Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

This year marks twenty years of me wearing spectacles. They started as chunky, colorful Acetate frames and made their way to sleek Metallic frames, with one brief period in between where I tried contact lenses. This story is about that time. I remember dressing up to go to prom, deciding I’d show up without those geeky spectacles. I was facing the mirror, contact lens on my finger, ready to put it on. It was a warm summer day and the fan was on in the room. The lens, balancing precariously on my finger, managed to catch the breeze and flew off my fingertip, landing flat on the mirror. I went to peel the lens off… and only half the lens peeled off. I was left holding a semi-circular piece of rather expensive hydrogel, while the other semi-circle stay put on the mirror. Cut to the prom, where I sat in a corner drinking fruit juice and wearing clunky frames.

Wow, I feel like I’ve shared a lot with you, so I might as well just get to the point here. The Push Lens Case, if it existed in 2007, would have altered my life. Designed as a case/holder, and even an applicator, the Push Lens Case allows you to store your lenses efficiently, without mixing up the left and the right. It also lets you apply your lenses without the aforementioned (albeit rare) woes. The case also adopts a clever truncated cylindrical design that prevents it from rolling off surfaces like tabletops! Yes, I’m impressed, but after a 20-year relationship with my spectacles, I think I’ll stick to the glasses.

The Push Lens Case is a Winner of the K-Design Award for the year 2017.

Designers: Soo Jung Youn & Jihye Lee.

Government surveillance… privacy attacks… cyber theft. All things you can live without right? Yet, we’re all still using antiquated routers that don’t protect us properly. Did you know that your router takes in every action you make online whether it’s ordering cleaning supplies or logging in to your bank account? So how do you protect you, your family and friends from cyber attacks? Introducing, Aleia – a next-generation router utilizing blockchain technology to protect your sensitive information and give you complete control and customization over your wifi and hot spots.

It tracks your internet activity and breaks down your history into chunks called blocks. Each block consists of your history over a specified period of time and can then start to be verified by millions of data points inside of the network. Every action you take is encrypted by a set of keys that are linked to your account, one private and one public. These encryption keys set up a sort of two-step verification for every action you take while using your wi-fi. Once the block is verified by the network, it becomes part of the linked chain of previous blocks and can no longer be changed or replicated within its structure.

Designers: Daniel Perry, Jorien Hopkins & Ranon Pritchard

Inspired by the world renowned street style brand Off-White, the HIFIVE hair dryer is a fashion-forward take on a common appliance. Users will find the same signature Off-White diagonal line pattern and an overall shape that’s more squarish and technical than traditionally round units.

It’s something entirely new, however, it maintains a cylindrical handle and half-nozzle for familiarity and ergonomics. Unlike other entirely round units, its top section sports a completely flat surface on which it rests. It’s a simple stabilizing solution that should have been adopted by other designs a long time ago to keep dryers from wobbling around! With a folding handle and compact collapsed form, it’s also easy to store or carry in a suitcase.

Designers: Joongho Choi & Hyunmook Lim

Provides better stability when it is put down or stored.

The guys at Able Carry have a woe. All they want is a regular bag that looks good, performs well, and lasts long. Is that too much to ask for? Apparently, it is. The bags you buy online are either a steal (with terrible quality), or expensive (with manageable quality). The point is that you can’t tell whether a bag is built to last long until it lists the word “Lasts Long” in its feature list. The Daily backpack, thankfully, does.

Built out of the need to fulfill a rather basic requirement, and a frustration that nobody had effectively done this so far, The Daily by Able Carry is designed to be an ‘everyday’ bag… or basically a bag you can use every single day and not think twice about. By that definition, The Daily bag can also be used everywhere. Made from Cordura Nylon and X-PAC, these bags repel water, are easy to clean, and difficult to damage. To prove just how hardy these bags are, they were literally dragged through the mud (tied to the back end of a dirt bike) and came out unscathed.

The Daily comes in two variants. The Active (made from X-PAC), a slightly stiffer bag and lighter bag for the person who’s needed at two places at the same time, and the Casual (made in 1000D Nylon), that comes in a variety of colors and is capable of being your go-to bag for your everyday hustle for the rest of your life. Both bags feature 5.5 pockets on the inside. That’s 5 pockets for your gear (including a 15″ pocket for your laptop), and a secret .5 pocket that only you know about, for your cash or important stash. Both bags even feature a pretty innovative A-Frame that allows the bag to retain its shape and prevents what’s known as the “Saggy Bag Syndrome”. This not only offsets some of the weight on your shoulder, it also makes sure your posture is correct while allowing your bag to retain its shape and therefore last longer… which is the point, to be honest. A backpack goes through life with you. It’ll see good weather and bad, it’ll get knocked around in crowded subways, or accidentally kicked by passersby. It’ll accompany you wherever you go and will deal with the stress your lifestyle presents. It’ll be filled, emptied, opened and closed anywhere near 2000 times each year… and while it seems impossible to ask for more from a bag, it shouldn’t be. The Daily, with its lifetime guarantee, will, just like you, tackle each day, week, month, and year… and will live to tell its tale!

Designers: Julian Chow, PC Lau & Jeffrey Leong

Click here to Buy Now: $86.00 $113.00

Click here to Buy Now: $86.00 $113.00

Did I miss the memo stating that all cordless vacuum cleaners must now look as though they’ve just stepped off a gay pride parade float?! They’ve literally come out of the appliance closet, rainbowing in full force! (No offense to my LGBT friends.) It seems like everyone from Dyson to Black+Decker is spitting out new models that only get more flashy than the ones before. For those of us who care about how things look, even if they rest behind closed doors, there’s CANE.

It’s a modern, minimalist approach to the cordless vacuum cleaner designed for the discerning user. No obtrusive hues, no superfluous shapes that mimic flexed muscles, just the bare essentials presented in a demure design with pure sucking power. Don’t worry, the less-is-more approach doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing features… like the U-shaped handle that provides a simple fix to reaching remote areas or convenient organization stand for keeping specialized pieces together. So, unless you’re planning on taking your vacuum as a date to Mardis Gras in New Orleans, consider a CANE!

Designers: Hyunsoo Choi, Junho Shin, & Joongho Choi

Founded in 2016, Droog Moto was set up by husband and wife Max & Erica Droog. Who quickly became known for their dystopian future, rough and ready aesthetic of bike design that has a go anywhere, anytime attitude. And the Moto 3 is no exception to this. There is something eerie but savagely cool looks to this bike. Originally a Yamaha FZ-09, this bike got a new lease of life, albeit it may not appear that way at first glance.

Rough and ready this is not, the Moto 3 is calculated and beautifully designed. The front arch is stunning to see as it contrasts against the heavy mechanical materials found scattered across this bike. Accompanied by an aggressive LED headlight display and the “tackle anything” off-road tires, the Moto 3 would have no problem getting you from A – B when the world is coming to an end. Just be sure if and when it is all going down, you get a bike from Max and Erica in time.

Designers: Max & Erica Droog of Droog Moto

With 584 and 554 awards respectively, USA and China stand with the most number of awards won at the A’ Design Awards and Competition. The World Design Rankings provide a window into which country is the most design-sensitive, and has embraced design thinking as a way of life. It’s no surprise though that the world’s biggest hub for design, and the upcoming hub for design would stand at the first two positions. However, I believe all that can change.

The A’ Design Awards and Competition, every year, look to create a map of the best in the design world, rewarding designers and studios for their work, but also using that very work to categorize countries based on their design-forwardness (the two stalwarts are followed by Japan, Italy, and Hong Kong). With its 2018 chapter open, you’ve got your chance to not just showcase your work to the entire world but also do your bit to further the design profession in your country, and raise your country’s position on the World Design Rankings.

Below we’ve compiled work from the top two countries on the rankings, although we believe that it’s just a matter of time before this round-up becomes more and more diverse. You can head down to the A’ Design Awards and Competition website to submit your entries before the 28th of February. Every entry you submit raises your country’s score (even more if it wins an award!). The A’ Design Awards are judged by a stellar jury of 170+ highly respected designers who span all design disciplines and are spread all over the world. These jurors judge designs over a wide variety of categories (some of them being Furniture Design, Lighting Design, Electronic Devices Design, Transportation Design, Medical Devices Design, Home Appliances Design and MANY more). Head down to their website to read more about the design category that fits your project. You can click here to know more about the awards and how winning can change your design career!

Register Here for the A’ Design Awards and Competition 2018 : Deadline 28th February

YD’s Favorite Projects from the World Design Rankings

Mr. Pip’s Double Cross Game Decor by Pip Tompkin Design (USA)

The clever dice game from Pip Tompkin Design is universal in the regard that it doesn’t use languages. Just numbers. And can be played by all age groups. A simple game of bluff played with dice, the Double Cross was designed not just to be a fun game, but also a beautiful product. When closed, unlike other board games that get stored in cabinets or under beds, the Double Cross can be kept on mantelpieces or coffee tables as an inviting, sculptural artpiece.

Changeable Chair Chair by ShockWave Design Studio (China)

The Changeable Chair is a workspace in itself. With the ability to plug different units in, the chair’s sides can be used for decor as well as productivity. With the ability to dock anything from cups to pens, to notebooks, to even tiny succulents, the Changeable Chair is your favorite place to be because it’s got place to store all your favorite things!

Shadowbrook 3D Printed Metal Faucet by DXV by American Standard (USA)

No surprise that the Shadowbrook faucet made it to the list. It’s still (even after 2 years) the most beautiful faucet we’ve seen as it takes the flow of water, abstracts it, and prints it in metal, creating an artpiece that’s difficult to turn your eye away from, and virtually impossible to imitate!

YOGA 900s Convertible laptop by Lenovo (Beijing) Ltd. (China)

There’s sheer beauty in Lenovo’s Yoga 900s hinge. Comparable to that of the Microsoft Surface Book, this laptop’s hinge looks beautiful, efficient, and unbeatable. It also ties two sleek laptop bits together, i.e., the screen and the keyboard. Designed using a combination of rose gold, matte black, and just hints of metallic grey near the hinge, the Yoga 900s is more than a machine, it’s art and technology combined.

UA Architech Footwear by Alan Guyan and John Acevedo (USA)

The 3D printed footwear trend is just barely catching up now, even though its seed was sown in 2016. UnderArmour’s Architech series explores 3D printed outsoles that give your performance an edge over the rest. The sole design not only gives a locked-in, supportive feel, but also flexes and moves with the foot to provide a Zero Distractions experience. Additionally, it’s a design that’s difficult to imitate or rip-off. Two birds with one stone, I say!

Koinobori Toothpaste For Children by JM Yu, J Wang, QY Zhou, GW Lyu, QY Yu (China)

Quirky enough to get your child to brush, the Koinobori Toothpaste explores an unusual shape wherein it resembles a fish! The playful design however comes with a sensible detail. Instead of most toothpaste tubes that come with a circular hole, the Koinobori comes with a half-circle outlet that extrudes your toothpaste in a way that won’t slide or roll off your toothbrush easily. Interestingly enough, the Koinobori, a Japanese carp image, is an item of Japan’s traditional festival. On this festival, every family would hang up some flag in the shape of koinobori, with best wishes that children can grow up faster and become more independent. A collaborative design between Japan and China, the Koinobori toothpaste aims at keeping the tradition going strong in today’s fast-paced modern culture.

Impressed? Inspired? Well then, go ahead and save your spot for next year’s A’ Design Award, and help push your country to the top of the World Design Rankings. Don’t wait up! Go register immediately! February 28th will be here before you know it!

It looks like an igloo on the outside, but step inside and it feels like a world of magic! This is the Compound Camera, an incredible, 20-foot installation by Pneuhaus, for the Pawtucket Art Festival. Featuring 109 pinhole cameras constructed using inflatable fabric and other components, the installation showcases a vivid collage of images from the inside. Designed to resemble the compound eye of a worker ant (which has 109 parts), the Compound Camera feels like you’re inside a kaleidoscope!

The images projected by the pinhole camera’s aperture are all inverted, but in focus. In fact, you’re invited to touch and interact with the fabric. Pressing against it makes the image even crisper, allowing you to play with image size and focus. The entire installation is completely analog and uses no electricity whatsoever. It’s rather fascinating to see how technologies from so far back in the past (the pinhole camera or the camera obscura can be traced back to 500 B.C.) can still be used to delight and amaze us even today!

Designers: Levi Bedall, August Lehrecke, Matthew Muller & Zachary Weindel (Pneuhaus)

Tiny, yet dangerous, the Japanese Kiridashi is a compact pocketable knife that’s often underestimated because of its size, but can outperform most knives. Make them out of one of the most resilient alloys of steel, and you’ve got a knife that’s with you for life.

Built from reclaimed industrial files, the Kiridashi by OriginHG features a small pocket-friendly design and even a nice knurled grip, courtesy the industrial file’s abrasive surface. Crafted out of tool steel, these knives are guaranteed to be stronger and last longer than your regular EDC gear… plus, crafted manually from reclaimed files, each knife is unique in its texture pattern. The knives come with a leather lanyard and sheath, for storage and easy carrying/handling. Each knife is no longer than the palm of your hand, but don’t let that fool you. These knives are still incredibly powerful!

Designer: OriginHG