Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Big brother to the Oco1 currently for sale, the Oco2 now features self-learning, a full HD camera, hybrid storage, a handy magnetic base and even two-way talk! Place it on any wall or surface in your home to keep a watchful eye on the goings on directly from your smartphone.

The magnetic base allows you to position the angle of the camera in virtually any direction and change it quickly and easily to adapt to different spaces. HD and Cloud storage ensure your data is always accessible, even if thieves decided to run away with your Oco2. The self-learning feature actually gets to know your space and can differentiate between pets, lighting and other elements to prevent false alarms and only alert you when something serious is going on. Smart push notifications let you know about distinct changes at your home, and not just a truck driving by or a light turning on. If you want to check on the status of your home or activate functions, you can even talk directly to Oco2!

Designer: Etienne Bougeot

I get these mixed feelings when I see brilliant design. I’m awed by it but at the same time, I’m jealous for not thinking of something similar before. That’s the beauty of Bicycle Guardians, it’s simple, it’s brilliant, and it has this thing I call the “Aha moment”, which is what you feel when you see a design that adrenalizes your brain. Bicycle Guardians is a brilliant way to lock your bike without having to invest in a separate, obtrusive locking device. P.S. How ugly are those godawful bike chains!

The Bicycle Guardians reinvents the humble little bike pedal by making it the very device that locks your bike. Without changing the appearance of the pedal at all, designer Qi Qiu adds a brilliant value to that little chunk of plastic under our feet that we take for granted. The Pedal’s outer form revolves on an axis, allowing it to swivel inwards and lock on the bike frame, making it impossible to pedal the bike in the first place. A keyhole is probably the only visual change that’s brought to the pedal, which allows you to lock or unlock the pedal’s ‘U’ shaped lock-piece. Isn’t it just the most elegant, and unsuspectingly awesome design solution you’ve seen?

Designer: Qi Qiu

Sure, these days you can listen to any music anywhere at any time… but chances are you’ll experience choice overload and there’s still nothing quite like sharing and discovering tunes with friends and loved ones! Musikbox 1188 encourages this form of sharing between peers and, better yet, you can do it remotely!

The minimalistic design keeps things clean and simple. Four slots can be assigned to four individual friends who can pair their profile to the device. A single light point indicates whether one of the previously assigned friends is listening to music at the moment or not. Then, you can drop a small cylindrical knob into the slot to instantaneous tap into what they’re listening to. The little cylindric knob is magnetically attracted to the round holes, making it fun to play around and skip between slots. This playful, almost toy-like, interaction encourages the user to explore and experience new music while deepening the relationship with each individual!

Designer: Ludwig Rensch

It’s so easy to go out and spend a fortune on a really good-looking pair of shoes. The pair that is in style. Something you will feel fancy wearing, but your feet won’t be feeling so special. That’s one of the double-edged swords of a really cool pair of shoes – sacrificing functionality for fashion.

Shahar Goren, a designer from Holon Institue of Technology in Israel has come up with the idea to design custom-made sandals that are not only fashionable, but stylish too. Goren, like many of us, have seen how easy it is to buy shoes in our “shoe size” but because of the structure of our feet are unique to us as individuals, it really isn’t a “one size fits all in that size” world. Goren’s idea sees making customized orthotics a solution to this problem.

By taking a 3D scan of the foot at the shoe store the customer then chooses the shoe they would like. This scan is then digitally processed at the warehouse, to a CAD file of custom made orthotics. The factory then produces the orthotics, which are then created by a C.N.C. machine automatically. Then within a few days, the shop receives the orthotics for easy placement into the new sandals. Quick, stylish and a customer who feels and looks great at the same time.

The first design idea created by Goren is a sandal collection for women. The sandals include three unique designs. Each design is made from leather for the upper part of the sandal. The footplate consists of two parts – A rubber sole which is formed using injection molding, and the custom made orthotic. The orthotic is made out of polypropylene which is long lasting, but also flexible. The later and the sole are stitched together in a way that is stylish, allowing for the easy insertion of the orthotic. At the heel of the shoe, there is a snap that allows for easy connection of the orthotic to the sole of the shoe. Talk about some fancy, happy feet.

Designer: Shahar Goren

We’re at the cusp of a massive shift from a form-follows-function era to a form-follows-emotion era. Predicted decades ago, by Hartmut Esslinger (Frog Design), products should now tell a story, rather than showcase their functionality. SteamOne embraces that design philosophy by being a vertical clothes steamer that’s also a work of art. Its sculpted style bodes well for the fact that it’s a rather large appliance, meaning it occupies tonnes of visual space in a household. Making it almost sculptural allows one to celebrate the appliance, rather than give it its boring/functional avatar. SteamOne comes with a design that can be cusomized, allowing you to swap functional parts when needed. Each functional part has a separate aesthetic, so when you swap the single hanger for a clothes hook, it essentially takes on a new aesthetic, making it look like a brand new design!

Designer: Charles Garbani