Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, renowned for his minimalist and human-centered design philosophy, has partnered with Jakuets, a century-old Japanese manufacturer of educational materials and play equipment, to unveil a delightful installation titled “Playful Sculptures” which was exhibited at Milan Design Week 2025. This marks the first collaboration between Fukasawa and Jakuets, a company deeply rooted in supporting its local community through educational design.

Designers: Naoto Fukasawa and Jakuets

The “Playful Sculptures” installation transformed the gardens of the Triennale di Milano museum into an engaging space for visitors of all ages. The centerpiece was the “Yuugu” collection – a series of colourful, sculptural objects designed specifically for children. What sets these pieces apart is their intentional lack of predefined function. They aimed to create “imagination triggers” – open-ended forms that encourage children to explore, interact, and interpret the objects in their own unique ways.

These are not your typical playground equipment or your usual museum sculptures that cannot be touched. Instead, they are both toys and artworks but they invite children to climb, slide, or simply play around them without any prescribed method. This approach fosters creativity and allows children to develop their own narratives and games. The collaboration highlights a visio, believing in the power of design to enrich public spaces and promote well-being. These objects—crafted from soft curves, gentle materials, and joyful hues—invite interaction in ways that are open-ended and empowering. A child might see a tunnel to crawl through, a mountain to climb, or a creature to befriend. Each child’s engagement becomes a story, a game, or a personal expression of curiosity. And this is precisely the point. It’s a departure from the “look-but-don’t-touch” philosophy that often surrounds sculpture in museum contexts. Instead, these pieces encourage touch, movement, experimentation, and storytelling.

The “Playful Sculptures” installation at Parco Sempione not only offered a serene and engaging space within the bustling design week but also showcased how thoughtfully designed objects can transform urban environments into kinder and happier places. It was an invitation for both children and adults to rediscover the creativity and beauty inherent in playfulness, demonstrating the power of design to positively impact our lives and communities. As Milan Design Week 2025 draws to a close, the joyful echoes of Fukasawa’s “Playful Sculptures” and Jakuets’ vision are sure to resonate, reminding us of the fundamental importance of play in fostering imagination and well-being.

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Imagine a clock that thrives on the ambient whispers of temperature fluctuations. The Atmos Infinite ‘Halo’ operates on this principle, drawing energy from minuscule changes in air temperature. A mere one-degree Celsius variation fuels the clock for an astonishing 48 hours. This ingenious mechanism centers around a hermetically sealed, gas-filled capsule linked to the mainspring; as temperatures shift, the gas expands or contracts, perpetually winding the movement.

Unveiled at Milan Design Week 2025, this limited-edition masterpiece redefines the art of timekeeping by harnessing the subtle nuances of the environment.

Designer: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Encased within a seamless glass dome reminiscent of early Atmos models, the ‘Halo’ offers an unobstructed 360-degree view of its inner workings. The clock’s components appear to float, supported by nearly invisible glass structures that enhance its ethereal presence.

The dial is a study in meticulous craftsmanship. Achieving its pristine white lacquer finish requires ten successive coats, each layer painstakingly applied and dried under stringent conditions. This immaculate surface is adorned with polished baton-shaped indexes and rhodium-plated hands, exuding a minimalist elegance that speaks volumes. Minutes are marked by subtle indentations on a metal outer ring, a testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s attention to detail.

Powering this timepiece is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 570, a movement dedicated solely to displaying hours and minutes. Eschewing superfluous complications, it embraces simplicity, allowing the annular balance to oscillate with a mesmerizing grace. The movement’s openworked construction showcases fine watchmaking finishes, including brushed surfaces, polished edges, and Côtes de Genève stripes, creating an interplay of light and shadow that captivates the observer.

Milan Design Week provided the perfect backdrop for the ‘Halo’s’ debut. Returning to Villa Mozart after a 17-year hiatus, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s exhibition, aptly titled ‘Living on Air,’ invited visitors to immerse themselves in the magic of perpetual motion. The setting underscored the maison’s commitment to blending tradition with innovation, offering a space where design aficionados could appreciate the seamless fusion of form and function.

Limited to just 100 pieces, the Atmos Infinite ‘Halo’ stands as a beacon of horological artistry. It challenges our perceptions of timekeeping, transforming a functional object into a living sculpture that breathes with its environment. In an era where digital precision often overshadows mechanical beauty, the ‘Halo’ serves as a poignant reminder of the elegance inherent in simplicity and the timeless allure of thoughtful design.

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Milan Design Week 2025 has just witnessed one of the coolest motorbike mods you’ll come across for its sheer design value. Royal Enfield took to the mega design event with an otherworldly reinterpretation of the Flying Flea FF.C6 model, virtually turning it into a canvas for art. The feat was achieved in a collaboration with Italian-born LA artist Mattia Biagi, who has experimented with bike designs in the past. His unique perspective towards the design world makes him a respected name in the Italian art, fashion, and design circles.

Flying Flea, a new sub-brand of Royal Enfield, brought the one-of-a-kind electric motorcycle that blurs the boundaries between mobility and abstract art to Milan for the world to appreciate. Dubbed Motototem, the bike looks straight out of the Ghost Rider Universe. Perhaps they could have roped in Nicolas Cage for a cameo entry at the unveiling – of course, minus all the blazing flames.

Designer: Flying Flea and Mattia Biagi

Motototem, based on the brand’s first ever motorbike, the FF.C6, is created by a team of over 200 engineers based in India and the UK. The bespoke motorbike retains most of its DNA, while Mattia turns the bike’s skin and muscle into a creative platform. Under the surface lies the same Snapdragon-powered modern connectivity and voice navigation. The magnesium battery case, having fins, is retained to maintain structural integrity, and is painted in black stone element to maintain the visual theme. The artist brings nostalgic elements of the 1940 Flying Flea into play – reviving memories of the brand’s motorbikes, which were air-dropped during WWII to gain tactical advantage on the battlefield. That travertine tank, to be precise, has the telltale inspiration from the years gone by.

The nature-human connection is also present in the final form as the headlights and taillights give way to hand-blown glass forms achieved from high-temperature processes. Bronze handlebars and footpegs with components molded from the artist’s fingerprints alone got me to believe it is some kind of secret Ghostrider bike for an upcoming movie under wraps. The use of natural materials like clay, bronze, stone, and leather flows down to the forged aluminum frame and the magnesium battery case. Fenders get the unique resin-cast leaves, truly making it artistic, and the seat now has a warm walnut block as the saddle. On closer look, even the tires get the art influence with swallows that signify loyalty and homecoming.

Mattia gives the fork assembly the creative treatment with clay-molded inserts that replace the fork guards traditionally found on dirt bikes. The chain guard gets the same treatment.  This sculptural bike will tour the world this year, after its show at the Superdesign Show located at Via Tortona 27 at Milan Design Week commences on 12 April, and we’re looking forward to more clips of the bike in action. Maybe in California it’ll get celebrity attention, or maybe George Miller’s attention for his next Mad Max flick.

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LAYER is an acclaimed and innovative design studio founded by Benjamin Hubert. What better way to celebrate their 10th anniversary than with a landmark exhibition at the Milan Design Week 2025. Entitlted “101010”, it’s a tribute to the past ten years and a look forward to the next 10 years, held at the iconic 10 Corso Como from April 7th to 13th. This exhibition promises a captivating look back at a decade of transformative work while boldly projecting into the future of design.

Designer: Layer

The “101010” exhibition unfolds in two distinct yet interconnected parts. Visitors will first encounter a curated retrospective showcasing LAYER’s impressive portfolio over the past decade. This journey through time will highlight celebrated collaborations with design and fashion giants like Bang & Olufsen, Nike, Moroso, and Vitra, offering insights into the studio’s evolution and impact. This historical perspective will be further enriched by a display of the 2022 monograph on LAYER, penned by renowned design curator Max Fraser. Adding an exciting dimension to the exhibition is the unveiling of the new “101010” collection. This thought-provoking series comprises six innovative social design prototypes, each born from a collaboration with leading brands that have partnered with LAYER in the past. These prototypes, created with Andreu World, Bitossi Ceramiche, Kvadrat, MDF Italia, Muuto, RÆBURN, and Orrefors, delve into critical global challenges. From the pressures of urban density and resource scarcity to the urgent need for environmental resilience and sustainable living, the collection seeks to address these complexities with tangible, analogue solutions.

Keep is a family of fermentation tools designed with Orrefors, celebrating the art of food preservation and reducing waste. Host is a modular bee home developed with Andreu World, aiming to promote urban biodiversity and encourage sustainable beekeeping practices within city environments. Light are algae-powered oil lamps created in collaboration with Muuto, offering a reliable and renewable off-grid illumination source. Collect is a portable rainwater harvesting system designed with MDF Italia and Kvadrat, providing a clean and sustainable solution for water storage. Cool are stackable ceramic cooling towers by Bitossi Ceramiche, reimagining passive cooling systems to combat heat in increasingly dense urban areas. Lastly, Shield is a versatile “future uniform” developed with fashion brand RÆBURN, designed to adapt to diverse climates and offer protection in extreme weather conditions.

The new Project Room gallery at 10 Corso Como will be transformed into an immersive environment for the “101010” exhibition. Stretching the length of the space, the design will feature suspended translucent banners adorned with LAYER’s signature watercolour artworks, creating a visually stunning backdrop. Throughout the space, displays of prototypes – some revealed for the very first time – will be presented alongside material samples, production designs, and evocative concepts, offering a comprehensive view into LAYER’s intricate design process and core ethos. A central walkway will guide visitors through this captivating landscape, culminating in the eagerly anticipated display of the new “101010” collection.

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In product design, the relationship between internal architecture and external form often determines the success of the entire object. The new Rolex Land-Dweller represents a masterclass in this discipline—a timepiece where the revolutionary caliber 7135 movement serves as both functional core and conceptual blueprint for every design decision that follows.

Designer: Rolex

Engineering Constraints as Design Catalysts

Most watch designs begin with the case and dial, with movements selected or modified to fit within predetermined aesthetic parameters. The Land-Dweller inverts this relationship. Rolex’s development of the Dynapulse escapement – a silicon-based direct impulse system operating at 5 Hz – established technical requirements that shaped the watch’s entire physical presence.

Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller 36

The movement’s architecture demanded specific spatial considerations. Operating at 36,000 vibrations per hour while maintaining a 66-hour power reserve, the caliber 7135 generates different energy patterns than conventional movements. This high-frequency operation influenced the case proportions, requiring precise internal volumes to optimize acoustic properties and minimize resonance issues that could affect timekeeping accuracy.

The decision to showcase this technical achievement through a sapphire caseback – unprecedented for a steel Rolex – became the pivotal design choice. Once this transparency was established as a requirement, the entire case needed reconsideration. The result is a profile measuring either 36mm or 40mm in diameter with vertical case walls that maximize the viewing aperture while maintaining structural integrity.

Material Selection Driven by Technical Requirements

The movement’s components illustrate how material science dictated design possibilities. The silicon escapement components – transmission wheel, distribution wheels, and impulse rocker – possess inherent material properties that eliminate the need for lubrication. This self-lubricating quality influenced the movement’s layout, as components could be positioned based on optimal energy transfer rather than accessibility for servicing.

The balance staff, crafted from proprietary high-technology ceramic, required development of specialized femtosecond laser manufacturing processes. This material choice wasn’t merely technical – its visual properties influenced the movement’s color palette and finishing techniques. The ceramic’s dark tone creates visual contrast against the optimized brass balance wheel, establishing focal points within the movement’s visual hierarchy.

These material innovations extended to the case design. The modified waterproofness system around the crystal accommodates the technical satin finish on the upper portion of the middle case – an engineering adaptation that became a defining aesthetic element. The case architecture features chamfered edges that receive high polish, creating light-catching facets that emphasize the geometric precision found in the movement components.

Proportional Harmony Through Technological Requirements

The caliber 7135’s 32 patent applications (18 exclusive to this model) reflect its technical complexity, but this engineering density required careful consideration of proportions. The movement’s thickness – slimmer than typical Rolex calibers despite its advanced functionality – enabled the case to maintain a relatively thin profile. This dimensional constraint influenced the bezel design, which features wider, more pronounced fluting compared to other Rolex models.

The oscillator system exemplifies this proportional thinking. The Syloxi hairspring’s redesigned, thicker coils provide the necessary rigidity for the high-frequency operation. This technical requirement created a visual density at the movement’s heart that needed balancing through other components. The cut-out oscillating weight in yellow gold serves this purpose. Its open architecture creates visual breathing room, while its warm tone contrasts with the predominantly silver-toned components.

Translating Technical Innovation to Surface Design

The honeycomb dial pattern represents a direct visual translation of the movement’s technical innovations. Created using the same femtosecond laser technology employed in manufacturing movement components, this pattern establishes continuity between internal engineering and external aesthetics. The hexagonal cells create a geometric language that references silicon’s crystalline structure – the very material enabling the Dynapulse escapement’s functionality.

This pattern receives different treatments across the collection: crisp definition on the satin-finished white dials, more fluid appearance on the sunray-finished ice blue platinum version. These variations demonstrate how a single design motif can adapt to different contexts while maintaining conceptual integrity.

The open-centered 6 and 9 numerals further this technical-aesthetic dialogue. Created using solid Chromalight blocks – a ceramic-resin composite – these numerals employ the same material science principles found in the movement components. Their negative space design creates visual porosity that references the movement’s efficient energy transfer system, where every component serves a specific purpose without excess material.

Bracelet Design as Engineering Extension

The Flat Jubilee bracelet represents the final expression of the movement-first design approach. Its five-link structure maintains the classic Jubilee architecture but reimagines it with entirely flat surfaces that echo the movement bridges’ geometric precision. The center links sit slightly proud of the outer links, creating dimensional variation that references the caliber’s layered construction.

Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller 40

The bracelet’s integration with the case achieves remarkable continuity through engineering innovation. Rolex developed a specialized attachment system that ensures structural integrity while maintaining visual flow. The ceramic inserts protecting the spring bars represent the same material science principles applied throughout the watch – using advanced materials to solve specific technical problems while enhancing aesthetic coherence.

The concealed Crownclasp completes this integration, maintaining the bracelet’s clean lines while providing secure closure. This mechanism embodies the same design philosophy found in the movement: complex engineering hidden beneath a refined exterior, with only essential elements visible.

Color Strategy Informed by Technical Requirements

The Land-Dweller’s restrained color palette reflects the movement’s technical precision. The white Rolesor model pairs an intense white dial with silver-toned case elements and subtle white gold accents in the bezel. This monochromatic approach emphasizes form and texture over color variation, allowing the honeycomb pattern’s geometric precision to dominate the visual experience.

The platinum model’s ice blue dial – a color Rolex reserves exclusively for this precious metal – creates a technical signature that identifies the material without requiring additional markers or text. This color strategy demonstrates how technical requirements (material identification) can generate distinctive aesthetic elements.

Even the diamond-set versions maintain this technical-aesthetic alignment. The stones are arranged in orderly patterns that reinforce rather than distract from the watch’s fundamental design language, with baguette-cut diamonds echoing the rectilinear geometry found throughout the design.

Unified Design Language Through Technical Necessity

What distinguishes the Land-Dweller’s design approach is how technical requirements generated a unified visual language across all elements. The movement’s high-frequency operation necessitated the half-second graduated track on the angled flange. The silicon components’ self-lubricating properties influenced the case’s smooth transitions between surfaces. The ceramic balance staff’s manufacturing process informed the dial pattern’s creation.

This approach represents industrial design at its most sophisticated, where engineering constraints become creative opportunities rather than limitations. Each technical requirement generated formal solutions that collectively created a cohesive aesthetic identity.

Roger Federer wears a Land-Dweller 40 in a white Rolesor version.

The Land-Dweller demonstrates how a movement-first design approach can yield distinctive results even within a brand with established visual codes. By allowing technical innovation to drive aesthetic decisions, Rolex has created a timepiece where form and function achieve perfect synthesis – the ultimate goal of industrial design.

Yuja Wang wears a Land-Dweller 36 in 18 ct Everose gold with a diamond-set bezel.

The watch’s geometric precision reflects the precision of the movement within, while its integrated design elements mirror the integrated nature of the caliber’s components. This coherence between technical requirements and formal expression represents design thinking at its most refined, where every element serves both functional and aesthetic purposes simultaneously, with nothing superfluous and nothing lacking.

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Imagine walking into a space where ancient echoes meet the dynamism of the present. That’s the vibe Oculta Studio is bringing to Milan Design Week 2025 with their captivating “Kinetic Vases.” After a debut that sparked curiosity at Mexico City Art Week 2025, these aren’t your grandma’s dusty heirlooms. They’re a vibrant reimagining of traditional ceramic vases, infused with the unexpected element of movement, turning them into mesmerizing kinetic sculptures.

Designer: Oculta Studio

What’s so compelling here is how Oculta Studio is playing with our perceptions. We’re used to seeing historical vases as static objects, frozen in time. But these pieces challenge that notion head-on. They’re not just beautiful to look at; they do things. They shift, they transform, prompting us to think about the inherent fragility and constant evolution of the objects that surround us. It’s like the past isn’t fixed but is instead in a perpetual state of becoming.

The studio’s exploration delves into some pretty profound ideas. By introducing kinetic elements, they’re not just making eye-catching art; they’re making a statement about impermanence. Think about it – these are vessels, traditionally meant to hold and preserve. Now, they’re actively changing, almost as if they’re breathing or responding to the passage of time. This controlled transformation, through what the studio describes as “controlled fractures and shifting forms,” beautifully illustrates the transient nature of both material and memory. What we hold dear, what we remember – it’s all subject to change.

Set to be a highlight in Milan’s vibrant Isola District from April 7th to 13th, the exhibition promises a unique experience. You’ll witness firsthand the intriguing intersection of time-honored craftsmanship and cutting-edge kinetic innovation. It’s a blurring of boundaries, really – are these historical artifacts being reinterpreted, or are they entirely new forms of artistic expression inspired by the past? Perhaps it’s a bit of both, and that’s what makes it so engaging. Oculta Studio isn’t just presenting pretty objects; they’re sparking a dialogue. They’re inviting us to reconsider our relationship with the artifacts of history and to embrace the beauty inherent in change and impermanence. Keep an eye out for these “Kinetic Vases” – they’re poised to be a thought-provoking and visually stunning contribution to Milan Design Week 2025.

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While a lot of people are probably squeamish or downright scared when it comes to insects, there are also those who are fascinated with them. Young kids who spend a lot of time outdoors most likely develop an interest in them especially when they find all sorts of insects in their backyard or play area. And of course when we get older, we know that these creatures play a part in the ecosystem, even if we are disgusted by them. The fear and sometimes terror can stem from cultural conditioning, learned phobias, or visceral reactions to their often alien appearances and movements. We slowly begin to understand their importance as pollinators, decomposers, and food sources for other animals as we learn more about them.

Designer: Anne Niemetz

This new installation called KIhikihi by artist Anne Niemetz draws attention to insects, particularly cicadas and the intricate relationship they have with their environment and also the added element of human interaction. Drawing inspiration from the chorus cicada (Amphipsalta zelandica) of New Zealand, this captivating interactive sound installation transforms the insects’ characteristic sounds into a mesmerizing electronic orchestra. It focuses on the sonic qualities of the cicadas, particularly the rhythmic and persistent calls.

The name of the exhibit is an onomatopoeic term from the Maori language which is a reflection of the cicada’s distinctive sound. The installation creates a “polyrhythmic sound cloud” where individual electronic insects contribute unique rhythmic patterns that interweave. The interaction comes when participants actively engage with the installation by placing “electronic insects” onto “sculptural trees.” This interaction triggers both sound and light responses, creating a dynamic and engaging experience. The sculptural trees themselves emit ambient sounds that subtly shift based on the placement of the electronic insects.

Aside from it being an interesting sound installation experience, Kihikihi prompts reflection on the ecological significance of insects and also the consequences of their declining populations. It raises questions about the potential impact of technological replacements, such as robotic pollinators, on our cultural and emotional connection to the natural world. The installation also blends sculptural elements with electronic technology to create an immersive and interactive environment since it involves a combination of sculpture, electronic design and sound coding. The installation brings to the for front, the interrelationship between insects, plants, and humans. In essence, this is a compelling artistic endeavor that combines sound, interaction, and ecological awareness to create a unique and thought-provoking experience.

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The EARTH to SPACE Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., features the innovative lunar habitats by Foster + Partners and a mesmerizing fireworks display by Cai Guo-Qiang. Running from March 28th to April 20th, 2025, the festival is a gathering of musicians, astronauts, poets, physicists, visual artists, and engineers. It offers visitors an opportunity to delve into various perspectives on the natural world, including architectural concepts for Mars and the Moon. Foster + Partners showcases their architectural exhibition, while Cai Guo-Qiang presents engaging interactive installations.

In addition to these highlights, the festival hosts the U.S. premiere of “The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks,” a film that explores the Apollo moon missions and future crewed missions to the lunar surface. Accompanied by a 360-degree projection, the film will be shown in Studio K at the center until April 20th. The festival also serves as a platform for experts from diverse fields to come together and share ideas and insights that reach beyond the confines of the Kennedy Center.

Designer: Foster + Partners & Cai Guo-Qiang

Norman Foster and Foster + Partners present the U.S. premiere of their exhibition “From Earth to Space and Back,” opening on March 28th at the EARTH to SPACE Festival. The exhibition features scale models, 3D-printed lunar structures, and films exploring Mars construction possibilities. Visitors can view the Spaceport America model in New Mexico, designed for space tourism.

The studio’s research on 3D-printed habitats for the Moon and Mars highlights innovative construction methods using advanced metal and concrete printing, also applicable on Earth. The exhibition includes works by Brendan Murphy, Jitish Kallat, and Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm, alongside the “Wave: From Space to Ocean” installation. Elsewhere in the center, other artists like Cai Guo-Qiang showcase their installations and performances.

During the EARTH to SPACE Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center, artist Cai Guo-Qiang showcases his “Interspecies Love Letter” in the Skylight Pavilion. This interactive exhibition, created in collaboration with his custom AI model, cAITM, features a glass and mirror gunpowder painting that evokes the look of fireworks. The exhibition delves into the creative process behind “Interspecies Love Letter: Sky Painting for EARTH to SPACE festival,” including an animation by cAITM and a documentary video of the sky painting.

Visitors can explore Cai’s creative sketches and gunpowder painting studies, crafted by a cAITM-powered robotic arm. The exhibit also includes a self-introduction video, a participatory fireworks co-creation installation, and documentary videos of cAITM’s past projects. EARTH to SPACE is the third installment of the Kennedy Center’s decade-long initiative celebrating the intersection of arts and nature, inspired by President Kennedy’s legacy in leading the first moon landing in 1969. The festival merges artistic and scientific exploration at the Center.

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Female designers remain dramatically underrepresented in industrial design. The numbers tell a sobering story that cuts across continents and specialties. A mere 5% of product and industrial designers in the UK identify as women. The United States fares marginally better at 19%. Australia reports just 11% of Creative Directors in graphic design are women—statistics that highlight a persistent imbalance.

King Living is a notable example of an Australian furniture company working to address this industry-wide pattern. The company has cultivated a team where several female designers lead significant projects and shape the brand’s direction, though, like most furniture manufacturers, it likely still has progress to make toward full gender parity.

Their work represents a shift in thinking about furniture. These designers prioritize adaptability, inclusivity, and longevity in ways that traditional approaches often overlook. The result? Pieces that respond to human diversity rather than forcing users to adapt to standardized forms.

Meet the Designers

Alinta Lim is a Senior Designer at King Living. Her award-winning creation, the Issho dining table, has become one of the brand’s most celebrated dining designs and exemplifies the company’s innovative approach.

The Issho collection, whose name means “together” in Japanese, began as what Lim describes as “a form exercise,” exploring how repetitions of a singular sculpted piece could create a harmonious pedestal volume. In her own words: “Issho started out purely as a form exercise, seeing how repetitions of this singular sculpted piece could come together harmoniously to create a full pedestal volume. Or how rotating them open completely changes the feel of the table with this dynamic spatial tension between the angled pieces.”

What emerged features curved pillars that can be arranged in open or closed configurations, allowing the table to adapt to different spaces while maintaining structural integrity. The table utilizes material technology previously unused at King Living, enabling the creation of curvaceous forms with strong visual impact.

The modular nature of the design led to an organic expansion beyond the initial concept. Lim explains: “We didn’t plan to have so many pieces, but with the base pieces being modular it made a lot of sense to reconfigure it into different sizes and table shapes. The coffee and side tables were perhaps the most surprising iterations. Each base set of legs is made of a single dining leg cut in half. They ended up being some of the most unique pieces, with the shapes being so organic and imperfect in a non-symmetrical sense.”

Lim has spoken candidly about gender disparity in design. She acknowledges: “I’ve been fortunate in my career to have had both female and male mentors who have been very encouraging and led me to believe that women can excel at all levels in Design. However, it would be remiss to say gender disparity in design teams isn’t noticeable.”

She advocates strongly for diversity in design leadership, stating: “Having more female designers in leading roles, and representation for all types of people, will foster more diverse and empathetic design thinking which benefits everyone.”

For more than a decade, Tanya Rechberger has been an integral part of the King Living creative team as Senior Design Development Manager. Her skilled hand extends to almost every product category, from indoor and outdoor dining to bedroom furniture and beyond. Sofa design, however, has become her signature strength, benefiting the younger in-house designers she mentors.

Several years ago, Rechberger led the high-stakes project to iteratively improve the best-selling Jasper modular sofa. “Jasper is an iconic furniture product in Australia, so it was an honour to work on its next iteration,” she says of the beloved piece originally designed by company founder David King in 2003. The challenge was substantial. “Our brief was to improve it, add extra features and make sure that everyone still loved it. It was a very complicated process with no room for teething issues, but I loved everything about that challenge, and the result was – and is – beautiful.”

King Living Jasper II

Her knack for iterative improvement and problem-solving makes Rechberger—who holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design and a Master’s of Engineering Management from UTS in Sydney—ideal for her concurrent role as Continual Improvement Manager. “I want our products to be the best they can be. We are constantly looking at ways to improve design and manufacture of both current and past pieces,” she explains.

For Rechberger, functionality and aesthetics must work in harmony. “Comfort and quality are at the heart of the King Difference. It doesn’t matter how beautiful a piece of furniture is, if it’s not comfortable and it doesn’t last, then it’s just not going to work with your lifestyle. I could never have an uncomfortable sofa, no matter how good it looked!”

Once the only female in what has become a consciously diverse design team, she now holds the most senior designer position. Her responsibilities extend beyond design to collaborating with the engineering department on manufacturing upgrades, researching global trends, and attending key international trade shows.

The Milan Furniture Fair provides particular inspiration for her creative process. “The Milan Furniture Fair, which I love to attend each year, is amazing – so much inspiration and fresh design ideas, mixed with impeccable craftsmanship and design heritage all in one place,” she enthuses.

Design has been Rechberger’s passion since childhood. “Growing up, I was just one of those kids who liked making things. At first, I thought I wanted to be an architect…” Her path changed after discovering industrial design through her sibling’s university handbook. “Architecture is interesting, but there’s something special about the ability to physically interact with a smaller design product like furniture,” she notes.

This intimate connection between form and function drives her approach. “Making something both functional and beautiful is a difficult thing to get right – and the more you learn about furniture, the more you realise how important that functional aspect is, particularly in a country like Australia where people value laid-back looks and ease of use so much.”

Rechberger’s understanding of Australian aesthetic sensibilities informs her work. She describes this distinctive style as “a combination of relaxed, comfortable, pared back and unpretentious – but also elevated,” qualities embodied in every King design. This philosophy extends to her definition of “the King Difference”—that they “never just design ‘a product’, it’s a product plus so much more. An armchair is never just an armchair for us; we’re always searching for how it can be a better product and engage most effectively with your life.”

This commitment to excellence manifests in practical longevity. “Our products are designed for longevity from the get-go. If we are going to put our energy into making something, we want it to be as good as it can possibly be, and made so that it can change with the times and evolve with your life. Changeable furniture covers are just one example of that.”

The sustainability aspect of King Living’s approach is particularly important to Rechberger. “We want customers to keep loving their furniture for decades, not years. In fact, customers can bring back items to the service centre to have them fixed or updated. That’s the King Difference.”

Working from Sydney headquarters provides her with tangible evidence of this durability commitment. “We see the products that come into the servicing department. It’s amazing to see a 30-year-old sofa coming in and getting recovered. It’s indicative of the quality of King design.”

Her design philosophy balances contemporary trends with timeless appeal. “We are always on trend, but we also design each product to have timeless appeal. I think that approach really suits the ‘pared back’ Australian aesthetic.”

Another significant female-led design project at King Living comes from designer Zara Fong, who created the Aura Sofa. This piece exemplifies the intersection of functional furniture design and artistic expression.

Fong designed the Aura specifically for contemporary living needs, particularly for more compact spaces. Her vision transcended mere functionality—she wanted to create something that would serve as both a comfortable piece of furniture and an artistic statement.

“Aura was designed to respond to how we live today – there is a lot more compact space. We wanted Aura to be an art piece, but at the same time be comfortable and functional to suit modern day life,” Fong has explained.

The Aura Sofa gained additional artistic significance through a collaboration with Indigenous artist Lizzy Stageman. The sofa was covered with fabric featuring Stageman’s “Against The Elements” artwork, creating a unique piece that merged furniture design with Indigenous art.

These talented women represent the diverse creative voices shaping King Living’s innovative design philosophy. Their work demonstrates how different perspectives enhance furniture creation, resulting in pieces that balance striking aesthetics with practical functionality—designs that evolve with changing lifestyles while maintaining their essential character and quality.

Women in Leadership Beyond Design

Women at King Living have also played crucial roles in the company’s global expansion and business leadership, providing additional context for understanding the company’s approach to gender diversity.

Rose Bernard serves as Regional Retail Manager for the UK, leading a team of 18 across three King Living showrooms. Her decade-long career with the company has spanned three countries—Australia, Canada, and the UK—where she has been instrumental in establishing King Living’s international presence.

Ili Ibrahim has been with King Living since its first global showroom opened in Singapore in 2015. Now the Country Manager in Singapore, she has overseen the expansion of the showroom from 7,500 to 13,000 square feet and played a pivotal role in King Living’s expansion into Malaysia.

These leadership roles, while not directly in product design, help create an environment where female perspectives can influence the company’s direction and priorities.

Designing for Everyone

Universal design principles guide much of King Living’s work. This approach seeks to create products accessible to people regardless of age, size, ability, or other characteristics. The philosophy extends beyond accessibility features to embrace a fundamental rethinking of how furniture can adapt to human diversity.

King Living Showroom in the United States

The concept sounds simple in theory. It proves remarkably complex in execution.

According to company materials, the King Design Studio approaches comfort as subjective: “Comfort is such a subjective and personal thing. Modular furniture affords us the flexibility to adjust and reconfigure to suit our body ergonomics, lifestyles and home environments, all of which can change and evolve over time.”

This philosophy manifests in the company’s signature sofas. The Jasper and Delta collections feature adaptable components that can be reconfigured in numerous ways. Users can rearrange, add, or remove elements as their needs change over time, creating furniture that evolves alongside their lives.

Delta Sofa can be easily removed and reconnected.

The modularity serves practical purposes beyond immediate comfort. When moving to a larger home, a sofa can transform from a standard three-seater to a sectional. All fabric and leather covers are removable thanks to discreet Velcro fixings, making cleaning and replacement straightforward. Through the King-Care® aftercare service, most cover replacements can be done directly in the customer’s home, eliminating the need to send the sofa away for recovering.

This adaptability extends beyond seating to other furniture categories. The Issho table demonstrates how dining furniture can shift between configurations to accommodate different gatherings and spaces. The base can open or close to create different visual effects while maintaining structural stability.

The approach acknowledges a fundamental truth that traditional furniture design often overlooks: people live differently in ways that change over time and vary across cultures. Families gather in culturally specific ways. Bodies have different requirements for comfort. Spaces serve multiple functions.

By designing for this diversity from the outset, King Living creates furniture with broader appeal and longevity. Their pieces adapt to changing circumstances rather than becoming obsolete when needs or preferences evolve.

However, it’s worth noting that truly universal design remains an aspiration rather than a fully realized achievement. Even the most thoughtfully designed modular systems have limitations and may not accommodate all body types or abilities equally well. The cost of such adaptable systems can also place them out of reach for many consumers, creating an accessibility barrier based on economic factors.

Sustainability Through Adaptability

King Living’s approach to sustainability focuses heavily on product longevity. Their steel frame construction provides structural integrity that outlasts typical furniture, creating a durable foundation that can support multiple iterations of the same piece over decades.

This durability combines with modular design to extend useful life. When family circumstances shift, the furniture adapts through reconfiguration rather than disposal. When aesthetic preferences evolve, components can be reupholstered or rearranged to create essentially new pieces without manufacturing entirely new frames.

The environmental benefits can be significant when considered at scale. Furniture stays in homes rather than landfills. Resources go toward updating existing pieces rather than manufacturing entirely new ones with all the associated material and energy costs.

Zaza features removable covers that can be replaced to extend its lifecycle.

This philosophy represents a shift from consumption to conservation in the furniture industry. It challenges the fashion-driven cycles that render perfectly functional furniture “outdated” after arbitrary periods.

The approach requires balancing environmental considerations with performance metrics. Sustainable furniture must still be comfortable, beautiful, and functional—a balance the company has worked to refine.

While this approach to sustainability through durability and adaptability has merit, it represents just one aspect of environmental responsibility. A comprehensive sustainability assessment would also consider manufacturing processes, material sourcing, supply chain impacts, and end-of-life recycling programs. King Living, like most furniture manufacturers, likely faces ongoing challenges in addressing all these aspects of environmental impact.

The Power of Diverse Perspectives

King Living has emphasized the value of diverse perspectives in its company materials. Under the leadership of CEO David Woollcott, who has guided the company’s international expansion efforts, King Living has worked to incorporate diverse viewpoints into its design approach. Different perspectives create furniture that responds to a wide range of needs and preferences.

The benefits extend beyond gender diversity at the company. Cultural backgrounds, ages, physical abilities, and lived experiences all contribute to a richer understanding of how furniture functions in people’s lives and how it might better serve diverse needs.

Alinta Lim

This philosophy is reflected in the company’s collaborations with designers like Alinta Lim and Zara Fong, whose distinct approaches have resulted in innovative pieces like the Issho dining collection and the Aura Sofa. Their work demonstrates how diverse perspectives can translate into furniture that balances form, function, and adaptability.

Breaking Barriers

How might companies like King Living cultivate female design talent in an industry where women remain dramatically underrepresented?

Part of the approach involves recognizing that diverse teams can create better products. This recognition would translate into hiring practices and development opportunities that support female designers throughout their careers rather than treating diversity as a superficial metric.

Companies can provide visible role models for emerging designers. Women considering design careers need to see others succeeding in the field to envision their own potential paths. Environments where women occupy leadership positions and create award-winning designs can help increase visibility.

The impact extends beyond individual companies to influence the broader design landscape. As female designers gain recognition through awards and media coverage, they increase visibility for women in furniture design broadly. Their work demonstrates that this career path remains open to women despite historical barriers and persistent underrepresentation.

King Living’s examples of Lim leading the Issho collection and Fong creating the Aura Sofa provide tangible evidence of women succeeding in furniture design. These success stories can inspire other women to pursue careers in this field.

Has the journey been smooth? Hardly. The obstacles women face in design often force creative problem-solving approaches that can ultimately benefit the final products, but these challenges shouldn’t be romanticized. Systemic barriers to women’s advancement in design fields remain significant and require ongoing, deliberate efforts to address.

The industry still faces challenges in recruiting and retaining female designers, particularly in leadership positions. Educational pathways, hiring practices, work environments, and advancement opportunities all need examination to create truly inclusive design cultures. Individual success stories, while important, don’t necessarily indicate systemic change.

Design Through Collaboration

King Living’s design process appears to thrive on collaborative energy. Ideas flow between designers, engineers, and craftspeople in an iterative process that refines concepts through multiple disciplines and viewpoints.

For Lim’s Issho table, the process began with exploring form. According to her published comments, she investigated how repeated elements could create a harmonious whole. This exploration led to the dynamic tension between components that defines the table’s distinctive base while providing necessary structural support.

Material exploration and prototyping would typically follow the conceptual phase. Working directly with physical materials reveals possibilities and constraints that sketching alone can’t capture or address. This hands-on approach characterizes many furniture development processes, grounding creative concepts in physical reality through multiple iterations.

Throughout development, universal design considerations would ideally remain central to the evaluation process. Teams assess whether their designs will work for diverse users in various settings. This questioning can lead to innovations in adjustability and adaptability that might otherwise be overlooked in more conventional design processes.

The collaborative approach might extend beyond the design team to include user feedback. Companies can gather insights from people using their furniture in real homes under everyday conditions. These observations inform refinements to existing designs and inspire new directions that address previously unrecognized needs.

While this collaborative process has clear benefits, it also presents challenges. Balancing diverse perspectives while maintaining design coherence requires skilled leadership. The inclusion of more voices in the process doesn’t automatically translate to better outcomes without thoughtful facilitation and clear decision-making frameworks.

The Future of Furniture Design

What might King Living’s approach tell us about where furniture design could be heading in the coming years?

First, expect universality to become increasingly sophisticated. Designers will likely move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to create systems that accommodate human diversity without calling attention to specific accommodations. Future furniture may embrace inclusive design principles through adaptability, emotional consideration, and user-centered approaches that recognize the variety of human needs and preferences.

Second, watch for increasingly fluid boundaries between living spaces. Homes continue to accommodate multiple functions within limited square footage. As spaces serve multiple purposes, furniture will follow suit. Rigid categorization may continue giving way to flexible solutions that adapt to different activities throughout the day rather than requiring dedicated rooms for each function.

Third, anticipate deeper integration of sustainability principles beyond material selection. This could include structural approaches and business models that extend product lifecycles. Durability and adaptability may become central environmental considerations, extending product lifecycles and reducing waste through designs that evolve rather than requiring replacement.

Fourth, we expect more cross-disciplinary collaborations, such as the partnership between Fong and artist Lizzy Stageman. These collaborations bring fresh perspectives and cultural elements into furniture design, creating pieces that function as both practical objects and artistic expressions.

Perhaps most significantly, diverse design teams will likely continue creating furniture that works better for more people. Including perspectives previously excluded from the design process could lead to innovations we can’t yet imagine. As barriers fall and perspectives broaden through increased representation, our living spaces might better reflect and support human diversity in all its forms.

King Living summarizes this philosophy with the statement: “A balance of perspectives leads to a balanced, universal design.”

The work of designers like Lim and Fong demonstrates this principle in action. Their furniture accommodates diverse needs while maintaining aesthetic coherence and functional excellence. Their designs suggest that expanding who shapes our material world could create more sustainable, inclusive, and human environments.

That’s a direction worth following, though the journey toward truly inclusive design practices and genuinely sustainable furniture production remains ongoing. No single company has “solved” these challenges, and meaningful progress will require continued effort, innovation, and critical self-assessment from the entire industry.

The post The Women Reshaping Furniture Design at King Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

There’s a term popularly used to describe AI art today, a term called “uncanny valley”, which refers to that small valley between fake and real, where the mind can tell the difference. Sometimes movies overdo their 3D VFX so much that it falls in the uncanny valley, where it’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s too good – so much so that the brain knows it’s CGI. Today, we ask you to cross that uncanny valley. With KeyShot’s latest 2025 edition, we want you to show us how real you can make your renders. In essence, we want you to fool us.

Welcome to the KeyShot Photoreal Challenge, where we ask you to push the boundaries of realism to make a render so believable, we think it’s a photograph. There’s a catch, however. This challenge is all about transparent materials and light. We want to see light filter through transparent, translucent, or cloudy materials with sheer realism. Play with reflections, refractions, caustics, and more importantly, with KeyShot Studio 2025’s new Planar Lighting UI that allows you to very intuitively place lights around your scene the way you would place lights in real life for your product photography. The KeyShot Photoreal Challenge invites you to share either rendered images or a video with us, and winners not only get a free subscription to KeyShot Studio Pro, but they’ll also have their work shown on KeyShot’s startup window, visible to hundreds of thousands of designers using the popular rendering software!

Click Here to Participate Now! Hurry, deadline: April 28th, 11:59pm PST

Image Credits – Will Gibbons

How to Participate

1. Download KeyShot Studio 2025 and use “KSYDTITAN25″ to activate a special 7-day trial with full features.
2. Share your renderings (3 total KeyShot renderings or 1 ten-second video) on your Instagram account with the #KeyShotPhotorealChallenge and tag @yankodesign_official and @keyshot3d
3. Submit your Instagram links (you can share multiple entries till the challenge ends) at designchallenge@yankodesign.com by April 28th, 2025.
4. NOTE: Only the entry links shared to the email address will be considered

Shortlisted entries will be asked to submit their KeyShot files before being awarded prizes

Timelines:

Challenge begins: March 14th, 2025
Challenge ends: April 28th, 11:59pm PST

Important Information

1. Download the Free Trial of KeyShot 2025.1 and use “KSYDTITAN25″ to activate a special 7-day trial with full features to participate.
2. Play with lights, materials, transparency, and reflections/refractions/caustics.
3. Use of AI tools to enhance/modify your render will result in disqualification.

Image Credits – Julius Works

Prizes

Gold Prize x 1

• A free year of KeyShot Studio Pro
• A free year of access to KeyShot Studio Web OR KeyShot Network Rendering
• Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media
• Free access to a Will Gibbons KeyShot Master Class of your choice

Silver Prize x 1

• A free year of KeyShot Studio Pro
• Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media
• Free access to a Will Gibbons KeyShot Master Class of your choice

Bronze Prize x 1

• A free year of KeyShot Studio Pro
• Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media

Honorable Mentions x 2

• Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media

Jury:

Sam Gwilt – Senior Industrial Designer, BLOND
Karim Merchant – Product Content Manager, KeyShot
Sarang Sheth – Editor-in-Chief, Yanko Design

Click Here to Participate Now! Hurry, deadline: April 28th, 11:59pm PST

The post YD X KeyShot’s 2025 Photorealism Rendering Challenge Dares You to Create Renders That Fool the Eye first appeared on Yanko Design.