The first Star Wars movie came out in 1977 and cemented itself as one of cinema’s most popular franchises. To bring this story set in a galaxy far, far away to life, director George Lucas used brilliant set design, vehicle design, costumes, special effects, and some of the best sound design of the time. Case in point: the iconic Millennium Falcon. Piloted by Rebel Alliance starfighters Han Solo and Chewbacca, the Millenium Falcon carries a strikingly unique shape and sound that remains unchanged—even through to the many sequels being made today. While the form of the Millennium Falcon took inspiration from a hamburger (no lie; you can look it up…

Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week on SolidSmack Radio we’ll get the groove going with “Friday Sky” from Babeheaven before diving into tracks from Night Moves, TOPS, Blue Hawaii, and others before wrapping up with “Looks Like That” from Sneaks. Ready? Let’s Rock! Have suggestions?…

Did you know there’s a packed, 11,000 square foot makerspace just 15 miles north of Seattle? We stopped by The Facility Makerspace to see the toys inside this new space funded by Edmonds Community College. If you’re worried about not being a student there — don’t! This makerspace is open to the public and you don’t need to be enrolled in any formal program to use the equipment, either. David Voetmann led the detailed tour and explained how The Facility works. You can see the highlights for yourself in the video below: The Facility, located in Lynnwood, Washington, is already decked out with impressive gear and it’s growing. Today, you…

We’ve said it time and time again, but the Raspberry Pi is just so dang cool and we believe all designers and engineers should have one in their toolkit—if not on their desktop. While there is a bit of a slight learning curve, it’s nothing that today’s designers and engineers can’t handle on a leisurely Saturday. So why not start now? The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle includes 8 courses to get started creating your very own Amazon Echo or even a ‘vintage’ streaming internet radio over a weekend. Throw in your own 3D printed housings, and the opportunities are limitless! For a limited time, The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle is…

Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…

As far as colored pencils go, Prismacolors have just about everybody else beat. Whether you’re a designer, engineer, or even a professional artist, the quality of Prismacolor in a variety of applications is just simply unrivaled. And for those looking to sketch intricate details with defined lines and crisp edges that just can’t be done without a constant sharp point, the brand’s Verithin line of colored pencils feature a hardened core that resists crumbling for ultra-detailed sketch sessions. We love this 24-pack variety of Verithin Colored Pencils to keep around the shop because each pencil lasts seemingly forever—thanks to that hardened core—and can be used for just about any other…