There are a dozen reasons as to why Nendo’s founder Oki Sato has received the crown for Maison & Objet’s designer of the Year: his massive retrospective of his work in Milan earlier this year and his ability to design 100 products per year are just two. The new MNIM +AID emergency preparedness kit is yet another.
Inspired by the tragedy of natural disasters that have occurred in his home country of Japan over the years, he has taken to create a compact kit that is extremely useful yet sophisticatedly designed with the Nendo-minimalist touch. Sticking to the bare necessities that are required during an earthquake, the set is made up of five pieces, all packed together in a 5cm wide tube.
Included in the collection is a radio which doubles as a charger, a raincoat, a lantern (that can be charged with the radio), drinking water and a plastic case that you can fill as you like – recommendations are a first aid kit and medicine. All of the items are neatly lined up in the sleek silver, white or black tube that can be carried like a backpack and masqueraded as an everyday object that you would never imagine could carry a life saving kit.
All the pieces exist in smart mini black tubes themselves, simply numbered 1-4 in large type, another clever touch for an emergency. Ultimately, Nendo has gone back to survival basics, but combined this with truly intelligent and hi-tech design-savviness.
