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10 Stools with Storage

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Professional organizers are always looking for good places to stash the stuff our clients need, so furniture that comes with storage always catches my attention. Prior posts have discussed beds and coffee tables with storage; now let's look at stools.

The bucket stools from Pedersen+Lennard are made from recycled steel buckets. Since these are galvanized, powder coated buckets, they're going to be quite durable. The stools provide a nice amount of storage—but they wouldn't work well for small items, which would tend to get lost at the bottom.

Users who do want to store smaller items would appreciate a design like Matt Blatt's Orbit storage stool. Since this is wood, it's not going to be as forgiving as the bucket stool if someone carelessly puts something wet or sticky inside—so it wouldn't be practical for users with small children.

The XTOOL from Combo Colab, first offered via Kickstarter, would be good for users who like their items to be at least somewhat visible. This is another durable product, designed to be used indoors or outdoors. Because the stools don't have a cushion top, they can be stacked when not in use. (But the lack of a cushion may also make them less comfortable.)

Some users may need just a small amount of storage—enough for a magazine or a tablet, for example. The Stool Andy from Loïc Bard is a design that would meet that need.

The POP stools from Miles & May, with their open storage, would work well for books or perhaps some decorative items. But they're not going to work if there are small children around, unless the items stored are intended for those children.

Bar stools can also be designed to include storage features. The Extru bar stools from Miiing provide a casual kind of storage—not what a user would want for an expensive wool coat, but fine for outerwear that needs less care. The Extru stools are made from polyethylene and are UV resistant; they're meant to be used either indoors or outside.

For indoor use, the Ranger Station bar stool from Scout Regalia is going to be more practical. It has hooks for hanging coats, and a nice flat space for papers, tablets, etc.

Some storage stools have been designed with features that expand the ways they can be used. The Smith from Danese Milano, designed by Jonathan Olivares, has wheels to allow it to be easily moved. (The Smith is the product on the right; the one on the left is the Smith Pro, which is primarily intended to be a work surface.)

But the Smith can also be stacked with other Smiths, or hung from a table.

The Myrtle stool/chest, designed by Taiji Fujimori Atelier, can also be stacked. Since it's designed for stacking, the enclosed storage uses a drawer rather than a lidded storage space.

The steel stool from Noon Studio is another open-storage stool with space for books, magazines and more.

But the stools can also be stacked to create a larger storage system.


Organized Charging for Mobile Devices

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Many of my organizing clients have multiple mobile devices, and they get concerned about the space it takes to charge all those devices. No one likes a mess of cords on the kitchen countertop, the nightstand, the floor, etc.

For those who only have a couple phones (or perhaps an iPod), a few load-ding gadgets from xxd, designed by Max Kistner, might be all they need. These fold up to form a tray to hold a device by the socket; it's similar in concept to the Driin, which we wrote about before. However, there's nothing in this design to help manage the long cables that some of these devices have.

The Bluelounge MiniDock is also a single-device item used at the socket, but it solves the cable problem; there's no need to use a cable at all. The MiniDock attaches to the user's Apple USB Power Adapter, and the iPhone or iPod attaches to the MiniDock. Drawback: Users note that the MiniDock doesn't work with all iPhone cases—and no one wants to remove the case to charge the phone.

But many users are looking for charging stations that sit on a counter (or other similar surface) and hold multiple devices. The PowerDock 5 from Griffin Technology charges five iOS devices in their cases (and also works with many Kindles and Android devices) in a relatively small footprint. Again, though, there is no cable management control built into this design.

Power output (and the resultant charging time) is also a concern in all such devices. The PowerDock 5 provides 10 watts (5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps) for each charging bay. The manufacturer notes that "Many smartphones and tablets have unique charging requirements, so PowerDock may not charge your device as fast as you're used to."

The Converge, from Quirky, seems best suited for smaller devices such as smartphones and cameras. It provides some cable control with the straps on the rear side of the charger.

Other products, such as the Anker five-device charging station, are specifically designed to hide the cables. However, one user said that there's a minor problem with that. "It is a little fiddly to get it closed properly with all the cables tucked inside, as they tend to spring up and get caught in the crevices of the box." And another agrees, saying, "In my opinion, the tray is too shallow to accommodate the volume of 'hidden' wires used to charge 5 devices." It's a sleek design, but some users would like it to be less sleek and more roomy.

The Juice Box from Blu Dot is an interesting contrast to the Anker device. The Juice Box focuses on hiding the cords; it has a deep 4-inch box for storing the cords vs. the 2.2-inch deep box for the Anker product. It's a different kind of design, with the four devices laying flat rather than standing up, so it takes up more horizontal space than the Anker product while charging four devices rather than five. The Juice Box is built to accommodate the power strip of the user's choice, rather than having one included. That will appeal to users who have strong opinions on the matter, and annoy others who would rather have a complete solution, with one less decision to make.

The Belkin Conserve Valet has yet another focus, as the name indicates. It automatically shuts off power, including standby power, after the devices are fully charged. (Actually, it shuts off at 4.5 hours, which is when Belkin assumes the products are charged; it's not actually testing to see that they are.) It senses when new devices are added, and restarts the time counter so they get charged, too.

The Kinodai from Sample is interesting because it plays with the assumption that the devices being charged, if being held upright rather than flat, must be strictly horizontal or vertical. From a practical standpoint, it really doesn't make much difference if they are at an angle, instead.

Another interesting variation on charging station are the wireless chargers. There are multiple wireless standards at the moment, which certainly complicates things; any users looking for a charger must make sure it would work with their devices, either through the direct charge model (where the phone natively supports the charger's standard) or through the use of a charging case. The Duracell Powermats, which use PMA technology, work with the iPhone 5 and 5S via a charging case. Other charging pads, such as those from Choetech, work with the Qi format.

Powermats are getting more attention recently because they're beginning to get installed in Starbucks stores. These mats, unlike the consumer versions, will be accessible through rings that plug into the user's device and then get placed on a Powermat Spot—a relatively simple and inexpensive work-around to the compatibility issues.

Other plans for the PMA wireless technology include building it into Corian countertops, which some users will really like—except that Corian countertops don't seem to be the "in" thing right now.

Here's another design, for users who would prefer to have their devices out of sight while they charge: the Docking Drawer.

2014 Year in Review: Helping You Get Organized for 2015

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Core77 2014 Year in Review: Top 15 Posts· Year in Photos· Drones· Transportation Design· Food & Drink· Wearable Technology· Power Tools and Hand Tools· Tool Storage · Organizational Solutions· Material News· Design Thinking· Architecture and Design GIFs

Getting organized is the second most popular New Year's resolution, right after losing weight. While having the right products is only one part of making that happen, those products can certainly help. Here's a roundup of posts from 2014, with useful ideas and items for anyone aiming to get organized.

A key organizing principle is containerizing: grouping similar or related items together in a container so they are easier to store and to find. The HYVE system from Herbst Produkt is a wonderfully flexible way for doing just that; it's a modular system that can be used on both a tabletop or hung on the wall. HYVE was an active Kickstarter when we first wrote about it, and it's easy to see why it met its funding goal. Herbst will soon have a retail website available so those who missed the Kickstarter can buy the HYVE.

Another container with lots of possible uses is the toolbox from Vitra. It's one of many ways to organize a desktop, so that commonly used items (pens, sticky notes, scissors, etc.) are kept close at hand.

It's always easier to stay organized if it's easy to put things away. That's one reason organizers like hooks; they're easier to use than hangers, so there's a better chance things will be hung up rather than tossed on the floor. When it comes to hooks, users might want a single hook or a coat rack that's basically multiple hooks, such as this Leaf Hanger from Miniforms.

Those dealing with small spaces have special challenges when trying to find a place for everything—especially bulky things. Collapsible items such as the OXO silicone collapsible colander can help. The one concern: Make sure the item is easy to collapse and expand, and that functionality isn't being overly compromised.

Using furniture with built-in storage—beds or coffee tables, for example—can help in small spaces, too. This bed is part of the LAX Series from MASHstudios. Users could also put baskets or boxes under a bed if they don't have drawers built in, but the built-ins provide a cleaner look, and they relieve the user of needing to find containers that fit the space.

Making use of the walls is one more small-space organizing strategy. Examples include wall-mounted knife racks and wall organizers such as the Luis Organizer from Oli13. This is one more way to keep things close at hand and easy to find, even when flat surface space isn't readily available.

Bicycles can be stored on the walls, too, as with the The Bike Shelf from Knife & Saw. Many bike organizers are designed for top-tube bikes, but there are also some which work with diagonal-tube bikes or step-through bikes.

Cable clutter drives many users crazy, so looking into cable organizers might be wise. Anyone who's had unused cables slip to the floor and become difficult to reach will appreciate tools such as these Bluelounge Cable Drops. Other cable organizers help manage overly long cables or control cable clutter under the desk.

Some desks provide cable control, too.

Because some storage areas are hard to reach, having a good step stool handy in the home, office, workshop or garage can be critical for both retrieving items and making sure they get put away again. Folding steps, such as these from Hailo, can help save space.

Organizers are always concerned about discarding things that are no longer serving the user, rather than just storing such things nicely. Therefore, having plenty of wastebaskets and trash cans—and recycling stations— is a good organizing practice. (A shredder can come in handy, too.) The Ginebra bin from Made Design allows the user to collect both trash and recycling in the same bin.

12 Valet Stands for the Organized Sartorialist

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Valet stands are useful for airing out just-worn clothes, for gathering together those to be worn the next day (along with any accoutrements), or for stashing those clothes that have been worn but aren't dirty enough to need cleaning. The traditional valet stand has the features you see on the Sir Bis from Porada, designed by Marconato & Zappa: a place to hang a suit jacket, shirt and pants, along with a tray for things like glasses, a watch, cufflinks, a wallet, etc.

Hans Wegner designed the Valet Chair back in 1953. The back rail holds the jacket, the seat come up to hold the pants, and the tray is replaced by the base of the seat. This has the added advantage of providing a place for the users to sit down while putting on their shoes.

The Clip from Porada, designed by E. Mapelli and P. Passarino, is a simplified valet stand that would work for those not needing the jacket support or the tray. The less bulky design will allow it to fit into spaces where other stands might look out of place. However, it seems less stable than some other designs; it could easily be tipped over by a child or a rambunctious pet.

The Gentleman's Valet Company has a wall valet, useful for rooms where floor space is limited. The company provides either a trouser bar or a trouser/skirt clip hanger—a nice recognition that valet stands are used by both men and women. Even users not wearing skirts might prefer a clip to a bar, so it's smart to provide that alternative.

The height of each component (accessory tray, jacket hanger and trouser bar/clip hanger) is adjustable on the threaded center column. Features like this that allow a user to easily customize a product are always welcomed.

The same company also provides a valet stand that incorporates a lamp. At first this seemed silly to me, but then I thought of someone getting dressed on a dark morning and could see situations where it might be helpful.

Some valet stands, such as this one from Stephen Morris Furniture, use a drawer instead of a tray. That provides a bit of extra protection for items, but won't work for those users who need everything out and visible.

Not all valet stands provide a jacket or shirt/blouse hanger; some rely on hooks. The Groom Valet from Hermès, designed by Philippe Nigro, includes a rotating mirror, a pouch on the back of the mirror (along with that hook), a shoe stand, a shelf that could hold a purse or computer bag, a tray, and plenty of places to hang things like pants and scarves. It's a lovely and functional piece for anyone with the room for it—and with $48,800 to spend on a valet stand.

The Servant 01 valet stand from LUGI still has all the components of a traditional valet stand; while the photo above doesn't show it, there's a tray you can add between the top bar and the shoe rack, and the shoe rack can also be replaced by a tray. The tray in the middle seems as though it would interfere with the pants, though, and having one down near the floor is awkward. Also, the end pieces don't look well-shaped for hanging shirts or jackets.

Atelier D provides an informal approach to the valet stand with its Valet Houndstooth. This isn't going to work for someone with a nice jacket, but it's just fine for someone with jeans, shoes and a few accessories.

The Compass Hanger from Casamania, designed by GamFratesi, accommodates pants hung on the rungs and shirts slung over the rounded end pieces. Items on the bottom rungs might be hidden from view and hard to get to, though. One big advantage of this piece is that it can be folded up and stored away when not needed.

The Camerino valet stand from Brose~Fogale leans against the wall; it has anti-slip rubber grommets on the base. There's no jacket hanger, but regular coat hangers can be hung from the bars. This valet stand was specifically designed for users living in small spaces who might move frequently; it comes in a flat pack and is said to be easy to assemble, requiring only an Allen key. It incorporates a mirror, as some traditional valet stands also do.

The Clip Tree Valet from McCarty Quinn Design Studio is a wall-mounted product with clips providing hooks, trays, and a mirror. However far Clip Tree has come from the traditional valet stand, it could still serve the same general purposes.

Organized Entryways: Finding a Place for Keys, Mail and More

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Many organizing issues begin the moment people step inside their homes or offices, because there's no designated spot for the keys, the sunglasses, the wallet, the incoming mail, etc.  Some people will also need a place for outgoing mail so they remember to grab it on the way out the door.

For those who have a switch plate near the door, the Walhub from Upwell Design could solve the problem; just replace the existing switch plates with Walhubs. This design will appeal to people who want an extremely simple installation (or who aren't allowed to create new holes in the walls) and those who have extremely limited space to work with. 

People with limited space who don't need a mail storage solution may like the Strikey from Objeti (designed with 2nd Shift Studios, which has the Keyplate). Installation is simple; the current strike plate is replaced with this new one. And it certainly keeps the keys and such as close to the door as possible. However, not all homes or offices will have enough space to the side of the door to accommodate the Strikey; my home is one of those that doesn't.

The Doorganizer goes over the doorknob, so it keeps things right where they're needed. The not-very-handy will appreciate that it needs no installation at all. It isn't the product for those dealing with large pieces of mail–but it's a good fit for users who just need a place for outgoing letters, shopping lists and such.  However, some users noted that small items can get lost in the pockets and can be hard to pull out.

The Do Not Disturb hangers from Officina41 (in collaboration with Officina del Design) look like hotel room door hangers, but they're actually wall hooks with metal shelves—providing a place for keys, mail and more. They won't handle large pieces of mail, but with the hooks and the two shelves (front and rear) they seem quite well designed for holding numerous other things.

The Hook-up Strip Mail Holder and Hooks from Three by Three uses three rare earth magnets to ensure smaller items don't get lost. One caution: Those tiny magnets might be difficult for users with arthritis to handle, and users will want to be sure to keep the magnets away from small children and pets. 


This mail holder from Pig and Fish allows users to divide the incoming mail between multiple people. The four pockets could also be used to distinguish between types of mail (bills, catalogs, etc.) or between incoming and outgoing. I'm also glad to see that this mail holder accommodates the oversized envelopes that many other products don't. 


Chris Fairchild of In Order created a range of mail organizers with pockets of varying sizes; they also have hooks for the user's keys. The pockets are 3 inches deep, so they hold a lot of mail; some of the pockets are tall enough for the many magazines and catalogs some users get. The board and pockets are covered in chalkboard paint; this means the pockets can be easily labeled, and the organizer can also be used for other notes. Another nice touch: The edges are all routed to be rounded and smooth. These mail organizers are larger than many others—this one is 36 inches wide and 24 inches high, and it's one of Fairchild's smaller products—so they will only work for those with plenty of wall space. 

The Butler from Micklish would work well for digitally focused users—there's no place for mail, but there is a place for a smart phone. (The Butler fits many phones, but users would want to confirm the dimensions, including any cases they use.) There's also a place for the user's wallet and keys on the top sleeve,  and things like sunglasses can go on the slide-out walnut piece. There's a concealed space for the phone's charging cord. There's also space on the backside for an extension cord if The Butler isn't near an outlet.

A console table is another obvious answer to the entryway storage issue, but the Ryder entryway table from Piet Houtenbos seems especially well designed for this purpose. The slots on the tabletop keep papers in place and allow for in/out or person1/person2 sorting. The drawer could be used for fragile items or for things the user wants to keep more private. The table is only 12 inches deep.

No Snowmobile? No Problem: Get a Boat, a Motor and a Buzzsaw Blade

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Thought NYC was finally warming up, and I was wrong. This morning it was in the 20s. I have to keep reminding myself that there are a lot of folks dealing with cold a lot worse than this.

Like this man, Clayton Will, for instance. Will is a veteran ice fisher who runs WillCFish, a YouTube channel dedicated to giving tips to fellow ice fishers. You'd think maybe he gets around the ice on a snowmobile, but that's not his style; instead he rigged up a boat sitting on runners made from metal pipes, powered by an old gas engine—driving a buzzsaw blade:

I'm not sure exactly what part of the world Will is operating out of, but wherever he is, there must be a very irate sawmill owner nearby.

Robert Downey Jr. Presents Iron-Man-Inspired Bionic Prosthetic to Child in Need

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It's only now that I'm starting to see the real, human impact of 3D printing, and it's not iPhone cases or replacement dishwasher parts or faster prototypes. This solution is far more powerful than that.

Albert Manero runs the #CollectiveProject, whose Limbitless 3D program marshals his fellow University of Central Florida students to produce bionic prosthetics for children missing limbs.

A prosthetic hand for a child can cost $40,000 and up. Albert Manero and his team at Limbitless 3D prints bionics for $80-$400 and donates them at no cost to children in need all over the world.

Even cooler, they got freaking Iron Man to help them promote their cause by presenting their latest creation to seven-year-old Alex Pring:

Here's footage of Alex receiving an earlier prototype, and it's hard to keep a dry eye while watching it:

Read more about the work Albert is doing, and how you can help, here.


Craighton Berman on Palm Detection, Rapid Visualization and Digital Workflow

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We talked with some seasoned sketchers about their app-inions and how and what works for them. Read more from Core77's Sketching App Showdown, including Chris Cheung's introduction to digital sketching, in the Core77 Tech-tactular.

Craighton Berman is the founder and creative director of Manual, a design brand that makes designed objects for food; he is an adjunct professor at University of Illinois at Chicago currently teaching "Entrepreneurial Product Development"; he has design work in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago; he was the first designer ever to use Kickstarter to launch a product; he taught a drawing workshop to Disney Imagineering; and he has a YouTube video with 5 million views.

Core77: What kind of design work do you do?

Craighton Berman: My studio practice essentially has two sides—product design and visual storytelling. On the product side I have a startup called Manual where I create and launch designed objects for food and drink. On the visual storytelling side I combine illustration and design-thinking to tell stories and bring ideas to life. This manifests itself in many different ways from illustration, to rapid visualization to animation. In one week I might find myself creating comic-like illustrations for a book, large-scale sketchnoting a strategy session for a large cultural institution, running a brainstorm session for a consumer product company, and creating an animation that explains how a new technology works.

Illustrations for Microsoft's new podcast series by Craighton Berman.

What do you find yourself using sketching apps for?

I use sketching apps for the majority of my client work. The functional reasons is time: digital sketching allows me to quickly iterate and share that work with almost no additional work after creating. However over time it has also influenced my drawing style and has become an aesthetic as well! At my studio I might be doing illustration on my Cintiq for animation or publication work, on a tablet I might be doing on-site sketchnotes or storyboarding an animation while on a flight.

Craighton's illustrations were featured in the C77 Design Daily, a self-published newspaper for New York Design Week 2014.

Which do you use most and why? How does it/do they compare with others?

My work generally comes out of Autodesk Sketchbook and Adobe Photoshop. I use Sketchbook for all of my up-front concepting and roughs because it's lightweight yet powerful and it exports to high res PSDs. Once I move into final production I can open my roughs in Photoshop to refine and finalize. I have used Sketchbook on every platform from iPad to iMac, but recently I have fallen in love with the version they made for the Microsoft Surface. 

The Surface has the best digital sketching experience I have used—screen resolution, pen sensitivity, pen distance from drawing, kickstand, removable keyboard, and most importantly palm detection. Sketching on a Surface in Sketchbook is the closest thing to pen to paper I have experienced—plus it also runs a pretty killer touch version of Photoshop. (full disclosure: I work with Microsoft, but I truly love this product) I have dabbled with a handful of other sketching apps, but find that many others offer various features and novelties that are interesting, but I tend to want the tools to get out of the way while I work. The best way to do that is to learn one platform and stick to it until it becomes transparent.

Illustrations and storytelling for Knoll.

How does it fit your sketching style?

My sketching tends to be loose yet confident and minimal—I like drawings that employ as few lines and colors as possible. I've found that sketching on a plastic screen has influenced my style to be much more fluid, and the ability to create quick underlays, re-arrange the pieces for composition, and then create a final drawing allows me to be much more stream-of-consciousness without worrying about the final result. I love the clean lines created by digital sketching—I tend to avoid the use of airbrushes and any other tools like that in favor of harder edged lines and color fills

Which features do you enjoy or rely on the most? What do they allow you to do?

Layers—I can't imagine life without them! Always a light grey underlay, a black linework layer over top, and colors beneath that linework layer. Every piece of the drawing is on it's own layer for max flexibility. I'm always zooming in a ton to do any sort of text—it's really hard to control your handwriting at a normal scale.

Sketchnotes for the Wired Business Conference by Craighton Berman.

Any pet peeves about the app(s) you use?

My pet peeves are mainly around the app getting in the way of getting in the flow of drawing. Sketchbook does a great job of letting you get immersed in sketching and doesn't make you focus on the tool, but any time I'm forced to think about the interface—saving files comes to mind—it really breaks the 4th wall and becomes a lot less appealing.

This article is part of the Core77 Tech-tacular, an editorial series exploring the myriad ways that technologies are shaping the future of design.


Michael DiTullo on Rapid Communication, Digital Tools and Sketching on Planes

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We talked with some seasoned sketchers about their app-inions and how and what works for them. Read more from Core77's Sketching App Showdown, including Chris Cheung's introduction to digital sketching, in the Core77 Tech-tactular.

As Chief Design Officer of Sound United, Michael DiTullo is a passionate advocate as well as experienced practitioner of design. In addition to his work at Sound United he frequently consults for the epic artisans car maker, Icon. DiTullo holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and also studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art. His work has garnered international awards and has been featured in many media outlets and publications.

Core77: What kind of design work do you do most?

Michael DiTullo: My background is in industrial design, but as I’ve grown in my position now I’m responsible for a team of designers in the ID, IxD, and brand design spaces. My personal work is still mainly ID focused in CE, Footwear, transportation, and other lifestyle goods.

Audi R8 sketch by Michael DiTullo on an iPad

What do you find yourself using sketching apps for?

I mainly use sketching apps for rapid communication. I travel a lot, so being able to sketch on my phone or my tablet allows me to be in constant visual communication with my team as we bounce ideas back and forth. Sometimes I’ll sketch over my team’s CAD, or jot down notes and doodles on the go. I also find it personally enjoyable to be able to focus on doing a great sketch on a plane or in a hotel room and not need to bring any additional materials. I haven’t turned on a TV in a hotel room in years.

Where do they fit into your creative cycle?

I use digital sketching apps in my entire design cycle, form strategy frameworks, to concept generation and ideation, all the way through annotating production work.

How, if at all, do sketching apps fit your sketching style?

I think most designers love tools. For me the sketching apps are just another tool. When I’m with my team at a big table during a brainstorm session, we use paper and sharpies, and pencils because those are the right tools for that kind of collaborative social interaction where we are sketching on each others work and getting ideas down. At my desk I’m usually on my Cintiq in Photoshop or Sketchbook because that is the right tool for that setting. On-the-go I’m on my tablet or phone…though the tablet Sketchbook app is getting so powerful that it is almost good enough to replace the desktop.

Bell & Ross watch sketch by Michael DiTullo

Which do you use most? Which features do you enjoy or rely on the most? How does that compare with other apps?

I’ve experimented with a lot of apps but I always come back to Autodesk's Sketchbook and Adobe Photoshop. The tools are great, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that familiarity didn’t play a part. I’ve “grown up” with these apps over the years and for me, I want to focus on getting the ideas out efficiently. I don’t want to be thinking about how I get a certain tool to function.


Are there things you can do with an app that you can’t with a stronger program or on paper?

The main benefit is the pure portability and immediacy. I always have my phone, I frequently have my tablet. The app is always there. I’m not going to travel with an airbrush…though I used to travel with a dozen or so marked, white and black chalk, and prism pencils, it just isn’t very practical. The ability to simulate all of those tools and to be able to share it immediately via email, Dropbox, social media, what have you, is amazing. Frankly it was almost unimaginable 10 years ago, and now it is just normal.

I also mix mediums a lot. I’ll start a sketch in my notebook, or on a cap of paper, take a quick pic of it with my phone, and then start adding color, editing it, pushing it, riffing off it and iterating. That ability is very liberating.

Footwear sketch by Michael DiTullo

How does in-app sketching relate to your other work (or play)?

I’m amazed how much they have integrated into everything I do at work and how easy it is to open up sketchbook on my iPad sitting on the couch and just doodle a bit. Change is good. Change keeps you fresh. I love seeing what other people are doing with these tools on Coroflot portfolios. It pushes me.

Any pet peeves about the app(s) you use?

At the risk of sounding like an old man, it is the small changes that don’t seem logical. Downloading an update and then having to find where layers are, or why the airbrush was moved off the main palette, it is just a small pain point really, but typically this also comes with a big improvement somewhere else in the app so the momentary discomfort is worth it. Discrepancies between desktop tools and mobile app tools can also be frustrating, but are understandable in terms of the scale of the app and the processing power available.

This article is part of the Core77 Tech-tacular, an editorial series exploring the myriad ways that technologies are shaping the future of design.

Rachael Stefanussen on Wacom Storyboards, Hot Keys and Collecting Photoshop Brushes

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We talked with some seasoned sketchers about their app-inions and how and what works for them. Read more from Core77's Sketching App Showdown, including Chris Cheung's introduction to digital sketching, in the Core77 Tech-tactular.

Rachael Stefanussen is Lead Insights Designer for Astro Studios in San Francisco. She pursued her career as an industrial designer due to her love of problem solving and creating. After graduating Valedictorian of University of Cincinnati's School of Design, Rachael moved out west to work with Astro Studios.

What kind of design work do you do?

I am an Industrial Designer for Astro Studios in San Francisco. I work on everything from blue sky conceptual projects to consumer electronics and devices.

A sketch for Burberry perfume packaging by Rachael Stefanussen

What do you find yourself using sketching apps for?

I use my Wacom tablet for storyboards, sketch renderings, illustrations and tweaking photo-realistic CAD-generated renderings when I’m on the go. I use Sketchbook for rough line sketches, then move into Photoshop for anything and everything else. I have a larger Intuos tablet at the studio and a smaller one I use on-the-go.

How do specific programs it fit your sketching style?

Photoshop lets me keep things gestural and pressure sensitive custom brushes do a good job of translating my sketching style to the digital. I've been collecting Photoshop brushes since I was 19 and have a huge library. The hot keys on my Wacom tablet save time and keep the sketching process fluid and streamlined, which is important.

Sketches for a remote control by Rachel Stefanussen.

Any pet peeves about the app(s) you use?

Sometime Photoshop is just a little too heavy of a program. Even fast laptops can struggle with an enormous PS file. I also wish there were a more robust way to organize layers; things get pretty gnarly if you don't organize and label them (I know it's best practice, but I refuse to believe anyone actually does this unless they're planning to hand off their file.)

This article is part of the Core77 Tech-tacular, an editorial series exploring the myriad ways that technologies are shaping the future of design.

Core77's Sketching App Showdown

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Today’s designers have copious options for sketching beyond the traditional tools of sketchbook and pencil. The layers of bionics that augment the design process and the depth of technology available to the average creative professional are astonishing. However, despite access to such N'th degree of computing, that fundamental classic transaction still reigns: the act of drawing and just 'putting shit on paper.'  

These days you can pack a lot of digital horsepower in a bookbag and still have room for peripherals... not to mention what you pack in your pocket (seriously, can you even remember what is was like when they were just normal telephones?)! For all these devices, there is no shortage of affordable sketching apps to choose from, each taking a different approach on technology and a distinct interpretation on UX and functionality. With so many to choose from, which ones are the best? The apps that are right for you depend on, well, you.

Sketch by Chris Cheung using Mischief

We suggest thinking about your needs first. What do you expect from a sketching app? Are you looking for something lightweight that emulates the simplicity of a traditional tool? Are you keen on particular digital enhancements that make you sketch better or faster? Do you prefer all-in-one apps that are like mini-photoshops? And what are you looking to do with your digital sketch afterwards? 

Then there are the crucial criteria: ease of use (it's sketching after all!), sketching quality (how it looks and feels), performance (does it keep up with your every move?), functionality (does it do what it claims to do?), and value (is it worth it?).

There is endless promise for digital sketching. Luckily, these days, it is easy to experiment with new apps and to mix and match the ones that fit your needs without having to spend a fortune. You can also expect this space to continue to evolve rapidly—the battle for sketch superiority is not over! 

We talked with some seasoned sketchers about their app-inions and how and what works for them. Let us know what you use... Have you discovered your killer sketch app?

• Spencer Nugent, Founder of IDSketching

• Michael DiTullo, Chief Design Officer of Sound United

• Rachael Stefanussen, Lead Insights Designer at Astro Studios

• Craighton Berman, Founder of Manual

This article is part of the Core77 Tech-tacular, an editorial series exploring the myriad ways that technologies are shaping the future of design.

Spencer Nugent on Pressure Sensitivity, His Favorite Stylus and Being Ready for Opportunity

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We talked with some seasoned sketchers about their app-inions and how and what works for them. Read more from Core77's Sketching App Showdown, including Chris Cheung's introduction to digital sketching, in the Core77 Tech-tactular.

Spencer Nugent is founder of IDSKETCHING.com and Sketch-A-Day.com, online networks dedicated to providing free, high quality design sketching tutorials and sketching inspiration. His professional experience includes working at General Motors, Astro Studios and heading up his own design consultancy, Studio Tminus, where he worked with several clients primarily in the consumer electronics and apparel industries. Most recently, Spencer has been involved in managing design for Spacemonkey, a cloud storage company with a twist.

What kind of design work do you do?

I’m a product and design manager for a home automation company in Utah called Vivint. I help with strategic product design and development planning as well as execution of ideas through sketching, CAD, and development materials.

You’ve said previously that sketching on a phone or tablet wouldn’t take the place of more serious sketching on paper. How does your in-app sketching relate to your other work (or play)?

I still think we’re not THERE yet with digital sketching on a tablet, however, much like a smartphone camera being the best camera because of its immediate availability, I think the same can be said for tablets and smartphones. They’re becoming your best sketch toolkit, because of their ready availability. I haven’t quite made the transition yet, at least fully.

I do enjoy being able to use a few more tools than I could possibly carry with me. being able to use watercolors or an airbrush without the full setup is pretty fun.

Watch sketch by Spencer Nugent

What app(s) do you use the most and why?

In the past, I’ve used Sketchbook Pro. It’s gotten better over the years, but right now, I use Adobe Illustrator Line and Draw, and Adobe Photoshop Sketch. They’re companion apps to the Adobe Ink stylus, which is a huge part of my choice to use those apps.

Which features do you need or enjoy the most?

I sketch a lot with whole line and tend not to focus too much on color or rendering up front. Pressure sensitivity is huge for me. It was a big reason I stayed away from iPhone and iPad sketching in the beginning, despite being a big fan of the idea at the time. The Adobe Ink & Slide work really well. They’re similar to an Adonit Jot Touch, but I like the integration between the hardware and the software on the Ink & Slide. With the Slide, it’s like having a template toolkit with you at all times. There’s also cool perspective tools to help get your sketches or tighter drawings tighter.

Softgood sketch by Spencer Nugent

In an app, I want to be able to just get in and draw and not have to think about setup too much. The initial setup in the Adobe apps may take a minute, but the payoff after that is worth being able to just jump in, grab the stylus and get sketching.

The stylus feels great in the hand and they’ve added nice touches with an RGB light to add personalization. I can change the color on the end of the stylus using an in-app action that is pretty cool.

Which, if any, other apps provide similar features?

The only thing I’ve seen that’s somewhat similar is Paper by FiftyThree and their Pencil stylus. They’ve done some pretty cool in-app interaction to simulate pressure or rather the area of contact by the “lead” on screen.

Sketch by Spencer Nugent

Do you think sketching apps are useful tools for students and why?

I think they’re potentially useful for students. I travel a lot doing workshops and as part of my presentation, I talk about sketchbooks. Instead of carrying around a thick sketchbook or stack of paper, most of us already have a powerful computer on us at all times—our phones and tablets. I think sketching on these devices allows students to always be ready to capture ideas or even showcase their process or portfolio on the fly. I think this is powerful.

Being ready for opportunity as it strikes is incredibly valuable.

Any pet peeves about the app(s) you use? About sketching apps in general?

In general, my main pet peeve with all things digital, and it’s getting better, is the coldness of the work as it’s produced on a digital tool. There are tricks and ways to overcome this, but much like the differences between a vinyl LP and digital music to the trained ear, the differences in digital and analog work, to me, are stark. I wish there was a way to preserve a bit more human-ness in the work that’s digitally produced.

I miss the sensation of the tip of a felt pen on a pad of paper and the resistance, the flow, the unforgiving process of ink on paper. It’s something I miss a lot.

Figure drawing by Spencer Nugent

What do you do with those sketches when you’re done?

I usually just leave them on my iPad or occasionally share with friends. lately I’ve been practicing figure drawing, so that has been fun to explore with new tools.

This article is part of the Core77 Tech-tacular, an editorial series exploring the myriad ways that technologies are shaping the future of design.

Tech Specs: Marc Fornes, Founder of THEVERYMANY

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This is the last of our ten Tech Specs interviews. Previously, we talked to wearables expert Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman.

Name: Marc Fornes

Job title: Founder and principal of THEVERYMANY, a New York City–based studio that specializes in structures and environments made through the filter of systematic research and development into applied computer science and digital fabrication.

Background: I trained as an architect in France, did a master’s in the UK at the Architectural Association, and then worked for Zaha Hadid for a number of years. So I’m trained as an architect, but I’m especially interested in computation and the development of code as a way to generate form, shape and installation in architecture.

I moved to the States and started THEVERYMANY in 2004, first just as a website; then, in 2010, it became a company.

Computer setup: I have a MacBookPro. I don’t know the exact configuration because it’s always changing every two years. Otherwise, I have an external monitor, and I must have at least five or six external hard drives in front of me. That about it. We do a lot of 3D modeling and writing code, so we don’t need any specific hardware or software. Must of the stuff we do can be written in a text file.

How much of your workday do you spend in front of the computer? A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot

Most used software: Rhino 3D is the main software that we use. Inside Rhino, we have a code editor in which we write our code—we use the Python language. The application is just a way to visualize what we do.

Software that you thought you’d use more often than you do: It’s more like the opposite—there is software that I never thought I would use, and I’m using it more often that I would like. For example, Excel. In our work, we design from code—so we go from the code to the construction of key details. What we do is like a gigantic puzzle; you have thousands of parts, and you need to keep a record of those parts. Each part has its attributes—a color, a specific shape, a specific size. So there are a lot of logistical aspects to keep track of, and all of that gets stored as huge Excel sheets that you finally send out to the fabricator.

Marc Fornes in his New York studio

Phone: iPhone. Very traditional.

Favorite apps: With Rhino 3D, there is an app that we use a lot called iRhino. It allows us to send a model to someone with no clue how to use 3D software. We use that one quite a bit.

We also use a photo-stitching app called PhotoSync. And I use Pulse to keep in touch with things—it allows you to compile different newsletters and blogs and follow them through one app.

Apps that are actually useful for your work: I travel a lot for work, so I would say the app that is actually most useful is Google Maps.

Other machinery/tools in your workspace: About three years ago, we had a bit of funds leftover, and we had the option of buying a 3D printer—and we finally ended up buying a foosball table instead. Professionally speaking, we thought it would be more creative. I think everyone is getting these cheap 3D printers nowadays, but we’ve been using 3D printing on a professional level for so long that it’s not really necessary to have one in-house.

Tools or software you’re thinking of purchasing: We would love to have a CNC machine, but in New York space is so expensive. So we are constantly thinking about this, going back and forth between getting one and not getting one.

Situation Room was an ultrathin, self-supported shell structure installed inside Manhattan's Storefront for Art and Architecture last year. Photos by Miguel De Guzman

How has new technology changed your job in the last 5–10 years? I think what has changed is the speed of things. You could CNC mill stuff ten years ago, but it would take time because the machines had less performance. Now you can go and cut, like, 100,00 parts—which we do sometimes for some of our projects—in the blink of an eye. A few years ago, an installation that would take six weeks to cut now takes three or four days. So that changes the way that you see the project.

The other thing that’s changed is that around 2000 there was this spirit of trying to get the software that would do everything. This software was often very expensive, and it was often borrowed from a different industry—for instance, CATIA, which was borrowed from aeronautics. In the last five or ten years, people have realized that it’s not about the tool but rather about all sorts of applications that talk to each other. I see that now with the younger people in our field—they don’t specialize anymore in one thing, they just hop from one platform to the other, and they figure out a way to very quickly get things done.

When it comes to new tech, are you a Luddite, an early adopter or somewhere in between? More and more I’m somewhere in between. I used to play with my phone much more, downloading the newest apps and testing them. Now I just have less time for that.

Do you outsource any of your tech tasks? We constantly bid our stuff to producers in the middle of the country; it’s always cheaper and you always have access to the latest machines. So we send our work all over the place in the U.S., from Utah to Texas to Philadelphia. We’ve been doing this for more than ten years and we have a set of people who have the tools we need, and then we always contact two or three of them and they bid on the project.

This is for 3D printing, CNC cutting, laser cutting, robotic fabrication. Of course we think about getting some of this equipment in-house, but it comes down to space. Also, having access to professional equipment opens up the door in terms of creativity, because you’re not constrained by the low level of the machine that you can afford.

Under Stress, one of two recent THEVERYMANY installations at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation

What are your biggest tech gripes? I don’t complain much about technology. I think everything we want to do is there. One gripe: Often now with media and blogs, you feel like you’re aware of technology much earlier than the technology is available. You know, you read that MIT has invented this amazing thing, and then you realize the invention does not actually exist yet—it’s just the idea. So I think the frustration is that the technology is there but you have to wait for it to become available.

The other thing is the superficiality of the graphical interface. We came to writing code not just by our interest in it, but because we had no choice—there wasn’t a tool to do the things we wanted to do. And by writing code you understand the limitations of tools. The graphical interface makes everything easier and at the same time a little bit more superficial.

What do you wish software could do that it can’t now? I only wish for one thing, and that’s speed. Not with the software but with the operating systems—we need them to be faster and faster, because speed equals variation, and in our work, variation equals design. So if a protocol is going to take me two days to arrive at a result, I’m only going to make one test, because I’m going to be tired. But if it takes a blink of an eye, then I can make five tests, and then I can look into which one is the most adaptive. Speed is key. The reason we change our laptops every two years is to keep building up speed.

Finally, we've all had instances of software crashing at the worst possible moment, or experienced similar stomach-churning tech malfunctions. Can you tell us about your most memorable tech-related disaster? When you asked about my computer setup, I mentioned that I have five or six hard drives in front of me. That’s because the biggest disaster we had was one time we were trying to copy all of our data onto one drive. We are always sharing everything with so many people, and at a certain point we were trying to recombine everything. Every time a file was copied it was deleted somewhere else. And at the moment everything had been copied onto the new drive, but just before we had a chance to back it up, the drive fell—it fell onto the floor from not even chair height, and just this little fall killed it. We sent the drive to two different companies specializing in the recovery of data, but they didn’t manage to save the data. We lost about a year and a couple of months’ worth of pictures of finalized installations that we can’t publish anymore because we don’t have the high-res images; we lost a lot of file archives—it was a disaster. So now we have I don’t even know how many hard drives, and every time one fills up I copy it onto another one.

All-Terrain Conversions: Full-Sized SUVs and Pickups Made Truly Wheelchair-Friendly

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Those in wheelchairs that want to maintain their independence are sharply limited in their option of vehicles. Their chief option is a minivan that has been converted with a lift gate that will allow them to roll in through the rear of the vehicle and up to the steering wheel. But Steve Kitchin, who was rendered quadriplegic following a car accident, was not happy with this.

After years of being an avid sportsman, I wasn’t ready to trade in my SUV for a minivan. Instead, I forced my wife to help me transfer into my SUV for the next 6 months. I worked extra hours in the weight room hoping to gain enough strength to transfer on my own, but it just wasn’t happening. Eventually, my wife had had enough and I traded in my SUV for a wheelchair conversion van.

After 8 years of driving my minivan, it was falling apart and needed to be replaced. I started shopping around, but just couldn’t bring myself to buy another minivan. That is when I called an engineer friend of mine and said, “You have to help me get in a truck.”


That was five years ago. Kitchin, his engineer pal and several friends helped them build it. The vehicle was a success, and today Kitchin runs All-Terrain Conversions, an Indiana-based operation that converts trucks and SUVs into completely wheelchair-accessible vehicles that can be entered from the side. Gullwing doors keep the rain off, and the high clearance of the Suburbans, Escalades, Yukons and Silverados they convert is not an issue; their lifts can load or unload in under 30 seconds.

Kitchin runs ATC alongside other wheelchair users--people who can appreciate the product as much as Kitchin himself. "The first day I was able to drive my new truck, I couldn’t stop smiling and I felt like I had gotten a piece of myself back," Kitchin writes. "Since then, I have used my truck to haul things, help a friend move, tow a trailer and plow through 2 feet of snow to pull someone out of a ditch. It feels good to be able to help myself and others."

Beehive Picture Hangers

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Here's a good example of using design to address a humble but unmet need. Art Director Herb Bigelow has invented the Beehive Picture Hangers, which seem a much more intelligent way to hang photos—and hold them securely to the wall while you're dusting. The pitch video's too long by half, but give it a scan and you'll get the idea:

It's undoubtedly an improvement over the current system of miniature J-hooks and wire, or even worse those cheapie plastic brackets; but good design doesn't come cheap, and at five bucks per set, will the consumer bite?

Apparently the answer's yes, at least on Kickstarter. The Bigelows were looking for just $42,000 to tool up, and at press time they'd landed $56,000 with five days to go.

By the way, the price drops significantly if you buy in bulk; and if you buy the smaller, original iteration of the product, it's as low as two bucks a pop.

While Bigelow has patented the design, I still think he's nuts to throw the CAD drawings up onto the campaign page--in this day and age, I expect one pirate or another will try to dupe the design and 3D-print some.


The Garandola: Re-Usable Fireworks That Put On a Surprising Display

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No, this isn't clickbait: If you've never seen one of these before, I guarantee it'll surprise you. As a Fourth-of-July-celebrating American I thought I'd seen it all in fireworks, but this is the most unexpected type I've ever seen:

Depending on who you ask, the circular, UFO-like contraption is called a Girandola (Italian) or Girandole (French). The wheel-based structure is ringed with skyrockets, and both lightweight enough and well-balanced enough to take flight and leave that crazy helical smoke trail.

Or fire trail, as you'll see below. The Girandola we saw above was shot in Thailand, and as you saw they conserved their structure with a parachute. We Americans prefer to blow ours up when it reaches its apex, because that's how we do:


There's a slightly more impressive one here, but whomever posted it has disabled embedding.

Archery Tag Rises to New Heights

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John Jackson (right) aims high

John Jackson runs archery equipment manufacturer Instinct Archery, and in 2011 was collaborating with an engineer on some new gear. "He had the idea of how to attach foam to an arrow so that we could shoot each other,” Jackson told Liberty Voice. "We printed a rapid prototype [on a 3D printer], and within an hour of having the idea, we had a working prototype that I shot him with.”

Jackson used the foam-tipped arrows to create a game he called Archery Tag, which starts off like dodgeball: Unarmed players on opposing teams rush towards the center of the playing course, where piles of bows and arrows are scattered. After grabbing what they can, they start firing at each other. Players can also bring tagged-out teammates back into the game by hitting targets on the opposing team's side.

Archery Tag might've remained an obscure little diversion relegated to lower-tier game centers--but the next year a little movie called The Hunger Games came out, followed by The Avengers, then the TV show Arrow. Between Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye and the Green Arrow, there was enough inspiration for kids and adults to try their hand at archery. Jackson had invented the right object at the right time.

Ready
Aim
Fire

Archery Tag exploded in popularity. Centers popped up in Australia, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and all over the United States. A recent Archery Tag event in Singapore drew over 1,200 participants.

The advantages over paintball seem obvious, particularly where it comes to inclusiveness: Those intimidated by paintball guns have no fear of getting hit by a marshmallow-tipped arrow, and only need to wear a facemask for protection. The relatively low-power bows used (28-pound-and-below draws) even out muscular differences between genders. It also offers a bit more of a sporting chance than paintball, with the endless ammunition filling the latter sports' gun hoppers, and with Archery Tag you can actually see the projectile in flight, giving you some hope of dodging it. Then there's the additional advantage that you can grab a spent arrow and reload.

It's common for Archery Tag licensees to be existing paintball centers that add the game to their paint-splattered facilities. But since there's no mess created, tournaments can, and have been, organized in places like church basements, hotel ballrooms and campgrounds. And unlike the also-mess-free laser tag, people actually get some upper-body exercise by working the bow.

As Jackson describes it:

People enjoy Archery Tag because it is intense enough for thrill seekers, yet safe enough for the timid. The adrenaline rush of watching an arrow flying toward you is something you don’t find in other games. Also, people who have never shot a bow adapt to the game very quickly. It is not intimidating like other sports, and it can be played anywhere, indoors or out. People of all shapes and sizes, and athletic abilities play.

If you're at work, turn your speakers down a bit before clicking this video:

Here's an Archery Tag rep explaining the design of the tip, which is pretty nuts-and-bolts ID:

Of course, it was only a matter of time before Jackson found a way to ratchet up the challenge. While this feature will probably not be added to Archery Tag facilities, it is pretty cool to see Jackson trading arrow shots with a guy on a flyboard:

I like that you can't fish or swim, but you can do this.

You can find a place to play Archery Tag here. Also check out Jackson's foam-tipped arrow programmed aimed at schools, called S.A.F.E. (Students and Families Experiencing) Archery.



Preserving, Documenting and Sharing Early American Furniture Designs

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The Dietrich American Foundation seeks to both preserve and publicize 18th-Century "historically and aesthetically important examples of American decorative and fine arts"—in other words, at least to us, American industrial design before there was such a thing as industrial design. We don't mean that these products were mass-produced, but that they are early examples of craftsmen solving problems—primarily furniture-based—for clients, and trying to make them beautiful, while grappling with how to evolve their style beyond European boundaries.

Christopher Storb is the D.A.F's Conservator, based out of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and since 2010 he's been documenting his work on his personal blog, which he calls "In Proportion to the Trouble." The title left us scratching our heads, then we read Storb's explanation for it, which was cribbed from the Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia’s Rule Book from 1786:

The first rule for valuing House-Carpenters work…states “Drawing Designs, making out Bills of Scantling, collecting Materials, and sticking up Stuff, are to be charged by the Carpenter in proportion to the trouble”. In other words, the charge for this work must be determined by an hourly or daily rate rather than a uniform scale of pricing for work established by the Carpenters’ Company.

"Sticking up stuff," you gotta love it.

Storb details projects like this very unique writing desk with some crazily small half-blind dovetails cut into it (see third and fourth photos below) and a hidden compartment activated by a spring lock (see fourth photo below). It's made of black walnut, and Storb estimates it was made around 1770 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. "This was a remarkable and complicated object," he writes, "and I assumed I would come across this type of elaborate interior in the future. But I’ve not seen the likes of it since."

The captions on the photos below are his:

The desk interior behind the fall front is extremely complex with no surfaces or drawer fronts left unshaped.

The prospect door is dished with a carved fan with a heart and scroll motif. Like the rest of the interior it is made from figured black walnut making this work more difficult than it would be in straight grained wood.

The horizontal grain of the sides of the document drawers are dovetailed to the vertical grain of the walnut fronts. The front of the small drawer is canted back to accommodate the shaping. The top of the prospect door is arched and there is a small drawer above it.

When the lower drawers at the sides of the interior are pulled out a spring lock, accessed from the upper long drawer of the case, is sprung to allow a section of the ledge under the drawers to be removed reveling a hidden drawer at the back with its own sliding lid.

For the woodworkers among your curious about how carpenters and joiners did their work 200-plus years ago, Storb also occasionally goes into construction details, as with this "high chest," which shows an early example (at least for us Americans) of bending wood to follow a form.


The thin (3/16? thick) single boards are remarkably intact with few shrinkage cracks even though they are flat-sawn and nailed in place. Another days work in 1760 but try it today and see what you have two hundred and fifty years later. This is not easy. If the wood were green when bent to the curve of the scroll it would take the curve easily. But then it would split to pieces as the wood dried. Wait until the the boards are bone dry so the potential for shrinkage cracks are reduced and try to bend it to this shape.

Check out more of Storb's documentation here.

Geneva Auto Show 2015

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Guest post by Richard Green of Plan 

The annual car show in Geneva, Switzerland is well known for decadent super cars and 2015 was no exception with the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini debuting new models. Looking beyond the glamour of the millionaire’s toys and glossy carbon fibre, it’s fascinating to see the dynamics of an industry in transition laid bare all under one roof.

Germans losing their way?
While the Frankfurt show is where the big three typically flex their muscles, talk in Geneva revolved around whether, after decades of dominance, the Germans are starting to veer off course.

BMW’s 2 Series Gran Tourer. Oh dear.

After launching dozens of awkward, niche products over the last few years, Mercedes and BMW continue to show a distinct lack of focus, with many feeling both have sold their once razor sharp visions down the river in the name of profit and volume. BMW’s 2 Series Gran Tourer took the brand to new lows of confusion and incoherence both in its proposition (a front-drive people carrier) and its almost Korean aesthetic.

Mercedes GLE looks distinctly like BMW's X6

Across the aisle, Mercedes’s GLE did nothing to allay fears that Benz is hell-bent on matching their Munich based rivals in every model, while it’s CLA Shooting Brake created another new niche, bringing yet more complexity to a recently revised nomenclature. The crass 6.5 metre long Pullman seemed more in-tune with hen parties than heads of state or dubious dictators they’re surely hoping to lure in. Perhaps both brands could learn a thing or two from Mini (of course a BMW subsidiary itself), which recently culled a ballooning portfolio in an attempt to refocus its core brand meanings.

Audi's clumsy new Q7

Audi’s new Q7 was just plain poor and a new R8 felt conservative—both surely contributing to previous design chief Wolfgang Egger’s exit last year. New design boss Marc Lichte is trying to pull the brand back on track with his Prologue Concept and while its clean uncluttered cabin and impressively high-tech and on-brand face deserve praise, much of the exterior still looked heavy and overly surfaced. Lichte also went on record saying ‘almost every element’ of the concept will appear on future large Audi’s, which suggests the often criticized cookie-cutter approach is here to stay.

Despite the floundering, I’m sure all three brands will continue to grow rapidly—which just goes to show that its not all about good product.

Is Sweden the new Germany?
For those turned off by the Germans, maybe Volvo is the answer? The Swedes certainly feel like the most authentic premium brand out there right now which is down to a clear brand vision and focused portfolio. While not debuting in Geneva, the wonderful new XC90—which showcases a new design language and features some truly stunning on-brand detailing—can only help going forward. Let's hope they stay true to themselves and don’t get sucked into feeding the profit and volume machine like the Germans.

Volvo XC90
Seatbelt detail

Aston Martin sailing into unchartered waters
Hot on the heels of the limited run Lagonda Taraf, Aston chose Geneva to launch its uber-exclusive Vulcan—a limited run of 24 track-racing toys priced at $2.8 million each with “a design language hinting at the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars.” Also unveiled was the all-electric DBX SUV concept with exquisite and highly crafted, jewelry-like switchgear, layered leathers, and a machined billet of aluminum forming the cant rail and c-pillar impressing the most.

Aston Martin's all-electric DBX SUV

Tucked away behind the cars was also a scale model of an Aston Martin super yacht, jewelry and luggage—which are all part of the expansion plans for the business. While discussion inevitably focused on how Aston is diluting its brand by entering new categories, no sugar daddy owner and wafer thin margins means the brand must develop new revenue streams and become a luxury lifestyle brand akin to Ferrari. Not all may like it, but in the short-term, we should expect to see more diversification and collaboration.

Aston Martin upcoming yacht concept

Bentley’s transition gathers pace

The EXP10 Speed 6 concept is an experiment in redefining Bentley’s design language—a challenge not to be underestimated given the brand’s heritage. Inside, a 12-inch touchscreen combines seamlessly with a stunning and progressive interpretation of key Bentley hallmarks like the winged dashboard, quilted seats, knurled metals and wood paneling. Outside, 3D printing technology ensures the grille, exhausts, door handles and side vents have both micro detailing and a high precision execution. Sangyup Lee and his team are clearly worthy of the praise the car received, but I like others couldn’t help but feel that the headlamps and grille were a little too wide-eyed and thus lacked the authority that a Bentley should surely have.

Bentley's EXP10 Speed 6
Bentley's EXP10 Speed 6 interior

Infiniti no longer a product challenge
Nissan’s premium brand Infiniti positioned its QX30 concept (due to launch in 2017) as key to gaining a foothold in the European market. Its swooping lines and sophisticated design language show how far the brand has come. It also shows that good product is no longer the key challenge. Languishing with just 0.02% market share in Europe, Infiniti must now focus on brand meaning. Europe’s premium consumers want products that fit a brand vision, not just a market segment or business case. I’m afraid that until Infiniti define who they are and what they stand for, not even the best product will make a dent on Europe.

Infiniti QX30

Korea-ring past the Japanese
Kia and Hyundai also showed how far they have come under CDO Peter Schreyer. The stunning Sportspace Wagon concept should surely make it to production while Hyundai launched its new design language with the Tuscon. The slightly Asian faces of each aside, both cars had dynamic stances, strong proportions, and solid, clean-ish surfacing that owed more to Europe than Asia. Japanese brands would do well to take note of how good design can help take a brand to the next level.

Kia Sportspace Wagon

Still no real consensus on in-Car UI
After spending half a day with current in-car offerings, it was clear that this is still an area with a distinct lack of consensus on the way forward. Given the multiple approaches to control and interaction—touchscreen, haptic pads, buttons, knobs, voice control, styluses etc.—it's clear no one has cracked it yet. Equally worrying was the still appallingly low quality of GUI much of which looked like it was stuck in the 2000s. Fragmented styles within the same systems were also frustratingly commonplace.

Endless lists (albeit it with nice tone of voice in VW's Passat)
Gradients and skeuromorphism rule in the Lexus LF-NX

Moving forward, Automakers need to be asking themselves some tough questions: What is the best way interact with and control such a system? Does the user need feedback and if so how should it be given? How can GUI help, and should it reflect the brand (perhaps unfamiliar) or a smartphone (more familiar)? Of course, all the above needs to be situated within the context of a moving car—which is not easy. This may all sound incredibly obvious, but given experiences on the Geneva show floor, there is still much work to be done, but given my experiences in Geneva, there is still much work to be done.

Defiance in the face of tech interlopers?
Given the distinct lack of use (and visibility) of the term ‘mobility’ at the show, one could be forgiven for thinking a host of tech-brands might well be circling the industry like vultures looking for an easy “disruption-ripe” meal. However, in stark contrast—and behind closed doors—some senior executives told us how they are already grappling with challenges the industry faces in the future.

Ford and the Germans may have left their brave CES experiments at home (which was a shame), but right now, they and only a handful of others seem intent on preparing for the future. As for the rest, some are no doubt keeping their powder dry, but others, rather worryingly, are only just beginning to face up to the challenge. Survival in this brave new world will not just require greater investment, but a huge shift in capabilities and cultures, which will take years. Understanding software and UI, lean and agile ways of working, and mobility service models would be a good start. But they need to move fast, because as Nokia and BlackBerry show, the tech world waits for no one.

Artists Reinterpret Old-School Shipping Crates

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John Bartram had what had to be one of the most unusual jobs in 1700s colonial America. At a time when most of his fellow Quakers were farming, Bartram—who had become interested in botany from a young age—traveled the colonies collecting seeds from various plants. He'd then build boxes, barrels and crates, load them up with the seeds, and ship them off to eager European buyers interested in growing North American plants. "Bartram's Boxes" became famous among European botanists, and by all accounts his business was booming.

In addition to indirectly altering the landscape of Europe, the box-making botanist left behind Bartram's Garden, an eight-acre botanical garden outside of Philadelphia that is still standing today. Sadly, in 2010 a storm ripped through the Garden, toppling more than 50 trees belonging to 13 different species of wood.

Bartram's Garden subsequently wanted to find something meaningful to do with the fallen trees, and they found it by collaborating with the nearby Center for Art in Wood. The two organizations have teamed up to create an unusual exhibition called "Bartram's Boxes Remix." Three dozen artists from around the country were invited to create reinterpretations of Bartram's boxes, using the fallen trees as the raw material.

Dixie Biggs & Ray Jones / "Arca Botanicum" / Walnut, cherry, boxwood


Michael Brolly, Sean Campbell & Kevin O’Dwyer / "Barrel Thingy" / Ash, walnut, glass, bronze, LEDs, pine excelsior


Ben Colker / "Museum of the Maker's Hand" / Ash, basswood, steel, dirt, primer, lacquer
Ben Colker / "Museum of the Maker's Hand" / Ash, basswood, steel, dirt, primer, lacquer
Ben Colker / "Museum of the Maker's Hand" / Ash, basswood, steel, dirt, primer, lacquer


Amy Forsyth, Katie Hudnall / "Amy's Cabinet" / Oak, walnut, mahogany, maple, ash, basswood
Amy Forsyth, Katie Hudnall / "Amy's Cabinet" / Oak, walnut, mahogany, maple, ash, basswood


Nathan Hansen / "131 Rings" / Aluminum, maple, bark, motor


Don Miller & Christopher Storb / "Eden on the Schuylkill Installation" / Yellow poplar basswood, plywood, catalpa, white oak, willow oak, ash, birch, maple, sassafras, walnut, yellow pine, white pine, Atlantic white cedar, hickory bark, scrim, polyester, metal
Don Miller & Christopher Storb / "Eden on the Schuylkill Installation" / Yellow poplar basswood, plywood, catalpa, white oak, willow oak, ash, birch, maple, sassafras, walnut, yellow pine, white pine, Atlantic white cedar, hickory bark, scrim, polyester, metal
Don Miller & Christopher Storb / "Eden on the Schuylkill Installation" / Yellow poplar basswood, plywood, catalpa, white oak, willow oak, ash, birch, maple, sassafras, walnut, yellow pine, white pine, Atlantic white cedar, hickory bark, scrim, polyester, metal


Unfortunately the Center for Art in Wood's web presentation of the pieces is quite poor; there are no artist's statements next to their work, leaving us with no information as to what their concept was beyond what we can see. But perhaps the on-site presentation is better, and since the show will begin traveling the country this June, some of you may get to see it in person. Click that link above to see the schedule.

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