Author Archives: Jay Alba

A Single-Plate Food Press for the perfectly seared sandwich in half the cupboard space!

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As an apartment-dwelling millennial who never learned how to cook, I have only mastered a few recipes … most of them being sandwiches. One day, I hope to be the proud owner of a panini maker, because nothing elevates a grilled cheese like the fresh, hot-off-the-presses sear. The only problem is, most apartments don’t have the cabinet space to store such a large, non-essential kitchen appliance.

The Hot Bottom food press solved this problem and more, with one deviation from the standard design. Unlike most panini presses, which compress food between two heated plates, the Hot Bottom only uses one. This makes the product less bulky than other products and the smaller surface allows the appliance to heat up more quickly. The hot-plate is also detachable and comes in three different skillet forms, expanding your cooking options to grilling or searing meats, veggies, and more.

The Hot Bottom’s intentionally simple design makes it easy to use. What helps is that we’ve seen this design before, just with a different appliance: the clothing iron. The Hot Bottom’s handle even copies an iron’s flat side, which allows you to stand it upright while the plate heats up. The simplicity of the Hot Bottom food press offers accessibility. I can imagine users purchasing it solely for its sandwich-making power, then gradually branching into other recipes … because I would do the same thing. Novices would love this product because it uses a familiar shape to help get over the initial intimidation factor that comes with cooking. The Hot Bottom proves that, in the case of food presses, one hot-plate is better than two (not the other way around).

Designer: Cole Fungaroli

This Electric Scooter + Cleaning Trolley Is the Public Sanitation Solution Your Community Needs

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Here’s the problem. Street cleaning is a physically demanding job that calls for longer hours compared to indoor cleaning jobs and farther distances to travel (sometimes up to 16 km per day). The work is essential yet under-appreciated. It’s unfair to expect these workers, especially if they are older, to cover these distances on foot and pull a trolley of their cleaning supplies behind them. The Cleaning Board electric scooter presents a win-win situation; it takes the strain off of the workers and allows them to cover a larger area in less time.

The Cleaning Board consists of three parts: a supply bin, kickboard, and a mobile app. The bin has two compartments: one for broom handles and dust collectors, the other for smaller items, such as masks, a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, water, and a hot/cold pack. When the user isn’t traveling, the kickboard folds up against the cleaning vessel, transforming the scooter into a pushable cart. Also, light strips along the board’s edges make the vehicle (and rider) more visible at night. Finally, the Cleaning Board features a companion app that would send workers information about the trashcans on their route, which would help them prioritize specific stops.

Because we are still living in a pandemic, public sanitation is a top priority for cities around the world. The Cleaning Board was created to help those workers, not necessarily their employers. It just so happens that both parties benefit from this product. By extension, the Cleaning Boards improve the quality of life for the communities that use them, because they make it easier to maintain a safe, sanitary environment.

Designer: Fountain Studio

 

This hydrophonic aquarium + planter takes care of itself

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Do I wish I could take part in the mentally soothing, environmentally beneficial practice of gardening? Absolutely, but as a known plant killer, I can only admire my peers’ mini-gardens from afar. The Eva hydroponic fixture offers neglectful plant owners a no-effort solution in which the plant cares for itself – by merging an indoor garden with an aquarium!

The Eva planter creates an environment in which the plants can survive without human help. How? By creating a symbiotic relationship between the fish and fauna that live inside it. The fishes produce ammonia as a waste product, which can become toxic in large amounts. As it happens, ammonia contains nitrogen, which is necessary for photosynthesis and helps with plant growth. In the garden above, the roots break down the ammonia, and the resulting waste product, nitrites, then become food for the fish. Simply put, it’s the circle of life — with only two organisms.

Additionally, Eva includes light fixtures that mimic natural sunlight. This is not a new feature — we’ve seen it on similar planters — but it contributes to Eva’s mission: to sustain life in any indoor environment. It allows everyone to flex their green thumbs, even if their living spaces seem less than ideal for plant life.

Designer: François Hurtaud

 

A luxurious full-body massager with hidden speakers fits your interiors while keeping you stress free

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The problem with purchasing a personal massage chair isn’t just the hefty price tag: it’s the hefty bulk of the chair itself. Massage chairs, especially high-quality ones, take up a lot of space. The Nouhaus, on the other hand, offers an enticing alternative: a high-quality massage packed into a space-efficient package.

Compared to similar products, the Nouhaus fits within a midrange price point, providing a deeply satisfying massage without breaking the bank. Standard massage chairs use either an S-track chair frame, which only reaches the length of the spine, the Nouhaus uses a hybrid L/S-track, which extends under the buttocks and thighs. The Nouhaus also features airbag massagers around the waist and pelvis, which offer a deeper, more relaxing experience. Also, like many higher-end chairs, it includes manual adjustments so you can fit the rollers to your body height.

The Nouhaus gives an incredible massage, but it also is a beauty in its own right. Even though the chair is quite large, it’s no bigger than your average recliner. Its plush cushions help create the ultimate relaxation experience. The chair even has Bluetooth speakers embedded in the headrest, adding to the immersion. Basically, if you could afford to upgrade your standard reclining armchair with a full-body massager, why wouldn’t you?

This Project is a 2020 Red Dot: Product Design winner.

Designer: Nouhaus

 

         

Move over Polaroids! Capture slitscan, burst and long exposure photos with these retro film cameras

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In our previous article about a modern turntable, we noticed a resurgence of vinyl records and other forms of “retro” devices. It seems that, in 2020, people are nostalgic for charming, old-school tech given a modern-day facelift. Film photography has experienced a similar revival, even though there are cheaper, more convenient ways to take beautiful pictures. (Just whip out your phone, for instance!) So, why is this older medium making a comeback? The creators of the Now Exposed film cameras propose this as an answer: “Tools simplify our lives, but often complexity enriches [the] experience.” In other words, hard work makes a process meaningful and more valuable. This line of thinking inspired the creation of the Now Exposed film cameras, a series of products intended to challenge photographers creatively, yet still invite beginners to explore the medium.

The cameras featured in the Now Exposed collection each have a unique purpose. They use different lenses and exposure techniques to force the photographer to think differently about image composition. The series consists of three distinct cameras, each one mimicking a photography ‘mode’ – the Burst Camera, the Long Exposure Camera, and the Slitscan Camera. The Now Exposed Cameras, as a whole, manages to make film photography, an intimidating art medium, accessible to new users while presenting new creative challenges for experts. Each camera comes with instructions imprinted directly onto the device. These snippets explain how each camera operates and what film cartridges you need to buy. The Now Exposed set gives photographers the framework to create dynamic, abstract works of art. In an age with high-resolution phone cameras, flattering Instagram filters, and photo-editing apps, anyone can create beautiful images with ease. The Now Exposed Cameras, on the other hand, invites users to create innovative artwork through experimentation.

Designer: David Miller and Benjamin Hoffman

Now Exposed Burst

The Burst

The Burst resembles a modern version of the daguerreotype cameras from the early 1900s. The name might not be familiar, but you would quickly recognize its accordion-like lens from any old Western movie. The Burst camera works by snapping three frames in ten seconds and exposing them onto a single sheet of film. This action could be, for example, a subject running across the frame, or maybe cycling through various facial expressions. This “burst,” this fleeting action, is captured almost in a slow-motion blur. The Burst instant camera asks the photographer to think about each frame captured in those ten seconds, fostering a deeper connection with the moment.

Now Exposed Long Exposure

The Long Exposure

Instead of snapping a ten-second snippet, the Long Exposure camera captures long periods on one image. Imagine a time-lapse captured in a still image: that is the purpose of this device. The combination of the wide-angle shot and the lengthy exposure time encourages the photographer to think carefully about the framing of the shot. There’s nowhere to hide with this wide lens, which encourages the photographers to think about its composition, the movements it will capture, and what message the finished product will convey.

Now Exposed Slitscan

The Slitscan

Finally, the Slitscan camera encourages the most experimentation out of the three devices. Its process works by continuously exposing a thin strip onto the 35mm film. Unlike the other two cameras, which capture the full view of the camera’s lens, the Slitscan only captures a silver of the frame over some time — hence the name. The result is a stretched out, abstract representation of an image. The beauty of the Slitscan’s process is its unpredictability. It encourages the photographer to explore and experiment with this abstract method and would present a challenge even for seasoned film photographers.

Now Exposed concept

Think outside the “block” with these magnetic, origami-inspired building toy

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On Yanko, we’ve covered various products and concepts that have, in some way, expanded upon the design of conventional building blocks. Out of all the products I’ve seen so far, the Clixo magnetic building set presents the most dramatic change to this classic idea, by disregarding the need for block-shaped pieces entirely.

Instead of sticking to the tried-and-true design of geometric shapes, the Clixo pieces are thin and flexible, almost like a sheet of origami paper. Some of the pieces mimic the shape of a fidget spinner, with four leg-like structures with circular, magnetic connectors. What are the advantages of this design? Firstly, it allows a Clixo to do what a lego can’t: fold inward and attach to its own legs. Secondly, it allows you to build anywhere (literally). Conventional building blocks must be stacked on a flat surface, otherwise, they’ll topple over. Clixo pieces aren’t limited by that constraint. You can build a new creation on your lap, wrap them around your wrist like a bracelet, or even stick them on your fridge like magnets.

In addition to its sleek, flexible design, the Clixo pieces are very satisfying to play with. The magnets click together in a way that’s just as satisfying as snapping two legos together. You don’t have to be a budding architect or builder. If you or your child have idle hands, the Clixo’s will keep them very busy. In that respect, Clixo has the potential to become the modern-day lego set. It gives builders a new way to play, encouraging them to imagine new 3D builds that weren’t possible with standard blocks.

Buy now: Sets starting at $29.99

 

This snake-inspired floor vacuum uses special hinges to clean any corner or cluttered space!

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If you went online to purchase a robot vacuum cleaner, you would likely see several variations of a circular design. Although the curved shape allows the device to rotate and change directions with ease, the wide circumference prevents it from cleaning narrow gaps and corners.

The long, thin design of the folding robot vacuum can reach the tight spaces that other products can’t reach, including the corners of a room and the gaps in-between chair legs. Its shape gives the product its flexibility. Most robot cleaners consist of one fixed unit. In contrast, the folding vacuum, true to its name, has three sections connected by hinges, which allow the device to bend its body around obstacles in its path. Once done, the robot returns to its minimal charging stand, and one of the hinges stores the collected dust that can be popped out by pressing a button!

We’ve discussed the folding vacuum’s clear advantage when cleaning crowded spaces, but how would it fare in a large, unobstructed area? Would its narrow shape cover less ground than a standard cleaner? In reality, the folding vacuum would take advantage of its length, locking itself into a straight line and sweeping horizontally across the floor. This method could easily cover more surface area than a circular cleaner.

The folding vacuum is still in the conceptual stages, so we don’t know how a physical product would work in practice. I wonder how a prototype would map out and clean a space. I assume there will be directional sensors in the “head” and “tail” of the device, but perhaps the designer has a different solution in mind. I’m also curious to see what will change as the design progresses from concept to creation. But I think the folding vacuum could reinvent the standard design for future cleaning products.

Designer: 승민 김

This architecture-inspired turntable puts a modern spin on the retro-aesthetic

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Over the past several years, there has been a resurgence in retro products – particularly with vinyl records. Even though music streaming services are far more convenient and less expensive than record players and turntables, the nostalgia-factor has brought them back in style. In the year 2020, few turntables have captured the essence of that time the way that the Old Future Turntable and Speaker has.

First, let’s look at the shape. The silhouette of the player itself pays homage to 70’s architecture in Seoul. Slanted roofs were common during that era, and when you place the turntable and speaker side-by-side, they look like part of a 70’s city skyline. Some vinyl-lovers may not like this product initially because a flat, horizontal turntable would be preferred for sound-quality. For those who care about audio quality over aesthetics, the turntable’s legs are adjustable, so you can make the table more even.

Of course, this is only half of the story – after all, it’s called the Old Future Turntable. Its reflective surface creates a brilliant gradient that is hard to miss. The neon colors also add a futuristic touch to this nostalgic piece. These two elements – the 70’s inspired shape and the modern colors – come together in perfect harmony. The turntable honors the past while ushering in the future, and would be a lovely statement piece in any trend-setter’s apartment.

Designer: Keonwoo Lee

A Lego-like kit with stackable, writeable surfaces that lets kids unleash their imagination!

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The Enso guided play kit lets children take an idea from concept to reality. The process begins, as all great ideas do, at the drawing board. The Enso kit comes with handheld tablets where kids can sketch their ideas with erasable markers. The tablets have a transparent drawing surface and are stackable, mimicking the layers of a Photoshop file. This is a feature I haven’t seen before in a children’s toy; it encourages experimentation and collaboration.

After the ideation phase, students get to bring their drawings to life with the Enso building pieces. These pieces function as attachments for the main body parts of the art product. Unlike standard art projects, which would need glue or tape, the Enso pieces don’t need any adhesive. Similar to Legos, the Enso building pieces are reusable but more versatile because they can attach to a variety of materials.

The Enso tool kit was built around the concept of fostering collaboration. Just as the product encourages children to create and experiment together, the Enso company encourages educators who buy the product to participate in an online collaborative community. Educators who purchase Enso will also have access to an online community where they can share their own experiences and lesson plans. Similarly, the Enso company will also use customer feedback to design future product updates.

Another exciting aspect of the Enso kit is its readiness for mass production. The parts are easy to produce with a 3D printer, which means they can be manufactured quickly and at a low cost. Estimates say that the Enso would cost 10.10 euros to make and would sell for 33.70 — a comparable price to a 100+ piece lego set. Blueprints for the object files would also be available for sale, so schools can replace lost pieces if they have their own 3D printer. This year, the Enso was a Top 10 National Finalist for the Enterprise Ireland’s Student Entrepreneur Awards and won “Best Design Project 2020” from the Technological University Dublin. From concept to execution, this product embodies the spirit of collaboration; the versatility of its design and function may give Lego a run for its money one day.

Designer: Vinh Truong

Finally, A Retro-inspired Laundry Machine that Separates Your Clothes For You

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Here’s a question that has inconvenienced young, money-conscious, and environmentally-conscious people for years: do we have to wash light and dark clothes separately? Is the risk of staining our nice office blouse worth paying another eight quarters to clean a small handful of white clothes?

Not to sound like a commercial from the early 2000s, but… Don’t you wish there was a better way to do laundry? The Split Drum washing machine has three separate sections, so you can wash all your supposedly “un-mixable” clothes in one load. The boards are also removable for additional flexibility. After all, not everyone has an equal ratio of dark, light, and white clothing in their closet.

In addition to solving an issue that has inconvenienced young adults for years, the Split Drum is very pleasing to look at. The white color and the gold accents give the machine a bright yet retro-inspired feel that I think fits the personality of many young professionals. The Split Drum is not an appliance that will be hidden away in a basement – because what young 20-something can afford a two-floor apartment? It’s more likely that the Split Drum washer will be a prominent fixture in a smaller home… so it might as well be easy on the eyes. I think the aesthetic design of the Split Drum indicates a deep understanding of the target consumer (aka myself). The only thing missing from this design is a Split Drum clothing dryer to complete the set.

Designer: Wanki Kim