Core77

Sonic's Focus on the UX of Pencil Cases

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Here Japanese stationery manufacturer Sonic rethinks the humble pencil case, which is typically a form-follows-function rectangle. Their Kakusta design angles the zipper, so that once open, the case presents the utensils:

Another take on this is their vertically-standing Smart Stand.

When you open the flip-down lid, an unseen magnet holds it against the base.

This creates a very stable standing position, as this very Japanese-style illustration tells you:

The flip-down lid is meant to provide a resting place for your phone.

It seems like whatever time Konstantin Grcic and Erwan Bouroullec spend thinking about furniture, Japanese designers spend thinking about stationery.

Chinese Autonomous Buses are Spreading Around the World

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In the 20th century, the U.S. was the dominant industrial power. We enjoyed conveniences and luxuries not readily available in other parts of the world, from air conditioning to appliances to cutting-edge vehicles.

This century is turning out to be wildly different. In just a few decades, China has gone from industrial backwater to developer of worldbeating technology. Their citizens already enjoy inexpensive EVs that we could never cost-effectively produce in America. And as another case in point, a few years ago Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide launched their self-driving Robobuses in Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other Chinese cities.

The Robobus was/is a domestic success, and the firm has spread into overseas markets. Today they're in 40 cities across China, France, Switzerland, Singapore, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and even former technological rival Japan.

Also striking is that the Robobus is not some provincially-designed vehicle that caters to local tastes; instead it's a generously-glazed, well-proportioned vehicle that's easy on the eyes.

Given current political realities, it goes without saying that the Robobus will not hit U.S. streets. As an American raised in the 20th century, I'm dealing with a strange sensation: The feeling that, in some ways, our country is getting left behind.

For a video look at the bus, here's one operating in France:

Luxury Furniture, or ID Student Project?

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In furniture design, there's sometimes an aesthetic and conceptual overlap between high-end minimalist luxury designs and an ID student project. This Fagiolo lounge chair is one of those. (And it's technically the former, not the latter.)

Produced by Italian luxury furniture brand Mavimatt, even the description reminds me of ID student project copy:

A Design Born from Simplicity

Fagiolo draws inspiration from the fluid, harmonious shape of the seed that gives it its name an ancient form, a symbol of life and regeneration, reinterpreted by Mavimatt with a contemporary vision to create an iconic, timeless piece. The lounge chair features a soft, inviting central base, wrapped in a single metal band that defines its profile. This bent metal sheet, which revolves entirely around the seat, traces a continuous, elegant, sculptural gesture. The upper ends open outward, forming natural resting surfaces for a book, a glass, or a phone. The result is a perfect balance between functionality and visual impact between the strength of metal and the softness of form.

Ergonomics and Tailored Comfort

Behind Fagiolo's apparent simplicity lies a careful and refined ergonomic study. The curvature of the seat has been shaped to follow the natural lines of the human body, analyzing relaxed posture to achieve a profile that embraces the sitter, offering balanced support and instant comfort. The padding made from multiple densities of foam and Memory Foam is designed to adapt perfectly to the body's contours, preserving its elasticity and softness over time. Every element, from the structure to the stitching, is the result of an artisanal process that combines craftsmanship, technology, and artistic sensitivity.

Also as with an ID student project…no price is listed.

The Dutch Community Where People Live on Strips of Land in a Lake

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In much of the world, owning a lakeside home is desirable. But in the Dutch town of Loosdrecht, residents live within the lake itself, with houses on their own impossibly skinny islands:

The unique geography is of course manmade, the result of peat mining. In centuries past, boats were used to dredge what was once swampland, in order to mine peat for fuel. Thin strips of land were left behind, for a practical purpose: That's where the peat was unloaded and laid out in the sun to dry.

The area remained a geographical curiosity until the 20th century, when developers realized they could build houses on the leftover strips of land. Today, hundreds of residents live in these boat-access-only homes.

You can learn more here:

A Gate with an Elegant Integrated Latch

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Australian fabricator Jim Semple was hired to design and build a patio railing and gate. He came up with a clever latching mechanism that uses the flexible properties of steel:

For his practice, Semple explains, "Things have to look good, but above all they have to work really well."

Flatbike's Accessories Let You Fold Your Bike Flat for Storage

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By necessity, the handlebars of a bicycle are perpendicular to the wheels. So too are the pedals. That makes getting a bike in and out of a vehicle, or trying to store one in a confined space, a hassle.

A Washington-based company called Flatbike sells a solution. Their THINstem product is a stem that allows you to rotate the handlebars in-line with the bike frame, independently of the front wheel.

They also sell Pop-Off Pedals, allowing you to make the bike even flatter for storage.

The company says that with both of these retrofitted to your bike, you can "Fit a bike in a third of the space in seconds with no tools."

Here's how it works:

The THINstem and a pair of pedals each run $100.

Core77 Weekly Roundup (7-20-26 to 7-24-26)

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Here's what we looked at this week:

John Meng's found-object cigar ashtray.

UBTECH's humanoid companion robots are launching this September.

The Cordalock: A four-way bike lock.

WerksAtelier's fine craftsmanship: Wooden rings, as jewelry—and hinges.

By industrial designer Tom Ducarouge, an Apple Vision Pro seating station at a Parisian opera house.

Inventor Ruvim Kubsky's clever design for a stud finder combines low and hi tech.

AIM's deconstructed kitchen faucet.

A security camera designed to indicate when it's not watching (you).

Japanese design firm DeFF's diminutive premium pen.

The Diffrient Lounge: Humanscale revives a Niels Diffrient Design for a hybrid work/lounge chair.

Light is bringing back the flip phone. A new generation will get to experience "the distinct satisfaction of hanging up."

Leatherman's odd-looking experimental ratcheting bit driver sold out instantly.

Michael Hilgers' minimal design for a multifunctional side table.

DreamDomes' elegant, weather-resistant dome-shaped event tents.

DreamDomes' Elegant, Weather-Resistant Dome-Shaped Event Tents

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This elegant Crossover L event tent is by DreamDomes, a UK-based event-structure company. Unlike a pole tent, it requires no central support, and provides uninterrupted floor space. Additionally, the dome shape does a better job handling wind.

The diameter is roughly 30 feet, the entry sides are 8 feet and change at their highest point, and the airy ceiling maxes out around 16 feet. The company says it will comfortably fit 60 people.

They're erected using a telescoping jack in the center, that gets removed afterwards. Here's how they go up:

Michael Hilgers' Multifunctional Side Table

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This simple design for a multifunctional table is by Berlin-based designer Michael Hilgers.

It's two pieces of powder-coated steel and serves as a side table; or, flipped over, it becomes a magazine rack.

The halves can also be separated and wall-mounted through the same holes used to join them. It then serves as dual floating nightstands.

The table is going into production by Purstahl, an Austrian manufacturer of steel furniture. At press time it wasn't yet on their website.

Leatherman's Experimental Ratcheting Bit Driver

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Leatherman's Garage line is where the company test-markets experimental tools, producing them in small batches. Their latest is the Garage Batch #009, a ratcheting bit driver that doesn't resemble anything else in their line-up. In fact, if you told me it was someone's ID school project, I'd believe you.

It's essentially a folding ratchet driver with some goodies hidden in the handle, which is accessed via a knurled cap. The green plastic bit is a small ballpoint pen, the blue plastic thingy, an eyeglass screwdriver.

It comes with two double-sided bits, Torx and Phillips. And because the bit holder is T-shank-compatible, there's a T-shank metal file and a small saw.

I have no idea what the white plastic thingy in the photo is; anyone got any idea?

Furthermore, the ratchet is a proper 3-way, allowing forward, reverse or locked.

The $75 tool sold out instantly. To date it's only got three reviews, all of them negative, and none of them from people who actually own the tool; instead disgruntled customers are griping that the tool is already off the market. "I guess I have to accept the reality," one reviewer writes, "that Leatherman is like Supreme now."

Light is Bringing Back the Flip Phone

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In a sign that consumer technology has gone too far, for the first time in modern history we're seeing a younger generation pushing back. In the early 20th century, all teenagers dreamt of owning a radio; in the latter half, a (landline) telephone, a TV, a Walkman, a cell phone. In the 2000s, an iDevice.

But Gen Z is different, embracing objects they never got to grow up with. They prize vinyl records, CD players and even flip phones. Now Light, the Brooklyn-based manufacturer of stripped-down, distraction-reducing phones, is leaning into this trend with their forthcoming Flip.

"As Apple, Google, and others race to build AI deeper into everything, despite growing backlash from consumers, Light is making the case for a radically different future," the company writes.

Time and time again, we've heard from people – especially the younger generations - who love flip phones, but the current options are poorly made, slow, unsupported, and often pre-installed with the same addictive apps built in. Light is taking everything that already works for tens of thousands of Light Phone users and is bringing that into a heavily-desired yet timeless tactile form factor of a flip phone.

Light Flip combines a modern, custom-built operating system (LightOS), durable hardware, and the same ethos that has defined our company: humanely designed phones that help people stay connected without constantly competing for their attention. All while still bringing the best aspects of technology; a headphone Jack, USB-C, bluetooth, wifi and 5G connectivity.

The Light Flip takes advantage of all of the existing LightOS tools, as well as predictive T9, voice-to-text and audio messaging.

The phone does have apps, the useful ones: Alarm, Calculator, Calendar, Directory, Directions, Hotspot, Music, Notes/Voice Memo, Podcast, Weather, Authenticator (2FA) and Timer. And one throwback feature I appreciate is that they offer just nine speed dial slots, prioritizing curation over catch-all.

Furthermore, the company says that the "form factor…prioritizes calling, a far superior way to catch up, make plans, or celebrate."

It also allows users "to experience the distinct satisfaction of hanging up." Hear hear.

The Flip is rolling out next year. It will be available unlocked for $299, or for $39 per month through Light's service plan (with a two-year contract).

Humanscale Revives a Niels Diffrient Design for a Hybrid Work/Lounge Chair

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The Diffrient Lounge is a new type of chair that's been decades in the making. As the name suggests, it was conceived of by industrial designer Niels Diffrient, who passed away in 2013; more recently Humanscale decided to advance the design and put it into production, as the chair's conceit—a lounge chair that could be used both for relaxing, and for work—is newly relevant.

The most obvious way the chair can transition between work/relaxation modes is that the backrest and headrest are motorized, and can recline. It is, the company says, "engineered for the full spectrum of posture."

Most seating supports one position well. Diffrient Lounge supports all of them. The synchronized recline mechanism maintains the natural curvature of the spine from fully upright through full recline, delivering consistent ergonomic performance across a range of postures that no conventional lounge chair can match. This is what happens when decades of ergonomic research meet precision engineering.

Beyond that, a pivoting side table is available, and the chair comes with two integrated USB-C ports. There's also an optional Ottoman.

Perhaps most appealing is the aesthetic design. The chair doesn't resemble a task chair, but looks comfortable, inviting and cocoon-like.

I want one in my living room. But Humanscale envisions a larger market beyond that:

It introduces an entirely new planning typology: a high-performance individual workpoint that fits where conventional desking cannot. Executive offices. Wellness rooms. Airport lounges. Heads-down zones. Anywhere focused, supported work needs to happen.

Humanscale offers the chair with over 350 finish combinations, as well as the ability to supply your own material for the upholstery.

With the pivoting table, the chair starts in the five-figure range.

DeFF's Diminutive Premium Pen

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As with Studio Neat's minimalist Mark Two Pen, Japanese design firm DeFF has also designed a tiny but premium writing instrument. Their Refill Pen Jacket Extra Short (the name loses a little something in translation) goes from 75mm (2.95") closed to 125mm (4.92") in the writing/drawing configuration.

The body of the the diminutive pen is stainless steel, and it's offered with multiple finishes: Brass, grey titanium, and anodized aluminum in black, aquamarine or ruby.

It takes standard D1 and 4C refills.

They also offer engraving.

There's even a little companion refill case.

The pen runs $50 regardless of finish, and the refill case is $20.

A Security Camera Designed to Indicate When It's Not Watching (You)

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Home security cameras are intended to record intruders, not the homeowners themselves. It's creepy to think that someone could hack into them to observe you, but that's the trade-off these products require.

One departure is this Smart Camera 4 Zoom by Xiaomi.

It has two lenses that resemble eyes; one is an 8 MP ultra-wide and the other a 5 MP telephoto, so it can cover an entire room but still zoom in on people.

The motion-tracking camera can pan and tilt.

Most notably, the camera has been designed so that homeowners know when it's not watching them. When privacy is desired, homeowners press a button on the camera's app, and it rotates its head downwards to hide its "eyes," providing visual confirmation that you're not being recorded. You can also manually move the head to the "closed" position.

Moreover, the camera's data is stored locally, not in the cloud.

As of now the camera is Chinese-market-only.

AIM's Deconstructed Kitchen Faucet

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For thirty years, Wenzhou Dinggu Technology Co. made molds for manufacturers of bathroom fittings. In 2018, they decided to do their own thing and lean into design, forming a spin-off called AIM Faucet. The company now does OEM/ODM design and manufacturing for other brands.

The strategy has paid off, and this year the company's won an iF Design Award for their deconstructed three-section kitchen faucet:

The faucet features a tri-sectional rotating system, where the faucet body, connecting arm, and spout move independently. This allows 360° sink coverage, reaching every corner of the sink and handling large pots or containers effortlessly.

Each segment can be adjusted freely, ensuring flexible kitchen faucet operation and eliminating the blind spots typical in conventional faucets.

Beyond its striking aesthetics, the faucet improves efficiency and usability, reducing countertop cleaning frequency while offering a premium dual water flow experience.

The question is: Now that this former moldmaker has bagged a coveted design award, how long until they become a brand in their own right, able to compete with Kohler and Grohe on the global market?