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headfirst’s self-adjusting bike helmet has brake light that glows when the rider slows down

Brake light behind headfirst’s self-adjusting bike helmet

 

Headfirst introduces a self-adjusting bike helmet that comes with a glowing brake light when the rider slows down. It is to signal the other riders behind, and even vehicles, to take their cruising speed down a notch. The brake light is positioned just below the top of the user’s head and at the rear of the self-adjusting bike helmet. The lighting is bright and thick enough to glow in daylight and at night, which can help the riders cruise safely at both times. 

 

Another feature that the Amsterdam-based collective highlights in their design is the fitting of the gear. Headfirst’s bike helmet can ‘adjust’ itself depending on the shape and size of the rider’s head. The sides of the gear can inflate or deflate – meaning, they can move to adapt to the form – so when the riders put it on, they just push or pull the sides to get the ideal fit for their head shape. The head-hugging design, then, of the self-adjusting bike helmet prevents the users from having a ‘mushroom head’ and messing up their hairstyle after use.

all images courtesy of Headfirst

 

 

Removable inner fabric to wash after use

 

Looking at the design of Headfirst’s self-adjusting bike helmet, there are numerous open slits for airflow, especially during sunny seasons. The design team says that they craft the outer shell from ABS with 15 percent recycled materials, while they use expanded polypropylene, a thermoplastic polymer, for the inner protection of the gear. The padding is breathable, and it is even removable, so the riders can wash it after use. The straps lock in using recycled magnetic buckles, and these parts themselves are also made from recycled polyester.

 

Headfirst says that its self-adjusting bike helmet has multi-impact protection that safeguards the riders when they crash (and beyond, they add). The shape of the gear also focuses on protecting the back and sides of the head the most, mainly the occipital region of the brain, which controls critical functions like vision and coordination. While the gear can adapt to any shape, Headfirst still offers a small and large size to accommodate the children, too. At the present time, the campaign has been backed, and the team plans to undergo quality control and testing for their self-adjusting bike helmet around September 2025. After that, the delivery begins in late 2025.

the brake light is positioned just below the top of the rider’s head behind

the lighting is bright and thick enough to glow in daylight and at night

the can also adjust itself depending on the shape and size of the rider’s head

there are lots of grilles above for airflow

the outer matte shell is from ABS with 15 percent recycled materials

 

project info:

 

name: Self-adjusting bike helmet

startup: Headfirst | @headfirst_helmets

campaign: here

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from food waste to fashion, next gen design 2025 competition winners redesign tomorrow

A NEW WAVE OF YOUTH-LED INNOVATION REDESIGNs TOMORROW, TODAY

 

What Design Can Do, together with four other leading European design festivals, proudly announces 50 winning projects of the Next Gen Design 2025 competition. Themed ‘Redesign Tomorrow, Today,’ the competition’s selected works represent a powerful wave of young creative minds stepping up to design a better future, showcasing a strong trend toward circular systems, community empowerment, and regenerative practices. From fungi-based pigments, upcycled fashion collectives, and ingenious food waste solutions to modular furniture systems and bioacoustic sensing devices, these youth-led initiatives offer tangible visions for a more sustainable and equitable tomorrow amid Europe’s pressing challenges.

all images courtesy of What Design Can Do

 

 

WHAT DESIGN CAN DO DRIVES EUROPEAN COOPERATION

 

The Next Gen Design 2025 competition marks its milestone in a three-year initiative by Mikser Festival, What Design Can Do (WDCD), designaustria, Barcelona Design Week, and Skopje Design Week. This collaborative effort, supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Commission, exemplifies a new model of European cooperation – decentralized, inclusive, and fundamentally youth-driven. 

 

Launched in 2024, the open call to the competition attracted over 200 applications from talented designers aged 18–35 across 29 countries, culminating in the selection of these 50 standout projects for their ingenuity, visionary approach, and potential for systemic change. An international jury of design professionals and cultural leaders, including designboom co-founder Birgit Lohmann, selected the winning concepts, focusing on circularity, feasibility, creativity, and social impact.

a selection of 50 standout projects exemplify the potential for systemic change

 

 

SHOWCASING NEXT GEN DESIGN 2025 WINNERS

 

The journey for these young innovators is just beginning. Each of the 50 selected designers has the opportunity to participate in the exclusive Next Gen Design residency program, hosted by the five partner organizations. As part of this program, which provides invaluable professional mentorship and unparalleled networking opportunities, the best residency project at each festival will be honored with the prestigious Next Gen Design Residency Award, accompanied by a monetary prize of €2000. Beyond that, all 50 winning projects gain significant visibility through the Next Gen Design traveling exhibition. This showcase tours major design events across Europe – from Belgrade to Amsterdam, Vienna to Barcelona, and Skopje – throughout 2025 and 2026. 

 

The exhibition serves as a powerful platform, bringing the winner’s solutions to a broader audience and inspiring further dialogue and action, proving that design can be more than aesthetics – it’s an instrument of solidarity, systems change, and ecological regeneration. To give you a glimpse into the work being recognized, we’re highlighting 12 selected projects from the Next Gen Design 2025 winners that offer a compelling look at design’s transformative potential. 

 

To view the full list of winners and learn more about the initiative, visit nextgendesign.eu.

Tarnur – Multifunctional Set by Emina Murtezić

 

 

Tarnur is a modular system designed for toddlers that adapts to their changing needs, ensuring long-term use, sustainability, and flexibility through a multifunctional and user-driven design philosophy.

 

designer: Emina Murtezić

country: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Edible Okara spoons reduce plastic waste and sugar intake by upcycling soy byproducts into flavorful, compostable utensils that enhance the taste of unsweetened foods — merging sustainability with healthier eating habits in one simple innovation.

 

designer: Jan-Elias Kronberger

country: Austria

Amber Grain Embroidery: growing folklore elements by Barbara Rakovská

 

 

Amber Grain Embroidery explores the intersection of bio-design, folklore, growing textiles from roots, waste wool, and digital fabrication to create sustainable, tradition-inspired garments that challenge conventional materiality and celebrate nature’s invisible craftsmanship.

 

designer: Barbara Rakovská

country: Czech Republic

Fabulous Fungi pioneers sustainable textile dyeing with fungi-based pigments, eliminating toxic chemicals and water waste while promoting circular fashion. The innovative bio-based approach redefines color in fashion, fostering a regenerative and eco-conscious future.

 

designer: Ilse Kremer

country: The Netherlands

Ruhsack by Florian Steidl

 

 

The beanbag Ruhsack combines social and ecological requirements through the self-empowerment and support of young people left behind, who independently produce a versatile seat cushion from discarded and recycled textiles in an artisanal process.

 

designer: Florian Steidl

country: Austria

Focused on circular economy practices, KTR transforms cable trays into a modular shelving system, advocating reuse, reducing waste, and driving systemic change in the construction industry.

 

designer: Jasmin Bermadinger

country: Austria

Bias-Unbias by Federica Breedveld Bortolozzo

 

 

Bias-Unbia’ is a collection of five interactive furniture pieces that challenge gender inequalities, inviting people to question societal norms through playful engagement and design.

 

designer: Federica Breedveld Bortolozzo

country: Italy

Solo is a user-centered, fully personalized bike helmet produced using additive SLS 3D printing and a parametric design approach.

 

designer: Nils Sorger

country: Germany

Handrail Series by Kerstin Pfleger and Peter Paulhart

 

 

The Handrail Series transforms industrial stainless steel components into sculptural design objects, showcasing how rethinking purpose — not material — can lead to new forms without requiring new resources or manufacturing.

 

designer: Kerstin Pfleger, Peter Paulhart

country: Austria

Environmental protection needs reliable data, especially in remote areas that are difficult to access. The bioacoustic sensing device SONO enables cooperation between science and volunteering in the collection of environmental and biodiversity data.

 

designer: Konstantin Diehl

country: Germany

The Green Book of Plovdiv by Nadezhda Karidova, Mihaela Angelova, Pavel Pavlov and Sofia Petrova

 

 

A playful, illustrated book of 52 weekly eco-challenges that reconnects citizens with their city and nature, inspiring a greener, more sustainable urban lifestyle through creativity, curiosity, and community action.  

 

designer: Nadezhda Karidova, Mihaela Angelova, Pavel Pavlov and Sofia Petrova

country: Bulgaria

A frugal cleaning kit for reusable menstrual pads washed with 500-700 ml of water through buoyancy force. The complete set, made with polypropylene plastic and bamboo fabric pads, costs around £3-5.

 

designer: Cheuk Laam Wong and Margaret Wu

country: UK

 

 

project info:

name: Next Gen Design 2025: Redesign Tomorrow, Today
organizers: What Design Can Do | @whatdesigncando; Mikser Festival | @mikserbalkan; designaustria | @designaustria; Barcelona Design Week | @barcelonadesignweek; Skopje Design Week | @skopjedesignweek

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circular cut in the vineyard reveals fotis zapantiotis’ underground winery in greece

fotis zapantiotis embeds winery into the earth in greece

 

In the northern part of Evia, Greece, Fotis Zapantiotis proposes a winery that respects the natural terrain, the surrounding vineyard, and the process of winemaking itself. The 1,500-square-meter Ktima Aidipsos is entirely embedded in the earth to minimize the visual impact on the landscape while also creating ideal conditions for wine storage and maturation.

 

The building leaves only two geometric marks on the land, a straight line and a circle. The linear building houses the production facilities, which are positioned behind a retaining wall and hidden from view. This structure contains all the functional areas of the winery, including the fermentation rooms, bottling line, barrel storage, and technical spaces. Meanwhile, the circle is placed at the center of the composition, carved into the ground to form an open-air courtyard. This circular void functions as a gathering point for visitors, offering panoramic views of the vineyard and introducing a softer, more symbolic element to the otherwise rational layout.

images by Studio Taf

 

 

circular plaza and linear cut shape Ktima Aidipsos

 

Greek architect Fotis Zapantiotis and his team decided to place Ktima Aidipsos underground primarily for practical reasons, not just for the way it looks. The surrounding soil provides stable temperatures and natural humidity control, creating optimal conditions for wine aging without the need for mechanical systems. At the same time, the structure becomes part of the vineyard’s topography. From above, the only visible elements are the retaining wall along the linear cut and the sunken circular plaza. The rest of the architecture remains hidden, allowing the rows of grapevines to dominate the landscape uninterrupted.

the building leaves only two geometric marks on the land, a straight line and a circle

 

 

tracing the subterranean rhythm of winemaking

 

Visitors approach the Zapantiotis-designed winery by walking through the vineyard, following the natural order of the terrain. A narrow path leads them toward a subtle incision in the ground, which gradually opens up to reveal the entrance. Once inside, a circular staircase leads down into the core of the project, where guests are invited to walk alongside the production spaces. The route passes through the fermentation hall, where tall stainless steel tanks reflect the dim lighting, and continues into the barrel-aging rooms and bottling areas. Along the way, the textures of the materials, the smell of wine, and the cool air from the earth all contribute to the experience.

 

At the heart of Ktima Aidipsos is the tasting hall, a space designed with vaulted ceilings, thick earthen walls, and soft, diffused lighting, to resemble a quiet, cave-like retreat. Here, visitors can taste the wine while being surrounded by the very conditions that helped produce it. The space is silent and still, insulated from the outside world, except for the occasional sound of footsteps on gravel. Finally, the path leads back up to the surface, emerging into the circular outdoor plaza. This final space reconnects visitors with the landscape and offers a moment of reflection, closing the loop between the earth, the architecture, and the wine.

the linear building houses the production facilities

a winery that respects the natural terrain

the 1,500-square-meter Ktima Aidipsos is entirely embedded in the earth

this circular void functions as a gathering point for visitors

a quiet, cave-like retreat

closing the loop between the earth, the architecture, and the wine

a circular staircase leads down into the core of the project

 

 

project info:

 

name: Ktima Aidipsos Winery

architect: Fotis Zapantiotis Associated Architects | @fotiszapantiotis

design team: Fotis Zapantiotis, Alexandra Zarani, Maria Agapaki

location: Aidipsos, Evia, Greece

area: 1,500 square meters

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tuckey design studio restores and extends historic wool hall in somerset

tuckey design studio adapts a landmark in somerset

 

Wool Hall, located in a village in Somerset, has been reimagined by Tuckey Design Studio as a residence and private recording studio. The Grade II listed structure carries a layered history of craft and music production, serving as a quiet outpost for artists including The Smiths, Van Morrison, and Paul Weller.

 

The studio’s approach respects both the architectural and cultural significance of the site. A sixteenth-century hall, a 1980s rear extension, and several later additions presented an irregular collage of forms and materials. The design response involved unifying these disparate elements, improving thermal performance, and restoring the site’s character without diminishing its informality.

images © James Brittain

 

 

Material Transitions and Energy Strategy

 

Thermal upgrades were essential for Tuckey Design Studio with its Wool Hall renovation. The architects introduce a breathable lime and cork insulation to the interiors, maintaining the tactile qualities of the stone walls. Where additional retention was needed, Diathonite spray offered thermal support without concealing the hall’s uneven textures. New double glazing and underfloor heating contribute to the building’s overall efficiency while preserving a clear relationship with its rural surroundings.

 

The rear extension, previously prone to overheating, has been selectively opened to create courtyards that draw air across the interiors. Red stained timber cladding and retained terracotta roof tiles mark the most significant interventions. These new materials form a contemporary contrast to the weathered masonry of the original structure, signaling the project’s layered evolution.

Wool Hall in Somerset is transformed by Tuckey Design Studio into a home and recording studio

 

 

wool hall opens with Shifting Volumes

 

Arrival at Tuckey Design Studio’s Wool Hall is marked by the historic stone facade, approached via a sloping drive. A winding masonry stair introduces a new arched threshold, drawing attention to the transition between original and adapted volumes. Historic England recognizes the balustrade, archway, and porch as architecturally significant, and they remain defining elements in the redesigned scheme.

 

Inside, spatial clarity unfolds immediately. A three-level atrium connects bedroom wings above. To one side, the timber-lined extension houses private lounges and studies; to the other, the original hall’s open-plan kitchen and living area remains central to daily life. Steel trusses painted in sepal green span across the volumes, while yellow accents introduce quiet tonal punctuation.

the Grade II listed structure has a long history as a site for craft and music production

 

 

The main hall’s material palette is muted and carefully assembled. Plastered walls, Viroc surfaces, a central brick fireplace, and exposed timber details form a cohesive composition. Terrazzo inlays trace the footprint of former partitions, marking the building’s architectural memory without sentimentality.

 

The pitched roofline of the original structure carries through the new work in stepped planes, allowing the additions to recede toward the garden. At the rear, the crimson cladding and breeze-block forms gather around intermittent courtyards, offering shade and passive ventilation to what was once a yoga studio.

a new stairway and arched entry define the transition between old and new

a central atrium provides sightlines between bedrooms and shared living areas

the 1980s rear extension was opened up with courtyards to allow natural ventilation

the Z-shaped plan wraps around a courtyard to connect domestic and creative spaces

 

project info:

 

name: Wool Hall

architect: Tuckey Design Studio | @tuckeydesignstudio

location: Somerset, England

photography: © James Brittain | @jamesbrittainphotographs

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