Functional Kitchen, Living & Office Objects by ideaco
I’ve been pretty busy with design work lately, unfortunately most of it has taken place sitting in front of the computer. It can be quite easy to get out of rhythm and forget about ‘real world’ scenarios. I try to stay in touch as much as possible by going to pottery, which adds a handmade element to the design process, also occasional sketching, and recently some brainstorming on everyday objects that could be mass-produced. Japanese company ideaco were an instant hit as they’ve designed some fantastic functional objects over the years, ranging from products for the living, kitchen and office space. You name it, they’ve probably worked on it.
ideaco was founded in 1989 by designer Ichiro Haba, with the theme being ‘Design Stock Peace’. Basically to design universal objects, sell them to a wide audience, and then the customer has peace of mind because his/her life is more fulfilled by this functional item. The design activities are surrounded by such ideas as designing for “the children of our children”, meaning you’re designing for longevity in mind and future generations, not just a trend or some sort of fashion statement. I think this is a quote we all need to stick on our walls as creators, no matter what sector you’re an. It’s pretty relevant at this moment in time.
My future goal is to start thinking outside the box, and work towards solving some problems that could derive from normal everyday situations. A few that grabbed my attention by ideaco were the bookend tape despender and slipper box, which comes in a variety of sizes. The tape dispenser is handy/intriguing because I regularly lose my tape, and I have a variety of books that need clamping together, so it’s a nice thought to have a simple item like this that solves both needs. The slipper box on the other hand is one that a lot of people could work with as I know in many households people misplace their slippers, so this is brilliant for a corridor. Anyways, I’ll leave you to gander and pick up some inspiration, there’s plenty of products to scan through.