Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

It’s the first week of the year – no better time than now to kick your smartphone addiction! If you’re living life through your phone’s camera lens, it’s time to invest in a Substitute Phone – a fidget device designed to help you get back to living in the real world.

The designer put it best: you’re on the metro and grabbing at your phone at the first sight of seeing someone else receive a message. It’s a bizarre and unhealthy inclination feeding our attention deficit and we’re all guilty of it!

Designed with this in mind, the shape of the Substitute Phone replicates an average smartphone, however, its functions are reduced to the movements we make hundreds of times on a daily basis. Stone beads are incorporated in the body and let you scroll, zoom and swipe so to speak. No digital functions – just the simple, familiar motions. It’s the perfect, therapeutic approach to coping with smartphone withdrawal.

Designer: Klemens Schillinger

There’s something innately calming and beautiful about the ATMOS. Not only does it make the brewing process feel easy, it makes the brewing process LOOK easy too. The fact that the entire product is just two bottles and an intermediary filter unit in an hourglass format feels easy on the eyes, and it’s fun to watch the water literally traverse from one bottle, through the coffee grounds, and into the other, tinted with the golden brown color we’ve known to love!

The ATMOS takes the components required in the pour over brewing process and simplifies them separately and as a whole too. The entire apparatus comes with three bottles (only two are needed for brewing) and a threaded interconnecting module made of stainless steel. The procedure of brewing is literally narrowed down to three steps… Fill, Tamp, and Flip. Each bottle is crafted out of borosilicate glass, with a capacity to store up to 5 espresso shots, and comes with a 28mm threaded neck, although the thread pattern is slightly different from the kind used in regular PET bottles. However, this means the bottles can be cleaned with any regular household bottle cleaner. The intermediary stainless steel (316 marine grade) component comes in two parts that fit together to form the core of ATMOS’s brewing unit, and separate for easy cleaning.

What’s beautiful about the ATMOS is its visual and functional simplicity. It separates the three steps into three zones, letting you fill water in one bottle, pack (tamp) your coffee grounds in the intermediary unit, and flip the apparatus to allow the brew to collect in the empty bottle below. You can adjust the intensity of the brew by changing the ratio of the coffee grounds to the water, while the resulting brew tastes markedly better than most immersion brewers, not just because of the cold brew process, but also because each water drop is made to pass through the coffee, gathering flavor along the way. The ATMOS is also much faster than traditional cold-brew coffee makers and the fact that its shape resembles an hourglass feels like a beautiful bit of visual irony, but at the same time adds a hypnotic beauty to the brewing process while also inspiring patience as you, mesmerised, watch the water travel from one receptacle to another, transforming in color, taste, and aroma along the way.

The ATMOS comes with three borosilicate bottles (with caps), along with the main Stainless Steel interconnecting body. The kit even packs a cleaning brush and a food-safe descaler sachet. Designed to look and feel familiar, the ATMOS has a transparency and an aesthetic that sits well on most tables and kitchen counters. Plus, with the ability to store your brew in two of the three bottles and use the brew for anything from the ever-popular espresso to the humble cappuccino, to even an odd espresso martini, the ATMOS makes cold-brewing an art that’s for every type of coffee lover. With the way the ATMOS looks, you won’t be addicted to just the caffeine, you’ll be addicted to the brewing process too!

Designer: Karl Vaupel

Click here to Buy Now: $140.00 $199.00

Click here to Buy Now: $140.00 $199.00

UPDATE: less than 4 days left, grab yours now!

The helmet, ever since its use by warriors in ancient civilizations, has always been a safety device. The materials have changed through thousands of years, going from metal to leather, to different blends of plastics that help create headgear that’s lightweight and impact resistant… but at its outset, the helmet has always been protective headgear, whether in combat or in sport.

Today, the helmet gets its first true perception makeover as we know it. It retains its properties as protective headgear, but becomes more than just a safety device. It becomes an experience device. The PLY by EcoCell is the world’s first smart helmet designed for the modern day biking experience. Not only is it a resilient and aerodynamic helmet that keeps your head safe, ventilated, and your vision clear, it also integrates into its design a HD dashcam with built in Wi-Fi, and a hands-free bluetooth speaker and microphone set that allows you to communicate with fellow riders.

Click here to Buy Now: $399.00 $570.00

The PLY comes with an HD dashcam built into its design that allows you to capture your ride without having to mount external recording devices. The camera records at a capture angle of 120° at 30fps to ensure you grab everything in your crosshairs. The camera is mounted on the chin, making it more stable than most external mounts that would cantilever a GoPro off the side of your head. The recordings are therefore crisp, steady, and centrally aligned, giving you a better Point-Of-View video. Designed explicitly for your biking needs, the camera outperforms most generic action cameras by also using a GPS to geotag your videos and outlining the route you take! Designed to be more than just a media capturing device, PLY’s on board camera takes a more holistic approach, time-stamping and location-stamping your videos.

Also within the PLY lies its hands-free comms system. A strategically placed microphone, designed to cancel out wind noise and stutter along with left and right speakers, allow bikers to communicate with each other while keeping their eyes on the road. A simple button allows you to take and disconnect incoming calls while you’re encouraged to talk freely as you drive, making sure your conversation doesn’t distract you from your ride. The wireless speakers aboard the PLY can even be used for audio navigation or music playback if you choose.

The design of the helmet cleverly integrates the dashcam, hands-free comms unit, card slot, control panel, and a battery into its construction. What you’re left with is a helmet that looks seamless but hides a lot of smart technology under its hood! The CE and DOT certified helmet also comes built with a fog, scratch and glare resistant sun visor and multiple vents located on the front, top, and back to give you an uninterrupted and comfortable ride experience while always giving safety paramount importance.

The PLY by EcoCell is designed to be greater than the sum of its parts. While most helmets are still perceived as strictly safety devices that require external mounts for action cameras that only capture media or auxiliary communication units, the PLY looks at modern day bike riding as one singular experience that intertwines the need to commute, stay safe, keep in touch, and capture memories. The PLY to the modern day biker is more than just a helmet, it’s a riding experience device!

Click here to Buy Now: $399.00 $570.00

Click here to Buy Now: $399.00 $570.00

At once sculptural and organic, Helen Kontouris’ Botanical Planter Screens provide a sense natural visual separation to indoor and outdoor spaces alike. Unlike formal hedges and trendy vertical gardens, each screen in the collection functions much in the same way as a typical potted plant, keeping maintenance to a minimum, even for those without a refined green thumb.

In 5 distinct shapes, there’s an aesthetic for every taste as well as the possibility to mix and match them for an entirely customized look. Once grown in, they make for excellent visual dividers and acoustic dampening panels whether it’s for an open floor plan workspace or outdoor patio that needs spatial defining. Better yet, you can use your own favorite climbing plant including fruiting vines such as passionfruit, snow pea and climbing tomato!

Designer: Helen Kontouris

Love to read but also a tad forgetful? You need this! It’s called the LastWord and it goes beyond the basic functionality of a bookmark. Not only will it save your page, but it will also mark the precise word you on which you left off. Just adjust the placement and metal tab to indicate the right part. Made from stretchy elastic fabric in a variety of funky colors, they can adapt to any size book and give it a cool suspenders-esque look!

Designer: Piero Quintiliani of PQ Design Studio

I’ve seen a lot of concept cars for the future this year, but none has blown my mind half as much as the transparent pods envisioned by Architecture firm Oiio. The Oto concept is quite literally something out of this world. The concept is developed for use in Los Angeles which they claim is “notorious for its private car-based transportation.”

Given the idea that these private car-based transportation methods are wasting valuable seats, boot space and engine utility – the guys down in Oiio asked the question “What if we were able to dissect a working car into working components which could be utilized according to given circumstances?”

A bizarre notion at first was swiftly turned into an exciting outcome. Separating these three elements, Oto gives each LA resident their own cabin and using an AI control circuit – a temporary assembly unit can be constructed, providing the user with the necessary needs on demand. With this, Oiio said, “Los Angeles would then be able to invite its people, and visitors to streets liberated from the old overflow of vehicles and ready to accommodate their “exact” needs, no more, no less.”

Designer: Oiio

Providing rehabilitation to the kneecap, the Kneesup goes the extra mile by also coming with a health tracker in it. The lightweight device comes made of fabric, filled with air inside, not only cushioning the knee area but also making sure it doesn’t add any extra weight to the joint. Its ambidextrous nature allows it to be used on either leg with equal comfort and ease.

Designed to not only protect and prevent the kneecap from early stage degenerative arthritis but to also help wearers monitor their stats, the Kneesup comes with a small tracker that snaps onto the fabric sleeve that sits around your knee. Pairing with an app, the tracker allows you to track workouts and therapy sessions while also making sure you can monitor your health. So as to avoid confusion, the Kneesup comes with two separate easily swappable trackers for left and right knees. Providing physical as well as technical support, the Kneesup uses a software-hardware co-design that creates a smart rehabilitation experience!

The Kneesup is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2017.

Designer: Liu Yan-Fu

So far the only caveat with being outdoorsy is the lack of access to power. We’re a generation that loves the outdoors but is addicted to electronics… So, what do you do when you need electric power outdoors? You resort to solar panels… and then suddenly it’s sunset. Solar panels only work for half the day when the sun is out, making them useful only 50% of the time. Blue Freedom opts for something that’s much more consistent. Hydel power.

Designed to be the most portable hydroelectric power plant made by man, the Blue Freedom comes with a turbine and a battery that fit into each other. The turbine can be detached and placed in any river, rivulet, or stream. The rushing water turns the turbine, converting motion into electrical energy which gets stored in the donut-shaped battery unit. The battery’s donut shape solves a double purpose. Not only does it make it easy to store the turbine when not in use, the donut even helps secure the battery unit to a branch or a rock by looping it around.

With the hydroelectric power supply, you’re consistently provided with power that you can use to charge all your devices. The Blue Freedom comes armed with a speed charging as well as a regular charging USB port. The battery on the inside is a 5000mAh lithium polymer battery and can even be charged via microUSB instead of via hydroelectric power.

In its entirety, the Blue Freedom sits at just 20cm wide and weighs just 0.8lbs, making it the tiniest and lightest Hydropower Plant yet. With its ability to provide a consistent amount of power regardless of the weather, you’re compelled to ask yourself… why go half the distance with a solar panel when you can go all the way with hydel power! (Hail Hydra!?)

Designer: Blue Freedom