Windows Phone 8

Laptop Backpack

This laconic bag has been created by London based designer Katharina Eisenkoeck. The piece is crafted from high quality leather and designed to be a functional shell through sharp lines, a subtle colour, and smart proportions and not much else.The shade and thinness of the bag resembles a simple manila folder.

City Rain

Designed by 25togo Design, City Rain is manufactured through the process of mixing the right amount of concrete, and painstakingly hancrafting the set.

The fusing of glass and concrete materiality make for an texturally drinking experience.

C6 Backpack

Derbyshire based accessories brand, C6. Their range of accessories includes this minimal backpack, ideal for laptops and various tablets. Available in two sizes; Large (37cm x 50cm x 25cm) and Small (32cm x 45cm x 25cm), the backpack is also available in two colours; Black and Olive.

7 Möbelstücke

The 7 Möbelstücke collection is an inspiring collaboration between a designer, Herbert Schultes, and a craftsman, Friedrich Reich.

Both men had the intent to explore new ways to produce wooden objects, furniture pieces, using modern production methods, but taking mass production out of the equation.

In their quest they focused on what was essential to the sitting experience of a chair and stripped back the other elements. The result is a minimalist, collection that consists of a chair, two stools, two tables a desk and a bread case made of European maple, American maple and oak. Frank furniture pieces made with attention for detail.

Knife & Spork

Originally intended for exhibition in Milan in 2010, Minimalux has produced a minimal culinary accompaniment, measuring 150 x 15 x 30mm in size. Commissioned by Wallpaper for their Handmade exhibition, these pieces are characteristic of the London-based Minimalux label with their dedication to the minimalism discipline.

The crisp and uninterrupted lines of the Knife & Spork are a celebration of stainless steel. Mirror-polished and completely flat and linear in profile they display an obvious harmony and formal symmetry. Ignoring ergonomics, these pieces seem to play with the conventions of industrial design and challenge the user to engage in a changed eating experience. Too often is this challenge posed. Less emphasis therefore on the food than on the way in which the food itself is to be consumed.

Sumhold

Designed in the Swiss style, Sumhold is a calculator that instantly calculates and stores numbers with a reductive interface and simple swipe gesture.

Sumhold, featuring a minimalist design, makes complex calculations and number storage simple. 

Unlike most basic calculators, Sumhold keeps a running tally of your current calculation at the top and, when calculations become complex, automatically inserts parentheses to keep everything clearly readable. There is no need for an “=” button because it calculates as you type.

When a calculation is complete and you need to store the result for later, you simply drag it down toward the keypad into Sumhold’s scratch-line to make a temporary button.

Pebble

Pebble is the result of a collaboration between Jacob Juul of newly established Danish watch brand Bulbul and KiBiSi.

The asymmetric watch face was inspired by the smooth contours of the pebbles found on Scandinavian beaches. Pebble combines organic shapes and fine Italian crafted leather with the industrial feel of the injection molded silicone loop defining an international hybrid of heritage and openness. Swiss movement and sapphire glass are high quality components designed to last with the design.

Cake Anti Vase

Cake is a cutting edge New York City studio pushing the boundaries of apparel and objects. This is certainly the case for Cake’s Anti Vase. Beautifully designed, it comprises solid steel, measures only 3 x 5 inches and is unlike anything ever seen as it questions not only the purpose of a vase but the perception of death.

Typically vases hold water to prolong the death of a cut flower, however the Anti Vase accepts the flower’s death and celebrates its beauty.

Revolt chair

The Revolt chair, originally designed in 1953 by the Dutch industrial designer Friso Kramer, is a true design classic. The chair, made of moulded plywood and powder-coated steel, was very innovative in those days. It caused a sensation when it was introduced and won a permanent place for itself both in the business world and in Dutch living rooms.

After the Revolt chair had been out of stock for several years, Ahrend reintroduced it in 2004. Once again it has proven that a product that still has something to offer just gets better as the years go by.

Natural Irma Bag

The Natural Irma Bag is incredibly basic with a light linen material. Measuring 25 x 42cm, the bottom is made of nubuck leather. Other leather elements are made of vegetable-tanned natural leather. The lining is 100% cotton and features two small interior pockets and a thick cotton string.

Low Table

Low Table is a series of solid wood low tables, created by the Belgian designer Marina Bautier for her own furniture and products brand, MA.

MA was launched recently, with all product manufacturing taking place in Belgium.

Writer’s Block

Montreal-based furniture designer, Mitz Takahashi, created a  pencil stand named “Writer’s Block”. The stand is handmade from recycled/offcuts wood in Montreal – Canada.

Takahaski uses a combination of pine, walnut, mahogany and birch. Beautiful woods finished with Danish oil and water-based varethane.

The collection of Takahashi with mid-century feel ranges from lightning to furniture and desk accessory.

T3 Player App

The T3 Player app for iPhone has recently taken the internet by storm. Inspired by Dieter Rams’ iconic T3 radio from the 60s, the app is made to appeal to design lovers. Creator of the T3 app Eder Rengifo did not envision it as a substitute for your built-in iPhone player, but rather as a streamlined addition to it. 

T3 has special support for the iPhone 5 and Airplay. Watch the video to see it in action.

The Planes

Chris Packer exhibited a series of paintings titled ‘The Planes’ for Factory 49 in February in what’s known as the ‘Office Space’; for the same duration, The paintings were white canvases with cotton tape arranged geometrically across them; the cotton tape was white on the outside, but coloured on the underside. As a result, the white canvases were illuminated by the reflection of colour from the underside of tape in a very alluring way.

Mailbox

Rise

Tempo

Designed by Naoto Fukasawa for production by Magis in 2011, Tempo is a plastic wall-clock that has an all-white ground with details punctuated by a single color (orange, brown, black or grey).

Despite the absence of a second-hand, the clock makes an audible ticking sound. Its graphic (almost drawn-like) quality, the rounded shapes used on the face and the use of depth give this otherwise minimalist piece a softness and playfulness. For Magis, Fukasawa also designed a reductionist cuckoo clock, titled Cu-Clock.

Maple Set

Ottawa-based designers, The Federal, have developed a prototype for a set of knives called the Maple Set.

Blue Weather App

Brooklyn based Oak Studios create websites and applications. Last week, Oak released their first iOS app, Blue. The app provides 36-hour weather forecasts relevant to your location in a fast, fun and of course minimal interface. Simply swipe up to see each hour represented in a colourful gradient visual.

The hourly colours are generated based on three variables: temperature, humidity, and sunrise/sunset times for your current location. Temperatures are shown in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Level

Level is a suspension lamp developed by the Valencia based design studio estudi{H}ac for the fellow Spanish manufacturer Celda.

The objective was to translate the light to a floating horizontal plane, comprised of an elastic textile disc, which receives the light and transmits it to its surrounding space creating a combination of diffuse and ambient light.

Iconico

Iconico portable speaker, created by Héctor Serrano for French brand Lexon, is Intended to be used with mobile phones, it connects to an audio source via a 3.5 millimetre stereo audio cable. And if you want to silence Iconico, simply turn it over and muffle the sound against the table. No buttons to push.

Iconico is made of ABS plastic and comes in dark grey and white.

Tiqo

Manifiesto Futura, an independent multidisciplinary design studio based in Monterrey, Mexico, have recently added to their design portfolio with this minimalist identity and packaging for the tequila based alcoholic drink, Tiqo.

Sifang Art Musem Branding & Wayfinding

Singapore-based Foreign Policy Design Group are in charge of the branding and wayfinding design for the Steven Holl-designed Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing, China.

Oriental characters are typically very visual and graphic in nature, and the composition of Chinese and English create an elegant balance that stands strong on its own.

Aëdle VK-1 Headphones

Paris based brand Aëdle create high-end audio accessories. The VK-1 headphones Classic Edition combines minimalistic and refined design with high-definition custom made titanium transducers.

Aëdle’s co-founders, Raphaël Lebas de Lacour and Baptiste Sancho have also designed a limited edition VK-1 carbon version, comprising black lambskin leather and pure black matte anodisation.

Fabien Baron for Cappellini

The creative director Fabien Baron, under his full spectrum design agency Baron & Baron, has created a range of minimalist furnishings for the Milan based design firm, Cappellini.

The range of designs include a variety of sofas and chairs, one of which is a slender lounge chair, as well as storage units and tables. All of which result in an elegant combination of materials and sculptural quality.

Porcelain Lamp

Dutch designers Studio WM have created a series of porcelain pendant lamps that operate on a pulley system inspired by shipyards in Rotterdam. Keeping the available colors solid and the design of whole system minimal and clearly functional, this series has been exhibited in one of many Lightness in Lines presentations by the studio, including the Salone del Mobile of 2012.

Wrap Glassware

Product Designer Simon Hasan has an exquisite collection of laboratory-grade borosilicate glassware in the form of a bottle, carafe and decanter, all carefully hand crafted and wrapped in leather. I am drawn to the simplicity of the details of this set of Wrap Glassware. The brass pins complete the beautiful sequence of the design,  emphasizing the contrast of materials while the use of the leather softens normally sterile-looking objects.