Virtual Design Festival

Kodai Shimizu's home appliances combine craft with technology

Kodai Shimizu is presenting Craft-Techmen Project, a series of hand-sewn home appliances, for the VDF x Ventura Projects collaboration.

Exhibitor: Kodai Shimizu
Project title: Craft-Techmen Project

Kodai Shimizu is a Japanese designer and Design Academy Eindhoven graduate. He is presenting one of his latest proposals, the Craft-Techmen Project, as part VDF x Ventura Projects.

Craft-Techmen Project is a series of home appliances, ranging from speakers to hairdryers, which combine craft and technology.

Each product relies on hand-sewn threads that are conductive and function as toggle switches. For example, the threads inside the speaker change volume, while they alter temperature on the hairdryer.

The project responds to the unsustainable trend of mass consumption, and increasingly complicated home appliances that must be discarded when they are broken. By using thread, each appliance is more easily dismantled and repaired.

Website: kodaishimizu.com
Email: [email protected]


Virtual Design Festival is the world's first online design festival, taking place from 15 April to 30 June 2020.

Ventura Projects are exhibitions curated by Utrecht- and Milan-based Organisation in Design that cover the latest developments in contemporary design.

As part of VDF, Ventura Projects is presenting the work of 88 international designers, academies and brands. See work from all the VDF x Ventura Projects participants at dezeen.com/vdf/ventura-projects.