Designboom’s Design for All competition in collaboration with Seoul Design Fair 2010 has definitely generated a great response from designers. Out of the 240 shortlisted entries, the Earos by Robert Potter which captured my attention. A great concept for all those folks who spend endless hours talking on their cell phones, the Earos is a padded cushion that can be attached to mobile phones to create a soft, luxurious support for the ear. It features a fastener which allows it to connect to most phone models. The Earos rotates on two axes so that the unit can be quickly repositioned when not in use. Made form soft synthetic suede, this luxe support will help you enjoy long hours on the phone without any discomfort.

More...

Poland’s Ah&Oh Design Studio has always wished to dabble in the fragrance world. They have made their foray into the world of perfumery by designing a concept men’s perfume as well as its packaging. The scents in this concept perfume line are named after famous authors. The scents were inspired by the dark literature and these distinctive characters. The scents reside in bottles that have been shaped like old glass perfume bottles as well as inkwells. the bottles are white in color with the name of the fragrance printed on it in big bold black letters. What is more, the final touches to this unique concept scent and its package are added by the caps of these bottles which are shaped like the heads of characters from the various author's famous masterpieces. For instance, the George Orwell fragrance has a cap shaped like the head of a pig, one of the main characters from his famous work, Animal Farm.

More...

Now no one really bothered giving airport seating too much of a thought. After all, people just sit there, wait for hours till their flights arrive, and then leave, without a look behind. So who cares what people really sit on, right? Wrong! Airport seating needs a makeover, and that’s exactly what Marcial Ahsayane did, coming up with this piece of furniture that might soon show up in airports around the globe. The seating concept basically uses two assembly pieces, enabling it to shift shape and turn into different types of seating. The seat can be switched into a five-seater, a three-seater, a single VIP seat and a lounge seat. They also incorporate LEDs that show when the seat is occupied, not that you couldn’t see that for yourself. Airport seating finally gets some aesthetic value!

More...

Who cares about land value when you could live in the water instead! No we aren’t dreaming of Atlantis or the likes. We’re talking about house-boats! Architects from Germany, Rost Niderehe, came up with these floating homes located on the Eilbek canal in Hamburg. Now living on a boat hasn’t been closer to home before. The upper deck has enough space for public use, which is also the entrance to these homes. The lower decks include the private spaces, work, living rooms and bedrooms. Using materials like steel and wood for construction, this home can be moved around with the help of tugs.

More...

The romantic evening just went bad when the two of you just couldn’t fit into that single bathtub of yours. Taken that you live in a flat and have absolutely no space for a Jacuzzi or a pool, and you just love bath-time with your special someone, this bathtub is just for you! The Twin Bathtub by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez turns your bathroom into an idea honeymoon suite, without the need of the two of you squeezing, kicking and ultimately stepping out disappointed from your old ceramic one. The Twin Bathtub’s made of wood. This one was inspired by the tradition Japanese soaking tub, the Ofuros.

More...

Beautifully designed stairs at home do add the aesthetic value of your living space. Here’s a house that takes its stairs really seriously. Now you might’ve come across closets being built beneath the stairs. You probably might never have heard of a house built beneath the stairs though. And that’s exactly what we stumbled across in Japan. The house, located in Shimane, Japan, is an architectural masterpiece. The house is shaped like stairs, with the gaps between each step using glass to let in natural lighting. The design also keeps away the rain water from entering in. most of all, this house is as sturdy as can get, taken that its shape makes it immune to earthquakes, just like a pyramid.

More...

The current global climate and environmental crisis has given rise to concerns about a sustainable future. With the rising pollution levels, the future seems bleak and in fact oxygen will soon turn into a luxury that only a few can afford. Reminding you of this need to preserve and protect our environment is designer Pedro Gomes. With his concept o3 Oxygen Bottle, the designer highlights the need to become environmentally conscious to ensure a future. The concept bottle is a project that urges people to realize the urgency and realize the seriousness of the situation and possibility that oxygen might not be available so easily once the pollution levels rise. In fact the designer imagines people will have to go to the grocery store to purchase oxygen and have oxygen tracking applications in their mobiles. That’s when the o3 bottle comes into play. Acting as personal unit for your daily oxygen supply, it provides oxygen through compressed oxygens refill units that can be refilled at your local oxygen supplier. Twisting the refill unit lets you adjust the membrane to your lips and control oxygen flow.

More...

We have seen many iPod docking stations and portable speakers, but none stand apart like the concept SRS-V500IP concept design from Sony. A unique blend of a docking station and portable speaker, the SRS-V500IP is a unique iPod dock which houses a cylindrical speaker that is equipped with a "diffuser panel" that spreads the sound in 360 degrees. What is more, the portable speaker is detachable ad can also fit easily in your cars cup holder. This is a great option if your cars stereo doesn’t work. The speaker needs to be recharged by being placed in the docking station or through the car's cigarette lighter.

More...

Designer Adam Nagy from Budapest has captured my attention with his concept Polyurethane safety boots. The main aim of his design was to reflect the values of Bata Industrials through the design of the polyurethane safety boot. The sleek boot is designed in line with EU standards and features two soles. It was designed to look and feel like the ‘ultimate gumboot’. Looking futuristic in its white colored body with green colored soles, these Polyurethane safety boots are definitely a class apart.

[Coroflot]

So you’ve had a laboriously difficult day at work with your annoying boss doing his usual job of bossing around and yelling down your neck. Relaxation is the need of the hour and all you wish for is to settle into your comfortable sofa at home and listen to some soothing music. Well, the next time you need some relaxation, simply use the Senses, a concept device by designer Raquelly Dias. The Senses basically appeals to your senses like touch, smell and hearing. It works as a massager to soothe your nerves, plays some pretty soft soothing music and lets out an aroma that’s bound to make you relax and rewind. Also, being ergonomically designed, it can easily be adjusted to fit on to your head or nape.

More...

Ever wondered how senselessly stupid the game your cat plays with that woolen ball is? Your cat can now create some humidity for you playing silly games too! Designer Yuan Gu came up with the Wool Ball Hybrid Humidifier, an eco-friendly energy-saving device, a concept humidifier. The device has two operational modes, one of which is the standard mode wherein you connect the humidifier to a power output to work. The hybrid mode is a lot more fun though. The humidifier also recharges by simply rolling it around. Emitting a sound as it rolls, this one generates energy which in turn is used to create the required humidity. So, just leave the Wool Ball Hybrid Humidifier to your pet, and watch while kitty plays around with it and creates some humidity!

More...

Is it too hot out there? Have you been wiping the sweat off your brow every few minutes? Is the weather hot enough to bake a cake in? Well, you don’t need to look for a place with a cool interior or simply stay home on a hot summer’s day anymore. This Active Cooling System by designer Jean-Marc Sheitoyan will make sure you stay cool, on the move. The system in short reduces the human body temperature to make the temperature of the environment a bit more bearable. It was developed with a design team at Mawashi Protective Clothing Inc. Besides just being a cooling agent to keep us cool in hot environments, this one could work well in keeping soldiers cool in hot arid desert areas where they are required to wear heavy camouflages that tend to heat up.

More...

Space crunches are everywhere, parking lots, homes, office spaces and just everywhere we turn our heads. Paul Coudamy has come up with a way to live, that takes a seriously low amount of space. The interior designer designed this living space that takes up just 23 square meters. It includes a bathroom, a bedroom, place to work and a dresser too! With moving and mobile parts like the bookshelf, this one tucks in all these spaces neatly. And for its aesthetic appeal, it uses a red carmine gloss finish contrasted with white walls. Two way mirrors control the visibility of the hidden spaces with a little help from the lighting. A two way mirror above the basin lets you decide the intimacy between the bathing area and the rest of the living space.

More...

Planning to hit the frosty white slopes with your snowboard anytime soon? Well, here’s something that might interest you and make your trip up there a tad easier. Burton’s Snowboard Bag works just great, packing your snowboard and everything else you’ll require up the hills. No longer do you need to juggle around with your snowboard, boots and stuff while in the ski-lift taking you up. Just slide in your snowboard in the reinforced space, slip in your boots in the interior space of the bag, strap on your Burton Snowboard Bag and you’re all ready to go.

More...

I don’t know if it is the child in me but the idea of riding in a tram always excites me. Designer Simon Colabufalo has given me even more reason for excitement with his concept Metrotopia – futuristic and compact trams. The Metrotopia is the designer’s vision for the future public transport of Melbourne which boasts of the largest tram network in the world. Simon’s Metrotopia comprises of small 2 seat vehicles that drive on a single rubber ball instead of the large buses of trams. The small vehicles are powered by an electric powertrain which is located in the rotating ball. The small compact cars dock inside the large trams for recharging. The wheel is still rotating while recharging, allowing users to take main routes with others and break away to get to their final destination.

More...