All posts tagged: football

My Football Kit by Nendo

Inflatable soccer balls are hard to maintain in impoverished communities because of the unavailability of air pumps or the deterioration and damage of the tube inside the ball. In response, Japanese design firm Nendo has designed a non-inflatable soccer ball that gives the same kicking sensation as a standard ball. Inspired by the structure of the traditional Japanese woven bamboo ball, the My Football Kit is assembled with three types of components and includes a total of 54 parts. The instructions for assembly are designed like a picture book in easily understood illustrations. Instead of relying on internal air pressure, the ball uses the resilience of its surface material, soft, recycled polypropylene and elastomeric synthetic resin components, to bounce. The material won’t hurt bare feet and is unlikely to develop a sharp fractured surface that might cause injury, even if broken. If a component comes off during play, the interlocking structure ensures the ball will not disassemble. Components may be shipped in disassembled states in compact packages, potentially cutting shipping costs. The ball comes in multiple colors, …

The Dreamball Project

Sports help to keep kids out of trouble, while giving them the opportunity to exercize and socialize in a positive setting. Football (the soccer kind, not the American kind) in particular has international appeal — anywhere in the world, kids know the game and the names of the top-tier teams and players. Designed by Kyungchan Hwang, Songkyou Jin, Haksu Lee, Minhyun Han, and Jin Jun, of the Korean design firm Unplug Design, the Dream Ball is a football made of recycled relief boxes. One of the finalists for this year’s INDEX: Award, the project team has redesigned relief packaging with a pattern so that it can be turned into different types of balls depending on the size of the box. Instructions inside of the box guide relief workers who create the origami-like balls. The rest is child’s play.