Opinion: more and more design weeks take place around the world each year, but as brands flock in to woo designers, these are in danger of losing sight of their purpose, warns Lucas Verweij. More about "Marketing efforts surrounding design festivals create an oddly temporary gentrification"
Milan 2015: Swedish designer Markus Johansson used a full-size 3D-printed model to create the mould for this chair that looks like it was squeezed from a tube (+ slideshow). More about Markus Johansson creates fibreglass Loop Chair from a 3D-printed model
Milan 2015: French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have used the ancient technique of iron forging to create frames for a range of chairs and tables (+ movie). More about Bouroullec brothers forge wrought-iron frames for Officina furniture
Milan 2015: computer-controlled cutting was used to shape the curves of this solid wood chair by Made in Ratio founder Brodie Neill. More about Made in Ratio uses CNC cutting to create an A-shaped chair
Designer Marc Newson has created a series of 10 katana swords, modelled on the traditional weapons used by Japanese samurai warriors and each carrying a price tag of $300,000 (+ slideshow). More about Marc Newson designs limited-edition samurai sword
Milan 2015: dark surfaces appear to be slipping off these glass furniture pieces by Japanese studio Nendo (+ slideshow). More about Nendo shifts shelves and surfaces for Slide glass furniture
Royal College of Art student Axel Bluhme has developed an interactive drum machine that uses an analogue interface of spinning discs and magnets to combine digital sounds (+ movie). More about Axel Bluhme's drum machine triggers sounds using rotating discs of magnets
Architecture studio Akoaki has created an angular aluminium pod called The Mothership, which contains a DJ booth for staging pop-up events and funk concerts in Detroit's North End neighbourhood (+ slideshow). More about The Mothership by Akoaki is a mobile DJ booth for playing funk on the streets of Detroit
Austrian design firm EOOS and water research institute Eawag hope to improve sanitation levels in areas of extreme poverty with a mobile toilet that contains its own water filtration system (+ movie). More about Blue Diversion Toilet aims to improve sanitation with built-in filtration system
Design March 2015: French and Icelandic design collective Iiif has designed Petits Volcans, a glassware collection comprising five vessels that represent different types and stages of volcano. More about Iiif’s glassware collection represents different types of volcano
An interactive streetlight that records the shadow of a passerby and plays it back to the next pedestrian is among this year's Designs of the Year nominees (+ movie). More about Shadowing streetlight records and projects pedestrian movements
DesignMarch 2015: when Greenlander Liss Stender launched her homeware products, she made the national news and created "a kind of shock." She spoke to Dezeen about working in the Arctic and being a design pioneer in a country with a strong craft tradition (+ interview). More about Greenland's first product designer triggers "explosion of new designers" in her homeland
Norwegian designer Per Finne has created a utensil based on traditional Japanese knives that he says offers enough flexibility to be the only knife needed in a home cook's kitchen (+ slideshow). More about Per Finne's Umami Santoku knife combines Norwegian and Japanese design
Milan 2015: Danish studio Norm Architects has created a collection of bathroom furnishings and accessories, including a matching wash basin and bathtub perched on slim metal legs (+ slideshow). More about Norm Architects creates minimal bathroom furniture for Ex.t
The Amsterdam-based architecture studio led by architect Ben van Berkel has designed a round table with multiple levels to encourage office workers to be more active. More about StandTable is a circular podium designed by UNStudio to replace office desks
A 100-kilometre array of floating barriers designed by a 20-year-old inventor aims to clear the oceans of waste plastic, and is one of the projects shortlisted for this year's Designs of the Year award (+ slideshow). More about The Ocean Cleanup aims to strip 70 million kilos of plastic from the sea in 10 years
Movie: designer Arik Levy explains why he wanted to design a range of bent-wood chairs in this movie produced by Dezeen for Czech furniture brand TON. More about Arik Levy uses bent wood for the first time in Split furniture collection for TON
Mexican design studio Peca has launched a collection of candle holders made from marble spheres that can be split in two. More about Marble candle holder by Peca can be split to create two objects
Milan 2015: Japanese design studio Nendo has unveiled a series of glass tables that will form part of its solo exhibition during this year's furniture fair in Milan. More about Nendo previews Soft glass table collection for Milan exhibition
Milan 2015: French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have created two chairs and two tables for Swiss furniture brand Vitra, which will debut at Milan design week next month (+ movie). More about Bouroullec brothers to debut Belleville furniture collection for Vitra