You would have to be a tad bit nutty to attempt to memorize all the various measurements that go into standard human factors design considerations –– otherwise known as anthropometry. While keeping a reference guide handy –– such as the indispensable The Measure of Man and Woman –– for nailing those dimensions right the first…

It’s not very often when a new tool comes along that changes the way we think about making things, but when it does, it’s usually pretty epic. The Shaper Origin is one of those tools. Billed as the World’s First Handheld CNC, the Shaper Origin –– which, as you might expect, looks similar to a…

It’s no secret that assembling the dozens –– or hundreds –– of parts that make up a consumer electronic product assembly is both costly and time-intensive. But what if said electronics could –– gosh darn it –– just assemble themselves? What better things have they got going on? Such is the premise behind the latest project…

Long before Apple’s aluminum unibody hardware designs –– along with Jony Ive’s unmistakeable “aluminium” pronunciation –– aluminum had already changed the world of mass manufacturing. Having dropped in price by over 1200% over a 50-year stretch, what was once one of the most difficult metals to refine became one of the cheapest thanks to mass manufacturing…

How many times have you taken your sketchbook out the door and wished you could easily carry a regular old pencil –– be it your garden–variety #2 or a blue Prismacolor –– without the lead point stabbing you or otherwise breaking? For those who prefer to use lo-fi wood writing tools that don’t include a clip…

With a nearly endless array of profiles and material block possibilities, sneaker design sketches aren’t too hard to come by. However, the process of converting those sketches into a physical shoe takes nearly the same level of engineering skill and patience as it does to create many “hard good” products –– particularly if you set out…

This past Sunday, Canada-based woodworker John Heisz uploaded a video he made documenting a paper saw blade that he had made from standard printer paper cutting wood with surprisingly clean results. Unsurprisingly, the video went viral in a matter of hours and is currently sitting at over an impressive 4 million views. While we’re still…

In the history of industrial design and engineering, perhaps no other industry is as storied and colorful as the automobile. While we may be on the cusp of a future consisting of self-driving cars that we can experience through virtual reality before purchasing, it’s the marketing and sales tactics that reflected consumer needs and buying…

While the renewed appreciation of vinyl records have led to the highest sales numbers in nearly 30 years, equally fascinating is how vinyl manufacturing equipment –– most of which is just as old –– have been put back into commission to give listeners that “warm and fuzzy sound”. Starting with the manufacturing of the compression molding…

While saw blades come in a multitude of sizes and colors with a range of different kinds of teeth, you surely haven’t seen a saw blade like this for sale at your local hardware store before. Canada-based woodworker John Heisz recently cut a circular disc/blade from regular ‘ol printer paper (no teeth) and installed it…

When it comes to equipping tomorrow’s designers and engineers with the tools they need to create compelling projects today, few companies have been as generous in offering access to software, tools and even fabrication facilities as Autodesk has. While the company’s Fusion 360 design software has always been free to use for students and those…

With four finished degrees from MIT (BS: Physics, Math, MS: Mech. Engineering, Media Arts and Sciences), scientist and engineer Jeff Lieberman knows a thing or two about –– well, a lot of things. As the host of the TV show ‘Time Warp’ on the Discovery Channel, his interest in the human consciousness took him down…

When it comes to documenting a build, few people can top Frank Howarth’s creative use of camera shots and storylines to make otherwise mundane processes seem like Hollywood handiwork. And like any skilled videographer, Howarth spends just as much time building his own rigs for specific shots as he does actually filming them. Most recently,…

Few things are as enticing to young engineering students as the opportunity to build their own go-karts from scratch, and 18-year-old engineering student Jasper Edwards is living the dream. The UK-based engineer, who works out of his own garage, creates his karts starting with shopping carts and wheelchairs scavenged from local junkyards. Using the existing…

Considered by many to be “The Contemplative Man’s Recreation,” fly fishing is also a favorite for craftsmen who prefer to make their own equipment –– be it tying a fly on the side of a stream or making their own fly fishing rods altogether. But with well over 160 or so steps that go into making…

Nobody will blame you if you’ve never taken a moment to think about the hard science behind a simple pizza delivery. After all, paying the driver and eating the pizza is usually the priority in any situation involving pizza. That said, everything from the carefully-placed humidity ventilation holes to the pizza saver dongles is the…

As if table saws aren’t already one of the most nerve-wracking shop tools to work with, now there’s another friendly reminder that you should always keep your wits about you when working on your next wood project. Toledo, Ohio–based hardwood dealer and founder of KenCraft (AKA “The Woodworker’s Candy Store”) Ken Spitulski was recently cutting…

In need of extra money to help support his family back in the 1930s, Montana welder Rudy Ruana began making knives on the side in a small garage. Before long, his reputation for high-quality handmade knives spread across the United States and what began as a side hustle to help put food on the family’s…

As if spending an afternoon assembling IKEA furniture isn’t already a kick in the pants, imagine doing so while navigating your way around the Dark Side of the Moon under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Such is the premise of the aptly named new YouTube series HIKEA. Created by NYC-based creatives Hunter Fine and Alex…

With over 70 people killed or injured by anti-personnel (land) mines each day, unmarked minefields not only destroy communities with death and injury but also through the loss of usable land and economic development. Having grown up in minefield-stricken Kabul, Afghanistan playing soccer just yards away from active minefields, product designer Massoud Hassani set out…

Having graduated from the ISI Yogyakarta (Art Institute) of Indonesia as a Craft Major just last year, 24-year-old Indonesian native Dedy Shofianto’s wood sculptures carry the same level of expertise you would expect from artists twice his age. As the winner of multiple Craft Prototype Design competitions during his tenure at ISI Yogyakarta, Shofianto specializes…

While nearly every material requires some sort of a process to bring it from a raw state to a finished design, few materials demand the attention of the creator quite like glass. From the heat to the constant movement, and the teamwork often involved in creating larger pieces, the process of creating glass objects is…

It wasn’t too long ago when having maybe 3 or so colors in a single mechanical spring-loaded pen was a big deal – but what if you could carry nearly every shade (approximately 16 million colors) in your pocket wherever you go. That’s just crazy. As the latest high-tech art tool, the Cronzy pen is a…

For some, it seems to come almost too easily before even having started grade school. For others, it can take a lifetime (if it ever happens) to master. Regardless, throwing a perfect football spiral is necessary for accuracy, and for the first time ever, beginner and expert players will now be able to measure those…

While most people might approach freshly cut firewood as a way of fueling their bonfires or keeping their house warm on cold nights, designer Paul Foeckler has a different idea of harnessing light. Using carefully selected pieces of firewood sourced from California forests, the LA-based woodworker forgoes setting a match to the wood and instead…

With a seemingly endless supply of content and social media updates getting hurled at us 24/7, it’s become increasingly difficult to break the time-sucking and vicious cycle of distraction. If you’re a freelancer or one of the few digital nomads who work from home without the pressure of an afternoon presentation deadline, this problem can…

With the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio getting underway this weekend, Nike is (unsurprisingly) gearing up for another Olympic year to show off their latest sport-related innovations. While previous years have seen everything from the introduction of new materials to new colorways designed to pop off your TV screen, this year is a little different.…

When it comes to teaching kids the basics of hardware development, few companies have mastered speaking to young inventors on their level as well as LittleBits. Founded by engineer and interactive artist Ayah Bdeir, it would make perfect sense that, being a female and one-time young inventor herself, Bdeir knows exactly what kids want to…

While it’s natural to want to have every advanced woodworking tool under the sun available at your disposal – we’re looking at you, Frank Howarth – there is also something to be said about the simplicity of working with the least amount of tools possible, or even having a workshop to work out of at all.…

According to designers Piergiorgio Robino and Andrea Sanna of Italy-based Studio Nucleo, the best way to learn about an object is to construct it yourself. Frankly, we couldn’t agree more. But what about growing an object yourself? Robino and Sanna’s TERRA! Growing Furniture collection might be a good place to start. Having originally appeared at…

Already considered one of the most reliable and user-friendly consumer desktop 3D printers, the Ultimaker 2+ now has an entirely new feature for those who need to prototype on-the-run. The 2 Go Backpack, which keeps an Ultimaker 2+ fully contained and protected for traveling by foot, bike or plane, is a packaging “mod” that adds…

There’s more than a handful of reasons why the humble bicycle is an object of obsession for many an industrial designer or engineer. Aside from the zillions of proportion variations, material combinations and CMF studies that go into the design process, it is also one of the few objects that can be designed for users…

As if Kickstarter hasn’t already made getting side projects launched easier than ever, Amazon is now extending their support to project creators with, well, everything that Amazon offers as the largest global marketplace. Launching this week, the new Kickstarter Collection is now available on the company’s Amazon Launchpad digital storefront for hardware startups and crowdfunded…

From basketballs to doorbells, seemingly everything can be connected to smartphones these days. Now, not even the humble toolbox can escape the power of Bluetooth. For their new Pro Series ball bearing tool storage units, Craftsman is introducing the new Bluetooth Smart Lock technology for users to secure and unlock their precious tools through their…

Used by engineers and designers in nearly every corner of the product design and development industry, the humble Moleskine notebook is often the starting point for hatching the next great product idea. But while sketching in the iconic notebooks happens anywhere at any time, it is often when sketching over a cup of coffee at…

While he may be best known for warding off zombies with skull piercing “Brain Slicer” arrowheads or prepping for lethal milk and cookies with his Oreo Separation Pump Gun, Jörg Sprave of The Slingshot Channel just might have created his most ingenious mechanized weapon device yet. With an iPhone attached as an augmented reality viewfinder,…

Commonly used to seamlessly join dissimilar materials with different melting points, friction welding has been used to manufacture everything from airplane parts and rocket thruster tanks to even space shuttles and the razor-thin iMac. But regardless of the intended application, the visual spectacle provided by forcefully joining two materials together with brute force is one…

At age 80, fourth generation Japanese toymaker Masaaki Hiroi still cranks out classic wood toys from his workshop where he has spent a lifetime mastering his craft. While many might be worried about retirement and slowing down during their eighth decade, Hiroi continues to keep his mind and hands active doing what he loves to…

While those in the Western world may not think twice about flipping the light switch on at night, off-grid communities such as those in sub–Saharan African have come to rely on dangerous and expensive kerosene to keep the lights on after dark. This kerosene can cost 20% or more of an individual’s income and have…

Having raised nearly $275,000 over the past month, filmmaker Gary Hustwit has already shot past his $200,000 crowdfunding goal to make RAMS, the first feature documentary about Dieter Rams. For those who want a digital download when the film is released or any number of limited edition Dieter Rams-related backer rewards, today is the last…

While many homeowners are able to conveniently throw a slab of ribs or a freshly-caught trout onto a grill in their backyard or patio, the struggle is very very real for hungry patio-less apartment dwellers – particularly those in large cities. Although most public parks are equipped with public grills, the first come, first served basis…

With vinyl record sales surging at a 28 year high, it’s no surprise that among those celebrating the resurgence of that “warm and fuzzy sound” are the vinyl manufacturers themselves. In 2015 alone, vinyl sales hit $416 million thanks in part to major retailers including Barnes and Noble and Urban Outfitters adding vinyl to their…

Originally made from leather and stuffed with wool, today’s tennis balls are manufactured from raw rubber to have an optimal bounce height that can make or break a play for professional players. But how do the iconic yellow balls get that bounce in the first place? Commissioned by leading tennis ball manufacturer Wilson to document…

As if Google hasn’t already done enough to streamline how we get our information, the company’s Cultural Institute just did for art and design what Google Streetview did for maps. With works and artifacts from more than a thousand museums across 70 countries, the company’s new and improved Google Arts & Culture website and app…

While the electronic Boosted Board skateboards may be taking over today’s streets, nothing beats the simplicity of an original cruiser board when it comes to getting from A to B. As a self-confessed “hater of plastic”, German industrial designer Tom Wilhelm set out to create a wood replacement to the plastic Penny board that just…

Having born a toy company out of his living room with the desire to revive the “glamorous ’60s American modernist vibe and carve it into awesome contemporary wood toy designs” for his two young daughters, Brooklyn-based architect and designer Vlad Dragusin has since expanded Candylab Toys into a team of four after successfully launching his…

Although digital LED destination signs have become increasingly more common on public transportation vehicles since the technology has become more affordable to implement, they surprisingly aren’t the most favored method of signage on modern rail cars and buses on their way to pick up eagerly awaiting passengers. Alternatively, backlit roller bus blinds offer significantly cleaner…

The last time we checked in with Swedish designer, craftsman, and innovator Love Hultén, he was blending mid-century style and American walnut to create a series of drool-worthy retro gaming devices powered by a Raspberry Pi. More recently, the master of fusing traditional artisan knowledge with modern technology turned his attention from video games to…

Although Dyson’s Bladeless fans look freakin’ cool and feature a Helmholtz cavity designed to capture and dissipate motor noise, the bladeless tech comes in at a hefty $300 – easily sitting in the upper price bracket for desktop fans. While the bladeless fans feature ridiculously cool-looking internal parts just like Dyson’s vacuums, is the bladeless technology…

Centuries ago, the process of manufacturing wood objects such as bowls, utensils, and even toys involved foot-powered lathes that were powerful enough to dwindle rough chunks of freshly-cut wood into the usable items. While we’ve since replaced the need for foot power with electricity, the process of getting from wood block to finished object hasn’t…