Do you long for homegrown tomatoes but lack the space and green thumb? Fertile Earth has a solution. Their Simple Garden Starter Kit, devised in collaboration with the product designers at Provo, UT studio Rocketship, introduces an idiot-proof set-up to home gardening, whether urban or suburban.
The 2010 IDEA-winner comes with everything but water, including a special blend of organic planting soil, seed packets, a planting template, a planting stick and a guide to cultivating hearty crops. But the container design is key too, boosting plant growth by improving air flow, water circulation and nutrient absorption.
To make at-home gardens even easier, Fertile Earth makes LiteStik and WaterStik, two clever production aids. WaterStik detects moisture in the soil, letting you know whether it's time to water or you've watered too much with a multicolored LED, while LiteStik also uses LED technology to supplement natural light.
The Kit ($30), Junior Herb Garden ($15), LiteStik ($30) and WaterStik ($16) all sell online from Simple Garden.
 |
 |
 |
| Natural fiber composite meets design at Ventura Lambrate’s ‘Poetry Happens’ exhibition where Berlin-based designer/architect Werner Aisslinger presents Hemp Chair the first monobloc chair designed using natural fibers that have been molded under heat using a special eco-friendly resin. |
I am a smart traveler but packing my suitcase to stay within the weight limit always intimidates me. Low-cost airlines can be really nasty about excess baggage, so I always check the weight at home. And this as you know can be quite a bother, domestic scale + luggage = trouble! Handy Scale is an easy solution and I urge Samsonite and brigade to try it. The handle has a digital display that indicates the weight of bag when heaved up from it. Just refine this project to make it more durable and I’m sold!
Designer: Baek Kil Hyun
A team of mechanical engineering students at the University of Pennsylvania have spent the better part of the past year designing and fabricating the ultimate concept bike, which they've called 'Alpha.' Thanks to rapid prototyping technology, the bike was realized almost entirely at UPenn's engineering school.
Many of the innovations lie in the drivetrain: besides being fully enclosed within the frame, an electronic clutch allows the rider to switch between fixed-gear and freewheel settings. Every aspect of the bike is described in further detail on the dedicated website, but here's a handy rundown of the specs...
I have been admiring this design all day, and driving everyone around me crazy talking about it and making them check it out. What can I say? I’m fascinated by the Rising Chair! It looks more like a sculpture than a chair, and what makes this combination rare is that it’s flat-pack ready. Designer Robert van Embricqs achieved the organic form by pulling up slats cut into a flat wood surface to see how the material should naturally mold to make the seat, back, and base. Intricate yet functional, the result is evidence of the special connection between material and designer.
Designer: Robert van Embricqs
Minimalism is really a tough art to master. The balance between function and aesthetics is beautifully achieved in these two products. A clock/radio in which the speaker and LED display share the same surface. The aluminium case gives the product a timeless appeal and material quality rarely found today. The slim proportions of this wireless speaker, resembling those of a book, allow it to sit unobtrusively on a shelf or table top. The speaker seamlessly connects to a smart phone or music player to transmit phone calls and music wirelessly.
Designer: DesignWright for Lexon
Here’s a neat little device which allows you to shut off power to whatever is plugged in after a set amount of time (1/2 hour, 3 hours and 6 hours).
Designers, parents and anyone with a creative mind will love this Bottle Cap Sharpener. It’s a simple contraption, a sharpener fixed into a bottle cap so that it screws on top of an empty bottle. Sharpen your pencils and collect the shavings. Great way to reuse a plastic bottle. Designers and creative minds will love for the artistic value this raw material will create. I can already picture myself using colorful shavings for my little girl’s next art project.
Designer: Yuchen Liu
Nothing like a really neat desk, exuding positive vibes thanks to its clutter-free look. One of the best ways to organize this look is with the Buro, a sleek block of objects commonly found on the desk, stacked together in a coherent fashion. The block includes items like staplers, hole-punches and calculators, all streamlined and classy! Do want one NOW!
Buro is available in three-color gradients – green, grey and purple.
Materials: ABS plastic with a rubberized finish.
Designers: Adrian Wright & Jeremy Wright for Lexon
This elegant 1 ℓimit faucet encourages — and even enforces — water conservation by giving you less water to use. The design relies on the simple principle of “what you see is what you get” — the faucet fills the attached glass tube with exactly one liter of water for washing hands, and it needs to be turned off again before it will recharge. The brainchild of designers Yonggu Do, Dohyung Kim and Sewon Oh, the faucet is a clever bit of stingy design.
The University of Technology in Sydney recently unveiled a new type of graphene nano paper that is ten times stronger than a sheet of steel. Composed of processed and pressed graphite, the material is as thin as a sheet of paper yet incredible durable — this strength and thinness gives it remarkable applications in many industries, and it is completely recyclable to boot.
Think about it, instead of having a straight tube ink refill, how about fashioning it as a spiral? Agreed it occupies a bit more space so the pen can’t be sleek and slim, but it holds double the amount of ink! There’s a reason why our DNA is structured in a double helix. I guess it will work like a charm for those disposable types, making them last longer. I won’t call this project 100% eco-esque but it’s a step towards it!
T&T Pen-ink Chamber is a 2011 iF concept design entry.
Designers: by Han Chi-hoon, Kim Yeon-soo, Park Byong-gon & Kim Sung-geun
You don’t need to sit under the Bodhi Tree to attain enlightenment. Sitting on the Hidden Lights Chair may suffice. It provides you more than the proverbial halo, so be sure you make the most of it. A simple swing of the frame makes all the difference between darkness and light! So choose your reading material carefully!
Designer: Giha Woo
