4 ms·

I'm reminded of similarly useless "sustainable cardboard furniture" that came out about a decade ago. On the positive side, kudos to whomever in marketing/pr a

I'm reminded of similarly useless "sustainable cardboard furniture" that came out about a decade ago. On the positive side, kudos to whomever in marketing/pr at the design firm got this useless product so much press. This is just the sort of "win" that a design consulting shop loves to have for actual briefs that lead to real moving-the-needle revenue. One example would be SmartDesign's modular slip-on "S-Grips" that led to the iconic vegetable peeler that then bled into the "design language" of every product at OXO.

n3storm 2y ago
LoL. Not only useless but also uncomfortable. My wrists get itchy when looking at those zigzag bevels...
- rad_gruchalski 2y ago
  https://roominabox.de/ https://roominabox.de/ The Bett 2.0 was one of the most comfortable things I’ve ever slept on. The Grid Bed was useless and fell apart.
  - lopis 2y ago
    Have one for several years. The main problem is cleaning it. Good luck cleaning the dust and spider webs from hundreds of individual holes. But otherwise, it's extremely sturdy and stable.
wy35 2y ago
Didn't know about the SmartDesign/OXO vegetable peeler, very interesting rabbit hole to go down. https://www.fastcompany.com/90239156/the-untold-story-of-the-vegetable-peeler-that-changed-the-world https://www.fastcompany.com/90239156/the-untold-story-of-the...
- snowfarthing 2y ago
  Indeed, it's an interesting rabbit hole! I liked the part where they were looking for someone to manufacture the handles, and the Japanese machinist said "If he could make it, I can make it!". Indeed, having gone down the rabbit hole of machining (both to see if it would be a viable hobby and if it could even be a career), this was the attitude of the shop teacher: "if you can think it, you can probably make it". I am far more surprised that neither the American nor the Taiwanese manufacturers said this. Then again, perhaps it was because management didn't talk to the guys who made things! (Now that I think of it, had they done that, perhaps they would have gotten the answer "We can do it, but the fins will wear down the tool too fast, at least until we can figure out a better material for the tools!" instead of "Nope, we can't do that!")
radlad 2y ago
This is a bit of a random place to mention it, but while I very much like OXO goods, IKEA makes the best (in my opinion) potato peeler for $5 - cheaper than anything OXO makes: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-vaerdefull-potato-peeler-black-90578191/ https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-vaerdefull-potato-peel...
- croisillon 2y ago
  that's something i never understood: why do they sell peelers with a movable part? like we are meant to peel in curves and expect the knife to follow the curve beautifully? the fixed ones are easier to use and easier to clean!
  - radlad 2y ago
    The hinge allows you to peel in both directions (i.e. forwards and backwards across your potato/carrot/etc. without lifting the peeler.) It also means it can track a rough surface more easily. I haven't had any issues with the hinge, and I use a dishwasher for cleaning - what issues have you run into?
    - croisillon 2y ago
      i'm almost never using a movable one but: - on the practicity: i can do exactly what i want with a fixed one, without risk for the blade to slip - small dust and bits tend to gather at the junctions and sit there
    - The_Colonel 2y ago
      Which also makes it usable for left-handers.
  - HPsquared 2y ago
    I find the movable ones cut a thinner peel, probably the blade is held at a more optimal angle if it can find its own position, or maybe my particular movable one is just better-made than my fixed one.
nordsieck 2y ago
> I'm reminded of similarly useless "sustainable cardboard furniture" that came out about a decade ago. Apparently no one learned their lesson, because the cardboard olympic village beds were also (allegedly) pretty terrible.
brudgers 2y ago
Cardboard furniture brought to mind Frank Gehry: https://www.vitra.com/en-us/product/wiggle?srsltid=AfmBOooT-6JH_IkFqOix62fviZLJZ-obYctrdYofpLVwMg40N2c47D1h https://www.vitra.com/en-us/product/wiggle?srsltid=AfmBOooT-... Expressing patronage of sustainability is emotionally equivalent to expressing patronage of artistry. Functionally a $10 chair from Goodwill will support a person equally well (and also be an expression of patronage for a person with options).
nox101 2y ago
MUJI used to have lots of that (20-25yrs ago). Shelves made from cardboard tubes, etc... You could tell, one bump and it would be destroyed. I think they got rid of most of them.
uxp100 2y ago
60 or 70 years ago.
larodi 2y ago
indeed useless, you can use arbitrary anything - a book, a notebook, the earpods, the wallet -> all work. besides the thing blowing wind does not make much real difference it seems.
kazinator 2y ago
I liked the stacked cardboard computer cases. Remember those?
Ekaros 2y ago
Only way to get cardboard to work in furniture and such is to laminate all sides... And even then it is only acceptable. Albeit very light.
tiborsaas 2y ago
I had a log seat style cardboard furniture for years, it was great when I needed something light but capable to hold stuff.
RicoElectrico 2y ago
Some say Teenage Engineering products are mostly PR to promote their design studio (which is contracted by e.g. Ikea). Because indeed, value for money is not there. Or the product itself is preposterous (like their voice recorder).

n3storm 2y ago

LoL. Not only useless but also uncomfortable. My wrists get itchy when looking at those zigzag bevels...

rad_gruchalski 2y ago
https://roominabox.de/ https://roominabox.de/ The Bett 2.0 was one of the most comfortable things I’ve ever slept on. The Grid Bed was useless and fell apart.
- lopis 2y ago
  Have one for several years. The main problem is cleaning it. Good luck cleaning the dust and spider webs from hundreds of individual holes. But otherwise, it's extremely sturdy and stable.

wy35 2y ago

Didn't know about the SmartDesign/OXO vegetable peeler, very interesting rabbit hole to go down. https://www.fastcompany.com/90239156/the-untold-story-of-the-vegetable-peeler-that-changed-the-world https://www.fastcompany.com/90239156/the-untold-story-of-the...

snowfarthing 2y ago
Indeed, it's an interesting rabbit hole! I liked the part where they were looking for someone to manufacture the handles, and the Japanese machinist said "If he could make it, I can make it!". Indeed, having gone down the rabbit hole of machining (both to see if it would be a viable hobby and if it could even be a career), this was the attitude of the shop teacher: "if you can think it, you can probably make it". I am far more surprised that neither the American nor the Taiwanese manufacturers said this. Then again, perhaps it was because management didn't talk to the guys who made things! (Now that I think of it, had they done that, perhaps they would have gotten the answer "We can do it, but the fins will wear down the tool too fast, at least until we can figure out a better material for the tools!" instead of "Nope, we can't do that!")

radlad 2y ago

This is a bit of a random place to mention it, but while I very much like OXO goods, IKEA makes the best (in my opinion) potato peeler for $5 - cheaper than anything OXO makes: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-vaerdefull-potato-peeler-black-90578191/ https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-vaerdefull-potato-peel...

croisillon 2y ago
that's something i never understood: why do they sell peelers with a movable part? like we are meant to peel in curves and expect the knife to follow the curve beautifully? the fixed ones are easier to use and easier to clean!
- radlad 2y ago
  The hinge allows you to peel in both directions (i.e. forwards and backwards across your potato/carrot/etc. without lifting the peeler.) It also means it can track a rough surface more easily. I haven't had any issues with the hinge, and I use a dishwasher for cleaning - what issues have you run into?
  - croisillon 2y ago
    i'm almost never using a movable one but: - on the practicity: i can do exactly what i want with a fixed one, without risk for the blade to slip - small dust and bits tend to gather at the junctions and sit there
  - The_Colonel 2y ago
    Which also makes it usable for left-handers.
- HPsquared 2y ago
  I find the movable ones cut a thinner peel, probably the blade is held at a more optimal angle if it can find its own position, or maybe my particular movable one is just better-made than my fixed one.

nordsieck 2y ago

> I'm reminded of similarly useless "sustainable cardboard furniture" that came out about a decade ago. Apparently no one learned their lesson, because the cardboard olympic village beds were also (allegedly) pretty terrible.

brudgers 2y ago

Cardboard furniture brought to mind Frank Gehry: https://www.vitra.com/en-us/product/wiggle?srsltid=AfmBOooT-6JH_IkFqOix62fviZLJZ-obYctrdYofpLVwMg40N2c47D1h https://www.vitra.com/en-us/product/wiggle?srsltid=AfmBOooT-... Expressing patronage of sustainability is emotionally equivalent to expressing patronage of artistry. Functionally a $10 chair from Goodwill will support a person equally well (and also be an expression of patronage for a person with options).

nox101 2y ago

MUJI used to have lots of that (20-25yrs ago). Shelves made from cardboard tubes, etc... You could tell, one bump and it would be destroyed. I think they got rid of most of them.

uxp100 2y ago

60 or 70 years ago.

larodi 2y ago

indeed useless, you can use arbitrary anything - a book, a notebook, the earpods, the wallet -> all work. besides the thing blowing wind does not make much real difference it seems.

kazinator 2y ago

I liked the stacked cardboard computer cases. Remember those?

Ekaros 2y ago

Only way to get cardboard to work in furniture and such is to laminate all sides... And even then it is only acceptable. Albeit very light.

tiborsaas 2y ago

I had a log seat style cardboard furniture for years, it was great when I needed something light but capable to hold stuff.

RicoElectrico 2y ago

Some say Teenage Engineering products are mostly PR to promote their design studio (which is contracted by e.g. Ikea). Because indeed, value for money is not there. Or the product itself is preposterous (like their voice recorder).