clouds - from both sides now

I have long pondered this problem myself: how to make a better umbrella? It seems to me there are several design flaws with the umbrella. Consider this: they are large, cumbersome, are always being forgotten places, never there when you need them (because they are cumbersome you leave your bumbershoot at home), prone to turning inside-out in the wind, leave puddles everywhere, and can inadvertently be used as a weapon, what with the sharp wiry skeletons held near head-level on crowded rainy streets. Though, some of us are clumsier than others... but I digress.



This inflatable cloud umbrella by Holland-based Joons impresses me with its whimsical design. Consider this: it all fits in the tube, so it is easy to carry; it cannot be blown inside out; inside the tube, after use, it could hardly leave a puddle; it is next to impossible to use an inflatable cloud as a weapon; it looks pretty and clouds are hip (you heard it here). If someone on a crowded city street inadvertently bonked you on the head with their inflatable cloud, what could you do but laugh? The main draw-back I see is that it cannot be quickly deployed. I can envision a user cursing in the rain, while using the tube-pump to inflate their cloud. But overall, quite the clever and elegant design!

[via swissmiss]