Tag Archives: redesign

Ultrasonic cleaner concept masquerades as a beautiful piece of sculptural art

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We have recently become a bit more concerned not only about the air that we breathe but also about the objects we touch or put on our faces. In addition to air purifiers, there has been a rise in all sorts of sanitizing devices, from those using UV-C light to other less common methods like ultrasonic washers for glasses. What binds all these machines together is how they look like machines, things that would stand out and look out of place in a living room or an art gallery. These boxes and towers don’t really have to be designed that way, only that it’s the most common and, therefore, cheapest manufacturing option. Fortunately, the trend seems to be changing, and there have been a few more aesthetic redesigns of these sanitation devices, such as this ultrasonic cleaner that could easily be mistaken as an artistic pot among other decorative pieces in a room.

Designers: Sohee Park, Deric Jeon (above.studio)

Granted, an ultrasonic cleaner is not exactly a common household appliance even today, but they serve an important purpose in some locations, particularly those that may deal with bacteria or dirt that could be harmful not only to health but also to other objects within that space. That includes laboratories, museums, and art galleries where your accessories could accumulate dirt or microorganisms that, when transferred, could damage equipment or get people sick.

Ultrasonic cleaners fire off high-frequency sound waves through the liquid to scrub immersed objects, such as eyeglasses, without physically touching them to reduce the risk of damaging the objects themselves. These machines often come as uninspiring and very technical boxes with a small metallic basin embedded at the top. It’s the most convenient design for such a machine, but with today’s technologies, designs don’t have to be that limited, which is what this redesign concept tries to accomplish.

The metal tray that holds the cleaning liquid and objects to be cleaned is still there, but it’s now embedded in a bowl-like structure that better signifies its purpose, which is to hold something potentially important and precious. And instead of a clunky metal box with knobs and switches, this black bowl sits on top of a paraboloid structure that serves as its base, creating a shape that almost looks like a large goblet that is smooth and almost devoid of details. Standing beside vases and decorations, this ultrasonic cleaner would look very much at home, disguising its true nature and purpose until it’s actually needed.

The redesign doesn’t fundamentally change the function of an ultrasonic cleaner, though finer control might be lost due to the absence of those knobs and switches. It does, however, make the device look less daunting and more approachable, especially in places where a metal box would stand out as an eyesore. Such designs could even make cleaning and sanitizing devices more commonplace, increasing their use and popularity in households, which, in turn, could help prevent the spread of diseases inside homes.

The post Ultrasonic cleaner concept masquerades as a beautiful piece of sculptural art first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sony Cybershot gets reimagined as an action cam in this concept

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The last time I was on a skateboard was when I was 15 years old (don’t ask how long ago that was) and I wound up breaking my arm. While I probably will never attempt to get on one again, the sport has continued to be pretty popular along with other activities considered as “extreme sports” by others or simply just an active lifestyle (as compared to the sport of sitting on your couch watching Netflix).

Action cameras have been a thing the past few years as people who are into skateboarding, surfing, biking, etc wanted to capture their activities on camera. We’ve seen the likes of Go Pro, DJI, Insta360, and even established camera brands come up with their own version of action cameras. What if the beloved compact Sony Cybershot can also come up with their own variant of an action cam, this time specifically for skateboarders?

Designer: Jongmyoung Kim

A South Korean designer has come up with a redesigned Sony Cybershot and turned it into an action camera that skateboarders can use to capture their sweet moves. What he was able to do concept-wise is to come up with a detachable “subcam” that the skateboarder can wear while doing some tricks and turns. The camera has a 360-degree rotation and will have a dynamic screen switching capability so as to better match the needs of the action-heavy user.

The concept design seems to indicate that the live main cam and the sub cam can be used separately and together. The main camera can be placed in one static place and will serve as the live screen and capture the entire space the skateboarder (or other extreme sports user) will be moving in. The sub-cam meanwhile is attached to a body part either through a mount or a magnet and will serve as the actual action camera.

The sub-cam has a cylinder and hexahedron shape so it can have a freer rotation and it will be easier to strap it to the body, which is the main purpose of such a device. The main camera can also be attached with a strap so you can bring it around easier. There are also some photos that show both cameras becoming part of your outfit of the day although that may not be a priority for this action cam. The concept design seems pretty neat although actually creating one with the needed specifications and features may be another thing altogether.

It is also worth noting that Sony does have a couple of existing action cameras but they may not be specifically built for the needs of a skateboarder, which the designer has tried to address in his redesign.

The post Sony Cybershot gets reimagined as an action cam in this concept first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Lamborghini Countach gets a GORGEOUS minimalist redesign after nearly 50 years!

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ARC Design Studio has refined an Italian classic, and I’m sure Gandini would be impressed with the result!

Some could argue that the Countach was the car that defined Lamborghini‘s future. Unveiled in the early 70s, the radical design was the handiwork of Marcello Gandini of Bertone, following the commercial success of the Miura. However, the Countach was nothing like its predecessor. It had that wedge-shaped angular design that became Lamborghini’s brand DNA and a signature element in all their cars moving forward. The designers at ARC Design gave the nearly 50-year old Countach a modern facelift by retaining its futuristic design while simplifying the surfaces and making it even more of an icon. The resulting Countach 50 looks like its original but on Botox. The surfaces are smoother, the edges sharper, the parting lines smaller, and headlights and taillights… well, they’re arguably the same, but also a lot more modern.

They say a design becomes more realistic as it goes from sketch to prototype. Parting lines come in, tolerances increase the gaps between different components, proportions change, the real world constraints add their ‘imperfections’ to the design. ARC Design’s Countach 50 looks exactly like something Gandini would have sketched back in the 60-70s. Its silhouette is just incredibly well-balanced, and that contour line running along the side couldn’t be more perfect. The car comes in a matte gold paint job that enhances the minimalist design – because you don’t get distracted by all the reflections on the flat surfaces – and it also sort of pays a tip to the bronze paint-job on the Lancia Stratos Zero, the Countach’s spiritual ancestor.

The transparent vents on the rear give a peek into the car’s internals, showcasing its engine, while the taillights are an absolute exercise in design minimalism 101. They retain the original Countach’s familiar hexagonal shape, but instead come with edge-lit light strips in the signature Y-shaped pattern. The front ditches the familiar pop-up headlights for a minimalist feel, capitalizing on the narrow strip on the front, with edge-lit indicators on the top.

ARC Design’s Countach 50 is unmistakable in its appearance. It doesn’t take more than a glance to recognize the familiar shape and form of one of Lamborghini’s most famous cars, even when it’s not in its familiar red color. However, you notice something different. It feels a lot cleaner, more refined, polished.

Although the Countach 50 upgrades certain aspects of the design, it retains a few favorites too, like the scissor doors, and the vents on the side that pop out when the car’s driving and sit flush against the surface when parked. The interiors use an all-leather design too, from the seats to the dashboard, and even the insides of the doors. There is, however, a significant upgrade in the central interface, which sports a massive display and the palpable lack of a stick-shift.

Designer: ARC Design

The Countach 50 is a fan-made concept. ARC Design isn’t affiliated with Lamborghini. The use of the Lamborghini logo is purely for representative purposes.

Is this the new Apple Watch Series 7? First-look renders show a flat-edge design inspired by the iPhone 12

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I was today years old when I learned that the Apple Watch is the most popular watch in the world, overtaking Rolex to gain that title. Anyway, now that we have that tidbit aside, famed tech-leaker Jon Prosser is alleging that the world’s most popular watch is getting a redesign. Currently in its 6th series, the Apple Watch has seen only two major redesigns (with the second arguably boasting of a screen with thinner bezels) but it seems like the Cupertino-giant has giant plans for the 7th edition of its popular smartwatch… and it involves homogenizing its design to fit in with the iPhone and iPad’s form language.

The rumor-mill of a new Apple Watch started back in 2020 when prominent Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted that a new design was in the works and could drop as soon as 2021. Now that we’re well into the year 2021, Prosser’s collaborated with Ian Zelbo to bring rumors and leaks to life in the form of pretty life-like renders. The renders are based on real images and CAD-file screenshots supplied to Prosser by his network of sources. In order to protect the sources yet still share the designs with everyone, Prosser and Ian created these renders to show us exactly what they saw, and it seems like Apple is really beginning to streamline their design language. The ‘magical slab of glass’ analogy seemed to work really well for the iPad and its flat-edge design language finally carried onto the iPhone 12 last year and the iMac this year. According to the renders, the Apple Watch is getting a similar design upgrade with flat sides as opposed to the rounded ones, giving its screen a larger-than-life presence with minimal bezel interference.

It’s worth noting that these renders do come with some caveats. For starters, they’re literally just renders. Prosser couldn’t get his hands on a spec sheet, so we don’t have any idea what’s on the inside of the watch and if there are any new sensors or features. In fact, the watches go by codenames in the supply line too, so for all we know, this might not necessarily even be the Apple Watch Series 7 but rather an incredibly early look at Series 8! One thing that definitely stands out is the Watch 7’s new color-schemes, especially that rather soothing moss green color that doesn’t just exist on the strap, it’s present on the anodized metal body too (iMac 2021 much?) I wonder if Apple’s planning on releasing an iPhone 12-style purple variant too.

Image Credits: Jon Prosser and Ian Zelbo

A designer made a slimmer, sleeker looking PlayStation 5 with a modern Discman vibe!

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Could we, collectively as a species, agree on just one thing? The Playstation 5 pushes the hyper-organic design language a little too far. Objectively, even though it looks better than the Xbox Series X (yes I said it… I like my gaming console to look like a work of art, not like something out of Minecraft), if the guys at Sony dialed down the organic, free-spirited aesthetic, the PS5 could easily be a stellar-looking gaming console. Speaking of which, feast your eyes on this absolutely beautiful alternative design for the PS5 by Riccardo Breccia.

Breccia’s reinterpretation of the PS5 comes from the same place as those who criticize the company’s existing design… it scales the height down dramatically and makes it look less like an upright folder and more like a console, taking a page from the 1st generation Playstation’s design. Breccia’s PS5 sports a circular form that harks back to the circular shape that punctuated the design of the PS 1st gen. One much even draw parallels to the Walkman/Discman designs of the pre-iPod days. The PS5’s redesign is a lot wider than you’d expect, given the components that sit within. Breccia’s taken the liberty to even detail out where the inner parts would fit, along with a detachable upper-plate that reveals the fan below, along with an SSD expansion slot. The front of the console features a disc-slot right beneath the PS logo, along with a USB port for connecting/charging your controller. The remainder of the ports, including the Power Supply, Ethernet, and HDMI ports sit on the back, obscured from view.

Overall, Breccia’s PS5 design does a good job of reducing the original design’s shock-value. Breccia’s redesign is sensible and simple (like the Xbox Series X), but does take the liberty of playing around with interesting forms, curves, form-separation, color-separation, and CMF, resulting in a design that should somewhat please both the people who love the PS5’s audacious design, and the people who appreciate the Xbox Series X’s overt simplicity.

Designer: Riccardo Breccia