The geometrical structure of the power pylons in the flat Dutch landscape has inspired Yuya Ushida to design XXXX. Fascinated with the beauty of their simplicity and their repetition he has built a bench out of crossed bamboo sticks. The ingredients are simple: sticks of four different lengths, metal rings, and coupling pins. The result may look fragile, but the construction is hard-wearing. And flexible; pushing in the sides will instantly make the bench smaller. XXXX is a demonstration of how a simple principle can form the basis for a unique piece of furniture.

What would be something you could really use? Yuya Ushida has asked the people around him. He asked them two simple questions: what are your daily inconveniences, and what would you find really useful? It marked his return to the basics of product design: solving problems. He set to work on nine products that people found lacking, ranging from an alarm clock for children to a purpose-built piano chair. During the process he stayed in touch with his ‘commissioners’ as much as he could in order to adjust the design exactly to their needs. The products, called Real Needs, he created in the process may not be state of the art, but they certainly do solve problems.