If you’re anything like me, your laptop is practically an extension of yourself, a constant companion that follows you from coffee shops to client meetings and late-night editing sessions to inspiration-fuelled travels. It’s not just a tool; it’s the canvas where our ideas take shape, the engine that powers our creative processes, and often, the face we present to clients. It’s also our window into the world, where we experience everything from entertainment to world events.
So, I don’t think you have to be a nerd to care about the design of your laptop. Like a chair or desk, you need it to be both functional and beautiful. Yet, for years, you’ve had to compromise between the two.
Consider, for example, my MacBook Air M1. Yes, it’s sleek, yes, it’s gorgeous. Unfortunately, it’s so ultrathin that there’s no room for ports, which means that whenever I need to connect it to something like a monitor or TV, I’m left clumsily juggling docks and dongles. Laptops with more ports, though, typically aren’t as lightweight and won’t look as good.
Once upon a time, you’d have expected Apple to work on this problem and eventually present a radical new design that squared this circle. But recent history suggests they’ve become more interested in gradually iterating existing lines and watching the cash flow in.
This leaves the field wide open for competitors to pursue new design ideas that fundamentally reinvent the laptop. And from where I’m standing, the company making the biggest strides here right now is the Taiwanese brand ASUS. So when they invited me to see their new products at Milan Design Week, I jumped at the chance.
While their main release to the public, the Zenbook A14, is impressive, it was the as-yet-unreleased Signature Edition Zenbook range that really grabbed my attention. I’ll be honest: I can’t remember when I’ve been this entranced by the physical design of a laptop.
Ceraluminum: the material making it all possible
What’s so different about these laptops, fundamentally, is what they’re made of. ASUS has developed a proprietary material called Ceraluminum—essentially a process of ceramising aluminium that makes it 30% lighter and three times stronger than traditional anodised aluminium.
Laptops made from this can be thick enough to include the ports you need (most notably, an HDMI slot) while still remaining super-light and running cool. As ASUS sees it, it’s the best of both worlds: the premium feel and durability of ceramic with the lightness of aluminium.
They also claim that the manufacturing process is remarkably eco-friendly. While traditional aluminium anodisation relies on acids and produces hazardous waste, Ceraluminum production uses pure water and high voltage, resulting in a 100% recyclable material with no organic compounds, VOCs, or heavy metals in the wastewater.
That’s important to ASUS because their fundamental design philosophy is to bring the look and feel of nature into tech, to create „design you can feel“.
Nature-inspired design
While many companies pay lip service to that approach in their PR and marketing, it’s not always that obvious in the actual products. That certainly can’t be said for the four limited-edition Signature Edition Zenbooks that ASUS unveiled at Milan Design Week.
Each features a chassis made entirely from Ceraluminum, and they come in four nature-inspired finishes, each representing different dramatic landscapes. This gives them a look and feel that’s totally different from the monocoloured chassis I’m used to seeing on laptops.
What’s fascinating is that these finishes aren’t achieved with added pigments; the distinct colours and textures are precisely controlled through electric current, voltage and mineral formulas during the ceramisation process. So it’s not like looking at a laptop with a decal stuck to it; these devices look more like bespoke, individually made art objects.
Each has a unique tactile quality, too—smooth yet somehow organic—that begs to be touched. Fortunately, they seem to be completely free of smudges.
Geldingadalir, Iceland
Vaadhoo Island, Maldives
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Pamukkale, Turkey
These laptops are not just aesthetically pleasing. They are equipped with the latest AI-enabled Intel Core Ultra processors, ASUS Lumina OLED displays, and dedicated Windows Copilot keys.
I cannot provide more specific information as ASUS is still finalizing the details and has not confirmed the release of these laptops. They intend to gather feedback first before making a decision. However, the feedback from journalists present was very positive. Interestingly, there was a gender divide, with men generally preferring the black slate-like ‚Iceland-Geldingadalir‘ designs, while women favored other designs (although this was not a scientific study).
Design you can sense
ASUS did not just showcase these stunning devices; they hosted a ‚Design You Can Feel‘ exhibition at the Galleria Meravigli during Milan Design Week. Studio INI created a kinetic sculpture that responded to visitors, showcasing the tactile quality of Ceraluminum and how AI can enhance creativity.
The exhibition also featured interactive displays explaining the design processes of various ASUS products. From laptops that emit fragrances to weighing scales balancing laptops with chess pieces, the experience was tangible and enjoyable.
Interested in buying? Check out the Zenbook A14
While the Signature Edition Zenbooks are not yet available for purchase, many of their features can be found in the new Zenbook A14 (UX3407)—the first ASUS laptop with an all-ceraluminum build. Weighing under 2.5 lbs, the A14 is the lightest 14-inch Copilot+ PC on the market and comes in Iceland Gray or Zabriskie Beige.