We're proud to announce the results of the 2025 Core77 Design Awards! The winning projects showcase an incredibly wide range of subjects, materials, technologies, processes and approaches. We truly appreciate all the time and effort that went into these projects, as well as the expertise and consideration of our jury teams in their evaluation of all the entries.

Apps & Platforms

The winning Professional entry is the WE: Wellness Support for Non-Native Speaking Women, an app created by QIMU Design, to empower immigrant women by breaking down barriers in healthcare access. The winning Student entry is Voice Select from Malte Fial and Johannes Roghkegel at Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd which uses a smartphone application to empower users to manually select and prioritize voices in group settings.

Branding & Identity

The winning Professional entry is We & I from Dentsu led by Taichi Tamaki, Ryota Sugahara, and Miki Taguchi for this music they used a high school chorus as a metaphor, creating a series of overlapping line silhouettes, while adding a hidden image that could only be discovered with a common study tool. Branding & Identity Student The winning Student entry went to Desert X from Yingying Zhu at ArtCenter College of Design. The rebrand emphasizes the intersection of cultures, humanity, and nature, exploring space and time while leveraging digital technology to create an immersive and cohesive visitor experience.

Built Environment

Winning the Professional category is the WERKSVIERTEL MUNICH a project designed by Johannes Ernst at Steidle Architekten which was previously an industrial site transformed into an independent quarter for residential, commercial, social, and cultural activities with open public spaces for events and other entertainment. The winning Student entry went to Frida Neckmar, Luisa Ebeling, Silvester Koessler, and Xiaoyu Yu from the Umeå Institute of Design for MIRA which reimagines the ICU as a space for recovery, connection, and care.

Commercial & Industrial Equipment

The 2025 Professional winner ifs Tim Nugent from Pulse Design Group for CNSRV DC-02. This system defrosts food in less than half the time it normally takes because the water is constantly being circulated all over the food as well as temperature is monitored and maintained throughout the defrosting. The Commercial & Industrial Equipment Student winner is won by AORA – Family-Centered Neonatal Care by Niklas Andreasen, Yash Saboo, and Joel Sjödin from Umeå Institute of Design. AORA is a hub developed to offer a single environment enabling parental presence throughout the entire neonatal intensive care journey.

Consumer Technology

Consumer Technology Professional was won by XBOX Adaptive Joystick from the Design Team at Microsoft which addresses the need for an affordable, singular joystick to use alongside the XBOX Adaptive Controller specifically for players with limited mobility. Consumer Technology Student was won by SMÅ | Paper-Saving Inkjet Printer from Jakob Höxtermann at Bergische Universität Wuppertal for a printer designed to be as space-saving, intelligent, and as resource-efficient as possible.

Design for Social Impact

For the DSI Professional category the winner is The Lotus Ring from Julia Lemle at Lotus. With this ring you can control anything—lights, fans, appliances, even TVs. With this product convert any space into an accessible space in seconds—and take it with you wherever you go. The Student category win goes to Chelsea Greenwell at Academy of Art University for Bio Lumi. Bio Lumi is a safe and accessible lighting, harnessing the same technology designed by nature for those that need it most. Light is created by adding an effervescent tablet into water creating light for 20+ hours.

Emerging Technology

The winning Professional entry is Avidbots Kas, the next generation of cleaning solutions, addressing the limitations of outdated technology from the PA Consulting Design & Innovation Team. Emerging Technology Student was won by Bark-Code from Hanju Seo at the Imperial College London & Royal College of Art. Bark-Code is a scanning solution that generates a digital "fingerprint" for each tree trunk, it eliminates the reliance on costly physical tags, reducing barriers for family forest owners.

Furniture & Lighting

The Professional winner is AGNI from Jose Cabrita at Contexte. This collection is based on a single element that can be used in different ways allowing that element to become a bench, a stool, a side table, or a shelf. The use of molded plywood allows manufacturing to make one mold that becomes multiple objects. The Student winner is SOLI by Milú Brunell from Savannah College of Art & Design. SOLI is an outdoor lighting solution powered by the microbial energy of soil, blending sustainability, innovation, and design. SOLI harnesses the natural decomposition process occurring within soil, converting microbial activity into light.

Home & Living

The 2025 Professional winner in Home & Living is Loka Chai Maker by Jon Marshall in collaboration with Chifen Cheng, Shing Lo, Amelia Kociolkowska, Vincent Fan, Harc Lee, Andrew Aitken, Nikhil Shah, and Anish Shonpal at Pentagram London. This device that makes chai quicker, cleaner and easier than anything on the market, and solves an array of issues: frequent boil over, constant monitoring, and messy clean-ups. The design has met with success due to its functionality, ergonomics and aesthetics. The Student winner is Sirocco Hands-free Hairdryer by Yajurvi Haritwal from ArtCenter College of Design. Sirocco is a hands-free hair dryer designed to be easily accessible by everyone regardless of their level of upper limb mobility.

Interaction

The Professional winner is Vega Connect: A Dual Interface Robot from Dexmate. Led by Xiaomeng Tang, the team of Xueyun Tang, Xi Pang, Yuzhe Qin and Tao Chen collaborated on the final product - an innovative robotic interaction system designed to bring advanced robotics into everyday homes through intuitive, human-centered design. The winning Student entry was PiggyPay created by Yixin Zhu in collaboration with Chenxi Li, Signe Lindgren and Simon Ljungblahd at Umeå Institute of Design. The PiggyPay system transforms money management into a multi-sensory experience, integrating sound, movement, and tactile interaction.

Lifestyle Accessories

The 2025 Professional winner in Lifestyle Accessories is Aer1 System by Mark Wiggins in collaboration with Nathaniel Berman, Jon Paul Turner, Scott Kingston, John Thorpe at Aerflo. This is a portable carbonation device with three components: the Aer1 Carbonation Cap, the Aer1 Bottle, and the CO2 capsule. Users fill the bottle with water, load a capsule, and press the spritzing button to dispense CO2 and carbonate the water. The Student Lifestyle Accessories winner is Sirocco Hands-free Hairdryer by Yajurvi Haritwal from ArtCenter. Sirocco is a hands-free hair dryer designed to be accessible by everyone regardless of their level of upper limb mobility.

Medical & Healthcare

The Medical & Healthcare winner is Couplet Care Bassinet by Ty Hagler from Trig, with a design that addresses a critical gap in postpartum care: the lack of accessible, user-centered hospital bassinets. The Student winner was Frida Neckmar, Luisa Ebeling, Silvester Koessler, and Xiaoyu Yu from the Umeå Institute of Design for MIRA which reimagines the ICU as a space for recovery, connection, and care. Its core innovation is a centralized hub that organizes machines and cables, keeping them easily accessible for caregivers while minimizing visual clutter for patients and families.

Packaging

Packaging Professional was won by an innovative packaging plan Google Plastic-Free Packaging, by Roman Ley at Google. Google's packaging for all hardware products, including Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit, is now 100% plastic-free, fully recyclable, and features innovative materials like custom-developed paper and molded fiber. Packaging Student went to Yitong Jiang, ArtCenter College of Design, for Into You. This packaging uses slightly heavier, 100% recyclable stainless steel. Its tactile quality reinforces the brand's commitment to "long-term use" and a "jewelry-like texture".

Speculative Design

The 2025 Professional winner in the Speculative category is Plant Futures created by Annelie Berner in collaboration with Monika Seyfried and Variable Studio. This project imagines how the Circaea Alpina flower would response to climate change between 2023 through 2100 helping the user to understand the broader implications of climate change. The Student winner is Standard Singlish by Cun Jia Tan from National University of Singapore. This project challenges viewers to reconsider the Singlish, the language that unites the diverse people within Singapore, by introducing a new typographical system with a set of educational materials that reimagine Singlish's future.

Sports & Outdoors

The 2025 Professional winner is IXI Autonomous Golf Trolley created by the Future Wave team of Joachim Froment, Quentin Desclee, Thoma Velghe, and engineers at Botorincs. The iXi Golf Trolley offers a fully autonomous, self-driving solution that follows players seamlessly on the course. It solves the problem of manually pushing or pulling heavy golf trolleys, reducing physical strain and allowing golfers to focus entirely on their game. The Student winner is Ventus T&F Speedsuit by Jacob Kauff from the University of Oregon, Sports Product Design MSc. The Ventus T&F Speedsuit is a distance-specific track and field suit designed to address hot weather conditions expected at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Ventus speedsuit features small 3D-printed TPU blades which help disrupt the air flow around the body, reducing aerodynamic drag.

Sustainability

The 2025 Professional winner in the Sustainability is the FREITAG Mono[PA6]: Circular Backpack from FRIETAG lab ag and the team comprised of Jeffrey Siu, Tu Van Giang, Ilke Tokdede, Inge Hettich, Silvio Trionfini, and Denise Eugster. The new Mono[PA6] Backpack is circular—from the fabric to the zippers and buckles, it's made from a single material and can be easily recycled in its entirety at the end of its life. The Student winner is Aeropod from Wangyang Hu, Ifeoluwa Afolayan Yuchen Cai and Alex Clark at the Imperial College London & Royal College of Art. Aeropod is a biodegradable, seed-like device designed to regenerate soil from within.

Tools

The 2025 Professional winner in the Tools category is Pella Steady Set Interior Installation System from the Pella Corporation. Created by the Pella Innovation Team the Steady Set interior installation is the first and only interior install system. It addresses the obstacles of unsafe, inconsistent, and time-consuming installation due to lack of opening accessibility. This system streamlines the installation process and answers the needs of professionals in the field. The Student Tools winner is Spark by Lenz Connor Bätzing and Mårten Malmnäs at the Umeå Institute of Design. Spark is designed to extend learning beyond the classroom, supporting children with homework, tutoring, or even playful explorations. Spark uses laser projections to create an immersive, hands-on learning environment in combination with analog materials like schoolbooks and notebooks

Toys & Play

The 2025 Professional winner in Toys & Play is The Handheld Patternmaking Loom from Lauren Puchowski at Boomloom. This loom re-imagines the pattern-making loom completely with two pieces and a fast set-up. A rotating bar snaps into place under the threads on a metal frame, as the bar is rotated, it separates different combinations of threads. Users weave a row by passing the yarn through the space between the threads. The Student Toys & Play winner is Rockid by Youran Fan, Qingyue Zhuang, Jiayi Wei, Ruiran Liu, and Yixun Bai. Rockid is a smart, modular rock-climbing wall that encourages kids to stay active and healthy while developing their physical strength and motor skills. It boasts an innovative quick-release mechanism in the climbing holds, making it easy for parents or guardians to set up various climbing routes for different challenges.

Transportation

The Transportation Professional category was won by Strollee Kids, from Strollee Kids Moving, a modular and versatile stroller system taking one stroller from bassinet to one-seat, two-seat, urban (4 wheels), jogger (3 wheels) and even a wagon when the kids outgrow the stroller. The winning Student entry went to David Bertl and Nicolo Vincenzi from Umea Institute of Design for Njord – Bridging the Gap to Autonomous Logistics which is a sensor vision module that enables freight companies to upgrade old cargo trailers that are already part of logistics fleets.

Visual Communication

The 2025 Professional winner in Visual Communication is Wayfinding Way Better: Metro's Wayfinding Improvements by the WMATA Team including Jacobs Engineering, Entro, Order NYC, Joseph Chan, Ray Yau, Daron Showalter, Tom Proctor, Nick Palastro, and Brian Anderson. Metro refreshed its wayfinding and digital information systems to unify and elevate the customer experience through thoughtful design, better data, and contextual awareness. It brought together data, design, software, and human insights to create a more seamless journey. The Student Visual Communication winner is Incomplete Encyclopedia of Memory by Kyoki Takahashi at ArtCenter College of Design. This book explores memory from two perspectives: one that thinks, and one that feels. The book is divided into two parts: one side explores memory from a logical perspective, while the other delves into the sensory and emotional aspects.

Autodesk Prize

The judges at Autodesk selected LIF – designed for all abilities as the winner of the Autodesk Fusion Prize for 2025 which is awarded to Artyom Shpagin, Yixin Zhu, and Thorben Westendorf from Umeå University. This project addresses the critical role dehumidifiers play in maintaining healthy indoor environments because they frequently lack user-friendly, accessible interfaces. This team sought to address this shortfall through innovative design.

Core77 Editors Choice

The Core77 Design Awards Editors Choice Award has been bestowed on Joachim Froment from Futurewave and the iXi Golf Trolley. The iXi golf trolley is designed to revolutionize the golfing experience by offering a fully autonomous, self-driving solution that follows players seamlessly on the course.

Autodesk Fusion is the first and only integrated cloud CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB software platform of its kind. It enables design and engineering teams to connect the entire product development process — from prototype to final product — within one cloud-based tool.

The judges at Autodesk selected LIF – designed for all abilities as the winner of the Autodesk Fusion Prize for 2025 which is awarded to Artyom Shpagin, Yixin Zhu, and Thorben Westendorf from Umeå University. This project addresses the critical role dehumidifiers play in maintaining healthy indoor environments because they frequently lack user-friendly, accessible interfaces. This team sought to address this shortfall through innovative design.

You can see an early prototype of the project in this short film. And then you can see from the images of the final submission how the designers made the project come to life with Autodesk Fusion.

The Core77 Design Awards Editors Choice Award has been bestowed on Joachim Froment from Futurewave and the iXi Golf Trolley. The iXi golf trolley is designed to revolutionize the golfing experience by offering a fully autonomous, self-driving solution that follows players seamlessly on the course.

It solves the problem of manually pushing or pulling heavy golf trolleys, reducing physical strain and allowing golfers to focus entirely on their game. For the user, the key benefits are hands-free mobility, real-time tracking of performance with a full swing analysis & feedback, and easy transport thanks to the trolley's lightweight, robust aluminum frame and patented iXi latch © 1-clic folding system.

To see the Trolley in action watch this film.

Joachim Froment, Futurewave and collaborators Quentin Desclee, Thoma Velghe, and Botorincs created this project for client IXI and golfers everywhere.

Here's what we looked at this week:

A modular urban mobility solution: The EDAG CityBot.

Expanding mechanisms designed by Henry Segerman.

Infinite Machine's cyber-utilitarian Olto E-Bike. Aesthetically, it gets right what the Tesla Cybertruck got wrong.

Aircela says their machine makes carbon-neutral gasoline out of thin air!

UI design for dogs: A bully stick holder that prevents choking.

Combustion Inc's Braun-like barbecue accessories.

Samsung's EMDX is a wireless, color e-paper sign that can go 200 days without recharging.

The Sumpokun is a time-saving crosscutting accessory from Japan.

AEMotion's designers tackle the challenge of the Dual, an oddly-proportioned vehicle.

Ikea ditching plastic, having developed new paper-based bags to hold their fasteners. It'll reduce the usage of 1,400 tons of plastic a year.

This AI-based Dream Recorder records your dreams for playback.

Bateman Labs' Encore is an armchair with a magnetic removable worksurface.

A suggested Industrial Design student assignment: Design and build a minimalist chess set.

Nestout's rugged outdoor USB-C charging cable comes with these unusual cap-hooks.

Kalager Design's powder-coated wire furniture: Indoor/outdoor pieces with a Cartesian aesthetic.

Honda is launching an urban bike-lane-based delivery system using their purpose-designed e-bike, the Fastport eQuad.

Crowdfunding smash: This tiny Kamingo device, which turns regular bikes into e-bikes, has clocked $700,000 and counting.

With clients from the Rolling Stones to Pininfarina, here's Daniel Brandt's insane portfolio of custom pool tables.

Industrial design case study: Prime Studio creates a flagship razor for Dorco.

This ID case study comes to us from NYC-based Prime Studio.

DORCO, the leading South Korean shaving brand, approached Prime Studio with an ambitious vision: create a new flagship razor that would elevate their brand on the global stage. This wasn't merely about designing another shaving tool—it was about establishing a comprehensive brand identity that would resonate across diverse international markets while highlighting groundbreaking technology.WHAT WE DID

Brand Positioning, Industrial Design

DESIGN TEAM

Stuart Harvey Lee, Mark Dorsey, Adrian Candela

BRIEFImagine the FutureThe brief we received from DORCO was very open. Their goal was simply to develop a flagship product that would position DORCO globally for the next decade. However, they also intended to create a new brand for this product so the combination of developing a compelling positioning and then translating that vision into product through industrial design was a great fit for our capabilities at Prime Studio.The razor market has evolved dramatically over the past decade, with disruption coming from direct-to-consumer brands and growing consumer demand for products that balance performance, aesthetics, and value. Our extensive experience with category-defining brands like Harry's and Hanni taught us that success requires more than technical innovation—it demands a compelling brand story that connects with consumers on an emotional level.

PROCESSSharpening Ideas, Shaping DesignOur development journey began by developing detailed customer personas across Europe, Asia, and North America. These weren't just demographic profiles—they represented holistic portraits of potential users, including their lifestyles, values, and affinity brands.We made sure that each regional persona exhibited distinct preferences:European consumers showed stronger inclinations toward sustainable materials and functional aesthetics.Asian markets valued technological innovation and enhanced styling.American consumers prioritized performance and value, with growing interest in premium experiences that didn't feel pretentious.These personas became our north star, allowing us to benchmark both design concepts and CMF (Color, Material, Finish) choices against the expectations of our target audiences throughout the entire development process.

"We looked for an agency that was creative, innovative, and understood the importance of large-scale manufacturing. Prime Studio made sure that it fully understood our direction, intention, target audience, and brand plans, which gave us trust. The most impressive part was that Prime was consistent in the directional approach from start to finish." --Steve Hong, CEO, DORCOWith our personas established, we moved to visual positioning—creating the foundation not just for our design work but for DORCO's global brand expression. We developed three distinct conceptual directions:1. Crafted with Care – Emphasizing premium materials, exposed details, and honest aesthetics.2. Simple Complexity – Finding beauty in the balance between clean styling and sophisticated engineering.3. Lightness of Touch – Creating a product that felt effortless, both visually and in the hand.

This phase proved particularly valuable as we built a working relationship with DORCO's international team, where English wasn't the first language for many stakeholders.Our visual approaches created a universal language for communicating design intent.Once we had team buy-in, we moved into developing a wide range of initial concepts which were presented as 2D renders.Our vision for the brand coalesced around creating a true tool for shaving—not just another razor. We drew inspiration from the precise details found on premium hand tools, exposed connector details, and the tactile qualities of different materials. Sustainability became a key consideration, leading us to explore the integration of materials like cork into the design.Our exploration began with nine distinct concepts, each approaching the balance of form, function, and brand expression differently. Through collaborative review with DORCO's team and testing against our persona benchmarks, we narrowed to three lead directions.Interestingly, the final selection included one concept from each designer on our project team—a demonstration of the diverse thinking we brought to the challenge.

We purposefully pushed the boundaries of manufacturing with several concepts—including a distinctive side-to-side die-cast sandwich construction that created both visual interest and structural integrity. All ideas were qualified with DORCO's engineering department for feasibility.What impressed us most was DORCO's remarkable openness to our suggestions. Their attitude consistently reflected their commitment to design excellence: if that was our vision, they would figure out how to make it happen. This collaborative spirit allowed us to pursue truly innovative approaches rather than defaulting to established manufacturing methods.As concepts progressed, we developed weighted prototypes to evaluate ergonomics and balance—critical factors for a tool used in wet environments that requires precise control. These physical models allowed us to refine the handle's form and weight distribution, ensuring the final product would feel as good as it looked.

CMF development became a major focus in the latter stages of the project. We explored and presented numerous options—from sophisticated metallic finishes to innovative sustainable materials—all while benchmarking back to our target personas.Our material explorations included:- Premium metal finishing techniques- Incorporating sustainable composite materials, including cork, wood composite, and recycled plastic.- Finely textured surfaces that enhanced both grip and visual appeal- Signature elements that highlighted the product's sophisticated engineering and multi-flex head technology.The final, flexible CMF strategy balanced global appeal with production considerations, creating a cohesive yet adaptable visual language for the brand.

THE RESULTNext Gen Razor is hereThe final design solution embodies our "tool for shaving" vision—a razor that feels purposeful, premium, and engineered for performance without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.The handle features subtle organic contours that provide both ergonomic benefits and visual distinction. We leveraged advanced manufacturing techniques to create seamless transitions between materials, allowing for both the premium feel our personas demanded and the durability required of a daily-use product.We celebrated DORCO's multi-flex technology, making it a visual centerpiece. The connection between handle and cartridge features a distinctive pivot mechanism that communicates precision engineering while providing visual cues about the product's functionality. This approach transforms a technical innovation into a defining design element.The final CMF solution chosen by DORCO strikes a balance between premium perception and functional performance, with regional variations that respect cultural preferences while maintaining brand coherence. Sustainability considerations influenced material selections throughout, supporting DORCO's commitment to responsible manufacturing.Dorco Sleek launched in South Korea in late 2024 and is currently rolling out globally. Early results indicate:- A strong market reception across all target regions.- Consumer praise for both the product's design language and performance.- Establishment of a cohesive design identity that will inform DORCO's future product development.More importantly, the project established a foundation for DORCO's continued brand evolution, demonstrating how thoughtful design can transcend language barriers and cultural differences to create products with truly global appeal.Sleek's brand identity was crafted by The Bread and Butter, reflecting a modern and forward-thinking design approach.

SummaryPrime Studio worked closely with the internal team at DORCO to develop the positioning and design of their next-generation flagship men's razor product, Sleek. The razor features DORCO's proprietary multi-flex head technology, along with many other technical innovations and it was Prime Studio's responsibility to develop a product design which showcased this and was suitable for the introduction to the global market.

You can see more of Prime's work here.

Miami-based Daniel Brandt is a strange bird: A former environmental lawyer turned master craftsman, he's renowned for creating out-of-this-world one-off billiards tables. Perhaps most striking is that he's an aesthetic chameleon, with no self-imposed design cues that read consistently from one creation to the next. Instead, Brandt extracts the client's vision, and executes it at a high level.

"As inspiration, we ask our clients a question to which each of them has a different answer. The question is: If you had the opportunity to throw conventional ideas away, and reflect the 'real you' through the design of a room, would you do it? What would it be?"

As a result, Brandt's portfolio is staggering in its range:

Brandt's client list includes the Rolling Stones, the Miami Heat, Al Gore, HBO, Paramount Pictures and more. I'll put it to you this way: When Pininfarina wanted to get into the pool table game, guess who they called? Their collaboration, the Vici, is below.

Plenty more to see here.

Buy-in for a proper e-bike starts in the four-figure range. For those seeking a less expensive alternative, this tiny Kamingo device from China turns regular bikes into e-bikes for a few hundred dollars.

It consists of three components: A motor that mounts to the seatpost and drives the bike's rear tire via friction; a cylindrical battery that fits in a water bottle cage; and a handlebar-mounted controller.

The manufacturer (also called Kamingo) says the initial installation takes just three minutes, and that once installed, the valuable bits can be popped on and off in seconds, tool-free.

Once installed and engaged, the 266Wh battery can deliver 750W, which is good for a 90km (55 mile) range. It reportedly provides pedal assist up to 32 km/h (20 mph). You can disengage it on-the-fly using the controller.

The device has been a smash hit on Kickstarter, garnering a staggering $700K at press time, with 42 days left in the campaign. Expected to retail for around $600, the early-bird pricing is $355.

Honda has announced they're launching Fastport, a B2B venture for delivering packages in urban markets. The company has designed this Fastport eQuad, a electric quadricycle, specifically to haul packages using bike lanes, avoiding both emissions and traffic.

The eQuad runs on Honda's swappable Mobile Power Pack (MPP) batteries, reducing downtime. The UV-resistant canopy can be tinted for sunny cities, and a built-in fan helps keep the driver cool.

The company says they've designed both large and small cargo boxes (we assume the images here show the large unit) that can be customized for different delivery needs. The large panels on the side will presumably be used for branding.

Speaking of branding, I'm surprised by Honda's restraint; these days most manufacturers would have their name slathered all over the thing.

The eQuad will make its debut later this month at the Eurobike show in Germany. The Fastport service is scheduled to launch in North America and Europe later this year.

Advantage: Core77 Reader! Tomorrow, June 20th, the DIA Awards - an international awards program with an international jury - free entry period comes to an end. But guess what? Here at Core77 we've been given a special opportunity for all our readers.

Register with this code US2025-PMPC1KK and not only is your entry free, you also have until September 20th to finish it. And just like those infomercials in the 80's - but wait there's more! So a free entry AND your entry is fast-tracked to round two because you used the Core77 code.

You've got nothing to lose, so enter now!

These airy furniture pieces are by Danish furniture brand Kalager Design.

The simple geometry and Cartesian look reminds me a lot of Laurids Gallée's work, visually speaking, though the material choices of each couldn't be more different; Gallée works in resin, while Kalager's speciality is powder-coated steel wire. Kalager's pieces are thus suited for both indoor and outdoor use.

In my opinion, the pieces don't look as substantial or visually interesting when the volumes they enclose are too small or too large, as below:

However, there's a volumetric sweet spot for me, one where the visual density makes the pieces really click:

Kalager has picked up U.S. distribution through Teak New York, a furniture brand specializing in Scandinavian brands.

Outdoor gear manufacturer Nestout design this rugged USB-C charging cable to take a beating. It's IP54 rated for water and dust resistance, and is jacketed with braided Tetoron, a durable type of polyester.

The cable can withstanding harsh bending.

It features these unusual watertight caps with built-in hooks.

They can be slid down the length of cable when uncapped.

The caps not only keep the connectors clean and dry if you drop them…

…but can be used to suspend the cable itself.

The cable comes with a clip for keeping it coiled.

The cables come in two lengths: 1m (3.3') and 2m (6.6'), priced at $22 and $25, respectively.

I think a good Industrial Design student assignment, particularly for sophomores, would be: Design and make a set of minimalist chess pieces--no digital fabrication nor individual sculpting/carving (unless making the pattern for a mold) allowed. This would cover a lot of skills that industrial designers need to develop.

Sketching: What is the minimum amount of form/gesture/surfacing required to have an object read as the six different types of chess pieces?

Materials: What materials can you easily source and, most importantly, batch-produce using the tooling available in the shop?

Manufacturing: What repeatable process will you use to make your pieces? A table saw with jigs? Lost-wax casting? Soldering of cut metal pieces?

I probably wouldn't ask them to make the board, as I think they'd have their hands full designing and making the pieces.

Minimalist chess sets exist in the real world, and a lot of them look like they could've been designed and made by a first-year ID student. Some cases in point:

This Check-Chess Set (no longer made) by design studio Origins.

This Mid Century Modern set by Heyimamaker on Instructables.

This unnamed chess set by Schichtwunder Designs. While this one was 3D-printed, as previously mentioned I'd not permit digital fabrication, so that the students could develop hand skills. I would allow them to carve or sculpt workpieces if they were going to make a mold from them, but I'd not allow them to simply carve the finished product; the idea is for the students to learn about repeatable manufacturing processes.

Another Mid Century Modern set, this one by Nordeast Design Co.

This York Chess Set offered by Chess Baron.

This Bauhaus Style chess set by boardgame manufacturer Manopoulos.

I know the bulk of these are made out of wood, which I'm sure many students would opt for, but I'd also encourage them to investigate metal, ceramics, and whatever else the school's ID shop is equipped to work with.

If you're an ID professor and you actually assign this, be sure to keep us posted—we'll happily post the results here.

Last year we looked at Bateman Labs, the Canadian outfit that created a new furniture category: Modular armchair-based workstations and gaming stations. Their Envy line of armchairs used mortises in the frames to accept tenons for various accessories and platforms.

Now they've created a more simple and refined design, the Encore. Rather than mortises, concealed magnets hold the removable worksurface attached.

When not in use, the worksurface sticks to the back of the chair.

The Encore is available in White Oak or Walnut, with five different fabric color options.

The $1,200 chair will start shipping this fall, though the company is taking pre-orders for the reduced price of $1,000. More magnetic accessories, they say, are forthcoming.

The 1991 Wim Wenders movie "Until the End of the World" had a fascinating premise, about a scientist inventing a device to allow his blind wife to see. The invention, connected to the scientist's head by electrodes, records the biochemical event of seeing. The device would then be physically connected to his wife, and it would transfer the visual data to her brain, bypassing her eyes, and allowing her to "see" whatever had been recorded.

However, the wife dies due to an illness, and it's subsequently discovered that if you leave the device attached when you go to sleep, it can be used to record your dreams. People then become addicted to watching their own dreams the next morning, with it being presented as more alluring than any drug.

Now a Dutch design studio and think tank called Modem claims to have developed a similar machine. Their Dream Recorder is a "magical bedside device" billed as "a portal to your subconscious."

The idea is that when you wake up, you describe your dream to the device, and a "dream weaving" AI model generates video of its interpretation of your dream. It's then played back on the device's screen for you.

Ultra-Low Definition DreamscapesDream Recorder translates your subconscious into ultra-low-definition, impressionistic dreamscapes. After you recount your dream in your preferred language, it's transformed into a short-form reel, rendered in a preselected visual style.

The Ultimate Dream JournalDream Recorder brings dream journaling into the intelligence era, preserving your dreams as visual records. Replay your dream and reflect on its symbolic meanings, tracing patterns that echo into waking life.

In the Wim Wenders movie, there's only one dream-recording prototype, and multiple parties and government agents are trying to get their hands on it. Modem has a very different idea. Their Dream Recorder isn't a secretive prototype they're guarding or a commercial product they're flogging. It was created in the name of research, and the design is available to all:

DIY by DesignDream Recorder is built with a DIY spirit. The entire device is fully open source, including the code, hardware documentation, and the 3D-printable glow-in-the-dark shell. Download everything from GitHub, gather the off-the-shelf components, and assemble it yourself. No soldering required.

You can learn more here.

Ikea has set the ambitious goal of eliminating all virgin plastic from their products by 2030. They also aim to ditch virgin plastic in their packaging a bit sooner, by 2028. In order to achieve the latter, they've had to make a small change with a large impact: Getting rid of those little plastic bags that their fasteners come in, swapping in paper bags instead.

"The bags are produced in-house using paper made from production waste," says Lukas Exner, Production & Distribution Manager at IKEA Components, who adds that then bags took several years of testing to develop. The payoff, he reckons, will be worth it. "This shift will reduce our virgin plastic consumption by up to 1,400 tons annually. It clearly shows how even the smallest change can generate great results."

In order to make the new bags durable enough to hold fasteners, the company found they had to add a "thin plastic coating," but says the bags are still recyclable. They also say they're "investigating the possibility of replacing this plastic coating with renewable materials."

For now the paper bags are being added only to new Ikea products, presumably because it takes a while to alter incumbent production lines. But by 2028, they say, all of the plastic bags will be gone.

Here's a unique new vehicle, the Dual, that I believe is based on a flawed premise. But it's worth looking at for several reasons, including the passion behind the project—French company AEMotion has spent a decade developing it—and how the designers solved a challenging aspect of the form.

The concept of the Dual is to combine the agility of a motorcycle with the safety of a car. I say the premise is flawed because while you can enclose the occupants within a fortified compartment with seatbelts, as AEMotion has done, the entire vehicle still lacks the mass of a car. And in collisions, mass counts for a lot.

That said, the physical design is fascinating, and the designers had their work cut out for them. It's difficult to make such an oddly-proportioned vehicle attractive, and the designers tackled this by visually breaking the awkwardly tall, narrow vehicle into two halves, a top and a bottom. This approach, of using color and a straight line to bisect the vehicle horizontally, goes a long way towards making it easy on the eyes. The top half has a sleek, Jetsons-esque look, while the bottom half—whose multiple angles and surfaces, required to accommodate the vehicle's unique leaning ability, is masked in black. Thus the overall effect is of a floating silver capsule.

The Dual is electric and seats two, with the passenger behind the driver. A small luggage compartment is behind the passenger seat.

At just 79cm (31.1") wide, it's made for lane-splitting.

The company has carefully thought through the Dual's use cases, and offers two battery options. One is swappable, with a modest range of 70km (43.5 miles). This is ideal for city dwellers or fleet operators seeking to minimize downtime. The second option is for a fixed battery, which boasts a 200km (124.3 mile) range. This is the better choice for those who need to travel long distances—a long-range commuter, for instance—and can afford for the vehicle to sit idle while it charges.

The vehicle tops out at 115 km/h (71.5 mph).

From a UX perspective, one compromise that I assume was made for mechanical reasons is that the compartment is not completely enclosed. The occupants' feet and ankles are exposed to the elements. Whether or not this is a problem in a downpour remains to be seen.

Pricing has not been announced, but the company is said to be considering a lease or subscription model that would likely include maintenance and support. For a new type of vehicle like this, I think that's a smart way to go; customers wouldn't have to assume the risk of a full purchase. No launch date was named at press time. The company is asking interested parties to register an e-mail address with them for notification of availability.

Here's a prototype on the road:

Whether you've won awards, or not, you can enter the DIA show for free until June 20th. There is a cash award pool of $700,000 up for grabs—so if you prepped an application for any of the award shows - use it now to enter this one.

Not familiar with the DIA awards?

The Design Intelligence Award is a global platform celebrating the power of intelligent design to drive innovation and shape a better future. Bridging cultures and disciplines, it brings together a worldwide community of forward-thinking entrepreneurs, creatives, and problem-solvers.

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Cash Prizes

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Entry to the competition is free until June 20, 2025. After that, rates increase to $200 through July 21, 2025. From July 21-September 20, 2025 the rate to enter is $400.

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If you saw this orange thing hanging off a contractor's tool belt, you'd definitely be puzzled by it:

That's the Sumpokun, a gadget invented by a Japanese craftsman to speed the task of cutting floorboards. It allows the user to eliminate the marking step (if not the measuring), as well as obviating the need to make trips to the miter saw station. The inventor claims the time savings has led him to finish jobs early.

Here's how it works:

The Sumpokun sells for ¥27,400 (USD $190).

Signmaking shops must've been thrilled with the digital printing revolution, as drawing boards gave way to Adobe software and large-format printers. But new signage technology threatens to take away their business altogether. Samsung's EMDX is a wireless, battery-powered color e-paper display. Because e-paper technology only draws power when you change the display, if you change the image just once a day—as a café might, for instance—it can last for up to 200 days on a single charge. And at 32", it's a pretty good size.

As for how you get the actual image onto the device, Samsung offers both an app and a cloud-based interface where you can design your image using templates. Alternatively, you could create it with external software and use the app to import your image to the sign.

Samsung is targeting schools and offices, as well as the retail, transportation and healthcare sectors. For now at least, the technology is expensive enough that the customer base will be institutional, as opposed to say, mom-and-pop coffee shops. As long as these things stay at $1,200 each, baristas will still need good penmanship.

For some barbecuing is an art, for others, a science. For that latter camp, tech company Combustion Inc has developed two high-tech products. Their Pitmaster Bundle consists of a large, easy-to-read temperature gauge with a digital readout, and a manual dial that drives their Combustion Engine, a wireless, rechargeable blower that you attach to your grill or smoker's exterior, near a vent or air intake.

The dial in particular makes me think of classic Braun products.

The gauge links to the included wireless thermometer, and can provide readouts of both the grill/smoker and whatever piece of meat you've got the thermometer stuck into. You can order extra thermometers and monitor up to four pieces of meat, in addition to the grill/smoker itself.

These are new products that won't launch until later this summer. Buy-in isn't cheap: The bundle goes for about $500, though they're currently taking pre-orders for $467.