Veteran Industrial Designer's Take on What an Apple Car Might Look Like

Now that Apple has reportedly restarted their initiative to produce a car, the internet's awash in speculative renderings. The ones I've seen resemble BMW's i8, a variety of Tesla models or what looks like concept art for Pixar. No one, however, has intelligently covered what App … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Designing/Building Obstacle Courses for Off-Road RC Cars is a Thing. Here's the Craziest

Enthusiasts of off-road remote control cars enjoy putting their vehicles through their paces. In backyards, basements, sheds and warehouses, the most devoted construct elaborate obstacle courses out of DIY materials, which looks like a fun pandemic pastime. RC Crawler/AsILayDying … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

A Non-Aggressive Design for an Anti-Climbing Barrier

Following yesterday's breach of the Capitol, I started looking at different designs for crowd control barriers. They all appear designed for compliant crowds at music festivals, not angry protestors who are ready to rumble. Yesterday's rioters easily hopped the barriers, and this … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

How Was the Capitol Building So Easy to Breach? Look at the Design

The police response was inadequate, and the layout sure didn't help | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Industrial Design: Why Is It Still a Man's World?

In this open letter, designer Ti Chang asks the important question: where are all the women in industrial design? | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

An Animated Love Letter to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

The original Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of my most favorite car designs in the world, and we ran a five-part series on its design history (links below). Lisbon-based animator João Elias shares my passion, and wanted to create an animated short "featuring the most iconic car of al … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Crowdfunding Smash: Glorified $32 Safety Goggles Get $3.4 Million in Pledges

The only purpose of "Stoggles" is to prevent you from touching your eyes with your fingers | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

The 2021 Core77 Design Awards Are Officially Open for Entry

Enter before February 1st and you can save on your 2021 entries | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

We're Looking for the Best Affordable Professional 3D Printers

We are building this list as a resource for designers who are looking for a starting point in picking a machine to use in the development of products. The chief criteria are affordability, reliability and capacity. Hidden aspects of affordability such as maintenance and consuma … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Crowdfunding Smash: Couch Console Proves We're Too Lazy to Reach All the Way to the Coffee Table

This will spawn a brief anthropological mystery in the year 3021 | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

What Did People Use to Brush Their Teeth Before the Toothbrush was Invented?

Prior to the invention of toothpaste, humans around the world used crushed eggshells, oyster shells, ashes, charcoal, chalk and even salt as abrasives to scrub their teeth with. As for implements, the historical record shows that the Chinese were using a primitive brush with hog … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

U.S. Marine Corps Begins Widespread Distribution of Silencers

"The VA pays out a lot in hearing loss claims" | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Manufacturing: How Do They Get the Bristles Into a Toothbrush?

You probably realize toothbrush handles are injection-molded pieces of plastic. But how do they get the nylon bristles into the head? And without using adhesive, how do they get the bristles to stay put? Here's how. This is a shot of the machine that loads the bristles | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Crowdfunding Smash: Handheld Laser Engraver/Cutter is Killing it on Kickstarter

Just a few years ago, the dominant form factor for laser cutters was a bulky rectangle. But there's apparently strong demand for a diminutive unit that can be used in both desktop and handheld applications, like this 5-watt LaserPecker 2 model: At press time the | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

U.S. Marine Corps Begin Widespread Distribution of Silencers

"The VA pays out a lot in hearing loss claims" | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

GoSun's Easy to Clean Stainless Steel Flatware Breaks Down to Credit Card Size

Seeking to tackle the problem of single-use plastic utensils, GoSun looked at the existing alternatives, which are primarily designed for camping: GoSun's designers found these were difficult to clean, and had no carrying cases; who wants to use these, then throw them into a bag … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Bodaq Interior Film: A Stretchable, Self-Adhesive "Finishing Material"

Get ready for everything in the world to be made out of MDF | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Fake News: Ferrari Considering Jony Ive as CEO Replacement

At this point, some of us have been suckered by the following clickbaity headlines: "Jony Ive is reportedly in the running to take the driver's seat at Ferrari" "Report: Apple CFO Luca Maestri and Jony Ive are 'candidates' for Ferrari CEO job" | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Cool Tool: GearWrench's Gimbal Ratchet for Tight Spaces

The worst part about working on a motor vehicle is the amount of parts you need to detach or disassemble just to create room to get a wrench in there. To solve this problem, Maryland-based tool company GearWrench developed this Gimbal Ratchet for getting into tight spaces: As | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

VW's Roving Robot Can Charge an Entire Parking Garage Full of Electric Cars

Volkswagen has been prototyping an autonomous charging robot for electric cars. The idea is that the robot "lives" in a docking station--located in a parking garage, for instance--alongside multiple battery packs on wheels, all plugged into the wall and charging. When an electric … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

How Golf Balls are Made

Earlier we looked at the history of the golf ball, which has had quite the design evolution. The post did surprisingly high traffic. We then ran a follow-up called "The Inside of a Golf Ball Does Not Look Like What You Think It Does." | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Surprising Things I Learned in 2020

In researching what to cover for Core77, one encounters all manner of strange stories. Here are some of the more unusual ones I came across in 2020. Things I Didn't Know Were a ThingAutomatic Hand Washing Machines are a Thing Spending $1,000+ On Used Airplane Bar Carts is a | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Surprising Things I Learned in 2020

In researching what to cover for Core77, one encounters all manner of strange stories. Here are some of the more unusual ones I came across in 2020. Things I Didn't Know Were a ThingAutomatic Hand Washing Machines are a Thing Spending $1,000+ On Used Airplane Bar Carts is a | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

The Best Architecture Stories of 2020

In this strangest of years, we noticed two trends in architecture stories: 1) Back-to-the-countryside escapism, and 2) Circles/spheres. The combination of COVID and urban crowding made many long for a country home. Thus "Italian Couple Restores Stone Medieval Village as a Home, f … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Cool Tools We Saw in 2020

Whoever received any of the following as a gift this holiday season is probably pretty psyched. Festool unveiled their unfurling STM-1800, a portable sawing table for contractors working in the field. The German power tool manufacturer also released their new Edge Sanding Guide, … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

2020's Designs That Rethink Existing Objects (for Better or Worse)

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@core77.com | 3 years ago

Crowdfunding Smashes of 2020

This year we began documenting crowdfunding smashes, not as endorsements, but to make you design entrepreneurs aware of what's selling. Not all of these are standout objects, and several have us puzzled, but all of these drew dollars. It'll be up to you to figure out why. The Voy … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

The Best 3D Printing Developments of 2020

As expected, 3D printing continued to grow in popularity during 2020 with an increase of new machines, techniques, materials and resources. Here's a look at what we saw this year. First off, some information: MakerBot released a 3D Printing Trends Report featuring statistics glea … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Social Distancing Designs of 2020, Institutional and Environmental

Aside from wearable social distancing designs, institutions like restaurants and shopping centers had to modify their environments this year to keep people separated. As you'd expect, the solutions ranged from clever to kooky. Restaurants led the way, like this one in Maryland th … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Social Distancing Designs of 2020, Institutional and Environmental

Aside from wearable social distancing designs, institutions like restaurants and shopping centers had to modify their environments this year to keep people separated. As you'd expect, the solutions ranged from clever to kooky. Restaurants led the way, like this one in Maryland th … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Social Distancing Designs of 2020, Wearable and Domestic

2020 was a year of social distancing designs, some clever, some silly. Here we'll look at the designs that are wearable or for domestic situations. This guy in Italy was the first we saw to take a crack at it. We suggested turning this into an ID school assignment. | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Apply to SVA's Products of Design by January 15!

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@core77.com | 3 years ago

Facemask Frenzy: The Best, Worst & Craziest Facemask Designs of 2020

In the spring, when we weren't sure if the pandemic would last or not, we naively asked "How long until facemasks go designey?" and showed you some contenders. Little did we know the year would bring an avalanche of new facemask designs. Here are the standouts--the | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Preventing Fogged Glasses When Mask-Wearing and More: The Best Practical PPE Information of 2020

2020 was a year of misinformation, but careful sifting provided plenty of useful facts. We now know far more about COVID and proper PPE usage than we did at the beginning of the year. Here's a roundup. It took a demonstration, lit using a black light, to drive home | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

A Better Design Application for Those Shelves That Fold Into a Table

Izzy Swan prototypes and develops a more sensible, useful object | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

A Riding Mower Designed to Look Like a Pair of Air Jordans

Automotive customization company Mansory has created a riding mower inspired by a pair of Air Jordans. Created in collaboration with BSTN Premium Sportswear as a publicity gimmick, this obscenity is apparently meant to evoke the Air Jordan XI Jubilee. I can't | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Specialty Tools: How a Triangular Blade Makes Recycling Industrial Cans Easier

If you've ever had a restaurant or retail job where you had to flatten dozens of cardboard boxes for recycling, you know the drill: You have to "liberate" the bottom flaps to achieve maximum flatness. Apparently recyclers of industrial metal cans have the same problem--but with t … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

How Gift Wrapping Paper is Made: Rotary Screen Printing

If you thought gift wrapping paper was wasteful as an end product, wait 'til you see the production method. In rotary screen printing, each color requires its own copper cylinder: Source Here's a more in-depth look at how the process works: I'll stick with newspaper. | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Trump Administration Wades Into Design Criticism with Executive Order

Here's a political-but-not-political debate we're actually eager to see held: The recent "Executive Order on Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture" brouhaha, in which some design styles are definitively designated "beautiful" while others are deemed "ugly." In a nutshell … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Best Illusion of 2020 Contest Winner Turns 2D Optical Illusion Into 3D

Mathematician Kokichi Sugihara has won First Prize 2020's Best Illusion of the Year contest with a novel twist entry: He took a known 2D design, the Schroeder Staircase… …and figured out how to make it work in 3D: I've gotta say, Second Prize wasn't too shabby either: | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

A Burgeoning Product Category: The Modem/Router Shelf

Traditional homes in Asia often featured integrated shrines. Old-school houses in America once featured telephone nooks. Back when television sets were tube-style and huge, new home construction often incorporated TV alcoves (which don't make much sense now, in the age of flatscr … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Why are WiFi Routers So Darned Ugly?

It's got to be the least attractive object in your home | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

No Shoveling or Truck Required: Clear Snow From Your Driveway With a Rear Hitch-Mounted Plow

Many of us shoveled snow as kids. It's hard on a young body, and absolute murder on an older one; my bad back couldn't handle it anymore, and it turns out that shoveling snow is also a great way to trigger a heart attack. Here's a DIY workaround I recently | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Yea or Nay: Sticky Notes as Pill Packaging Concept

If 3M isn't already on top of this, I'd be surprised | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Memobottles: Flat, Rectangular, Designey Water Bottles

Most reusable water bottles have rotational symmetry, i.e. they're round in cross-section and jive well with car/bicycle cupholders/bottle holders. Urban commuters taking mass transit, however, might prefer to pack the bottle in a bag, where the cylindrical shape might be undesir … | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Plastics Consortium Figures Out How to Recycle Plastic Shopping Bags Into Paved Roads

The Film Asphalt Project turned 4,000 pounds of polyethylene into a parking lot | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Post-It Extreme Notes – Waterproof Post-Its with “100x the Stickiness”

Waterproof, 100x stickiness, can be used in hot or cold weather | Continue reading


@core77.com | 3 years ago

Announcing the Winners of the 2020 Ultimate Gift Guide Competition, and Your Favorite Gifts of 2020

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@core77.com | 3 years ago