PLANBUREAU Studio has created a metallic paper piggy bank  for the Hungarian branch of Red Noses International , an organization supporting hospital clown doctors. The brief was simple but challenging: design an object for the charity shop that teaches children how to save—and how to donate—while keeping the retail price under 10 EUR  and production costs low. The result is a playful, build-it-yourself piggy bank made entirely of paper, turning a familiar object into a small

The development of a flying robot small enough to rival a bumblebee marks a significant moment in bee-sized robot design , where engineering, artificial intelligence, and biomimicry converge. Created by researchers at MIT, the four-centimetre robot weighs less than one gram yet demonstrates agility, speed, and control comparable to its biological counterpart. Designed to operate in environments inaccessible or dangerous to humans, the robot is envisioned as a future tool f

Design and 3D are no longer separate territories. What began as technical experimentation has evolved into a new visual language — one that reshapes how we experience identity, space, and digital culture. 3D is not just a tool. It is a shift in perception. How Design and 3D Started to Converge The relationship between design and 3D began quietly, inside software labs and motion studios. Early 3D tools were complex, slow, and reserved for specialists in animation or industria

The connection between design and sustainability  is no longer optional — it is essential. Design shapes products, systems, behaviors, and values. Every decision, from material choice to digital interface, carries environmental, social, and cultural consequences. Design determines not only what  we create, but how  it is produced, distributed, consumed, and discarded. In a world facing climate urgency, resource scarcity, and social imbalance, design has moved from decoration

Design and technology  have always evolved together, shaping how societies build, move, communicate, and imagine the future. From the invention of printing to digital interfaces, every technological shift has transformed how design functions as a cultural and practical tool. Today, design and technology  are inseparable forces defining contemporary and future visual language. Technology introduces new tools, systems, and possibilities, while design gives those systems form,

Design in Conflict  is an exhibition that brings together architecture and design students from Lebanon to confront the realities of living under continuous instability. Hosted inside Beirut’s abandoned Burj El Murr skyscraper, the show presents speculative yet deeply practical projects addressing life shaped by war, interruption, and resilience. Organised by Archifeed alongside product designer Youssef Bassil and design engineer Tark Mahmoud, the exhibition positions design

An Electric Solo JetBike With Enclosed Jet Propulsion Instead of Propellers LEO Flight has introduced the electric Solo JetBike , a compact one-person aircraft concept that hovers using electric jets instead of propellers . This innovative design serves as a low-altitude personal air vehicle that requires no pilot’s license . The electric Solo JetBike proposes a radically different approach to ultralight aviation. Following the still-concept LEO Coupe , the JetBike utilizes

A Moss-Covered Earthen Roof Blends Architecture and Landscape The Sekiyuan Waiting Area  in Ichihara City, Chiba, is a small architectural gesture with unusually rich cultural depth. Designed and built by Kurosawa Kawara-ten  together with an architect and an artist—none of them professional builders in the traditional sense—the structure is a quiet but significant exploration of how informal building practices  can contribute to contemporary architecture. The project was car

The Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners  officially opens to the public in Abu Dhabi, marking a defining moment for the Saadiyat Cultural District. This long-awaited institution merges architecture, environmental engineering, and cultural storytelling, forming a landmark whose five aerodynamic steel wings rise dramatically above the desert landscape. More than a museum, it stands as a reflection of Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and a new pinnacle of sustainable design in the U

Why 3D Printed Carbon Fiber Instruments Matter for Modern Musicians Forte3D is rethinking the future of string performance with 3D printed carbon fiber instruments  built to survive real-world conditions that often damage traditional wood. Where wooden cellos and violins can crack, warp, or slowly deform with changes in humidity and temperature, carbon fiber stays stable—helping musicians travel, rehearse, and perform with less anxiety about the environment. The idea began w

A new plant-based plastic  developed by researchers at Japan’s RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science dissolves completely in water within just a few hours — leaving no microplastics or residue behind. Built from cellulose, one of the most abundant natural materials on Earth, the innovation points toward a future where packaging no longer becomes permanent pollution. How This Plant-Based Plastic Works The newly developed plant-based plastic  is built using carboxymethyl cel

How the Tree-Planting Robot Works on Burned and Steep Terrain Trovador  is an autonomous tree-planting robot  designed to combat deforestation by restoring burned and degraded land. Developed by engineering students Marta Bernardino  and Sebastião Mendonça , the project proposes an automated method capable of planting seedlings in steep, fire-affected areas where human access is difficult or dangerous. The first prototype, introduced in 2023 by Bernardino, takes the form of

The world’s first flying car  has officially entered production. Alef Aeronautics has started hand-assembling its Alef Model A in California, marking a major milestone in personal mobility. Built in Silicon Valley, the vehicle represents the first consumer-ready version of a flying car designed for real-world use, testing, and future scalability. Alef Aeronautics Starts Production of Its Flying Car Alef Aeronautics confirmed that production of its flying car , the Model A Ult

Minimal Studio has unveiled Plastic Box , a fully functioning supermarket in Mallorca that doubles as an immersive architectural installation. Defined by exposed concrete, industrial materials and a ceiling made from 1,200 recycled crates, the project reframes everyday shopping through the lens of brutalist supermarket design . Located in Port of Pollensa, Plastic Box was conceived as a “raw concrete envelope.” Minimal Studio stripped the existing structure back to its bones,

Smart Socks for Diabetes That Help Users Feel the Ground Again People living with diabetes often struggle with neuropathy , a nerve-damage condition that reduces sensation in the feet and increases the risk of falls, ulcers, chronic pain, and infections. ETH Zurich spin-off MYNERVA  has created a breakthrough solution : Leia , a pair of smart socks for diabetes designed to restore sensation in the foot sole and relieve neuropathic pain without medication. Leia integrates elec

Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia have developed a groundbreaking construction material that encases rammed earth inside permanent cardboard tubes , eliminating the need for cement and significantly reducing embodied carbon. The system, known as CCRE ( cardboard-confined rammed earth ) , offers a low-carbon, lightweight, and thermally efficient alternative for low-rise and modular architecture. A low-carbon redesign of rammed earth

A new hardware startup founded by MIT engineers and leading origami innovators is rethinking one of the most overlooked pieces of everyday design : the umbrella. Ori , the world’s first frameless origami umbrella , replaces metal ribs and fabric with a single engineered canopy that folds with architectural precision. At full size, Ori offers a standard 1-meter canopy. When closed, it collapses into a 3.5 × 23 cm cylinder , turning the canopy itself into the supporting structu

deTour 2025 Hong Kong , titled The Shape of Yearning , arrives from 28 November to 7 December 2025 , turning PMQ into a ten-day creative laboratory of exhibitions, installations, workshops, tours, and performances. Curated by designer Adonian Chan  and organized by PMQ , with sponsorship from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) , this edition invites visitors to reflect on desire, interpretation, and the emotional charge embedded in everyday object

The OnCue Keyboard , a gaming-inspired therapeutic device designed for people with Parkinson’s disease, has won the 2025 James Dyson Award  in the medical category. Created by product designer Alessandra Galli, the keyboard combines inclusive design, haptic feedback, and artificial intelligence to help users type more easily, accurately, and independently. OnCue Keyboard and the 2025 James Dyson Award Out of more than 2,100 submissions from 28 countries, the OnCue Keyboard  w

What begins as a cute fashion accessory quickly reveals itself as an impressive case study in interaction design , tactile robotics , and emotional technology . Mirumi , the mini attachable robot  developed by Yukai Engineering , transforms everyday objects—bag handles, belt loops, straps—into small stages for expression. Once a prototype shown at CES 2025 , the robot is now headed toward real production, bringing lifelike behavior, soft materials, and charm into the world of