Reacting to the world around you can be a delicate situation even for the most outgoing of people. How do you react politely to a person who is speaking too loudly? How do you express unhappiness (and shield your sensitive eyes) from a sudden bright light? Designer Sangli Lin developed a playful way to interact with the world without having to utter a syllable: an environmentally reactive hat.

Li’s Expressive Wearable project uses clothing and accessories as more than just fashion – they are communication tools. The hat displayed here is equipped with a number of sensors that detect objects in close proximity to the user, loud noises, and bright lights. At the presence of any of these annoyances, the hat reacts immediately.

The proximity sensor reacts by unfolding a fan from the neck area that encourages the encroacher to back off. Loud sounds cause fans to swoop down over the wearer’s ears, and bright lights bring fans down over the eyes. These reactions don’t necessarily deter the actions that caused them, but they do convey a very simple non-verbal message: the wearer does not appreciate what has just happened.

Li points out that the wearable is not a “smart” device; it is simple and intelligent only in the sense that it displays the wearer’s personality and preferences. The designer poses a difficult but sensible question: is the use of this type of technology gentle and modest, or does it convey a sense of arrogance on the part of the wearer?

More from designer Sangli Lin

“Expressive Wearable explores clothing as a communication tool. This project imagines a scenario in which clothing expresses the wearer’s attitude directly without the concern of adhering to social conventions. More broadly, the project explores how people might playfully use wearables that move and gesture, what the aesthetics of these will be, and how wearables might interact with each other in group situations.”

“This project speaks up in silence, using ambiguity as a guide to explore a seemingly impromptu interaction while delivering a meaningful message accurately and expressively. It provokes social conventions by speculating on the complexity of human psychological behaviors.”

The post Environmentally Reactive Hat Defends Wearer From the World first appeared on Dornob.

Communicating meaning or purpose in the most direct way possible is at the core of many a good design – objects this obvious are surprisingly (and unfortunately) elusive, showing how hard it can be to keep things simple. The wall-mounted ‘Here Hook’ from Robert Shed Studio speaks for itself, using a few angles to form a familiar shape directing guests to drape their coats, scarves and hats along the wall on the way in.

One part of the arrow provides a mounting surface and structural stability while the other two prongs are both hangable points shooting off at two angels, but taken together they form a universal symbol that spans between languages and cultures. Simply put: clever. Another variant on the theme by Nick Leigh is shown below – even easier to install, though a bit more visually complex.

“The Vertical Coat Hook is ideal for narrow small spaces and can carry several items effectively. Nick Leigh’s beautifully designed coat hook has been cleverly cut and folded from a single piece of metal. A Coat Hook is a fantastic combination of an aesthetically pleasing composition, subtle humour and efficient material use.”

About designer Nick Leigh: 

“’I always start with an idea to design something that I want or need. I like to develop products that are useful in day-to-day life and have lasting aesthetic value. Materials and proportion typically drive my ideas along with smart economical manufacturing – to me good design doesn’t have to be expensive.’ Nick launched ‘A Coat hook’ at 100% Design Tokyo 2007, a humorous spin on a very practical household object. Who knows what’ll appear next from his ‘shed’ under the house.’

About designer Richard Shed:

“I am a senior designer, researcher and strategist with 20 years experience in the fields of product, service and interaction design. Applying a human-centered and creative approach, I work with business to design and develop new products, services and experiences. I tend to work across a diverse range of industries including tourism, fmcg, airline, legal services, media and personal computing. My background is in product, spatial and interaction design, check out the archive section.”

The post Here Hooks: Simple Arrow-Shaped, Wall-Mounted Hangers first appeared on Dornob.