Tag Archives: Everyday Objects

This water bottle and pillbox hybrid was designed to restore young cancer patients’ confidence!

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Pengu was born out of empathy for those diagnosed with cancer. It is heartbreaking and life-changing at any age, but more so when you are a teenager or young adult (TYA) because it takes away from their chance at having a normal developmental trajectory during a phase of life that is crucial for social, cognitive, and emotional development. Pengu was designed to improve the quality of life for TYA cancer patients on hospital leave or in remission by helping them feel and live a little more independently.

At this age, usually, a TYA patient would be moving out for school, getting their own space, experimenting with career options, and more but it all comes to a giant pause as their life suddenly revolves around health appointments. The constant monitoring and check-ups are bound to make anyone feel like they don’t have control over their life, and especially with a disease like cancer, so Pengu – a water bottle and pill holder hybrid – is a small product that can make a big impact by giving them a little control back. It helps to smoothly facilitate two critical things for the patient – taking their medication on time and hydrating enough. These two tasks are things the best of us forget all the time, but it is something vital for a patient’s recovery and therefore can’t be missed. With Pengu, the user will not have to feel conscious about having a big pillbox and the medicines will be easier to access compared to being in their bags. When the user starts to streamline their own basic needs of taking medication and drinking water, it starts to slowly build back their confidence about being able to leave home and readjust to life outside cancer. Besides, Pengu is sleek, minimal, and stylish so it takes away the feeling of “people are watching me when I have my pills.”

The name might hint on the fact that the form was inspired by the emperor penguin and their chick. “The subtle ribbed touch points on each side represent the flippers, whilst the shut line of the lid represents the beak. The pill holder slots into the base of the bottle, similarly to how the penguin would shield its chick from the cold,” explains Spence. Even the CMF was thoughtfully picked out to mimic the water-resistant feathers of the penguin. The jet black color is bold yet minimal and the bottle is powder-coated in stainless steel for sturdiness and insulation. Since it is still a concept, it would be fun to see if there was a digital element to it like subtle reminders to hydrate or take pills. The penguin is a symbol of resilience – no matter how harsh the storm, they must keep moving forward to survive and it is a beautiful reminder to those fighting cancer every day.

Designer: Shane Spence

Stationery addicts now have a ‘concrete’ reason to buy another pen!

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Good stationery can really change my productivity quotient for the day and I am sure I am not alone. Writing with a new pen brings out the calligraphy artist inside me and looking at the concrete pen, I am so tempted to start journaling again! The studio that designed this beautiful pen, 22Studio, is proud of their contribution to keeping the tradition of writing on paper alive by sparking inspiration through their products.

The stationery created by 22Studio is no less than art, these are made to last lifelong and passed down as family collectibles through generations. Concrete is used to make this pen because it adds the rich look without making it a shiny or fancy – it is simple but makes a bold statement. The solid pen starts as a liquid mixture of different elements and then it allowed to set like stone. The concrete pen is carefully designed and crafted by hand in the studio which gives it its unique personality. Books are considered as best friends, but this concrete stationery is a rock (literally!) we can lean on.

Designer: 22Studio

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Annoyingly useless everyday products designed to make you squirm!

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Most designers start out with one goal in mind, to create innovative and aesthetic designs that will totally blow our minds! However, industrial designer Katerina Kamprani had something else in mind. She took ordinary everyday products and decided to twist and tweak them, to create uncomfortable objects that would shock us, make us cringe, and eventually make us laugh! The Uncomfortable is a series of objects designed to, well, simply annoy us. Enjoy!

It’s safe to say that The Engagement Mugs simply make me squirm! They make the perfect mugs for your partner and you, if you’re prepared to twist around, struggle and finally give up on your cup of morning tea or coffee!

The Triple Door is basically one door cut into three portions, each portion equipped with its own knob and keyhole. Have fun handling three keys, and unlocking three separate little doors!

The Uncomfortable Tea Set consists of a weirdly long teapot and teacup. Rectangular in shape, I can’t imagine pouring some tea out of this set, without spilling all of it!

The Concrete Umbrella is an umbrella made from concrete. Has any umbrella ever made you as uncomfortable as this one? I mean sure, it’ll protect you from the rain if you can manage to even lift it!

Kamprani really had something against a cup of tea or coffee, because all of her tea set utensils are completely ridiculous! The Uncomfortable Mug features a closed square-like handle that makes it impossible to hold. I would love to discover a comfy way to sip some tea from this mug!

In the mood for some champagne? Worry not, the Uncomfortable Champagne Glasses are here to your rescue…or not! To be honest, they look like a candleholder, but to some extent, I do find them useful. I mean, you could sip on two glasses of champagne in one go, and we all have days like that.

The Uncomfortable Fork lacks a sturdy handle completely, instead a not so dependable chain takes its place. This is one fork that’s hard to get a grip on!

The Thick Cutlery set doesn’t look so bad unless you’re prepared for a little weightlifting for your wrists. It’s hard to imagine how anybody could fit that bulky spoon into their mouth, alongside their food! Annoyed yet?

You could wait for hours, but you’d never get any salt and pepper out of the Hourglass Salt and Pepper Shakers! Cinched in the center like an hourglass, it would be impossible to sprinkle some seasoning onto your food with these.

The Uncomfortable Wine Glass is an egg-shaped glass, with a hole to sip your wine with…or spill it all over yourselves with. Wine Wednesdays are a goner with this wine glass!