These days – as sad as it may be – it’s not surprising for somebody to take out a smartphone or tablet during breakfast, lunch or dinner. What used to be “just checking email” or “responding to a text” has now become surfing the web, browsing Instagram and crushing opponents on Words with Friends. After all, this all-too-common disconnect from the present is the same reason why Apple released their first new product category in years.
But what if family meal time in 2015 could mean keeping devices in pockets while still having some sort of non-digital interactive activity?
This is a question that furniture designer Benjamin Nordsmark no doubt asked himself when creating the Labyrinth Table – which he describes as a table “with a small universe inside of it.”
The table – which is built with a steel foundation to help it last for decades – consists of a maple wood body and a sheet of diamond glass that encloses an interactive labyrinth. The labyrinth includes six characteristic miniature figurines that can each be used to explore (get lost in?) the labyrinth. The characters are each able to be easily moved via magnets.
“Most people possibly remember from their childhood how they used to play with miniature figures in small universe similar to the real world,” says Nordsmark.
“And these nostalgic feelings are the ones that the table should generate in people minds and encourage them to explore and go deeper into the story of the labyrinth.”
Find out more by heading over to Nordsmark’s site.
