As the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Northern European countries, uitto – or log driving – was the process of moving logs from a forest to sawmills downstream using the current of a river. It is also the inspiration for a group of Finnish skateboarders who want to bring sustainable skateboard manufacturing into the 21st century. More specifically, the team wants to bring the traditional wooden board into this day and age with an updated cradle to cradle biocomposite skateboard design that is free of harmful chemicals and is 100% fully recyclable without sacrificing build integrity or quality. “The Uitto Biocomposite Skateboard is a fun-loving, eco-friendly…

As a professional carpenter who has worked in commercial construction for over 30 years, Ontario-based woodworker John Heisz is no stranger to making use of old and rusty saw blades that he comes across. As a matter of fact, he has an entire YouTube channel where – among other projects – he injects new life into otherwise completely useless blades. For his most recent project, Heisz transformed a 12″ masonry diamond-tipped circular saw blade into a two-handle straight drawknife. “I’ve never owned one and figured I really didn’t need one, but when thinking back there are many times I could have used a draw knife – situations where I used…

If you’re thinking of launching a startup (or are already amidst the craziness), Indiegogo and Arrow can help. The companies recently announced a partnership that will give entrepreneurs access to discounted components and manufacturing services through a joint site made just for Indiegogo crowdfunders.

Since introducing their Futurecraft initiative late last year, Adidas has shown no signs of slowing down their exploration – and intention – of incorporating additive manufacturing and other next generation digital fabrication techniques into their supply chain in the not-too-distant future. Tomorrow, in honor of World Oceans Day, Adidas and ocean conservation group Parley for the Oceans will be launching the first 50 pairs of the Adidas x Parley shoe; the world’s first performance running shoe made from upcycled plastic waste using Tailored Fibre Technology, a production process that falls under the Futurecraft initiative. The new and versatile material, aptly named Parley Ocean Plastic, is made by turning ocean plastic…

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 the classic “Hey” from the Pixies before working our way through some Peter Tosh, Little Dragon, Blonde Redhead, Yo La Tengo, Luna, Real Estate and others before wrapping up with “Love is to Die” from Warpaint. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to,…

It’s no secret that design is more than just about making something look good; many of today’s billion dollar companies are driving record profits through their neverending search to better understand their users to build them better products that are more friendly to use. But as many of our three-dimensional experiences move into two-dimensional interfaces, how are today’s leading companies harnessing the transformative power of customer-focused product design to their advantage? With interviews from over 90 different disruptive design leaders at some of the world’s most significant companies, the soon to be released documentary Design Disruptors goes behind the scenes and into the design process of leading design teams to…