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Design Beyond Aesthetics
A design journal exploring design, architecture, visual culture, and contemporary creativity through critical observation and cultural analysis.
The blog examines how visual systems shape identity, power, and perception in contemporary society — connecting form, meaning, and creative intelligence. Published on otaviosantiago.com, it reflects an independent designer’s perspective on how design operates beyond aesthetics, as a cultural and political force.


Plastic-Free Soy Sauce Fish Dropper Designed to Decompose in Weeks, Not Years
Rethinking Single-Use Objects with a Plastic-Free Soy Sauce Fish Dropper Single-use food packaging is often designed for moments but persists for decades. The plastic-free soy sauce fish dropper created by Heliograf and Vert Design challenges this imbalance by aligning material lifespan with actual use. Named Holy Carp! , the small container replaces the iconic plastic soy sauce fish with a biodegradable alternative that decomposes in soil within weeks instead of years. Desi
2 days ago


Plastic Box Store Turns Brutalism Into a Sculptural Supermarket Experience - Brutalist Supermarket Design
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,
4 days ago


Smart Socks for Diabetes That Restore Sensation and Reduce Chronic Pain
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 elect
Dec 30, 2025


RMIT Researchers Reimagine Rammed Earth Using Cardboard Tubes as Permanent Formwork
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 T
Dec 29, 2025


Meet Ori: the world’s first frameless umbrella inspired by origami
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 structur
Dec 28, 2025


DeTour 2025 Transforms Hong Kong’s PMQ With Installations That Reveal the Hidden Meaning of Everyday Objects
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
Dec 26, 2025


OnCue Keyboard Wins 2025 James Dyson Award for Parkinson’s Therapy
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
Dec 25, 2025


A 3D Printed Synthesizer for Toddlers: Where Early Learning Meets Creative Technology
A 3D Printed Synthesizer for Toddlers: Designing Early Creativity Through Play What if a toddler’s first toy wasn’t just for pushing buttons — but for composing electronic music ? Software engineer Alastair Roberts brings that idea to life with Alma , a fully functional 3D printed synthesizer for toddlers . Designed as a playful introduction to sound, rhythm, and creative discovery, Alma bridges the worlds of product design, music technology, and childhood learning . With an
Dec 23, 2025


Mirumi: The Mini Attachable Robot That Clings, Reacts, and Comes to Life Through Design
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
Dec 20, 2025


Ghiotto: An Inclusive Boccia Ramp Designed to Bring Children With and Without Disabilities Together
Inclusive Boccia Ramp Ghiotto is an inclusive boccia ramp created to strengthen social interaction among children with and without disabilities in school environments. Designed by Diego Reggiani as part of a university design laboratory at Politecnico di Milano , the project was shortlisted for the iF Design Student Award . Rooted in universal design principles, Ghiotto aims to address a meaningful challenge: helping wheelchair-using children connect, play, and build relat
Dec 19, 2025


Principles of Graphic Design and Web Design: Essentials for Success
When I first stepped into the world of design, I quickly realized that success isn’t just about making things look pretty. It’s about crafting visual stories that resonate deeply and communicate clearly. How do you balance creativity with functionality? How do you ensure your designs don’t just catch the eye but also hold attention and inspire action? These questions have guided my journey and shaped my approach to the essentials of graphic and web design. Understanding the P
Dec 18, 2025


Peelware Reinvents Sustainability with Peelable Paper Plates Made for Reuse
Peelware Introduces a New Era of Reusable Peelable Paper Plates Sustainability in everyday products continues to evolve, and Peelware’s newest innovation pushes the idea of low-waste dining to a new level. Their peelable paper plates introduce a smart, layered system that drastically reduces waste while eliminating the need for washing dishes. Instead of throwing away a full plate after one meal, users can peel off the top layer to reveal a clean, ready-to-use surface beneat
Dec 16, 2025


KAWS Unveils 32-Meter Companion Lifting a Glowing Moon on Abu Dhabi’s Waterfront
KAWS Lights Up Abu Dhabi with a Monumental Moonlit Companion A new chapter in the global KAWS:HOLIDAY series has arrived, and this time the artist’s iconic Companion stretches 32 meters across the waterfront of Mina Zayed. Instead of floating or standing, the figure reclines gently at the edge of the promenade, holding a glowing moon to its chest. The installation, created with long-time collaborator. All Rights Reserved, forms the centerpiece of Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 , a city
Dec 14, 2025


Carbon Cell Introduces a Carbon-Negative Foam Packaging Alternative to Polystyrene
British company Carbon Cell is close to launching a breakthrough carbon-negative foam packaging material that offers a compostable, plastic-free alternative to expanded polystyrene. Made entirely from agricultural waste, the material looks and performs like the conventional foam used in packaging and insulation—without contributing to plastic pollution. The lightweight rigid foam is created from biochar , a carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of crop waste.
Dec 12, 2025


A Rare Mind: Remembering the Greatest Works of Frank Gehry Following His Passing at 96
A Legacy That Reshaped Architecture Frank Gehry’s passing at 96 marks the end of one of the most transformative careers in contemporary architecture. Few figures have shifted the global imagination as profoundly as he did. With a sculptural vocabulary that pushed beyond conventional geometry, and a fearless embrace of materials like titanium, stainless steel, plywood, and glass, Gehry revolutionized not only how buildings look, but how they behave—how they interact with light
Dec 10, 2025


Invisible AWT Bar in Tokyo Uses Heated Acrylic Panels to Distort Space and Reality
A Bar That Appears… by Almost Disappearing - Invisible AWT Bar During Art Week Tokyo 2025, Ichio Matsuzawa Office introduced the invisible AWT bar , an experimental social space formed not through walls or solid partitions, but through light, transparency, and distortion. Instead of architecture shaping the room, the installation explores how material behavior — reflections, angles, and bending light — can become the true generator of form. At the center of this exploration a
Dec 7, 2025


Heatherwick Studio Reveals Birmingham Stadium Shaped by Twelve Chimney-Like Towers
A New Architectural Era for Birmingham City Football Club Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture have revealed the design for a new Birmingham stadium that will serve as the future home of Birmingham City Football Club. The proposal arrives in time for the club’s 150th anniversary and forms the core of the broader Birmingham Sports Quarter — an ambitious redevelopment planned for Bordesley Green in East Birmingham. Early visualizations highlight a structure defined not b
Dec 6, 2025


World AIDS Day: Remembering, Honoring, and Designing a Future with Compassion
World AIDS Day , observed every December 1st, is more than a date on the calendar. It is a cultural ritual of remembrance, a global space where memory, activism, and community converge. For designers, artists, thinkers, and storytellers, it is also an annual invitation to reflect on how visual language can help dismantle stigma, preserve history, and inspire empathy. The Meaning of World AIDS Day in Today’s Culture Since 1988, World AIDS Day has served as a reminder that the
Dec 1, 2025


SOLARIS: The World’s First Self-Charging Solar Motorcycle Redefining Autonomous Mobility
SOLARIS , developed by MASK Architects , is presented as the world’s first self-charging solar motorcycle —a mobility concept capable of generating all its own energy without fuel, power grids, or external charging networks. Designed under the studio’s “Invent and Integrate” philosophy, founders Öznur Pınar Cer and Danilo Petta introduce a transportation model built around energy independence and off-grid autonomy. At the heart of the system are retractable circular photovo
Nov 29, 2025


How Stone Construction Is Transforming Low-Carbon Architecture in the UK
The Design Museum in London is accelerating the UK's shift toward stone construction with the Stone Demonstrator, a full-scale prototype that proves natural stone can dramatically reduce the carbon impact of everyday buildings. Installed at Empress Place within the Earls Court development, the structure replaces concrete, fired clay bricks, and almost all steel with granite and limestone — resulting in approximately 90% lower carbon emissions . Created by the Design Museum’s
Nov 28, 2025
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