These eye-catching glass cubes are by Articolo Studios, an Australian design studio. They're created by pouring molten glass into wooden molds whose surfaces have been gouged by hand to create the texture. The glass blocks are then integrated into the company's new Cubo line of l … | Continue reading
Coffee used to come in cans or bags, now it comes in little plastic totes. But when package design specialists Zenpack learned of the challenges faced by upstart coffee brand BigFace, the firm knew something more special was required.BIGFACE Coffee Pushing beyond the boundaries o … | Continue reading
Here's what we looked at this week:Volkswagen previews their €20,000 electric car, designed with "likeable" looks.Fantastic UX design details in this Zilch bike pump.British company Power Roll has developed a solar-harvesting film that they say will be cheaper and easier to insta … | Continue reading
Let's say you arrive to work at 10am, and you're awaiting a 10:30am meeting. After a while you glance at the image below. Depending on what generation you are, you have a sense of how much time has passed since you arrived, and how much time is left until your appointment. Those … | Continue reading
Finnish furniture brand Vaarnii makes everything out of locally-available pine. The majority of their work that we've looked at here have been chunky and Brutalist. But for the company's foray into lighting, they've taken a page from the portfolio of Hans-Agne Jakobsson, a Swedis … | Continue reading
Mansory is a German company that tricks out exotic cars, largely for clients in Dubai. Their work consists of bolting extraneous, functionless extra parts onto vehicles in an effort to create visual interest. As an example, here's a Land Rover Defender from the firm:It's like the … | Continue reading
This rechargeable flashlight concept is by Turkish industrial designer Onurhan Demir. The simple idea is that when placed on its main lens/base, the side flips out and serves as a reading lamp. Demir's got a nice eye for form; it's a pity this is just a concept. Demir designed it … | Continue reading
South Korean industrial design firm Intenxiv did these cosmetic package designs for their own RMRP product label. Thus far the line consists of lipstick, perfume and a hand cream, with at least two packaging options per product. "Cosmetics go beyond mere functionality—they create … | Continue reading
Cybex, a German manufacturer of strollers and child car seats, has designed a foldable version of the latter. Their Solution G2 collapses for easier transport and storage, knocking roughly a third off of its volume. The 12.8-lb (5.8kg) seat looks less like a child's car seat and … | Continue reading
This Toos concept is by Industrial Design students Jeoung Rae Kim, Shua Bong and Seunghee Lee, of South Korea's Hyupsung University. Collectively they call themselves Comma. "As more people get older and have pets, pets have become like friends or family to older people. But most … | Continue reading
This image has been making the rounds. Assuming it isn't AI generated—is it just me, or does the perspective in the room beyond look funky?—any guesses as to why a door would be modified in this way?A Redditor claiming to know states: "This is for blackboards/whiteboards to be wh … | Continue reading
Criaturas Infinitas (Infinite Creatures) is a Spanish organization with a noble goal: Get kids to play and create physical things using non-digital means. Led by designers Eva Gordo and Fernanda Tenorio, the organization has developed a series of connectors that turn pool noodles … | Continue reading
This VIW Building, by Brazilian architects Ivan Ventura and Yuri Vital, has some rather unusual balconies. Sited on the coast of the Brazilian city of Ubatuba, the 27-unit building allows residents to take a dip without actually traveling to the beach. (Which seems a shame, as t … | Continue reading
Back in the '90s, industrial designers had free reign to produce things that were fun and whimsical, bordering on silly. This Umbrella Chair, designed by Gaetano Pesce and manufactured by Italy's ZeroDisegno, is a good case in point: In 1995, the aluminum and polyurethane chair … | Continue reading
Marketing platform Heepsy has put together a strange report: Out of the "most hyped cars on Instagram," which models are most frequently involved in accidents? The company pored over hashtags, sales figures and crash data to determine an odd metric: "Crashes per 10,000 Sold Cars. … | Continue reading
Canari: Clean Air You Didn't Know Was There. More than just an air purifier, Canari is a modular product platform designed to integrate seamlessly into any home environment—from nurseries to living spaces and beyond. Inspired by the critical need for cleaner air for newborns, Can … | Continue reading
For over 20 years, trend analysis firm PSFK has produced reports used by companies like Apple, BMW, Google and Target. They've recently released "100 Ideas in Consumer Electronics," a comprehensive analysis of emerging trends in consumer electronics. Industrial designers in the s … | Continue reading
From the Beetle to the Rabbit to the Golf, Volkswagen has long made affordable, practical cars that those with smaller budgets can afford. Now they're aiming that prowess at the EV market with the unveiling of their ID EVERY1. The concept car is intended to make the transition in … | Continue reading
There isn't much design in your average bike pump: It's a plunger, a hose and a couple of wimpy feet you step on to stabilize the base. And the hose has no place to dock when the pump isn't in use.In contrast this Zilch pump, by a startup called Radian, was designed with a heavy … | Continue reading
Today most of us use keyboards, whether physical or touchscreen, to conduct our business and personal lives. We all know the keyboard emerged from the typewriter, a machine that revolutionized business in the 19th and 20th centuries, and you could be forgiven for assuming that th … | Continue reading
We were working on one of life's most vexing problems: where to put your shoes. You can line them up like a baseboard of shoes, but good luck keeping that looking nice. You can have a shelf or hang them from the door, but that's a bit too prominent in any room. And where do you s … | Continue reading
Final Deadline for 2025 is March 25th at 9 PM EST—get to work on your entry now with the help of this guide.Receiving an honor in the Core77 Design Awards takes a little more than just an exceptional design project—it requires turning that exceptional project into an entry that w … | Continue reading
To anyone who pays an energy bill, harvesting free power from the sun sounds attractive. But solar remains prohibitively expensive, at least in the U.S. The up-front cost of the panels and the installation mean the overall savings take years or decades to accrue, which is too lon … | Continue reading
Here's what we looked at this week:Specialty tools: Cascade Designs' snow saw for safety and shelter. Chery's wild living-room-on-wheels vehicle concept.Industrial designer and innovation leader Kevin Bethune's new "Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction" … | Continue reading
The comedian Colin Quinn jokes that reaction videos have become popular because we are now too lazy to even react to things. Better to watch someone else do it than expend the energy.I thought of that when I saw this robot bicycle, which at the moment appears to have no function … | Continue reading
This case study is pretty light on details, but I'm including it because when I first saw the product—a designey tool set aimed at consumers, not tradespeople—I was curious as to who designed it. The answer is: Industrial design firm Doris Dev. Here's what they had to say about t … | Continue reading
When it comes to cutting sheet metal, roofers have a plethora of tools to choose from. And all have their drawbacks. Handheld snips are reliable, but cause fatigue over long runs. Electric shears and nibblers are faster, but create waste in the form of curlicue shavings and meta … | Continue reading
As we saw with his Smoke Glass, Italian industrial designer Joe Colombo loved smoking and drinking. And, apparently, poker; he designed this Poker Table in 1968. A precursor to the gaming tables of today, the table featured four flip-out wings that allowed players to stack an add … | Continue reading
Niigata, Japan gets a lot of snow. Way back in the 1960s, they figured out a way to keep the roads clear of snow without requiring plows. Groundwater warmed by geothermal heat is pumped through a network of pipes below the road surface, and sprayed onto the asphalt using sprinkle … | Continue reading
While there's nothing funny about car accidents or the message behind Gaetano Pesce's UP 5 chair, designed in 1969, this anecdote is worth telling. First off, the UP 5 chair. The curvaceous form is meant to represent the popular idealization of women's bodies—and it's attached to … | Continue reading
As the 1950s became the '60s, a new automotive phenomenon was emerging: The sports car. In 1960 Chevrolet broke the 10,000-unit production milestone for their Corvette, the first time that automotive niche had reached five figures. Up until that point, automobiles in America were … | Continue reading
If there's a category of furniture I never think about, it's cloakroom furniture. But these pieces caught my eye. They're the stock-in-trade of Dalform, a Swedish company that sells to schools, hospitals, gyms, sporting venues, businesses and institutions. The powder-coated finis … | Continue reading
These bFRIENDS Power Modules, by British industrial design firm Pearson Lloyd, challenge your idea of what a power strip is supposed to look like—and how they're made. As the firm explains:"Traditionally produced using highly tooled, multi-material assemblies, the bFRIENDS pow … | Continue reading
Curious about design awards but have not yet made a decision to enter? Here is the guidance you may be looking for to present your team's work to a jury. If you are reading this unconvinced of the merit of entering a design awards program, please let us to take a moment to remind … | Continue reading
In just a matter of years, quadrotor drones have gone from consumer playthings to CIA-level technology. Drone manufacturer DJI's Dock 3 moves well beyond the consumer sector, targeting emergency responders and infrastructure inspectors. The "drone-in-a-box" system allows the comp … | Continue reading
Peak Design, the B-Corp known for producing well-designed bags, has made their first foray into proper luggage. Their new Roller Pro Carry-On was designed from the ground up, without relying on off-the-shelf hardware. The designers first looked at the telescoping handles common t … | Continue reading
An avalanche can literally go from 0-60 within seconds. The impact of the onrushing snow is enough to break bones and cause internal injuries. hould you survive those but be buried, you'll run out of air within 15 minutes.This is why avalanche forecasters exist. These men and wom … | Continue reading
Chinese auto manufacturer Chery is teasing this concept vehicle, which is either called the Fulwin Jinyun SMPV or the Journeo; the messaging is unclear, as there's been no official press release from the company. It was reportedly designed at the company's Advanced Design Centr … | Continue reading
Industrial designer and innovation leader Kevin Bethune, the founder and Chief Creative Office of design think-tank dreams • design + life, has written a new book. His first, "Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation," explored the strategic values of design beyond aest … | Continue reading
Enzo Mari introduced his Autoprogettazione movement back in 1974, encouraging DIY furniture making. Today, five decades later, German company 1x1 Systems continues the movement with a digital twist, providing 3D print files for objects you can assemble and complete yourself.This … | Continue reading
Thyrm is an American company founded by Andrew Frazier, a former medical device designer. Frazier has shifted course towards designing tactical gear, like this DarkVault 2.0. It's a chest-mounted rig for holding smartphones, designed to be used in "austere" environments encounter … | Continue reading
These images are by L.A.-based artist Joshua Vides.As it turns out, they're more than just images:Vides wraps each car in vinyl, then hand paints them to create the Pop Art / comic book / A-Ha video aesthetic. The cars were featured in Vides' solo show, Check Engine Light, whi … | Continue reading
The Core77 Design Awards Tools category features consumer products only. It includes products or services designed for individual use with the intention of improving efficiency and productivity, supporting craft, making, and personal building. Examples include: hardware tools, pr … | Continue reading
This gorgeous piece of industrial design is by Grau, a German lighting company whose motto is "Light should be a poem."The lamp is called Fire Table, and Grau's designers have really sweated the details:The shade is made from mouth-blown glass. The lamp's body is aluminum, in you … | Continue reading
It's been a few years since we asked "Why are wi-fi routers so darned ugly?" This Vibrant WiFi router, by Seoul-based industrial design firm Intenxiv, aims to change that. "Wireless internet routers have traditionally been hidden away due to their unconventional shapes, limited … | Continue reading
Although Phillip Potthast has been reading Core77 since his time as an industrial design student, he never anticipated that he might one day appear in its pages talking about bees. "I was more into automotive and car design, actually," he reminisces. "And I've just pivoted, one h … | Continue reading
This surprising Bubble Stool is by Studio Ololoo, a Ningbo, China-based design firm. At first glance it appears to be aluminum, and it might take you a second to spot the unusual seat: The stool is in fact made of painted wood. The captured, inflated seat is made from thermoplast … | Continue reading
We've seen offset-leg cantilevered side tables before, but Humanscale's Float Micro offers a trick that many don't: Height adjustability. The leg presumably contains a spring or hydraulic piston, as the unit is unpowered. The base is available in a flat Glide version or up on l … | Continue reading