When it comes to bicycle frame design, the decision to use a light-colored wood such as white ash isn’t always a feasible design decision – but who the heck needs feasible when you can ride around town on a bike that looks like Keim’s Arvak? Since unveiling their Arvak frame design in April of 2014,…

With hundreds of officially licensed figures ranging from the Alien franchise to Mars Attacks!, Hong Kong-based Hot Toys Limited has been the go-to production house for ultra-detailed media property figures that fetch hundreds to thousands of dollars from loyal toy collectors. Established in 2000, the company began by producing high-detailed 1:6 scale U.S. military special…

The Smoth Mealer (pictured above) has been doing a lot of 3D printing lately. He has some thoughts he’d like to share.

Although some of us may refer to 3D printing as “a tool in our toolbox” for when the need to rapid prototype arises, one Florida design engineer recently took the saying quite literally. Chad Bridgewater, an employee at Florida’s Boca Bearings, recently modded an old vintage Huot toolbox to create an expandable 3D printer that…

As is the case for many architects, 77-year-old Renzo Piano’s career started while building sandcastles near his childhood home on the shores of Genoa, Italy. Since the days of his earliest structure designs, Piano has gone on to design some of the world’s most famous buildings including Paris’ Centre Pompidou, London’s Shard, and more recently,…

While there are plenty of upcycled designs that can be made from discarded skateboard decks, a custom handmade guitar isn’t necessarily the first possibility that comes to mind. Yet for 22 year old self-taught woodworker and industrial design student Nick Pourfard, combining his passions for both music and skateboarding was a no-brainer. Based out of…

It’s no secret that cardboard is among one of the most effective materials for building prototypes, yet the material rarely ever moves past prototyping stage for obvious reasons. Ernest Packaging, a nationwide custom packaging solution company that was started out of a Los Angeles garage in 1946, has been spending the past year pushing the…

When it comes to seamlessly blending the pleasures of film fanatics who have a fascination with how the forged weapons from their favorite movies are made, the Man at Arms crew always delivers. The Man at Arms team, which consists of expert blacksmiths and craftsmen with a penchant for keeping things interesting, have been regularly…

Making primitive huts and tools from scratch using only natural materials found in the wild is a skill that many may wish they had, but rarely ever have had the opportunity to learn. For new YouTuber Primitive Technology, making these huts and tools appear to be a part of his everyday life – and now…

Although the latest camera technologies have allowed both professional and amateur photographers to have more control than ever over their photography techniques, many of today’s camera body designs lack a particular timeless charm that analog film cameras once had and – more often than not – leave a lot to be desired in the material…

Although a majority of people may be more interested in analyzing the construction details of the latest iPhone design rather than something that came out of a blacksmith’s workshop, blacksmithing has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years thanks in part to the amount of YouTube videos that document the grueling process…

Although product designers have been using various additive manufacturing technologies to create rapid prototypes for decades now, few objects have ever been bigger than a traditional consumer electronic product. Thanks to recent developments in the past few years though, the scale of 3D printing – through FDM 3D printing methods, to be exact – has…

Although a large amount of attention over the past few years (and especially the last two months) has been focused on the bevy of digital streaming music services including Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, another kind of listening experience revolution has been quietly brewing as well – yet it’s been in front of us for…

While toy designs start out much like any other product design – with an idea and a sketch – they can quickly become a more involved modeling exercise that requires expert sculpting techniques using both digital tools – such as MODO or ZBrush – as well as traditional sculpting tools including clay or wax. While…

Sixteen-year-old innovator Mohammad Sayed decided that his wheelchair needed to be more useful. Having previously designed and added an interchangeable laptop tray and canopy along with classmates for a school project, Sayed felt that the chair could use some more design modifications to make it easier to use. Taking the redesign one step further, he…

Despite the deep connection to Earth that can be found through surfing waves around the world, the process of creating a typical surfboard is anything but earth-friendly; among other materials used in the traditional surfboard manufacturing process include polyurethane blocks and various glassing chemicals whose waste gets tossed into waste bins once the finished board…

Origami is an art that requites a certain level of patience, skill, and precision. Be good enough at it, and it is possible to come up with beautifully detailed complex creations – all without the use of a single drop of glue. Using the age-old technique of origami manipulation, paper engineer Erik Åberg has created…

You upload your file, place your order, and in less than four seconds your product is being printed. That’s the answer to the question I asked Mitch Free about how his new venture is changing 3D printing and bringing automation back into the spotlight. It’s also the answer to why they’re able to ship the part to you the same…

When it comes to camping, everybody has their own levels of comfort that can range from the bare-bones necessities to all types of glamping. But if there’s one thing that everybody can agree on, it’s the fact that camping makes you hungry – and yes, campfire hot dogs do taste better in the middle of…

Of all of the minor annoyances that occur in the workshop, the need for an easily-adjustable bright light while working with both hands certainly ranks high up there – especially when looking for ‘that missing screw’ ends up taking just as much time as a project assembly itself. Of course, the best solutions for these…

While a broken shovel and a broken piece of concrete aren’t likely to generate a lot of of inspiration for most people, trained carpenter-turned paleolithic weapon craftsman John Heisz isn’t your average Joe. The Ontario, Canada-based Heisz operates a website and a YouTube channel that feature hundreds of made-from-scratch projects ranging from push brooms to…

As we continue to move into an age where products can be produced at the push of a button, the question of “Will additive manufacturing ruin or enable the next generation of designers and engineers?” is one that keeps coming up. While being able to turn a CAD model into a physical object for all…

With the amount of daily coffee consumption continuing to grow daily worldwide (last count: 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day), it would seem to make sense to start looking into alternative uses for both discarded material as well as the processed beans themselves. Among others who are looking into what’s possible with the coffee…

When it comes to weekend build projects that involve lasers, death rays and fire, few people can top 22-year-old chemistry, physics and math triple-major Drake Anthony in the badassery department. The self-described “old school” pyromaniac is responsible for a small library of videos on YouTube under his alter ego styropyro that document the process of…

When it comes to guilty pleasures in film geek land, look no further than the dozens of YouTube videos created by the group of blacksmiths, machinists and swordssmiths over at Man at Arms. The group, who have built everything from Oddjob’s Hat to Arya’s Needle, are masters of documenting the process of replicating forged weapons…

When it comes to working with sustainable materials, bamboo is among the most widely-used for good reason: although it is technically a grass, it is the fastest-growing woody plant on Earth. Additionally, the plant’s complex underground system of roots and rhizomes remain intact and a specimen is able to quickly regenerate itself at the rate…

Considered by many to be the “original French tumbler”, the tempered Picardie glasses from iconic French brand Duralex have become nearly as iconic as a crêpe or a beret when it comes to French style. The glassware’s easily identifiable curves have also made it recognizable (and famous) in a number of posters and films including…

Founded in 2002 by a group of architecture graduates who had recently visited the Milan Design Fair, Nendo has since become an internationally-renowned multidisciplinary design studio that’s been responsible for everything from mug designs for Starbucks and retail design for Camper shoes to ice cream cakes for Häagen-Dazs and furniture designs for Cappellini. Named after…

Although we might have come to take physical books for granted over the years, their presence in an ever-increasing digital world of smartphones and e-readers has led many to reconsider the value of a well-constructed book. Of course – just like any other manufactured product – there are great examples of the craft that have…

When it comes to athletic footwear design, it can be difficult to wade through various marketing campaigns that tout various foot support or material innovations and the actual innovations themselves. With that being said, the actual innovations truly are groundbreaking when they end up in a finished and deliverable product – oftentimes shaving seconds off…

Known for churning out television show classics including The Young Ones, Black Adder, Keeping Up Appearances, Mr. Bean and legions of others, the BBC is no stranger to when it comes to developing entertaining content ranging from late night TV and car review shows to nature specials and various documentaries. More recently, the British Broadcasting…

Considering that most of the conversations we have about tools these days involve tools of the digital variety (and if they are based in the Cloud or not), it might be hard to imagine that at one time, a slightly-altered rock was considered the norm for manufacturing one’s own goods. In a recent article that…

This is part II (see part I here) of a series that will give an inside look at how my friends and I are attempting to turn an idea into a real product. It is my goal to make this an accurate representation of what it’s like to create a product completely from scratch, without…

When it comes to that nagging, why-isn’t-it-the-end-of-the-week feeling you get on Thursday afternoons, it can be tempting to want to pack up your desk for good and figure out a way to make a career out of making whatever you feel like making – not unlike Colin Furze. The British garage inventor has made a…

For filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, churning out high-quality documentaries that tell the story of a Maker’s process is a walk in the park. The Nova Scotia-born filmmaker attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles and has since gone off to win dozens of festival awards worldwide and even a qualification…

When it comes to machining, there’s more than a handful of tricks for getting jaw-dropping results with some clever problem solving; after all, that’s sort of what the skill is about in the first place. But when it comes to using the various tools in a machinist’s workshop for creating complete mind-bending objects, that’s when…

For London-based kirigami paper artist and designer director Marc Hagan-Guirey (AKA Paper Dandy), a turning point came in March of 2012 when – after picking up the kirigami craft – he decided to leave his job as Head of Design at a Soho-based advertising agency to concentrate on paper engineering full-time, starting with his first…

Anyone who plays the electric guitar knows the struggle of finding the perfect guitar – something that both sounds amazing and matches your personal style. While classic profiles such as the Les Paul, the Telecaster and of course, the infamous Stratocaster can fit the sound and style of many different musicians, it is sometimes the…

Justin Mrazik is a Bay Area-based industrial designer who chooses to work in wood because of the life and warmth that it brings to everyday objects. The life and warmth his products exude can be felt with one visit to his kitchen. The small wooden spice shelf. The salt serving spoon. Kitchen Utensil I prototypes in each drawer. A hand-turned…

Although IKEA products have become synonymous with various levels of hackability (see here, here and here), the company has (unsurprisingly) been yet to celebrate the “IKEA Hack” movement under their own brand, at least until now. Back in 2013, the Swedish house wares giant started a project along with IDEO, Lund University’s School of Industrial…

Thanks to the internet’s interest in never-ending, looping cat fails and Russian parkour accidents, the GIF file format has surged in popularity over the past few years – however, when put into context for a sales or marketing tool, the GIF can be a powerful communicative medium for explaining a process. Among others who have…

When people think about surfing, New York City isn’t likely to be among the list of worldwide surf spots that pop up immediately. Despite this, many people are amazed to learn that some of the best surf spots on the East Coast are just a quick drive from the towering skyscrapers and hustle-and-bustle of Manhattan.…

In an age of touchscreen devices and virtual reality headsets, it’s not too often when contemporary design looks back towards the Ice Age for inspiration – however London-based artist and designer Kentaro Yamada is anything but conventional. Previously, Yamada has created everything from an upside-down frozen aluminum pyramid to a software-generated sound installation that translates…

With a base price of $845,000 (yes, that’s before any options), Porsche’s 918 Spyder hybrid supercar is certainly not an everyday cruiser that most would expect to see on their daily commute. As a matter of fact, the company is only planning on producing 918 of them this year alone worldwide. But perhaps what the…

As far as desk toys and “random stuff to keep around for inspiration” goes, everybody has their own tastes and preferences. While some may prefer bright and colorful vinyl toys such as those from Kidrobot on their tidy desktop, others may prefer to keep more DIY-inspired mini-projects strewn about their dusty workshop. For those looking…

Having been working together for over twenty years now, brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec likely have what most would consider a solid sibling relationship. The brothers – who are five years apart in age and are known for carrying distinctly-different personalities – have been keeping busy during the last two decades working on product designs…

It’s hard to deny that of all the things that go well together, workshops and rural settings are among the best. Perhaps it’s the mixture of nature and industry that seems to balance everything out, or maybe the rolling brooks and grass hills are simply just a nice contrast from the more industrialized factories in…

It’s been an interesting past few years for bicycle design and fabrication – among other reasons, the combination of both traditional craftsmanship techniques and more modern manufacturing methods have not only changed how bicycles are made, but also what they are made out of. While some have opted to use additive manufacturing technologies to create…

For just about as long as I can remember, I was obsessed with making things. My ceiling was completely obscured by hanging model airplanes and my collections of Legos and K’Nex were, let’s just say… significant. As a kid I absolutely loved making models and toys just to have them, play with them, and look…

POMCH is a Hong Kong based bag brand and concept store that began as a school assignment between 2 friends. Jeffery Leung and Felix Tai epitomize the synergies that exist between industrial and product design through their pet project, POMCH. POMCH is the sound from the heavy machinery operation, which leads to the brand concept…