I don't use Kakao Talk (mostly because none of my friends do), but I've always appreciated the messaging app's sticker-based characters -- known collectively as Kakao Friends -- which include a mischievous peach, a Jay-Z-loving secret agent and a pickled radish that walks around in a rabbit costume. Kakao and Nendo, a design studio with offices in Tokyo and Milan, have used these lovable creatures as inspiration for a family of adorable smart home devices. There are seven pieces in total: a thermometer, humidifier, air purifier, scale, lamp, alarm and baby camera.
In short, I want all of them. Immediately.
As Nendo explains, every item in the Kakao Friends Homekit (no relation to Apple HomeKit, apparently) revolves around a white bowl. The simple shape indicates that they're part of a single platform and can be controlled with a Kakao-themed companion app. Each piece also has a silicon icon, according to Nendo, and a Kakao Friends-inspired color that symbolizes their function in the home. The alarm clock has a small bird that chirps in the morning, for instance, while the thermometer has a teardrop and the air purifier features two flowers. You then have the option to personalize each device with some pint-size Kakao figures that will be sold separately.
Keep scrolling to see the full set and when they'll be available in the US!
If you're curious about the software experience, you can download the Smart Scale app for iOS and Android now. You can also get a sense of Nendo's design process in this video interview (thanks, Yanko Design!).
