We can’t time-travel (yet), but here’s a glimpse into the near future, thanks to the creative geniuses behind these design concept winners in the Red Dot Awards. From changing the way we eat, live and work, check out 10 user-friendly product ideas that could become a reality sooner than later:
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HALO CITY
Luminary Award
Halo City may look like any other electric scooter, but it prides itself on being an effective solution for “the last mile” problem in daily commute, letting you travel effortlessly to and from bus or train stations.
It only takes two seconds to fold the scooter, and at less than one metre long, it can be easily carried onto any mode of public transportation. Halo City also comes with its own app, so users can receive transport-related information. It also comes with built-in GPS, so you can monitor its location in real time.
By Beijing Onemile Technology Co, China
MIRAI – RICE COOKER
Red Dot Award
Not only does the Mirai cook rice, it makes good use of leftovers with a moulded bottom that can turn the extra rice into crispy rice snacks.
Singaporean designer Ronald Tan created Mirai with a view to cutting down on food wastage. He has also gone a step further to design a special rice scoop that helps users take out the rice snacks from the pot when done.
By Ronald Tan, Singapore
WAIST BOWL (INTUITIVE ERGONOMIC BOWL)
Best of the Best Award
Try placing a bowl of hot soup on the table without it spilling over. Where do you put your fingers? Most would have the thumb on the rim, and the second or third finger supporting the bottom of the bowl. The problem comes when trying to place the bowl on the table, as the finger on the bottom gets in the way, risking spills. Waist Bowl’s design is simple but effective. The bowl has an additional ring at the bottom of the bowl, making it easier to hold and put it down without getting burnt.
By Jonathan Saphiro Salim, Singapore
COFFEE BEAN TABLE
Red Dot Award
Who knew that coffee grounds not only makes good fertiliser but can be turned into furniture as well?
Coffee consumption increases globally every year, and Japanese designer Hiroki Sakamoto thinks that it is a waste to just throw them away. So he has created the Coffee Bean Table, made with used coffee grounds solidified in resin.
The table comes with a detachable embedded planter, which makes the plant appear as if it is growing from the table. The table also has a slight coffee scent, in case you’re having caffeine withdrawals.
By Hiroki Sakamoto, Japan
PRIZ
Best of the Best Award
No matter how you look at it, extension cords are ugly, which is why we spend so much time hiding them from view. Unless you can get your hands on Turkish-born designer Erdem Selek’s Priz, which are so stylish that anyone would want to show it off.
Selek’s idea is to fuse form and function. Hence, the design of Priz is simplified and stripped to a basic form so that it doesn’t take up much space and complements any interior decor. Any excess wire, of up to a length of two metres, can be neatly coiled or hung up.
By Erdem Selek, United States
TWO-FACE
Red Dot Award
There’s more to a calculator than just counting, feels Hyunsuk Seo. Hence, the Korean designer developed Two-Face – a calculator and digital clock rolled into one. Rather than just leaving a calculator on the desk with no other use, he turned it into a digital clock that goes into action when the display panel is folded. Talk about double duty.
By Hyunsuk Seo, South Korea
KIN WALLET
Best of the Best Award
Always fumbling with your change at the cashier’s counter, trying to stuff your notes and coins into the right compartments in your wallet? KIN Studio comes to the rescue with its namesake wallet that magically separates the two.
All you do is throw all your change into the wallet – the trick lies in an inner mechanism sewn in such a way that prevents the backflow of coins into the main compartment or out of the wallet. To get the coins, open the flap on the side of the wallet where the coin compartment is and voila, no more impatient glares from other customers waiting their turn to pay.
By KIN Studio, Singapore
HELP ME
Red Dot Award
Help Me is a simple device that is bound to be a hit with both professional and home chefs. Simply a piece of stainless steel enveloped in a piece of silicone, Help Me is placed on top of the knife blade to make chopping easier as less pressure is needed. At the same time, Help Me also works as a knife sharpener when the steel piece is rubbed against the bottom of the knife blade.
By Maxypro Industrial Product Scheme Co, China
SHARKMAN WEARABLE FURNITURE
Red Dot Award
Chinese designer Zhao Yang understands that people sometimes just need their own private space. Her Sharkman furniture is collapsible and can be shaped to create a cocoon of sorts. For example, Sharkman can be used as a chair, and as a small tent when you’re lying down.
Folks in open plan offices will appreciate Sharkman as they can use it to create a flexible personal space. And it can also be turned into a big bag to carry personal belongings around.
By Zhao Yang, China
GLOBAL NOMAD
Best of the Best Award
Driven by the urgent need to house displaced people, the students of Massey University came up with the idea of Global Nomad. Not as in the digital warrior but rather it refers to a set of clothes they designed which can be turned into a temporary shelter with the use of some poles.
Global Nomad separates into five parts: tent, lamp, sleeping mat, pillow and sleeping bag. In the morning, the user takes apart the shelter and wears the Merino-wool pieces as clothes – the tent can be used as coat, for example. And at night, the same clothes can be re-assembled into a portable sanctuary.
By The School of Design, College of Creative Arts, Massey University, New Zealand
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Text: Tay Suan Chiang, Business Times / Additional Reporting: Elizabeth Liew
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- gadgets
- high tech
- home ideas
- inventions