Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Literally! The Tesla T1 concept, designed for electric Le Mans racing of the future, has wicked styling. However, it’s what’s in the wheels that makes it special.

The design of each free-standing wheel is strictly based on the Gorlov wind turbine concept which allows air to be channeled from any angle. This eolic system was integrated to provide an independent air suction turbine in each of the four wheels. This canalizes the air through ducts leading to a larger 5th and final turbine at the rear of the vehicle. Here, the streams merge and are pushed out with incredible force. In combination with the electric drive, this means more acceleration and more power… it’s the holy grail of renewable energy!

Designer: Omar Alfarra Zendah

Water makes your skin glow, but water makes this bottle grow! The insanely convenient Que bottle is handy and fits right in your bag or backpack when you need it to be portable. However, a single pull turns it from a 8oz (250ml) bottle to a 20oz (600ml) bottle, allowing it to hold more than double its previous volume. The helix design of the bottle (along with a wonderfully vibrant silicone construction) allows the Que to spring from a tiny, incredibly handy bottle, to a large, more accommodating vessel.

Made out of BPA Free Silicone, the Que bottle isn’t just a shape-shifting delight, it’s also healthier for you as well as the environment. The Silicone is reusable and can hold hot as well as cold liquids (Plastics tend to give off toxins) safely. It also is rather durable, unlike metal bottles that dent and scratch. Armed with a stainless-steel cap that provides an air-tight seal, preventing spillages… the Que bottle comes with a wide neck, allowing you to store pretty much anything in it. The Que is also dishwasher safe, effectively becoming the most ideal bottle you’ll ever own (and proudly/conveniently carry with you). That’s the long and short of it!

Designer: Que

BUY IT HERE: $14.99 $25.00

You can read the weather… OR you can feel it! That’s the idea behind this imaginative concept by Ellie Zeng. Rather than look to the TV, a newspaper, or app to tell you whether you should bundle up or sport your shorts, this clever design recreates the outdoor conditions in a compact microclimate that you can feel with your hands before venturing outside.

The top section features visual indicators of the weather in the form of sun, clouds, rain and snow. Near the bottom, users can actually feel a breeze, rain drops, ice crystals and the exact temperature so they know how to dress for the day. The weeks entire forecast is conveniently displayed on the easy-to-read interface so you can feel just what kind of week it’s going to be!

Designer: Ellie Zeng

As far as virtual reality has come, the goggles haven’t quite caught up to speed. Unlike regular bulky VR goggles, MILD introduces a more friendlier, more familiar way to enjoy VR.

They’re designed to look similar to sunglasses so people can imagine wearing them in everyday life. Made of plastic and clad in soft fabric, they’re inviting, even soothing, to wear. Simply attach the ergonomic, one-size-fits-all strap, and BAM! You’ll be in a whole new world… and quite comfortably at that!

Designer: Heejin Youn

I’m waiting for 2020 to get here fast, because from the looks of it, we’re going to have some great looking cars around! The Porsche 911E concept for the year 2020 is quite a beauty to look at. Everything about it echoes grace and power at the same time. The concealed wheel design is a reminiscent of the Rolls Royce Vision 100 concept we saw last year, and honestly, I prefer this look to the future where we have hub-less wheels.

The butterfly doors are a wonderful addition to the automobile’s design, but I can’t seem to get my eyes off the retractable spoiler at the back, which disguises itself as an opening to the boot. Upon hitting high speeds, the flap automatically raises upwards, making the Porsche 911E look like quite the speed devil!

Designer: Emre Husmen

This Dino Ice Cream is literally all types of cool! Designed to resemble a dinosaur fossil trapped in ice or amber, the redesigned stick and the ice-cream shape complement each other beautifully to make this dessert prehistorically palatable!

Available in 3 flavors (Orange, Strawberry, and Grape) these Dino Ice candies are perfectly playful treats for the hot summers! Ice candy on the outside, with a prehistoric dinosaur trapped inside. No preservatives included!

Designers: Sasha B. Perelman & Katya Mushkina.

Sometimes even the simplest products can prove to be rather complex for people with disabilities. For example, take the person in a wheelchair. Stairs, high cabinets, the placement of door handles or latches, basin/sinks, etc., all of these can prove to be rather user-unfriendly.

Designer Hyunsu Park tackles the problem of hand-dryers that when placed at normal height, become a usability nightmare for people in wheelchairs. If bathrooms can have disability access, why should the hand-dryer be an exception? The Universal Hand Dryer accounts for both standing as well as seated patrons, by pushing a concentrated stream of air upward as well as downward. This allows both the abled as well as disabled people to effectively dry their hands by placing them near the most conveniently located air-source!

The Universal Hand Dryer has been the recipient of many international awards, including the iF Design Award, the IDEA Award, and the Golden Pin Design Award!

Designer: Hyunsu Park