Smart Umbrella by minna

To be more fair, the Smart Umbrella should really be named the Genius Umbrella.
Setting their sights on umbrellas when they’re not in use (which – let’s be honest – is most of the time) minna, the design studio of designer duo Satoshi Hasegawa and Mayuko Tsunoda, have worked wonders on an age-old design. By essentially making 2 small modifications, the typical umbrella has become infinitely more user-friendly. They added anti-slip rubber to the end of the handle and flattened the outer edge. That’s it. The result is self-explanatory (and genius).
Unfortunately, this is a prototype from last year that was never commercialized.



source: minna website

Basil Bangs Beach Umbrellas

How fun are these beach umbrellas by Basil Bangs? Gorgeous detailing and colors. The Le Pixel (was that redundant?) is my favorite, but some of the other designs are awesome, too. You'd definitely be easy to spot on a crowded beach with one of these.

Goggles Umbrella

My reader Bjerg made my day by pointing me to these Goggles Umbrellas. If this product doesn’t have a built-in happy factor, I don’t know what does. Totally wishlisted. Now, if only I could figure out how to order from this site.

Thomas Bernstrand - Four Seasons parasol

Thomas Bernstrand's Four Seasons parasol is a sturdy, year-round piece of outdoor furniture made from sheet steel edged with silicon. Designed to withstand the elements, the Four Seasons will "shade you in summer, shelter you on rainy autumn days and protect you from snow in winter."

Green Trace

How I love the double-meaning to this title, but sadly (err, debatable!) the grass referred to here is the sober green variety that grows in your backyard. Awesome idea displayed with the Green Trace project! A flat umbrella stand comes fitted with mesh and some pre-sowed seeds; lean wet umbrellas as suggested and let the water drip down to water em greens. Easy in a jiffy get indoors grass; a green patch out of nowhere! How very organically-kitsch!

Designer: Junjie Zhang

Samurai Sword umbrella

Umbrella Does A Smiling Wheelie!

A delightful play element has been included to the design, where you can drag the umbrella trough puddles and leave behind smiles! When opened up, the umbrella doesn’t look bad, and the kid in the picture looks like he can handle the added weight. The reason why I find this design super cool is that if marketed well, it can go on to become a rage amongst the youngsters.Catering to a child’s need to lug around an umbrella because he may find it heavy or just fun, in such an appealing way, is really neat. Children have a herd mentality and generally what appeals to one, will definitely appeal to his peers.
Designers: Lin Cheng-Han, Chung Yu-Hsun, Cheng Yu-Ting & Chen Shaw-Chen

Tail Umbrella by Microworks

Microworks is such a designer

that able to give life to simple everyday objects. The Tail umbrella, for example, Microworks transform the boring umbrella strap to some creature's tail. 'As you walk in the rain, your little friend shakes its tail. Dull rainy days become a nice walk with your friend.' Fun and lovely, isn't it?

Umbrella

Who knew more info about this umbrella?

Forget the Chair Back

Sometimes you just forget to complete your project. This might SEEM like one of those times, but I say thee nay! This is meant to be exactly what it’s called, the “Uncompleted Chair.” When one lives in a tiny apartment, one finds a place for every essential thing. Or one gets a dirty apartment and one gets kicked out of the complex! So the design duo Chia-Wei, Lin and Jui-Lu, Shih whipped up this chair that’s a container for umbrellas.
You’ve got first, one more bit of space because your back of chair is gone, then another bit of free space because your umbrellas have a place to sit. The illusion of a back of chair then creates an acceptable place for storage where usually only the closet would do.
Designer: Chia-Wei, Lin and Jui-Lu, Shih

An umbrella for dogs

Some dogs don't like the rain. Most dogs don't like wearing raincoats. The solution could be in this umbrella for dogs — it faces downwards instead of up and has a leash attachment to it so that it automatically opens up over your dog as he walks. Interesting!

Try Air To Stay Dry

Air Umbrella then, because it’s the mother of unconventional designs! Imagine an umbrella with no canopy! The barrier between you and the raindrops is a sheet of steady air that is blown out by this hollow pipe. Physics and a lot of engineering stuff is clogging my brains to accept this design, but if I put these dark clouds of doubt out of the way, we may have something in this concept. Think about it!

• You can control the length of the stick and the size of the air canopy.

Love the concept, but will strongly say it is not eco-friendly! Look forward to a working prototype

Designer: Je Sung Park








Taken from: yankodesign

blunt umbrella

the blunt umbrella aims to solve the all-to-common conundrum of being poked in the face with
someone’s umbrella. the new umbrella design rounds off the pointed corners, doing away with the
sharp and pointy metal ends. this design feature prevents dangerous injuries and gives the umbrella
unique silhouette. the design also employs a radial tensioning system and double struts to keep the
structure of the umbrella in even the gustiest of winds. the product comes in three different sizes for
individuals, couples or golfing. all the different models come in black, blue and silver. while the
design prevents its users from gouging passersby, it can’t protect them from non blunt umbrella users.

http://www.bluntumbrellas.com

ambient umbrella

if winter in your city means lots and lots of rain, then the ambient umbrella is the perfect way to never
be caught without cover. the clever device has a small light on the handle that is connected to a wireless
receiver, when the weather shows rain, the umbrella will glow to let you know. the umbrella gets the
weather automatically and doesn’t require any set-up or installation. the light has a series of functions
showing you if it is going to rain, drizzle, snow or thunderstorm. the umbrella design itself has a wind
proof design so it won't be blown inside out and a solid grip. using an ambient display, the umbrella is
a subtle yet sophisticated way to stay informed.

http://www.ambientdevices.com/products/umbrella.html

Umbrella has a samurai sword handle

If you think carrying an umbrella on a rainy day is not manly enough, maybe try this umbrella with a samurai sword-like handle. It's guaranteed to make you feel like a warrior in combat rather than a lowly pedestrian who doesn't want to get wet.

Buy it here

Caligraphy Umbrella

Designer Liu Hsiang-Ling quite poetically brings out the relationship between an umbrella and the rain. Simple pleasures from the past that we have long forgotten; jumping into puddles or using a stick to draw in the sand! Her take is this Rain Brush Umbrella designed with a paint-brush (silicon) like tip, so that you can dip it into the nearest rain puddle and start drawing water graffiti on the sidewalk. A nice past-time if you’re waiting for a bus or something.

Liu has pointed out in her observation: When people are waiting for the rain to stop, the interaction between people and umbrella is the most frequent activity. People usually use their umbrellas to leave a mark on the ground with raindrops, and those unintentional games are the consequences of a raining day; maybe they are tic-tac-toe or just graffiti on the road. When they use the umbrella tip (ferrule) to dip into a puddle, water and ground become elements for self-expression.

• The extreme is made of silicon as the look of a sharp pencil that allows rains falls along the edge.
• The gradient from black to white is clear to see even under using.
• The handle is designed into a writing brush look, including features like shape, material, engraving, etc.

Designer: Liu Hsiang-Ling