Touchscreen interfaces have weaved their way into the very fabric of our lives, from the device that connects us to the online world, through to the screen that controls the temperature within our homes. Whilst their uses are varied, they also cause a disconnect between us and the product… don’t we deserve warmer, more tangible interactions?
This was the motive for Sound Tool, a speaker that’s operation relies upon physical intuition, leading it to be emotionally stimulating! The main source of inspiration comes from the eccentric movement of a Conductor; as the volume of the orchestra increases, as too does the Conductors physical presence. This has been beautifully translated into Sound Tool by encouraging the user to increase the volume of the music by grabbing each end of the speaker and pulling them apart! It’s welcoming to see a product that encourages tangible interactions!
Designer: Ben Lorimore
Inspired by physical intuition and emotion. Taking cues from past rituals and interactions.
I took inspiration from how a conductor physically manipulates music.
Bigger = Louder
To increase the volume of Sound Tool, grab it and make it bigger. To decrease the volume, compress it. Fully collpase it to pause, Sound Tool will not play at 0% volume.
Louder = More Alive
When Sound Tool is louder, it feels more alive. When expanded, it opens up and gets brighter in color as a result of its pleated nature.
Italian designer Elena Tamburini has created a collection of four everyday objects that aim to facilitate affection in elderly individuals and couples.
Comprised of a mirror, a brush, a table and a walker, each of the objects in the Filotea collection refers to an affectionate daily gesture, such as a caress, a touch, or looking at yourself or your partner.
Tamburini designed a collection of four objects
Inspired by sexuality as a taboo in society, particularly in old age, Filotea is designed to encourage individuals and couples to express love and affection whatever their age.
The collection takes its title from a literary reference to Greek mythology, based on the name of the Greek goddess Philotes who was the personification of affection, passion and sex.
Tamburini hopes her creations will raise awareness of the right of people of all ages to take pleasure in their bodies.
Tamburini hopes to encourage people of all ages to take pleasure in their bodies
“Today in Italy, 30 per cent of the population is made up of elderly people,” said Tamburini. “We are dealing with an increasingly expanding target, and the demanding specifics of this range cannot be ignored, especially from the point of view of design.”
“Affectivity includes all the acts and emotions of the sexual sphere, and it’s what keeps the relationship alive at all ages, but especially during the last period of life, when it inevitably overtakes passion,” she continued.
“During old age many factors can compromise a relationship, but if you can accept your role in society, if you can appreciate yourself despite your bodily changes, then you can continue to have an active and happy sex life.”
The Otello mirror is embedded with feathers around its edge
Each object represents a daily gesture based on Tamburini’s own studies and personal interactions with elderly people and their relationship habits.
The first object, called Otello, is a mirror designed to imitate the feeling of a caress.
Not only does it reflect the user’s image, but it is also surrounded with feathers that the user can stroke their face with, inviting them to engage in an intimate moment in which they can relax.
The Filomena body brush stimulates the skin through a sensory massage
Another object in the series is a brush for the body, called Filomena, which stimulates the skin through a sensory massage.
“The caress is the confirmation of an affection, an essential gesture that contains inner balance,” explained the designer. “Through this act we feel recognised, and that is why it can help with acceptance of the body.”
“The mirror and the body brush work on the concept of a caress to rediscover our sensuality and give us moments of pleasure,” she continued.
The Alvise coffee table encourages couples to hold hands as they rest their arms
A coffee table designed to fit in-between two chairs also features in the collection. Called Alvise, the piece features two lateral arms with cushioned rests that two people can use to lean on.
“This gesture inevitably gives rise to another: to touch each other’s hands,” explained Tamburini. “Alvise is a facilitator, as it invites people who use it to explore each other.”
The Mirella walking frame provides support to couples who want to dance together
The last object in the collection is the Mirella walking frame that allows two people to move freely and dance together, which would not otherwise be possible without support.
“Music and dance unite people, and bind us to memories and our history,” said the designer. “Elderly people love to dance a lot, because it reminds them of the good moments of their lives.”
Each of the four objects take design cues from the 1920s period
The designer explained how her target audience influenced the formal choice of the designs, which reference the style of the 1920s with a focus on circular shapes.
Tamburini used materials typically found in this period, such as brass and green glass. Each object was made by local artisans, in a bid to preserve Italian craftsmanship, which she claims is slowly disappearing.
The collection takes its name from Philotes, the Greek goddess of affection and sex
Tamburini designed the Filotea collection as part of her final bachelor project that she undertook at Nuova Accademia di Bella Arti (NABA) in Milan.
Today is the 100th birthday of Bentley Motors and you better believe the Flying B is celebrating in style as the company takes a look into the next 100 years with the EXP 100 GT. The concept is what the brand imagines what their Grand Tourers would look like in 2035 with a jaw-dropping design that will serve as the inspiration for the next generation of Bentley vehicles. Behind the massive illuminated matrix grille lies the heart of the EXP 100 GT, a zero emissions, all-electric powertrain that has a range of over 400 miles, a powerful engine that is built for both driving or being driven via the car’s autonomous system. On the performance side, the car will be able to do 0-60 in less than 2.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 186 mph…(Read…)
Design Haus Liberty is seeking a Part 2 architectural assistant to join its studio in London. The firm designed Villa Mosca Bianca, a holiday home in Italy which uses a neutral palette and full-height glazing to enhance views of the surroundings.
Marcel Wanders has an opportunity for a senior interior designer to join its team in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Dutch designer has used a beige-hued colour palette that echoes Qatar’s deserts for the interiors of the Mondrian Doha, a five-star hotel in the city’s West Bay Lagoon neighbourhood.
The pavilion is made from 660 slim sticks of timber and named 3KMS on account of the total length of wood used in its construction.
3KMS’s structure was developed by the students under the guidance of Bach and built in just five days.
Students then worked with Burrill to CNC-cut designs into a series of white, waterproofed MDF panels that were attached to the wooden structure.
The summer pavilion is the first in a series of collaborative workshops uniting different departments at the university.
In this instance the Master’s Degree in Ephemeral Architecture and Temporary Spaces (MEATS) and the Master’s Degree in Graphic Design (MGD).
“Students usually get to work on individual or group projects, but not the ‘real’ collective experience of building something together,” said Bach and Burrill.
“A workshop that allows the students to build a full-scale project that they can use for the next two months is a really valuable learning opportunity,” they added.
“Our aim was to focus on what it meant to ‘deliver’ a project and empower the students with the skills to be designers as well as makers.”
Pavilion projects can provide both staff and students at universities with an opportunity to experiment with materials and techniques.
Engineers at the University of Stuttgart recently used the natural shrinking properties of wood to create the world’s first self-shrinking tower in Germany.
The forthcoming Sigma FP is the world’s smallest & lightest full-frame mirrorless camera. In its most basic form, you have a portable full-frame camera with a 24.6 megapixel back-illuminated Bayer sensor that’s housed inside a dust and splash-proof body made from die-cast aluminum. Its design also allows it to scale up into a sophisticated cinema-grade system with support for 12-bit CinemaDNG recording at 4K resolution. Other features include a 3.15″ 2.1-million-dot touchscreen display, quiet electronic shutter, continuous shooting speeds up to 18 fps, and alongside SD UHS-II card support, the camera will also have support for SSD storage via USB.The Sigma fp will be available this fall…(Read…)
L’artiste visuel canadien s’approprie le réel en lui donnant des aspects grandiose et grotesque. Dans sa récente série «Antistructure», Alex Lysakowski basé à Mississauga, au Canada, nous propose de découvrir des bâtiments industriels, des automobiles, mais aussi des monuments devenus invraisemblables grâce à la magie de la retouche photo. «Je crée des images avec des interactions structurelles surréalistes et étranges au sein de paysages banals. J’évite ainsi un espace de transition entre la réalité et la fiction, tout en conservant le réalisme dans l’atmosphère de l’image», indique-t-il.
Brouiller les pistes et concevoir des oeuvres qui oscillent entre imaginaire et tangible est ce qui l’inspire à créer à quotidien. «Mon processus est un mélange de fascination pour la frontière entre la réalité et la fiction, l’étude et la réconciliation des actions, les relations et les liens avec mon passé et un attrait […] pour le progrès technique et conceptuel de mon médium.» Suivez son travail sur Instagram.
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