Dezeen Awards 2022: Five one-of-a-kind product design inventions

Since the inception of time, innumerable products have been created. Some stay in vogue for a season, while others feature as regular paraphernalia in our homes, workplaces, and automobiles. Product design can often be a play on colour, texture, and materiality to give form to new iterations of the same invention, others present distinctive, sometimes revolutionary, ideas through well-packaged tangible goods. All these different usable and ornamental products warrant platforms for their showcase and perusal. Programs such as the Dezeen Awards help cater to this demand. The 2022 iteration of the awards recently announced its shortlist for all six design categories that are awarded by the firm for innovative and unique creations.

From interior design, architecture, seating design, exhibition design, graphic design and other categories listed under Dezeen Awards 2022, STIR explores ingenious creations by product designers that have made it to the shortlist.

Carbonator 3 by Aarke

Swedish design brand Aarke is known for creating high-quality minimalist designs that are a mix of premium materials and innovative techniques in design. The brand strives to design home essentials that are timeless and that help enhance everyday routines. After a research and experimentation period that lasted four years, Aarke unveiled Carbonator 3 in 2021. The Carbonator 3 is a sparkling water maker inspired by the mechanism of Italian espresso machines. Following the principle of “form follows function”, every element of the machine has a purpose. It is the first appliance of its kind and features a seamless steel enclosure with an overhauled safety valve system with a CNC-machined stainless steel precision nozzle that helps achieve a smooth spray beam. The bottle's fill line has also been raised to accommodate more sparkling water with each usage.

S/Rapide by Angell

S/Rapide is an e-bike by Angell that blends sophisticated technology with a svelte, nimble form. The second bike designed by French designer Ora Ito, S/Rapide, is characterised by an ultra-light gooseneck frame, ergonomic leather seat, and grip. It is also one of the world's lightest e-bikes. The bike offers three driving modes, which are Free-Ride, Electric Assist and Manual. This ensures that the automobile is suitable for daily commutes as well as sportier rides.

Tempo Move by level

Tempo Move is an at-home exercise system that, with the help of the user’s iPhone camera, maps and identifies weights. This invention by San Francisco based industrial design brand level uses a dock to position the user's iPhone at the ideal height and angle for capturing the user's form and providing real-time feedback. Its spherical design rotates to record the user's workout, while the sliding backrest holds the phone in place. The design is unified with the existing aesthetic language of Tempo by the use of bent sheet metal, with textiles and natural materials adding tactility, warmth and comfort to the product. The design was created to do away with the requirement for a display, thus decreasing environmental impact, physical footprint, and economic load to make health and wellness more accessible to a greater number of users.

Wheeliy 2.0 by quantum

A new version of Wheeliy, the folding wheelchair that is simple to use for both wheelchair and non-wheelchair users, has been developed by the Japanese brand Quantum. Wheeliy 2.0 makes it easier for wheelchair users to move around socially, emotionally, and physically. It is lighter than the previous version and comes in a range of colours. Wheeliy 2.0 is even more focused on improving the comfort of the user on the go, with features like armrests with a brake function and new footrests that can be flipped up with a single action. The yellow accents from the previous model are still present as visual hints for people who are unfamiliar with a wheelchair so that they can better understand how to handle it when offering help.

Suri by Suri

Chinese toothbrush manufacturer Suri has developed an electric toothbrush that is equally concerned with the environment and oral health. Suri stands for Sustainable Rituals. The toothbrush, eponymously named Suri, is a sustainable design built using plant-based materials. It provides effective oral hygiene without sacrificing quality, performance or design. The invention includes biodegradable brush heads made of recyclable materials and a robust aluminium body, designed in a way that allows for unlimited repairs.

Readers can go to the Dezeen website and vote for their favourite projects September 12, 2022 onwards. Projects with the highest number of votes in their category will win a public vote award. Winners will be announced in mid-October, ahead of the Dezeen Awards event in November.