Tag Archives: Concept Designs

Tricorder-like device concept envisions a futuristic portable health scanner

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Smartphones and smartwatches today have a variety of sensors and apps that give us a glimpse of our health. We can track heart rates, blood oxygen levels, and even temperatures, and combine that data to create a more holistic picture and actionable steps. Of course, nothing beats professional medical equipment, but we can’t carry those around with us.

Phones and wearables might be convenient, but they don’t always offer the best user experience for specific needs. This concept device, for example, tries to imagine a dedicated health scanner that is able to cram more features while still retaining its portable size. And it even looks and feels quite advanced to boot!

Designer: Vadim Trofimenko

When talking about handheld scanning devices, many sci-fi and pop culture buffs will probably think of Star Trek tricorders. These fictional devices can detect and analyze almost anything, from materials to creatures to people. Of course, we haven’t yet reached that level of technology, but we’re getting pretty close thanks to computer vision and AI.

The MediScan Pro concept design tries to deliver some of that futuristic experience to the realm of personal health. It’s a pocket-sized metal box that offers more specialized functionality than generic smartphones and smartwatches, at least in theory. Based on the concept, it still scans your finger to get data, similar to how IR and laser scanners work today.

In terms of design, the MediScan Pro has a bit of a retro-futuristic aesthetic. It’s quite box and angular, not hiding the fact that it’s a technological product. There’s a sizeable fingerprint scanner near the top, a small display in the middle, and buttons and wheels at the bottom for controlling the devices. It has an aluminum body but, curiously, the textured surface on its back is supposed to be made from recycled plastic.

Much of the functionality it tries to offer is, to be honest, already available today, especially with the limited data you can glean from a fingerprint. It also uses AI to evaluate the data, give you recommendations, or contact your health provider. The difference from smartphones and smartwatches that already exist today is that MediScan Pro offers a distraction-free experience so you don’t suddenly forget what you’re doing because of the flood of notifications and alerts that greet you.

One unrealistic feature, however, is the use of holograms to display your health status. We’re not yet at that point where small devices can display detailed holograms, let alone ones that contain enough information at a glance. That’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility, but by then we might also have less bulky and more elegant designs by then.

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Food preservation unit concept should keep food fresh and lower energy consumption

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Most households cannot live without a refrigerator as most of their food is stored there. The problem of course is that it consumes a lot of electricity and even contributes to 30% of annual food waste since you sometimes forget you have this particular food stored there. There are product designers looking into creating food preservation units that will have less energy consumption and also reduce food waste.

Designer Name: Matéo Robin

Totem is one such food preservation unit that is able to integrate both modern and ancestral technologies. The inspiration actually comes from the Zeer pot which is what they used back in the day to keep food fresh by using evaporative cooling. This piece of furniture also uses that old school technology in certain parts due to its double clay walls. It is able to cut energy consumption in half, which is important for those who want lower electricity bills.

What’s also great about the Totem is that there are different compartments and segments to place different food. There’s a compartment for fruits and vegetables, for tubers, and for food that need ethylene like apples, bananas, and tomatoes. There’s the freezer compartment as well that has a vacuum between two walls to reduce heat loss. It also uses various materials and textures for those different storage zones.

The prototype of this food preservation unit looks like a typical kitchen cabinet that has different kinds of storage materials. The fact that this will potentially lower electricity bills is of course very attractive. Now as to whether food will actually still stay fresh and delicious, that is the question.

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Turntable-inspired graphics card concept adds a retro-futuristic flavor to desktops

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In the not-so-distant past, desktop computers were almost literal black boxes, closed and obscured from view. Although they’re still enclosed today to block the easy entry of dust and harmful particles, many desktop towers have adopted transparent designs that show everything inside.

This aesthetic is mostly to appeal to gamers who dress up their rigs with RGB lights and fancy-looking cooling systems, but the majority of the hardware you can see inside is hardly aesthetic (unless you go for that look). Graphics cards are slowly getting a facelift, but they still have a more technical and geeky look. This concept tries to challenge that status quo with a GPU design that could interest even non-gaming computer users.

Designer: Seunghun Lee

Of all the components inside a desktop computer, at least the ones built for gaming or heavy-duty creative work, the graphics card is the bulkiest, boxiest, and most visible one. Of course, that design is intentional because of the electronics it has to pack inside as well as the large fans that keep things from overheating. Such graphics cards today come with some RGB lighting or accents to make them look a little livelier, but the overall aesthetic remains the same.

G-Turn360 is a concept design that tries to add some visual appeal by taking inspiration from a completely different product. It chose the turntable, now a staple of the retro movement, as the foundation of the GPU redesign, combining mechanical elements into a more pleasing composition using basic geometric shapes. The cooling fan, after all, is already a large circle, so why not use that form to represent a record player on a box?

The concept also goes beyond that simple association with the record player. It completely throws out the conventional LED lighting which, in addition to being over the top, also prevents visual consistency. In fact, the G-Turn360 embraces a lighter color scheme, which better fits desktop designs that are moving away from dark and black boxes commonly associated with gaming gear.

The result is a graphics card design that somehow looks both retro and futuristic at the same time, adopting a clean aesthetic that can appeal to a more diverse audience. That said, the G-Turn360 concept could be sacrificing performance and safety with its unconventional design, so it’s definitely not something that can simply be used without some modification and careful engineering.

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AI-powered machine concept helps you sort and dispose of waste properly

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According to studies, almost 83% of our every day garbage is not sorted and recycled. That means a lot of it is just thrown into landfills and most of them just stay there rotting for years, maybe even decades. If we are able to properly sort them properly, even just a small percentage, and dispose of them in a more circular manner, including recycling and upcycling, then it will be better for our planet. The problem sometimes though is that people and even machines still don’t know how to sort and recycle properly.

Designer Name: Romain Pellat

With the advent of robotics and A.I, our garbage disposal should be better. This is what Binko aims to do. It is an AI-powered recycling robot that should help homes and offices to improve the way they do their waste disposal. It is able to auto-recognize the different kinds of garbage, sort them properly, and then crush them accordingly.

The concept device looks like a vendo machine but instead of it giving you your drink or snack of choice, you feed it your garbage. The machine and the accompanying app should be able to recognize more than 2.6 million waste items. Then it will compress or crush the garbage into small pieces and is able to hold an average of 8 times more resources. The system is able to sort it into one of the 7 transparent compartments that can be adapted according to location.

The app will be the first to launch and it can immediately help people into recognizing how to sort their garbage using the AI-powered photo recognition process. It also gives you a map of nearby recycling bins and even reminds you to take out your trash. That in itself is useful even as Binko will probably take more time to be created.

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Split box cutter concept has a neat trick for keeping spare or dull blades

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Box cutters, or simply cutters, are a common sight in any office or workshop. The basic design hasn’t changed much over the years, with the most common style using a long segmented blade where you can snap off a section when it has become dull. This simple design, almost like a stackable “push-point” pencil, offers an efficient mode of operation, but not without its drawbacks.

One big problem is that the actual section of the blade you can actively use might be too small since you can’t push it out too much or it will snap and break if you apply too much pressure. A single, unbroken blade might still be the most stable design, but it’s also the most wasteful. This concept tries to find a middle ground by employing a rather unorthodox design for a box cutter.

Designer: ZOZ Works

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Given how you need to have a secure and firm hold on a cutting tool, you might presume that you need a large unibody handle design. As small EDC knives and cutters have proven, however, that’s necessarily the case. And just because something comes in parts that can be separated doesn’t mean that it will be structurally unsound and unreliable.

Split is a concept that uses these ideas to design a cutter that can split into two halves. It isn’t just a gimmick, though, as the upper half houses the currently “active” blade while the other half holds spare blades or blades you have removed but have yet to throw away. It suggests a box cutter that’s still self-sufficient yet more efficient than current designs, at least in theory.

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The cutter still uses a retractable mechanism to deploy the blade, but you will have a larger blade to work with. This means you can push it out further without worrying that the blade will break along its segment when applying force. At the same time, you still just have a short blade, so you don’t need to throw a long blade should it become dull.

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The Split box cutter concept houses those replacement or used blades in the lower half. The concept doesn’t exactly mention it, but you might be able to store more than one blade there. The blades seem to be clamped down to keep them from moving inside, and a simple screw loosens or tightens the cover. The one disadvantage to this design is that you might need some other object or your fingernail to turn that screw.

The cutter concept has a rather asymmetrical design when the two halves are connected, with one part extending a bit further than the other. This imbalance almost creates a jimping part or at least a finger rest, allowing you to hold the cutter with a firmer and more confident grip.

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Control panel concept brings buttons and knobs to your creative workflow

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With great power comes great complexity. We’re way past the time when only TVs and entertainment systems needed remote controls. Now with multiple smart home appliances, devices, and apps, the need for a single place to control all these becomes even more important. You could use your smartphone, but switching between a master control app and your other apps puts unnecessary steps in between.

The Stream Deck paved the way for a specialized control panel for, as you might have guessed, live streaming, but its use has now expanded to other places as well. There are now more players in this somewhat niche market, many of whom simply try to copy the pioneering product. This design concept, however, envisions something a little different, offering not only more precise controls but also more flexibility to cater to almost any need.

Designers: Mariana Aréchiga, Isaac Saldaña, Ricardo Zerón

Cooler Master just launched its innovative modular MasterHUB, but there are still other ways to skin the proverbial feline, as they say. In theory, modular design might be able to adjust to almost any use case, but that also sometimes brings unnecessary complexity for people who need a powerful yet compact tool. They might need all the bells and whistles, but they will still probably appreciate the dials and buttons.

The Master Deck concept tries to condense the power of the MasterHUB into a simpler form that still has the basics you need. There are six dynamic buttons whose icons can change depending on the app or mode. There are two dials on one side that can be used for incremental changes, with a display strip beside it that shows what setting it’s set to affect. On the opposite side is a large “master control” dial with a hexagon-shaped button at its center for confirming actions.

Those, however, aren’t the only things that make this concept design unique. The foldable legs beneath it, for example, allow you to set it up at an angle in either direction, supporting both right-handed and left-handed people. It would also function wirelessly, letting you set it up anywhere on your desk as needed. There’s also the idea of making the design available in different colors to match different aesthetic tastes, not just the typical white and black of other products in the market today.

The concept also comes with a sidekick display panel that, with the right stand or dock, can be placed anywhere on your desk or even on your monitor. This can act as a second screen for displaying stream chats, the currently active settings, or other pieces of information you want to see at a glance. Even without this, however, the Master Deck concept is already a step up from other Steam Deck alternatives, offering more flexibility without the added complexity.

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Portable moka pot lets you enjoy coffee in the middle of nature

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While I will most likely not be going camping anytime soon, there are a lot of people who enjoy this kind of thing. There are also a lot of campers or outdoor enthusiasts who like to enjoy having a cup of coffee once they have pitched their tents or reached their mountainous destination. Sure they can just bring a flask or heat water for their instant coffee but wouldn’t you rather “brew” your own coffee when you’re marveling at nature?

Designer: Militello Design

This product concept is called Moka-mp and based on that name, you kind of already know what it is. It is a portable moka coffee pot that is light enough but still durable enough that you can bring it with you when you’re climbing a mountain or spending the night camping outdoors. It’s meant to help you enjoy your time with nature while still drinking a cup of brewed coffee.

The moka pot doesn’t look like your usual stovetop coffee brewer. If you didn’t know that it brews your coffee, you might think it’s just a regular portable cooking pot, albeit smaller. The bottom part holds the water while just above it is a safety valve and the space where you put your coffee powder and where the coffee magic happens.

This can become an essential part of your camping and outdoor gear if it becomes an actual product eventually. Those who love both coffee and the outdoors will have a good time as they sip their (hopefully) delicious cup while enjoying the wonders of nature. However, I’d stick to my cup of coffee in an air-conditioned coffee shop, thank you very much.

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Spherical bottle opener concept adds a playful touch to your dining table

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Many of our everyday tools at home have designs that go back decades or even centuries. Although they might not be inherently broken, there’s no reason why they can’t be changed or improved as long as functionality isn’t compromised. Just taking a look at the dozens of screwdriver designs and laser-based measuring tools shows there’s definitely room for improvement and experimentation.

The bottle opener, for example, has a head that provides the actual functionality and a handle that adds leverage. But what if you can ditch that long handle for something more interesting but equally useful? That’s what this concept design tries to offer, resulting in a version that’s not only functional but also decorative when not in use.

Designer: Younghyun Kim

The current conventional bottle opener design isn’t exactly bad. It’s practical, easy to make, and leaves some room to use different materials for the handle. At the same time, however, they can be longer or bigger than they need to be, and the majority of designs are pretty uninspiring. There’s a reason why bottle openers are often stored in drawers, lying in wait until they need to be used.

This bottle opener design concept, on the other hand, is something you might want to keep on top of the table or the kitchen countertop even after you’ve used it. Rather than a long handle and a head with a hole in the middle, the concept uses a dome for the opener and a sphere for the handle. That means it also won’t take up space in the unfortunate event that you do want to put it away.

More importantly, however, this spherical bottle opener becomes more than just another tool in the drawer. Because of its interesting shape, and the fact that it can stand upright, it becomes a sort of decoration that adds some aesthetic value to your table or kitchen. It can even be used as a paperweight to keep paper napkins from flying away.

In theory, it doesn’t lose any of the benefits of the traditional bottle opener design. The ball-shaped handle can still be made from different materials that can change its character. It might be questionable, however, if the design provides the same leverage as a conventional long handle does, but it probably wouldn’t take too much effort to pop a cap.

The post Spherical bottle opener concept adds a playful touch to your dining table first appeared on Yanko Design.

Spherical bottle opener concept adds a playful touch to your dining table

Posted on by

Many of our everyday tools at home have designs that go back decades or even centuries. Although they might not be inherently broken, there’s no reason why they can’t be changed or improved as long as functionality isn’t compromised. Just taking a look at the dozens of screwdriver designs and laser-based measuring tools shows there’s definitely room for improvement and experimentation.

The bottle opener, for example, has a head that provides the actual functionality and a handle that adds leverage. But what if you can ditch that long handle for something more interesting but equally useful? That’s what this concept design tries to offer, resulting in a version that’s not only functional but also decorative when not in use.

Designer: Younghyun Kim

The current conventional bottle opener design isn’t exactly bad. It’s practical, easy to make, and leaves some room to use different materials for the handle. At the same time, however, they can be longer or bigger than they need to be, and the majority of designs are pretty uninspiring. There’s a reason why bottle openers are often stored in drawers, lying in wait until they need to be used.

This bottle opener design concept, on the other hand, is something you might want to keep on top of the table or the kitchen countertop even after you’ve used it. Rather than a long handle and a head with a hole in the middle, the concept uses a dome for the opener and a sphere for the handle. That means it also won’t take up space in the unfortunate event that you do want to put it away.

More importantly, however, this spherical bottle opener becomes more than just another tool in the drawer. Because of its interesting shape, and the fact that it can stand upright, it becomes a sort of decoration that adds some aesthetic value to your table or kitchen. It can even be used as a paperweight to keep paper napkins from flying away.

In theory, it doesn’t lose any of the benefits of the traditional bottle opener design. The ball-shaped handle can still be made from different materials that can change its character. It might be questionable, however, if the design provides the same leverage as a conventional long handle does, but it probably wouldn’t take too much effort to pop a cap.

The post Spherical bottle opener concept adds a playful touch to your dining table first appeared on Yanko Design.

Movable trolley cabinet lets you be more mobile in your work space

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Whether you’re working from home or from your office, you probably have just one desk or workspace where you spend most of your time. But there are also those that for one reason or another love to move around the room when working. It can be a hassle to keep moving your stuff when you need to move from one place or another. This product concept might just be the solution if you have that problem.

Designers: Keetae Kim, Jinsu Du, Young Jin Kim

Kimmipak (named after the three designers) is a concept for a steel trolley that you can help move around the stuff that you need to work on if you’re moving from one place to another in the room. It looks like a piece of luggage except that it opens up like a cabinet. But just like your luggage, it is something that you can store things in and then roll around if you need to bring stuff to and from your other workspaces.

When you open the cabinet, there are two layers but it can probably be modified as well if you need more shelves. You can ise it as a bookshelf, cabinet, and the top can also be a mini table. There is a removable toolbox at the top where you can place items like garden supplies, tools, beauty stuff, etc, if you need them carried around but you don’t need the whole trolley.

It’s an interesting concept for those who move around a lot in the room and you need your tools or stuff with you. Some steel or filing cabinets also have wheels for easier moving around if needed but this one was specifically designed to be portable and movable like your luggage.

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