Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

It seems like every automaker is venturing into crossover SUV territory these days. There’s the beautiful Bentley Bentayga, the lux Maserati Levante, and the Porsche Macan leading the pack. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time until we see something from, say, Bugatti?! The Intruder concept explores what we might expect in the way of an SUV from the legendary sports car brand.

The Intruder has channeled the same signature aesthetic that looks as if one car is emerging from the nose of another car. You’ll also find the familiar, though slightly elongated, side vents and grill. Where there are roof scoops on the Veyron, the Intruder features similarly placed overhead lighting – a nice functional SUV accent that adds a bit of sportiness.

As far as practicality goes, there’s only room for 2! While this is typically Bugatti, it might not live up to the expectations of those in the market for a CUV. It’s also a bit soft and bordering on small. We like the direction, but it leaves us wondering… is it mean enough for Bugatti?!

Designer: Narendra Singh

Distinctly shaped like a cigar, the Clip Pen by Schon DSGN is modern and classic both at the same time.

It’s somewhat innately pleasing to own a pen that was specifically made from scratch just for you. The Clip Pen isn’t a factory-line product, mass-manufactured for the millions of style-pursuers of the world, but rather each pen is machined separately, and made with care, on-site in Boston. The pen comes 5 years in making and the wildly popular first variant didn’t feature a pocket clip, so the latest version, like its name suggests, features a screwed-on pocket clip that steps up the pen’s carry-ability, making it fit to be an integral, indispensable part of your EDC.

The pen comes in two material variants. One can opt for a polished/anodized aluminum build or a stainless steel construction. There’s even a titanium variant for special requests (I understand there are many!). The pen’s design embodies the classic style where the cap comes off the tip and fits on the back. It uses a screw mechanism for unscrewing and re-screwing and features a stylishly contrasting brass insert on the back that can be easily removed to access the pen’s refill. About half an inch in diameter, the pen feels great to hold and weighing in at 1.2 oz, virtually perfect for a pen its size. The clip, rather than being CNC machined, is made from bent steel and is fastened to the cap with two domed star bit screws, providing a rather reliable grip and promising not to deform/bend/break with time. Armed with a Fisher Space Pen refill, the Clip Pen promises to write effortlessly anywhere and in any conditions (even underwater or upside down), and will undeniably look stylish while doing so!

Designer: Ian Schon of Schon DSGN

BUY NOW: $45.00 $66.00

The cap conceals the front of the pen and unscrews to post on the back, transforming the 4″ long 1/2″ diameter pen into a comfortable length of 5-3/4″. The writing portion of the pen is .350″ diameter for a comfortable grip. The clip is made from stainless steel and is robust yet not too thick. The length of the clip is optimized for a visually balanced look while also being able to hold a 1″ length of material inside of it.

There’s even a “screwdriver” feature into the clip itself. The final bend on the end of the clip so that it sticks out just enough to be able to remove the set screw from the back of the pen.

BUY NOW: $45.00 $66.00

If you’re like me and “run hot” all the time, you’ll love Evapolar! It’s a personal air cooler you can use to create your very own microclimate. No more fighting coworkers over the thermostat for the right temperature inside the office or sweating the night away next to a spouse who’s always cold. Using only the same energy consumption as a lightbulb, it cools you where it counts… in your immediate comfort zone!

Better yet, it also doubles and triples as a humidifier and air purifier. Control your allergies and breath easier by putting it right next to a bed, desk or sofa. Just plug, pour, and power on for healthier air!

Designer: Eugene Dubovoy

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BUY NOW

Those circular mirrors at the end of driveways, in narrow alleys and around blind curves are great and all… but the same reflection that aims to prevent collisions also tends to blend in to surroundings, making them near invisible to unfamiliar drivers! The Mirror Warning system features an additional layer of visibility to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

Instead of a full concave mirror, it’s divided into half with the upper section being fitted with an red and green LED system. When a pedestrian or cyclist is approaching, the light flashes red to indicate the oncoming car to slow and stop. When the pedestrian or cyclist has passed, the light switches to green to indicate clear and safe entry through the passage. It’s a simple adjustment to a common product that goes a long way to save lives and prevent accidents!

Designers: Yen Ting Chen & Jeffrey Wang

That entire proverb of big things coming in small packages just got proven by OUTAD’s travel stove. This tiny yet mighty stove can sit in your hand when folded up, and when you pull out the extendable legs, you have yourself a rather convenient stove that hooks to any isobutane gas supply (you can even get adapters that allow you to use butane or propane tanks).

The design of the OUTAD was envisioned with outdoor usage in mind. It comes with a 360° wind-guard that keeps the fire burning no matter how windy it is outside. It comes crafted in stainless steel, weighs just over half a pound, and fits into a 4 inch X 4 inch box. And you’re still hacking away like a troglodyte at tree branches to make your primitive campfire. Tut-tut…

Designer: OUTAD

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BUY NOW

Gone are the days of the pink glow-stache! The Amp ushers in a new age for the ever-expanding ride-sharing organization. It sits elegantly on the dashboard of the car with the identity facing outwards. Designed as a beacon for not just helping create an identity for Lyft cabs, it also helps cabs and riders connect to each other.

The last 50 feet of the pickup are the most difficult as the GPS on one’s phone doesn’t offer pin-point accuracy. It’s also difficult for drivers to identify riders, and for riders to spot their car among the line of automobiles on the road. The Amp acts as a beacon, lighting up with its 160 RGB LEDs in a certain color configuration. The rider just has to look for the car with the color configuration that matches the one showing on their app. This system works wonderfully since it allows viewers to discern color rather than number plates, providing an interaction that usually takes milliseconds.

The Amp also has an LED matrix of 120 LEDs that light up to greet the rider, or show the names of the riders. An added use for the matrix also helps in promotion or custom greetings based on events and festivals. Touted as a modern day reinterpretation of the Taxi light (possibly the most iconic element of traditional taxis after their yellow color), the Amp comes from design Studio Ammunition, best known for their formative work for Beats by Dre. The Lyft Amp is a winner of the Core77 Design Award for the year 2017.

Designer: Ammunition Group (for Lyft)

Here’s a traveling woe I faced while I was outside the country. Not knowing what the foreign country’s climate was like, I decided to take a stroll around the city, finally getting stuck in a downpour. Not knowing the language, I ended up having to walk back to my hotel. My clothes were suitably drenched (new shoes too) and my hotel room just left me with a hair-dryer. I spent the next three hours of my day watching reruns of Seinfeld while I blow-dried my clothes.

The thing is that you can wash clothes without a washing-machine. However, to effectively dry them, you need either the sun (not very reliable) and a clothes line (not very portable), or a drier/drier-service. An iron also helps, but irons aren’t great replacements for driers. The YOLO concept drier proposes something rather radical, but I can only hope that it materializes into a real product. Heck, I’d crowdfund it! The Yolo is a super-thin drier that collapses to be packed easily. However, when needed, one can open it out and use it to dry out, freshen up, and de-crease garments.

With barely the space footprint of a laptop, the dryer can be easily carried with luggage, effectively eliminating the need to carry ‘extra’ clothes for when the other ones are in the wash. Clothes can be easily hand-washed, and then dried out in the YOLO. And let’s just say I’m loving the name. Don’t spend three hours of your life blow-drying your clothes in a foreign country when you can have them dried in a portable drier. You only live once, don’t you?

Designers: SungIl Kim & Lee Eunbi.