Core77

Jinyoung Choi's Housewares-esque Multi-Tool

By Rain Noe - June 24, 2011

in Object Culture

If the Swiss Army had a housewares division, they'd carry something like Jinyoung Choi's brilliant Coral Tools device. The caltrop-like object contains screwdrivers both flathead and Phillips, a corkscrew and a "hammer head" that steadies a nail for the initial driving strikes. Well-placed icons let you know which tool is in which "finger."

The Coral Tools was a class project for Choi, who studies ID at South Korea's Konkuk University.

via mocoloco

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Nick Brawne

13 years ago

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One more vote for Jim.

This is a perfect example of the schism that I have been seeing more and more on Core, between cool looking, but poorly conceived eye candy, and the serious - lets take ID seriously and report on lengthy academic conferences about design thinking and have provocative polemics from people with a brain.

Core.
I think its make your mind up time. What is it to be?
Do you want to be Design Observer or MocoLoco? Trying to be both alienates half your potential audience, as does posting 100 plus posts a week. Who can keep up with that?
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Rafael Morgan

13 years ago

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Hey Jim. I understand you, of course.

Critics are always good, specially for someone who is just starting a profession.

I also agree that words like "brilliant" our "genius" are misused these day. I would rather save those words for Einstein, Beethoven or Van Gogh as well.

Anyway, I think this student is in the right track, trying to innovate, investigating new possibilities, and I hope he is wise enough to read this comments and learn from them.

Particularly, I think the comments session should receive more attention from websites like Core 77. It is a very important, but underestimated part of this website.
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jim

13 years ago

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Rafael, i understand its student work (trust me, its light years ahead of anything i did as a student)
im just frustrated with it being highlighted here, labeled as brilliant.

no one learns from overly positive critique. there are issues with the design that weren't addressed in the post, so i wanted to highlight a few of them. i wish people would have done that for me when i was a student. its a vital part of growing.

i see way to many design students graduating with all these amazing visualization skills, but little to no problem solving skills, which is absolutely necessary in today's design environment. designers need to see a problem, and find a creative solution, not just draw a pretty form.

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Rafael Morgan

13 years ago

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Take it easy guys. It is a student project! Next time, he will do it better.
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casual-character.blogspot.com

13 years ago

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I agree with all of the above... This thing is so dysfunctional in so many levels, it should have never showed up here... OK, so you have to keep posting things up here, but at least be honest... "If the Swiss Army had a housewares division, they'd carry something like Jinyoung Choi's brilliant Coral Tools device." Why insult the Swiss Army? And you really think this thing is "brilliant"?!! ...Really?
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David

13 years ago

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I couldn't agree more with Jim. My first thought when I saw this was, "How will this fit in my junk drawer?".

More crap for the landfill is hardly brilliant. This site really needs to think before they publish what is "cool".
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Face

13 years ago

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I agree with Jim all the way. It looks cool for about 20 seconds and thats it. The screwdrivers are less than respectable and why a corkscrew?? So do I keep this in the kitchen or the tool cabinet?? Who would buy this? Its more "tool" than corkscrew so its got to attract a handy person but a handy person is going to take one look and realize its going to break the first time he/she puts any real torque on it.
I feel it may have been better if the focus stayed with the corkscrew. Like maybe corkscrew, meat thermometer, hand sanitizer. Something like that. Then it could be kept on the sink maybe next to the coffee maker or toaster. But I really dont feel this should be featured on the site the way it has. It just fails.
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Mike

13 years ago

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Jim nailed it. This is hardly a 'brilliant' design at all. Think of how clear the space around the work area would have to be to use it. Want to put a screw in above a bookshelf to anchor it? Too bad, bookshelf is in the way of the arms.

Not smart, not better. And what's wrong with a hammer.....
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jim

13 years ago

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sure, it looks cool.
it has multiple functions, that's nice.

but lets think about the reality of this project for a second.
what drawer would this fit in? how much space is lost due to its form? would you really keep it displayed on the coffee table as a center piece? because you would have to.
How would it feel to hold this thing while trying to drive a screw in? not very good is my guess. you don't get much strength with your hand in that kind of grip.
How long will those caps retention features last? would you put them back on? will they just end up in the trash after a few uses?

ok, its fun, its an interesting concept. but is it a "brilliant"?

there is more to Design then being shiny and different. Industrial Designers need to understand how there design impacts all aspects of a users interaction with it. and don't forget, a user isn't just the End User. but every user from the manufacturer, to the shipper (how much space is lost in transporting this? how does that affect its footprint?) all the way down the line.

Lets not just make 'Cool Stuff' lets make SMARTER Stuff.
THINK.

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