Core77

Core77 Weekly Roundup (8-31-26 to 9-4-26)

Rain Noe

Here's what we looked at this week:

A new immersive gaming speaker set-up: OXS's Thunder Pro Max system features a "Satellite Neck Speaker."

Genesis' new luxury electric SUV has no B-pillar, no start button, radiant floor heating.

In Denmark, 3D-printed student housing.

PÉPET: Masae Nagao's kinetic paper pets.

Chois: 3D-printed modular furniture components, you supply the dowels.

Blue Star Crafts' Retro Mini Pochade Box.

Multiple fantastic UX details in this saute pan lid by industrial designer Sebastian Bergne.

Which folding bicycle design has the best UX?

Studio Gorm designs a better doorstop.

Qingshan's Turtle Stool is an unusual rolling stool for the Chinese market.

Real object or AI?

Industrial designer Lisa Klingersberger figures out how to make Ikea's iconic blue bag fold down compactly.

The Helton: The James Brand's handsome, designey alternative to the Swiss Army Knife.

Clever improvisation: How to keep your car going on just three wheels.

Clever Improvisation: How to Keep Your Car Going on Just Three Wheels

Rain Noe

Here we see footage of the Baja Mongolia offroad racing event. The vehicle is a UTV fielded by the GTHub team out of Ulan Bataar.

Now look at it from the other side:

Mid-race, they destroyed their vehicle's front left suspension, severing the connection to the front left wheel. Somehow they found two logs, and used the now-useless front tire and spare tire as counterweights to keep the vehicle going.

The James Brand's Handsome, Designey Alternative to the Swiss Army Knife

Rain Noe

The Swiss Army Knife was designed over 100 years ago. On the one hand, you've got the "If it ain't broke…" explanation for the ancient form. On the other hand, the James Brand reckoned there would be demand for a folding-knife-based pocket tool with modern design attention lavished on it.

They were right. The first batch of the Helton, newly released by the company, sold out nearly instantly. The handsome design eschews both plastic and what the designers saw as extraneous tools. Instead they offer a knife with a partially-serrated blade, a magnetized Philips driver with a bottle opener, a magnetized flathead driver with both coarse and fine files, spring-action scissors, chisel-tip tweezers, a metal pick and a lanyard.

Some knives are about tradition. Some are about innovation. The Helton is about both. We started with one of the most widely used knife formats in history—something everyone knows—and asked what it would take to make it better. That meant careful editing: which tools do people actually use? Which materials would make it last a lifetime? Could we bring our clean, modern design language to a silhouette that hadn't changed in decades? The challenge was real, but so was the opportunity.

Good things take time. Good design takes much more—three years, in this case. What appears simple at first glance is anything but. The Helton is a study in restraint, where every line, edge, and interaction has been considered and resolved. It's a streamlined multitool that feels intuitive and effortless in hand, yet carries a depth of complexity just beneath the surface—proof that the simplest objects are often the hardest to get right.

The aluminum handle is symmetrically tapered and features a machined dot pattern to provide grip. The clip is stainless steel, the washers bronze. Each tool features its own locking mechanism.

The minimal form means some sacrifices had to be made. There are two slots, one on each end, that will accept the pocket clip, the tweezers or the pick; all three cannot be integrated at once.

The Helton comes in three colors. The black-on-black goes for $179, whilst the other two run $169. The company's currently working on the second production run.

Here's an in-depth video review by an EDC enthusiast:

Industrial Designer Figures Out How to Make Ikea's Iconic Blue Bag Fold Compactly

Rain Noe

Ikea's iconic FRAKTA bag is gigantic, able to hold 19 gallons (71 liters).

Austrian industrial designer Lisa Klingersberger, who specializes in folding textiles, wondered: Could she get the large bag to break down more compactly? (Her Master's thesis at the University of Salzburg was called "Purpose Driven Computational Origami in Industrial Design," so you can probably guess.)

Klingersberger managed to work sharp pleats into the blue polypropylene, getting it down to something not much larger than a folded umbrella:

Here's a peek at her process:

Klingersberger did this as a self-directed project, but here's to hoping she approaches Ikea with the prototype.

Real Object or AI?

Rain Noe

Spotted on European Amazon, this thing:

My first thought was What the heck is it? Apparently it's whatever you want it to be: A remote control caddy, a pencil cup, a jewelry organizer, a key tray.

The manufacturer is listed as "Genérico," presumably a fake brand. The lifestyle shots are filled with AI people and objects and at least one problematic perspective view:

So who knows what you'd actually receive if you ordered this thing.

It wasn't that long ago that shady companies would simply use a real brand's product photos in their listings. Now, it seems, AI renderings can save them the trouble of having to swipe photos at all.

An Unusual Rolling Stool for the Chinese Market

Rain Noe

Chinese and Western aesthetic tastes diverge wildly, with stuff for sale over there that would never fly over here. Still, it's interesting to peek over the fence and see what they're doing.

This odd-to-us piece of furniture is called a "turtle stool."

It's essentially a molded seat attached to a low crate made of aluminum extrusions, which holds two storage bins; according to the designer, who goes by Qingshan (literally "Green Mountain"), the stool is "so cozy you'll never want to get up."

The design is interesting in that you can guess how it was designed; Qingshan presumably has access to a bunch of industrial odds and ends—he doesn't claim credit for the seat, only for coming up with the extrusion-made crate—so it was undoubtedly repurposed.

The pieces is sold by Qingshan's brand, Soda Box, and arrives disassembled.

As is the Chinese custom these days, Soda Box has no website for me to link to; the way you purchase pieces like this is through third-party Chinese e-tailer sites.

Studio Gorm Designs a Better Doorstop

Rain Noe

Using a wedge as a door stopper seems like a perfect solution, and it's probably been around for centuries, in one material or another.

Because the object is ubiquitous, it's easy to ignore. But industrial designers John and Wonhee Arndt, a/k/a Studio Gorm, recognized that the object could use improvement. They've designed a doorstop that's far easier to interact with, comes with a built-in way to store it when not in use, and looks a damn sight better:

"[It's] made in Portugal at a shoe sole factory," the duo writes. "The flakes are recycled shoe sole waste that has been ground and mixed in."

Design for a circular economy.

The doorstop is designed for easy assembly and disassembly. All the parts can be separated and recycled. The flakes in the rubber come from RCS certified post-industrial recycled shoe sole grind. For the rope, the raw material is GRS certified polyester from 100% upcycled post-consumer waste plastic bottles.

Packaging.

There is no label attached, and no packaging that needs to go to the landfill. All of the information about your doorstop is printed on a reusable cotton pouch.

Called Stop, it's in production by Finnish brand Pidat.

Just a reminder that you can always improve the UX of everyday objects.

Which Folding Bicycle Design has the Best UX?

Rain Noe

In addition to the well-known Brompton, there's been a bunch of innovation happening in the folding bicycle space. These have varying degrees of folding difficulty. Architect Il Hoon Roh's Mikalon design asks a lot of the user:

Analog Machine Works' Tetra seems a bit easier:

This GT20 design from Fhnon does the Tetra one better, adding fold-down handlebars:

My vote would be for the GT20, which I also find easier on the eyes. Then there's this: At press time, Fhnon—a Chinese manufacturer I'd never heard of before—was the only one of the above that's got their designs in production. (They maintain no English-language web presence, but have distribution through independent channels, like this one.) The GT20s run in the $1,300 range.

Fantastic UX Details in This Saute Pan Lid

Rain Noe

Some great little UX details here:

The lid for this saute pan can be stood up, thanks to the innovative handle.

Note that the angle of the rim will catch any condensation dripping down the inside of the lid, so it doesn't end up on your counter.

The handle also serves as an indicator. When you've got it pointed in the same direction as the handle, it lines up the colander holes with the pouring mouths on either side of the pan.

On one side the holes are smaller, on the other, larger.

Depending on which way you prefer pouring, you can rotate the lid 180 to use your preferred straining size on your preferred side.

The lid and pan are part of the Aroma line, designed by British industrial designer Sebastian Bergne. It's been in production by French cookware brand Tefal since 2018 for the European market. Tefal has now renamed the line Robusto and is offering it worldwide.

Meet Fusion Forward Juror Nick Lieven, Autodesk Industry Strategy Manager

Core Jr

Nick Lieven has spent his career on both sides of the product development process: first as a Product Manager in the small domestic appliance industry, now as Autodesk's Industry Strategy Manager for Consumer Products. That dual perspective shapes his focus today, figuring out how designers and manufacturers can develop better products, faster, and with less risk, and it's exactly the lens he brings to Fusion Forward: Design for Home, Core77's competition with Autodesk Fusion.

Nick Lieven, Industry Strategy Consumer Products at Autodesk

Ask Lieven what excites him most right now, and he doesn't point to a finished breakthrough. He points to the mess. "AI is right now resetting the rules of product design and innovation," he says. "Product development is right now a massive playground where everybody tests, learns and iterates. But there is no clear vision or direction yet, and this excites me, to figure out with the industry how this future actually looks like."

That comfort with uncertainty comes with a boundary, though. For Lieven, the risk isn't AI itself, it's what design loses if the human hand disappears from the process. When asked about what worries him most in the current design world he states "That design loses the human touch, as simple as that," he says. "I'm a strong believer that technology helps us doing great things, but in the very end something is really great if there is a personality in the product that has been crafted by a human."

For entrants preparing their Fusion Forward submissions, Lieven's advice is refreshingly practical: don't design in isolation. "Get as much feedback on your design as possible," he says. "Two pairs of eyes are always better than one." It's a reminder that the strongest entries likely won't be the ones refined alone in a studio, but the ones tested, challenged, and sharpened by other people along the way.

Fusion Forward: Design for Home is now open for entries. Three categories to choose from, $9,750 in prizes. Deadline for entry September 28.

Masae Nagao's Kinetic Paper Pets

Rain Noe

PÉPET is a paper pet, created by Japanese designer Masae Nagao.

"If you stroke it, it moves flexibly on your palm like a little pet," she writes.

Each PÉPET is made up of over 400 circles of varying sizes. When circles of different sizes are layered alternately, spaces are created between the papers, resulting in a fascinating movement. Furthermore, the shadows cast in these spaces create contrast, making the colors of the cross-sections stand out.

The pear-like silhouette offers maximum enjoyment of both texture and movement. The paper used is NT Rasha, a fine paper with a dense and soft feel. Each color combination has been carefully selected from a rich selection of 120 colors.

These are in production by Japanese company Takeo Paper, and run ¥19,800 ($124).

Blue Star Crafts' Retro Mini Pochade Box

Rain Noe

Curious object: This Retro Mini Pochade Box is a handcrafted miniature watercolor sketching kit. It was created by Mexico-based architect Federico Alvarado and designer Daniela Ramón, who collectively go by Blue Star Crafts. The duo focuses on "The kind of solutions that make you want to create something every day."

The box comes with a spray bottle, paintbrush, Blackwing pencil and eraser, all trimmed/miniaturized. There's also a brush-cleaning cloth and 30 watercolor sheets held in place with magnets.

The blue trays, which look to be made of silicone, are removable and designed to clip onto the sides:

The case is truly diminutive at just 1 5/8" x 7/8" x 2 3/8" (2.3 x 6 x 4.2 cm). They run $70 and ar available in six different colors.

Chois: 3D-Printed Modular Furniture Components, You Supply the Dowels

Rain Noe

Chois is a series of 3D-printed components by Japanese designer Nobutsuna Honami, a/k/a Inahono Furniture.

The idea is that you use the components to join standard-sized dowels, creating your own three-legged furniture unit. This could be a side table, a valet or a hanging system.

Various hooks, hangers and tray inserts are offered, and odd things like a tissue holder.

The dowels simply fit into holes and are held in place via the included wedges.

While "Chois" is close to "choix," the French word for "choice," the name is used as an acronym here: Connective Hardware for Open Integrated Structures.

Honami sells the .stl files for the components here.

In Denmark, 3D-Printed Student Housing

Rain Noe

Copenhagen-based SAGA Space Architects and Danish architecture studio MS+ recently completed Europe's largest 3D-printed housing project. Called Skovsporet, it's an entire village of 36 ground-floor apartments broken up into six clusters. It was built as student housing to serve nearby VIA University College.

Each apartment is designed as a complete home, with a kitchen, study area, lounge, bathroom, and sleeping area. Large roof windows and slanted ceilings bring daylight into the homes, while the combination of 3D-printed concrete, cork panels, glass, and traditional roof structures creates a warm and practical architectural expression.

The development is arranged across six buildings with shared courtyards, landscaped gardens, walking paths, and bicycle parking, creating a residential environment that supports both independent living and everyday community.

"This student housing project proves that 3D printing is no longer just an experiment. We have gone from printing small prototypes to creating 36 real homes and an entire community. That is the scale where technology starts to matter as a serious tool for architecture." - Sebastian Aristotelis, Co-Founder and Lead Architect of SAGA Space Architects.

Furthermore, the concrete used was a cement-free blend developed by Danish contractor 3DCP Group. It reduced C02 emissions by 84% compared to conventional concrete.

The apartments are tight, by American standards, measuring just 39–50 m² each (420–538 sq. ft.). They are, after all, for student housing.

The students are scheduled to move in this September.

Genesis' New Luxury Electric SUV has No B-Pillar, No Start Button, Radiant Floor Heating

Rain Noe

Genesis, Hyundai's luxury spin-off, has just unveiled their new GV90 Neolun flagship. And it's a doozy. The luxury three-row electric SUV, which has a 311-mile (500km) range, has a feature no competitor has: What used to be called suicide doors, but which are now known as coach doors. Genesis' engineers have figured out how to remove the B-pillar, normally a key structural component, while maintaining safety standards.

Genesis utilized a newly developed dual-motion hinge mechanism for the rear doors, optimized for the vehicle's hidden B-pillar body structure which enables the rear doors to open and close independently without impeding the front doors. This mechanism works by first sliding the rear door slightly outward, then smoothly rotating it open. This enhances the convenience of entering and exiting the vehicle, allowing rear-seat passengers to get in and out with greater space and comfort.

Safety remains paramount in the GV90 Neolun, despite the absence of a B-pillar. Genesis engineered a new structure that seamlessly marries the doors to the vehicle body while maintaining the highest safety standards. Additionally, replacing the conventional B-pillar, high-strength dual steel beams have been integrated for rigidity. This architecture that joins the doors and body effectively disperses collision forces.

A concealed yet robust roll cage is created by reinforcing the passenger cabin with a frame 1.5 times thicker than conventional vehicles and fortifying it with integrated high-strength steel tubes and structural foam. This hidden roll cage structure protects occupants while achieving crash safety performance equivalent to vehicles with conventional B-pillars.

Some other innovative features of the vehicle:

- When the vehicle is parked, the massive center screen can be extended upwards out of the dashboard.

- There's a new roof airbag, "designed to provide effective protection in severe rollover events. In case of a rollover, it deploys rapidly to cover the entire roof glass, preventing occupant ejection and mitigating injuries caused by contact with the roof."

- The doors close themselves when you pull on the handle.

- There's no ignition button. To start the car, you press on the brake pedal.

- The vehicle has freaking radiant heat. The windshield, side panels, door trims, and first- and -second row armrests all generate heat. So does the veneer floor for the second row of seats.

Genesis hasn't yet announced a price, nor released photos of the some of the fancy features we mentioned above; we imagine both are coming soon.