere they get to an USB slot.

KLIPPA - Prosthetic Leg for Rock Climbers by Kai Lin

Inspired by mountain goats and their exceptional climbing ability, KLIPPA is a prosthetic leg design for amputee rock climbers. Its unique features augment human capabilities and challenge the limitations of existing prosthetic legs, allowing amputees to climb more efficiently and comfortably.

Nescafé Alarm Cap

Nescafé Alarm Cap it’s a limited edition 3D-printed cap that glows and plays different sounds to awaken you. When you screw off the cap, the alarm turns off and you get the smell of coffee instead.

Although it's a clever concept, the Nescafé Alarm Cap it's purely promotional and isn't exactly going to hit supermarket shelves any time soon.