Whether it’s an F1 race car, an iPhone or the Death Star, people just can’t seem to look away once they get a glimpse of what’s underneath the covers. From the mesmerizing illustrations over the past two decades from Stephen Biesty (as seen in his collection of Cross Sections books) to more modern uses of CG to create exploded views of various product designs for marketing purposes, there’s something about seeing the inside of a complicated assembly that just never gets old. More recently, renowned information designers and creative directors Juan and Samuel Valasco curated what just might be the most comprehensive collection of cutaway infographics starting with the earliest…

This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist knocks you in the pop sockets with head-boppin’ groove tuneage to help propel you through the work week in style. Whether you find yourself inking markers until they’re dry, grinding material through a bandsaw or working that 3D geometry all day, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll start things off with “Actual Proof” from Herbie Hancock and work our way through tracks from Charlie Parker Quintet, Dizzy Gillespie, Kurt Elling, Tennyson and others before wrapping up with “Summertime” from Kat Edmondson. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to, what you want to hear and…

Ahhh. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of genuine leather. And when it comes to wallets, leather is the crème de la crème! I can say with certainty that the folks over at Equus Leather believe this wholeheartedly. In a recent addition to their amazing behind the scenes video series, their master craftsmen Charlie shows off his handcrafting skills in the making of the Lloyd Coat Wallet. “All of our wallets are handmade in our workshops in the UK and are made entirely with leather to ensure a long life without the wearing of fabric inners that commonly happens. Our hand stitching ensures seams don’t run when worn, and the finest leathers in…

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.…

Remember Openknit? The open source knitting machine made from 3D printed parts? Creator Gerard Rubio is back with the next generation of making DIY clothes easy and more accessible. Rubio’s new startup is Kniterate, which is communicated as ‘the platform for 3D printing garments’. Similar to Openknit, the idea is to make it easier and more efficient for you to create custom clothing and accessories. All you need is A) the design software and B) the knitting machine. Kniterate brings these together, but unlike ever before. So how is Kniterate different from OpenKnit (or others)? Where OpenKnit was a large, custom built device used to fabricate garments through the Knitic…

The lights flooded the blades of grass, shadows of the hills falling sharp. We ran up and down, roller coasting ourselves through the mist and beams, jumping sometimes, rolling, missing the lasers shooting from their eyes just barely by grappling and swinging on the stringy back hairs of these links. Brian Sum – Ahh, what we need is a good dose of mech sketches, and Montreal-based artist Brian Sum is just the gent to bring it this week. Dernier Acte – Danglard, he’s going to think twice about building that luxury shopping mall where the theater stands. Or not at all. Per Fhager – They look like screens from old…