Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

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Dramatic prelude aside, the video above does make a point about doggy crates. The metal construction looks primitive, feels primitive, and has the demeanor of a prison, rather than a safe nesting space. And since dogs are our friends and not convicted criminals, Amy Kim decided to make a space that was more animal-friendly, and decor-friendly.

The result of the above design brief is PAWD. A crate designed to look great from the inside as well as out, visually satisfying both its occupant, and the homeowner. More of a living space than a crate, PAWD looks and feels inviting. Its plastic construction makes it lightweight, easy to clean, and safe (as compared to the metal crates with sharp edges). Designed to be foldable, the Pawd can even collapse into a small palette that can be stored in slim spaces like under the bed or behind the couch.

The purpose of the crate, says Amy, is twofold. It plays a crucial role in toilet-training the animal, while also giving them their own personal space, given that canines are denning animals. The plastic enclosure was therefore designed with a contemporary pattern that allowed just enough light in to feel like a comfortable private space on the inside. Made in polypropylene (the same material as baby bottles), the PAWD’s plastic is non-toxic and durable. The crate comes with a soft, rounded design and collapsible walls, letting you carry the PAWD around with you, whether you’re traveling, or if you want to stow away the crate for when guests come over. Designed to be spacious on the inside, the PAWD is a perfect nest for your furry friend to go and contemplate about chasing cars, squirrels, and postmen!

Designer: Amy Kim

Click here to Buy Now: $79.00 $120.00

PAWD has a utility patent, the first of its kind of have a detachable top and sides that fold into the base. PAWD’s unique pattern keeps the structure strong but is also much more pleasing to the eye than metal bars.

Click here to Buy Now: $79.00 $120.00

I can confirm that having a sip of a drink only to find out it’s lukewarm is easily the most cringe-worthy summertime experience. If a refreshment isn’t refreshing, what is the point of anything really? You’re faced with two alternatives. Dilute your drink with ice for instant chilling and be faced with a watery drink by the time you reach the last sip… or put your drink in the fridge/freezer and wait for at least an hour before you can drink it. Tough choice, right?

The CupCooler |Instant| by Howar Geng of allocacoc was designed in a very “invention is the mother of necessity” sort of scenario. Designed to chill your refreshment (no matter what it is) in just a matter of minutes, the CupCooler is small, fits on any table-top and will keep your beverage chilled until your last sip. Working 6 times faster than a refrigerator, the CupCooler just needs to be plugged into a socket and switched on. Within 60 seconds of switching it on, its surface cools to -18°C (-0.4°F). Kept on top of it is a cup made of highly conductive food-grade aluminum. You can either drink directly from the cup, or place your can/bottle into the cup. The cup keeps your drink at a constant temperature between 0°C to 5°C, making sure that each sip tastes exactly like the last and that your drink doesn’t hit room-temperature as you near the end.

Small and desk-friendly, the CupCooler |Instant| can keep your iced-coffee, beer, water, or even ice cream both chilled and right by your side, allowing you to work or watch TV freely without worrying about your drink going tepid. Because no one wants to dilute their beverages with ice, or make ten trips to the refrigerator… Also because if a refreshment isn’t refreshing, summer can be a total bummer.

Designer: Howar Geng of allocacoc

Click here to Buy Now: $55.00

Requiring no pre-preparation at all, the CupCooler is 6X faster than the fridge in cooling your drink. Just plug into your wall socket and wait 60 seconds for the surface plate to cool down to -18℃ (-0.4℉), this will make your drink (300 ml/ 10.14 fl oz) to cool down from 25℃ (77 ºF) to 15℃ (59ºF) or to 10℃ (50ºF) in 30 minutes.

Works with any of your favorite beverage!

Simply pour and cool it!

Click here to Buy Now: $55.00

On days like this, when the laundry has piled up, I wish we all could go back to the basics and potter around in our birthday suits. The problem with people like me, is that we can’t stand even the slightest of stains … nope, the dribble of ink on a white sleeve doesn’t count as polka dots! And I’m not surprised that design enthusiasts like Heewoong Chai would design instant laundry solutions like the Handry, just to cater to fastidious people like me.

Designed to be an on-the-spot cleaner, this portable wand is a laundry machine that is inspired by traditional washing methods of Korean households. They typically use a laundry bat to ‘beat’ out a stain, quite similar to how we treat dirt and grime back home.

Without being as elaborate, the machine is a quick-fix to complicated laundry rituals and focuses on spot-cleaning only. In short, a sweaty garment qualifies for a full treatment and this shortcut will not do.

This wireless-charged machine promises to complete the wash in about five-minutes. You can even customize the wash based on the dress material and kind of stain to be treated. Sounds to be a good deal, given that single people can greatly benefit from a new ritual that makes time for other stuff to get done … like washing the dishes!

Designer: Heewoong Chai

Aluminum foil. Great for packaging food and for protecting your brain from being scanned by the government. Also great for repurposing into kitchenware. Youtuber Kiwami Japan looked at his roll of aluminum foil as not really a finished product but rather as a source of raw material. Doing something rather remarkable, he turned the foil back into a 4mm thick sheet of aluminum… and then carved a rather sharp and useful kitchen knife out of it.

What Kiwami does requires astronomical amounts of patience and passion and it’s no surprise that half the video runs at high speed. He first takes the roll, hammering it into a flat sheet before popping out the cardboard tube that’s inside. Then, using a stove flame, a pair of nose-pliers and a hammer, he further hammers away at the sheet, removing any air between the layers, and turns it into a flat piece of aluminum (which he taps against to show you it makes a clinking sound). The aluminum sheet is then cut into the shape of a knife, filed to perfection, and then sharpened against a whetstone. Kiwami then proceeds to add a wooden handle to it, finally finishing the product to make it a completely functional kitchen knife with a remarkably sharp blade that slices easily through cucumber. I guess it helps that the knife is food-grade because it came from food-grade aluminum foil.

Yes, you could just as easily go to the market and pick up a pretty good knife. You’d spend a dollar or two extra, and you’d get something more resilient and finished; but doing what Kiwami did displays immense amount of skill, patience, and drive… and he got a pretty nifty looking knife out of it that he can claim as a product of his own perseverance… something he has a lot of, judging from the fact that he’s made a knife out of raw pasta too.

Not a fan of knives? Japanese people are breaking the internet by polishing crumpled balls of aluminum foil into mirror-finished spheres. Check it out!

Designer: Kiwami Japan

The Pocket Flosser is the perfect addition to the Be. toothbrush, giving you the best electric oral care experience without electricity or batteries. Using ingenuity, and principles of physics, the Pocket Flosser is a waterpik that can clean your teeth effectively using water or even your mouthwash. Relying on an internal pump that lets you build high pressure, the Pocket Floss can shoot out a jet-stream of water, cleaning the areas between your teeth just like a floss would, but without the pain and the bleeding that can sometimes accompany flossing.

Just pour water into the Pocket Flosser (or a mouthwash of your choice) and pump air into the flosser, building the pressure inside. When you do, out comes the water in a jet that can dislodge pieces of food stuck between your teeth. The Pocket Flosser holds enough water to last one session.

Designed to be pocket-friendly, and most importantly wireless, the Pocket Flosser can even be taken on travels, allowing you to keep your pearly whites pearly no matter where you are. All you need is water!

Designer: Carlo Ricafort

Click Here to Buy Now

Click Here to Buy Now