We’ve seen his tips on how to make the ultimate dust mask and resin casting boxes, but for his newest video, designer Eric Strebel is going way back to where he starts all his ideas: his sketchbook. As any designer worth his salt knows, sketching preliminary ideas before executing them in CAD or on the bandsaw is a vital part of the design process. In Strebel’s workflow, he likes to take his analog sketches from his sketchbook and scan them directly to his computer. For this to work, he modifies an everyday sketchbook by rewiring the spine to open from the back and adding some Ultrasuede to the covers to…
Sure—we’re all for having the right tools at the right time. But let’s be honest: having any tool, when the need arises, is better than having none. Which is why having a multitool on your key chain makes perfect sense. But when it comes to multitools—keychain fobs or not—not all are created equal. And when it comes to the perfect combination of price and quality, it’s hard to go wrong with the original multi-tool manufacturer, Leatherman. The company’s Micra multi-tool lives on your keychain and includes ten handy functions that are always at the ready: Knife, Spring-action Scissors, Flat/Phillips Screwdriver, Ruler (4.7 in | 12.0 cm), Nail Cleaner, Tweezers, Bottle…
When it comes to side projects, hours become days, days become weeks, and weeks can often become months or years. But what if getting a minimum viable product created could happen on a Saturday…assuming you aren’t building a flying car? Many successful entrepreneurs have been touting the benefits of the 1-Day MVP—a one-day, all-out sprint to go from fresh idea to app or hardware prototype. Sure, some projects may take a little more energy and time than others, but having the process and infrastructure in place to successfully glide ideas along is what counts the most. Which is exactly the premise behind the 1-Day MVP 2.0 online training course; one…
Despite its ability to coax millennials with its sleekly-designed products, the Apple name isn’t necessarily known for hardware durability. Ultimately, when your phone or laptop could easily become impaired from even the tiniest amount of moisture or a mini dust cloud, “sleekly-designed” isn’t going to cut it for many. In a recent iFixit article, a group of laptop enthusiasts takes apart the recently released MacBook Pro to see how much punishment its keyboard can take before succumbing to the elements. What results is a series of dust pumping, keyboard clacking, and quite a bit of disappointment. For starters, the 2018 MacBook Pro’s keyboard is slightly quieter than its 2013 counterpart,…
While there used to be a painful shortage of inspirational design sketching books out there, these days, design students and those looking to refresh their skill set may, in fact, have too many to choose from. The good news is, there’s something different to learn from each—so go ahead and build out that library. Among other design sketching book favorites, we love the broad variety of sketching styles presented in Sketching. While the book is ideal for any design student or classroom, many professionals and design studios will also likely learn a thing or two from the wide variety of sketching styles and form examples presented within the book’s 256…
It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved mobile device(s)! The Weekly App Smack is the best of new or updated design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional and this week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. Do you have an app suggestion that has made your life easier or changed up your workflow? Let us know in the comments below or send it into tips@solidsmack.com. Hit it! Paste by FiftyThree (iOS — Free) Beautiful slides for fast teams. From strategy decks to design proposals, Paste automatically formats screenshots,…