Suitcase Symphony

This is yet another innovative design by Jeriël Bobbe, the creator of the Movie-ng Experience that we mentioned earlier in our Dutch Design Week 2011 series. Bobbe’s frequent travels and the carrying a trolley suitcase inspired him to use the trolley as a music instrument. Instead of annoying noises on ordinary stone pavements, a range of relief paving stones create a nice melody when a suitcase rolls over.

The tiles have different ridges and openings that determine the pitch and volume with various distances and depths. The bottom part acts as a sound board. The wooden tiles can be shaped to produce sounds like nearly any musical note, so composing your favorite melody isn’t a problem at all! The creator thinks this is a serious competitor to moving walkways at airports. Will the travelers choose the easy way, or the playful melodious way?

This article belongs to our Dutch Design Week 2011 series, in which we showcase ten great designs spotted at the Design Academy’s graduation show.

PUC × Dutch Design Week

In October of each year, the Dutch Design Week takes place in Eindhoven. The biggest design event in Northern Europe presents work and ideas of more than 2,600 designers. In more than 110 locations across the city, DDW organizes and facilitates exhibitions, lectures, prize ceremonies, networking events, debates and festivities.

Step Into VRcation And Escape Reality

Eindhoven Design Academy graduate Emma Verhoeven has designed VRcation, a fictitious travel agency offering virtual package-deal vacations.

Trash And Treasure The Game

Eindhoven Design Academy graduate Wouter Vastenow has designed The ‘De Afvalbank’ or ‘The Waste Bench’, looking at how cleaning up the streets can be changed from a chore to an inviting game.

Bike Design For The Urban Nomad

A group a nine master students presented their City Bike concept at this year's Design Academy graduation show, part of this year's Dutch Design Week. The concept combines a mobile workspace with the Dutch cargo bike. This means that 'urban nomads' no longer have to use their bike to get to their favorite workplace, but their bike becomes a workplace in itself. The cargo part of the bicycle can be transformed into a desk to work on with your laptop. Not bothered with colleagues or loud speaking coffee drinkers, this could be the ultimate form of mobile workplaces...