by To mark one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian design writer Tetiana Makowska has selected eight products designed for the war effort.
The aim of this piece is to draw attention to the fact that the war is not over. The war continues and Ukraine still needs support.
On February 24, 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine. It was just a year ago. For the past year, we have been living under the sounds of air raid alerts and the constant expectation of attacks from Russia.
For every Ukrainian, regardless of age and profession, the world is divided into before and after, and design has acquired new meanings and functions. We have all realized that design is a means of solving specific problems; it is primarily about function, followed by clear form.
Before the Russian invasion, Ukrainian design development kept pace with the world and adapted local messages harmoniously into global agendas.
But after February 24, the basis and principles of artistic design changed, finding their place in war. Ukrainian designers focused on creating functional objects necessary for our new wartime reality.
These things help solve problems in shelters, dugouts, hospitals and bomb houses. These things help save lives, find enemies, protect heritage, and bring comfort when it seems impossible.
Of course, many designers continue to create aesthetically pleasing peacetime products: furniture, lighting and accessories. Thanks to them, we can feel the essence and stay strong.
But today, I want to highlight eight military-related products:
RE: Ukrainian Monuments Project at Balbek Bureau
Ukrainian studio Balbek Bureau developed the RE:Ukraine Monuments (above and above) as a modular, easy-to-install protection system for the numerous monuments and statues at risk of destruction by Russian shelling.
The technological system can be applied to sculptural monuments of different sizes.
Gloves for drone pilots by Hardride
Hardride is a clothing company outdoor gloves designed and manufactured for drone operators with membrane fabric, interchangeable transparent/opaque panels, fleece, and insulation – only the best for the best.
The war lasted a year. That’s four seasons, three of which come with cold weather conditions that require not only durable but comfortable gear.
Karpaty e-bike by Container Design Studio for Delfast
The Karpaty e-bike designed by Container Design Studio The initial model was made by the Ukrainian company Delfast, which was presented to the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard of Ukraine.
It is now actively used by soldiers on the front line, for example to carry the NLAW (Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon).
Invisibility shields by Yaroslav Cosmonaut
Before the war, Yaroslav Cosmonaut worked in concerts and had a small production business providing supplies for all kinds of installations for events. It now creates a variety of wartime products including invisibility shields.
The sturdy shields are made of a lenticular sheet and a transparent acrylic base. The idea is not original, but very useful to help save the lives of the heroes. Behind this simple invisibility shield, the person can completely disappear and be invisible, even to thermal imaging cameras.
Tablet holder for drone remote control by Yaroslav Cosmonaut
Cosmonaut is one of many people discovering the power of design to solve problems on the battlefield. He created a tablet holder for drone operators.
“The remote control of the drone Autel Evo 2 pro which is often used in the basic configuration only allows to hang a phone, not a tablet,” said the designer. “I started to come up with a universal folding tablet holder, which I drew in Fusion 360 and printed on my 3D printer. This was the solution.”
Gropius Low Chair Military Edition By NOOM in collaboration with Nataliya Bakulina and Antonina Latayko
Designed by Ukrainian design company NOOM, the Gropius Military Low Chair aims to highlight how the essence and principle of art design in Ukraine has changed since the invasion.
“We aimed to express our feelings by combining the classic form of our Low Gropius chair developed in peacetime with a camouflage net from wartime. For every Ukrainian, regardless of age and profession, there are meanings and design has gained new functions,” said NOOM.
The studio adapted its Gropius chair, designed to commemorate the centenary of the founding of Bauhaus, by replacing its cotton covering with camouflage netting made up of more than 4,000 knots.
Highcat military drone by HALI TEX and Oleg Vereshchagin
Designer Oleg Vereshchagin collaborated with him German company HALI TEX to adapt the military drone HIGHCAT specifically for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I was never in the military,” said Vereshchagin. “The war started by Russia changed my life a lot. So I made this project in collaboration with a German company that produces drones for the armed forces of Ukraine. I couldn’t wait and contributed to the project this.”
Cardboard box bed by Oleg Vereshchagin
Refugees are often forced to sleep on the floor in poverty adapted rooms. Using available cardboard boxes (specially made or found by accident) to create a bed can significantly increase the level of comfort.
After use, the cardboard is recycled as usual. This solution can make use of dormant packaging production during the war. It does not require any special tools or assembly skills to build it very simply.
Tetiana Makowska is a Ukrainian journalist specializing in architecture and design affairs. She worked as an editor at the Ukrainian design magazines Object and Decor before becoming a freelance writer and PR specialist.
