I'm into the idea of bringing back the pocket watch, but while the new Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch looks gorgeous, it's by Tokyoflash Japan—which means you have to learn how to read the thing. I've never really understood the notion of sacrificing intuitive legibility for graphic style, but designers more enlightened than me will probably be all over it.

The surface of the Rogue is smooth and button-free, with some added functionality accessed through a touch interface that looks a bit clumsy to me. Decide for yourself after watching the video below, the touch stuff starts around 3:10.

The design team at Seoul-based design studio cloudandco, led by Founder/Creative Director Yeongkyu Yoo, is pleased to present their latest product design, the Bottle Humidifier. The designers note that the ubiquitous household object is often an inelegant or outright ugly device hiding in plain sight: "When the context of the humidifier as a product is considered—an object that sits on your desk or table for long periods of time—it is clear that design needs to be more considered."

Their solution, the Bottle Humidifier, is "at once a functional product and art object." The antibacterial plastic exterior shell comes in a matte white finish, while the thick glass reservoir at the bottom "allows the user to see the water level inside." The device is powered via a retractable USB power cable.

Images and reporting by Ciara Taylor

Genevieve Bell, director of the Interactions and Experience lab at Intel, presented the closing keynote, "Rage Against the Machines: Designing our Futures with Computing," for Interaction12. The IXR lab, in Portland, specializes in exploring the ways in which technology can be integrated seamlessly into daily life, through re-imagining user experience. Bell asked the important question: Instead of designing interactions, what would happen if we designed relationships between people and technology?

Bell was animated and humorous throughout her talk on the final day of the conference. This might have been because she was warned that her presentation was the only thing standing between the attendees and the Guinness storehouse, where the closing party was held. In her introduction, Bell shared her background as a second-generation anthropologist focusing on cultural practice. She reflected on her initial recruitment meeting with Intel for the IXR lab. Intel told her that they wanted to learn about two things: women and the "ROW." "What does 'ROW' stand for?" she asked. Intel's easy reply was, "the rest of the world."

While Bell was on the search to learn more about women, "ROW" and their relationship with technology, she began to consider Intel's user group. Bell stresses the importance of knowing your users. She shared an image of Intel's perceived user and then another image of who she discovered was the actual Intel user. The image of the Caucasian middle class family, sitting around the television laughing on the couch was an unrealistic vision of whom Intel was designing for.

Intel perceived user

Intel actual user

Upon identifying the more realistic user group of a single man in a cluttered apartment, Bell began to explore the relationship between the user and their technology. According to Bell, one woman she spoke with during her initial research mentioned that all of her technological devices were like a "backpack full of baby birds." Each device has its own ring tone or notification. The user often has to reassure the device; for example if the user wants to delete something, the device has to be reassured that this is the actual chosen action. These machines seem to demand attention in the same way a baby bird relies on its mother for love and food.

As someone who has to go through a lot of international press releases, I always admire the precise, no-nonsense wording of a proper German missive. "Outline your innovative competence by participating in [our] award," reads the brief for the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2012. If the language doesn't tell you these guys ain't playing around, the entry fee will: 190 Euros if you enter by May 31st (though students get a break with a mere 25 Euro ante).

So what are the MD+T Awards? The eight-year-old competition is meant to "demonstrate the importance of materials for industrial design-oriented applications" and is broken into four categories:

It's not always so bad to be part of the 1%. Tokyo-based nendo is showing his newest collection of 1% products this April in Milan. This second release follows his 2006 inaugural collection which included light bulbs, furniture, vases and tableware—my favorite piece was the "Fruit Template," a witty take on a fruitbowl.

Six years later, nendo's new collection continues with the project parameters of creating a limited run of 100, but this time around the collection is more focused with five sets of ceramic tablewares that reflect the designers considered and delightful aesthetic.

Only 100 of each object will be made.

100 is the perfect amount: they're neither one-off "works of art" nor mass-produced products made in the millions.

Whether its the skill of the artisans or new technologies,

we want to make things that are only possible.

because there are 100 of them. Not more, not less.

To give owners the chance to experience the joy of owing 1%.

The 100 edition project "one percent products"