New frontiers of modular design
Author Dan Harfield
Urban life demands design that adapts to where we are – and where we’re going.
This month, I’ve been drawn to modular ideas that sit between utility and expression.
From flat-pack farms to boxy EVs, these four projects explore structure, flexibility and a quiet sense of adventure…
Slate
Slate is what happens when you apply clean industrial design thinking to the pickup truck. The form is confident and boxy, but what gets me is the modular potential: it’s designed for adaptation, expansion and adventure.
This feels like a new class of vehicle. Is Slate a quiet signal of where the category could go next?
HomeFarm by Beta Design Office
Part furniture, part farm, this one’s a favourite. HomeFarm is a flat-pack hydroponic growing system that brings food production right into the home. As well as being extremely practical, it’s a visual treat. I love the bold, graphical frames and that sense of balance between engineering and expression.
Urban farming often leans scrappy or hyper-clinical, but this hits a sweet spot: modular, beautiful, and actually designed for living with.
Rimowa x Unknown, Untitled
A bit of a throwback, but this project resurfaced on my feed and reminded me just how good (and timeless) it is. Unknown Untitled’s redesign treats the classic Rimowa case with both precision and provocation, honouring the original while stripping back the gloss.
It’s still luxury, but with a kind of tactical pragmatism baked in. Everything’s considered, right down to the tiniest latch.
PURE by RAAK
This one’s almost… silent. But in the best way. RAAK’s washing machine trips away the performative tech design tropes and goes for something quietly radical. Everything from the form to the CMF and UI feels integrated and intentional.
It’s modular in its internal logic, with a clarity that’s often missing in this category. Pure by name, pure by design.
