Tag Archives: hook

These quirky wall hooks look like squirmy critters crawling on your wall

Posted on by

Minimalist designs often suffer the stigma of being plain, clinical, or boring, as if such designs have to follow rigid forms and a fixed set of drab colors to qualify as minimalist. Of course, the actual interpretation and implementation of minimalist design principles can vary from person to person, and there is no hard rule that prevents injecting a bit of whimsical and eccentric elements into a product. Take, for example, these wall hooks that are nothing more than plainly colored strips of metal but twisted and bent in such a way that they turn any wall into a curious piece of abstract art filled with what looks like creepy crawlies wriggling their way across the room.

Designer: Christian Neumeier

Wall and door hooks often have very utilitarian designs, primarily because they get obscured by things hanging from them most of the time. The times they don’t hold anything often see them blending into the background or hidden behind doors. It’s a missed opportunity, however, to turn them into decorative pieces as well, whether they’re in use or especially when they’re not. Bender is an attempt to remedy that situation, and it does so in a strikingly simple way.

As its name implies, Bender hooks are just powder-coated strips of steel bent in this or that direction, creating a form that you might presume to be unsuitable for its purpose of being a wall hook. But thanks to precise industrial design, the ends and sometimes even the middle of these metal strips instantly become places to hang bags, clothes, and accessories. The hooks come in different sizes but are all simple in form, despite the twists and turns, making them just as space-efficient as regular hooks.

The real pull of Bender is, of course, the creative freedom it gives homeowners in sprucing up their space. Any wall can become not only a wardrobe but also a mural, with these bending critters creating patterns in your design. The hooks come in different colors as well, so you can make the composition as regular or as chaotic as you want. Perhaps you want a more uniform pattern of black and white stripes similar to a zebra, or perhaps you prefer a random kaleidoscopic scattering of hooks as if somebody splattered your wall with gigantic gummy worms.

The one unfortunate factor that could limit your creativity is the fact that you’ll have to drill holes to install these hooks. While it does come with all the screws, dowels, and guides needed to set the hooks up, you can’t change the arrangement on a whim once they’re screwed in place. It might also be a deal-breaker for renters and even some households, leaving them no option but to use dull old wall hooks instead.

The post These quirky wall hooks look like squirmy critters crawling on your wall first appeared on Yanko Design.

This simple table has an equally simple solution for hanging your bags

Posted on by

Everyone has a bag these days, whether it’s a backpack, a messenger bag, a handbag, or one of the more fashionable descendants of the fanny pack. Despite varying designs and sizes, almost all bags have two things in common, they have handles or straps, and you wouldn’t want to leave them lying on the floor in offices and coffee shops. Some tables in these public spaces now offer hidden bag hooks under the table, but these seemingly ingenious solutions come with their own drawbacks. A proper solution doesn’t have to be overly complicated or sophisticated, and sometimes, the simplest one wins. That’s the kind of thinking that may have gone into these ultra-minimalist tables that hide their bag hooks in plain sight.

Designer: Hajime Kumazawa

The need for bag hooks has been a rather recent phenomenon as more people flocked to coffee shops and communal spaces, including those in offices. There was even a phase when bag hook accessories became trendy because very few tables had such hooks built into them. Such tables are more common these days but still not standard, so you might find people awkwardly groping under a table just to check if there are any hooks for their bags.

Therein lies the fundamental design problem of bag hooks. Intended to hide bags from view, they sacrificed practicality and ease of use on the altar of keeping up appearances. Ironically, these tables are places where things can get a bit messy, either from food or from work. Hanging the bags beneath the surface doesn’t even help in getting them out of your way because they often result in uncomfortable leg positions to avoid hitting the bags in the first place.

The DTN Table design fixes this problem by being simple and honest about its purpose. It doesn’t pretend to be some stylish piece of artistic furniture by hiding bags from sight. Instead, it makes it super simple to hang bags on the four legs of the table, allowing for easy access and really getting out of the way of your legs. This might invite some messy arrangements, and it does limit how many people can hang their bags at the corners, but the purpose of the table is more for transient activity, like meals, meetings, and similar.

The table itself is unabashedly utilitarian in design, practically just a slab of melamine on top of four steel legs with aluminum die-casting. It is as minimal as it can be, with few options for different colors of the tabletop or the legs. It also comes in either rectangular or square sizes, and you can easily put them side by side if you need more space or more bag hooks. That’s not to say there’s nothing else to this table. By default, it comes with two casters and two glides to make it possible to move the table around just as easily.

Admittedly, the DTN Table might seem plain and unexciting on its own, with its singular visual quirk being the top of the legs that serve as bag hooks. Almost ironically, having those bags hang on the outside for everyone to see does add some flavor to these plain tables, making them feel like living places where people interact with each other, which is exactly what such tables are designed for in the first place.

The post This simple table has an equally simple solution for hanging your bags first appeared on Yanko Design.

Designing products that break biases with Render Weekly and Ti Chang!

Posted on by

If you are a part of our Instagram community, you could have not missed this viral (and controversial!) post that shed light on gender bias in the design world. As conversations progressed, I realized the bias goes beyond genders and there are MANY segments of our audience who are underrepresented. We need to talk to and more about women, BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled groups – pay attention to their experiences, their needs, parts where they have felt left out of consideration when using a product or service. The post was a conversation starter but it needed to be followed by action, so Yanko Design teamed up with designer (and powerhouse) Ti Chang as well as Render Weekly to encourage participation from the global community with the aim of designing to break a bias.

“This is a chance to start to redesign products and experiences that do not address the needs of womxn and many underrepresented groups and historically marginalized communities. Let’s reimagine what could be! Let’s get these ideas out there by collaborating with EACH OTHER! Talk to your community, reexamine your privilege, reach out to this community and see if you can team up with them! Offer to realize other people’s ideas if you are super strong in rendering! If you have a great idea reach out to someone who is a great sketcher! Just get these ideas out there for us to see what a more equitable world COULD look like,” said Ti Chang.

Here are some of our favorites from the #RWDesignBias challenge –

CURVD by Amin Hasani

Hasani is one of the co-founders of CURVD, a universal mug that works for everyone! “Disabilities do not exist, design flaws do. When a product fails to serve a person, that person is not disabled, the product just wasn’t designed right. The CURVD mug was designed to allow all hands, regardless of their hand capability or shape, to be able to enjoy a beverage without limitations,” says Hasani. The mug was launched as a human-friendly design with a patented handle that allows all people, regardless of their hand capability, to be able to enjoy a beverage without limitations. Enjoying a warm beverage is a universal joy and deserves a universal design.

Maria Contraceptive Pill Dispenser by Romane Caudullo and Theotim Auger

Maria is a smart pill dispenser specially designed for the contraceptive pill with the aim to free women from pill omission pressure and its side effects. “Because, while the pill benefits the whole couple, the woman is often alone in managing this contraceptive, the constraints, and stress associated with it. It seems to us right and necessary to use design to improve this treatment,” says the team. Maria makes it easy for women to take the pill and improves its effectiveness by making the process more efficient. A much-needed redesign that comes 60 years after the FDA approval of birth control pills!

 

Changing Station by Claudia Miranda-Montealegre

Baby stations in public are only found in women’s bathrooms and do not take into account the needs of male caregivers. The current design does not feel safe, or hygienic, which leads to people using surfaces that might not be ideal (cars, floors, and counters/tables). This puts the burden on the female partners and takes away equal access from male partners. This conceptual baby changing station has a touch-less opening system, includes UV and alcohol self-cleaning capabilities, as well as integrated adjustable lighting. It upgrades the safety features to provide a comfortable experience for parents and infants alike. It also includes details such as hooks for bags, safety belts that can be adjusted using one hand, and a diaper dispenser for a seamless experience.

Pivot by Iris Ritsma

Even in 2020 majority of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is still being designed for the male body including body armor which is made to protect people from being harmed or even killed by gunfire. 71% of women working in emergency services wear PPE that is designed for men – it doesn’t fit women, their bodily movement, health issues, and more. Pivot is a soft concealable armor designed to optimally fit the anthropomorphic characteristics of women’s bodies. Each size comes with three variable chest sizes and the diagonal straps fit neatly around women’s naturally tighter waist with raised sides on the bottom provide extra freedom of movement in the hips. Pivot provides optimal protective coverage, maximizes women’s mobility, and increases women’s comfort significantly.

Liberia by Nipuni Siyambalapitiya

Current luggage scales in the market assume that most people can lift up a 50 lb/23kg on a hook/strap and weighed, it doesn’t take into account the elderly or those with disabilities. Liberia is a pneumatic luggage scale that allows you to weigh your bag WHILE packing! It is a pillow-like scale and accompanying app. It comes with an electronic air-pump that inflates it and a pressure-sensitive valve that records change in air pressure inside the scale as the weight on top changes. Buttons and tabs are large enough for people with low grip strength and have different tactile qualities, making it easy to maneuver the scale even if you can’t see too well. Simply place the deflated scale on the floor, put your bag on top, inflate the scale via the app and start packing while Libera tells you the weight in real-time.

Interruption Buzzer for women by Kristi Bartlett

Trump interrupted Hilary Clinton 51 times during their debate and in 2020. This buzzer is inspired by the board game Taboo and aims to make group discussions easier. The AI-enabled meeting assistant combats the phenomenon of women being talked over in meetings. Put it in the center of the table at your meeting and adjust the dial to reflect the gender makeup of your group to make sure the contributions follow the proportions. The device will buzz annoyingly and loudly when it detects a woman being interrupted by a man or another woman. It will also turn blue if it detects that men are speaking more than 50% of the time and pink if the same applies to women. The goal is to keep your meetings purple – equal chances!

Diffuser by Caterina Rizzoni

This diffuser re-imagines blow-drying curly hair, using a handheld form factor to help users offset discomfort and pain when using diffuser attachments on traditional dryers. Caterina spoke to over a dozen curly-haired womxn and relied heavily on design for usability. She aimed to reduce the ergonomic pain points present in the current design. This dryer was designed to protect naturally curly hair – the extra deep bowl saves room for curl pattern formation, while the dished fingers naturally conform to the user’s head. The use of metal for the diffusing end allows for even more drying from radiant heat, which means less airflow and less frizz! The soft braided cord easily swivels out of the way during use, and the soft heat-resistant over-mold on the body is easy to grip + easy to clean. Curly hair people are often forgotten like left-handed people and we need to break this bias.

BAGPAL by Tim Zarki

Public restrooms lack hooks to hang your bag from, and no one likes putting their bag on the gross public restroom floor. It is an uncomfortable and stressful experience, especially for women as they carry bags more often than men. BAGPAL can be used to hang your bag when you are using a public restroom and need both hands to change a tampon or pad. It is a multipurpose hook-shaped product that travels with you to hold your things when you can not. It has a strong stainless steel skeleton and colorful waterproof skin that is easy to clean when you wash your hands. With the pandemic, people are all the more careful of common surfaces and we don’t want to carry germs back home with us on our bags!

This sliding ceiling lamp has got us ‘hooked’ on to its flexible, playful, modular design!

Posted on by

Designer Huisu Jo was observings people’s behavior in ‘Dongmyo’ which is a traditional Korean market where everything is used as the ‘most convenient way’. He saw people being resourceful with even scraps and was inspired by the fact that hangers are used as the easiest way to display items. Even in local Indian markets, hangers are used to create a makeshift shelf for the items and sometimes even used to hang lights to show the items laid out below when it is dark. Hook is a lamp that is inspired by these makeshift hacks and has been designed to let users adjust the position of the light according to their needs.

Lights are usually fixed but Hook brings that flexibility to the appliance so it can be aligned with our lifestyle. For example, I want to read in my nook but it is not right under the ceiling light so I have to buy another light or change my reading corner – this may not be convenient in small spaces or for my pocket. But with Hook, I can just slide the light towards my corner and back when I am done. It keeps the floor space free while adding a dynamic element to the otherwise monotonous and boring ceiling lights.

Hook’s aesthetic is minimal and modern. It could have been black and white for a sleek look but I love the pastel blue and bright orange – it adds a pop of color without being too bold and turns the light into a functional accent piece in your home. The clever design also lets you have 2-3 hook lamps so you can disperse or concentrate the light. Simply hook the lamp on to the bar and slide it as per your space and your situation. Hook is modular, flexible, and playful – a refreshing take on hanging ceiling lights!

Designer: Huisu Jo

Retreev Compact Grappling Tool Aims at Ninja Wantabes

Posted on by

Growing up, I had a serious Jones for martial arts flicks, especially Bruce Lee movies. I also loved to watch anything with a Ninja on the box cover because Ninjas are awesome. One thing I liked about these guys is that they could whip out a grappling hook and climb over anything. I tried to make a grappling hook out of some twine and an old rusty rake head growing up. It nearly worked, which is to say it let loose after I was a few feet off the ground.

What I needed was the Retreev Compact Grappling Tool.

retreeve-1zoom in

It’s not made specifically for Ninja use, but I know a ninja tool when I see it. The keychain size hook comes with aluminum and stainless steel spikes and has a magnetic head for grabbing metal items. Sadly, it’s not strong enough for actually holding your weight unless you’re Ant-Man, but it should wonders to get back that Frisbee that landed on the neighbor’s roof.

retreeve-5 retreeve-3 retreeve-4 retreeve-6 retreeve-2

It would probably make a nice tool for campers in areas where you have to store your food in the air or bears show up and maul you. You can get one at ThinkGeek for $29.99(USD).

Hang in there!

Posted on by

One thing that still amazes me about product design is that sometimes a good product can be painfully simple, yet strikingly alluring. The Little Bishop Pendant Light Hook embodies that aforementioned fact. It replaces the ugly hooks you use to hang your lights from the ceiling, and looks so voguish, the way it ‘wears’ the electrical cord like a muffler!

Designer: Antony Richards

Author: Sarang Sheth

-
Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE - We are more than just concepts. See what's hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Hang in there! was originally posted on Yanko Design)

Related posts:

  1. Hang On The Rim
  2. Hang Me Some Tea
  3. Hang Up Those Dishes