Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Minimalistic Tea-inspired Aromatherapy

Posted: 29 May 2017 11:01 AM PDT

In Chinese tea drinking, traditionally, the lid will be placed ever so slightly tilted so as to leave a gap so that the aroma of the leaves can escape and fill the air, creating an olfactory experience in addition to the taste. Inspired by this, designer Lu Yicong developed GAP, an aromatherapy diffuser that mirrors this age-old process in an minimalistic, ultra-modern device.

After placing the desired essential oils, inside, the user can activate the diffusing process by pressing the top section. The tilted top mimics that of the tea cup and allows the aroma to disperse for psychological and physical well-being.

Designer: Lu Yicong

Your Backpack, Your Canvas!

Posted: 29 May 2017 06:40 AM PDT

You know how the apparel you wear are supposed to make a fashion statement? With the Manuable Backpack you can literally make a statement! Designed in white durable fabric, the backpack comes with a “communication kit” of various attachments featuring characters and emojis that can be placed around the canvas.

It’s no secret that we’ve become a more visual people. No one likes reading things that are too text heavy (ironically, I’m typing this in text); people are much more comfortable consuming videos, images, gifs, and expressing in memes and emojis. That fundamental direction of communication is what resulted in the Manuable Backpack, allowing it to not be just a functional luggage carrier, but rather a speech bubble, or an extension of your self.

The Manuable comes in pure white, making it a great canvas for whatever you want to place on it. It could be relevant messages (if you’re wearing this while cycling), or almost like your personal bumper-sticker, or locker, decorated with quotes, emojis, etc.

Before you express concerns about the whiteness of the bag, let’s have you know that the Manuable’s fabric is completely water-repellent! Which means it doesn’t stain or even retain drops of water, mud, or grime. The water-repellent, stain-resistant bag is also entirely machine washable. They say you can literally place the whole bag (emptied of its contents of course) into the washing machine and give it a good cleaning!

The Manuable bag may be white on the outside, but the minute you unzip it, you’re greeted with a fresh blast of color on the inside. We love this understated-outside yet vibrant-inside effect the backpack has. You can choose between orange, pink, gray, and blue interiors (although our heart’s set on the orange!). The backpack is equipped with a padded laptop slot and a set of stencils/sticker packs of your choice.

Manuable somehow fits into a Venn diagram that we’ve seldom seen before. It sits perfectly in the intersection between apparel and the future of communication. The reason it is so relevant is because the minute you look at the apps on your phone, you realize that emojis, gifs, and stickers have become a pretty much standard method of communicating now. Let’s celebrate that movement by wearing it on our sleeve! Or in this case, on our back!

Designers: Ubaldo Ortiz, Sara Wong & Claudio Tello

Chosen for its neutrality and durability. The ivory white backpack is made with water repellant and easy-to-wash fabric. Inner lining comes in orange, pink, grey or blue.

The Manuable Backpack should be constantly modified by its owner. Its design and construction is made for this.

Padded laptop compartment in the back for better protection.

Outer fabric is water repellant, abrasion resistant and easy to wash.

Twrist and Sweat

Posted: 29 May 2017 03:00 AM PDT

Twrist (yes, you’ll be mouthing that name for a minute) is a fitness concept aimed just at the ladies. These adjustable dumbbells allow users to start lifting with light weights and gradually increase as they progress.

The basic dumbbell weighs between 2 and 4 pounds. More weight plates can be added to the two ends with a simple click-in mechanism that allows you to quickly add or take away weight to easily transition from exercise to exercise. Their tactile, shaped grip ensures proper hand placement and prevents slippage.

It also comes with an e-trainer app that lets you know the muscle group you’re training and how to maximize your workout. Additionally, users can design their own custom workouts by adjusting the weight of the dumbbells.

Designers: Chen Yan-Ting & Yeh Hsin

The Tag Along Vacuum

Posted: 29 May 2017 12:07 AM PDT

Canister style vacuums offer unmatched suction power, but users often find themselves lugging the heavy body from area to area which can be exhausting and time consuming. The Airborne vacuum (named after its ability to “float” around with the user) addresses this issue with a power-assist segway system that intuitively follows the user as they traverse from room to room and around furniture.

The two-wheeled canister can not only rotate 360°, but when the user pulls on the attached hose, it leans and follows them up to the moment there is slack in the hose. Now, without much thought, users can concentrate on cleaning and move in all directions without pause!

Better yet, there’s no power cord to worry with! The sleek, metallic design also features a minimal dedicated charging station which keeps it powered and neatly placed.

Designer: Sumin Shin