Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

For when your ideas are worth gold

Posted: 19 Feb 2018 11:30 AM PST

Here’s a pen you’ll definitely not want to lend! The Gold Rush Pen has, on its cap, a piece of gold suspended in a transparent housing. Designed with the need to capture the spirit of the Californian Gold Rush in the 19th century, the Gold Rush pen truly makes your writing priceless.

The Gold Rush pen, with its golden headpiece, is almost akin to the finest swords which had jewels encrusted in them. Treated not just as a writing instrument, but as an instrument of change, a product that has been responsible for the rise of modern civilization, the pen gets its due credit with a crown that shows to you and everyone around you how both precious and powerful it is at the same time.

All the gold sourced for the Gold Rush pen comes from America, and is made to go through strict quality testing to ensure that all the gold is of the best quality, and the most optimal size and shape. When embedded in the pen, the nugget is showcased in its most natural form. The Gold Rush pen comes four types. A fountain pen, for the connoisseur, a ball-point for the classic, a roller-ball for the perfectionist, and a mechanical pencil variant for the creative. The pens come made in Black Resin or Sintered Titanium, and boast of a lifetime guarantee!

Designer: James Glass (Pen Infinity)

Pickling. It’s not just for hipsters.

Posted: 19 Feb 2018 10:00 AM PST

We have hipsters to thank for bringing back pickling as a hobby but the Japanese have been enjoying “tsukemono” or preserved vegetables and fruits for ages! The key to great tsukemono is a heavy stone or other object to place pressure on the contents, however, traditional containers are much too large to keep in today’s modern kitchens.

Designed with this in mind, the Picklestone is a portable pickler that makes it possible for anyone to put it in their refrigerator at home. (Say that 10x fast!) Just add the leftover veggie cuts of your choice and pickle brine (typically salt, chili pepper, and konbu kelp) to the jar, seal it with the stone and wood lid, and voila! You’ve got a sustainable, savory snack.

Designers: Kunihiko Nakata & Tomonori Tanaka of Harmoniqua

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Sleep Tech for Your Smartphone Addiction

Posted: 19 Feb 2018 08:30 AM PST

It’s hard to believe that, for some people, this is what it takes to get a little shut eye! The smartphone struggle is real! It’s called MoDi and it transforms your precious device from something that disturbed your sleep cycle into a sleep aid that combats smartphone addiction.

Placed next to your bedside, you first dock your smartphone in MoDi. (Placed in its holder, the glow from the screen is diffused through a screen, creating ambient light.) Engage the sleep system by using your voice. MoDi will guide you through a breathing meditation to put your body and mind at ease. You’ll begin to calm and slowly drift off to sleep. If you happen to wake up in the middle of the night, you can ask for the time rather than glance at a bright screen which could end up keeping you awake for hours.

At your scheduled wake-up time, a soft LED will slowly brighten along with your designated alarm sound. It’s smart tech to kick off your day and help you wind down!

Designer: Jay Kim

AR glasses Steve Jobs would be proud of

Posted: 19 Feb 2018 06:00 AM PST

Even though this product doesn’t exist (yet), the Apple Glasses Concept is as Apple-esque as it gets. Taeyeon’s observations and execution help make a product outside Apple’s catalog (yet) appear so innately Apple, you probably wouldn’t question any of his design choices.

The Apple Glasses are a conceptual pair of AR glasses that marry AR technology (an area Apple is a pioneer in now) along with product design that’s truly representative of what Apple stands for. Simple, sophisticated, and stylish, the Glasses truly make Apple look like the fashion tech brand it is. The circular lens shape and minimal styling is hipster and also pays tribute to the spectacles Jobs wore. It employs a play between matte and gloss, using colors iPhone users are familiar with, while also borrowing the detaching-templepiece detail from the Apple Watch. While Apple has made no indications to move into the headset space, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t make something that looked like this… but if anything, the Apple Glasses are truly a culmination of the body of work Apple has produced in the past few years!

Designer: Taeyeon Kim

A Sticky Twist on Solar Power

Posted: 19 Feb 2018 03:38 AM PST

Solar power has come a long way from the original gargantuan grids in the desert. Advancements in nano-materials and microtechnology now offered unparalleled portability and convenience for the average person. The Energy Tape concept pushes the limits of portable solar power by offering a reusable strip that works a lot like a roll of tape!

It can instantly transform just about any object into a solar power plant. It’s perfect for campers who can charge GPS devices or light, great for picnickers who want to keep their music devices running, and even better for all of us who regularly run out of battery for our smartphones! Its reusable adhesive back can cling to canvas, glass and almost any other surface without needing to lay entirely flat so you can use it in a limitless number of places.

Designer: Lei Yang

A Tractor on Steroids

Posted: 19 Feb 2018 12:33 AM PST

Red is a semi-autonomous machine with a nearly unlimited number of heavy duty applications from forestry to construction thanks to its shape-shifting design. Its unique symmetrical structure enables instantaneous switching between moving directions. Additionally, each of its “limbs” can extend or contract to accommodate varying needs and spatial requirements. All of the wheels are equipped with all-electric motors so power is distributed individually.

Its autonomous drive system also aims to improve work safety and productivity. Using infrared scanners, Red can travel autonomously between sites, programmed to follow patterned routes via GPS, track human operated vehicles, or be controlled remotely to execute more precise tasks and maneuvers.

As for safety, infrared laser scanners are installed on both sides of the bonnet and in front of the mudguards for 360 degree obstacle detection and collision avoidance. Active sensors emit high intensity illumination, making working at dark as efficient and safe as during daytime. Both ends are also equipped with optical cameras for remote control in more delicate situations.

Designer: Joona Järvinen