Speculative design has long served to illustrate the future and push the frontier of reality, and we're proud to include it as a category in our Design Awards. In fact, last year's winner Extrapolation Factory perfectly captures the kind of uncanny valley of near-future concepts that encourage us to reflect on the present.
We recently caught wind of two speculative designs that we deemed worth sharing. Who knows—maybe they'll show up in our 2014 Awards program.
When resisting the temptation of a flash sale at your favorite shopping spree haunt is too much to handle, the iBag is stepping in and taking the heat for inappropriate purchases. The purse, which partly relies on the efficiency of public shame, takes note of when you're getting too close to your favorite stores with a small GPS system. As soon as you pull out your wallet, a text message is sent to your "nominated responsible other" alerting them of your unnecessary spending.
The bag—which was created by Australia-based credit card comparison company Finder—can also be programmed to lock during your peak shopping hours, keeping your bank account safe from unwanted expenses. PSFK highlights some enlightening numbers regarding Australia's spending habits in their write-up: "A survey taken by the company found that 2/3 of credit card holders spend more than $500 every month on their credit card and 45% do not pay off the full balance." Crikey.
If the shame of having a "spending sponsor" doesn't get to you, the flashing "danger zone" lights might put an end to your overspending.
True Love Tester
On the more personal side of things, the "True Love Tester" is attempting to keep your shame and pride in check on an entirely different level. Japanese lingerie brand Ravijour has developed a bra that only opens up if it senses "true love," or more plainly stated, a heightened heart rate with some help from a handy smartphone app. While the video below makes it seem more like its own force to be reckoned with—the amount of effort the characters seem to be putting into opening the bra is multiplied by 100 when it decides to unhook and let someone in. So much, in fact, it practically flies off of the mannequin.
While there are many other more important factors aside from a person's heart rate when it comes to "knowing how a woman truly feels," it's an interesting concept that's been met with somewhat controversial media buzz. We can make one assumption that does hold true among the hubbub: This bra is not justified—or safe—for a quick morning jog.
Keep an eye out for the next 2014 Core77 Design Awards jury announcement, which will end the speculation about some of the Jury Captains. Until then, check out the 2012 and 2013 honorees in the Speculative category.
Via PSFK and Geekosystem
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