Design that speaks to human experience
Author Béatrice Lorans
Across space tech, sound design, emotional wellbeing and home rituals, designers are reshaping familiar tools to meet changing needs.
These projects combine emotional intelligence with mechanical precision, showing how design can deepen connection — to ourselves, to our environments, and to the experiences we often take for granted.
Here are four standout ideas with that in mind.
How We Feel x Yuri Suzuki
The How We Feel app offers a daily, research-based tool for tracking emotions and building self-awareness. Developed by scientists, psychologists and designers, it acts as a gentle check-in for mental wellbeing.
What caught my attention was the new sound feature from artist Yuri Suzuki. Users can compose ambient soundscapes that reflect or influence their mood, drawing on rhythms from nature and city life. It’s a sensory bridge into emotional clarity — quiet, expressive and beautifully considered.
Prada x Axiom Space
The Artemis III mission marks humanity’s return to the lunar surface — and for this new chapter, NASA has teamed up with Prada and Axiom Space to create a spacesuit built for both performance and inclusion.
Designed for the lunar south pole, the suit prioritises flexibility, durability and safety. Specialised tools help astronauts navigate complex terrain, while the sizing accommodates a far broader range of body types than ever before. I found this particularly striking — a technical innovation that also reflects who space exploration is really for, now and in the future.
PP-1 by Waiting for Ideas
Music has become background noise for many, but the PP-1 record player invites a slower, more considered way to listen. Milled from a single block of aluminium, the turntable feels both dense and minimal, built for accuracy and presence.
Designer Anotin wanted to recreate the ease of digital streaming while preserving the ritual of vinyl. No clutter, no distractions – just pure focus on the sound. It’s a reminder that design can encourage new habits by elevating old ones, bringing care back into everyday moments.
Ligre: Espresso machine & grinder
Ligre’s espresso machine and grinder are a study in refinement. With satin-finished aluminium and soft geometry, they strip away the noise – visually and literally – from typical kitchen equipment.
The grinder doses with 0.1g accuracy and dampens sound through a sealed case. The espresso machine balances weight, control and automation, with a brass group head and precise steam system. There’s something satisfying about the way Ligre pares back design without losing depth. It feels like a blueprint for premium tools that earn their place on the counter.
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