Throughout history, the forces of weather have shaped our days, our moods and our conversations, but today’s modern forecasts have become largely functional – quickly checked and just as quickly forgotten. In a world dominated by screens, Skymill offers something fundamentally different – and turns weather forecasting into a whole new experience.
Skymill is the brainchild of Swedish designer and engineer Gustav Rosén, and has been developed in collaboration with Swedish design brand Klong. The result is a fusion of Scandinavian design, precision mechanics and real-time data that transforms the weather into a kinetic experience, bringing weather forecasts to life in a natural and tangible way.
The metal arms and weather symbols on Skymill move, change position and reflect the sky outside. The movements represent the sun, moon, clouds, rain, wind, thunder, snow, drizzle and fog in every conceivable combination. At the same time, they remind us that the sky is always present and constantly changing. With its minimalist design, Skymill transforms meteorological data into an interactive eye-catcher that is both informative and poetically designed. But Skymill is also about demonstrating other forces that affect our lives, things that often go unnoticed.
”We spend most of our time indoors, in air that affects our health, sleep and focus. That’s why good air is so important, and even though bad air can easily be aired out, it requires awareness of the problem. With Skymill, we want to make the invisible visible and remind people how both the weather and the air around us shape our days,” says Gustav Rosén.
The design process
Rosén has always been fascinated by mechanics and nature. With a background spanning both IT and product design, his work lies at the intersection of function and aesthetic beauty.
”As our everyday lives become increasingly digital, I felt a longing for something more tangible. People have long built complicated mechanical objects, both for function and for pure entertainment – everything from barometers to cuckoo clocks and music machines. With Skymill, I wanted to create something that respects the way we used to look at the sky. It doesn’t reduce the weather to numbers on a screen, but lets you reconnect with it,” says Gustav Rosén.
This timeless tradition inspired Rosén to create Skymill – a product that combines past and present, with one foot in the era of mechanical craftsmanship and the other firmly rooted in modern technology.
Klong’s vision behind Skymill
It is no coincidence that Skymill was developed in collaboration with Klong. Over the past 25 years, Klong has made a name for itself by creating unique and innovative products that combine function, form and sustainability, while always adding something unexpected and lasting. Klong’s CEO, Georg Hedendahl, saw the potential in Skymill early on and became deeply involved in both the design and technology. Gustav Rosén describes Hedendahl as a true visionary – someone who not only understands good design but also knows how to transform ambitious ideas into high-quality objects.
”Our vision is to develop objects where function, material and form merge into something valuable – objects that last, that people appreciate and never tire of. Our brand is based on care, from production to delivery – care for both people and nature. We only work with designers who dare to create their own expression without following trends,” says Klong’s CEO Georg Hedendahl.
How Skymill works:
- Mechanical weather display
Skymill uses nine different weather symbols that can form more than 35 unique combinations, which change with continuously updated real-time weather data.
- Forecast
A physical button allows you to check the weather now, 3, 6, 9 hours or a full day ahead. When the button is activated, a discreet light at the top lights up, turning Skymill into a cosy mood light.
- Location
Skymill connects to a mobile app, where you can easily set the location where you want to monitor the weather – whether it’s at home, at the holiday home or on the other side of the world.
- Temperature display
An elegant diode display is discreetly integrated into the outer casing and shows precise indoor and outdoor temperature values.
- Air quality sensor
In addition to outdoor weather, Skymill also measures indoor air quality, making an invisible health factor tangible. It measures the levels of CO2, dust and other irritants and if the levels exceed the recommendations, a small bird flies out of a cage – a modern nod to the canaries once used in mines to warn of dangerous gases.
- Materials used
The base and weather symbols are made of high-quality metals, ensuring longevity and a premium feel.
- Power
Skymill is powered via USB-C.
Skymill is now available for pre-order through a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign page also provides more information, images and animations showing the unique functionality of Skymill.
Read more here.
For high-resolution images, see the press kit.
For further information and interview requests, please contact Julia Hallberg, PR Consultant, Grand Relations | julia@grandrelations.com
About Gustav Rosén
With a background in IT, concept development and product design, Gustav has created furniture, lighting and everyday objects that combine function with beauty. Gustav’s work has been featured in ELLE DECOR, AD Magazine, designwanted, Azure, Wallpaper and in many Swedish news channels.
About Klong
The Swedish design brand Klong was founded in 2000 with the vision of creating unique and innovative products with a design that adds something unexpected and lasting – all of which have the potential to become future classics. The design is playful but at the same time adds a heightened sense of exclusivity, harmony and joy to all interiors.
As a brand, Klong is characterised by care, from production to delivery, for both people and nature. For Klong, sustainability is not just about quality and materials, but also about how the products feel to live with. Klong is based on the conviction that good design is about much more than trends. It is about products that people attach themselves to, that become part of everyday life and that are created to be maintained and cared for, not replaced. That’s why Klong creates products that feel good to give as well as to receive – and that evoke joy that lasts through generations.
Read more at www.klong.com