Tag Archives: iF Design

This Award-Winning Breathing Assistive Stone expands and contracts to guide your meditation

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Prana, according to ancient yoga practice, is known to be the universal life energy, in which breathing helps flow through each of us and every other living thing; it keeps us alive. When energy channels are even partially blocked, this disrupts the flow of prana, which can lead to heightened feelings of stress or anxiety. Ayama means to extend, draw out, or regulate. Pranayama is the practice of breath control, which essentially helps clear out any blockages in energy channels that prevent our breathing from bringing us calm.

The makers behind Ayama, Wenxi Qi, and Hengbo Zhang received the iF Design Talent Award in 2019 for their breathing assistive device that helps those of us with anxiety reach a point of self-induced meditation. Ayama, which resembles a smooth, grey garden stone, is really a rhythmic breathing guide that, thanks to fully-integrated motors that run off an electric charge, expands and contracts according to pranayama breathing techniques. When we focus on our breathing and let it guide our peace of mind, then our parasympathetic nervous system is supported, which means our heart rate assumes a more natural-feeling rhythm and our otherwise tense muscles tend to relax in response. This is called a “relaxation response” and provides the purpose for this design.

With an intuitive interface, Ayama is self-explanatory and easy to follow. By pressing the main button on the grey stone, users can adjust the different modes of pranayama: ujjayi, sitali, kapalabhati, and nadhi sodhana. These varying breathing techniques help to quell different stressors, including body temperature and lack of concentration by helping the user achieve a generally calm state of mind. Additionally, Ayama comes with a wireless charger that mimics a miniature zen garden, which works as a friendly reminder that by just checking in with our emotional headspaces, we can practice pranayama anywhere, anytime. Without the help of physical aid, it can be difficult to incorporate healthful breathing techniques in public life. So, Ayama brings a sense of calm when considering how insurmountable battling anxiety can sometimes feel – all you have to do is press a button and breathe.

Designers: Wenxi Qi and Hengbo Zhang

This minimal modern water purifier has a ‘filtered’ secret!

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Traditional water purifiers tend to occupy a lot of space in our kitchens, giving the impression that our kitchens are more crowded than they actually are. To rectify this, Korean appliance brand Kyowon Wells recently launched Wells The ONE. Wells The ONE is a water purifying system with a revamped form. The water dispensing faucet and the actual purifying system have been separated to create one space-saving and ergonomically designed product, quite similar to a split AC! The main filtering unit comprising of the filters and motors can be subtly installed within the kitchen sink, island-style counters, and tables, with only the sleek faucet remaining visible to the eye.

The faucet features a modern and minimal aesthetic, allowing it to effortlessly merge with your kitchen. Equipped with a circular touch control panel and an LCD display, operating the faucet turns into an interesting and interactive experience! Via the left section, you can easily control the temperature of the water, and switch between cold and hot water options, in accordance with your mood. Whereas the right side of the control panel can be used to adjust the water flow which ranges from 120 to 1000 ml. All the details are displayed on the screen, with a distinguishable raised line encircling the panel, encouraging tactile interaction and a simpler user interface.

A 9-step filter system eliminates eight types of toxic metals and other impurities that may infect your water. Not to mention eco-friendly materials such as ceramics were used to create the faucet! Available in a variety of color schemes, my favorite being the white and rose gold combination, Wells The ONE is one of the most innovative water purifiers I have seen. Convenient, space-saving and not to mention visually pleasing, it’s the kind of appliance our modern kitchens need!

Wells The ONE is a winner of the iF Design Award for the year 2019.

Designer: Kyowon Wells

Samsung’s dual oven cooks two dishes simultaneously at different temperatures!

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Kitchen and home appliance innovation is out to shock and awe these days and Samsung’s The Dual Cook Flex is a prime example of it! The Dual Cook Flex is equipped with a flexible dual door system, enabling you to cook two dishes at the same time. However, you can customize their temperatures and cook both dishes at their unique requirements! How does it do that? The answer lies in their ingenious hinged door that allows you to access either the entire oven, or only the top half, so whatever dish you have in the lower section remains unaffected.

The dual oven saves you some precious time and helps the environment (and your electricity bill) by using 20% less energy. Amped with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can control the oven using an app! No more fear of burning down the house because you left the oven on. Even when you’re away,  you can preheat, adjust temperatures and switch it on and off by simply swiping through your phone! With a capacity of almost 75 liters, the substantial oven is easy to keep clean due to its Pyrolytic Cleaning System, which burns away any grease or residue left behind.

The Dual Cook Flex requires minimal time and effort while maintaining high functionality. It is especially useful for when you’re having parties or get-togethers. You can cook your crowd-pleasing dishes effectively and faster than usual! Convenient and efficient, using an oven has never been so satisfying!

The Dual Cook Flex is a winner of the iF Design Award for the year 2019.

Designer: Samsung

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iF Design Awards Top 20 Gold Winners

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Its way past midnight as I file this report, I have just got back from a spectacular evening spent at the BMW Welt, Munich. BMW opened its doors to the iF Design Awarding Ceremony. Designers from all across the world were present for the event; about a thousand design-inspired folks were present at the event. Highlights of the evening was the 75 iF Design Award Gold winners who had come to collect their award. And of course the master of them all Ralph Wiegmann.

Glittering trophy in hand and fingers pointing to their name on the winner’s wall, was a sight to be seen! This is my second trip to Munich and I must congratulate Ralph and his team for pulling off such a great show. Well timed and precise there were only a few key things to do (of the winners)… collect their awards, get the Year Book, Pose at the Name-on-wall and the official photo booth. Last but not the least: eat amazing food and dance the night away. Perfect recipe for a fun evening! More updates and pictures on my 3-day trip will be posted next week, but for now just go through my recap of best iF Design Award Gold Winners.

MINI Kapooow! – Installation by BMW

The MINI Paceman installation looks smashing and was showcased at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013.

My Taxi by Hyundai Card

The “My Taxi” is a taxi adjusted to the urban setting and inhabitants of Seoul, following the concept “Small, Spacious, Smart”.

Social Kitchen by Alt Group

For the Social Kitchen 2012, guests embarked on a linear food journey along a custom 65 m kitchen to hunt, gather, store, prepare, cook, cool, clean and share. On the journey guests interacted with Fisher & Paykel designers and engineers about the experience at hand and their memories of food, cooking and life lived around the products. The insights gathered from these interactions will influence future generations of appliance design.

Metronomis LED Range by Philips Design

Metronomis LED is the first street lighting range in the world to offer a palette of environmental lighting effects to give projects a unique contextual or esthetic touch.

Lifeline GoSafe, HomeSafe by Philips Design

HomeSafe is a range of wearable help buttons that enable voice communication with the Lifeline help service.

DesignLine PDL8908S/12 by Philips Design

The Philips DesignLine PDL8908S/12 combines uncompromised picture quality performance with groundbreaking dimensions, making it the most enjoyable viewing experience on the market. The innovative use of full glass integration within the design of the DesignLine PDL8908S/12 allows the LED TV to blend seamlessly into any interior, while also communicating a high performance television.

NOVA by Lunar

Nova is a climbing wall that redefines training at home through a new take on design expression and a compelling interactive interface.

XS Quattro by Tatic Designstudio S. R. L.

This very slim door fitting with integrated access control and card reader unites various functional areas with modern design while offering space for all essential components.

SmartHeater by BALMUDA Inc.

SmartHeater is a unique aluminum radiator heater, which warms the room gently by convection and radiant heat.

TRACE + NICE by Tobias Grau GmbH

The TRACE track system permits a sequence of spots and pendant lamps.

Vakka by Aalto + Aalto

Designers Elina and Klaus Aalto had an idea to create an esthetically pleasing container, that does not look too much like a container and lends itself for a variety of uses, including serving as a stackable piece of furniture

Leimu by Magnus Pettersen

The Leimu table lamp has been inspired by the striking combination of glass and concrete in modern architecture.

Ultimate Ears BOOM by NONOBJECT

Unlike most speakers, the Ultimate Ears BOOM is not designed to be a precious object made to passively entertain. It’s the center of action – passed around, held or hanging from a backpack.

ZERO 1 by Adamidesign

Wireless – Digital – High-end. ZERO 1, the first digital all in one horn speaker system in the world.

Fitbit Force by NewDealDesign LLC

Wireless activity and sleep wristband – comfortable and advanced Fitbit Force is the first and only wireless activity and sleep-tracking wristband featuring an OLED display with real-time access to all your activity stats including stairs; wirelessly syncs to leading Apple and Android devices.

G Flex by LG Electronics

The G Flex is conceptualized as a curved smartphone; to put it into commercialization, LG has newly developed all its major components, such as LCD and battery, to be bendable in shapes.

Formwork by Industrial facility

Formwork desk containers have been designed to help bring order to papers, tools, and artifacts – the things that surround us and allow us to be productive and comfortable.

Nike Studio Wrap by Nike Inc.

The Nike Studio Wrap is designed to help women make the most of workouts typically done in bare feet, including yoga, dance and barre.

Concept S-Klasse Coupé by Daimler AG

This S-Class Coupe study unites tradition and emotion in a symbolic embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz style of design: sensual purity.

Yumi by Shigeru Ban Architects

Yumi means bow in Japanese. Yumi is both delicate and strong: a clean design and simple shape that blend into a lightweight yet sturdy structure of composite material, wrapped in a carbon fiber coat with a surface brushed to a gloss finish.

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(iF Design Awards Top 20 Gold Winners was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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