Porsche's designers routinely "ask themselves what a Porsche could be—and what it could not be," says the company. "This process provides answers to questions that no one has asked before." One question few have probably asked is: What would a Porsche minivan look like? Well, the … | Continue reading
UNESCO has announced that they've named the Dutch Water Defence Lines a World Heritage Site. Also referred to as the Dutch Water Lines, it's a comprehensive network of dikes, sluices, waterworks and fortresses developed in the 17th Century as a clever solution to dealing with for … | Continue reading
Porsche's designers routinely "ask themselves what a Porsche could be—and what it could not be," says the company. "This process provides answers to questions that no one has asked before." One question few have probably asked is: What would a Porsche minivan look like? Well, the … | Continue reading
Lately the heat on the farm has been brutal, going into the 100s (38 Celsius). Yesterday I had to push a broken 870-pound machine across just 25 feet of grass and I thought I might suffer a heat stroke. I know there's no such thing as outdoor air conditioning, but | Continue reading
European architecture firm UNISM was hired to design a supergarage for classic Aston Martins, to be housed in a residential area in Warsaw. It seems that the available property space was inversely proportional to the owner's budget. That fact, combined with the 007 legacy of the … | Continue reading
With the following three points, Mercedes is the latest car manufacturer to make some stunning claims of their commitment to electric powertrains: - All newly launched architectures will be electric-only from 2025 onwards.- In 2025 Mercedes-Benz will launch three electric-only ar … | Continue reading
Swiss public research university ETH Zürich has teamed up with Zaha Hadid Architects to create a new type of bridge that uses less material and enables new types of forms. By 3D printing concrete at specific angles, the collaborative team was able to produce blocks with layers "o … | Continue reading
You might have seen this cutesy ceiling decal, or this ceiling fan, but whomever came up with this has got 'em all beat: Via the entertaining Awful Taste But Great Execution subreddit. | Continue reading
I'm one of the armchair critics who thinks the yoke-style steering wheel offered on the Tesla Model S is a terrible idea. But I don't own a Tesla, and have never tried the yoke. Model S owner Deji Akingbade loves the new steering wheel, and demonstrates why in this review: | Continue reading
Did you know that the symbol was designed by a Gold Medalist? | Continue reading
The Tokyo 2020 design is, of course, 3D-printed recycled plastic | Continue reading
Nissan hires a videogame sound designer to make the chimes more pleasant | Continue reading
There's a book called "Going into Darkness: Fantastic Coffins from Africa," written in 1995 by photojournalist Thierry Secretan, which revealed the following: "Funerary art has many expressions, but seldom is it as eye-catching and surprising as among the Ga, the dominant people … | Continue reading
In a sign of how narrowly-focused fashion has become, this company sells T-shirts (like this branded one that a racecar mechanic might wear) printed to look like it's dirty with motor oil: I'm not sure what this is supposed to be, below the neck: A tribal tattoo sweat stain? | Continue reading
In a sign of how narrowly-focused fashion has become, this company sells T-shirts (like this branded one that a racecar mechanic might wear) printed to look like it's dirty with motor oil: I'm not sure what this is supposed to be, below the neck: A tribal tattoo sweat stain? | Continue reading
For such a simple object, I cannot figure out how these work. This handsome, sealable Canister – S, from Japanese manufacturer Neighbor & Craftsman, has a proprietary valve hidden in the knob of the lid. Pressing the knob down closes the valve and forms the seal—that part I get. | Continue reading
"I'm a UX researcher, so I notice bad design everywhere" | Continue reading
For such a simple object, I cannot figure out how these work. This handsome, sealable Canister – S, from Japanese manufacturer Neighbor & Craftsman, has a proprietary valve hidden in the knob of the lid. Pressing the knob down closes the valve and forms the seal—that part I get. | Continue reading
Japan is a country known for embracing both cutting-edge technology and old-school tradition, so I shouldn't be surprised that this Drillog Dip Pen is made in Japan. I am surprised, however, that it's done so well on Kickstarter—I didn't think demand would be this high. The Drill … | Continue reading
This Hinoki Tabletop Mirror, from Japanese retailer Ippinka, looks stunningly similar to Spanish industrial designer Patricia Perez's Mouro Lamp for Case Furniture: I've no idea which came first, nor whether there's any connection; I just find it fascinating that the same form wo … | Continue reading
I'm arguably paranoid about auto safety from my ambulance days, but I absolutely would not use a stainless steel straw while driving. If you had it in your mouth, or anywhere near your face, during a crash, the results could be gruesome. But I do like drinking ice coffee from | Continue reading
Urth's lipstick dispensers and cartridges disintegrate in an at-home compost bin after 12 weeks | Continue reading
At the UK's recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, Ford unveiled a new creation that wasn't a car. Instead, this: That's Mach-Eau, a fragrance they commissioned from British perfumer Pia Long. And apparently it has notes of gasoline and other traditional car smells. It appears they c … | Continue reading
Stackable storage totes are a dime a dozen, so it's great to see a standout version that has had a fair amount of design thought put into it. These Expedition 134 Heavy Duty Plastic Storage Boxes were designed in Australia specifically for off-road use, i.e. for holding gear on a … | Continue reading
I didn't even know what a "shower-toilet" was, but apparently it's Duravit's name for a toilet with a built-in bidet—and it seems they make a lot of them. "We now offer 45 different solutions within the shower-toilet category," says Tim Schroeder, President and CEO of Duravit Nor … | Continue reading
The quick and intuitive disassembly of my French press means that I can easy clean it and replace or recycle its parts as needed. The stats feel tired at this point: the EPA tells us that over 10 million tons of furniture are taken to US landfills each year, | Continue reading
Spain-based industrial designer Patricia Perez created this beautiful and simple Mouro Lamp for Case Furniture. The lamp is wireless (it recharges via USB, and the port is hidden on the bottom of the disc). The LED lamp can rotate 360 degrees and has three | Continue reading
Fisherman were paid more for old plastic bottles than they'd make catching fish | Continue reading
LG is now selling their OLED R, "The world's first and only rollable TV." It lives in a box, and unfurls upwards when summoned. They also envision it being used in this "Line Mode," where a sliver of the screen is left exposed to | Continue reading
Aidan Leitch's "Recycle cardboard into anything with 3D printing" technique | Continue reading
If you had access to a CNC mill and were tasked with setting up a successful Etsy store, what would you make? Ukraine-based Bond Art Studio designed a series of desktop items, and the standout objects appear to be this line of colored pencil holders: I don't think the | Continue reading
Rotterdam-based product designer Chris Kabel, an Eindhoven alumnus, has run his own firm since 2001. "Happy to share my latest large scale facade project," Kabel writes, "made of a specially designed brick: Binder Klinker." "Once the Rozenprieel neighborhood in Haarlem was a plea … | Continue reading
Seattle-based artist Iain Heath is a Lego fan, having served as the Managing Editor for The Brothers Brick, a popular Lego fan site. As of late, he's been releasing some amusing images of fanciful Lego sets on his Ochre Jelly accounts on Flickr and Instagram: | Continue reading
The grand prize winner takes home a $500 cash prize! | Continue reading
In 1977, Casio made something revolutionary: A digital watch with a plastic body. Rather than using then-common metal, the F-100's resin body made it a lot lighter on the wrist. Digital watches made from black plastic then became ubiquitous. The F-100 was futuristic-looking for t … | Continue reading
Italian company Bpiu (no idea how that's pronounced) is a metal forming company in Tuscany, Italy, providing laser cutting and bending services. Unusually, they also manufacture a singular product: Eclettica, a stack of drawers that transforms into a spiral staircase. Their creat … | Continue reading
Daniel Rauch designed the interior and exterior of the Thyssenkrupp blue.cruiser | Continue reading
After tech news website LetsGoDigital learned that Vivo had patented a smartphone with a built-in camera drone, industrial designer Sarang Sheth rendered it up to see what it could look like: Sarang Sheth Sarang Sheth Sarang Sheth And taking flight: Possible this year or next? | Continue reading
We've seen some weird cars where you enter through the front of the vehicle: The Microlino The Dodge Deora Now Pininfarina has unveiled a sexy new "virtual" electric concept car, the Teorema, with the opposite approach. You enter from the back. The roofline swings forward on hing … | Continue reading
One data visualization researcher looks to have gotten it right | Continue reading
Those of us who wear eyeglasses know how to get them clean, and have the means; it's just tedious. Most of the time I walk around with smudgy eyeglasses. I guess I'm not alone in my sloth, because a Kickstarter campaign for the LensHD, a $79 automatic eyeglass lens cleaner, | Continue reading
On overhead power lines, you've seen those things that look like kickballs, which are placed there to warn low-flying planes and helicopters to stay well clear of the hard-to-see wires. They're called aerial marker balls. Made of UV-stabilized ABS plastic that comes in orange, ye … | Continue reading
Bamboo is fast-growing, strong and sustainable. But we often see it processed into things like plywood, rather than used in its original form. Why, when the fresh-cut rods seem perfectly serviceable? Bamboo rods are "rarely used in modern construction," explains Low-Tech Lab (LOW … | Continue reading
The Opus SoundBed is a $2,000 portable bed, designed by Yves Béhar, that "is like a home gym for your heart," the developers write. "SoundBed™ uses vibroacoustic technology to deliver low-frequency vibrations throughout your body that quickly releases you out of stress response a … | Continue reading
UK-based White Motorcycle Concepts is developing an electric prototype, the WMC250EV, that's been designed in an unusual way: Company founder and CEO Rob White was laser-scanned while adopting an extreme racing crouch position, and then the bike was designed around his body. Whit … | Continue reading
The MTA Live Subway App makes it easier to catch your train with live status updates | Continue reading
I just watched this video of Si Freedman, who says he is both an osteopath with 30 years experience and an industrial designer, making what seems to be a reasonable case for rethinking ergonomic chairs: I liked the bit about using less materials, and solving long-term pain issues … | Continue reading