Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

This Bang & Olufsen audio concept explores the softer side of Bluetooth speakers. Its textile clad exterior gives it texture and softness you can’t keep your hands off. Better yet, it provides a protective cushion against vibrations, falls and drops. Easier and more efficient to produce in aesthetic variety, there’s a pattern and fabric to suit everyone’s taste.

Designer: Evan Huang

They say the most useful camera is the one that’s with you… and that’s undoubtedly your phone. A major percentage of videos uploaded online are now being shot through phone cameras, so it makes sense to be able to make them look as professional as possible. Shoulderpod’s series of phone/camera rigs work beautifully to not just give you a stable shooting platform, but also allow you to connect various peripherals to your shooting device.

Shoulderpod makes a variety of shooting rigs and the X1 (shown below) is by far the most stable and accommodating of them all. With a completely modular set-up, that fits into the smallest of carrying cases, the X1 can be assembled in a configuration that suits you the best. Its vice-grip works with pretty much any phone (so if you’re planning to get the iPhone 8 releasing on Tuesday, you can still use it!) or even camera, like the GoPro or Sony’s recently launched RXO. The X1 also lets you mount everything else from mini light panels, viewfinders, to even microphones… and the entire set-up can be carried by hand (in a single or double handle configuration) or even mounted to a tripod for perhaps the most professionally shot mobile phone videos. What’s best is that once you’re done, the X1 dismantles completely, fitting into a slick case that slides right into any bag you may have. Looking for something a tad bit smaller? Shoulderpod’s S2 and R2 may just hit the sweet spot!

Designers: Enrique Frisancho & Ana María Vicens of Shoulderpod

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That’s the name of the game! “Clean Cut Cook” is a far-out appliance eliminates the need for… well… just about everything else in the kitchen. It’s a futuristic concept that serves as the prep station, cooking hob, and sink all at once!

But how? The magic lies in the transforming, flexible surface that shape-shifts depending on the user’s needs. One minute, it’s a rigid surface for slicing and dicing veggies. The next, it’s a heated frying pan. Then, a washbasin for rinsing your dishes and cleaning up!

Designers: Li Tengye, Xiong Tao, Ding Wenjia & Liu Chengjing

What if the very materials used to construct a building could be used to power that same building? That’s the idea behind Solar Squared – it’s solar power creation and building in one… and it looks damn good!

Almost indistinguishable from the common architectural element, they allow light indoors while simultaneously reducing heat and collecting solar energy. As far as sustainability goes, Solar Squared’s lifetime costs are actually less than an glass block wall of the same size due to the free electricy generation and improved thermal insulation. The cubes can also be tinted to prevent rooms overheating and are available in a variety of colors depending on the client’s aesthetic taste.

Designer: Build Solar

Even when you have your eyesight, cooking can be a daunting task! For those with vision impairments, it’s next to impossible. Folks, however, is a series of familiar kitchen tools adjusted to blind individuals’ sensory strengths. Each of the 5 tools leverages on natural, sensory feedback and tactile cues so users can prepare food safely with independence, confidence and dignity.

Designer: Kevin Chiam

KNIFE: features a retractable guard that serves as a physical anchor and guides the fingers during the cutting process. This encourages blade contact and makes it safer to use. It also makes it possible to clean any food that may be stuck to be easily cleared from the blade.

CHOPPING BOARD: features a side tray that rests freely on the sides of the chopping board’s valley. This acts as an extension of the hand to gather and efficiently transfer ingredients with less spillage.

STOVE RING: has a terraced profile that allows the user to effectively recognize the burner’s boundaries, eliminating unnecessary probing. It also centralizes and secures cookware in place during the cooking process to prevent topples and spills.

POT LID: provides a convenient nesting spot for kitchen tools or ingredients. An ergonomic handle and dipped shape also make it easy to transfer food.

TEASPOON: features an integrated float that rises as liquids are added into a given vessel. When the float touches the user’s fingers, which are normally situated near the rim of the vessel, it informs the water level and prevents contents from overflowing.