Non-designers have the misconception that design is easy. Any designer will tell you the polar opposite is true. Design is going up against a master ninja and his army of foot shoulders; when you are little more than a band of misfit humanoid turtle martial artist apprentice junk food eaters.

Having left a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2007, Alex Bishop put complex manufacturing and engineering principles behind him in favor of something a little more meditative that “connected him with nature”: working with wood and making acoustic guitars by hand. A life-long ‘Maker’ who has always had an obsession for making things and manipulating…

For all of the noise that comes pummeling through the crowdfunding tunnel, every so often we hear a story that truly stands out amongst the latest 3D printers, minimal wallet designs and coffee makers. With over 100 years and four generations in the making, LunoWear just might be one of those stories. Founded by two…

For filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, churning out high-quality documentaries that tell the story of a Maker’s process is a walk in the park. The Nova Scotia-born filmmaker attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles and has since gone off to win dozens of festival awards worldwide and even a qualification…

Known for their forward-thinking approach to mass manufacturing with wood-based designs, Italy’s Slow Wood is also an innovative incubator for spearheading ideas and initiatives in wooden craft design…particularly in the realm of disrupting traditional manufacturing supply chains by employing a private network of Italian artisanal makers. Founded by wood expert, preservationist and entrepreneur Gianni Cantarutti,…

Previously, SolidSmack reported on Norwegian designer Stian Korntved Ruud and his commitment to carving one spoon per day for a full year. While carving 365 entirely unique wooden spoon designs in a year is dang impressive, artist Roxy Paine’s recently-opened art exhibition ‘Denuded Lens’ is up there with the rest of them for ‘cool stuff…

In an effort to show how many forms are possible for a single, simple wooden spoon design, Norwegian designer Stian Korntved Ruud has committed to carving one spoon per day for a full year. We’ve seen designers commit to similar feats, such as Spencer Nugent’s daily design sketch goal that he documents over on Sketch-A-Day.Com,…

Few things could be as satisfying as the primal act of burying yourself deep in the Latvian woods for the winter season making knives by hand, yet the talented crew at John Neeman Tools lives this reality every day. Their mission? To use their blacksmith and woodworking knowledge that’s been passed down through many generations…