Altered Appliances is a collection of four projects by students from Rotterdam's Piet Zwart Institute, all of which introduce low-tech, hand-powered appliances and ideas to the kitchen.

Rollware is a set of laser-cut rolling pins designed by Joanne Choueiri, Giulia Cosenza and Povilas Raskevicius to produce edible plates and dishes from dough.

One set of four rolling pins is used to imprint patterns on the dough.

Above: Rollware movie

Another set cuts the dough into four different plate sizes before they are baked into tableware.

Extrudough is a collection of biodegradable tableware made with a meat grinder, which designers Bo Baalman and Kine Solberg describe as an "analogue, human-powered 3D printer".

A soft dough is extruded through the meat grinder in thin tubes onto various shaped moulds and then dried at room temperature.

As well as being cheap to produce, the products have a shorter decomposing time than other temporary tableware such as paper plates.

Above: Extrudough movie

The Flip Food lunch box by Ilias Markolefas and Nathalia Martinez Saavedra is inspired by the brown paper bags often used for carrying lunch to school or work.

The designers used stencils to cut a brown paper surface into a flat template, which is then folded and assembled to form a geometric lunchbox with six compartments.

The printed patterns visible on the outside vary depending on the lunchbox's rotation, so they can be used to indicate the type of food held inside.

Reusable plastic protective containers can also be inserted into the compartments to protect certain foods.

Above: Flipfood movie

Finally Maddalena Gioglio and Egle Tuleikyte created the CONEformation measuring set from mounds of salt poured out of a contraption holding various sizes of measuring funnels.

The salt mounds are hardened by spraying water onto them and then covered with a layer of runny clay. The salt is then removed to reveal a set of ceramic measuring vessels.

The four projects emerged from a studio led by Alex Suarez – whose installation in a salt factory we featured in 2010 – and Brian Peters at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Other food designs we've featured include a collection of tableware made from baked dough and prototypes for 3D-printed hamburgers and pasta – see all projects involving food.

Above: CONEformation movie

Also at Ventura Lambrate this week are a seating booth inspired by an old train carriage and dining chairs with legs that flick out like ice skates, both designed by Tjep. – see all news about Ventura Lambrate.

Dezeen is in Milan covering the highlights of the design week – see our round-up from the Salone yesterday, browse all news from Milan or check out our interactive map of the week's best talks, exhibitions and parties.

Photographs are by the designers.

Here's some more information from Piet Zwart Institute:

Altered Appliances is an exhibition presenting projects that investigate the retooling of industrial low-tech appliances and gadgets to offer alternative design solutions and experiences for today’s kitchen. The exhibition is staged as a live demonstration presenting the process of making. The kitchen was the inspiration for the design projects. Historically, the kitchen as a domestic room grew from the need to house a variety of activities related to consumption. It is a story of the making of the modern home and its components, and on the shifting place and development of the most technological, equipment-laden and factory-like room of the home.

For the projects, the designers researched historical examples of appliances/apparatus, particularly low-tech, hand powered devices to become experts in a particular appliance, use and its effect. From this initial investigation, design parameters, fabrication techniques and material experimentations were developed to define the project, its application and explore new "altered" design opportunities for the kitchen.

The projects were made during a thematic design studio by design students in the Master of Interior Architecture & Retail Design (MIARD) program at the Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, NL.

Rollware: Edible Dishware
Designers: Joanne Choueiri, Giulia Cosenza, Povilas Raskevicius

Rollware is a set of laser-cut rolling pins designed as a tool for the production of bread-based edible dishware, which are adorned with customised and useful patterns. The sustainable products merge traditional crafts, tableware production and cooking with digital technology.

Extrudough: Biodegradable Tableware
Designers: Bo Baalman, Kine Solberg

Extrudough is a collection of biodegradable tableware fabricated using an altered meat grinder that operates as an analogue, human powered 3D printer. The product line consists of five biodegradable containers, each with a unique pattern, colour and density.

Flip Food: Lunch Box
Designers: Ilias Markolefas, Nathalia Martinez Saavedra

Flip Food is a lunch box designed to store and carry food in a playful way. It is a self-standing rotating object with six compartments to store different types of food in each section. Inspired by the classic brown paper bag used by many to carry lunch to work or school.

CONEformation: A Measuring Set
Designers: Maddalena Gioglio, Egle Tuleikyte

CONEformation is a set of measuring cones for cooking, designed for mixing ingredients and serving food. The organic shapes of the cones are an unexpected yet a practical addition to the task of measuring for recipes in the kitchen.

Instructors: Alex Suarez, Brian Peters

The post Altered Appliances by
Piet Zwart Institute students appeared first on Dezeen.

The Colour Glass collection was launched as part of Hay's new collection at Maison&Objet in Paris earlier this week. It includes high and low water glasses, a red wine glass, a white wine glass, a champagne glass and a carafe.

The glasses and carafe will be available in three different designs: with yellow or blue fading from the top, or a golden dot at the bottom of the vessels. The red wine glass comes with a pink square on one side, the white wine glass has black grid lines and the champagne glass features golden grid lines.

Pieces are made of crystal glass and will be available from May.

Scholten & Baijings is based in Amsterdam and is known for its textiles and homeware featuring carefully selected colours and geometric grids. See their tableware set based on the archives of hand-painted porcelain company 1616 Arita Japan in our earlier story.

Based in Copenhagen, Hay produce furniture and homeware including a table with an upside-down underframe and colourful accordion-pleated document wallets. See all our stories about Hay »

Maison&Objet homeware and gift fair took place from 18 to 22 January. Other products launched at the show include a range of ice-cream coloured poufs and rugs by Patricia Urquiola and furniture inspired by camping from French brand Colonel. See all our stories about products launched at Maison&Objet »

The post Colour Glass by Scholten & Baijings
for Hay appeared first on Dezeen.

News: a fork for dieters that vibrates when you eat too much or too fast is one of the most talked-about launches at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

Created by Hong Kong-based gadget company HAPILabs, the HAPIfork helps users lose weight by reminding them to eat more slowly. The idea is that the slower you eat, the faster you feel full, so it's easier to eat less.

Sensors inside the fork count the times it travels from plate to mouth, and eating too fast causes it to gently vibrate and flash its lights. The device also works out the start and end time of the meal and the number of forkfuls eaten.

Information about food intake is transmitted via Bluetooth to a smartphone or via USB to a computer, and then collected in a personal online account so users can track their progress.

The HAPIfork mobile app allows users to comment and add pictures, while there are also plans for an online game that lets users follow their friends' progress too.

The fork comes in five colours and is part of a set of devices from HAPILabs designed to monitor your health, including an activity tracker that clips onto a belt.

Following its launch at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, HAPIfork will launch on crowdfunding website Kickstarter in March. HAPILabs hopes to make the device available to the general public later in the year.

Other unusual forks we've featured on Dezeen include a fork with letters on its prongs and another that clips onto a knife and spoon to make a table sculpture – see all our stories about tableware.

Here's the full press release from HAPILabs:

Las Vegas, NV – January 7, 2013 – HAPILABS, a company aimed at helping individuals in the 21st century take control of their HAPIness, health and fitness through applications and mobile connected devices, today introduced the HAPIfork at CES, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Designed by French engineer Jacques Lepine, HAPIfork, the world’s first smart connected fork, knows how fast you’re eating and helps you slow down using a patent-pending technology. By eating slower, you will improve the way you feel after every meal, enhance your digestion and reduce your weight. This smart electronic fork which comes in five fun colors, is part of suite of devices, applications and services from HAPILABS aimed at improving your overall health, well being and happiness.

How HAPIfork Works:

When you are eating too fast, HAPIfork sends you gentle vibrations and indicator lights so you are aware of when you’re not eating at a pace that is optimal for your health. In an unobtrusive way, the smart fork helps you slow down without a disruption to your meal or conversation.

The HAPIfork contains an electronic key with a printed circuit that links the extremity and the handle of the fork. Because the fork is in contact with only two parts of your body: your mouth and your hand, the device is successful at counting the number of fork servings during a meal. HAPIfork monitors the following activities:

» The exact time you start and end time of your meal.
» The amount of "fork servings" taken per minute and per meal.
» The specific duration of each "fork serving" interval.
» Your overall meal duration.

All of your HAPIfork eating data is transmitted to a personalized online account when you connect your HAPIfork to your computer via USB or your smart phone via Bluetooth. This flexibility means you can monitor your eating habits and health improvement at home or on the road from a mobile device.

You can choose to keep this information private or share some or all of this data with friends and family who are supporting you, your health and lifestyle.

By helping you eat more slowly and improve your eating behavior, HAPIfork can help you:

» Lose Weight: Satiety is only felt roughly 20 minutes after a meal, so the faster you eat, the more you eat. It stands to reason that the slower you eat, the faster you feel "full", supporting your goal of taking in less calories during each meal.
» Reduce Digestive Problems: By slowing down your eating pace and chewing for longer, you can take better care of your digestive track, which is agitated when you eat too fast.
» Decrease Gastric Reflux: The slower you eat, the less likely you will suffer from gastric reflux after a meal, which is growing at an alarming rate in the United States and Europe.

The medical community widely supports the importance of eating more slowly since a series of scientific studies highlighted many negative effects related to eating meals too quickly. References for these studies can be found on SlowControl.com.

Product Specs & Availability:

The HAPIfork is part of a complete suite, with add-ons to help you migrate to smarter eating habits from the first day you use it. The product’s estimated retail pricing is $99 and includes:

» HAPIfork (available in one of five colors: blue, green, black, white and pink).
» Online Dashboard: stores and reviews your eating-related data and helps you track your progress meal after meal.
» Mobile App: allows you to follow your stats and enrich your HAPIfork entries with comments and pictures.
» Online Coaching Programme: provides tips and tricks on how to eat smarter and healthier, including helpful, practical advice and balanced meal plans.
» Online Social Game: designed to motivate you to implement these new healthy habits with your loved ones.

HAPIfork will start shipping in early Q2 2013 for Kickstarter backers (USB connection only) and to the general public in both the U.S. and France in Q3 (Bluetooth connection) with distribution to other countries later in 2014.

The post Vibrating "smart fork" for weight loss
launches at CES appeared first on Dezeen.

The In Between collection of glasses, bowls and plates was produced by BCXSY for Inframince as part of the tilde_objects 01 collection shown at the Design Tide Tokyo trade fair last weekend.

"A closer look at pieces, which at first glance may appear identical, reveals the uniqueness of each piece through slight variations in shape, colour and dimensions," according to the designers, Boaz Cohen and Sayaka Yamamoto, who founded their studio in 2007 shortly after graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven.

Other glassware we've featured on Dezeen includes a series of engraved carafes accessorised with metal collars and a set of frosted glass decanters which echo the Istanbul skyline.

In Milan this year, BCXSY presented stools, tables and bowls made in collaboration with traditional boat builders as well as a collection of rugs woven by Bedouin women.

See all our stories about glass »
See all our stories about BCXSY »

Photographs are by Kiyotoshi Takashima.

Here's some more information from the designers:

Harmony and gradations in glass

One of the greatest appeals of hand-blown glass is the delicate balance between imperfection and near-perfection, reflecting both the nature of the material and the skills of the maker. A closer look at pieces, which at first glance may appear identical, reveals the uniqueness of each piece through slight variations in shape, colour and dimensions.

In Between is a hand-blown glass tableware collection, consisting of drinking glasses, bowls, plates, and accessories of various types and sizes, which come in a six-step gradation – from transparent to white.

The subtle successive changes are enhanced through the use of the pieces and the way they harmoniously combine. Besides emphasising the artistry required for reproducing such variations, this also encourages the exploration of different compositions and applications. More playfulness and awe are now introduced to the table.

The post In Between by BCXSY
for Inframince appeared first on Dezeen.

News: Finnish design company Marimekko's classic floral print will appear on the livery of two Finnair aeroplanes as part of a collaboration that also includes a range of textiles and tableware for use onboard.

A Finnair Airbus A340 featuring Marimekko's signature Unikko floral print from 1964 is already operating between Helsinki and Asian destinations, and another aircraft in Marimekko livery will appear next year.

From spring 2013 all of the Finnish flag carrier's aeroplanes will use the Marimekko for Finnair tableware collection, which includes teapots, cups, plates and napkins.

"We hope that Marimekko’s sympathetic Unikko poppy flowers flying up in the sky as well as our other iconic prints as a part of the in-flight experience bring joy to people around the world," said Mika Ihamuotila, Marimekko’s President and CEO. "I believe that the Marimekko and Finnair design collaboration will bring to hectic and often grey air travel joy, peace of mind and beautiful memories."

The Marimekko products will be available for purchase by Finnair customers for the duration of the three-year collaboration.

Several national carriers have recently teamed up with home-grown design talent to give their services a local touch. Earlier this year we reported on news that Dutch designer Hella Jongerius was creating new cabin interiors for KLM, while fellow Dutch designer Marcel Wanders produced a set of tableware for the Dutch airline in 2010. Before that, Australian designer Marc Newson teamed up with Qantas Airways to design its First Class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne airports.

See all our stories about aircraft »
See all our stories about tableware »

Here's the full press release from Marimekko:

Marimekko and Finnish airline company Finnair are teaming up to enhance the air travel experience with a new design partnership. From spring 2013 all Finnair aircraft will feature a Marimekko for Finnair collection of textiles and tableware, featuring Marimekko’s classic patterns. The Marimekko for Finnair collection is specially designed to add a light and fresh visual and tactile dimension to the onboard experience, while lightening the airline’s carbon footprint as well.

Two of Finnair’s long-haul aircraft will also wear livery based on Marimekko designs. An Airbus A340 featuring Maija Isola’s iconic Unikko floral print from 1964 is already operating between Helsinki and Finnair’s Asian destinations, and it will be followed by another aircraft in Marimekko livery in spring 2013.

“Finnair has a strong design heritage, and this cooperation brings our design thinking to a new level,” says Mika Vehviläinen, Finnair CEO. “Our goal is to become a design airline, and bring our customers unique experiences for all five senses. Cooperation with Marimekko is an important step towards this target. Finnair aircraft will become roving ambassadors of timeless Finnish design and creativity, giving our customers a special experience when they fly with us.”

”We hope that Marimekko’s sympathetic Unikko poppy flowers flying up in the sky as well as our other iconic prints as a part of the in-flight experience bring joy to people around the world,” says Mika Ihamuotila, Marimekko’s President and CEO. “Lately, we have wanted to connect Marimekko’s colourful design and fashion with surprising parties and forms of art, such as ballet, modern dance or visual arts. Now it is time to do something unforeseen up in the sky. I believe that the Marimekko and Finnair design collaboration will bring to hectic and often grey air travel joy, peace of mind and beautiful memories.”

During the three-year collaboration, an exclusive selection of Marimekko design products are also available for Finnair customers in in-flight sales and the Finnair Plus Shop.

In addition to adding value to the customer experience, both companies look forward to the collaboration helping build more awareness of their brands. Both companies have a long established presence in Japan but are growing rapidly in other Asian markets, China in particular.

“Finnair is a natural partner for Marimekko, as in my opinion it has been the first airline in the world to lift up design and place it strongly at the center of its service,” continues Ihamuotila. “With our collaboration we want to show how design can help improve the well-being of people in different moments of life. Furthermore, our design collaboration with Finnair supports our growth strategy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, which is one of Marimekko’s key market areas.”

“Both of these brands are about bringing positivity, high quality and peace of mind to customers,” adds Vehviläinen. “We believe this collaboration will help generate new experiences and lasting, positive memories for a whole new generation of Finnair passengers in Asia.”

The post Marimekko makeover for
Finnish airline appeared first on Dezeen.