In late 2019, I had the privilege of providing the creative direction for a significant project in collaboration with Covestro, a leading name in the polymer industry. Our research focused on charting future smart home scenarios and identifying the next generation of materials to shape them. This partnership allowed Designaffairs to powerfully demonstrate the capabilities of Polycarbonate within consumer electronics at major events like CES and K-fair.
While our team has actually brought five unique products to life, there are some current limitations that prevent me from showcasing all of them. For now, I'm able to share three of those developed products with you.
FIVE OPPORTUNITIES
Throughout the Research phase we've identified five key areas for future development, each detailing a future vision alongside two supporting technological or systemic advancements. For example, the "ECO SYSTEM SMART HOME" envisions a future of continuous rapid growth in connected appliances, leading to increased system complexity, underpinned by "INTEGRATION AND AUTOMATIZATION OF PROCESSES" and "EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED."
CAN A SPHERE STAND BY ITSELF?
The more devices enter consumer’s homes, the more necessary it becomes to allow a both centralized and assisted control of the increasingly complex system of connected products. In the future, users will not only ask for a simple and effective control of “their” internet of things, but also for an interactive connection to their smart home. This calls for an A.I. assisted system management that connects all appliances to each other and the user to its homesystem in an approachable and captivating way.
MOCKUPS
The Control mockups were CNCed from ABS, weights and magnets integrated inside both the dock and in the knob allowing the dock able to stand by itself and the knob to snap to it. A smartwatch has been placed inside the knob to make the UI animations possible. This functional prototype was showcased at the K-fair 2019 and CES 2020.
The image (1) is the very first mockup put together. The knob was 3D printed and sanded down. For the base, a repurposed (and destroyed) powerball that was pack afterwards with magnets and modeling clay to give it some real weight, so it could stand on its own and snap nicely onto the knob.
THE FUTURE OF SKIN CARE
A continuously growing demand for personalized self-care asks for products that supply consumers with solutions that match their most individual needs. Health and beauty-care will benefit significantly from future smart home connectivity. It will increasingly enable suppliers to establish product-service systems that offer consumers the most personalized solutions. Sophisticated delivery systems will allow to transport better on demand and within a short amount of time. This provides consumers with a large variety of care products that meet their most individual needs. Skinpod allows consumers to frequently monitor the condition of their skin. Advanced sensors scan and analyze the health-status of the user’s skin and suggest a specific form of treatment. Over time, consumers are able to learn about their skin’s condition and needs.
THE MOCKUPS
For Skinpod, the primary mockups were CNC-milled from ABS. Magnets and all other components were meticulously integrated by hand, while the interchangeable heads were silicone molded, and the colored elements featured acrylic with a back print.
A CUSTOMIZABLE WORKSPACE
The increasing shift to decentralized work and enhanced connectivity is driving widespread remote work. While offering flexibility, this necessitates effective structuring for work-life balance. There's a growing demand for adaptable workspaces that support remote collaboration and cloud operations. Frame, a flexible modular structure, addresses this by enabling customized work environments. It integrates functional components that enhance concentration, facilitate relaxation, and promote mental well-being, adapting seamlessly to diverse working circumstances.
THE MOCKUPS
Frame mockups were CNCed from ABS too, magnets and all others components were added by hand, for the speaker tile, a small internal driver has been placed in order to reproduce music at the K-Fair, the translucent version was an acrylic sheet painted over. The lamp tile was build using LEDs with an internal battery placed inside the dock.
CES 2020
This advanced design product family, a glimpse into 2029 IoT capabilities, proudly debuted at K-fair 2019 and CES 2020. These innovative concepts showcased the transformative potential of advanced polycarbonate materials in enabling the sophisticated forms and integrated functionalities of future connected technologies.