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British design collective Ma3t designed this amusing Pinch Hold Mug. It very purposefully lacks a handle, as it’s targeted at rock climbers. “With a Pinch Hold Mug, even when your relaxing with a cuppa, you’ll be getting a little bit stronger.” “These first editions are not graded for difficulty, but […]
Here’s what we looked at this week: Here’s what we looked at this week: Toyota’s shipping-container-inspired Kayoibako, a reconfigurable minivan EV concept. Researchers at ETH Zurich have produced a brilliant leaning wheelchair design that’s easier to steer and takes less energy to use. Low-tech bike storage: The Kradl is an […]
The Ingo Task Chair, by Curve ID When Colombian furniture company MUMA sought to produce a new office chair, they turned to ID consultancy Curve ID. MUMA’s brief was both wide open and challenging: ‘Design a task chair to bolster market share in South America, whilst considering international expansion’. Our […]
In North Vancouver, Canada, a black bear regularly wanders through the neighborhood at night. Residents are tolerant, but one point of frustration for Curt Scheewe is that the bear frequently breaks through his fence while searching for food. And this has been going on for years. “I would spend time […]
This week Apple unveiled their new Mac mini, which they’ve somehow shrunk down to just 5″ square. The company says the tiny size was enabled both by the design of a power-efficient chip, and via “innovative thermal architecture, which guides air to different levels of the system, while all venting […]
Research assistants at ETH Zurich’s Laboratory for Movement Biomechanics have identified a problem common to users of manual wheelchairs. Reto Togni and Stefan Villiger learned that wheelchair users have to constantly correct course, putting undue strain on their shoulders and occasionally causing injury. When rolling across a surface that’s tilted […]
Here’s what we looked at this week: This low-tech urban communication device is a warning bell for runners. What functional benefit does this Tmice X Modular Keyboard confer? Simple, useful product design for tradespeople: The Pitch Hopper. Ross Lovegrove’s stunning 3D-printed door handles for JNF. The Instant Magny 35 is a film camera attachment that […]
Based on MIT research, a company called Bright developed Beacon40, a light technology that “could significantly reduce toxic beta-amyloid levels in the brain, a major factor in cognitive decline.” To turn this into a product aimed at those struggling with Alzheimer’s, Bright turned to ID consultancy Y Studios. BEACON40® therapy […]
This Mira Select Flex Mixer Shower is designed for those with accessibility issues and the visually impaired. The design uses both high-contrast visuals and purposeful shapes to improve the UX. The controls have been separated into three easy-to-manipulate controls. The loop handle controls the temperature, with easy-to-read markings and colors. […]
For guitarists it’s the Guitar Pick Pocket, for smokers, the Zippo Pocket. The rest of us colloquially refer to the fifth pocket in a pair of jeans as the coin pocket, and in an age of declining cash transactions, the pocket no longer has much of a use. Candy company […]