Hiding in this little box, the most approachable screwdriver you have seen
Korean designer Byongseon Bae has reconceived the drill as an intuitive minimal object called Home Tool.
Nikaya is a designer and artist based in Berlin. With strong interests in materiality and the social dimensions of design, she is drawn to innovative projects which challenge existing processes and perceptions.
Home Tool is perfectly suited for many small repair and assembly tasks around the home. Ones where a bigger drill might be overkill. A simplified tool that can be easily used for basic household tasks without the bulk and complexity of a traditional drill.
The tool functions as both a manual screwdriver and a cordless drill. It is compact and comes neatly tucked inside a small stackable box.
The mind behind Home Tool – Byongseon Bae
Byongseon Bae initially studied industrial design in Korea at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology. For a few years she worked at design firm BKID in Seoul.
She then went on to study and graduate from the renowned ÉCAL—the École cantonale d’art de Lausanne, in Switzerland. She completed the Master of Product Design. She currently resides in Lausanne.
Materials and Techniques – Simplified functionality
In Home Tool every aspect has been simplified and reduced to its core essence. Unlike a regular drill, there is no chuck required to change and tighten the drill bits. Here a simple hexagon connection is used instead.
Selecting the drill direction has been made more intuitive, and is now simply a matter of pressing the forward or the back button. And, there is no mysterious speed setting to have to worry about.
A small LED light has also been included, which assists when using the tool in dark corners.
The box of Home Tool doubles as the charging station. Charged via a USB connection, the cable can be plugged into a laptop or a power socket. When not in use, it can be neatly wound up in the nifty concealed slot on the underside of the case.
Style & Aesthetics – Minimalism
The tool is styled on a typical screwdriver and looks nothing like most drills. It is clean-lined and minimal.
The sleek red monochrome design sets it apart from other tools which are often multi-colored and have dynamic design accents. However, selecting red also keeps it tied to a traditional color of power tools and maintains a level of familiarity.
For those who want to totally forego tradition, there are dark blue and cream options also available. This is a tool that is going to live unintrusively on your desk. It doesn’t need to be hidden away at the back of a cupboard.
It’s a graduate project. It might come as a surprise to hear that Home Tool is a student project. This impressive and accomplished design was Bae’s graduating Diploma project completed in 2019.
Design memento – Learn from the context of use
An observation study that Bae conducted as part of her product research helped inform the design.
Noticing that people often struggle to keep all the screws and tiny components they need at hand, she included space to keep everything together. The additional grooves placed in the box function as an inventory tray.
The writer’s comment – Looks lovely, but not for tools lovers
This is certainly not going to replace the power drill. There will always be times when a more powerful tool is the correct choice for the job. However, for many simple tasks, Home Tool is just right.
It is a mini drill that will probably appeal more to people who appreciate its minimal aesthetics, than to those who get excited by tools.
