You know something has gone mainstream when IKEA starts to sell it. And no, I’m not talking about fried onions and cream sauce. Try smart home products. Called Trådfri, the internet-connected smart lighting system is the company’s first foray into the home automation market—which is currently dominated by products including Philips Hue and Nest. At…

No matter how you spin it, headphones can be a nuisance when it comes to desktop organization. Despite the array of headphone storage options out there, it’s still all too common to just place them wherever is convenient on the desktop But what if headphones could actually be a centerpiece of your desktop (after your…

Headphones. They’re a modern necessity for many of today’s workers and, in many cases, have become the universal sign for “don’t bother me right now.” But as convenient as they are, they can be kind of annoying when it comes to keeping your desk uncluttered. Headphone stands usually tend to do the trick, but how…

From converting a cheap wood dining room table into the ultimate productivity station to repurposing lamp components into clever light fixtures, there are very few things that cannot be done with IKEA’s expansive product line and a creative mind. Despite a growing community of IKEA Hackers, however, the company has never formally encouraged these hacks—as…

When it comes to finding new uses for old tech, there’s more than one way to skin the cat. From turning an old tablet into a smart home controller to creating a dedicated home entertainment server with an old laptop, the possibilities for keeping your devices protected against the principles of Moores Law are seemingly…

Say what you will about headphone jacks, dongles, and the post-Steve Jobs era, there’s no denying that Apple is still somewhere at the front (if not the very front) of the pack when it comes to their collective of industrial design and design engineering feats. While some of their more recent design decisions might be…

Since they came screaming onto the scene in 2010 with what is arguably the most original light bulb design since…forever (?) with the Plumen 0013, the Plumen crew has kept their innovation streak going with new updates to the humble light bulb in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. For their latest collection, the…

One of the basic tools-of-the-trade for creative types the world over is our writing sticks, a.k.a pencils, chalk, crayons, markers and the like. I don’t know about you but when I want to lay down some lines my go to permanent marker is a good ole ultra-finepoint Sharpie. I like how it forces me to commit…

As the creator (and as a result, Academy Award winner for Special Effects) of the Xenomorph creature from the Alien movie franchise, Harold R Giger (AKA H.R. Giger) was responsible for not only creating one of the most legendary movie monsters of all time, but also fueling generations of nightmares for legions of filmgoers. While…

Having been in existence since the 1st century AD, there is nothing necessarily revolutionary about mold-blowing –– an alternate form of the glassblowing method that came shortly after free–blowing. However, designer Fabio Vogel just might have brought one of the more refreshing updates to the glass manufacturing method that we’ve seen in quite a long…

You would have to be a tad bit nutty to attempt to memorize all the various measurements that go into standard human factors design considerations –– otherwise known as anthropometry. While keeping a reference guide handy –– such as the indispensable The Measure of Man and Woman –– for nailing those dimensions right the first…

How many times have you taken your sketchbook out the door and wished you could easily carry a regular old pencil –– be it your garden–variety #2 or a blue Prismacolor –– without the lead point stabbing you or otherwise breaking? For those who prefer to use lo-fi wood writing tools that don’t include a clip…

Having raised nearly $275,000 over the past month, filmmaker Gary Hustwit has already shot past his $200,000 crowdfunding goal to make RAMS, the first feature documentary about Dieter Rams. For those who want a digital download when the film is released or any number of limited edition Dieter Rams-related backer rewards, today is the last…

In case you weren’t keeping track, yesterday was World Industrial Design Day (which is different from the relatively new US-based National Industrial Design Day on March 5th) and what better way to celebrate industrial designers than to make fun of their quirks? Whether the video was intended as a vehicle for promoting their portfolios or…

Having just graduated with a degree in Industrial Design earlier this year, 27-year-old Ludwig Rensch is already proving that he can lay down the iron fist and squash existing design annoyances with his innovative problem-solving skills. For his final project, which focused on our relationship with today’s machines and how they can be used more…

Considering how pianos can become the centerpiece of a living area within a home, it’s surprising that we haven’t seen more collaborations between instrument manufacturers and hand-crafted furniture manufacturers. If we did, we’d probably see a lot more pianos like the KIYOLA ‘Made In Japan’ Series KF-10 from Roland and Karimoku Furniture. Designed by Karimoku’s…

If you’ve been paying attention to the Apple rumor mill as of late, you’ve likely heard that Apple is (supposedly) working on incorporating an OLED touchscreen trackpad to replace the function row of keys at the top of the new MacBook keyboard with a monster trackpad below – expected to be released later this year.…

While Apple’s industrial design team is known to sweat every last detail of a new product in their top-secret lab, a not-too-secret team of aftermarket hardware customizers at the ColorWare facility in Winona, Minnesota have been turning back the clock to keep the characteristics of yesterday’s Apple industrial design alive in 2016. Founded on the…

The ability to quickly observe a form and deconstruct it into primitive shapes that can be sketched or modeled is one of the most valuable skills that a designer or engineer can have. Unfortunately, learning how to think this way doesn’t necessarily come naturally for most – particularly if it involves a sketchbook and a…

Invented in 1932 by British automotive engineer George Carwardine, the Anglepoise Original 1227 desk lamp is one of the most iconic product designs in the history of industrial design. The lamp, which is capable of remaining in a fixed position after being moved in multiple directions, was born out of Carwardine’s explorations into new types…

Rockers. Triggers. Directional Pads. No matter how you use them, nothing yells control quite like physical buttons do. Unfortunately, incorporating working analog controls into a piece of hardware is more often than not significantly more difficult than it sounds. From an industrial design perspective, buttons can both be a blessing and a burden. While size,…

Despite revealing their anticipated new iPhone SE and a smaller iPad Pro at their Keynote last month, the most impressive announcement from Apple came in the form of Liam, an industrial robot designed to tear apart discarded iPhones. Announced onstage by the company’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, Liam is…

After becoming increasingly concerned by the state of design around him in the early 1980s – or what he called “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colors and noises” – industrial designer Dieter Rams established for himself what is now known as the Ten Principles of Good Design. To date, these principles have provided the foundation…

According to acclaimed industrial designer and recording artist Karim Rashid, 3.5 days of your life are spent untangling cords. Together with industrial designers Richard Smiedt and Phil King, the designer is preparing to launch what he thinks is the ideal solution for device charging and cord management in the form of ‘Bump’. Consisting of a…

Exvacator. Excavator. Mycrotocle. Motorcycle. Chaty. Yacht. When playing Scrabble, or even Words with Friends for that matter, the act of untangling anagrams is half the fun. But what if these brain-twisting anagrams existed as real world objects? JVG, a Madrid-based CGI studio, recently asked themselves that question as part of a design and rendering exploration…

Despite having hundreds – if not, thousands – of significant and innovative changes happen underneath the hood over the past five decades, the distinctive silhouette of the Porsche 911 has largely remained the same. Regardless, the teardrop-shaped 911 still sits at the top of the list for car aficionados and noobs alike for its timeless…

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.

When it comes to curating tomorrow’s fashions and other must-haves of the season, most might turn their attention to the runways of New York and Paris during Fashion Week. Or at least one of the multiple lifestyle fashion tradeshows that pop up throughout the year. Needless to say, few might ever expect to find a…

As a highly versatile natural energy carrier that also happens to be the most plentiful element in the universe, hydrogen has been used to power everything from cars on the road to NASA space shuttles – but could it also be the key towards squeezing more battery life out of our laptops and mobile devices…

One might not normally associate basic design and engineering education with Nerf Blasters, yet the past year has seen some Blaster releases that play double-duty as an interactive learning tool for basic engineering principles. Back in January of this year, the brand announced their Nerf N-Strike Modulus ECS-10 Blaster – a design that encourages kids…

With more than $650 billion in North American retail sales alone, the outdoor recreation industry has been one of the fastest growing product categories within the past few years – despite having been around since the early days of the American Frontier and brands including Pendleton and Red Wing. Aiming to help their design students…

Although only a select few of the millions of iPhone 6 Plus models sold ever (reportedly) suffered from the effects of Bendgate, it would make sense for Apple’s industrial design team to avoid another PR circus centered around the integrity of their designs with the upcoming iPhone 6S Plus (assumed model name). In a newly-uploaded…

Tasked with re-packaging an existing product for semester-long Package Design course, industrial design student Jessica Stoll turned to creating a new user experience for one of the most iconic meals of our generation: The Big Mac Value Meal. Designed for an on-the-go lifestyle, the new package plays double duty as both a carrying purse and…

Between the Evolution Door from Klemens Torggler to the Fletcher Capstan Table from Fletcher Burwell-Taylor, kinetic furniture designs have been slowly finding their way into the mainstream thanks to their mesmerizing shape-shifting characteristics that are the result of some tedious engineering. More recently, New York-based kinetic artist Ian Stell has created what is likely to…

It’s been said (and proven) repeatedly that those with a background in design can offer the most useful feedback in ways outside of a traditional design studio – whether it’s in an executive business meeting setting or even a high school classroom. For most, this comes down to putting a tried and true user-centered, prototype-driven…

I want to introduce you to someone. Let’s call this person Gary. Gary works nights and weekends in a garage on a project based on the same technology you work on. Gary is a Maker. Picture this, you stand around the water cooler complaining about how last year’s holiday party was better because they had…

It’s no secret that CAD tools are among the most complex pieces of software to learn and – perhaps most importantly – use effectively with intent. Unsurprisingly, learning these tools has been a brutal experience for many that can test even the most patient of learners and take them to their limits. More recently, video…

When it comes to camping, everybody has their own levels of comfort that can range from the bare-bones necessities to all types of glamping. But if there’s one thing that everybody can agree on, it’s the fact that camping makes you hungry – and yes, campfire hot dogs do taste better in the middle of…

Regardless of which stage of your career you’re in, having recent and relevant documentation of your work can oftentimes be just as important as the work itself – whether you’re using the proof of your abilities to level-up in a new job search or simply just want to keep a clean record of where you’ve…

Although we’ve come to know the Dyson brand as an authority on vacuum cleaners – and more recently, fans that utilize Bladeless Fan Technologies – the company has also been quietly improving the lighting experience, too. Led by Jake Dyson, son of company founder James, the company’s new CSYS line of lamps are capable of…

As we continue to move into an age where products can be produced at the push of a button, the question of “Will additive manufacturing ruin or enable the next generation of designers and engineers?” is one that keeps coming up. While being able to turn a CAD model into a physical object for all…

Between the various product design entrepreneurs and hardware startups that continue to find success without formal industrial design or mechanical engineering training – as well as the increasing costs of college tuition, the line between needing to have a formal product development education or not for striking it out on your own is becoming increasingly…

When it comes to working with sustainable materials, bamboo is among the most widely-used for good reason: although it is technically a grass, it is the fastest-growing woody plant on Earth. Additionally, the plant’s complex underground system of roots and rhizomes remain intact and a specimen is able to quickly regenerate itself at the rate…

For just over a decade now, MODO has been defying expectations time and time again with their full-featured, all-in-one 3D modeling, animation and rendering package that’s been used by everybody from Pixar to Microsoft for applications ranging from animation shorts to product design renderings and more. Disclosure: We at SolidSmack have a soft spot for…

This is part II (see part I here) of a series that will give an inside look at how my friends and I are attempting to turn an idea into a real product. It is my goal to make this an accurate representation of what it’s like to create a product completely from scratch, without…

Since it was unveiled almost exactly one year ago, Google’s NYC-based 30 Weeks: A Founders Program for Designers incubator has been nothing short of a success story that even established design firms should probably take notes on. In collaboration with existing NYC design schools and institutions including Hyper Island, SVA, Parsons, Pratt, The Cooper Union…

Used by everyone from concept artists to industrial designers and architects to mechanical engineers, Luxion’s KeyShot has been a go-to rendering package for thousands of 3D modelers for good reason – it just works. While the release of KeyShot 5 last year brought us dozens of new bells and whistles to play with ranging from…

A couple of months ago, I left my day job to give myself the freedom to explore my curiosities and pursue some nagging, deep rooted – but altogether indefinite – ideas. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like there is some rope tied around my waist pulling me forward, and…

Not too long ago, graduating from an Ivy League School was among one of the best ways to ensure a high-paying and dignified career. Now, a new study has shown that despite what history may have taught us, the new high-paying jobs are demanding skills that aren’t offered at Ivy League schools at all -…

As cycling continues to increase as a standard form of transportation around the world, we’ve also naturally been seeing an increasing amount of accessory designs that aim to make riding a bike to work or to meet up with friends at the bar a more personal experience. Among other companies aimed at making the cycling…