Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Do Hue have the Time?

Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:39 AM PST

Time is precious, and many of us have our own perceptions on telling it. Whether that be the color of the sky, the dial on a watch or even the ending music of your favorite show on TV. Dae-hoo Kim describes it as a numerical representation of a moment.

“Our time is flowing, time and light are most closely related. Through this design, I wanted to express the continuous change of light with the clock.”

Smartly designed, the internal gradient comprises of a palette which expresses emotions for the time and continuous light changes during a day. While the hour hand rotates 360 degrees for 12 hours, the internal color palette rotates only 180 degrees – providing a full 24 hour day. Albeit this clock may be more challenging to read with its minor ambiguities, it is a beautiful reminder of time, and its emotional complexities not often seen on a daily basis.

Designer: Dae-hoo Kim

Reality like we’ve never seen before

Posted: 21 Dec 2017 06:00 AM PST

Highly anticipated and like nothing we’ve ever seen before – the Magic Leap Mixed Reality Goggles. Having raised close to 2 Billion dollars since 2011, this start-up has been in the shadows manifesting something to revolutionize the virtual world as we know it. We’ve been inundated with various VR and AR goggles and headsets the past year, but these promise to be a cut above the rest.

There is no questioning their ability, especially if you look at their Demos, this is something that will really blow your mind if you haven’t already checked it out. What I do have a problem with are the questionable design choices made aesthetically. When using the Mixed Reality Goggles, one might be reminiscent of a walkman user with some funky eyewear choices. I do admire Magic Leap for trying to minimize any unnecessary weight or restrictive elements to the goggles, but I can’t help but feel they’re quite ominous looking. That being said, the Snap Spectacles got the same reception when they were released and the fact that Magic Leap is doing what hasn’t been done before they have free reign – as far as I’m concerned these guys are pretty funky, and I’m all for it.

Designer: Magic Leap

The ‘NIU’ face of scooters!

Posted: 20 Dec 2017 09:00 PM PST

An upgrade from the N1, Niu Innovation Lab delivers another exceptional two-wheeler but this time really adding an element of sex appeal to it. Ditching some of the old heavier materials for some more lightweight replacements, the M1 is a more lightweight, playful design with an agile character – while still carrying a lot of the same design language, fundamental to the Niu Scooter Collection.

With the vision of ensuring the M1 hit three crucial characteristics; high-tech, urban and slim design, the M1 has become a cut above the rest. There is not a chamfer or surface detail seen here that was not heavily debated. The M1 loves to play with light and steal your gaze across every inch of this beautiful bodywork.

What makes this two-wheeler stand out the most are the gorgeous lights both front and back. An unusual style, definitely something that makes this guy unique. Another attribute that makes the M1 a true breeze to use is the removable battery – weighing in at only 10kg, the battery pack is removed by use of the elegantly detailed handle and can be easily carried into the home or office to charge while sparking the curiosity of onlookers. With its predecessor the N1 having had considerable success in the Chinese market with over 100,000 units sold in its first year alone, there is no doubt the M1 will be an even bigger success both nationally and internationally.

The Niu M1 Electric Scooter is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2017.

Designer: Niu Innovation Lab (Token Hu)

Why the Easy Basin is my favorite Red Dot Winner

Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:00 PM PST

Here’s a concept that’s every bit worthy of the Red Dot Design Concept Award it won. The Easy Basin keeps in mind its user and their experience. It does a damn near marvelous job of putting together meticulously planned design details that make sense first and become aesthetic notes later. All in all, you have a sensible, convenient, and aesthetic product that does what it sets out to do rather well, and enriches its user’s life.

The Easy Basin is a basin/bucket designed to conveniently allow people to hand-wash their clothes. The Basin is large enough to wash up to 2-3 days worth of clothes, while also being small enough to carry. The concavity of the basin holds the clothes and the water/suds, allowing your dirty garments to soak in the soapy water. An opening on one half of the top allows you to access your garments inside, while a textured board on the other half lets you scrub your clothes against it, effectively cleaning them. The board itself is sloped, and the horizontal ridges not only provide a nice 3D texture for your clothes to rub against, they also guide the water to the sides and then down the board, back into the basin.

At the far end of the orange scrubbing board is a hole that acts as a water draining outlet. Just tip the Easy Basin over and the water drains out (effectively completing one wash cycle), without letting your clothes slip or slide out of the basin itself. A chamfer/flat-surface on the base of the Basin allows you to rest the basin in the tipped over position so that you don’t have to hold the basin in place while emptying the water out through the drainage hole. The drainage hole itself also serves as a handle when the board is opened/lifted upwards, allowing one detail to solve two purposes, and letting you easily lift the Easy Basin and carry it back once you’re done with washing your clothes.

Made out of plastic, the Easy Basin is lightweight yet sturdy and is a manufacturer’s dream come true since the entire product is just two molded parts. It merges sensible design with ergonomics to make a product that’s easy to use and also great to use while ultimately also being efficient, compact, and simple to manufacture. Need I say anything more?!

The Easy Basin is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2017.

Designers: Chen Yu-Sheng & Prof. Zheng Meng-Cong.