Four weeks have come and gone and Core77's Hand-Eye Supply has left Los Angeles and closed the doors on our Pop-Up Institute for Craft & Ingenuity. But what an incredible four weeks it was! The happening hosted workshops, film series, roaring rock and roll and an uber-curated version of our Portland retail store. With the help of Urban Outfitters' incredibly talented retail ninjas the month long event was a phenomenon of grand magnitude! For a tour of the pop-up's construction, design and development process check out this post.

To both express our gratitude to our many collaborators and to share our fabulous experience we'd like to share a bit of our extensive documentation. Check it out below!

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Saturday, August 31, 2013
FELTING WORKSHOP WITH TANYA AGUIÑIGA

Attendees spent an evening learning the basics of felting with designer Tanya Aguiñiga, learning about wet felting, needle felting and nuno felting while making small Merino wool scarves. A small exhibit of furniture and a short film about Tanya's body being felted rounded out the evening.

Like many of us I've got a soft spot for vintage objects that actually do something, and I don't mind being advertised to when the delivery vehicle is as cool as this. Levis' "Make Our Mark" campaign involves four objects from the 20th Century, repurposed for our modern times with a little connective technology.

They've hacked a 1956 Gibson ES-125 guitar with an uplink to online audio distribution platform Soundcloud:

A 1939 Graflex Speed Graphic camera that uploads still shots to Instagram:

Photos © Jonathan Mauloubier (left) and Mario Gastinger

In the Details is our weekly look at one especially smart, innovative or unusual detail of a new design.

The German designer Stefan Diez has been working on the same chair, more or less, for seven years. His latest version, called Tune, was released this summer as a part of the exhibition Seven Studies, held at a furniture showroom in Munich. Compared to the first version of the chair, Tune is a little brighter and a little more bespoke. But the skeleton is the same. In fact, it's those bones that gave the original chair its name.

Chassis was developed for the residential and office furniture company Wilkhahn starting in 2006. (It didn't reach consumers until 2011.) "They have quite a reputation, and I was quite ambitious about trying something new," says Diez. He aimed to build the chair from strong sheet-metal parts, and then wondered: Why couldn't the manufacturing process match the materials? Diez consulted with automobile suppliers based in Germany and the Netherlands about using a modern car-manufacturing method for his chairs. They decided on space-frame technology, where 300 tons of pressure deep-draws a fine steel sheet used for the frame.

Diez (center) with prototypes of his new Tune chair, which is a reworking of his earlier Chassis design

It seems strange that a region renowned for its surfing culture routinely sees old surfboards find their final resting place at the city dump. Architect and designer Lawrence O'Toole is giving new life to Kauai's favorite pastime. O'Toole knew he was onto something after a conversation with an old-time surfboard shaper. "He mentioned that back in the '70s, as smaller boards became fashionable, they would take old long boards and reshape the foam into smaller outlines," O'Toole says. "To do this, they would strip the fiberglass off the old board, reshape it, recolor it and finally re-fiberglass it so that it would be good as new." That bit of insight and an encounter with an eye-catching mid-century Scandinavian side table—"The soft rounded edge reminded me of a surfboard"—were all the inspiration he needed for his colorful OTables.

And it worked for a step or two. Some of us may only remember Legos as a childhood staple or one of the first presents we give kids when they're old enough not to eat them, but Christina Stephens took Lego building one step further. Even if she can't walk around in her prosthetic Lego limb for more than a second, it's still pretty awesome. Stephens, an occupational therapist and clinical researcher, made a time-lapse of the project for her YouTube channel "AmputeeOT," which shares videos covering healthcare, occupational therapy, prosthetics, manual wheelchairs, medical equipment and more.

After losing her left leg earlier this year, she took on the challenge of a creating the Lego leg after someone in her research lab jokingly suggested she make a prothetic Lego limb. As mentioned in a write-up on Gizmodo: "The joke's on you—I went home and did it. Please don't do this yourself, I don't want you to fall and get hurt!"

One commenter on the write-up sums it up the best. "She is now the first person in history to be happy to step on a Lego." Not only is this absolutely true, Stephens shows some solid craftsmanship with her creation.

What other childhood building blocks or toys can you see being used outside of the playroom?

Hat tip to Gizmodo

wants a Industrial Designer
in Olathe, Kansas

Garmin International builds navigation gear for performance and adventure sports, outdoor leisure activities, and other emerging markets.

As a Garmin Industrial Designer, you'll lead the aesthetic and ergonomic development of projects, collaborating with Engineering, Marketing, and Management teams to explore, innovate, and execute world-class designs.

If you have the courage to drive innovation, the ability to work respectfully in a team, plus a demonstrated digital proficiency in the use of tools such as SolidWorks, Keyshot, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, and Sketchbook Pro, Apply Now.

Over the last few weeks, I've been lucky enough to talk with ten of the most important names in industrial design—not designers themselves, but the people who make design careers by manufacturing, exhibiting and selling original work. I asked them each a handful of questions about how they discover new design and how emerging designers can turn heads and gain recognition. These influential curators, retailers and creative directors were quick to share their insights (and in some cases their personal e-mail addresses), telling us how to get a chair into production, a piece into MoMA's collection (or its stores) and your name on the tip of Gwyneth Paltrow's tongue.

As a coda to the series, I've sifted and sorted the choicest bits of wisdom into seven simple pieces of advice. While our interviews focused on how to make it as an independent product designer, many of the gatekeepers I spoke to have experience across disciplines. Their pointers should help any designer looking to pitch ideas, make industry connections and win big commissions. Take one, or take them all—and good luck!

1. Be an interesting human being
For the curators, retailers and creative directors I spoke to, the most sought-after product may be a compelling, well-rounded designer. Yes, they're looking for good design. But just as importantly, they're looking for someone with an interesting story, who will be doing good work over a long career. "Design is for people—and it's from people," says curator Odile Hainaut. "I think the designer has to be interesting as a person," echoes Ambra Medda of L'ArcoBaleno. "I'm interested in them, not their thing," says Herman Miller's Gary Smith. So be that interesting, memorable person. Be curious, be adventurous, show you're multi-dimensional, and have more to offer than just your portfolio.

2. Concentrate on relationships
Some of the people I interviewed love e-mail; others hate it. Some don't mind being approached in person; others find that deeply annoying. Unfortunately, there's no formula for reaching out to industry leaders. But you can't go too far wrong as long as you focus on making personal connections first, before talking about a specific project or collaboration. It's a small industry, and word-of-mouth often acts as a preliminary introduction to potential partners. Council's Derek Chen summed this up best: "Everybody knows somebody who knows everyone, and there really aren't that many degrees of separation." Jerry Helling of Bernhardt Design adds that manufacturing a new product "is a very personal thing; you spend a lot of time with these people"—so getting to know each other first is crucial. And Matter's Jamie Gray offers a good rule of thumb for all your cold calls and other self-introductions: "Just don't be mean."

Some of the work discussed in this series, with designs by (from left) Angell, Wyller & Aarseth; Francois Chambard; BIKE ID; and Claudia & Harry Washington

For its seventh design competition, Spark is dishing out its most 'meta' brief yet, calling for "a design that shows the experience of designing experience." They're looking to dive into the realm of user experience its interaction in the design process from idea to finished product.

Projects must fit into one of five categories: Concept, Communication, Apps, Product, Spaces and Mobility.

The judges are looking for entries that align with Spark's mission, initiating positive design-led change. Winners will be published in the new Spark Annual and in Korea's Creative World of Design Competitions.

The late entry deadline is coming up on October 10. Find out more info and enter at the competition website.

Image CC BY-SA Michael Cochlan

One of the simplest but most impactful design decisions inside the Prius is the miles per gallon meter. Any Prius owner can readily fill you in on their average miles per gallon, and if they're really paying attention, they know their MPG in different parts of town. Going down a hill or sitting in high traffic? MPG goes up. Have to cruise on gas for a while? Watch the numbers go down.

What that little indicator taps into is a scientific effect known as the Hawthorne effect. Arecent article in Scientific Americanpoints out what that means: "...study subjects change their behavior because they're being observed. So researchers collaborated with a utility to test for the Hawthorne effect in electricity use." Participants who received a postcard notifying them that they were being monitored for "research purposes" decreases their energy usage by almost three percent. That doesn't sound like a lot until you note what happened after the study (supposedly) ended: their usage went right back up.

Even the thought of being monitored might alter behavior. A recent study at Newcastle University found that simply placing a pair of eyes in front of bike racks reduced theft by 62% in two years. And here's the bigger surprise: schools that didn't put the posters up experience an increase in theft by 63%. (Maybe all the thieves scared off by the posters just traveled to the posterless campuses.)

The important takeaway here for designers isn't simply an indicator, though judging by the Prius example that clearly has an impact. The Dexim smartphone charger, which lights up to show electricity usage, is a great example. But it's interesting to think about how creating affordances for monitoring—whether actual monitoring through social media sharing, or just implied monitoring, like a set of eyeballs—can influence how users interact with products.

On the car-related front, I was just looking at this cost-of-driving meter that takes the MPG logic even further by showing the straight-up cost of driving. What if data from that meter could be (voluntarily) reported back to peers, or if a set of eyes reminded you about that rideshare program you'd been meaning to check out? That might not be so popular for automobile and gas companies, but it could influence how much we drive.

Most people living in metropolitan areas can identify with cramped apartments. People move to the city to live on their own in their own space—only to find that they usually don't have much of it.

NYFU sees this problem and has created the perfect solution: transformable, functional furniture! NYFU, or New York FUnctional FUrniture, is a team of talented designers who have come together to make city-living seamless with their trendy, innovative products. Made with high-quality European materials and offered at affordable prices, their functional furniture is the perfect addition to any metropolitan home.

To get their furniture into your home, NYFU started a Kickstarter campaign demonstrating the benefits of its products. Such products include but are not limited to:

TriBeCa Nesting Tables - Because everyone always need more room.

NY+U Storage Desk - Where you can hide all of the money it's saving you.

When we interviewed builder/designer Ron Paulk on his Mobile Woodshop and Paulk Workbench, there were some tangential things we discussed that we couldn't fit into the previous videos. We didn't want the footage to go to waste, as we thought some of you might be interested in hearing these side conversations; so we've cut them into short, one- and two-question videos.

First up, Ron discusses how he avoids the "overdesign" problem:

Ron tells us what the hardest part is about designing a large storage system, explains his design process, and tells us where he looks when he's seeking answers to problems:

Reporting by Kristin Coleman

Across town from 100% Design, Shoreditch was buzzing with gallery shows, storefront installations and a pair of LDF staples: Tent London and Super Brands. Occupying the industrial space of Old Truman Brewery, the exhibits spread across two floors showcasing everything from slip-casted ceramics to paper furniture.

One of the most visually striking pieces in the Super Design Gallery was Kishimoto Design's free-form Yumi Chair (pictured above), sculpted from ribbons of ash veneer. According to the designer, "By driving wedges into bound layers of veneer, I could freely manipulate the curvature of the wood without being hindered by clamps or molds."

As if first dates don't come packed with enough over analyzation as it is, there's now a cutlery set that looks so far into designing a less awkward dinner date that it actually might be cutting back on your culinary meet-and-greet anxiety. First Date Cutlery, the creation of London-based designer Cristina Guardiola, "aims to smooth over some of the potential anxiety of a first date dining experience by facilitating good table etiquette and encouraging interaction."

As one of the few London Design Festival destinations to make a home south of the Thames, Designersblock sets itself apart as something as an alternative to the more establishedt goings-on further North.

With plenty of young and exciting design talent on show, we went along to the opening to bring you some of the best bits.

Design to-go: Some of the wares on show were display in intriguing piles of pizzaboxes

"Klokhuis' silver necklace and apple transporter by Jelka Quintelier

Reporting by Kristin Coleman

National exhibits present an interesting opportunity to examine the design culture of a country and 100% Norway at Dray Walk Gallery did not disappoint. For the 10th edition of the show, curators Henrietta Thompson and Benedicte Sunde presented a true cross-section of the Norwegian design scene with works from ten established designers and ten emerging talents as part of this year's theme, '10 × 10.' From the exhibition design (by Hunting & Narud) to the collection of products and furniture, the whole show demonstrated Norwegian designers' expert knowledge of material and craft, love of raw materials and nature-inspired forms.

Outside of the gallery, Hunting & Narud created a playful lounge inspired by the sun and Nordic light with patterned decking, angled panels and stackable poufs in a gradient of soft colors.

This three-legged seed-shaped prototype by Bergen Academy graduate Philipp von Hase immediately caught our eye. Originally designed for a seed center in Bergen, Spire is crafted from solid maple wood and three-dimensional walnut veneer with a recessed porcelain bowl that can be used for planting herbs or keeping fruit. It easily transforms into a functioning table with removable wooden surface plates.

wants an Industrial Design Intern
in Wayne, New Jersey

What are you doing between January and June of 2014? If you're looking for something more meaningful than ringing up customers at one of your local retail outlets, why not apply for the New Balance Design Foundry Internship Program?

The New Balance internship is all about taking young talented designers and molding them into future design stars. You will be immersed into one of our business units that include running, speed, domestic, training, color, lifestyle and innovation. Your work at the Design Foundry will range from true inline projects to advanced concepts.

If you are a junior, senior or recent grad, what are you waiting for? Apply Now!

Text & Images by Joey Cofone

There a few greater joys in life than the creative process. From an unexpected spark of inspiration to refining an idea, starting the process to applying the final touches—creating is the peak of human excellence. After searching for a notebook that would be the ultimate tool for the ultimate activity, and falling up short, we decided to make it ourselves.

Hosted by Don Lehman, Core77's podcast series is designed for all those times you're sketching, working in the shop, or just looking for inspiration from inspiring people. We'll have conversations with interesting creatives and regular guests. The viewpoint of Afterschool will come from industrial design, but the focus will be on all types of creativity: Graphic design, storytelling, architecture, cooking, illustration, branding, materials, business, research... anything that could enrich your thought process, we'll talk about.

Our guest today is Gary Hustwit, the documentarian behind The Design Trilogy which features the films Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized. We talk about the trilogy and the new book he has up on Kickstarter: The Complete Interviews, featuring the full length and unedited interviews from those films.

Get the Afterschool Podcast, Episode #6: iTunes store | Direct download link [mp3]

If you live within striking distance of Rochester, in upstate New York, you can visit a design treasure. The incredibly prolific Lella and Massimo Vignelli donated their entire archive of design work, a collection spanning nearly half a century, to the Rochester Institute of Technology several years ago; the resultant Vignelli Center for Design Studies opened shortly thereafter.

For the rest of us, come October we'll be able to see Design is One, an upcoming documentary on the design duo by First Run Features. Peep the trailer:

Two of the world's most influential designers, Lella and Massimo Vignelli's work covers such a broad spectrum that one could say they are known by everyone, even by those who don't know their names. Adhering to self-proclaimed motto, "If you can't find it, design it," their achievements in industrial and product design, graphic and publication design, corporate identity, architectural graphics, and exhibition, interior, and furniture design have earned worldwide respect and numerous international awards for over 40 years.

After Massimo brought the Helvetica typeface to America in 1965, he and Lella moved on to a diverse array of projects, including New York's subway signage and maps; the interior of Saint Peter's Church at Citicorp Center; Venini lamps; Heller dinnerware; furniture for Poltrona Frau; and branding for Knoll International, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ford and American Airlines.

...The film features extensive personal conversations with Lella and Massimo themselves, who reveal for the viewer their intensely collaborative creative process and the inner workings of their deceptively linear genius that has defined contemporary design as we have come to know it.

The film will have a theatrical release in "select cities", to be followed by a DVD release.

Eight years later and the Bay Bridge is finally up. As the much-neglected stepsibling of the more famous Golden Gate, it's lain dormant for years until it reopened earlier this month, ahead of schedule. It took $6.4 billion and 15 years, but, as Bloomberg pointed out in a brief design and bureaucracy history, "the country's most daringly iconic highway bridge stands as a poster child for those who think major infrastructure projects are wasteful." It goes on to explore a challenge every designer on a team knows well: demanding clients and struggles with funds.

But what does that mean, really? Archinect recently shared a time-lapse video of the Bay Bridge coming to life: 42,000 hours of work in just four minutes. It's an impressive look at the complexities of bridge building, especially a bridge that must be both aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound. (The last Bay Bridge perished in the 1986 earthquake.)