YOY trick the eye with mirror, lamps + 3D printed letters at milan design week
image by yasuko furukawa

 

 

 

during milan design week 2015, japanese design studio YOY present five pieces from their most recent collection. a mirror, three lamps and a 3D printed wall piece comprise the series of whimiscal and clever objects presented, from lighting designs that play tricks on your eyes to ’embroidered’ lettering stitched into the wall. 

 

‘lens’ is a mirror that appears to be, in part, magnified. by physically enlarging the frame inside a circle at the upper right part of the frame, YOY produce a visual illusion, making it appear is if the entire object has somehow been augmented in size.

YOY milan design week
image by yasuko furukawa

 

 

 

‘float’ is a wall lamp that hovers in the air. within the lampshade is a unit comprising 2 motors, which moves itself irregularly, and LED lights, fixed to the wall with a pole behind it. as the device slowly shifts, the lamp appears to waver slightly, unhinged from gravity.

YOY milan design week
the lampshade hovers in midair, while a cord loosely hangs to the ground
image by yasuko furukawa

YOY milan design week
a motor inside the lamp slowly shifts the shade
image by yasuko furukawa

YOY milan design week
when the room is dark, the light creates a blurred glow
image by yasuko furukawa

 

 


‘float’ by YOY
video courtesy of

 

 

 

using only a single slice of paper, YOY has formed the minimal and luminous ‘poster’ lamp, possessing the same proportions as an A2-sized sheet. like any other ordinary paper wall art, the light can be mounted easily to an interior surface using tape or pins. an LED light hides inside, illuminating in between two slices in the length of the paper sheet. see more about the ‘poster’ lamp on designboom here.

YOY poster lamp with a single sheet of paper
a single paper sheet is easily mounted onto the surface of a wall
image by yasuko furukawa

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light peeks through two slits in the paper
image by yasuko furukawa

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LED light peeks through the top of the ‘poster’ lamp
image by yasuko furukawa

 

 

 

‘wall stitch’ is a technologically-influenced system of signage, which employs the latest in modeling techniques and hi-resolution 3D printing to make lettering which closely resembles hand-stitched embroidery directly on the wall. both the texture and specific tactile features of thread are achieved with plastic-printed materials, and can be painted with any color with gloss. read more about the project on designboom here.

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letters on the wall appear to be stitched into the surface
image by yasuko furukawa

YOY-3D-printed-wall-stitch-tokyo-designboom-05
the project employs the latest in modeling techniques and hi-resolution 3D printing
image by yasuko furukawa

YOY milan design week
details reveal the intricacies of the 3D-printed piece
image © designboom

 

 

 

‘shadow’ is a vase shaped lamp whose shadow becomes light when switched on. in order to project the shape onto to the floor and wall, a shadow-shaped hollow section has been carved from behind and an LED light hidden inside

YOY milan design week
the vase shaped lamp produces a light shadow when switched on
image by yasuko furukawa

YOY milan design week
a shadow-shaped hollow section has been carved from its back
image by yasuko furukawa

YOY milan design week
the lights play with the perception of shadow and light
image © designboom