BE OPEN BLOG

Since its rise in the 80s, skateboarding has developed its own unique style and culture, representing the creativity of the sport. Often associated with art, skateboard is a source of inspiration for product designers as well. If you are a skateboarding enthusiast, these smart designs are sure to catch your attention.

Inspired by the style of a skateboard, product designer Lee Huang has conceptualized a revolutionary scale that goes beyond a conventional rectangular glass board with four metal pads. Not only it is shaped after a skateboard, it also incorporates diamond grid patterns underneath the glass surface, reminiscent of traditional skateboard designs.

Although the design of the scale is the first thing to grab one’s attention, the product is as functional as it is visually appealing. The device incorporates a strong magnet at the back that allows it to be hung on a magnetic surface, as well as a gravity sensor, which enables it to double as a clock – once put in a vertical position, the gadget automatically switches to clock mode. This is also a great space-saving solution, for rather than stash it away under the furniture when not in use, the user can put it on the wall as a stylish addition to their interior.

Besides, the Skateboard Scale is equipped with solar power panels, which makes it an environmentally friendly design eliminating the need for recharging and reducing the user’s carbon footprint.

For precise readings, the Skateboard Scale is equipped with smart weight detection technology that accurately measures the user’s weight, even if a part of their feet extends beyond the frame.

Established by husband and wife Michael and Mariel Upton, Southern California based design studio Upton has come up with a wonderful idea of using discarded skateboard decks to provide ambient lighting as well as a piece of minimalist wall art.

Normally, with their curved ends and a characteristic long oval shape, boards that didn’t make the cut are too specific for general use and end up at a landfill. Nevertheless, the pieces are made using 7-ply mable wood, which provides warm feel and touch, perfect for a sophisticated interior decoration.

The designers cut these factory rejects to create a shorter and straighter oval shape and then paired them with lighting hardware. Each of the three variants, namely, Heru, Cuna, and Mara, get a square piece of original art that becomes the visual center of the entire fixture.

When the light is off, these understated yet elegant wall lamps act as decorative pieces that enhance a room’s ambiance in a subtle way. When the light is on, it is emitted from the back and is reflected on the mounting surface.

Two French designers Tim Defleur and Benjamin Helle propose to treat a skateboard as a piece of furniture. They imagined a chair that can be complemented with a textured skateboard to get a backrest.

Dubbed Mobilité, the felt-covered board can be used to move between different places, after which tit can be slid into the designated slot in the wooden seat to transform it into a soft backrest.

Made of felt upholstered on foam, the board can serve as a means of transportation to deliver the user to a workplace and double as a comfortable integral part of their office chair.