In 2010 we put out a call for entries seeking ID renderings of a cell phone airbag concept. Exactly zero of you responded (though six people left comments; most folks like to critique more than they like to do). In 2011 we discovered Apple had actually patented an airbag-like cell phone protection system. And this week, I became excited upon seeing links popping up to an airbag cell phone case supposedly developed by Honda.

Photos courtesy of David Smith

We love getting into the brains behind design, whether it's with graphic designers like Jessica Walsh, Yoshimoto bladesmith Murray Carter or expert blacksmiths like Tony Swatton. This time, we've got a video that takes a us back in time to the art of signage and goldleaf application. David Smith, a traditional signwriter, has been practicing reverse glass decoration and ornate gilding for more than 29 years. His designs are featured in pubs, liquor labels, businesses and album art, of all things.

Smith is currently based in Torquay, United Kingdom. He runs his own signage and gilding shop specializing in all kinds of embossing from vehicle graphics to 3D installations—but he's kept his signature style of reverse glass gilding in all of his work.

The final version of Smith's work for the Kings of Leon

It won't take you more than a couple of minutes to appreciate the detail in his work. And this special attention hasn't gone unnoticed—Smith has designed album art for the Kings of Leon (Beautiful War) and John Mayer (Born & Raised). You can also find some of his intricate designs on seasonal Jameson whiskey labels.

TERRA NATION makes going to the beach an even better experience by designing beach equipment and beach going footwear. With head offices in Niederdorla, Germany, TERRA NATION would you like to apply your industrial design and footwear design skills to their pursuit of improving the beach visiting experience.

The beach environment, global user habits and the nature of products used to meet the needs of beach visitors are fields that are constantly explored. One of TERRA NATION's areas of interest is the technology, behavior and aesthetics of footwear that can be used in such environments. Sound like a fun job? Apply Now.

Civic Service is a program from Parsons' DESIS Lab co-founded by Eduardo Staszowski, Elliott Montgomery, and Core77's Dave Seliger. Civic Service hosts a range of events to encourage interagency collaboration in local government and inspire civil servants to become intrapreneurs within their agencies.

Civic Service is about many things. It's about dedicating your career to serving the public. It's about the innumerable services that a city delivers every day to its residents. And it's about using design to make these services more user-friendly and human-centric. Civil servants are a reflection of the cities they serve—in New York City, we are dreamers, visionaries and creators. We founded Civic Service to empower civil servants with inspiration, tools and a network of like-minded colleagues.

This past weekend, we took an exciting step toward bringing service design as a tool for change to local government. With the help of civil servants from a variety of New York City agencies, we prototyped our first Civic Service Workshop. Four fantastic Parsons Transdiciplinary Design graduate students—Meagan Durlak, Reid Henkel, Mike Varona and Joe Wheeler—carefully led the participating civil servants through the service design process.

Who can forget Perceptive Pixel's big-ass multitouch display, which caused such a stir at AU 2011? We were secretly hoping the company would be purchased by Autodesk and turned to the task of cranking out high-end rendering stations, but alas, that wasn't in the cards; Microsoft scooped them up last year and essentially turned the product into corporate-meeting whiteboards, absent SketchBook Pro or other rendering apps.

But that doesn't mean big monitors with proprietary software and killer apps are dead for designers. Coming to the rescue is Montreal-based Smart Use Softwares, Inc., whose soon-to-launch S-55 Smart Table was this year's Exhibition Hall showstopper; the device was so mobbed we had to come back after hours to get a private demonstration. What we're looking at, folks, is essentially magic blueprints:

Image by Dale Purves (see info below)

One of the things I loved about seeing Scott Robertson's presentation on rendering tricks at Autodesk's CAVE Conference: The man still renders in Photoshop. I cut my ID teeth rendering bottles in Adobe's flagship product, and it's nice to see that not everyone has completely gone the 3D route.

When you're manually (albeit digitally) laying down gradations and layers, you quickly learn how much black you have to put into something to make it look white, and how much white you have to put into something to make it look black. The optical illusion up above, which has recently gone viral and is shocking to anyone who's never done an ID rendering, is an excellent example. The top chiclet is black and the bottom is white, right? Well, not if we look at it after masking off most of the drawing:

Look at these stripes. Just look at them. Baffle your foes and hypnotize your prey with Hand-Eye Supply Portland-Made Aprons! Much-sought, rarely found: a comfortable apron in attractive yet durable fabric. Our new designs meet the needs we've heard from frustrated bartenders, woodworkers, hairdressers, chefs, nannies, cheese technicians and more. The result: you get a double-stitched canvas wrap with storage, style and flexibility.

The full-length apron boasts long cross-back ties for flexible fit and multiple tying options, two big waist pockets and a small swinging pocket so you don't lose your widgets when you bend over. The waist apron is the convertible of the family: smaller, sleeker, efficient. You can have your coverage and eat it too. Pick a style—and you get it at a reasonable price—made right here in the USA.

Hand-Eye Supply Portland Made Aprons
Available now from Core77's Hand-Eye Supply
$35-42

Order now for guaranteed holiday delivery!

Since BioLite has already perfected stove design and garnered the highest achievement known to man with their HomeStove, there was only one thing left to do: make it bigger. The 2012 Core77 Design Awards-winning company is continuing its mission to bring light and heat to everyone by powering the Brooklyn Christmas tree with their new super-sized thermoelectric stove / generator. Sure, the Dumbo FirePit is a meant to be a festive holiday installation, but we can't help but think of it as a way to commemorate the launch of the Design Awards program earlier this week.

Illustration by Mike Joos; photo by Emiliano Granado

The Core77 Ultimate Gift Guide is one of the more popular pieces of content that we put together every year, both for our readers and those of us who have the privilege—and eye—for making the selections. In the interest of capturing the communal spirit of this year's Gift Guide, the contributors will be selecting a few of their favorite picks from their cohorts' lists alongside one of their own.

In other words, hint, hint.

I considered a handful of different approaches to my gift guide list this year, but ultimately ended up following my gut and go with a handful of selections that represent facets of my abiding passion (outside of writing about design, of course). It's probably obvious that at least one member of Core77's editorial team is a cycling enthusiast / dedicated bike-commuter / sometime evangelist—after all, bicycles hit a sweet spot between form and phenomenon, between function and fun.

And while I deliberately chose gifts for discerning folks whose idea of a canvas is a pair of triangles on wheels, I'm broadly interested in objects that are functional, durable and lend themselves to mobility. It so happens that I recently moved to a new apartment—my first time living without roommates—so planning this year's gift guide coincided with a period of 'needing new things' (I actually ended up selling a bike so I could afford some new furniture). It initially felt unnaturally materialistic to me, but I came to realize that it's worth acquiring worldly possessions if 1.) you use them regularly, if not daily, and 2.) you won't have to buy that thing ever again.

A preponderance of cylindrical objects...

Outlier Grid Linen Towel - About as practical as it gets, really. Not only does the grid weave provide structure and surface area but the subtle geometric pattern adds a bit of Modernist flair as well. $28–120 from Outlier

AeroPress - A veritable secret to success, as far as I'm concerned. I imagine Da Vinci secretly invented an early version of this—since lost to time—and thanks to the AeroPress, everyone now has easy access to the life-affirming elixir we call coffee. $26 on Amazon

Rapha × Raeburn Wind Jacket - An easy one, perhaps, but hey, "high-viz" is meant to stand out. All black is normally the order of the day for me, but when you're plastered in spandex anyway, you might as well go all out. $450 from Rapha

Zojirushi Tuff Mug - Another one that I own and use regularly—usually not for my own Aeropressed ambrosia but on those occasions when I get it at my local coffeeshop. Lightweight and works like a charm. $32 on Amazon

Sony QX10 / QX100 - It might seem a little absurd at first glance and I imagine it's not quite as seamless as it could be, but I much prefer this version of the future better to awkward tablet photography, amirite? $250 / $500 from Sony

See the full 2013 Gift Guide for more ideas →

Data consolidated from a farmer's plow's GPS as it circled near Dmitriyev, Russia.

Uncovering unknown territory is more and more rare, as GPS paired with the Web has made even the most remote or unusual routes accessible to the world. The free service of OpenStreetMap (OSM) has more than one million registered users contributing data from GPS, aerial photography and just regular traversing across every possible route in the world. OSM has more than a decade of consolidated data and is often referred to as the "Wikipedia for maps." But the interesting part is that their data are considered their primary product, and not actual maps. Many sites are powered with OSM data—like Craigslist, Foursquare, Geocaching, MapQuest—organizations that want to use it instead of pricey Google Maps. But OSM also powers the beautiful maps produced by the startup MapBox.

Here's an example of a runner's various routes (the thicker red lines represent the number of times he ran that particular route) using data from OSM.

We've written about Jean Prouvé before, the designer who figured out how to create flat-pack houses some fifty years before Ikea did. While his aluminum Maison Tropicale is the one I remember from ID History, an earlier design of his, the Maison Demontable from 1945, is now making the blog rounds.

Prouve was truly a man before his own time, and his designs never saw the mass production they were so perfectly suited for. The Maison Tropicale, for instance, was intended for mass uptake in French colonies in Africa; only three were built and shipped, and two were reportedly shipped back to Paris. But French art dealer Patrick Seguin, who owns some nine Prouvé-designed houses, dismantled and shipped one of them to Design Miami. Once on site and uncrated, the Maison Demontable ("demontable" means "de-mountable" or "can be taken to pieces") was knocked back together by workers, and the process was time-lapse-video'd for all to see:

Gardening is known as a soothing, therapeutic pastime. Guns have a bit of a reputation for causing consternation, unsightly holes and bodily harm. To mix up these old world assumptions, ad firm Studio Total unveiled a new product: the Flower Shell. Rather than pain and strife, these shells spread life. Load up with these standard 12 gauge shells (available in a dozen different flower types) and prepare to blast new growth into your yard. Beyond the addition of seeds, the amount of gunpowder has been reduced in proportion to the type of seeds used. But don't be concerned by the attenuated firepower—apparently this is a good thing in a product meant to be used at short-range near the home. Ideal for violently reseeding large empty fields and boring (hopefully unpopulated) garden beds.

Tired of both senseless gun violence and quiet, slow tinkering in the garden? Take replanting by storm and force the yielding soil into bountiful submission.

Note: This concept product is 100% questionable. To aid users, Studio Total has released this series of informative test videos on their Dr. Bronner's-like website.

Join a company with a culture that moves you. Garmin International is an active bunch that is all about exploring and being first. As a Garmin Industrial Design Intern in their Olathe, KS office, you'll assist with the aesthetic and ergonomic development of projects, collaborating with Engineering, Marketing, and Management teams to explore, innovate, and execute world-class designs.

What does it take to join this team? You must have completed coursework in Industrial Design, Product Design, or a field relevant, wield digital proficiency in the use of tools such as SolidWorks, Keyshot, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, and/or Sketchbook Pro and be a team player with interest in either Garmin's Outdoor or Fitness markets. Ready to have fun? Apply Now.

Creating a video can be daunting enough as it is—sure, the tools are more available than ever, but you still need to figure out lighting, sound and editing, to say nothing of composition and the story itself. A video that illustrates how awesome your project is? Even harder... which is why we want to help you get the wheels turning when it comes to making a submission video that will make your project stand out. (Note: Videos are not a requirement for submitting an entry to the Core77 Design Awards, but they are recommended.)

We've pulled together some of 2013's best submission videos. You don't have to be a professional videographer to impress us—some of the best videos we've seen are straightforward, simple and shot with a handheld camera. From our DIY category to Educational Initiatives, there's always a way to bring your project to life in front of the camera. Check out some of our favorites (and find out why we thought they were so neat):

Much like the three Bears, Geier Gloves are tough and come in three levels of burliness. The Deerskin Buckle Gloves are tannery run leather, but still supple and soft while being slightly demure. They run smaller than most work gloves and make for elegant work protection or attractive bike gloves to keep your paws cozy. The Elkskin Slip-On Glove is a flexible midweight work glove, no frills, no fuss—like a protective mama bear for your hands.

Fact: Hoboken, New Jersey is closer to Manhattan than most parts of Brooklyn. But few newcomers to New York, and even fewer tourists, ever cross the Hudson River to venture into the Garden State. Folks who have lived here less than a decade don't even seem to realize there's a light rail system connecting NYC and Jersey, and NJ Transit's atrocious website certainly doesn't make it easy to navigate.

This week, however, an unusual confluence of events led up to the release of a new NYC-region mass transit map bringing Jersey into the fold. The Superbowl is coming to town—well, to the Meadowlands—next month, and to make it easier for the influx of football fans to find the stadium, the MTA commissioned the new map (above) from Vignelli Associates.

Massimo Vignelli, of course, has a long history with NYC mass transit and graphic design: In addition to bringing Helvetica to the subway system, his design for the New York City Subway Diagram of 1972 was loved by design fans for its clean, non-geographic presentation.

The Core77 Ultimate Gift Guide is one of the more popular pieces of content that we put together every year, both for our readers and those of us who have the privilege—and eye—for making the selections. In the interest of capturing the communal spirit of this year's Gift Guide, the contributors will be selecting a few of their favorite picks from their cohorts' lists alongside one of their own.

In other words, hint, hint.

I know , I know—no one really wants to think about work over the holidays. But let's face it: most of us spend most of our time at work, and most of us also work in less-than-ideal environments, be it a windowless cubicle or a mercilessly exposed open-plan office. So anything you can do to improve that situation for a loved one (or for yourself) is certainly worthy of your gift-giving dollar.

Here, I have tried to suggest products that will improve one's workday in four key areas: caffeination, organization, isolation, and decoration. These critera satisfy my own personal vision of an ideal workplace: one with good coffee, a minimum of clutter, a modicum of privacy, and a few pops of colorful and/or quirky ornamentation. These gifts won't necessarily make for better or faster work, but they should at least make for more contented workers.

Socks by Henrik Vibskov - I usually prefer to dress in solid, neutral colors—so I need socks like these to save me from being a total sartorial bore. $30 from Henrik Vibskov

LAX Minimalist Poster - I recently moved to Los Angeles, and this neon-colored homage to my local airport would make an excellent addition to my new apartment's decor. $159 at Zinc Details

5-Year Diary - I've never managed to keep a diary for more than a few days, but the idea of having five years' worth of notes in one volume—and in such a handsomely designed one -- makes me want to give it another go. $25 at MoMA Store

Zojirushi Tuff Mug - I don't actually have much use for a thermos, but, hey, I really like the way this guy looks. $32 on Amazon

See the full 2013 Gift Guide for more ideas →

As we saw last week, shipping containers carry our manufactured goods all around the world. There are some 17 million of them in existence, and that number will never shrink; no one can make a profit recycling shipping containers, because it takes a lot of energy to melt 8,000 pounds of steel down. So once brought into existence, these sturdy, hulking boxes are here to stay.

A portion of you are undoubtedly curious as to how they transform raw rolls of sheet metal into shipping containers. Well, here's how, as documented by Canadian company Big Box Steel. Pretty cool to see all of the jigs, rigs and fixtures, like the horizontally and vertically sliding chairs the welders sit in:

Now having seen the vid, what do you reckon is the worst job in that manufacturing squad? I think that guy at 8:12 who has to do the underside waterproofing has got it the worst.

With over 70,000 people descending on Miami for Art Basel Miami Beach, its no wonder that the buzz surrounding the Design Miami sister show is getting louder with every year. This year's strong showing represented the increasingly international nature of the design business—the gallery list including Galerie BSL from Paris, Spazio Rossana Orlandi of Milan and Victor Hunt from Brussels alongside American favorites R20th Century and Cristina Grajales.

Primitive forms and the wonders of mother nature inspired designers to create objects of bizarre beauty. Nacho Carbonell's otherworldly works were as dramatic as Design Nucelo's monolithic metal tables that paid homage to the bronze age. Crystals and geodes continue to fascinate designers like Hella Jongerius and emerging-ceramicist Charlotte Cornaton with their spiritual properties and natural variations.

UUfie - Peacock L (at top)
Spazio Rossana Orlandi, Design Miami
Canadian-based UUfie crafted the dramatic Peacock chair from a single sheet of Corian. The mesmerizing grid casts a lovely shadow and a theatrical profile for its debut at Design Miami.

Hella Jongerius - Gemstone Side Table
Gallery Kreo, Design Miami
The iconic Dutch designer was inspired by the depths of color that occurs in natural stones like agate and malachite. Layers of translucent resin and plywood stack to form a revealing cross-section for this asymmetrical table.

Studio Job - Monkey Business
Carpenter's Workshop Gallery, Design Miami
A Swarovski-studded monkey wearing a fez stands guard over a brass treasure chest. It's not a scene from an Indiana Jones movie; it's the latest conversation-starter from Belgian designers Studio Job. An embedded LED hints at what treasures might lie inside the chest.

Richard Phillips - The Playboy Charger
Venus Over Manhattan Presents Piston Head, 1111 Lincoln Road
Ferrari's art car show in the Herzog & de Meuron-designed 1111 Lincoln Road explores how artists like Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Tom Sachs and Ron Arad have transformed the beloved automobile into sculptural works. The exhibition also included the first viewing of artist Richard Phillips' collaboration with Playboy, the "Playboy Charger."

All photos by Hanne van der Woude

Last few weeks ago, a Cinelli "Laser Nostra" prototype sold for nearly 2.5 times its high estimate of $20,000 at a charity auction, raising $47,500 for (RED)—a fraction of the $13.1m total, but certainly a handsome sum for a bicycle that reportedly won the 2011 Red Hook Crit in Milan. (The one-off red Mac Pro went for nearly a million bucks, grossly eclipsing its $40,000–60,000 estimate.) Of course, the hammer price with buyer's premium comes in at one-tenth the figure of the most expensive bicycle sold at auction, a Trek Madone adorned with custom Damien Hirst 'butterfly' graphics—real wings applied to the frame and wheels—raced by Lance Armstrong during the 2009 Tour de France (see the full ranking here). The lepidopterous lightweight sold, pre-doping scandal, at a 2009 charity auction for the controversial cyclist's Livestrong organization, bringing in (as Lance Tweeted) "Half a million bucks!!!"—far and away the most of any of the art bikes he raced on that year.

Now Sotheby's, the esteemed auction house behind both of these notable sales (Bono is the man halfway-but-not-really behind the curtain), has commissioned a kind of artist's edition of bicycles from Herman van Hulsteijn, whose elegant seat tube-less frame design we first admired a couple of years ago, shortly after he launched his eponymous bicycle brand (styled as Vanhulsteijn). The Dutch designer has outdone himself with his latest project, a collaboration with his neighbors in Arnhem, who specialize in the craft of lacquer, also known as urushi.

Urushi is the sap of the urushi or lacquer tree (rhus vernicifera). It is a member of the sumac family (anacardiaceae) and native to China, Korea, Japan and the eastern Himalayas. The sap of this tree contains a resin (urushiol) which, when exposed to moisture and air, polymerizes and becomes a very hard, durable, plastic-like substance. Urushi is in fact a natural plastic. The process of applying the lacquer is long and labour intensive: independent of the size of the surface it takes on average 6 months to carry out the finishing. In some cases 60 layers are applied and polished by hand. Depending on the kind of lacquer the time it takes a single layer to dry can take from two hours up to three months. Due to its fascinating characteristics which are both sustainable and aesthetically beautiful, urushi is still used for a wide variety of purposes.

Video by Vandervan