Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Rocking Nightlight Switches On and Off With a Gentle Push

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT

intuitive UI nightlight

This stylish light proves that nightlights aren’t only for kids who are afraid of the dark. The Prism nightlight is a modern accessory that is minimal both in aesthetics and in operation.

prism nightlight

Designed by Savannah College of Art and Design student Nicholas Baker, the Prism nightlight was inspired by the work of fellow designer Naoto Fukasawa. Fukasawa’s “Without Thought” ideology encourages design that is intuitive and simple.

prism nightlight gif

The wood and glass light works with a see-saw motion to flip it off and on. It is, indeed, a motion that can be done without much thought. The gentle rocking motion is reminiscent of the way mothers calm their children to send them off to sleep.

rocking nightlight

As beautiful as the Prism nightlight is, it isn’t a product that you’ll find on store shelves anytime soon. Baker only produced one for a school project and has not announced plans to have them made on a larger scale.

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Space-Age Folding Toilet Cuts Down on Space + Water Use

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT

folding toilet iota

Some designs don’t change much over decades, and it’s usually because the typical design works and doesn’t need improvement. A perfect example is the toilet typically found in the Western world. While some differences exist from one country to the next, the classic porcelain throne doesn’t have a lot of variation.

space saving folding toilet

Enter the Iota Toilet, a project by University of Huddersfield design students Gareth Humphreys and Elliott Whiteley. The toilet folds to save space in the bathroom. The designers also say that the futuristic toilet design would cut water consumption by 50% over a standard toilet.

iota folding toilet

The Iota Toilet works by utilizing a movable bowl. When the bowl is in the down position, it can be used as usual. When finished, the user then lifts the entire bowl up toward the wall. In doing so, the user connects the pipes in the bowl and a powerful burst of water is released to flush the waste away.

The folded toilet takes up much less space in the bathroom than a conventional toilet, but it is also lower to the ground. This can be a problem for older people or those with leg or knee problems. But the design, even with its potential flaws, is an aesthetically pleasing alternative to the open germ pools that most of us currently have in our bathrooms.