Yanko Design - Latest Posts

Fat Before a Visit to the Loo, Skinny After

Posted: 07 Jan 2009 06:59 AM PST

You know they say you’re a few pounds lighter after a seated visit to the loo, it’s true. Designer Haikun Deng designed a toilet seat with a built-in digital scale but her rationale behind its conception is a bit counter productive. It’s designed for women who are constantly monitoring their weight. The need to feel skinny is satisfied every time they finish the “doo.”

I have 2 concerns. Should we really be designing products to reinforce people’s self doubts and esteem problems? Secondly I thought you could only get an accurate weight reading standing up or completely suspended.

Actually I just thought of a 3rd concern. The protagonist in Haikun’s illustrations is clearly skinny. She shouldn’t be worried about being fat. See, SEE what the media is doing to us! Now excuse me while I go on a food binge.

Designer: Haikun Deng

Haikun Deng

Condom Protects You From Viruses!

Posted: 07 Jan 2009 06:40 AM PST

Ding ding, yes it’s true. Condoms can significantly reduce the likelihood of you catching some nasty virus except this condom is designed for the digital kind. Computer viruses are just as virulent as the biological variety, just as insidious, and just as detrimental. The Condom USB is a device that acts as a stopgap between any USB enabled device and your computer.

As soon as the Condom USB detects a virus, built-in software shuts off USB access, verifies the problem, removes the nasty bug, then reopens the communication bridge to your computer. Snazzy but would this really work in the real world?

Designer: Ko Yang

Ko Yang

The Finest Books Read While Seated

Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:48 AM PST

Certainly not an early runner for this years Most Complicated Design Award, Studio KG brings us what’s called the “Read-In-Peace.” A deadly title, yes? This book stand stands for sitters, quite simply. While most book stands are made for those who inspect them standing up, the RIP allows the reader to sit nicely.

Made for all weathers, KG says, bench, sofa, or toilet.

A little folding action and I’ll take the whole bundle!

Designer: Studio Kawamura Ganjavian

Kawamura Ganjavian

I Am Not of the Bottle, but the Glass!

Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:27 AM PST

Your no-wino-am-I-oh-me-oh-my-oh worries are over, Heidi!
The glass is now the bottle. As the designer, Mister Edouard Larmaraud, (a Frenchmen, of course,) says: the gesture of “drinking straight from the bottle” become less vulgar when the bottle is made for the drinking. Add this to the Industrial Design shelf of things that everyone wants but noone would dare use.

This bottle, the “Orgiastic Carafe,” is blown glass, and is very real. It was never meant to go into production, but if you do so dare, you’d better ring up Laramaud first!

Designer: Edouard Larmaraud

Edouard Larmaraud

Be Online Together Outside, Kids!

Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:11 AM PST

Are your children addicted to online video games? Don’t worry! They soon will be. Designer Tamer Nakisci’s “Smartground” is a playground connected to the internet. Once a child steps onto the playing field, they are in the online battleground with every other child on the planet. Fighting for their lives! Or just points.

As each child enters play, their network is notified: gadgets, keychains, pendants, of their friends and opponents light up, challenging them to also come play at a Smartground site.

Games are played with the different 3-D pieces available at each Smartground site in conjunction with touch-sensitive LEDs. The entire playground encourages children to be with the whole world all by themselves!

This is just like what Kevin Kelly said would happen!

AHHH!

Designer: Tamer Nakisci

Tamer Nakisci

All Terrain Robot Goes Where No Man Dares

Posted: 07 Jan 2009 01:10 AM PST

Let me give this to you straight…. not all of us are Edmund Hillary to climb high mountains and neither are we adept enough to traverse every nook and crevice to gather data for research. Carbon Emissions and greenhouse gases are environmental issues that keep hounding us. We need to monitor our glaciers in order to predict our eco-future. Tribot offers a safe alternative to keeping a tab on them and researchers can catch the action from a secure distance.

The Tribot is agile and resourceful thanks to the tetrahedral geometry applied to its construction. It relies on the shifting its balance points to move ahead. In essence there is no up-down or left-right for this bot. Since the sides of the tetrahedron are varied, the balance-point shifts and the Tribot tilts to the side and hence moves forth.

Armed with highly specialized sensors, Tribot collects data from the glaciers and research teams work on this info to predict future climatic changes.

Designers: Jonathan Herrle, Josef Niedermeier & Ralf Kittmann