A burst of sunshine: Obile makes a happier home

Created by G:RE, Focus Studio, and industrial designer Taeyeon Kim, Obile is an inventive compact vacuum cleaner for pet owners that blends function and finesse.

Making a mess can be exhilarating. It’s about letting loose as much as it is about reconnecting with your inner child and that divine carelessness. As tempting as that may be, tidying up renders a sensation of a superior kind–you get to be in complete control. By injecting joy into our mundane routines, imaginative (and practical) objects help us reach that sensational climate of spotlessness faster and more effortlessly. As such, Obile is a superbly handy vacuum cleaner created for pet-loving households.

Characterized by an invigorating design philosophy, the product is developed by G:RE, a brand devoted to the enrichment of the human-animal bond, in collaboration with Focus Studio and industrial designer Taeyeon Kim.

Obile cleans everything from couches and carpets to the most unreachable corners. - © Focus Studio — Obile cleans everything from couches and carpets to the most unreachable corners. – © Focus Studio

For G:RE, maintaining a clean home doesn’t have to mean sacrificing aesthetic dignity. A careful balance between function, convenience, and taste ought to be a possibility instead. The brand is driven by a focus on creating products that not only assist us in keeping our private spaces pristine but also seamlessly become part of our lives.

The innovative vacuum cleaner brings together G:RE, Focus Studio, and industrial designer Taeyeon Kim. - © Focus Studio — The innovative vacuum cleaner brings together G:RE, Focus Studio, and industrial designer Taeyeon Kim. – © Focus Studio

When it comes to its practicability, countless prototypes, and full-size mock-ups later, G:RE has fine-tuned every detail of the compact vacuum cleaner–from the ergonomics of Obile’s handle to its smooth, frustration-free usability. It comes with two nozzles: a basic nozzle, and a fur brush nozzle. The two nozzles can be placed inside the drawer beneath the product’s cradle when not in motion.

With its clean and minimalist design, Obile's design philosophy is rooted in deepening our relationship with nature. - © Focus Studio — With its clean and minimalist design, the product’s design philosophy is rooted in deepening our relationship with nature. – © Focus Studio

Obile tackles pet hair and dirt with ease and can be applied for the cleaning of everything from carpets to the most unreachable of corners. Thanks to its wireless charging cradle powered by a USB-C connection, Obile is always ready for use.

The handy vacuum cleaner's bright and vitalizing accentuating shade of orange creates the mood of bathing in sunrays.- © G:RE — The handy vacuum cleaner’s bright and vitalizing accentuating shade of orange creates the mood of bathing in sunrays.- © G:RE

With its oblique silhouette, Obile’s gentle tilt is reminiscent of sunlight streaming through a window–that rare moment when domesticity and poetry entwine. The bright and vitalizing accentuating shade of orange further enhances the mood of bathing in rapturous sunrays. The product’s refined and minimalist exterior conveys the warmth of the sun and thus elevates its presence to that of a delicate piece rather than a bland cleaning device. Its emotional skeleton is symbolic of rejuvenation and positivity.

Both of Obile's nozzles can be neatly placed inside the drawer beneath the product’s cradle when not in use. - © G:RE — Both of Obile’s nozzles can be neatly placed inside the drawer beneath the product’s cradle when not in use. – © G:RE

Focus Studio is a student design collective from Kyungsung University’s Department of Industrial Design, a private university located in Busan, South Korea. As talented product designers in training, together with Taeyeon Kim, the collective of creatives is invested in exploring the essence of a concept in-depth and then fusing their findings into a product’s design. Obile demonstrates how detail-oriented they all are and how the innovative objects they create allow them to be storytellers as well.

Rather than another characterless gadget, Obile is an elegant piece that fits and betters one’s formula for domestic bliss as it encapsulates an equilibrium between modernity, functionality, and design with intention. Whether resting nonchalantly in its cradle or tirelessly cleaning those fur-lined corners, this gripping product adds a brand new layer of emotion to the act of cleaning up.