The City Quilts collection blends high-tech with handmade. A continuation of the Soft Maps created a couple of years ago, this series of comfy blankets now include six additional cities: Paris, London, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington.
Designed by Emily Fischer for Haptic Lab, the City Quilts collection was inspired by her mother's glaucoma. According to Fischer, "The idea was that a visually impaired person could use the quilts as a representational wayfinding tool, physically feeling the patterned streets with the surface of their body."
With more metropolises to come, the City Quilts collection are comprised of both pre-made and custom blankets. Available in queen bed sizes, these large scale quilts are both simple and detailed.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- High-tech Handmade
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the integration of technology and traditional craftsmanship to create unique and functional products like the City Quilts collection.
- Sensory Wayfinding
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop tactile navigation tools that enhance the way visually impaired individuals navigate cities and public spaces.
- Customizable Home Decor
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Tap into the demand for personalized home decor by offering customizable blankets and quilts that reflect different cities and landscapes.
Where This Applies
- Fashion and Textile
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Infuse technology into fashion and textile products to create visually appealing and functional designs.
- Healthcare and Wellness
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the intersection of healthcare and design to develop innovative solutions for individuals with visual impairments and other disabilities.
- E-commerce and Home Goods
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Leverage online platforms to create a seamless shopping experience for customizable home goods, allowing consumers to easily personalize their living spaces.
