When it comes to product design books, it’s not always easy to eliminate glamorized portfolios from those that get down to the real nitty-gritty of product design. And when it comes to those actually worth reading, Don Norman will never do you wrong. As a strong (and very early) advocate for user-centered design, Norman is a pioneer in UX and UI design principles that exist in many of the products we use today. In his book, The Design of Everyday Things, Norman dives deeper into not just why…but how smart design is changing the landscape all around us—and what you can do to give your designs a competitive edge. If…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top ten stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. This Insane Ceramic Knife Set Brings Functional Modern Art to the Kitchen From paring tomatoes to slicing through thick bread crust, few tools are as valuable in the kitchen as a…

Cherished by writers, designers, illustrators, and other creative professionals for its soft dark lead and unique flat eraser, the Blackwing 602 is worth trying at least once—but be forewarned: you may never go back to plain old #2 pencils again. Originally manufactured by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company from 1934 – 1988, the Blackwing brand was acquired by California Cedar Products Company in 2008 and reintroduced to a new generation of creatives in 2012. And now, you can score your own 12-pack of the legendary pencil for just 23 bucks. Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils 12-Pack — $22.95 Features: One pack of 12 Palomino Blackwing pencils Pencils feature a soft and…

We’re all familiar with the old ‘pull the chair out from under an unsuspecting friend or coworker’ trick. But what if said chair did the whole ‘pulling out from under the unsuspecting individual’ thing on its own? Such is the premise behind a new furniture collection from RISD students George Duan and Megan Lee. Teeter and Tot are a pair of foam-covered wooden chairs built with springs that enable them to collapse when sat on. While the designers explain the chair’s function as a way to induce deep play (a type of play where a person encounters risky or life-threatening experiences to develop survival skills and get over fear), it…

With over two decades of experience teaching how to design, draw, and render at the highest college level, concept designer Scott Robertson knows a thing or two about what it takes to make concepts ‘stick’ for his students. And as one of the most widely-recognized design sketching masters, he’s proven these concepts in his own practice through and through. In How to Draw: drawing and sketching objects and environments from your imagination, the Art Center educator consolidates years of design sketching knowledge—from thumbnail sketches and perspective grids to shaded renderings—into a digestible self-study program that can take anybody’s sketching ability to the next level. Frankly, if you’re even remotely serious…

From custom hand-milled creations to 12-sided behemoths designed for roleplaying games, it’s impressive how far dice have come since they were first discovered in archeological digs and were estimated to be between 2800 to 2500BC. CoDi dice are a standard six-sided die CNC machined out of steel or brass (depending on preference) and come with three different symbols beyond usual dots, including Tally (or hash marks), Symbol (square, X, etc.) and House (inspired by building construction). What’s more, you can mix and match the different types depending on your taste or game rules. Created by successful Kickstarter campaign veteran father and son team (13 created/13 backed) Dave and Calvin Laituri,…