Milan 2016: product design students at Swiss university ÉCAL have collaborated with technology brand Punkt to make basic household electronics, such as a radio and a power plug, more intuitive (+ slideshow).
The ÉCAL x Punkt collection continues the Swiss brand's work to create stripped-back electronics by designers like Jasper Morrison, which offer an alternative to today's multi-functional products.
ÉCAL tutor Augustin Scott de Martinville and the Punkt team asked students to rethink the basic objects that help people with their daily routines.
"The show is about technology but not technology that is overwhelming," ÉCAL director Alexis Georgacopoulos told Dezeen, "technology that stays in the shadows and also makes small comments about the way we live, like the internet radio and other non-obtrusive items."
Terkel Skou Steffensen designed an internet radio with a circular touch screen, designed to make it fun and easy to navigate thousands of stations.
An octagonal projector by Jaehoon Jung can be rotated so you can project videos onto the ceiling as well as the walls, while DongKyum Lim has created a clock that hangs in the corner of a room, enabling the user to tell the time from every angle.
Nadine Schaub's wall-mounted printer delivers paper into a wire tray like an envelope through a letter box.
A mini weather station by Kevin Gouriou displays temperature, air quality and atmospheric pressure on a small solar-powered screen. It is designed to be attached to a window by in-place magnets.
Jérémy Faivre has stripped back the camera into a keyring-like product featuring only a viewfinder and shutter bottom to allow users to "select the perfect frame for each photograph". A wrist tie, powerful battery and extra-large memory are included to make it ideal for travelling.
James Dart has created a rechargeable torch that can also be stood on its end and used as a desk light, while Lucas Frank has designed an extension cable with a rewinding cable system to hide away clutter.
Punkt was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Petter Neby. Its products include a stripped-back mobile handset designed by British designer Jasper Morrison and a cylindrical extension lead by Colombian designer Georges Moanack.
ÉCAL x Punkt was on show at Corso Magenta 24 for the duration of Milan design week, which ended on 17 April 2016.
ÉCAL put on two other shows during Milan design week this year. For the When Objects Dream exhibition, interaction design students used connected technologies and virtual reality to imagine possible future versions of everyday objects, while for ÉCAL x e15, product design students created 14 objects from wood.
"What we have tried to achieve in Milan is to create a balance between shows that push the boundaries and then collaborations with brands that show the skills and the know-how of our students," said Georgacopoulos.
Photography is by Younès Klouche.