While the marketplace is flooded with design books of all shapes and sizes, it’s only every so often that a ‘Holy Grail” industrial design book pops up. The ambitious Industrial Design in the Modern Age—out this month from Rizzoli—is one of them. Told through more than 4,000 selected industrial design objects from the Kravis Design…

They may look like sacks of latex over an overpaid actor, but superhero masks are the real star of any superhero movie. They hide any facial blemishes and scars, plus they’re what kids recognize on the front of all the movie merchandise. And yet, making these voice-muffling head covers isn’t as easy as it seems.…

Although many of industrial designer Eric Strebel’s take on prototyping projects are of his methods, he isn’t above sticking to the book every once in a while. In his newest video, he shows how he works with a design brief for a wireless charger. The brief comes with a couple of specifics: it must be…

It happens to the best of us: one minute you’re getting outside the car or house, the next you find yourself locked out with no option other than to break back in. While there isn’t a surefire solution to your ailing memory, you can at least start the habit of keeping your keys in places…

Before fidget cubes and fidget spinners were even a thing, man’s best cure for anxiety was the ordinary pen. Ever present in school and work, these cheap writing materials could be spun, flicked, clicked, and in some cases even chewed on to get rid of pent-up energy. Designer Shin Feng has the same fidgeting problem;…

Don’t get me wrong; while the tried-and-true Swiss Army Knife is great for opening UPS packages or the occasional toothpick, it doesn’t scream “heavy duty” in times when you might need it for anything beyond that. When faced with an outdoor scenario, chances are the little knife might break under the stress of cutting a…

Before automobile technology even reached the point where two cup holders in a single car was an ovation inducing breakthrough, the automotive design process involved a constant back-and-forth of 2D sketches–it still does for many manufacturers. Then there is the strict adherence needed for that unfortunately inconvenient internal structure. Most of the time, these “hard…

Although humans have been throwing disc-shaped objects for centuries, it wasn’t until the 1930s when a couple was offered 25 cents for a cake pan they were throwing back and forth did the idea for the modern frisbee start to take shape. Today, the flexible polypropylene plastic disc is one of the most accessible and…

Pi Day may already be behind us (March 14th), but there are plenty of other ways to celebrate the mathematical constant over the rest of the year. The Pi Bike is a fixed gear bicycle from the minds of Martijn Koomen and Tadas Maksimovas in collaboration with ideas company WE ARE Pi. Inspired by a pi…

Even as more players eschew traditional board games in favor of smartphone app alternatives, there is still a significant population of diehard board game lovers who live for the real thing. Massdrop community designer Cassidy Williams is one such person; taking her love of Scrabble’s letter-engraved tiles into the world of computer keyboards. Waking up…

You ever wonder how craftsmen make those hoity-toity nature tables with tiny bodies of water flowing through them? Turns’ out, there’s no water involved. As former NFL lineman turned furniture maker, John Malecki, shows, all you need is some glass, some metal, and a good slab o’ wood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-hiw1CqyA How to Make a River Table…

As far as desk toys go, just about everybody has a method of keeping their hands busy while waiting for that next great idea to strike. And for designers and engineers who appreciate precision machined metal, the Vortecon definitely deserves a spot in your desktop. Concieved of by-product designer Kristoph Krisjans, the Vortecon is a…

The folks at Paperwallet sure like keeping their wallets simple. Made from Tyvek (the material you find in a lot of packaging envelopes), these money holders are as thin as an anorexic paper yak, yet are able to hold a fat stack of bills and cards. Not only that, but they give upcoming artists a…

If you’re someone who has the energy to exercise after sitting at a desk for 12 hours… well, of course you should. If you don’t wear your exercise clothes at work, you probably tote around your work bag along with an exercise bag. Shoes, clothes, soap, rubber ducky– the essentials. One person dared to imagine eliminating one…

The last we heard from SolidSmack favorite Love Hultèn, the Swedish designer had just announced a retro-inspired portable wood arcade cabinet containing 100 classic 2-player arcade games back in the Fall of 2017. Hultèn, who seamlessly blends traditional wood craftsmanship with modern technology, is already at it again with yet another take on the retro…

Some love the therapeutic nature of it; others entirely loathe it. Either way, one thing is for sure: vacuuming is vital to keeping your space clean. But from an ergonomics standpoint, many vacuum designs leave plenty to be desired. One subtle—yet common—ache caused by vacuuming is wrist ache, which comes from twisting your hand in…

Unlike moving bikes, which give you a sense of freedom, adventure, and occasionally, dread, stationary bikes just…well, stand there. And while stationary bikes are useful for squeezing in some cardio when the weather is particularly nasty outside, their outdoor riding emulation leaves much to be desired. The Wattbike Atom is still a stationary vehicle, but…

As someone who exercises daily, I know the hardest part of any workout is actually deciding to work out. People make a lot of reasons not to exercise, but one of the biggest excuses is they simply don’t have time to go to a gym. The xChain isn’t a portable gym (though that sounds like…

At first glance, you might think this weird-looking sphere is either a fancy lamp or an oversized paperweight. While it could, theoretically, hold a massive stack of paper, this sculptural piece contains something a bit more useful: powerful and secure Wi-Fi. Unlike more conventional Wi-Fi router designs, most of which are uninspiring boxes with bug-like…

Homemade weapons have come a long way since the traditional slingshot. Since nearly everyone, their dog, and old aunt Emma now has access to a 3D printer and the internet, more designs for must-have office battle weaponry are poppin’ up like inflamed nostrils. Case in point: this devilishly deceptive mini-crossbow. Created by Etsy user Edwards for…

Taking a break from creating cast parts and mold boxes , designer Eric Strebel cracked his paper coloring knuckles to bring you a sketch render color paper challenge which has him sketching a design concept on… you guessed it, COLORED PAPER. The design in question is a modern approach to a Tucker truck from the…

It goes without saying in any professional setting, but to look the part, it pays to play the part. In other words, you wouldn’t expect an engineer to show up at a design review with a plastic children’s pencil case. At least, this is what the folks over at Onehundred believe (we kinda do, to).…

Not much has changed with the wheel since it got us moving millennia ago. It’s design in the simplest form: a rotating donut which adapts to do everything from power machinery to provide exercise for your kid’s overweight hamster. Seeing as the invention has survived years without a lot of improvement, designer Andrea Mocellin has…

From face-scanning smartphones to always-listening voice interfaces, we’ve come a long way since using dials and knobs to control the world around us. As a natural side effect, we’ve also created a much larger arena to play with interface design. The Pour Reception radio from interaction designer Tore Knudsen is one such project that aims…

Developed in collaboration with the Aluminum Company of America in 1944 by Wilton C. Dinges, the Emeco 1006 Navy Chair is one of the most iconic chairs in the history of industrial design. Initially designed for the Navy submarines during WWII as a chair that could withstand the rigors of life at sea—including a torpedo…

Always one for ingenuity, Eric Strebel puts his industrial design expertise to good use even with the simplest of tasks. This time, he’s been commissioned to produce 120 cast parts from a single solid master part. Seeing how costly it is to make solid parts, Strebel decides to take matters into his own hands and…

The LighterSaber, as its name implies, is a lighter which looks like those wonderful laser swords from that one movie, whatsit? Ah yes…. Star Wars. Instead of spending years in Jedi training, running around Dagoba with small greet creature attached to your back, Iqbal Ameer and Singapore-based Expedio Design are bringing you the next best thing in…

The rotary tool (Dremel) is the ubiquitous hand tool for low skill prototyping. The magic wand of the prototyping world. And by that, I mean it can make sparks, dust, and smoke. The real magic is how all those theatrics can produce such a small cut (and leave such a razor-sharp edge). It is time…

If there is one thing kids really want to do, it’s to drive a car just like mom and dad. Inversely, if there’s one thing a lot of grown-ups wish they could do now, it’s to return to the simplicity of childhood and play in a cardboard box. The full-scale cardboard Karoq SUV by British…

Beside your 1986 ‘Electric Swan’ Trapper Keeper with bits of plastic falling off it, there are thousands of notebook, notepad, journal, planner and portfolio options to the point it’s hard to stand out. Yet,  HappyEarth Notebooks has managed to do just that with their arguably unique take on a centuries-old method for trapping bits of paper.…

It would be relatively easy to mistake this bed design as a bunch of thin wood planks stacked atop each other. Apparently tired of sleeping on mattresses held up by squeaky frames, the Polish home designers at Gie El have created a bed whose frame is just as alluring as the prospect of getting a…

A good hoodie can last you years. The only time to get rid of it is when it’s worn so much it falls apart or is just too darn small. A small hoodie – that’s just the worst, isn’t it? So, two inventors design one big enough for any… well, most people, to ensure you’ll…

We’re all familiar with the old ‘pull the chair out from under an unsuspecting friend or coworker’ trick. But what if said chair did the whole ‘pulling out from under the unsuspecting individual’ thing on its own? Such is the premise behind a new furniture collection from RISD students George Duan and Megan Lee. Teeter…

From custom hand-milled creations to 12-sided behemoths designed for roleplaying games, it’s impressive how far dice have come since they were first discovered in archeological digs and were estimated to be between 2800 to 2500BC. CoDi dice are a standard six-sided die CNC machined out of steel or brass (depending on preference) and come with…

From paring tomatoes to slicing through thick bread crust, few tools are as valuable in the kitchen as a sharp and reliable knife set. In fact, connecting with a great knife set is so important, it’s one of the few kitchen tools culinary schools require their students to purchase on their own. And while there…

If you’re a beginner looking to get into the wonderful but painful world of skateboarding, there are a couple of tips you might want to keep in mind. First, a good helmet might cost a little bit of money up front, but it can save thousands on medical bills—not to mention, your life. Second, treat…

Of all the places you’d expect the sad remnants of a wrecked automobile to show up, on a wrist as a high-end watch likely isn’t at the top of that list. Yet. designers Christian Mygh and Jonathan Kamstrup of REC Watches have done just that with their P-51 Timepiece; a luxury watch made from discarded…

Ceramic craft is considered to be one of the most primitive and natural examples of product design. For Seattle-based artist Katie Marks of Silver Lining Ceramics, that means quite literally taking inspiration from under the Earth’s crust for her latest collection inspired by crystal formations. But just as mesmerizing as her final product—is the way…

Ah, LEGO blocks – the real-life equivalents of Minecraft. From tiny model PlayStations to a gigantic 7,541-piece Millennium Falcon, almost everything has been made a subject by these Denmark-based construction blocks. To add to the never-ending list of things you can create with this deceptively-called children’s toy, Astonishing Studios has created a handy how-to guide…

It may look like a simple block of wood, but Nissha’s Mui does much more than sit on your wall as an aesthetically pleasing living room decoration; underneath that warm earthy texture is a touch-based internet-connected interactive display capable of displaying information and controlling IoT devices. The display is designed to match to your environment…

For many, a line of LEGO-inspired 3D printed jewelry is sure to bring a wave of nostalgia. For others who still regularly buy LEGO sets, it’s simply an ingenious way to repurpose those extra bricks as fashion accessories. Such is the premise behind the new jewelry line from French design studio Hint Lab. Thomas and…

At first glance, the Velux Cabrio looks like an absurdly large window. It could even pass as a solar panel. But see it in action, and you’ll soon realize why its size seems so ridiculous. Just take a look at this video: Simply put, the Velux Cabrio is an ingenious window design that converts into…

Not everyone loves cats, but those who do think they are the cutest thing since… well, dogs. They’re cuddly, fluffy, and can cough up a gooey hairball on your keyboard. What’s not to love? But one thing that apparently drives cat owners mad is their cats’ unsightly behinds. But don’t worry, there’s a design for…

Considerably more complex than a typical desk lamp or a child’s nightlight, the folks at CE Lighting have come up with a modern reinterpretation of everyone’s favorite boogeyman buster. At first glance, the Skala Lamp looks like a pencil holder without the…you know, pencil holding feature. In fact, it looks like little more than a…

The Migra surfboard bag is the brainchild of two friends who for more than fifteen years have travelled to remote islands in search of the perfect wave or “rip” as it’s call by surfers. While each destinations yielded a new thrill, the getting there left something to be desired. The biggest challenge they faced on…

A long time ago, I learned I could use my campfire charcoal to filter any questionable water sources if no other water was available. Not surprisingly, charcoal can have a profound effect on softening ordinary tap water, too. London-based design firm Black+Blum recently designed an interesting (BPA free) water bottle to take advantage of a…

It’s not very often—if ever—that a software app is made in response to a mass distaste for a particular hardware feature. And as Apple’s design team has learned time and time again, you can’t please everybody all the time. The most recent example comes from the “notch” in the physical body of the new iPhone…

Product design whiz Eric Strebel is at it again – this time with his personal guide on how to create a small batch of 200 vacuum-formed panels for display at a car show. Eric starts the same way he begins all his designs: in the ideation phase. Even though panels aren’t the most complex products,…

Don’t believe what other people tell you – rocking chairs are NOT just for old people! In fact, they’re one of the comfiest pieces of furniture out there. Even so, a rocking chair isn’t the most portable seat. Since most of them rely on rockers or springs to operate, they can’t really be disassembled and…

As you read this, you’re probably at your desk, killing time while waiting for the workday to end. But do you know just for how long you’ve been sitting down? How about your daily water intake for the day—or meals you’ve eaten? One of the more obscure applications of A.I., the SmartDesk 3 ISN’T a…