It is a sight we are so used to seeing we hardly seem to notice it anymore: when it rains, people pick up whatever is at hand to cover their heads while seeking shelter.

Aside from suitcases, suits and jackets, one of the most common items deployed in this way is an everyday newspaper (or magazine, in a pinch) – in central London, this designer notes, there is a free newspaper available, ready at hand for a device like the Eco Brolly shown here.

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Shiu Yuk Yuen simply takes this behavior, reinforces and augments it, with an umbrella that “can re-use and adapt objects such as newspaper[s] and plastic bag …  all the user has to do is unscrew the top lid, poke the lid onto the middle of a reuseable object … screw to secure it & open it out like an umbrella” – all with a reusable lightweight aluminum tube that can be slipped back into a pocket when not deployed.