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. From their name, it’s obvious the Taiwan-based company is taking an environmentally friendly angle. *slow claps* Nothing wrong with companies trying to make a bit of money out of this eco-friendly schtick, but that’s not what’s so different. What they’ve done is create a simple design that, in turns, allows you to create your own…

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 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 good night’s sleep. The Organique is composed of layers of oak wood that can be removed or added to elevate the mattress higher or lower. The transparent headboard can be laid vertically at the height of 50cm, horizontally for a medium height of 30cm, or removed entirely for those with no purpose for it. But…

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 we’ll get the groove going with “It Takes Time to Be a Man” from The Rapture before diving into sweet melodies from Funkadelic, Puzzle, Yo La Tengo, and others before wrapping up with “Stretching” from Sports Coach. Rock! Have…

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. Each Monday, we’ll 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. Be sure to check in each Monday morning for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight from the source of your favorite homegrown ‘Smack.…

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 KUKA-like robotic arm for your desktop (how’s that for office bragging rights). Throw in any of your own 3D printed housing designs, and the opportunities are limitless! For a…