Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Think of Mad Max meeting Steve McQueen and deciding they’re going to make a bike together. A sentence which would otherwise seem almost too obscure to happen looks to have happened thanks to the guys at Republica Motorcicletas of Argentina. A truly stunning aesthetic that’s rugged and fierce on the eyes – the 1994 Honda NX350 Sahara is known to these guys as “Old Power.” It may be hard to see some of the old NX350, and this is due to the build – the guys at Republica Motorcicletas built this two-wheeler around a fuel tank from a 1965 Jawa, and the result is mesmerizing. As a lover of all things edgy and old, this 1994 beauty has been resurrected and given an almost apocalyptic feel to it.

Greeted by an unorthodox grill sitting angrily below the handlebars, accompanied by two high powered LED eyes, sure to burn a hole through the darkness. As if the front wasn’t chilling enough, the rear brake light is hidden behind the saddle creeping out behind a wire mesh and teases a color which can only be described as molten lava. This bike, with its custom detailing, dark soul and edgy vibes are one of a kind and for a very good reason – it would feel like the end of the world if these were all over the streets.

Designer: Republica Motorcicletas

In the past, a camera’s shape was symbolic of the medium it recorded to. For example, 35mm film cameras were rectangular in shape in order to house the two winders and a flat plane for the film frames. With the onset of digital photography, this is no longer the case as they only need to fit a sensor. Still, camera designs seem stuck in the past!

In designing the D4H mirrorless camera, Mindaugas Petrikas changes our perception of what a camera should look and feel like. Designed with ergonomics in mind, he looked to the 8mm cine cameras where the quality of the picture was directly linked to the steadiness of the hand. The same design language is applied to the D4H with its vertical grip and strong contact points. Despite being handheld in this manner, it’s still incredibly compact. With its thoughtfully placed search, viewfinder and buttons, users can even operate it with one hand. Better yet, these same buttons are intelligently designed to adapt to user’s actions. Click the main control dial to turn the camera on. Then, turn the dial to either select the shooting mode, adjust the aperture, shutter speed or ISO. Reduced to the essentials, you won’t find a big screen. Instead, you can review your captures directly through the viewfinder which sports a high-res display.

Designer: Mindaugas Petrikas

Clunky DSLRs are going to be a thing of the past. Getting rid of the mirror, the penta-mirror, and the screen reduces that camera’s size to something that is slightly bigger than a point-and-shoot.

Multi-functional buttons. Intelligently designed buttons that adapt to users actions. Click the main control dial to turn the camera on. The camera state is also indicated by the red colour on the dial – it is much easier to see if the device is off or on. Turn the dial to either select the shooting mode, adjust the aperture, shutter speed or ISO. Its function depends on combinations of buttons pressed as well user settings in the system

No screen. Just the view finder. Say no to chimping. You can review your capture through the view finder, which is a high-resolution display, hidden away from all the external lighting.

Photography is a visual art. Hence it is crucial that the photographers find their cameras visually appealing. A camera should make you want to hold it. A camera should invite you to go on an adventure.

Scroll below and you’ll see a product, and then just pictures of people enjoying themselves. What’s happening?! You’ll ask… Well, look a little closer and you’ll see that everybody in those pictures has a tiny blö attached to them. It’s small (perhaps the size of an asthma inhaler) and virtually unnoticeable on your person, but it does something no wearable does.

The blö is the world’s first and smallest wearable cooling device. It draws air from the honeycomb-patterned outlet on the top, passing it over peppermint essential oils, and pushes the air out the bottom, allowing your skin to feel cool and stay comfortable. Its design easily lets it be worn over gym clothes, or even your regular apparel, keeping you on top of the weather even when it’s sweltering outside. The blö can be plugged near your chest, upper back, or even lower back to ensure you don’t have those sweaty patches, while making sure the heat never gets to you.

Leveraging the power of essential oils and aromatherapy, the blö may seem like a seasonal device, but it’s quite the opposite. In the monsoons or the winters, switch the peppermint for lemongrass or citronella and you’ve got a device that repels mosquitos! The blö can run for 4-8 hours, depending on the speed, and charges within an hour and a half, via MicroUSB. Pretty ‘cool’, isn’t it?

Designer: Robert Lupi

Just when I was feeling a little scootered out, the Eagle rider came rolling on to my screen! It’s almost too cute for words… but somehow also edgy and chic?! That oversized front tire and itty bitty back tire deliver a cool, contrasting aesthetic but they’re also functional as the compact back tire fits into the frame when folded. Its minimalistic, curvilinear frame collapses and nests snuggly together so you can throw it over a shoulder or drag it behind you as you switch between transportation modes during your commute. DO want!

Designer: Ignas Survila of Citybirds

This design was inspired by the fascinating geometric pattern created by clustered sunflower seeds. The stretched version of a Fibonacci spiral, its perfectly perforated, sculptural structure creates a stunning visual whether or not the light is activated. When the light is switched on, however, it creates a breathtaking silhouette of light and shadows cast on surrounding walls. Most interesting of all, its made entirely of concrete! In ceiling, table, floor and sconce versions, there’s a Helia for a myriad of different rooms types.

Designer: Dror Kaspi of Ardoma Studio

The Kikkerland Telescope Compass Keychain may not give you the best image of the Blue Blood Moon that we’re expecting to see, but it’s loads better than using your phone camera to zoom into the moon to get a good look. The tiny little contraption comes with toy-like proportions, and fits around your keychain, opening up to become a pretty neat/cute telescope you can use outdoors. Fold the telescope back to its closed position and you’ve got a tiny compass resting on the top, giving you pretty much all the tools you need to stargaze when you’re out in the open. To sweeten the deal, the keychain comes even with two LEDs, squeezing three rather handy tools into something that’s literally half the size of your thumb. How positively enchanting!

Designer: Kikkerland

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Of course, with the world of designers looking to integrate voice assistants into everything and anything around us -there are other designers out there trying to make a difference in our daily physical interactions. One of which is Chifen Cheng, who took a very holistic design approach when designing the Knife Reinvented for Maison Milan – a walnut knife with a twist of incorporating Asian culinary tools.

As Chifen Cheng put it, the Knife Reinvented is a salad knife that does more than just cut. Utilizing the hand as a pestle, this salad knife is not only hyper-functional, it’s aesthetically gorgeous due to the material contrast. The use of a wooden blade prevents the oxidation reaction with lettuce, usually caused by a stainless-steel blade, ensuring the lettuce doesn’t start browning straight away. The sizably dominant blade itself makes transporting the ingredients an effortless breeze. Not to mention the fact this knife can stand on its own due to the weight of the pestle, standing elegantly, awaiting its master to put it to good use. An intelligent design, the Knife Reinvented is a pleasingly simple innovation that just screams out to be held.

Designer: Chifen Cheng