Spike Away, A Vest That Helps Protect Your Personal Space in Public

Spike Siew Ming Chen

Spike Away” is the ingenious creation by industrial designer Siew Ming Cheng made during a workshop given by the award winning furniture designer Werner Aisslinger at the National University of Singapore. Students in the workshop were to come up with a problem for which they could hack a solution using ordinary objects, no matter how strange the results, per the art of Chindogu. In this case, it was how to protect one’s personal space on the crowded subway.

A quick brainstorming leads to a everyday situation. Trains are usually crowded during peak hours. Everybody will push each other to try and get onto the train. How can I protect my personal space? The idea was then conceived. “What if I wear a vest that is full of spikes?”

The vest is made of a lattice of flexible spiky plastic material tied together with cable ties. It’s the perfect accessory to warn people that you’re feeling a little prickly.

Front of Vest

Side of vest

Front of Vest Hanging

images via Siew Ming Cheng

via Fast Company Co.Exist

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.