Seven architecture and design events in November from Dezeen Events Guide

Photo of person holding a Dezeen award

Salon Art + Design, Dezeen Awards 2023 Party and HIX are among the architecture and design events featured in Dezeen Events Guide this month.

Other events taking place in November include Sustainable Design Summit, Dubai Design Week and Business of Design Week.

Photo of exhibition at Dubai Design Week
Spanish interior brand La Nena Home showcased at Downtown Design in 2022

Dubai Design Week
7 to 12 November 2023, UAE

Dubai Design Week celebrates its ninth anniversary across six days, hosting hundreds of events in the Dubai Design District.

One of the festival’s largest events is design fair Downtown Design, which hosts its 10th edition from 8 to 11 November, showcasing more than 100 global brands at the Waterfront Terrace.

Alongside the fair, the week presents a programme of exhibitions, installations, workshops and talks.

Dezeen is a media partner for Dubai Design Week 2023.

Photo of exhibition at Salon Art + Design
Salon Art + Design is an annual event, this year hosted at Park Avenue Armory. Photo is by Peter Baker

Salon Art + Design
9 to 13 November 2023, USA

Celebrating its 12th edition, Salon Art + Design returns to the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.

The art and design fair hosts furniture, objects and lighting from more than 50 global galleries in vintage, modern and contemporary styles.

Alongside the exhibition, the event includes a series of discussions, exploring topics of jewellery, interior design and decorative arts in media.

Dezeen is a media partner for Salon Art + Design 2023.

Sharjah Architecture Triennial
11 November 2023 to 10 March 2024, UAE

The second edition of Sharjah Architecture Triennial takes place in 2023, curated by Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo.

This year’s event follows the theme The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability, addressing the lack of equity between the Global North and South through a sustainable lens.

29 architects, designers and studios from across the world are partaking in the triennial, interpreting the theme and exploring how to make a more equitable future.

Photo of lighting installation
Lighting and furniture designer Petite Friture showcases its collection at BDNY 2023. Photo courtesy of Petite Friture

BDNY
12 to 13 November 2023, USA

Trade fair Boutique Design New York (BDNY) 2023 takes place at New York City’s Javits Centre, hosting over 700 brands across two days.

The fair showcases indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces, accessories and technology suitable for the hotel, restaurant, spa and cruise ship industries.

The event invites architects, designers, property owners, developers and hospitality professionals to network, explore the exhibition and attend the awards ceremony.

Photo of person holding a Dezeen award
Dezeen Awards 2023 party takes place at Shoreditch Electric Light Station. Photo is by Luke Fullalove

Dezeen Awards 2023 party
28 November 2023, UK

Dezeen Awards 2023 party celebrates this year’s programme with live entertainment, music, food and drinks at Shoreditch Electric Light Station in London.

The winners of all 39 Dezeen Awards project categories will be revealed, as well as the overall architecture, interiors, design and sustainability projects of the year.

During the event, the winner of the inaugural Bentley Lighthouse award will also be announced, alongside the six Designers of the Year.

Purchase tickets here.

Sustainable Design Summit
28 November 2023, UK

London’s Museum of London Docklands hosts this year’s edition of the Sustainable Design Summit, which welcomes interior designers, suppliers and hospitality professionals to explore sustainably-focused trends and products.

The day event offers a programme of keynotes, an exhibition and networking opportunities, with more than 270 representatives from the hotel, cruise and aircraft industries attending the talks.

The exhibition features a showcase of brands from the three sectors, presenting furniture, lighting, surfaces, accessories, art and design objects.

Photo of talk at Business of Design Week
Business of Design Week’s theme this year is Game Changers

Business of Design Week
29 November to 1 December 2023, Hong Kong

The annual conference Business of Design Week takes place in Hong Kong’s cultural centre Freespace, hosting talks and networking opportunities.

This year’s event follows the theme Game Changers, which explores innovation, technology and sustainability in the design industry.

The three-day summit invites creative and business professionals and policymakers to attend more than 30 talks led by over 50 global speakers.

Dezeen is a media partner for Business of Design Week 2023.

About Dezeen Events Guide

Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year. The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.

Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen’s discretion. Organisers can get standard, enhanced or featured listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.

In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

The post Seven architecture and design events in November from Dezeen Events Guide appeared first on Dezeen.

The limited-edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro is inspired by the classic SGH-E700 flip phone

The clamshell-like Galaxy Z Flip5 is an interesting device, combining modern smartphone specs and features with a holistic design approach that heavily borrows elements of flip phones from the early 2000s. It’s also the best of its class, thanks in part to very little competition from Apple — but also because of its robust internals, like a primary 1080×2640 AMOLED display (collapsing into a 720×748 front display when closed), a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 3700 mAh battery.

As of October 30, Samsung announced a limited-edition version of the Galaxy Z Flip5, called the Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro, and it looks peculiarly like 20-year-old SGH-E700, which launched around the same time as (and was ultimately overshadowed by) the behemoth Nokia 1100. Still, as Samsung’s first mobile phone containing an antenna, the SGH-E700 was a triumph in cellphone design for its time, and it’s celebrated in the stylized Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro, which sports the original SGH-E700’s indigo blue and silver color scheme.

Designer: Samsung

The tributary Flip5 Retro also comes with an interface makeover which itself is a throwback to the SGH-E700’s stock interface, complete with the blue lettering on the Flex Window that you can even show off alongside a pixel-art animation of a city skyline punctuated by shooting stars streaming across the night sky. It’s awfully pretty looking, and it’s certainly reminiscent of 16-bit screen savers and mobile games that were playable on cell phones in the early 2000s.

It sounds like the Flip5 Retro is shipped in a package containing several extra goodies, including: “three Flipsuit cards featuring logos from different eras of Samsung’s history, a Flipsuit case and a collector card engraved with a unique serial number that will add to the product’s collectible value for purchasing customers.”

Unfortunately for those of us in the United States, there is no planned launch window for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro over here. It’s also not exactly clear how “limited” the limited edition release will be, as Samsung has yet to disclose how many will be produced. You may still be lucky enough to nab one for yourself from the Samsung online store at the Flip5 Retro’s MSRP (roughly $1,240) if you’re in the UK or Australia, where shipments are set to go out on November 1 — or, if you’re in Spain, Germany, or Korea, where shipments are set to go out on November 2.

The post The limited-edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro is inspired by the classic SGH-E700 flip phone first appeared on Yanko Design.

The New Apple M3 Chip Enables Workflows Previously Unavailable on a Laptop

The next generation of silicon is coming to Apple computers. Announced in an uncharacteristically late-afternoon Apple Event on October 30, the three newest Apple chips (M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max) are packed with the tiniest transistors Apple has ever stuck into its laptop and desktop computers. The newest chips, which use Apple’s groundbreaking 3nm process, are first launching with the new M3 iMac and M3 MacBook Pro, and, boy howdy, Apple is certainly giving other laptop manufacturers a run for their money in the final quarter of 2023.

Designer: Apple

Apple makes a big deal over the fact its base 10-core M3 GPU can render graphics up to 2.5x faster than a comparable M1 GPU, while the base 8-core M3 CPU gets a 50% relative boost in performance to its M1 counterpart. In terms of raw performance alone, those two figures represent a massive upgrade over a chip that released alongside new Apple computers only three years ago. That’s just the tip of the iceberg; thanks to a bevy of new capabilities unlocked by M3’s ultra-compact transistor size, the upper performance limits of the M3 family are higher than ever — meaning, if you’re an AI developer, a game designer, or a visual designer of some sort, your next primary workstation may be a new Mac running on a hyper-powerful M3 Max, armed to the teeth with a 40-core GPU, 16-core CPU, 128 gigs of high-speed RAM, and a 8 TB SSD.

On a basic level, the standard 10-core M3 GPU is an impressive component, fitted with all-new features like hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, mesh shading, and Dynamic Caching to deliver, at a minimum, “65 percent more performance” over M1-based Macs when performing rendering-heavy tasks such as gaming and 3D imaging. It’s facilitated by the M3 chip’s new unified memory architecture (which is supposed to vastly speed up RAM while boosting power efficiency) and support for up to 24 gigs of RAM by default (or up to 36 gigs for the M3 Pro, or up to 128 for the M3 Max), which all make use of the aforementioned new unified architecture. Apple says this “unlocks workflows previously not possible on a laptop, such as AI developers working with even larger transformer models with billions of parameters.”

For the average user, that’s not a huge deal on its own. Sure, games are capable of running smoother and looking prettier as a result of the new hardware, and it sounds like macOS 14 is equipped to make use of the M3 chip design to enable things like Game Mode, which deprioritizes background tasks while a game window is active. But, another big draw of the new M3 architecture is the addition of integrated AV1 decoding. Built-in AV1 support means a new M3-powered iMac or MacBook Pro can smoothly stream 4k60 video from digital streaming services without a noticeable drop in quality if the connection starts to waver.

This also has work applications. For instance, two or more M3-powered Macs communicating with one another via Screen Share should have a buttery-smooth experience, even when both Macs are working on resource-heavy tasks.

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New M3 iMac all-in-one blows its Intel cousins out of the water

Apple just wrapped up its literally “Scary Fast” pre-Halloween event, and although it was scary short, it was definitely scary good. Cheesy jokes aside, the Cupertino-based company did meet some expectations of announcing its latest silicon, and fans are definitely in for a treat in the coming weeks. Apple has expanded its processors to cover not one, not even two, but three tiers of performance with the M3 family of chips. Of course, these bring with them all sorts of advanced technologies, improved performance, and better efficiency across the board, but their real power lies in how they empower users from all walks of life to do more on their Apple computers without sacrificing other things. The 24-inch iMac with new M3 chip, for example, might not be thinner than its predecessors, but it boasts of scary powerful performance while still keeping its scary slim profile.

Designer: Apple

It’s almost too easy to brush off the Apple M3 as just an upgrade from the M2, but anyone familiar with Apple knows that it never does “just an upgrade.” The M3 family represents a huge milestone for Apple’s self-made processors, showing off how far it has come since it debuted the first Apple Silicon three years ago. Yes, there is more of everything, but the highlight is what the Apple M3 enables as far as applications and user experiences go. The next-gen GPU, for example, is now able to support hardware-accelerated ray tracing, while the new Neural engine works 60% faster while still keeping data on the device to protect your privacy. What all these translate to is better performance for games, music creation, video editing, and more.

With all that power, you might presume that the M3 is reserved for Apple’s “Pro” machines, but Apple dropped a sweet treat for fans of its more stylish computers as well. The new M3 silicon is also making its way to the 24-inch iMac, finally giving Apple’s super-thin all-in-one computer the upgrade it deserves. An upgrade that delivers 2x more power than its predecessor without an increase in bulk. Better yet, it leaves Apple’s aging Intel-based iMacs in the dust, leaving fewer reasons for buyers not to jump on the Apple Silicon train.

Powered by an M3 chip with an 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU, the new M3 iMac boasts double the performance of the older M1 model (there was no M2 iMac). At its event, however, Apple was really driving home how its chips outperform their Intel equivalents, specifically with a 4x increase in performance compared to the 21.5-inch Intel iMac and a 2.5x upgrade versus the 27-inch Intel model. In short, you’re getting desktop-grade performance in a thin and elegant computer that’s no bigger than a thin monitor. All that new power is, of course, put at the service of the user, giving them more options and more capabilities to do the work they need to accomplish or just lose themselves in fantasy worlds of games.

Games, for example, load faster and have higher frame rates thanks to features like Dynamic Caching. It can handle 4K video streams without breaking a sweat either, which means more productivity for creators. And with a gorgeous 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with 11.3 million pixels, all these images come out crisp and vibrant, making the creation process more enjoyable. Of course, that also means that surfing the Web or watching videos are smooth and pleasurable, keeping you glued to your screen, from a safe distance, of course.

The new M3 iMacs bring pro-level capabilities without losing the colorful and playful character that has defined the modern iMac. It still has a striking 11.5mm-thin body that’s available in seven hues to match your style. Best of all, these new iMacs not only use 100% recycled aluminum for the stands but also 100% recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. Together with the energy efficiency that comes from the M3 silicon itself, these make these beautiful computers the most sustainable iMacs yet. The 24-inch iMac with new M3 is now available for order starting at $1,299 and will be available starting next week.

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M3 MacBook Pro Boasts 11x Better Performance Than an Actual Intel Desktop

The October 30 Apple Event was exactly as “scary fast” as it was deemed to be, clocking in at no more than 30 minutes in total. That was more than enough time for Apple to show up and hammer out the most important details about its M3-powered next-gen upgrades for the MacBook Pro and the iMac, and admittedly there’s a lot to love. It’s worth noting the 2020-era M1 chip was the sole point of reflection for the company; Apple specifically noted a 60% upgrade in performance between the 14-inch M3 Pro-powered MacBook Pro and the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pros featuring the M2 Pro and M2 Max launched in January, and so it’s probably too soon for an upgrade from those. But Apple’s point is clear: if you own anything earlier than an M1-powered MacBook Pro, or if you own even the most powerful Intel-based Mac on the market, you’re tailing behind the pack.

Designer: Apple

It’s hard to argue against the swath of powerful new features included in the late-2023 MacBook Pro lineup — equipped with the full array of hyper-powerful Apple M3 chips, which use a 3-nanometer process much like the A17 Pro chip included in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max-powered MacBook Pros are the current flagship of the macOS fleet, and all models benefit from the vastly increased base performance, which Apple claims is “11x faster than the most powerful Intel-based MacBook Pro”.

If you’re a designer or a creator who needs all the horsepower you can get, the MacBook Pro M3 Max model is probably your best bet thanks to its 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU with Dynamic Caching, a feature that can evidently boost performance by dynamically allocating memory in real time. For even just the base M3 model, however, macOS Sonoma’s new features (like Screen Sharing between M3-powered Macs and Game Mode, which prioritizes framerates in games like Baldur’s Gate 3) make great use of all that computing power.

The new MacBook Pro color scheme, Space Black, is a gorgeous, metallic black chassis that marks a MacBook first since 2006. Apple considers it a “Pro” color, so it’s less likely we’ll see a similarly-colored M3-powered MacBook Air any time soon, and that’s a real shame because it does look quite sleek.

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro are now available to pre-order from Apple’s online store. The base M3-powered 14-inch MacBook Pro will begin at $1,599 while the M3-powered 16-inch is set to start at $2,499. Of course, you’ll need to shell out a bit more for the M3 Pro and M3 Max versions. Orders will begin shipping out on November 7.

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This Rotating Nail Clipper Elevates Precision for Effortless Trimming in the Modern Era

In the modern landscape of living, hygiene isn’t merely functional—it’s an art form, a testament to our evolutionary refinement. Just as we cultivate our well-being through mindful nutrition and exercise, our grooming rituals reflect not just our health, but our societal standing. But are we all truly committed to this art form? Lamentably, some falter. It’s tempting to attribute this to simple lethargy, but often it’s the absence of impeccably designed tools that’s at fault. Consider the seemingly mundane act of nail trimming—a ritual that should epitomize simplicity and elegance. Yet, many find themselves battling with cumbersome tools, compromising form and function.

Enter the Rotating Nail Clipper—a fusion of design genius and functionality. It promises an end to those awkward wrist contortions, so familiar to many. A departure from the mundane straight-edged clippers, this avant-garde creation boasts blades that pivot to your desired angle, all while preserving the tool’s ergonomic integrity.

Designer: Yoshita Handi-Design Studio

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $69 ($10 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

Visually, it’s a statement piece. Echoing brutalist principles with its assertive shapes and defined edges, it simultaneously softens the gaze with its meticulous curves. But these curves are not just a nod to aesthetic pleasure; they are a masterclass in functional design, ensuring a firm, intuitive grip. Its substantial form feels weighty, exuding a confidence with every trim. The detached blade configuration showcases minimalism at its finest, not allowing the lever’s proportions to dictate its size.

Crafted from high carbon stainless steel, its blade is a testament to enduring sharpness, especially with judicious care. The frame, an alloy of aluminum with an anodized finish, possesses a tactile rawness, ensuring it remains steadfast in hand.

In our age of technological marvels and design prodigies, grooming should never be a cumbersome endeavor. True innovation doesn’t always demand complexity—often, it’s about reenvisioning the familiar. The Rotating Nail Clipper does just that, inviting us to perceive grooming from a refreshingly novel perspective.

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $69 ($10 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

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Top 10 Innovative & Unique Accessories For Your Apple Devices

Since its foundation in 1976, Apple has always been at the peak of modern innovation! And let’s take a moment to appreciate all the awesome products and inspiration Apple has provided us with. The groundbreaking tech giant never fails to surprise us, we always find ourselves biting our nails and squirming with curiosity, whenever Apple announces a new product launch! Needless to say, we all have our favorite Apple products, and although they are pretty amazing as is, it’s always fun to amp them up further with some cool and innovative accessories. And, we’ve curated a collection of unique and super functional accessories for your valuable devices – from a slim AirTag alternative to a new and improved iPhone 15 cases!

1. Apple MagSafe Grip Stand

Inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding, the Apple MagSafe Grip Stand can fold flat without the trouble of assembly and disassembly.

Why is it noteworthy?

The stand is pretty thin and sized like a card, so it swiftly attaches to your phone, allowing you to slip your phone into your pocket without the stress of snagging it.

What we like

  • Can handle a load of 500g
  • Allows you to hold the phone securely with comfort and confidence

What we dislike

  • Colors options are a bit limited, could do with more variety

2. Mujjo’s Full Leather Wallet Case

Mujjo designed the Full Leather Wallet Case for the iPhone 15 Pro, and it is clad in premium European leather that is tanned in the Netherlands and made using a remarkable grain, with choices between black, brown, and blue finishes.

Why is it noteworthy?

The camera and lenses are protected via a machined metal rim, while the polycarbonate inner structure with microfiber interior linings protects your phone.

What we like

  • Features a slot stitched into the back that holds two cards

What we dislike

  • You’ll need to remove the cards if you want to attach Apple’s MagSafe charger to the back

3. CASA Hub Stand Pro

The CASA Hub Stand Pro was designed with the MacBook in mind, and it can raise any laptop up to 29cm in height, offering you a super ergonomic position that wont really strain your neck. You can also set it lower, in case you don’t have an external keyboard. Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $129 (23% off with Coupon Code “23OFFYANKO”).

Why is it noteworthy?

The stand is equipped with a high-precision load-bearing mechanism that can accommodate weights of up to 3.5kg, and can handle heavier gaming laptops as well, and not just a MacBook Pro.

What we like

  • Fits personal view angles perfectly
  • The base can rotate at 360 degrees

What we dislike

  • Offers only one aluminum finish and no aesthetic customisation to match other laptop styles.

4. Slimca HERE

The Slimca HERE is designed to be the same size as a credit card. It functions as an excellent alternative to Apple’s own tracking device.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Slimca HERE features a razor-thin form that slides easily into wallets and is equipped with global tracking, a built-in speaker, and a left-behind reminder. The Slimca HERE works over Apple’s Find My network.

What we like

  • Super thin, making it easy to slip into wallets

What we dislike

  • It isn’t being sold yet, so we’re not sure how the final product will turn out to be

5. TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate

The TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate, short for “Super Shockproof” is a protective case that was created to let your iPhone’s design completely shine through while protecting it.

Why is it noteworthy?

The TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate offers seamless protection when you drop your phone from any height or angle. The case is built from a high-durability TPU material that absorbs 98% of the shock.

What we like

  • Provides aesthetic value and protective functionality as well

What we dislike

  • With a very minimal line of products, there is no option for anyone who wants a more vibrant design.

6. The PodChain

The PodChain functions as a strap to which you can attach your AirPods or AirPods Pro so you can hang them around your neck or a hook until it’s time to utilize or charge them.

Why is it noteworthy?

What is super interesting about the PodChain is that these buds don’t just dangle off your shoulders – it has a One-Click Patented Lock, that you can use to secure your AirPods in place.

What we like

  • An excellent option for those who continuously lose their AirPods

What we like

  • Not the most aesthetically pleasing design to have around your neck

7. C1 MagFit Case

Created the Spigen, the C1 MagFit case for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are inspired by the iMac G3’s vibrant translucent colors series.

Why is it noteworthy?

It provides your iPhone with a retro makeover, while also providing protection from cracks, scratches, and bumps. It also continues to enable your phone’s MagSafe features.

What we like

  • Comes in three super fun colors
  • Features clicky tactile buttons on the sides that are super fun and interactive to use

What we dislike

  • It is a retro design, so it won’t appeal to everyone, only those who prefer old-school styles

8. Hermès Apple Watch Bands

Hermès has launched a variety of roughly 20 leather band variants for the newly released Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2.

Why is it noteworthy?

The brand also released a variety of other designs, colors, and materials, which provide a quick and cool update for your wrist. This collection includes four new styles that have been inspired by luxurious textiles.

What we like

  • Includes four new styles inspired by luxurious textiles

What we like

  • Has a steep price tag as expected, so not a viable option for everyone

9. HiRise 3 Deluxe

Designed by Twelve South, the HiRise 3 Deluxe is MagSafe certified, and it can charge your iPhone up to 15W. The accessory features a unique and adjustable MagSafe pad, which allows for a 35-degree angle shift to support optimal viewing.

Why is it noteworthy?

The charger favors a front-to-back arrangement, unlike the typical side-by-side layout, which doesn’t occupy too much space on your workdesk and nightstand.

What we like

  • Occupies three of your Apple devices without occupying too much space

What we dislike

  • Only available in back, would be better to have more color options to choose from

10. Belkin BoostCharge Accessories

The BoostCharge Convertible Qi2 Wireless Pad to Stand and the other dubbed BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with Qi2 are Belkin’s latest accessories for the iPhone 15.

Why is it noteworthy?

The BoostCharge Convertible Qi2 Wireless Pad to Stand is for people who want a wireless charging pad that can flip upwards so that they can easily watch content. The BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with Qi2 is for gadget lovers who frequently charge their array of devices in tandem.

What we like

  • A dual thermal protection system prevents any chance of overheating
  • Features a non-slip material to keep the device in place

What we dislike

  • The Apple Watch attachment costs extra

The post Top 10 Innovative & Unique Accessories For Your Apple Devices first appeared on Yanko Design.

“World’s Lightest Mechanical Watch” clocks in at a Stunning 8.8 Grams in Weight

Billed as the world’s lightest mechanical watch, the MING LW.01 boasts an impressive weight of just 8.8 grams (0.31 ounces) for the manual variant and 10 grams (0.35 ounces) for the automatic variant. For reference, that’s lighter than one AirTag… or about as much as two AirPods WITHOUT the case.

The LW.01 takes the idea of minimalism a little bit further by going beyond just the visual sense of the word. “We wanted to push the envelope further than we – or any other brand – has ever done,” the folks at MING said. This includes some brilliant design hacks, the use of novel materials, and basically removing everything non-essential. In short, the folks at MING Marie Kondo-ed the hell out of this watch… and the result definitely sparks joy.

Designer: MING

The watch itself is a work of art, featuring a dial that’s as minimal to look at as its bill of materials. In fact, there isn’t a dial at all. The LW.01’s minute hand sits on a disc that obscures the movement, while the central portion comes with a gradient print that hides the skeletal view of the watch, while also having the watch’s minimal markings on its periphery. Every part of the watch is art and engineering combined to its nth degree, creating something that really stands at the intersection of great design and immaculate engineering.

“We set ourselves some ‘conventional’ constraints, though: the watch had to be a wearable size, and retain certain tactile qualities such as the texture and thermal transfer of metal,” MING’s team mentioned. “More importantly, it would have to be practically wearable and not technically compromised purely for the sake of lightness. As it turns out, it would take us a couple of years longer than expected and an exhaustive amount of metallurgy and testing.”

Those constraints, however, don’t in any way diminish the end product. The watch has a spectacular body that’s crafted from a special metal alloy that’s lighter than carbon but has the premium feel of metal. The lugs are turned into bars that allow the strap to through without any additional elements (which would add to its weight), and the face isn’t layered with sapphire crystal. Instead, it opts for equally resistant Corning Gorilla Glass – similar to the slim glass sheet found in smartphones, but with a separate hardening treatment done by UK-based Knight Optical.

“We explored a wide range of ultralight materials including carbon fiber derivatives and hollow-core 3D printing, but ultimately found that AZ31 Magnesium-Aluminium-Zinc-Manganese alloy from Smiths High Performance was both lighter than carbon (1.77g/cc, vs ~2g/cc density), more consistent to produce than hollow 3D printing, and more importantly retained the feel of metal,” MING mentioned. “It is further surface treated by plasmaelectrolytic oxidation by Keronite for corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, with a further composite protective layer.”

Every element of the watch, including the screws made of PEEK composite, the hollowed bezel, and the angled case buttressing, was meticulously optimized to achieve the perfect balance between durability and weight. The crown, crafted from anodized aluminum, ensures durability and smooth threading. To ensure overall torsional rigidity, finite element simulation was employed to assess the watch case. The fixed integral bars, machined from the same billet as the case, not only enhance rigidity but also weigh less than traditional steel spring bars.

As a result, the watch boasts an impressively lightweight head, weighing just 8.8 grams with manual winding, 10.8 grams with automatic winding, along with an additional 0.6 grams for the matching AZ31 buckle and 1.2 grams for the ‘record’ spec Alcantara strap. This translates to a total weight of 10.6 grams or 12.6 grams for a fully assembled, ready-to-wear timepiece… but don’t expect all that innovation to come cheap. The “World’s Lightest Watch” may be lighter than an AirTag, but it’s half the cost of a Tesla Model Y. With a brain-imploding asking price of 19500 Swiss Francs ($21,623 USD), you’re kind of better off buying a Patek Philippe instead.

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Modular waste bins by Group Project distributed across New York City

Better Bin by Group Projects

Modular waste bins designed by local industrial design studio Group Projects to be recyclable and assist sanitation workers have begun to be distributed across New York City’s five boroughs.

Called the Better Bin, the design was the winner of a 2018 Department of Sanitation (DSNY) competition, where participants were asked to redesign New York City standard green wire mesh receptacles.

Person throwing away trash in gray waste bin
Modular waste bins by Colin P Kelly of Group Projects are being distributed across New York City

“The challenge was to devise solutions that addressed the complexities of urban waste management, all while balancing functionality with aesthetic appeal,” said the team.

Group Projects created a trash can composed of three modular parts; a metal base that wraps halfway around a plastic interior “liner” topped with a bisected lid.

A trash can made of gray and black plastic
The bins make use of a three-part, modular design

The studio largely focused on making the trash can lighter and easier to manoeuvre for sanitation workers, as opposed to the heavier steel mesh trash cans found throughout New York City.

“[There were] generally a lot of things to improve ergonomically in terms of how it’s interacted with, how heavy it is – removing sharp edges so they don’t bash sanitation workers, shins and things like that,” Group Project founder Colin P Kelly told Dezeen. 

The top of a trash lid that's separated
An interior plastic liner makes them lighter for sanitation workers to manoeuvre

“There were certain requirements around making sure that it didn’t blow over in 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts, but it couldn’t be bolted down to the street corner. And very quickly, we sort of came to the conclusion that something modular was the approach that was going to help solve all of these things.”

The interior plastic liner lessens the load by approximately 20 pounds per bin, according to the team, while the bisected lid acts as a handle for workers to disassemble the unit.

The liner, along with various components, was designed to eventually be recycled.

“We didn’t include any other kind of hardware or any other materials in there that would prevent it from being recycled easily,” said Kelly.

The top of a trash lid that's separated
The metal base keeps the bin rooted to the sidewalk in high-speed winds

An additional eight handles were distributed along the top and bottom rim of the interior baskets, as opposed to the three found in the previous design.

“We firmly subscribe to the idea that thoughtful design in public spaces enhances urban livability,” said the team.

A person throwing away trash
The design reduces the weight by approximately 20 pounds

“While a trash bin might be viewed as a simple utility, its design and placement can profoundly influence the urban experience for both residents and those responsible for its upkeep.”

The Better Bin will be distributed across New York City in the coming years, as the green mesh trash cans are slowly decommissioned.

Currently, there are approximately 300 scattered across the city, with five original prototypes installed in the East Village, which Kelly said “have been travelling all over the city” for the past five years for testing.

Other trash can designs include a recent project by start-up Mill that dries and shrinks up leftovers so that can be reused and the Townew bin by Knectek Labs that changes its own bags.

The photography is courtesy of Group Projects. 

The post Modular waste bins by Group Project distributed across New York City appeared first on Dezeen.

These recyclable, paper RFID tags look like a work of magic

Passive RFID tags, like the ones attached to products in stores for easy checkout, are generally manufactured using a mixture of metal and circuitry to form the tag’s primary parts: a microchip and an equally microscopic antenna. These bits work together to store and communicate information to a nearby RFID reader, and they’re decently cheap to mass-produce, only costing around $0.10 in materials per tag (according to the IAITAM in 2021).

Still, the gross cost of mining and producing large quantities of metal and circuitry components adds up over time, and due to the nature of those materials, regular passive RFID tags have nowhere to go — well, other than the trash bin — once they’re pulled off of the products they’re designed to protect.

According to PulpaTronics, the developer of a revolutionary all-upcycled paper RFID tag design, over 12 billion RFID tags are manufactured per year, often for single-use purposes, after which they end up in landfills. Founded by a group of four students at the Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering, the PulpaTronics team is already making waves (and winning multiple awards in sustainable design) for their ingenious paper RFID tag design, which eliminates metal from the manufacturing process entirely.

Designer: Chloe So, Barna Soma Biro, Rui Ma, Jingyan Chen (via PulpaTronics)

PulpaTronics’ all-paper RFID tags store information geometrically, using a laser to imprint a “conductive layer of carbon material” directly onto paper materials upcycled from the recycling bin and from the trash. According to the James Dyson Award organization, the team also experimented with other materials, like wood and cork, before ultimately landing on paper. The result: an RFID tag design that is twice as cheap to mass-produce as other RFID tags, while contributing 70% less CO2 emissions.

What’s interesting about this design is how the team was able to create each part of the RFID tag, including antennae, without any metal whatsoever — once again, it’s all just paper with a little bit of carbon sketched on top — and the geometric shape of the carbon layer is what gives the RFID tag design its conductivity and its ability to transmit information to a nearby reader.

If PulpaTronics’ new tag design goes into mass-production, that could apparently save “20,000,000 kilograms of CO2 annually” per 100,000 items using the design. In any case, this is a sizable win for sustainable engineering — further proving that it’s possible to replace metal and other scarce and non-degradable materials with easily-sourced alternatives.

The post These recyclable, paper RFID tags look like a work of magic first appeared on Yanko Design.