Design is an ever-evolving thing – a constant, unending desire by humans to create solutions, sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate, to everyday needs. And with a new year just around the corner, what better time to take a look at some of the designs of the future? Here’s an assortment of objects, some of which are already in production, others that exist merely as ideas, that we think would make our lives that little bit better in the years to come.
1. Barisieur
Designed to make mornings more bearable, the Barisieur combines a tea- and coffee-making machine with an alarm clock. It’s reminiscent of those teasmades that enjoyed such popularity in the 1970s, but has been given an artful update for a caffeine-obsessed age.
You prep the Barisieur before going to sleep at night. According to Josh Renouf, the mastermind behind the product, there’s much to be said for establishing a ritual before going to bed, effectively telling your body that it’s time to start winding down. You can choose to have your drink brewed before, after or during your alarm call; either way, you will start your day to the sound of gently bubbling water and the smell of freshly brewed coffee or loose-leaf tea. You can also charge your phone using the USB port in the base of the machine.
The Barisieur is crafted from high-quality walnut and bespoke borosilicate glassware, with a compression moulded Bakelite base. With its slimline but vintage-style design, we imagine it will be with you for many mornings to come.
“I was inspired by my research into the psychology behind sleep and relaxation, and how ritual and stimulation can help create the right environment for rest,” Renouf says. “We have worked continuously to refine the design, for the perfect-quality product, and now here it is.”
Renouf has raised millions of dirhams to develop the product via online crowdfunding, and the Barisieur is now available to pre-order, from US$299 (Dh1,098), plus postage, at www.barisieur.com
2. Smartduvet
If making the bed is your least favourite job, the folks at Smartduvet have a solution for you.
The system consists of a simple, breathable, lightweight, inflatable sheet that’s positioned between your duvet and duvet cover. This, in turn, is connected to an air blower that’s small enough to be concealed under your bed. When you activate the Smartduvet, the sheet’s air chamber is filled – miraculously shifting your duvet back into place.
The Smartduvet connects with your smartphone, with an app that allows you to preset a different bed-making time each day (meaning you can easily allow for a sleep-in on the weekends).
It’s a great solution for busy people who want to cut non-essential tasks out of their day – or those who are tired of trying to convince their children to tidy their rooms each morning. But the Smartduvet team are also keen to point out how useful a tool this can be for those with reduced mobility and other disabilities.
The team has been raising funds on Kickstarter this month, and the Smartduvet is available to pre-order from $199 (Dh731) at www.smartduvet.com
3. Allintravelbag
It’s a bag for all seasons. Recognising that a single bag can seldom address all your travel needs, the team behind the Allintravelbag has created a piece of sleek-looking carry-on luggage that will adapt to your varying demands.
Made from hard aluminium alloy bars, interspersed with rubber foam, the bag features a series of zips that can be used to control its size. The bag can expand by 350 per cent – in its smallest form, it’s eight centimetres thick, with a capacity of 17 litres; at its largest, it’s 28cm wide, with a 61L capacity, which means it can easily be transformed from a handy day pack or a camera bag for photographers to a piece of airline-friendly hand luggage.
Designed and produced in Italy by Andrea Calissi and Thomas Plebani, the Allintravelbag’s exterior is made from a nylon that’s essentially bulletproof, not to mention water-resistant, and it’s fitted with a GPS tracker and security system to keep all your valuables safe. It comes with a blue, red and white trim, with rollerblade wheels, to ensure it moves smoothly, even on uneven ground. Best of all, you can flatten it to store it under your bed when it’s not in use.
4. Plants-Skin
Organised by the Japanese car brand in an attempt to support young designers from around the world, the annual Lexus Design Award is a breeding ground for innovative ideas. This year’s edition of the awards attracted more than 1,200 entries from 73 different countries. Japanese designer Hiroto Yoshizoe was one of eight finalists, with his project Plants-Skin.
We love this idea, because what could be more useful than a planter that tells you when your plants need to be watered? “Plants-Skin is created using a moderately permeable planter made from a coloured mortar, which was then coated with hydro-chromic ink,” Yoshizoe explains. “When the surface absorbs water, the white ink becomes transparent and colours appear. The levels of dryness and moisture are represented as beautiful colour gradations on the surface of the planter. It’s almost like listening to them breathe.”
5. Bio-Vide
When it comes to designs of the future, new and innovative materials are the order of the day. Another finalist in this year’s Lexus Design Award, Takuma Yamazaki looked at the idea of using fallen leaves to construct objects ranging from tables to envelopes. In a visualisation of the idea that all things eventually return to the earth, Yamazaki proposed Bio-Vide, a combination of fallen leaves and resin, passed through a hot press.
“The fallen leaves are composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose polysaccharide, lignin, resin and carbonyl, which are similar to elements found in wood,” the designer explains. “In modern society, everything is systematically divided, causing us not to see things as being part of a whole.
“We don’t think about where things come from, how they are processed and what happens after we throw them away. There is a sense of transience and a feeling of sadness when things reach an end. I feel there is something important there that cannot be expressed in words, so I’ve decided to express it through my work, Bio-Vide.”
6. Coffee as a Material
This year’s edition of the Global Grad Show, held in conjunction with Dubai Design Week, saw students from leading universities around the world present ideas relating to three categories: Empower, Connect and Sustain. Innovative materials were a recurring theme, highlighted by the Coffee as a Material proposal from Jose Roberto Hernandez Euan of Mexico’s University of Guadalajara. Given the amount of waste generated by the coffee industry around the world, Euan proposed that discarded coffee grounds be treated with resins, such as crystal and epoxy, to create a new construction material that’s heat-resistant and aesthetically distinct. In essence, creating something out of what would otherwise be useless.
“Innovation is a powerful word that is in the common language of these times,” Euan says. “Creativity and ideas are a wonderful playground to try to touch the impossible and challenge other designers to move forward. That’s the main idea of our work.”
7. Tip Tap Mat
You know that moment when you get to your front door, weighed down by bags full of grocery shopping, and have to put everything down and rifle through your bag or pockets searching for your keys? That could be a thing of the past, thanks to the Tip Tap Mat.
Envisaged by Gary Ng, Punyotai Thamjamrassri and Giulia Scurati of South Korea’s Kaist university, and also presented at this year’s Global Grad Show, the Tip Tap Mat is a specially designed system that will allow you to unlock doors with your feet. Pressure sensors under the mat detect your movements, transmitting a preordained code to the door’s lock. Once the correct combination is entered, the door will open. Nifty, huh?
sdenman@thenational.ae
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Ten10 Cricket League
Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17
Teams
Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan
Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad
Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider
Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider
Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah
Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELEADING%20RUN%20SCORERS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1%20Nicholas%20Pooran%2C%20261%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E2%20Muhammad%20Waseem%20(UAE)%2C%20248%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20244%3Cbr%3E4%20Johnson%20Charles%2C%20232%3Cbr%3E5%20Kusal%20Perera%2C%20230%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBEST%20BOWLING%20AVERAGE%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E(minimum%2010%20overs%20bowled)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E1%20Zuhaib%20Zubair%20(UAE)%2C%209%20wickets%20at%2012.44%3Cbr%3E2%20Mohammed%20Rohid%20(UAE)%2C%207%20at%2013.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Fazalhaq%20Farooqi%2C%2017%20at%2013.05%3Cbr%3E4%20Waqar%20Salamkheil%2C%2010%20at%2014.08%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5%20Aayan%20Khan%20(UAE)%2C%204%20at%2015.50%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E6%20Wanindu%20Hasaranga%2C%2012%20at%2016.25%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7%20Mohammed%20Jawadullah%20(UAE)%2C%2010%20at%2017.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
