“The best survival kit is the one you use every day without realizing it.” This quote by Jihye Choi, project manager of Safe Ever, sums up an uncomfortable truth: disasters come without warning, and the only life-saving defense is to integrate them into everyday life.Safety without aesthetic compromises" is not a slogan: it is a lamp that becomes a helmet, a bell that transforms into a smoking mask, a box of tissues that hides a defibrillator.
Today I'm going to tell you about a project that shows how design, when it speaks the language of emergencies, can be the most eloquent interpreter.
When the earthquake turns on the light (and survival)
The Safe-Ever desk lamp defies conventional logic. Normally, it illuminates documents and keyboards. But when the floor shakes, it's time to grab it and it transforms into a life-saving trio: 300 lumen flashlight, anti-shrapnel helmet e hand crank radio.
We replaced the plastic with an aerospace composite: it resists impacts of 50 joules, equivalent to a brick dropped from 3 meters.
Jihye Choi
The secret? A magnetic snap mechanism that activates the emergency functions with a simple twist. While classic kits remain buried in closets, this solution lives where you need it: at home or at work, always within reach.
The life-saving bell that breathes fire
No one would suspect that the elegant bell decoration near the door hides a fire-prevention kit. In the event of a fire, the Safe-Ever device transforms into two crucial tools: a light around the neck with pulsating LEDs (visible up to 200 meters in smoke) and a moisturized mask with integrated N95 filter.
The fabric retains 92% of toxic particles thanks to a matrix of carbon nanofibers.
Doyeon Lee, materials engineer of the team.
The innovation lies in having miniaturized medical technologies into an everyday object, without altering its aesthetics. A test on 500 volunteers showed that 78% used it correctly on the first try, compared to 34% of traditional fire extinguishers.
The tissue box that “reads” your blood
Apparently banal, the Safe-Ever tissue holder hides two revolutions. The first is an ICE card (In Case of Emergency) with NFC chip that stores critical medical data: from blood type to drug allergies. The second is a first aid kit activated by pressing a side panel, containing haemostatic gauze and infrared thermometer.
We worked with the Seoul Fire Department to identify the 6 most common injuries during collapses”. The result? A device that weighs 180 grams but replaces 3kg of traditional equipment.
Hyerin Lee, biomedical designer
Life-Saving Items: Orange Is the New (But Smarter) Red
Safe-Ever's design overturns the visual codes of emergency. The alarmist red has been abandoned, and a warm orange designed to reduce panic prevails. Jeonghyeon We, color psychologist of the team, clarifies:
This shade stimulates cognitive calm, increasing reaction speed by 40% according to our tests..
Packaging also plays a crucial role: recycled cardboard boxes with tactile instructions for the blind, and QR codes that activate augmented reality tutorials. A holistic approach that has already convinced 60% of buyers under 35 in South Korea.
Security: The Last Taboo in Home Design
In an era where homes are becoming increasingly smart, disaster preparedness remains stuck in 90s logic. Safe-Ever breaks this paradox by demonstrating that elegance and resilience can coexist.
With a global home security market valued at $92 billion by 2026, this life-saving philosophy could redefine not only objects, but our relationship with the unpredictable. Because, as he recalls Korea Design Membership Plus, True innovation doesn't show itself. It hides in plain sight.