As we've written before, desks don't often come with drawers these days, and designers have compensated by creating new types of storage objects. A case in point is this Salto product, by industrial designer Tilla Goldberg of the Ippolito Fleitz Group:"SALTO is a paper piece of f … | Continue reading
Several years ago, Norwegian scientist and photography enthusiast Victor Henning had a problem: He found that his smartphone could take incredible images, "but in decisive moments, I missed the speed and precision of my real camera." The slippery smartphone form factor isn't idea … | Continue reading
This is an antique stool I own. My dog Kit liked scratching it when he was a puppy.Kit passed away earlier this year, and I'll never repair the finish.Cat owners with sofas know pet damage well. Cat owner Stephanie Louise showed her kintsugi-style embroidery repair technique on s … | Continue reading
Tactile Craftworks is a leather goods company founded by Sarah Heck and Anna Warren. The two have backgrounds in making theater props, but transitioned to leatherworking. Both lovers of travel, they specialize in producing cartography-inspired leather goods. Among their offerings … | Continue reading
When I lived in Japan, everyone carried what's known as a hanko, a personal seal that serves as your signature. When filling out paperwork at the bank, for instance, the bank provides a red inkpad and you stamp your hanko to authorize the document.The high-end hanko below is call … | Continue reading
As a pragmatist this object shouldn't appeal to me, but good gosh it does. This Round Tissue Box was designed by FDS (Form Design Studio). It loads from the side and is made out of iron."The cylindrical holder, which floats slightly above the desk, is made of 3.2mm thick iron, a … | Continue reading
In 2008, Australian industrial designer Andrew Smith was at a summer barbecue. Anyone who's eaten outside will recognize what he observed that day: "Our beautifully prepared food was being bombarded at almost every instant by a swarm of pesky flies." Smith subsequently invented t … | Continue reading
In the 1970s and '80s, handheld electronic games became a thing. This will be difficult for the current generation to understand, but each object contained only a single game; these were not consoles with interchangeable media. (Imagine buying a laptop that could only run one app … | Continue reading
It's nice to be able to learn which industrial design firm created a ubiquitous object. I've discovered the GoDaddy Poynt Smart Terminal, which you've surely interacted with, was done by ID firm Bould Design. The San-Francisco-based firm is headed up by double-threat Fred Bould ( … | Continue reading
Here's what we looked at this week:Outside the box thinking: A one-legged camping table.Nodo Inertia Wheels: An ergonomically superior interface design for camera operators. Package design problem? Oshun's electrolyte concentrate resembles boutique cosmetics.From Italy, a rob … | Continue reading
FORX is a New-Zealand-based manufacturer of cranks for EMTBs, or electric mountain bikes. Australian ID firm 4Design was called in to develop FORX's products."In the rapidly emerging world of electric-assisted mountain bikes," 4Design points out, "many components have been inheri … | Continue reading
Here's what we looked at this week:Som, by industrial designer Eva Dugintseva, is an easy-to-assemble 3D printed chair. Industrial Design student work: Chiara Torterolo's MedGum is an alternative to traditional drug delivery systems.ID studio Intenxiv reveals the tons of mock … | Continue reading
A decade ago, the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky suffered a bizarre incident: A massive sinkhole opened up beneath the museum's Skydome, swallowing eight rare Corvettes. Thankfully it happened after hours. (The security camera footage of it is here.) Weirdly, the freak eve … | Continue reading
Here's an object category I had no idea existed: Floating coolers. These are apparently popular among people with swimming pools, people who vacation on lakes, and kayak campers. (The latter category travel to their campsite by kayak, carrying their camping gear on-board.) Being … | Continue reading
It has come to our attention that this ChillBeam cordless lamp, by a Wyoming-based manufacturer of the same name, is actually a knockoff.Chillbeam, a knockoffIt is a shamelessly direct copy of the Africa lamp, designed by industrial designer Francisco Gomez Paz in 2022. Paz's ori … | Continue reading
An eyewear company called Chamelo has developed electrochromic sunglasses that can instantly change tint level or color. Check out their Dusk model:Their tint-adjustable Music Shield (so named because it has built-in speakers): Their color-changing Euphoria model can cycle throug … | Continue reading
Core77 has partnered with the Design Intelligence Award (DIA)to promote the organizations Call for Entry. Final Deadline to enter is July 14, 2024. Enter now using this exclusive invitation code US2024-LBJ9RIU. The Design Intelligence Award (DIA) is an international competition c … | Continue reading
Some years ago, Nendo participated in an exhibition where designers were asked to create bottles for defunct perfume brands."We were asked to undertake the perfume named Fandango by Koehler, which gained popularity in Russia in the 19th century. However, apart from the image of t … | Continue reading
Orthoses are medical devices that provide support to the patient's body. This unusual orthosis was designed by Luke Hale, a doctor in the UK. Hale founded a company called Pi-A Health, which uses technology to assist with patient recovery. "I designed a new way of making orthoses … | Continue reading
I can't decide if the proportions are right or wrong here. That keeps my eyes stuck on this oddly appealing ChillBeam, a cordless lamp by a Wyoming-based manufacturer of the same name.Made of powder-coated aluminum, the USB-C-rechargeable lamp delivers warm 2700K light for up to … | Continue reading
The CMF Phone 1, by upstart brand Nothing, features two unusual (for a smartphone) physical design characteristics.First off, it actually comes with a little screwdriver. That's because the back is held on with honest-to-god screws you can undo. I'd thought this might be for main … | Continue reading
Duane Gitzel is a Canadian industrial mechanic. He's also a talented design entrepreneur who launched a business called 3 Five Design, which allows him to make money in a relatively risk-free way while also indulging his passion. "I'm a small time Digital Creator for 3D Printing, … | Continue reading
The CX20 is a portable shelter that combines "the adaptability of a tent, with the durability of campers," according to manufacturer CMAX System Inc. Originally designed to house refugees, the units fold up to just 37" in width, making them easy to transport. Once on-site, the s … | Continue reading
If you're a dedicated follower, complete newbie, or somewhere in between, Core77 wants to hear from you! It's been a while since we ran one of these reader surveys so we're pulling out all the stops, splashing money on expensive branding — see below — and $50 Apple gift cards for … | Continue reading
These tree stake support bands are for tying plants or saplings to stakes, so that they'll grow straight.They might seem to be glorified zip-ties, but they have more design in them. The crosswise ribs stand off of the plant, steadying it without strangling it, and lock into the c … | Continue reading
Estonia-based artist Aleks Melnyk makes metal stencils for a living. He has literally hundreds of offerings, with the most visually interesting (to me) being his Astrological & Alchemical Symbols series… …and his Nordic & Celtic Symbols series: As for the application, they're fo … | Continue reading
This month a new law went into effect in the EU, requiring that all plastic bottles (up to 3 liters) incorporate tethered cap designs. The initiative is meant 1) to reduce litter (plastic bottle caps are reportedly the most-littered object on EU beaches), and to ensure that caps … | Continue reading
Jeweler and silversmith Kathryn Reid gained her degree at the Edinburgh College of Art. After graduating, she returned to her family's farm in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. There she was able to combine two of her passions, jewelrymaking and animals. Reid's unique offering are t … | Continue reading
Clara Mu He is pursuing her Masters in Architecture at Harvard's GSD. Her thesis project asks: "How to (un)build a house?" Mu He seeks to design a reversible framing system, using strapping rather than fasteners."In recent decades, as we recognize that our extractive practices ar … | Continue reading
South Korean industrial design studio Intenxiv designed this Airshot U Plasma hair dryer. The distinctive looped handle was designed to be "more comfortable to use by the general consumer while meeting the requirements of professional hair designers," the studio writes.As you can … | Continue reading
This MedGum concept is by Chiara Torterolo, done while pursuing her Masters in Product Design at ECAL. Unusually for student work, particularly in the medical products subspecialty, Torterolo's target is the form of medication itself:MedGum: Effective Alternative to Traditional D … | Continue reading
This cleverly designed Som chair is by industrial designer Eva Dugintseva. It's made from recycled polystyrene and was produced on a Kuka 3D printer. The chair doesn't require any fasteners to assemble; you simply slide the parts together.Model: Finished Product: "It can be used … | Continue reading
Here's what we looked at this week:The Nike x Hyperice Vest offers on-body climate control for athletes.The Windsible is a desktop wind tunnel for toy cars. Ronan Bouroullec's humble Maasto Dining Chair is made of pine and pine plywood.Teaser for a beautiful Ross Lovegrove de … | Continue reading
Quite a bit of design has gone into this Demi Next stroller, by baby products brand Nuna.This is the base of the system. The mounting position for the infant carrier is relatively high, to ease eye contact between the pusher and the baby. The angle is adjustable. The infant carri … | Continue reading
ID consultancy Bluemap Design was hired by Squid, a startup that had an idea for the bathroom."Shower curtains are a hassle to keep clean due to their tendency to accumulate mold and mildew. Additionally, they require frequent replacement, which is not environmentally friendly. G … | Continue reading
Whether you're modelmaking for an industrial design studio or a movie set, foam is a go-to material for creating large, fake objects. It's a fairly economical way to build up mass.However, foam can be messy and time-consuming to work with. You of course need a skilled artisan to … | Continue reading
Depending on who you listen to, this Cylinda ashtray was first created in either 1959, 1964 or 1967. In any of those years, smoking cigarettes was still acceptable in hospitality spaces. Arne Jacobsen designed these for the SAS Hotel Copenhagen, and they went into production by S … | Continue reading
Now that drone light shows are stealing fireworks' thunder, pioneering firm Sky Elements is upping their game. The Texas-based company has figured out a way to attach fireworks to drones. They're calling these Pyro Drones, and say that "Sky Elements is the first US-based drone li … | Continue reading
A company called Shenzhen Samore Design & Research created this Accordion Paper Cup concept. The intention is to add functionality to the paper sleeves used on to-go coffee cups. The idea is that if you're carrying multiple cups of coffee (think new guy at the construction site), … | Continue reading
Polish architect Robert Konieczny and his firm, KWK Promes, were presented with an interesting challenge by a client:"[The client] wanted to live in a quiet area, on the outskirts of a German village near Bremen. The plot is located in the vicinity of a forest, which became its g … | Continue reading
This device is so cool-looking, I almost don't care what it actually is.But I'll explain. If you're an industrial designer, when you hear "deflectometer" you probably picture the machine that tests how far a material will deflect; you may have seen one in a chair factory. However … | Continue reading
Here's a unique take on an under-desk trolley, which offers storage, a little extra worksurface for your desk, a bag hook, and an extra seat, in a pinch. The C9 Trolley is by Washington-based Watson Furniture, who writes:"Its steel tray can easily convert from a storage hub into … | Continue reading
Wheelchair users cannot bring their personal wheelchairs onto airplanes. Instead they must check them as luggage, a logistics hassle that means they must be transported onto and off of the airplane in an additional wheelchair provided by the airport. It also leaves the risk that … | Continue reading
In addition to designing the Nike x Hyperice Recovery Boot, the two companies have also collaborated on this Nike x Hyperice Vest. (Hyperice is an athletic recovery technology company.) The futuristic-looking piece of kit essentially lets athletes control the climate--immediately … | Continue reading
Swedish company Meadow is rethinking packaging for sustainability's sake. Targeting the cosmetics and personal care industries, where packaging is typically plastic, Meadow has turned to aluminum instead. They've devised a refill concept that incorporates aluminum cans of standar … | Continue reading
By now we're accustomed to seeing robot arms used in manufacturing. The aesthetic, if they can be said to have one, is form follows function:However, Ross Lovegrove has posted this teaser vid of an eye-catching model he's designed, using generative AI: Are you seeing what I'm see … | Continue reading
Humble materials, humble furniture: This Maasto Dining Armchair, designed by Ronan Bouroullec, uses both solid pine and pine plywood. "Simple and strong, the Maasto Chair by Ronan Bouroullec is an ode to pine. Maasto is instantly archetypal, a hardworking seat for daily dining at … | Continue reading
A startup called Fun Tech Lab is Kickstarting this Windsible gadget. It's a desktop wind tunnel for toy cars, where you can control the flow and theoretical speed of the vapor trails.It comes in three different sizes, to accommodate cars of 1:18, 1:24 and 1:64 scale. Prices are $ … | Continue reading