Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Camping in the summer could soon feel a lot more comfortable thanks to a Red Dot Award-winning concept that turns the tent itself into a solar-powered cooling system. Designed by Zhong Xu, Li Baoyu, Pan Yiyuan, and Li Xueyan, the innovative shelter uses its…

#BeOpenDESIGN Nottingham Trent University Furniture & Product Design graduate Becca Panter has created ReFrame, a flat-pack steel wardrobe designed for a second life rather than the landfill. Developed in response to a Habitat and Vinted brief on small-space living, the project…

#BeOpenDESIGN Japanese design studio YOY's Book is a book-shaped flower pot that transforms a familiar object into a functional planter. Made from waterproof PVC, the design opens like a book and stands upright, revealing soil and plant roots within. Whether used as a…

#BeOpenDESIGN Charlotte Kingsnorth's Hi!breed series transforms discarded chairs into sculptural, creature-like furniture that blurs the line between design and art. By wrapping salvaged frames in hand-carved foam, rich upholstery, and shaggy textiles, the London-based designer…

#BeOpenDESIGN The University of Brighton's Product Design graduate Keira Forman explores the future of sustainable furniture through Kos, a modular sofa designed for the circular economy. Built by the user using standardised timber, 3D-printed connectors and repairable…

#BeOpenDESIGN Instead of treating artificial wood as a stand-in for timber, Tact Inoue's MOCKY furniture series explores what the material can do on its own. Made from a composite of wood flour and resin, each piece is assembled by heating and compressing components until they…