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Firm Projects that Addressed the Future in 2016

Each day, our Design Directory is updated with new firm projects that push boundaries and raise questions about the future of design. From medical devices to modern takes on classic objects, here’s a roundup of future gazing firm projects from 2016.

The futuristic baby monitor, Nanit, provides parents with unparalleled insight into their child’s sleep patterns and habits.

Halo is the first iPhone compatible hearing aid. The discreet divice targets a younger, tech-savvy demographic of hearing impaired people, encouraging earlier treatment of hearing loss.

Layer’s attempt at reviving the dying concept of the home phone is bright, sleek and makes you want to tell people to call you on your home phone again.

Another one from Layer: GO is the firm’s new research lab, LayerLab’s, inaugural project. The made-to-measure 3D-printed consumer wheelchair is designed to fit the individual needs of a wide range of disabilities and lifestyles. The wheelchair accurately fits the individual’s body shape, weight and disability to reduce injury and increase comfort, flexibility, and support.

The Hospital Bedside Cabinet may look simple, but its rounded shape with smooth surfaces and no joints, junctions or sharp corners helps eliminate harmful germs that would otherwise hide in hospital furniture.

Trace is a small device that helps action sports athletes measure their maximum speed, vertical distance, distance traveled, calories burned, number of jumps, and airtime with incredible accuracy.

Construction technology has adapted to meet the demands of the modern and complex job site, but protective safety equipment has seen fewer updates. EXO is a smart protective suit that helps keep construction workers comfortable and safe while working.

Gest embodies the one-device-does-all model that is competing with single use devices. The wireless input device can be used to control just about anything, from replacing the keyboard to flying drones.

Pillo is a friendly reminder to take your pills and stick to a routine. We love the positive, cute interface that makes a daunting task seem a little more fun for patient or at home use.

A 2016 Core77 Design Awards winner, Wondersphere is proof that design can make a difference in peoples’ lives. The system brings nature into the hospital without compromising the safety of at-risk patients.

This tiny, low-tech device provides a needed solution to a global problem—waste from discarded Keurig K-Cups.

The Perkins SMART Brailer is a keyboard with many added features that go beyond the traditional braille keyboard.

Root is an educational robot specifically designed to provide an interactive way for children to learn to code. The system is as intuitive and approachable as any tablet app, providing a framework easy for teachers to understand and comfortable for young students to use.

Gramovox reimagines vintage audio design with modern technology. It’s fun to look at—albeit a little unsettling—and is still high performance.