Having left a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2007, Alex Bishop put complex manufacturing and engineering principles behind him in favor of something a little more meditative that “connected him with nature”: working with wood and making acoustic guitars by hand. A life-long ‘Maker’ who has always had an obsession for making things and manipulating…

Since the desktop 3D printer revolution took off a few years ago, many have been left wondering when we would start to see usable 3D printed product designs that are considerably more polished than your typical DIY 3D printing project. Particularly, how do you make something 3D printed and functional while also making it look…

With today’s modern book manufacturing capabilities, it’s become too easy to overlook the process behind printing words on pages and binding those pages to last the test of time. Ultimately, before large publishing houses were able to invest in mass manufacturing capabilities for stocking the shelves of book stores around the world, book publishing was…

Although the buzz surrounding aluminum in the past week has been more or less dedicated to Apple’s decision to use their heavier (and more dense) 7000-series grade versus their previous (and lighter) 6000-series grade in their new iPhone 6S models to prevent another Bendgate, one curious craftsman had an aluminum experiment of his own brewing…

Although it’s never been easier for craftsman-entrepreneurs to establish their own companies thanks to everything from streamlined payment systems to website building services, finding international success selling firewood for $1000 per bundle surely isn’t a very common success story. Yet for Canadian entrepreneur Jesse Horn, the opportunity to establish his own niche within the North…

Although Etsy is a hotbed for craft disasters ranging from recycled coffee creamer bird feeders to portrait paintings of Dr. Phil, the online craft marketplace currently holds a valuation of $3.5 billion – thanks to an IPO that the company successfully completed six months ago. Up until now, the company has been fairly strict about…

For all of the conveniences and wonder that additive manufacturing has provided within the past few years thanks to the desktop 3D printer revolution, the variety of processes used to create these millions of objects have oftentimes been more fascinating than the resulting 3D printed objects themselves. Among other reasons, smartphone apps and 3D scanners…

When it comes to their new product releases, no Apple product would be complete without the signature voice of Apple’s Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, validating the company’s design decisions. Known for bridging aluminum surfaces with human emotions with words that make you feel good, Ive’s voiceovers – along with his approach to design -…

Designed in 1974 by Richard Danne and Bruce Blackburn, the 1975 NASA graphics standards manual – which includes the famous NASA “Worm” logo and other graphics to be used on spacecraft, suits and the like – has been a source of inspiration for everything from some of today’s most popular design trends to hollywood film…

When it comes to saving sketches digitally, we’ve seen nearly every possible tool or gadget that could possibly be conceived: touchscreen stylus designs that emulate analog pens, sketchbooks that make it ‘easy’ for snapping pics that get uploaded to the cloud, iPad apps that emulate natural writing materials, dual ink pen/stylus combos and professional sketching…

When it comes to stages of the design process, few routines are as satisfying as laying out a handful of markers to begin the process of shading in a perfectly composed sketch. For those who have had to move this experience to digital devices for the sake of time and convenience, well – that’s just…

Although they only just introduced their first official housing for their popular microcomputer in late June, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has been keeping their momentum moving towards creating usable miniature computers. This time around, however, the Foundation took their focus off of the board and the housing in favor of something that’s become near impossible…

Although the concept of flat pack (or ready-to-assemble) furniture has been in existence for decades, a new generation of designers have been taking on the challenge of designing functional and aesthetically-pleasing furniture pieces that are capable of being broken down into boxes that aren’t just easier to ship and haul – but also reduce many…

As far as LEGO-inspired block building sets go, aspiring entrepreneurs have ran through the entire gamut of possibilities including different methods of interlocking the pieces to ways of fabricating them using a 3D printer. But how many people have simply just scaled up? In what might be a childhood fantasy come true for some, a…

Of all people, it would seem as though celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain would be one of the least-likely candidates for hosting a show about craftsmen. After all, his focus over the years has been on rare Thai fish dishes on the beach in Phuket or Filet Mignons in Manhattan. Yet, few people have the camera…

Although nothing will ever replace the experience of uncapping a fresh marker and “layin’ down” on top of a ready-to-go sketch, it can still be a time-consuming process that many may not have time for in today’s fast-paced, quick-turnaround world of product development. Although we don’t necessarily approve of ditching analog sketching altogether in favor…

When it comes to sketchbooks, most people have a tried and true formula that ranges from specific binding styles and paper types to stacks of whichever recycled paper is available stapled together. Considering that some of the world’s most revolutionary ideas were sketched on the back of a soggy napkin over pints, there’s reason enough…

With the vast amount of today’s objects taking on a variety of complex forms that are capable of being produced through modern manufacturing processes – such as those created through generative modeling techniques – it’s easy to lose touch with how we even got to this level of design and manufacturing. Among others is knapping…

With the average individual expected to move nearly a dozen times over the course of their life, you would think that somebody might have figured out by now how to make the moving experience slightly easier – yet many still suffer from the experience of awkwardly hauling their sofas and tables up and down stairwells,…

After being forced to hold his ear to the chests of victims due to a lack of stethoscopes at medical facilities in the Gaza strip, where he works as an emergency physician, Tarek Loubani decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands. With no formal training in product design or engineering,…

After searching for two years for a globe for his father’s 80th birthday present, Peter Bellerby was faced with gifting his father either a modern political globe (of the mass manufactured variety) or a very fragile (and expensive) antique globe. Like most other plans that are hatched in a pub, Bellerby decided that rather than…

After spending decades developing a flying ring that set the Guinness world record for the farthest thrown object when it was hurled 1,257 feet in 1985, you might think that American inventor Alan Adler – who also lectures in mechanical engineering at Stanford University – would slow down a little bit. Yet Adler, whose signature…

When you’re marketing your product as “the first pressure-sensitive, multi-touch input device that enables users to interact with the digital world like never before” in today’s age of portable Cintiq Wacom tablets and Force Touch screens on smart devices, it would be foolish to release anything other than an entirely new knockout product. Yet -…

When it comes to drool-worthy retro gaming device customizations, Swedish designer, craftsman and innovator Love Hultén never fails to disappoint. Previously, Hultén has channeled his inspiration in early space travels, vintage audio mixing consoles and industrial cabinets to develop his Pixelkabinett 42 Collection – a collection that aims to bring the past to the present…

Love ’em or dislike ’em, it’s hard to argue that work aprons are one of the most unsung heroes in the workshop environment. Aside from keeping a worker clean from foam shavings and sawdust – or simply just providing more pockets for keeping tools close – the work apron is also a uniform of sorts…

For the most part, everyday objects such as toothbrushes, spoons, hairdryers and hair combs are used exactly as they were designed for. Yet – thanks to a number of tv shows and Hollywood films ranging from MacGyver to Mystery Men, we’ve seen time and time again how traditional objects can just as easily be used…

Between the launch of their new world headquarters in Boston’s Lovejoy Wharf back in May to the launch of their newly-redesigned Chuck Taylor All Star just last month (the first redesign since 1917), it’s been a busy Summer season for the Converse brand – and they’re not showing any sign of letting up soon. More…

Like so many other great craftsmen who are operating at the top of their game, the story of how Andrew Hibbs got started bending neon light began at a young age with skills passed down by his father David – who himself started bending light over 30 years ago. Today, Hibbs is continuing the family…

As the fastest road bike on the planet with wicked-cool industrial design, the new Specialized S-Works Venge is also one of the most technologically advanced bikes ever made. Needless to say, Specialized didn’t want to skimp on the marketing for this one. In an effort to engage their audience beyond photos and videos on their…

It’s a problem that’s plagued riders for over a century and has even spawned an entire industry of accessories: the flat bicycle tire. Although many have come to just take flat tires in stride with a variety of fix kits or even entire tube replacements in their riding gear, the problem of a flat bicycle…

Although we’ve been seeing some incredible developments in additive manufacturing over the past year ranging from 3D printers that can print in zero-gravity environments to 3D printers that can produce high resolution objects in just minutes, it’s no secret that there’s still a lot of terrain left to be discovered in terms of one day…

As a highly versatile natural energy carrier that also happens to be the most plentiful element in the universe, hydrogen has been used to power everything from cars on the road to NASA space shuttles – but could it also be the key towards squeezing more battery life out of our laptops and mobile devices…

Between Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks’ recent announcements of their SolidWorks for Entrepreneurs program (which has created some confusion for existing small businesses and freelancers) and an update to their subscription policy (which seeks to close out or penalize those who don’t upgrade each year), many of the the CAD software’s most loyal users feel as though…

After being first introduced as a form of boat design in 1898 by Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini, the hydrofoil has since become a mainstay in a variety of water-based board sports thanks to its unique ability to lift a rider out of the water and decrease their drag, which ultimately increases their speed. Also -…

When it comes to some of the more unusual advancements in additive manufacturing techniques – including a shelter crafted from silk worms – MIT’s Mediated Matter Group takes the cake. The group – which is led by 3D printing visionary Neri Oxman at MIT’s Media Lab – focuses on “Nature-inspired Design and Design-inspired Nature” through…

Since it debuted at the TED2015 conference in Vancouver back in March of this year, Redwood City, California-based Carbon3D’s Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) 3D printing technology has continued to send ripples through the additive manufacturing industry due to its promise to speed up existing 3D printing times by up to 100x faster. The process,…

It’s been a long time coming – and many, many third-party stylus designs have come and gone – but Apple is finally expected to release a 12.9″ iPad model designed for professional creatives under the presumed model name ‘iPad Pro’ in the very near future, according to reputable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. While Apple…

Although not everybody is a fan of electric cars and motorcycles, it’s hard to deny that some of the most exciting transportation design concepts in recent memory have been coming from those that are further exploring this new frontier – a frontier that allows designers to strip away many of the components that are necessary…

Considered by many to be the original all-conditions “action watch”, Casio’s G-Shock (Gravitational Shock) watches are known for their ability to resist shocks – including hard knocks and strong vibrations – and are designed primarily for sports, military and outdoor-related activities. Although the stopwatch, timer, light and water resistance features may appear simple in an…

In what is sure to be a first for the company, Intel announced at an Intel Developer Forum event in San Francisco this morning that they have teamed up with legendary TV producer Mark Burnett – creator of TV heavyweights including Survivor, The Apprentice, The Voice and Shark Tank – to find “America’s Greatest Makers”…

After Amazon introduced their $5 Dash Buttons on March 31st, 2015, the public didn’t really know whether to think this was a logical step in advancing human-computer interactions or if it was mocking consumerism as an April Fool’s Day joke – which just so happened to be the very next day. As it turned out,…

When it comes to making paper models for prototyping or form inspiration purposes, rarely ever do we expect the final results to ever function as the final object – especially if it’s as complicated as an engine. Yet, YouTube user Al Zh has defied the odds and has created what is likely one of the…

With many large touchscreen displays – such as Microsoft’s 4K 55- & 84-inch Surface Hub Displays set to arrive next month – commanding up to $20,000, it comes with little surprise that some hardware developers have been dedicating their time to bringing similar user experiences to the masses for significantly less. Among others, Touchjet just…

One might not normally associate basic design and engineering education with Nerf Blasters, yet the past year has seen some Blaster releases that play double-duty as an interactive learning tool for basic engineering principles. Back in January of this year, the brand announced their Nerf N-Strike Modulus ECS-10 Blaster – a design that encourages kids…

With more than $650 billion in North American retail sales alone, the outdoor recreation industry has been one of the fastest growing product categories within the past few years – despite having been around since the early days of the American Frontier and brands including Pendleton and Red Wing. Aiming to help their design students…

Although only a select few of the millions of iPhone 6 Plus models sold ever (reportedly) suffered from the effects of Bendgate, it would make sense for Apple’s industrial design team to avoid another PR circus centered around the integrity of their designs with the upcoming iPhone 6S Plus (assumed model name). In a newly-uploaded…

Thanks to a number of new platforms, tools and infrastructures, bringing a viable hardware product to market has never been easier than it has been in the past decade – and the momentum is only continuing to grow. In 2014, venture capital investment in connected device hardware startups alone reached nearly $1.5B – more than…

Considered by many to be the first consumer robot, iRobot’s Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot has sold over 10 million units since it was introduced in 2002. Yesterday, iRobot announced that those who have come to rely on automated vacuum cleaning will now be able to rely on automated robotic lawn mowing af ter they were…

Tasked with re-packaging an existing product for semester-long Package Design course, industrial design student Jessica Stoll turned to creating a new user experience for one of the most iconic meals of our generation: The Big Mac Value Meal. Designed for an on-the-go lifestyle, the new package plays double duty as both a carrying purse and…

When you already have Tim Cook as an investor before heading into a Kickstarter campaign, chances are you’ve already got a winner on your hands. At least, this has been the case for a group of enthusiastic shower aficionados who are already making a splash on Kickstarter with their Nebia Shower. Led by CEO Philip…