Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

When Architecture met Footwear

Posted: 25 May 2017 12:28 PM PDT

If you ever thought one design discipline couldn’t inspire another, you’re wrong. Product designs can often take inspiration from typography designers, graphic designers can often look to fashion designers, and the occasional shoe designer can often see wonderful design cues in architecture.

Drawing inspiration from Herzog & de Meuron’s 2008 Beijing Olympics stadium, these Adidas Ultraboost sneakers feature a dizzying array of lace-like anti-abrasive polyurethane line-patterns that resemble the iconic ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium. The lacing system consists of two continuous laces that loop around support points along the upper and around the heel of the shoe in a seemingly random manner, but giving it a distinct flavor synonymous with Herzog and de Meuron’s iconic building. A 3D printed double-loop cinch locks the laces in place.

It’s a shame these shoes are conceptual works of design. I, for one, would pay good money to own them!

Designer: KXIV

A Vape That Doesn’t Look Lame

Posted: 25 May 2017 10:06 AM PDT

Hydrology9 looks and functions like no other vaporizer you’ve used before. Crafted from spacegrade aluminum alloy and borosilicate glass and fitted with LED lights, this futuristic vape almost looks as if it might double as a lightsaber!

As sick as it looks, what sets it apart is unparalleled water filtration technology. Vaping is all about smoothness, and the addition of water enhanced the sensation even more. Hydrology9’s patent pending “tunnel-tube” system allows an unobstructed flow while keeping it leakproof and aesthetically seamless.

Designer: Richard Huang of Cloudious9

“Creating a truly unique vaporizer required us to think completely outside the scope of existing vaporizers on the market. This meant solving new challenges and having no prior reference resolution for a new problem that others have never tackled. The results are a brand new approach to dealing with liquid filtration, and thus the birth of our patent pending “tunnel tube” liquid filtration design and even heat distribution stir,” designer Richard Huang told YD.

“Vaporizers with any liquid filtration capability usually implement it as an add-on, and the entire device is not specifically optimized for liquid filtration. The results are inconveniences from numerous moving parts and a lack of a truly portable solution. After identifying this void, Cloudious9 was set on a mission to create a disruptive product for an industry that longed for innovation.”

“Creating a new vaporizer solution without anything similar on the market also prevented our product design team from being clouded by others’ design concepts, since we have no identical competitor. This allows our design team to unleash our creativity and bring to the world our widely acclaimed exterior design.”

Mouthpiece:

We designed the mouthpiece using 1/4 inch thick Borosilicate glass, which provides the best combination of strength and clarity. It was designed to curve at the perfect angle to provide the most exceptional comfort and ease of cleaning. Completing the Hydrology9 portable liquid filtration experience is a perfectly positioned ball valve built inside the mouthpiece, which allows the Hydrology9 to be carried and turned in any direction without the fear of spillage.

Glass Chamber:

Nothing comes close to the familiarity of a crystal-clear glass piece when liquid filtration is involved. After numerous revisions and considerations, we were set on a minimalist cylinder design precisely shaped to prevent any liquid spillage while conforming to a grip easily.

Chamber:

We implemented a patent-pending solution to a typical problem we see in today’s vaporizers: a built-in device that allows you to evenly and efficiently distribute heat. The stir was integrated with the bottom chamber cover, with the cover made of spacecraft-grade aluminum alloy and the stir itself made of heat resistant stainless steel.

Water Filtration:

Allowing unobstructed flow of vapor while keeping the Hydrology9 leakproof is inherently a conflicting concept. Accomplishing both goals in a seamlessly integrated design was truly challenging. The ability to fuse all three requirements aesthetically into the Hydrology9 design is the heart of Hydrology9’s innovation. The results are a brand-new approach to liquid filtration, and the birth of our patent-pending “tunnel tube” liquid filtration design.

Alexa’s Smaller, Cooler Cousin!

Posted: 25 May 2017 06:19 AM PDT

Even though there’s barely anything to the HiddenRadio2 Speaker, I can’t get enough of it. Designed with true minimalist spirit, this metal blob looks unsuspecting at first. Then you place your finger on the top and open a Pandora’s box of opportunities!

Designed with virtually no buttons (or any visible speaker at first), the HiddenRadio2 looks like a metal version of the Pokemon Diglett. To power it on, just place your finger on the capacitive touch enabled top and the metal housing dramatically lifts upwards to reveal a tiny yet versatile and powerful 360° speaker below. The touch surface on the top of the speaker takes care of pretty much everything and paired with the HiddenRadio app on your phone, you have yourself a tiny and powerful audio-device/AI-assistant. The touch surface on the speaker can be tapped, swiped, and swirled, allowing you to control playback and volume. It can even activate Siri, allowing you to connect to the internet and even to your smart-home. The speaker can also be used as a speakerphone for around-the-table conference calls, and what’s most interesting is that it can be paired with multiple HiddenRadio2 speakers to simultaneously fill your room or entire home with audio. And when you’re done, just tap on the speaker again and the metal hood lowers, concealing the speaker, almost like magic!

Designers: John Van Den Nieuwenhuizen & Vitor Santa Maria

Drone-vertising is Here!

Posted: 25 May 2017 04:30 AM PDT

Advertisers are always looking for funky new ways to get products in front of our faces and this just might be one method we can expect in the future. It’s called ARON and it’s a drone specialized to place marketing right over our heads!

It’s adapted to be safe and quiet for use in public spaces by using a blade-less design. The lack of propellers means less noise and prevents injury from spinning blades in the event of a fall. While the idea of digital banners flying overhead might seem strange, it’s a lot better than all those wasteful paper flyers!

Designer: Kyu Seok Lee

Efficient Extraction

Posted: 25 May 2017 12:00 AM PDT

When we think of the word “juicer” we imagine a big bulky electronic contraption… but all you really need is something to help squeeze! For those of us with limited cabinet and counter space, the Flat Juicer is a simple, space-saving solution.

Thanks to its clever design, only one step is needed to set it up. Just squeeze the flexible body and the juicer pops into shape immediately. The ring around the folded parts keeps everything steady and held together. Then, press with your favorite citrus for pulp, seed, and peel-free juice!

Designer: Fien De Clercq

“The juice itself flocks in the white bottom part. This container can keep up to 200ml of juice. One side of the folded white part does not contain a gap, this side is used to poor the juice into a glass,” designer Fien De Clercq told YD.

Retina Screen, Retro Back!

Posted: 24 May 2017 04:27 PM PDT

It’s a shame that the Macbook Pro ditched everyone’s favorite, the light up Apple logo at the back. It was truly one of the unnecessary yet most loved design details on the laptops (some people even modded their iPhones and iPads to have the glowing logo). Nevertheless, we as a human species have always persevered and in most cases, come up with our own solutions to life’s problems.

The Brik Book is one such solution. It ditches the boring metal Macbook back for something more playful. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing” once said the wise George Bernard Shaw, and that’s exactly why we need the Brik Book. It comes compatible with Lego blocks, Mega Bloks, Pixel Blocks, KRE-O, blocks, and K’NEX. The possibilities are endless, with some people creating the most amazing artpieces on their laptop covers… others choose to customize it by writing their name. Our favorite? The multicolored retro Apple logo! The ‘hello’ is a close second! Check out the fan-art here!

Designer: Jolt Team

Balcony desk will have you working from home!

Posted: 24 May 2017 02:30 PM PDT

Balconies are only used for drying clothes, and probably for the odd Romeo Juliet scene, if you have an interesting love-life. Other than that, no one really uses them, even though they overlook the city and can have really breath-taking views sometimes.

The Balkonzept desk fits onto any balcony, making the wonderful cityscape either your workplace, or a setting for a beautiful lunch/dinner date. Available in wonderfully fresh colors, it’s sturdy enough to take the weight of a laptop, dining set, or a few potted plants. It uses a counter-balancing area which makes a great mini-garden, or even a book-case or bottle-rack.

The makeshift balcony desk is just perfect for people bored of being stuck in the boring office workspace. Using the balcony, and the city’s landscape, the Balkonzept makes for a rather inspiring workplace… or just use it for wonderfully charming outdoor meal! #balconygoals!

Designer: Rephorm Haus