The concept of time is evolving, as “now” has shifted from ‘this moment in history’ to ‘right this second,’ and the notion of real-time continues to
revolutionize online search and marketing. Time itself has become a stressful word and, by extension, clocks have come to embody that anxiety. Below are three new clock concepts that aim to modernize the standard timepiece.
Quadrant:
Progressive Dutch design firm
Invotis Orange is renowned for creating jauntily original products, and its latest, Quadrant, is no exception. While it is a clock, Quadrant’s target audience is people who don’t really want to know what time it is. Dubbed the ‘take it easy’ clock, the sleek timepiece gives an ambiguous indication of time by being accurate approximately for only one minute per day. Within a given 15-minute period, it will shift to the correct time for only one second...and then shift back to its laidback, carpe diem mindset. It’s not exactly practical, or even functional for that matter, but it sure would look nice hanging on the wall as a reminder to live in the now.
Myk: Staring at a wall clock can induce severe angst or dread, resulting from looming deadlines to difficult days with no end in sight. Norwegian design duo
SHE conceived a clock to cure even the most serious cases of stress with a
simple, calming interpretation of time. Devised with a ghost-like, minimalist aesthetic, and eliminating the harsh “tick, tock” of the average office clock, Myk is intended to have a soothing effect on its viewers. Unveiled at the
Stockholm Furniture Fair this year, the clock is, unfortunately, still in the concept phase. However,
Carbon Design Group recently unveiled the similarly therapeutic
Domino Clock. Perhaps it doesn’t work on the same visually sedative plane as Myk, but its playful spirit is subtly euphoric.
SnūzNLūz: Also just a concept—and a pretty smart one at that—the SnūzNLūz clock monetizes morning minutes and proves that time really is money. Originally intended as an
April Fool’s Day joke on
ThinkGeek, SnūzNLūz provides chronic oversleepers with a tool to stop themselves from ever hitting snooze again. Using WiFi to connect to a user’s personal bank account, SnūzNLūz links the account to a charity of the user’s choice. Each time the snooze button is used, a donation is made. The concept is simple enough—there’s actually a real
gym membership program with a similar model—but to raise the stakes and make losing money really sting, users can opt to link the clock to organizations they dislike.
