People love to hate Elon Musk, so everyone's crowing that SpaceX's recent Starship test ended in flames. But you cannot ignore the incredible overall success that SpaceX is; they've launched over 3,500 satellites at a fraction of what NASA's cost would have been, changing the gam … | Continue reading
Earlier we looked at the Draft Top Lift, an invention that neatly beheads aluminum beer cans, so you can sip from them. Now the company behind it is Kickstarting the Draft Top Pro, a heavy-duty countertop unit for commercial use.At first this seemed silly to me, but the more I th … | Continue reading
If you've been following our series on transitioning from ID to UX, you've already read about what makes a good UX designer and the various career pathways available to IDers interested in UX design. Now, you may be wondering how to prepare for this transition. In this article, w … | Continue reading
It's not the most elegantly designed object, but Japanese cutting tool company Olfa's BTC-1/DX offers flexibility through multiple blade positions.The tool can be used as a scraper……and the rotating head comes in handy in situations where your hand would get in the way.However, t … | Continue reading
This seems more like a prop in a sci-fi movie, but apparently it's real. This Light-Up Chess Set has pieces that are individually illuminated from within, though they're battery-free.Developed by Lithuania-based startup Masteek, each piece contains an LED that uses wireless induc … | Continue reading
Swedish automotive brand Polestar has unveiled their new Polestar 4, which they say takes "a fundamental new approach to SUV coupé design." This involves introducing a rather radical design feature, or design omission: While vehicle rear windows have been shrinking for years, Pol … | Continue reading
For those looking to Ride the Lightning in style, Austrian audiophile equipment manufacturer Pro-Ject makes this limited edition Metallica turntable. "The solid mirror-finished MDF plinth screams 'metal' and is uniquely shaped into the Metallica 'Ninja Star' logo, which is made f … | Continue reading
Swiss industrial designer Renaud Defrancesco designed this handsome, adjustable Spot lamp."Spot is a new lamp using two LED spotlights that play with direct and indirect light. The walls and the ceiling can be used as reflectors. A beautiful light is created.""By using a standard … | Continue reading
Does this object say more about the state of modern manufacturing, or human psychology? A startup called Formify is attempting to Kickstart customized computer mice based on your exact hand. "Simply submit a picture of your hand and we'll generate the ideal mouse," the company wr … | Continue reading
While I don't have much use for generalized tool racks like this, I'm guessing this category of object will become the next craze for that nonportable portion of the EDC market.This tool storage rack checks all the boxes: Looks rugged; made of aluminum, sandblasted prior to anodi … | Continue reading
In the 1940s, America commissioned crucial cargo-carrying "Liberty Ships" for the World War II effort. Hundreds of these 10,500-ton behemoths were needed, but took forever to build: The first took Kaiser Shipyards 253 days to construct. Worse, German U-Boats kept sinking them, me … | Continue reading
Thomas Povey is a rocket scientist. Raghav Agarwal comes from a family that's manufactured cookware for generations. The two met at Oxford University, where Agarwal attained an MBA and Povey is a professor, and the two figured out an unusual way to combine their respective backgr … | Continue reading
This week Lincoln unveiled their redesigned 2024 Nautilus, bringing some design pride back to Detroit, versus what the competition is doing. Not only do I think it's the only credible American competitor in the midsize luxury SUV space, I think it's the best-looking. A midsize SU … | Continue reading
This Bill lamp, by French/British industrial designer Stefanie Kay, is a handsome, manually-adjustable lamp with an aesthetic that draws from a previous decade."Bill is inspired by the lights of the '70s. It is entirely made of ceramic." "Its head is easy to rotate and enables th … | Continue reading
BMW's new XM and XM Label Red have a non-divisive design that everyone will love! Ah, just kidding.Edelkrone's tiny PhoneClip connects any smartphone, with or without a case, to any tripod.Veteran industrial designer Boris Berlin designed this rolling carry-on with a flax-based h … | Continue reading
Even successful companies have failed designs in their product archives. In 2016 camera motion control company Edelkrone--whose gear generally draws rave reviews--had a swing-and-a-miss with their Povie, a neck-mounted smartphone holder. (As for the name, think "POV.") The idea w … | Continue reading
Special thanks to reader Mark Østergaard. When we spotted these mystery constructions and asked for help identifying them……Østergaard, an industrial designer and engineer, knew what they were, where they were and who designed them. Based on the information Østergaard provided, we … | Continue reading
After cyclist Guillaume Bedard injured his shoulder in a BMX competition, he found himself unable to load his bike onto his car's bike rack. Bedard subsequently designed and patented the BIKEeRACK, a motorized bicycle rack that allows users to load bicycles that exceed their lift … | Continue reading
Augmental Technologies, an MIT Media Lab spin-off based in San Francisco, has developed a Bluetooth mouse designed to be worn inside your mouth. The mouthpiece is fitted over the user's upper teeth in the manner of a mouthguard, and a tongue-sensitive trackpad rests against the r … | Continue reading
The crew over at our sister-site Coroflot has started up a series of articles for companies and teams looking to hire designers. Recruiting for creative roles is the same as for many other positions within an organization, but there are important differences they are exploring. T … | Continue reading
While studying Furniture Design at the UK's Oxford Brookes University, Christoph Kurzmann learned the school was refurbishing a number of dorms. Some 250 student bedrooms were to be demolished, and all of the furniture—intact though it was—was headed for landfill. Determined to p … | Continue reading
"Founded on Danish design principles," Lindberg is an eyewear brand formed by architect Henrik Lindberg and his father Poul-Jørn Lindberg, an optometrist. Since 1986 the brand has prided themselves on producing ultra-lightweight frames with a number of unique, patented hinges."Yo … | Continue reading
It's never too late to switch careers into industrial design. Michael Dziewior is a marketing consulting with both a Bachelors and Masters in International Entrepreneurship, Management and Marketing, but after founding his own company and spending eight years in the workforce, he … | Continue reading
On a trip to Indonesia, industrial designer Julian Reuter spotted some rattan handicrafts at a local market. He was fascinated by the pliability of the material. Imagine, for instance, achieving these kinds of bends with conventional timber:Upon returning home to Germany, Reuter … | Continue reading
These images are from an Instagram account with no info, nor links. Judging by the post immediately before, it may have been taken on a trip through Denmark: I'm dying to know, was that cast in one piece, with the base being buried? Who made this, and why? Where exactly is this? … | Continue reading
When I moved to this farm from New York City, I didn't even know what these were:Now I use these food covers daily, from roughly April to September. There are flies everywhere on a farm, and I leave eaten-off-of dishes out all day, re-using them for each meal, so that I have less … | Continue reading
This is a great concept by Oscar Parkinson, a Product & Furniture Design student at London's Kingston University."Kitchen Counters are small analogue devices that record the amount of use you get out of your electronic goods. They aim to help us develop an appreciation for how mu … | Continue reading
After her mother passed away, Icelandic industrial designer Dögg Guðmundsdóttir "bought a well designed coffin for [her], that was soon after burned away" in the cremation ceremony. A few months later, Guðmundsdóttir purchased a new bed for her father. Experiencing these two thin … | Continue reading
In Denmark, "Folding stools were initially introduced as an intellectual challenge," writes architectural technology company Bimbear, "which demonstrated the ingenuity of Danish designers and manufacturers to experiment with comfortable, convenient forms of seating. Several foldi … | Continue reading
For those seeking less plastic in their luggage: This carry-on, from Denmark-based sustainable travel goods brand Kin, features a flax-based hard shell. Designed by veteran industrial designer Boris Berlin, the suitcase is water- (and heat-) resistant, despite its fabric-like loo … | Continue reading
I'm not sure what to call BMW's current design approach: Statement-based automotive design? Their new XM, a plug-in hybrid SUV, seems like a collection of discrete design statements that look interesting individually--but do not relate to one another to create a cohesive vehicle … | Continue reading
Turkish company Edelkrone makes innovative camera motion control systems: Sliders, dollies, jibs, camera stands, et cetera.Depending on what you're looking for, an Edelkrone setup can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, as they're aimed at professionals with profession … | Continue reading
We explained the production method of reaction injection molding and its applications, and linked to some resources if you're interested in designing parts made with RIM. Covestro tapped industrial designer Thomas Schnur to design a chair using their new Arfinio material.Madrid-b … | Continue reading
It's a real bummer when you're walking along a nice, sandy beach…and you spot cigarette butts in the sand. Dutch industrial designer Chris Thistle wanted to do something about it, and designed this Cleanbeach beach ashtray out of biodegradable cardboard."The beach ashtray sifts t … | Continue reading
Industrial designer Eric Fields worked at Bould Design, Ammunition and Logitech before starting his own firm. But after nearly five years of independence, he was lured back to an in-house position by one of his clients, Lightship, where Fields is now Principal Designer.Lightship … | Continue reading
It's been over a year since Bear Robotics' Servi robot began appearing in U.S. restaurants, and now the design's been updated.South Korean industrial design consultancy BKID has upgraded the Servi with a larger capacity and payload, a wraparound dot-matrix-style LED display for c … | Continue reading
Design Speculations is a monthly feature that rounds up the latest news and postulates on what it implies for the future of design.The closeout of March means the end of 2023's first quarter, and technological advancements in that span of time have surprised even those with a han … | Continue reading
The Hidealoo is a space-saving, disappearing toilet that lives inside of a cabinet, and is only meant to be seen while in use:It was invented by British design engineer Monty Ravenscroft, whose father's health issues required installing a toilet in his bedroom; Ravenscroft, who's … | Continue reading
This Aurea set of objects is by veteran industrial designer Ernest Perera. It consists of a dish drying rack, a cup drying rack and a wine bottle rack, all of them flatpack. I could see the set being useful in a camper van, where you're trying to minimize the space things take up … | Continue reading
If you've watched the movie "Air," you know that the release of the first Air Jordans reversed Nike's then-declining sales, earning $126 million in their first year. Millions of people will see the movie. It's a shame that this video below, about how sneakers are actually manufac … | Continue reading
Industrial designers often think of UX as taking part during the customers' ongoing relationship with the product. Package designers, however, have to consider that UX must be factored in at the point of sale. A good example of this is a recently-reversed package design decision … | Continue reading
As marijuana becomes decriminalized and/or legalized, how long until we start seeing pot vending machines? It does raise the question of how they'd be packaged: Loose? Rolled? While cigarettes come 20 to a pack, somehow that figure sounds high (no pun intended) for a pack of join … | Continue reading
Industrial design consultancy Formworks designed this rolling carry-on for luggage manufacturer Barmes. The Barmes Freebase, as it's called, is meant to double as both luggage and mobile office."The upper compartment lets you access your passport, chargers, electronics and toilet … | Continue reading
To paraphrase an old industrial design saying, I'd argue that no one wants a flashlight; what people want is convenient portable illumination. In the quest to provide it, designers have experimented with different form factors over the decades. Each brings its own UX drawbacks:- … | Continue reading
"Pretentious" is how veteran industrial designer Christoph Böninger describes the classic clothes valet, which is also colloquially called a Silent Servant. "The classic rung ladder works just as well," he says. Thus Böninger designed this Silent Ladder:"[The goal was] to change … | Continue reading
If you found this object, would you know what it was?If you answered yes, perhaps you worked food service in Italy. That stainless steel contraption is one half of a pair that come with this Classic Sandwich Toaster, made by Italy's MilanToast, which has been around since 1948.Wh … | Continue reading
Here's a design flaw, or at least a UX drawback, of the traditional surgical scalpel: Changing the blade requires using a separate tool, like a pair of forceps. Here's a medical professional's quick demonstration of how to change a scalpel blade:However Bayha, a German company th … | Continue reading
This Smart screwdriver handle features a swivel mechanism, allowing you to switch from standard configuration to T-handle.The handle has been shaped both for ergonomics and to not roll on a flat surface. It's by German tool manufacturer Felo, which has been making tools since 187 … | Continue reading