By Core Jr - Sep 22 New

8 Student Design Concepts Aiming to Enhance Quality of Life

A closer look at the winning 2017 Model One Awards projects

Model Solutions' annual Model One Awards (MOAs) recognize industrial design students who challenge themselves and develop products that enhance quality of life, improve safety, disrupt current technologies and utilize new design concepts in exciting ways. Through the MOAs, students from design schools across the country are given the opportunity

By Allison Fonder - Sep 22 New

Tinda Finger is an Invention Designed for Sad, Desperate Singles

Yes, I said it

Those of us who have seen the Tinder Meat Robot video from a couple year's past know that it is nothing short of sweet, satirical gold: A robot created by artist Marcelo Gómez Moreira in 2015, this revolting allegory spoke to our worst behaviors exacerbated by technology. It's visceral.

By Rain Noe - Sep 22 New

Convincingly Futuristic Designs: How FBFX Tackles Spacesuits for Hollywood

From "The Martian" to "Alien: Covenant," here are the details that you missed on-screen

Of all the things you could pursue with a degree in industrial design, working for a place like FBFX has got to be one of the most interesting. This UK-based design and fabrication house, which has access to toys like a 7-axis robotic milling machine, a plastics manufacturing shop and

By Rain Noe - Sep 21 New

Insane DIY Spiral-Action Chainsaw-Wielding Automatic Tree Trimmer

…plus a guy who brings old tools back to life

The anonymous chap behind Hand Tool Rescue restores old tools and gets them into the hands of people who can use them. I'll get to him in a minute. First I've got to show you this insane DIY automatic tree trimmer that he posted on his Instagram: I wish

By Shannon Rogers - Sep 21 New

Hand Tool School #46: Don't Tear Up Over Tear Out

If you're getting tear out, you're making one of these three mistakes

I get a lot of questions about tear out. (I know, you're jealous of my life.) Specifically I get questions about ways to alter a plane or features of a new plane that will prevent tear out. I have already talked about my views on bells and whistles on tools

By Rain Noe - Sep 21

Ikea/Space 10 Demonstrate How a Miracle Crop Can be Integrated Into Architecture

The Algae Dome provides fresh air and protein, and asks for little in return

Imagine living millennia ago, in a time when you've never seen a horse. Everywhere you and your tribe go is by walking. Then one of you discovers horses and figures out how to ride one. Now you've discovered the perfect sustainable transportation system. Horses eat grass, which is free. That

By Rain Noe - Sep 21

How to Achieve the Low Cost of Sandcasting with the Complexity of 3D Printing

Dutch consultancy Arup creates an innovative new/old production method

As far as mass production methods go, sand casting is one of the oldest. 3D printing is one of the newest. Dutch design and engineering consultancy Arup has figured out how to combine the two, allowing one to enjoy both the low cost of the former and the physical complexity

By Rain Noe - Sep 21

The NYPD's Newest Vehicles

New York City's Finest get Smart

HBO's new series "The Deuce" depicts the crime-ridden NYC of the early '70s. Back then the police cars looked like this: [Image credit: Screenshotted from YouTube video by Joseph John Ramos.] [Image credit: Screenshotted from YouTube video by Joseph John Ramos.] That's a 1971 Plymouth Fury. American cars of

By Core Jr - Sep 21

Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge's 6th Round is Now Open

Entries Due December 1

Designers have a critical role to play by envisioning products made with safe materials that can be perpetually cycled, and that eliminate the concept of "waste". The C2C Product Design Challenge enables current, emerging, and future designers to learn and apply critical strategies for envisioning products for the circular economy,

By Steven Johnson - Sep 20

Steven M. Johnson's Bizarre Invention #193: The Uni-Person Travel Module

Steven M. Johnson's "Patent Depending" series of inventions range from social commentary to plain ol' bizarre, and they always give us a laugh. So we've contracted him to let us publish one every week.

By Core Jr - Sep 20

Currently Crowdfunding: Notable Kickstarter Projects of the Week

Free footwear design education, a musical toothbrush, DIY mushroom lamps and more

A roundup of Kickstarter projects currently crowdfunding for your viewing and spending pleasure. Go ahead, free your disposable income: WSC16 "Pensole" Edition PENSOLE Footwear Academy has just launched a multi-tiered Kickstarter campaign in order to establish free footwear design courses for 100% of their students. Yes, free. If you're into

By Joel Moskowitz - Sep 20

Tools & Craft #65: What's Better for Assimilating Information, Print Books or E-Books?

As someone who collects books on woodworking I am routinely faced with the conflict of Cost vs. Space vs Ease of Use. While many people love their E-Books - and I have a bunch myself, the physicallity of an actual printed book makes the world of difference for me. That

By Rain Noe - Sep 20

Frightening Mexico Earthquake Footage Captured by Folks on Twitter

Buildings collapsing, children found and rescued and a VERY near miss

With multiple hurricanes and now a second earthquake in the news, it's a hell of a time for natural disasters. Mexico experienced its second earthquake in two weeks just yesterday, on the precise anniversary of a devastating quake that rocked Mexico City in 1985. What's different between then and

By Core Jr - Sep 20

Recent Design Awards Winners and the Process Inspired Trophies They Received 

The four prestigious design awards programs mentioned below—including a shameless plug to our own Core77 Design Awards—bring together the best designs across many categories, ranging from transportation to footwear design. But what's better than winning an award? Receiving an awesome trophy to either start or add to your collection.

By Rain Noe - Sep 19

This Failed Design for a Rotating Jail Was Actually Built. Here's How it Worked

…and why it was a terrible idea

Here's a great example of an architect becoming enamored of a new, flashy concept while failing to consider real-world behaviors. In 1881, architect William H. Brown patented the following design: That's the plan and elevation views of a rotating jail. The circle contains eight pie-shaped jail cells and there's only

By Rain Noe - Sep 19

Leica's Factory Workers Look Like They're in a Futuristic Sci-Fi Movie

This is supposed to be process porn but it's the environment that shines

Camera manufacturer Leica was formed nearly a hundred years ago, but their factory looks like it was built 100 years in the future. They've released a video inside their Wetzlar factory that was supposed to draw attention to their cameras, but instead we were stunned by the gleaming, pristine environment

By Allison Fonder - Sep 19

Tiller Designs a Physical Solution for Digital Time Tracking

The team behind the Kickstarter project explains why tech companies should pay more attention to physical UI

Anyone familiar with the woes of freelancing knows that hourly time tracking can be a genuine hassle. While it's true that many common software programs for personal accounting are trying to tackle this with digital solutions, it can still at times feel difficult to accurately track your time on the

By Rain Noe - Sep 19

U.S. Navy Incorporating Xbox Controllers on Nuclear Fast Attack Submarines

When a $30 interface design proves better than a $38,000 one

For decades we've seen the military develop expensive technology—radar, GPS, microwaves—that trickled down to the consumer sector and became affordable. Now the consumer sector is apparently returning the favor. The U.S. Navy's Virginia-class submarines are $2.7 billion nuclear-powered fast attack vessels bristling with the latest technology. Old-school periscopes have been

By Emily Engle - Sep 18

Nike Answers Sustainable Footwear Trends with New Flyleather Material

The company's most exciting material development since Flyknit

Nike's Flyknit has become synonymous with the brand, now used in everything from sneakers to sports bras. The knit material is more sustainable than many materials used in footwear and fashion, mainly due to its minimal waste production. But since Flyknit's conception in 2012, Nike has been more focused on

By Core Jr - Sep 18

Sponsored Post: Fine Tune Your Sketching Skills at Advanced Design Sketching's SQ1CON Conference

Clear your schedules October 6th and 7th

To help designers of all levels fine tune their sketching skills, Advanced Design Sketching (in partnership with Autodesk) will be hosting SQ1CON, a two-day conference specifically focused on design sketching. The Advanced Design Sketching organization began as a small summer workshop for a handful of design students, but the students

By Rain Noe - Sep 18

Urban Design Observations: Inhospitable, Anti-Homeless Furniture Hacks

Homeless people need help, and in New York City they are not getting it. Our homeless population has exploded in recent years; last year the number hit a record-breaking 60,000. This has led some business owners in my downtown Manhattan neighborhood to hack their outdoor furniture. The streets immediately around

By Rain Noe - Sep 18

What Specific Energy Sources Do Different States Draw Their Electricity From?

And where does your state line up?

What happens when you plug your Prius in? Are you ultimately drawing power from coal, nuclear, wind, biomass? It depends on where you live. Most of us know that America generates its electricity from a multitude of sources, as shown in this graphic: However, that pie chart doesn't accurately represent