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This Spielbein chair concept is by German industrial designer Peter Otto Vosding. (In German, spielbein refers to the kicking leg in soccer, as opposed to the standbein, or supporting leg. The name makes sense when you look at the design.) Seating people in rooms of any kind, you always have to answer the question of how many seats will be necessary. Placing benches instead of chairs is an elegant way of answering this question.

Out here in the country, you see a lot of ditches and trenches being dug. It's how plumbing and electrical infrastructure reach houses. By the side of the road, you'll often see contractors using machines or tractor attachments made by a company called Ditch Witch: Some properties aren't accessible by these machines, either because they're remote or because existing fencing prevents it. In those cases, workers have to resort to using narrow spades called sharpshooters. It's obviously hard work.

Modern civilization works hard to dispel unpleasant smells. Deodorant, air fresheners and scented detergents are a multibillion-dollar industry. Obviously this industry didn't exist in antiquity. But here's an early solution for dealing with stinky people. Image: Ajuntament de Sant Vicenç de Montalt, CC BY 3.0 As civilization developed, small cities were formed and houses of worship erected.

A couple of years ago, we were excited to see BMW's Neue Klasse; the designers, we felt, had come back down to Earth with some shockingly clean design. Now they've unveiled their concept for the performance-oriented M version of the Neue Klasse, answering the question: What should an electric M-series look like? A forward-facing shark nose and a light signature with depth effect characterise the front end. Headlights and kidney grille form a single unit.

Industrial designer Dave Gibson specializes in outdoor gear; indeed, he's a Professor of Outdoor Product and Industrial Design at Utah State University. Gibson was recently tapped by Travoca, a Milwaukee-based outfit that makes overlanding equipment, to design a different sort of cooler.

German tool manufacturer Hazet has been around for over 150 years, and they've gotten their tool cases down to a science. Their SmartCase line stores bits and handles in a compact kit of clever design: The latches will never wear out or break—they're magnetic: The company makes a variety of these for different bit and socket combinations. The line's motto is "Maximum tool variety in the smallest space." They also sell empty cases, if you prefer to mix-and-match your own assortments.

DOGO is a self-powered GPS collar for dogs that converts kinetic energy generated through movement into electricity, enabling continuous live tracking with minimal dependence on external charging.

LAYER has designed Node and Loft, a new family of charging products for Daily Objects that transforms everyday power into an expressive, design-led ecosystem. Comprising the modular Node wireless charging ecosystem and Loft charging station, the characterful collection brings order and flexibility to the devices that support daily life, from phones, earbuds and watches to laptops, tablets and home appliances.

Dari is an assistive communication ecosystem designed to bridge the communication gap between Deaf and hearing individuals through seamless, real-time, two-way interaction. Developed over a 26-week design process, the project was grounded in extensive user research, interviews, and co-design activities with members of the Deaf community to ensure that the solution addressed real challenges experienced in everyday life.

The 2026 Home & Living Professional winner is Tin Can, a modern take on the landline designed specifically for kids—a screen-free, ad-free, text-free phone that operates on a fully private network where only approved callers can reach the device, offering voice communication stripped back to its most essential form.