Maslow’s hammer: If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Design engineering is a constantly evolving field. It is forming and shaping faster than a complex hexagonal honeycomb micromesh structure growing out of a Carbon3D printer; from new technologies with implementable applications to tools, software, and manufacturing processes. Keep…
When it comes to upcycling, it’s not always easy to create something new out of discarded waste that doesn’t appear as repurposed…discarded waste. Yet, Czech artist Veronika Richterová seems to have pulled it off. For her recent PET Luminaries series, the artist sliced and diced dozens of discarded plastic PET bottles to create a collection…
William Whiteley & Sons, a well-known scissor company in England, sure knows their stuff when it comes to cutting instruments. They’ve been around for 257 years; combining traditional handcrafting with current world technologies to make scissors capable of cutting through Kevlar (just take a look at their manufacturing process in the video below). Different scissors…
Presented by The future of making things—that’s what Autodesk University is all about. As the preeminent conference for designers, engineers, architects, and makers of all stripes, AU is the place to share knowledge, learn about the latest trends and technologies, and build connections. This year, the future of making things comes into new focus with…
The WESN titanium knife (West East North South) from designer Billy Chester looks like a handy little tool for camping trips and knife-related activities. While the handle of the knife is made from grade 5 titanium, the blade itself is composed of AUS8 heat-treated steel. What distinguishes this knife from other bladed weapons is how…
With his near-seamless ability to fuse traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, it’s no wonder designer Love Hultén consistently makes his way into mainstream media with his clever interpretations of retro arcade cabinets. Heck, one of his creations even ended up on the Tonight Show. The Swedish designer, whose approach to design is to present genuine…
Let’s be honest: commuting sucks. When you aren’t hurrying to find a cab or Uber, you’re spending an uncomfortable journey in the back of a stranger’s car with sticky floors. Student Jack Davies was so fed up with his everyday commute that he decided to find an alternative solution. The result is the Fusion E-Board…
Society has become more accepting of four-legged pets when it comes to where they are allowed to go. A decade ago, you might catch flack for bringing your dog to the public park. But these days, you’ll see dogs and cats in stores or malls wearing miniature costumes while lounging it up with high society.…
Contrary to popular belief, not all chairs are made for the same purpose. There are Monobloc chairs made for public events, rolling chairs designed with the sole purpose of spinning around while sitting in them, and chairs with arms so comfy you never sit in them quite properly. The Hybrid Chair serves two of those multiple…
While it can be daunting to create LEGO models consisting of an absurd amount of blocks, you might consider the sense of accomplishment when building something with the least amount of blocks possible. Case in point: these tiny LEGO PlayStations. Twitter user SUU2100 has turned all four of Sony’s video game consoles into bite-sized LEGO models.…
It’s not always easy to juggle multiple hats in the design and engineering worlds—but if there is a common language that will likely end up saving you a lot of time and frustration down the road, it’s having g basic knowledge of visual communication. While nobody can become an Aaron Draplin overnight, having a strong…
There’s nothing like attending a global design or engineering conference. You get to see and hear all the latest and greatest stuff. But I say even better than attending a conference is the opportunity to be a presenter at one! The big event for PTC Users is the annual LiveWorxs Global Conference. So if you’ve…
Last year, we brought to your attention Eduard Locota’s DelMare table – an unconventional table that looks like a section of seafloor extracted from a azure blue coastline. With a low center of gravity, different sizes, and a €7,000 price tag (roughly $8,214), you can bet you get your money’s worth for a mesmerizing piece…
When it comes to inspirational source material, NASA’s archive of open source multimedia is a treasure trove for creatives. No, seriously. Among others, French designer Harold Sangourd recently pulled some source material for the creation of his Apollo 11 Table—a tribute to the famous NASA expedition. The table, which consists of molded fiberglass covering a…
It’s more engine than motorcycle. Yep, you read the headline correctly; this baby runs on a Subaru WRX engine. When New Zealand toolmaker Marcel van Hooijdonk received a challenge from his Aussie friend to build a motorcycle around a car engine, he couldn’t say no. You see, this isn’t the first Subaru WRX motorcycle. (Of…
Sure, mushrooms are good in your salads…but you’ve likely never given any thought into mushrooms as a medium for physical products. Call it a typical Brooklyn experiment, but the GROW lamp from Ecovative just might have some sense behind it. In combining the essence of DIY with the power of nature, the GROW is a…
Born out of a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2013, CandyLab Toys has been one of the most popular Kickstarter campaigns to date. The NYC toy company, founded by two friends with a mutual love for classic American cars, has even been elevated to Kickstarter Gold status—even making a feature in the platform’s retail partnership…
As we become increasingly tied to our digital devices., the longing and joy for analog experiences continues to inspire a realm of new digital products that aim to capture the best of both worlds—products like the reMarkable e-ink tablet. The Yashica Y35 is the latest to enter this realm—with the goal of capturing the joy…
Calling all designers, engineers, and would-be sketching aficionados! Grab your drawing sticks because Inktober 2017 has officially kicked off! For those of you not familiar with Inktober the short story is that it’s a 31-day drawing challenge created by a guy name Jake Parker back in 2009. His aim was/is to inspire creatives to improve…
Studio Ghibli could be considered the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney Pictures. If you haven’t watched at least one of their heartfelt children’s films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, or Spirited Away, please stop reading this and do that instead (you’ll thank me later). The movies have as much impact on Japanese…
File this one under “why didn’t I think of that?” Created by ‘Eric and Angela,’ a husband and wife team with a love for all things outdoors and product design, Firefly is a brilliant replacement for the near-useless ‘toothpick’ accessory that comes standard with the Swiss Army Knife. Using the same form factor as the…
It seems no matter how small the problem, there is someone willing to provide a slick design solution. This time around, the problem is cargo management. Not the heavy duty kind of cargo you need for construction; I’m talking about conundrum and troubles of placing things like groceries in your trunk. Stayhold, an Irish company…
When it comes to coffee, hardcore aficionados take every step of the process seriously—from the origins of the bean, down to the milliseconds for brew time and method. And while making a solid cup of coffee at home can be done with the ultra-simplified pour over method, espresso machines have been another story—unless you’ve been…
We seem to be talking a lot about pencils lately. From a pencil holder/extender to a pencil/stylus, we do love to cover our notebooks in wood shavings and lead. But let’s give a tactical pen some love this time around. The GP 1945 bolt-action tactical pen isn’t your normal click pen. In fact it’s, quite surprisingly,…
Too many of us are too busy to be bothered by life’s trivialities. When the world is moving at a breakneck speed, you don’t really have time to worry about things like paying bills, washing yourself or finding your keys (but seriously, you should take care of those bills). They gobble up those precious minutes…
Recently, we featured Capsule Skateboards, makers of a 100% polymer skateboard which can stand an unusual amount of punishment and still do everything just as well (if not better) than a traditional maple board. The project on Indiegogo didn’t quite meets their goal but the company has shared some information on how this almost unbreakable…
In the 21st century, it’s never enough when an object only has one function. Smart phones need to be computers. Pencils need to be sharpeners. And wallets? When they’re not doubling as a tactical tool why not as a notebooks? The P01 Pioneer Bifold Wallet & Pen was made with the purpose of keeping your…
Even if their initial purpose is to replace the consumable pencil (or extend the life of a pencil), you can spend a lot of money on a mechanical pencil. Especially a plastic version that, once the lead is finished or the eraser is turned into a useless nub, ends up in the trash to make…
For those afflicted with OCD (did you see this desk organizer?) or if you just can’t take a break from designing things, you may find this handy, little ruler interesting. https://ksr-video.imgix.net/projects/3040797/video-813018-h264_base.mp4 Created by New England-based company Onehundred, the Qbit is a modern interpretation of the Cubit ruler – a portable measuring tool our ancestors used…
While video game consoles are becoming increasingly more advanced and powerful, it’s only natural for there to be a growing interest in retro consoles that hark back to simpler times—as evidenced by the massive demand for Nintendo’s NES and SNES Classic consoles alone. Well, now old-school favorite Atari is making a comeback for a slice…
Despite a long list of benefits, working from home is also not without its fair share of downsides. For those that depend on billing clients for regular hours, digital time tracking can be a major pain—particularly when you’re constantly bouncing back and forth between tasks. But what if starting and stopping different tasks was as…
Even with the numerous advantages of mechanical pencils, there are still those who love the old school feel of wooden pencils. And Andrew Pyza’s love for traditional pencils spurred him to create Pencil+, a pencil holder which extends the life of your pencil while providing a built-in sharpener. The origin story of the Pencil+ is…
Ever since man first learned to slice something with a blade, there have been countless designs and re-designs of the traditional every day carry (EDC) knife. There are knives which can be customized to fit your design needs, knives that stick to the fridge, those the size of a man’s arm (and cut one off, at…
Though skateboarders have been blessed with a variety of upgrades to the traditional skateboard (such as a smart electric skateboard with a built-in A.I. and a one-wheeled, all-terrain variant), traditional boards are built of maple plys that’ll snap as soon as you land on it wrong. They just don’t last long before chipping or breaking…
Ever since I was a teenager, I always wanted to graduate my art style from stick figures to something a bit more refined. Not everyone has an instinct for drawing, but quite a few would love to draw better and many of us desire to sketch like a pro. ShadowDraw, a creative app for the upcoming Apple…
If there is one thing the LEGO is good at—besides creating some of the best toys of all time—it’s staying in the news. Last week, the company announced their new 7,541-piece Lego Millennium Falcon—the biggest and most expensive set ever released by the company. Created for diehard fans under their Ultimate Collector Series collection, the…
While McLaren Automotive is known for designing and manufacturing some of the world’s fastest supercars, they’ve never been one to shy away from lending their expertise to the design of lower-tech vehicles, too—particularly, the bicycle. More recently, the British Automaker teamed up with Specialized Bicycles to celebrate their 50th year of Grand Prix racing and…
Have you ever looked at your phone’s touchscreen capabilities and wondered, “Man, I wish there was a more wooden way to operate these media players”? If you have and are a fan of well-designed pieces of technology, then this remote control is right up your alley. The re:puk is a wooden Bluetooth controller which allows…
Despite countless attempts at making the everyday camera wearable, the device still sticks out like a sore thumb. Ultimately, if it’s not hanging at the end of a selfie stick, it’s sitting on the top of your head like a GoPro. This is the issue the FOMO camera wants to address. It may look like…
As one of the most coveted of all design jobs, sneaker designers often have it made. From hanging out with pro athletes to working with the most innovative color trends, materials, and finishes day in and day out, it’s no wonder why colleges and trade schools are beginning to offer sneaker design courses to keep…
A LEGO Ninjango City model? NO. THE LEGO Ninajgo City. Well, at least the interesting bits that can be economically manufactured and fit economically in a box. The name may be slightly misleading, but the kit is no less impressive. Continuing his penchant for creating amazing LEGO build videos, YouTube user Bart van Dijk has another impressive…
From Hippies to Van Lifers, few vehicles have come to represent multiple subcultures as well as the VW Microbus. While the German automotive manufacturer ceased production of the vans years ago, that hasn’t discouraged die-hard fans from rebuilding their own custom VW Microbus models to their own standards. Unsurprisingly—and after years of teaser concept models—the…
Despite its effort in efficiency, the spork is still the most evilly awkward of eating utensils and still made of that evil non-biodegradable plastic. It’s about time someone came up with a new spoon design that puts the spork (and other disposable eating utensils?) permanently in the rubbish heap to slowly not degrade over a thousand…
As often as we look at and use appliances that live out their entire lives on our kitchen counters, you would expect there to be more exploration into thinking of these objects as ‘functional sculptures’ rather than ‘attractive mass manufactured objects’. At least, this was a glaring concern from Berkely-based design studio Montaag Products. After…
If you have you ever held a film projector before, chances are you have probably heard the distinct clacking noise that comes with using it. The sound comes from the Geneva Drive, a mechanism which gets its name from the 17th century Swiss watches it used to power. In a video by the Maker’s Muse…
Few objects are as ubiquitous in the New York City landscape as the humble pushcart. Whether to ferry packages up a skyscraper or transport a piece of artwork down the block, the assistive devices have come to represent the number of goods that flow in and out of the city on a daily basis. It…
The ruler and measuring tape have been around since time immemorial. If you’re looking for something more modern, more pocket-size, to physically measure your projects, then you might like the idea of this compact rotating ruler. https://youtu.be/dGESlcHJlTA How ya like that whistlin’? The Rollbe is a tiny measuring tool which looks like a miniature pizza…
If there’s one thing that can turn an ordinary object into an extraordinary object, it’s knowing that you built said object yourself. As to be expected, however, things tend to hit a snag when functional electronic appliances enter the mix. Aiming to satisfy the middle ground between a functional object and a DIY experience, the…
People People, the Swedish company behind the Modern Pocket Watch and Wearable IoT for Snickers Workwear, has successfully run a new crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter for their Small Wireless Transparent Speaker with Flic Button control. The new speaker features a glass case so you can see exactly how the drivers are all wired together to…
Having been practicing digital illustration since the early 1990s (this after years of practicing traditional art), Brazil’s Jomar Machado has amassed an impressive portfolio of 3D design work that spans decades. While the early years of his professional career were spent creating storyboards, layouts, and concept art for print at the advertising firm JW Thompson,…