You undoubtedly know this chair, the Eames Plywood Chair LCW (Lounge Chair Wood):These days they're undoubtedly made in a fancy press, but you might be wondering how Charles and Ray managed to mold the plywood back in the '40s. The answer, according to Vitra, is this thing below, … | Continue reading
Radio manufacturer and American Red Cross partner Etón has been manufacturing shortwave units since 1986. And for their latest, the Elite 750, they dug deep in the 1980s design aesthetic crates:Metal knobs with tick marks, an analog signal gauge, hard-edged metallic rectilinear b … | Continue reading
We thought this was an early April Fool's gag, but it appears to be real. Dyson has announced the Zone, a set of noise-canceling headphones with a sort of mandible that covers your mouth. That mandible delivers purified air, sucked in from the headphones and filtered, into the vi … | Continue reading
At some point, architect Yusuke Oono realized what all designers of spaces do: That he designs "not a specific shape, but a system of products." Extrapolating on this, he applied the insight to creating a new sort of flipbook or pop-up book. Expressing that "Snow White's entire s … | Continue reading
If you've ever sustained a rib or back injury, then tried to use a toilet, you've experienced how a commonplace task can become embarrassingly difficult. Those recovering from surgery may find the same, and a segment of our population lives with, or ages into, permanent mobility … | Continue reading
With Instagram now banned in Russia, some 80 million users are unable to access the app. Thus Russian app developers Alexandr Tokarev and Ivan Semkin say they're launching a sad (as in melancholy) alternative to the app this week, called Grustnogram. "Grustno" in Russian translat … | Continue reading
In an effort to make them look "magical," designers of your average wireless charging pad give them a monolithic look. Which typically means, good luck taking it apart if it ever needs to be fixed.London-based design studio Blond decries this. "Last year, research by the European … | Continue reading
Most of you who do hand renderings have a rack or drawer filled with markers/pencils of different colors. But what if you had to render using just a single color, where the only variation was the texture laid down by the drawing implement? That's the concept behind "Texture Sketc … | Continue reading
Architect Kei Endo has a fascinating hobby: While traveling, she measures and sketches her hotel rooms, including the furniture and objects within them, in great detail… …draws them up with a Rapidograph……and renders them in watercolor. The results are stunning:Endo posts updates … | Continue reading
Lauryn Menard and Baillie Mishler from Prowl Studio will discuss the need for change and why that is so important, and share their knowledge and experience to arm you with advocacy touch points aimed at promoting awareness and communicating the value of more sustainable design de … | Continue reading
Perhaps nostalgia among music lovers with money is strong. Bang & Olufsen generated strong buzz by selling refurbished versions of their old classic, the Beogram 4000 turntable from decades past. Now guitar manufacturer Gibson has also dug into their archives, and decided to prod … | Continue reading
I bought some radishes at the supermarket and they came with this unusual tag. It's like a tag was co-molded with a rubber band. I figured there's no way this is recyclable. However, on the back there's this:So I checked it out. This ElastiTag is apparently used not only by farms … | Continue reading
While Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, factories in unaffected areas continue to run. They have to. "We need work," says Roman, a factory line leader for consumer electronics manufacturer Linedock, which has facilities in western Ukraine. "We have mouths to feed and bills to … | Continue reading
Yeti's dominance of the cooler market has forced incumbent brands to up their design games. One of Igloo's efforts in this arena is the Trailmate, a rugged and wheeled cooler loaded "with design details that serve an important purpose," according to the company:Relatively large ( … | Continue reading
It's a small step towards more personalized car interiors, but Peugeot has announced they're selling digitally-fabricated storage inserts for their 308 model. Created by Peugeot's Design, Product and Research & Development teams, the line consists of a sunglasses holder, a can ho … | Continue reading
None other than Issey Miyake designed these polpropylene stackable storage totes, for Japanese storage goods manufacturer Likeit.The ribbed walls confer strength, and the handles are rated for 100kg (220 lbs.).Due to the diamond-shaped protrusions on the feet, the boxes are stack … | Continue reading
The Storm Lamp is a Limited Edition Designer lamp made in Ukraine. Made from laser cut plywood, its design is reminiscent of the unbeatable Ukrainian spirit, shining through chaos. All profits generated are donated to NGOs providing humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine.View … | Continue reading
A research collaboration between the California Institute of Technology and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University has yielded "structured fabrics with tunable mechanical properties." What that boils down to is a material that can be as flexible and wearable as fabric, yet … | Continue reading
Here's an example of how an experienced industrial designer can connect two disparate industries for mutual benefit. Michael DiTullo, who cut his teeth designing sneakers for Nike, now runs his own ID firm. Among his current clients are Kirei USA, a California-based manufacturer … | Continue reading
This walnut and copper baby's crib, from French design studio Noir Vif, is absolutely stunning:Unusually, its mission goes well beyond giving the baby a place to swaddle:"Argo is a crib made of fine walnut and copper, carefully combined to shield an infant from damaging electroma … | Continue reading
This seems like such an unlikely object: The Nomad Grill is a portable charcoal-fired barbecue grill with a briefcase form factor. Made of cast aluminum and weighing 28 pounds, the manufacturer says the multi-layer construction means the outside doesn't get very hot, so you can s … | Continue reading
Ford has filed a patent for a "Pet Mode" feature, presumably for their electric Lightning truck, that will mimic Tesla's Dog Mode.Tesla's Dog Mode, rolled out in 2019, essentially does this:When activated, Tesla's system draws on the battery array to keep the climate either heate … | Continue reading
The middle class buy suits off-the-rack. The wealthy have tailors create custom garments. It was the same with car purchases, a century ago; the masses bought Model T's, whereas the rich purchased a "rolling chassis" (including the engine and mechanical underpinnings) from an aut … | Continue reading
Copenhagen-based design and research lab Space10 have set their sights on Mexico City as the hub for an onsite, two-week pop-up, "Beyond Human-Centered Design," beginning on March 26th and lasting through April 9th. The pop-up, held at exhibition space LOOT, will combine talks, i … | Continue reading
Copenhagen-based design and research lab Space10 have set their sights on Mexico City as the hub for an onsite, two-week pop-up, "Beyond Human-Centered Design," beginning on March 26th and lasting through April 9th. The pop-up, held at exhibition space LOOT, will combine talks, i … | Continue reading
"Compact, hyper-functional and space saving" is how Swiss manufacturer Kitchoo describes their K6 Pocket Kitchen. The diminutive K6 houses a sink, a two-burner induction stovetop, a refrigerator with an internal freezer unit, a storage drawer and a larger bottom drawer that can b … | Continue reading
My eyeglasses have photochromic lenses, which seemed like a good idea when I bought them. They're handy while driving, but a real pain in the neck when you're constantly going in and out of a building. I work from home on a farm, and occasionally have to step outside to deal with … | Continue reading
I've got your standard pull-down unfolding attic steps, and they kind of suck. I mean the engineering is clever but the UX is poor. Years ago we looked at this alternative Concertina Ladder design:It doesn't seem to be much of an improvement, and that was back in 2009, so I just … | Continue reading
Doogee is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer you've never heard of. But their latest offering, the S98, shows that their designers are trying to do something different from the competition, and attempting to improve the UX of their target market. First off, they've made the S98 so … | Continue reading
Ikea has unveiled a surprisingly designey take on the Bluetooth speaker, and I can't stop looking at it.Called VAPPEBY, the Darth-Vader's-helmet-like form resembles a mushroom or lantern, and does indeed illuminate; the indoor/outdoor speaker's hood keeps water off of the speaker … | Continue reading
One of the biggest luxuries of today's time is eating fresh, organic and healthy food. We are a hydroponic farm solution startup based in India, striving to create sustainable, simplified and innovative farming solutions for urban farmers so that growing clean, healthy and residu … | Continue reading
Here's an example of an unattractive, absurd but undeniably useful remedial object, designed to make up for a flaw in another object. The Flip-It Bottle Emptying Kit is a series of plastic gewgaws designed to let gravity evacuate the last drop of product out of a bottle.The tripo … | Continue reading
There is something tragic about this product design, speaking as it does about how we spend our days and in what environments. But I see why it's doing well on Kickstarter. The Monitree is a series of plastic tubes designed to cover the top and edges your monitor. It can be fille … | Continue reading
The last time we looked at Reekon Tools was in "When MIT Engineers Design a Power Tool Accessory." Now the ME mad men are back with another digital take on a long-analog object, in this case the tape measure. And while I'm instantly skeptical of things like this, I have to say th … | Continue reading
Prior to the advent of AR technology, if you wanted to become a sneaker designer, you had to do it the hard way.In this day and age, artist Zachary Kroll is using AR to do it the digital way. Kroll designs sneakers as filters, then gives them out for free on Snapchat. The results … | Continue reading
Casio has released striking images of their latest G-Shock update, the titanium GMW-B5000TVB. An addition to the full-metal GMW-B5000 line, the new model strikes me as mecha-inspired; for their part, the company calls the new aesthetic a "geometric camouflage design" meant to ev … | Continue reading
During the pandemic Sean Kim ordered one of Noguchi's Akari table lamps. It didn't survive the shipping process; the paper shade arrived torn. Kim asked the retailer for a replacement, which they sent. But he also happened to be studying Industrial Design at Pratt, and decided to … | Continue reading
LÔTELI is a brand name trademarked in 2018, for the purpose of selling empty cosmetics bags. But the entrepreneurs behind it, Laura Dorson and Nathalie De Clercq, quickly found a more lucrative use for transparent PVC: Novelty pool floats.Their $60 Classic Cassette is a pretty fa … | Continue reading
This L1 Switch System seems to be more of a concept than a workable prototype, but demonstrates a willingness to question existing systems. Done by Maurice Mischo while studying Product Design at Germany's Saar University of Fine Arts, the L1 asks whether some power outlets, i.e. … | Continue reading
Vermont-based Inventor Matty Benedetto has prototyped hundreds of objects at his so-called Unnecessary Design Studio. Benedetto's schtick—"unnecessary inventions"—always yields amusing objects, but in this case, I believe many parents wouldn't find this one unnecessary. He's inve … | Continue reading
I have some issues with the design of this, but I cannot fault the intent. This is a dog run created by TANK, a design/build firm run by architect Naritake Fukumoto."This project was started for dogs that were sheltered and taken care of by an animal protection group," they write … | Continue reading
"Walls do more than just separate spaces," writes furniture designer Junichiro Oshima. He's speaking specifically of his A Wall line of furniture, which relies on a vertical plane to provide the third and fourth legs of each piece."[It provides a place to put] your favorite poste … | Continue reading
For my design job I use a $2,000 Leica Geosystems laser to measure interior and exterior spaces. It's an amazing tool, but it can be fiddly, and it requires I do detailed drawings of the space first, so I have a place to scribble the numbers down.My approach is fine for residenti … | Continue reading
With COVID risks receding, we're going to be left with a rash of pandemic-based objects that may or may not make it through history. Some supermarkets are removing their plastic shields, and I assume people stopped buying objects like that brass Hygiene Hand (which wound up landi … | Continue reading
NYC-based furniture designer Yuki Iriyama Gray is fully capable of building conventional furniture with a twist on it. Below are two examples in his Aero Bench and Shoji Table: But as you go into his more recent work, you find some wonderfully experimental stuff. His Dygnet Chair … | Continue reading
The trend in outdoor furniture design, at least in the U.S., seems to be "Plastic things that look like wood." In contrast Egli Studio, a Swiss ID firm, has created a much more appealing offering with their Easy Aluminium system of tables and benches:The units ship flatpacked. Ev … | Continue reading
Years ago I learned two things about working at a Japanese corporation that Americans would find weird:1. Upon being hired, it's not unusual to start by being sent to a live-in corporate training facility for a year or more, where you'd live in a company dormitory.2. After comple … | Continue reading
We looked at portable drill stands here. For those that cannot afford the Wabeco, which looked like the best of the bunch, UK-based woodworker and timber framer Francis Barnett shows you his DIY rig:Of course, it does require you to find a drill with that lathe attachment, or mak … | Continue reading