Even though technology has been advancing at a rapid rate, our lives don’t seem to be getting any easier. In fact, sometimes I wonder if developers are poisoning my life with an overload of computers and productivity apps that make me spend more time organizing what I’m supposed to do rather than actually doing it. (For real, how many to-do apps can you find in the App Store and Google Play Store?) I think it’s time for a technology revolution, one where designers take us back to the basics and sell us something that makes our lives easier, not more cluttered.
As I wait for the world to board this revolution, I noticed that a few designers are taking heed. These designers have rethought the products we use every day and recreated them into products that are simple and just, well, right. Browse these ideas, some of which are for sale, some of which are still in conception – but please wear a bib to catch your drool.
BBQ Bruce Handrail Gril
This compact grill is designed to let you grill from anywhere – even on the balcony of your crowded city apartment. Inspired by the concept of a flower pot, believe it or not, the BBQ Bruce grill attaches to railings or directly to walls to create a grilling machine that doesn’t take up much space you should be using for seating.
Find the grill on Connox’s website.
The Last Drop Container
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of scraping and squeezing to retrieve the last of the shampoo from the bottle. And I can’t just throw my mostly-empty bottles away knowing they contain a couple days’ worth of hair wash. This brilliant design gives you access to any bottled liquid to the last drop.
I also think this design would work great in margarita glasses, but I have a feeling that’s not what designers Seonkeun Park and Jinsun Park had in mind.
The HUG Chair
#1 Awkward situation: sitting on someone’s lap and either smothering them with your weight or jabbing them in the thigh with your pointy tailbone. Put plainly, chairs should just be made to accomodate two people comfortably. In comes the HUG Chair.
Not only for comfy cuddling, the designers at Ilian Milinov Studio would also like to point out that HUG’s higher level can be used to support a laptop. Yeah, right.
The Bokey: A Bottle Opener Built into Your Key
Also brought to you by Ilian Milinov Studio, the Bokey is a tool that lets you open the only two things you need in life: your front door and a beer bottle. Talk about living a simpler life.
GROW Bikes: Bikes That Grow as Your Kids Grow
If humans can build balloons that transmit the internet to remote areas of the world, why can’t they build a bicycle that works for many sizes of human beings? Well, finally, they have.
GROW bikes, designed by Alex Fernandez Camps for the Spanish children’s bicycle manufacturer Orbea, were designed to grow larger as a child grows taller. This way parents, instead of buying a new set of wheels for their children every couple of years, can focus more on teaching their kids how to ride.
The GRO Convertible Crib
Originating from the same line of thought comes to the GRO Crib, a convertible crib that will stay with your child from infancy to the toddler days and beyond. By simply removing walls you can convert this infant’s crib into a child’s daybed, then into a playtable, then into a desk. It’s pretty convenient, I have to say.
You can purchase a GRO Crib from Module R.
Chop-Syc: a Wi-Fi Enabled Cutting Board
Sharp Labs, a research and development lab, recently announced the winner of its #GetItDownOnPaper competition, where aspiring designers put their ideas to paper for the opportunity to win a summer internship. The winning project by Siobhán Andrews, Chop-Syc, is a Wi-Fi enabled cutting board that will enable you to view recipes from the internet as well as manage the portions of your food. Though Chop-Syc is only a concept right now, Mashable reports that Sharp Labs is looking to turn it into reality.
A Strainer With a Bowl Attached
There will be no more clunky strainers and bowls cluttering your kitchen. I repeat: there will be no more clunky strainers and bowls cluttering your kitchen! This handy strainer combines the two kitchen standards into one to create a tool that saves you both space and time. Now, forget about transferring your strawberries from the colander to your bowl: the bowl’s already attached.
You can buy this rinsing bowl from Umbra.
Wi-Fi Enabled Windows Make Curtains and Blinds Decor of the Past
Let’s face it: curtains get dirty and smelly, and blinds somehow always find a way to break and tangle. Our lives would be a whole lot easier without them. Well, the California-based startup SONTE has found a way to make that possible.
SONTE has developed digital window films that go from transparent to opaque in seconds with just one touch through your phone app. The window films connect with your Wi-Fi network to receive your commands and can be retrofitted to any window size.
Are there any other cool product designs you have your eye on? Let us know in the comments.
