Beijing Design Week 2014: design studio Lava has created a set of symbols that take elements from both Chinese characters and Western graphics in the hope that they will be understood by people from both cultures (+ slideshow). More about Lava combines western and eastern symbols to create "universal" icons
French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have created a set of diamond-shaped coloured vases for Finnish design brand Iittala (+ slideshow). More about Bouroullec brothers design minimal coloured Ruutu vases for Iittala
In his first interview since joining Apple, industrial designer Marc Newson discusses his latest product – a domestic draft beer machine he says is the equivalent to a Nespresso coffee maker for beer lovers – and the future of the mechanical timepiece in the wake of the Apple Watch (+ interview + slideshow). More about Marc Newson designs "revolutionary" draft beer machine for Heineken
Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen revealed 3D-printed garments and accessories "grown" with magnets during her ready-to-wear show in Paris yesterday. More about Iris van Herpen uses 3D printing and magnets to form Spring Summer 2015 fashion collection
Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has patterned a collection of rugs and seat covers for Spanish brand Gan with oversized stitching (+ slideshow). More about Chunky stitches pattern Bandas rugs and furniture by Patricia Urquiola
Designers Lucy.D have created a range of cakes for one of Vienna’s most famous coffee houses in an attempt to bring Austrian baking into the 21st century (+ slideshow + interview). More about Designers Lucy.D rethink "kitsch" Viennese cakes for historic Café Landtmann
Dye-soaked sections of timber create colourful three-dimensional patterns across these furniture pieces by London design studio Raw Edges. More about Raw Edges shapes Endgrain wooden furniture to reveal colourful patterns
The Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein is hosting a major retrospective exhibition of work by late Finnish Modernist architect and designer Alvar Aalto, a year after Vitra's acquisition of Aalto's furniture company Artek (+ slideshow). More about Vitra Design Museum hosts Alvar Aalto retrospective
This lamp by Swiss design studio Big-Game couples a hammered metal shade with a modern aluminium stand. More about Big-Game's Hammer Lamp combines traditional and contemporary metalwork
Beijing architecture firm Remix Studio has literally outlined its plans for the renovation of an ancient hutong residence by marking proposed structures with illuminated white strings (+ slideshow). More about Remix Studio outlines hutong house renovation plans with UV installation
Described as an update of the "classic string shelf", this customisable shelving system by Berlin design firm Studio Hausen comprises a series of steel and ash wood modules. More about The Link Shelf offers an update on a classic modular shelving system
There are few designers who haven't relied on a caffeine fix to get them through a long night before a major deadline. So in honour of the under-celebrated International Coffee Day we've collected together 11 of the best coffee-related designs from the pages of Dezeen. More about 11 of the best designs for coffee-lovers
London Design Festival 2014: this angular steel chair by Georgian designer Sandro Lominashvili has a seat with four corners, but only three are attached to the frame. More about Chair 3/4 by Sandro Lominashvili looks like an optical illusion
London design studio PostlerFerguson has collaborated with Viennese jewellers A.E. Köchert to make a set of bespoke microphone accessories for DJ Ken Hayakawa, being presented for Vienna Design Week. More about PostlerFerguson partners with Viennese jewellers to design bespoke microphone accessories
American brand Proper Coffee has developed a machine that can take up to four hours to brew one pot of coffee – a process expected to improve the richness and reduce acidity. More about Proper Coffee's Imperial Drip machine brews drinks slowly to improve flavour
Bratislava-based MEJD Studio has developed two new lights that look like objects sliced in half – the first features a pendant lamp and bowl that together resemble a water jug, while the second is a table lamp comprising two halves of a brass globe (+ slideshow). More about MEJD Studio slices traditional objects in half to create contemporary lighting
Fashion and technology: a Dutch team is presenting a garment that purifies the polluted air surrounding the wearer, at this week's Beijing Design Week. More about BB.Suit 0.2 is an outfit that cleans polluted air
Each piece in this "unnecessary" cutlery set by Israeli designer Lee Ben David has been shaped for use with just one specific type of food. More about Very Specific cutlery by Lee Ben David designed for specific foods
London Design Festival 2014: Swedish designer Jomi Evers Solheim has created a collection of porcelain vases, using moulds formed around balloons that were filled with water. More about Jomi Evers Solheim creates ceramics using water-filled balloons
Tratti by Inga Sempé's eponymous Parisian design studio is a collection of tiles in eight patterns that can be used individually, or in any combination to create endless compositions (+ slideshow). More about Inga Sempé launches mix-and-match tile collection for Mutina