Considered by many as being one of the most innovative companies, Nike doesn’t just earn that title by chance. Sure, Adidas and New Balance are innovative in their own ways…as are many other companies not related to sports at all. But when it comes to market performance and social influence in 2014, it’s hard to argue that Nike isn’t doing at least something right. While their ‘Innovation Kitchen’ is well-known for being a playground for designers, engineers, makers and color scientists, the real science goes down in their research lab located a stones-throw down the path at Nike’s Beaverton, Oregon WHQ. Among other concepts that Nike has been exploring in…

As the market for 3D printing grows exponentially each year, so does the demand for those who are professionally-trained in developing three-dimensional objects outside of iPad apps and cookie cutter mesh-mixers. The number of job ads alone that require additive manufacturing and 3D printing skills has increased 1,834% in the last four years and over 103% in the last year alone from August 2013 to August 2014. While a number of these jobs could be traced back to companies based in the 3D printing sector, there are still companies ranging from architecture firms to auto tuning shops that have adopted additive manufacturing methods into their workflow or list of services.…

This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’re stepping back in time with the great Don Edwards to sing some original cowboy favorites. We’ll start with the classic ‘Barbara Allen’ and work our way through ‘Gone to Texas’, ‘Utah Carroll’, ‘Root Hog or Die’, and others before wrapping up with ‘This Land is Your Land’. Have any suggestions for next week’s playlist? How about a playlist specific to a design task? Let us know in the comments!

When MakerBot Industries was founded by Adam Mayer, Bre Pettis and Zach “Hoeken” Smith in early 2009, few (especially Adam, Bre and Zach) could have ever expected that the company would have taken off as much as it has. With a handful of ‘MakerBot boutiques’, store-within-a-store deals with Microsoft and Home Depot, a huge factory space in the up-and-coming Sunset Park area of Brooklyn filled with dozens (if not hundreds) of seemingly-satisfied employees and a bright future that is still somewhat untapped, the company has been the poster child for 3D printing as additive manufacturing dreams have moved out of prototyping workshops and into household kitchens, garages, and home offices.…

When it comes to silicone molds, the possibilities for fun are boundless. Whether you’re using an existing Death Star mold to create a concrete vase or are creating an entirely new mold for a space shooter prototype, silicone molds have always been one of the most fun—and educational—ways of creating a three-dimensional object. Among other great uses we’ve seen for the flex-casting process is the IceLiners project that has already reached its crowdfunding goal of $30,000 with hours left to go in their campaign today. Rather than using a mold to create a standalone ice block, the creators have integrated a glass itself into the ice shape design to create…

If you were asked to present a sketch for a new product design concept in the next ten minutes, there’s a good chance you would probably reach for a pen and paper versus your tablet or computer peripheral device. Why? While there has never been a better time to sketch and work digitally , the need to connect to more analog tools will rarely…if ever, go away. The sensation of putting a freshly-sharpened lead point to a freshly-opened sketchbook or the combined stroke and smell of an alcohol-based marker are experiences that no digital interface can replicate…at least yet. In ‘Made You Look,’ a new documentary from UK-based Look and…