As digital and physical worlds become one, humans and technology are becoming “super organisms” responsible for entirely new languages, behaviors, and ways of interacting with not only devices, but eachother. “Connecting”, the 18 minute documentary from Basset and Partners, explores the future of Interaction Design and User Experience with interviews featuring some of the most…

For centuries, Bonsai has been a celebrated art form in Japanese culture involving meditative manicuring, long-term cultivation and shaping of one or more small trees growing in a container. While the art is still widely in practice, the general art form hasn’t changed much—until now.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) aims to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being produced and to encourages reducing, reusing, and recycling in the UK. Ultimately, this is forcing manufacturers to collect and recycle electronic equipment at end-of life more than ever before. Designer Ed Boaden explores the middle ground…

While the politics of uploading and sharing gun components for 3D printing is still a murky topic both in design circles and political circles, MakerBot’s Thingiverse has taken it upon themselves to do their part by dropping guns from their 3D print file sharing site.

While it probably should have been at least ‘considered’ by the Kickstarter devs awhile ago, the recently released Kickstarter Status Board is a free Google Chrome App that makes tracking social media, funds raised, and other details on a campaign easier to track.

In what sounds like a scene out of a Star Trek movie, medical professionals will soon be working in an interface similar to Inventor, Revit, and Maya to design and produce tissue and organs. According to Organovo CEO Keith Murphy, “This could give us the power to recreate human tissues and organs outside of the…

Aiming to solve the problem of kayak transport for city dwellers, architect and product designer Anton Willis and his talented team of branding and mechanical engineer strategists have successfully launched their solution of a foldable kayak that easily carries over the shoulder…making a quick jaunt in the river ridiculously easier than ever before.

In this brand spankin’ new mini-series we’ll be interviewing kickass individuals who lined up their targets successfully to launch their Kickstarter projects. In this first edition of the series, we’ll talk with Patrick Triato, Design Lead at Portland, Oregon-based Carbon Audio. Carbon Audio launched their Zooka Soundbar on Kickstarter and have since placed their product…

What happens when you harness the sculpting powers of ZBrush and produce 300 wood models on a pantograph? Designer Ben Godi gives us the inside look on how he created his latest masterpiece.

For some, the discomfort of sitting for long periods of time can turn them off from a pleasant picnic at the park. Designer Jeriël Bobbe has solved this problem of awkward picnic-sitting discomfort and we have his beautiful documented process from ideation to fabrication right here.

Starting as a thesis project at Parsons in NYC, Evan Roth collaborated with four NYC based graffiti writers (HELL, AVONE, JESUS SAVES, and KATSU) to further understand the motion of graffiti. Eight years later, Roth is capturing that data and producing it in 3D printed, chrome-plated ABS bliss.

What does it take to launch a successful crowdfunded project? We talked with Jamie Siminoff (also the founder of the new crowdfunding site Christie Street) about his latest project, the Doorbot and what process he went through to launch his campaign.

Imagine an interactive air screen that puts an image/video/CAD model into the air. Now imagine that image stays totally penetrable for physical objects and is powered by a multi-touch optical system that is controlled by your gestures, sans gloves, controllers, and gadgets. Now stop imagining…its real and it’s here.

She runs frantically from the herd of giant molten marshmallows chasing her through the moist mossy forest, while the moonlight peeks subtly through the pines. As she fires arrows from her crossbow over her shoulder it was clear to her that she would have to make the jump over the icy waterfall abyss–“hold steady” she…

Aiming to solve the myriad of problems that bog down Kickstarter projects, Entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff launched the new crowd funding site Christie Street with the goal of providing “a platform that gave inventors the support they needed to succeed.” Will the more filtered process of launching a project encourage more inventors to launch, or will…

Unveiled recently at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky, the Airstream Land Yacht concept aims to bring high design to those state park road trip adventures. While the silver bullet exterior is fairly identical to the classic design with a few upgrades, the interior has been radically redesigned through a partnership between two…

Depending on your ability to understand Japanese, this recent ten-minute segment on 3D Printing from the Japanese TV Show NHK El Mundo is a rather fun way of seeing some 3D print industry folks a la Bill Murray in Lost in Translation style. The show managed to snag some prominent guests including the Founders of…

If canned goods and homemade sweaters don’t seem to suit the bill for your relatives anymore, and you happen to be in the NYC area in the next few weeks, consider stopping by this mega-cluster of 3D printed goodness. Created by Openhouse and Launched in collaboration with Shapeways, UP!, and Ultimaker, the shop features many…

James George and Jonathan Minard aren’t your average documentary filmmakers. Currently fellows at the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University (try saying that with a mouth full of peanut butter), the two have used their media arts backgrounds to create a stunning interactive documentary that asks: “What does it feel like to…

The user experience considerations with pitcher-based water filtration systems over the years has been an interesting phenomenon to watch. From reusable vinyl stickers indicating the filter change-out cycle, to electronic timers embedded in the handles, filtered water has seen some impressive technological advances. With the success of subscription-based business models such as Dollar Shave Club…

As new iPhones and gadgets roll out, it’s easy to forget that there is a market out there that needs design in ways beyond what most people can fathom. From war zones to areas devastated by natural disasters among others, how can we as designers, engineers, and makers apply ourselves to look beyond our own…

As a designer, engineer, or maker, how will you be able to keep pace in an industry that is consistently being disrupted by “New Faces” and creating entire businesses literally overnight? As products come to market faster than ever before, what is the best strategy towards placing yourself in an ever-increasingly competitive creative global economy?…

In this painfully long (almost 20 minute) video released by ‘Staples Office Centre’, we are given a glimpse into the future of how using Staples’ new 3D Print Service can dramatically change our lives…or in this case, replace a missing chess piece.

It seems as though the discussion of first-class cabin designs for aerospace is overly-saturated with concepts blending between too conceptual and alien-like or too sci-fi and cold. Design studio Priestmangoode started with the best part of any home: the living room, and translated those comfortable UX elements into a cabin in the sky…sofa included.

Hailing from the always-colorful and texture-rich Brazil, young architect and designer Humberto da Mata’s inspiration is rooted in the exploration of everyday materials and building layers with excessive texture, leaving the user with a visually and texturally rich experience…but could his ‘textural’ vision extend into recreating ‘vision’ experiences for those with impairments?

It seems as though even less than a year ago, ‘The Cloud’ was still a buzzword for most people–particularly mainstream consumers. With the addition of services such as Netflix, Spotify, Box, and others, we have began to use the cloud without even thinking about it. As innovators, how do we harness the power of the…

You know it, I know it, everybody knows it: The democratization of technology is changing everything from the way we design to how we design it. The self-manufacturing mindset is driving innovation while redefining DIY in ways we’ve never seen before. It seems as though the Maker subculture is growing exponentially and everybody is calling…

Defense Distributed, the infamous 3D Printing Gun Slingers who describe their mission as “…facilitating global access to, and the collaborative production of, information and knowledge related to the 3D printing of arms; and to publish and distribute, at no cost to the public, such information and knowledge in promotion of the public interest….” had an…

The cold industrial look that is achieved when concrete is used has been getting more popularity lately as more designers are turning to the material for their final material directions. Now it’s ended up on Kickstarter in the form of a pen design. What other nontraditional uses has it been used for?

Shashinkan is Japanese for ‘photobooth’, and Japanese creative agency PARTY has created the ultimate in Shashinkans with the Omote 3D. The project will allow customers to buy models of themselves (at parties, presumably) in three sizes: small (10cm high), medium (15cm) and large (20cm). Prices start at a fairly steep $250, but depending on how…

Besides the biggest news at this year’s Autodesk University, there was a lot of other great stuff to take in–including the current state of the Maker movement according to those who know best. As a whole, the event offered some exciting news and insights into what the near future holds…for both Autodesk and the designer/engineer/maker…

If you’re looking to inspire the Kid Maker(s) in your life, we’ve done the maker-appropriate gift giving research for you. Everything in our Gift Guide for Kid Makers is bound to have the junior designer or engineer in your life destined for greatness. Lifesavers storybooks are so yesterday.

The Season of Giving is in full swing–and there’s still time to get your shopping or wish list done. Perhaps you have no idea what to get your design buddies, or even ask for yourself? For those who are lost in the world of gift giving and want some inspiration for the perfect gift, refer…

Because we’re sitting around looking at food all day today, why don’t we take a moment to not only reflect on what we are thankful for, but also reflect on what our food might look like a few Thanksgivings from now. Prost!

Shapeways designer Kimotion has come up with an ingenious way to market himself during the holidays: post modern snowflake tree ornament designs resembling the likes of Psy, Superheroes, Stormtroopers, and a lucky Ninja Turtle.

Objet’s Connex 3D Printer creates a ship in a bottle by jetting transparent and black materials within the same print session—I can’t possibly think of a cooler way to put a ship in a bottle.

Inspired by the Dutch Modernist painter Piet Mondrain, East London Designer Hugo Passos gives an updated spin on the “old artisanal way” by avoiding machinery in his Modernist product designs.

In the last few days, 3D Systems lost over 15% of its value. Additionally, Stratasys Inc. shares fell around 5%. According to Shapeways’ Peter Weijmarshausen, “We’re still living in a bubble a little bit.” Has 3D printing reached it’s industrial potential already? Where is the consumer boost?

Among the best ideas to take away from modern architecture are new studies in materials and applications. The Bloom installation is one of those new and rare architectural pieces that begs the question: What the heck could I do with thermobimetal?

Released yesterday on Kickstarter, the sleek ORA Sound System is a case that surrounds your iPad with 8 deafening speakers and solves one of the only compromises with the iPad: sound quality. In addition to the recently Kickstarted Zooka and Sound Cover iPad speaker systems, why the sudden popularity and what are the differences?

For those of you who have seen Monty Python star and overall comedy genius John Cleese’s lecture on creativity, you might recall that it is a sort of pre-TED era TED Talk with exceptional points and quotes worth repeating–even decades later. In the case that you’re looking for a little extra creative juice this week,…

Calling themselves “The Next Dimension of Touch”, Qeexo’s new FingerSense technology features a tiny acoustic sensor installed into a touchscreen device that listens and measures the vibrations of objects that touch it. Whether the input comes in the form of a a fingertip, knuckle, or nail, FingerSense adds an enhancement to touch interaction that allows…

Flat-pack designs are among my favorite when it comes to simplicity and intelligent thought. Not only are they creating 3D space out of 2D packaging, but they almost always incorporate some sort of origami-like thought in the design process and solve often-overlooked problems. The Applique Pop-Up Corner Light is one of those designs, and solves…

With all the news and headlines regarding 3D printing these days, it’s a topic of conversation that’s bound to come up during at least a few family gatherings as the holidays approach us. Being the design and engineering-saavy individual that you are, you will probably be the one expected to do the explaining…or you could…

The well-orchestrated ‘Low-Tech Factory’ contains a selection of machines designed by Bachelor’s and Master’s students of Industrial Design and Products at a workshop led by industrial designers Chris Kabel and Tomás Král at the ECAL University of Art in Switzerland. Now, if only all manufacturing processes could be this charming….

Inspired by handmade wind-powered toys that he and his neighborhood friends lost in minefields in Qasaba, Kabul as children, designer Massoud Hassani revisits his homeland with an updated design of the toy that beautifully detects and destroys the mines.

While we may not have microwaves that Tweet us when our scalding-hot bean burrito is finished, or a voice activated toaster that we can command to eject our toast as soon as we catch the first whiff of burnt crust, this touch-screen fridge concept is perhaps one of the more interesting ideas in the line…

Norwegian software developers Uformia have developed “a volume-based modeling extension for the creation of both organic and mechanical objects that are always watertight and ideal for 3D printing” and have 3 days left to Kickstart. Is it worth adding to your toolbox?

As automobile design becomes more prevalent in the mainstream, Disney is moving forward towards recreating an optimistic view of futuristic transportation and how these ideas are fostered. Set to open at Disney World December 6th, the new Test Track attraction gives new meaning to ‘Tomorrowland’ by letting kids (and their parents) design and test the…

While it may at first appear to be a colorized version of Joris Laarman’s bone furniture, the Multithread collection of 3D printed furniture is anything but. Design duo Kram/Weisshaar developed a software application that automatically modifies joints to support asymmetric force loads–followed by painting the units to show where the force is being distributed in…