Long before there were rotational molding machines, ingenious artisans developed a way to cast hollow sculptures. The lost wax casting method, as it's called, is something we ID grads went over in Production Methods class, but like many of you I never got to do it myself. So it's pretty neat to see the process illustrated visually:

The invention of lost wax casting is often attributed to the Greeks, but scholars cannot agree. Another thing that's stymied historians is why the ancient Greeks so often made casts of Judd Apatow, and how they came to know who he was.

Leave it to Swedes to come up with truly surprising uses for wood. A new translucent tree-product offers a mind-bending take on one of the world's oldest and most durable building materials. This example expands on processes already used to study tiny samples of wood in labs and, as presented in Science Daily, it might be much more scalable than expected. 

The transparent wood was developed by researchers at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and published in the American Chemical Society journal Biomacromolecules.

In case you aren't already an avid Biomacromolecules reader, the gist is this: they remove the wood's lignin, and toss in a polymer. This creates great light-permeation and boosts strength, while maintaining wood's flexibility and low thermal conductivity. To take advantage of the surprising see-through element, the material is most likely to be implemented as a veneer. 

Just a couple cool potential uses include solar cells and as replacement for window glass, harnessing the material's translucency to leverage solar energy actively and passively. Its affordability and scalability remain to be tested, but I'm happy just knowing that the glass house of my dystopian dreams is within reach.

For more info check out the KTH press release. Via Gizmodo.

The trophy. The global recognition. The bragging rights. It could all be yours but only if you catch the final deadline, this Wednesday at 9pm Eastern. Enter today!

As I draft this article, I'm sitting at my desk with the sun beating down on me from a nearby window. It's hot. I am uncomfortable. Sure, I could get up, walk over to the window and close the blinds—but shouldn't they just do that for me? Automagically? Well, thanks to a new device called FlipFlic, they can.

In our internet-of-things world, if you can dream it, you can also connect it to wi-fi and find some way to automate it so you don't have to lift a finger. FlipFlic is a solar-powered device that converts any set of blinds into 'smart blinds'—automating them based on sunlight, temperature or a preset schedule. The brainchild of Ksenia Vinogradova, a San Francisco-based entrepreneur, FlipFlic's genius isn't in the fact that you don't have to get up to open or close the blinds, but that it works with existing horizontal and vertical blinds, installing seamlessly without requiring any tools or additional hardware.

"The idea came from a very practical need," says Vinogradova. "Two years ago my family was renting a huge sunny apartment with twelve window blinds installed. We were adjusting them several times a day: in the morning for sunlight, in the afternoon to block glare, in the evening for privacy. It was trivial, but a time-consuming task to do manually and we were looking for some easy and affordable solution, but couldn't find one." Granted, the problem plaguing the entrepreneur's family might fall into the far too common meme bucket of 'first world problems' (as even Vinogradova is the first to admit), but it's a real need. Ugh, the sunlight glare on my screen is unreal right now.

From the beginning, Vinogradova sat down with her partner and co-founders Dmitry and Sergey Vinogradov to establish a few principles for the design: 

• The device should be external so that no mechanical change to the blinds is needed which posed high requirements to the enclosure design.
• It should stay sleek and good-looking.
• It should be very easy to install with no tools—in one snap—which posed high requirements to mechanical design.
• It should work with most popular types of blinds.
• It should be as simple as possible.
• It should work on sensors by itself which posed developing automation algorithms and lots of user- and field-testing.

Vinogradova and Dmitry Vinogradov spent two years doing research and development on the idea for FlipFlic, wanting to create a product that could work with existing blinds, so users wouldn't have to go out and buy a whole new product. The team collected a range of blind samples from different brands, working with blinds manufacturers and testing it with units in home improvement stores. By simply removing the existing rod used to control the opening and closing of blinds, users can plug in FlipFlic and download the free app to add presets for the device—ranging from opening and closing with the amount of sunlight, the temperature of the surrounding room or even just at specific times of day.

With each major iteration, her company saw a new stage of growth, too. "The first working prototype had a hand-made plastic enclosure and ran SparkCore," she says. "It paved our way to accelerator Buildit in Estonia, where we first started to work on the project full-time. There, in three months of prototyping on 3D printer, we developed a different design called Comfee and made 100 beta units." 

Comfee beta units

The Comfee units featured silicon-molded enclosures and a custom circuit board, a big step forward for the startup. With Comfee in hand, the team joined an accelerator in San Francisco, where they learned more about what it would actually take to bring their idea to mass production. As part of the program, they visited manufacturers in Shenzhen, China, and those conversations led to yet another iteration to their design, as well as the addition of solar charging—changes which significantly decreased the size of the device and updated the motor.

Silicon molds for prototypes

"One of the most critical steps for FlipFlic was to switch to solar panel charging and use a smaller built-in LiPo battery instead of replaceable AA batteries we had in the first generation," Vinogradova says. "It also simplified the enclosure as our first generation consisted of two connected blocks (battery block and motor block) and our beta testers experienced problems with weak contacts. We have been planning this step and it eliminated most of the disadvantages of the first generation [product]."

The current version of FlipFlic is constructed of PA6 plastic with a soft touch coating. A semi-transparent insert at the bottom allows for a light sensor to register changes to light in the surrounding environment, while also containing a blinking LED that alerts the user to when the device is connecting to the app, battery is low and so on. Under the hood, FlipFlic also has a 3-6 V motor, temperature sensor, ambient light sensors, timer, rechargeable LiPo battery, TI CC2650 SoC Bluetooth 4.0, ZigBee, MicroUSB port, an on/off switch and magnets for tools-free installation.

Another version of FlipFlic is already in research and development, as the team continues to push the device even further. "It is a masterpiece of mechanical engineering," Vinogradova says of the latest model. "It allows [the user] to automate the horizontal string-controlled blinds and pull the cords into different directions. All existing solutions [have been] internal and require the dismantling of the existing blinds mechanism. We will be the first to offer a hassle-free, external version, which will meet all the requirements we set for ourselves."

Like many design-entrepreneur hybrids, Vinogradova and her team are turning to Kickstarter to bring FlipFlic to reality. Backers can pick one up at an Early Bird rate of $60 (sans solar-power), or $75 for a full set. Beyond the campaign, the FlipFlic team plans to set the retail price at around $89 per unit, including the solar panel and all accessories (rod adapters, cable, et cetera).

Thoughtful design for illuminated living.

Lampo is the lamp that comes in a tube – it can go anywhere and light up any room.

It's made with quality materials and is easy to assemble and break down. Marrying age-old techniques with contemporary design, it's an instant classic.

Passionate about design, social media, and writing engaging editorial content? Then our summer internship might be for you! This internship offers a wealth of experience in editorial research, metric tracking, copywriting and editing (not to mention hanging with us in the New York office!)

We're currently looking for an Editorial Research & Production Intern to help provide support for the editorial team's social media efforts through research, social media production and analytics reporting. The intern's responsibilities will include but are not limited to creating and sharing content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and through the Core77 newsletter.

The Editorial Research & Production Intern reports to the managing editor and community manager to deliver research, content and reporting on a consistent and timely manner. The intern will assist in identifying and producing content for the various properties owned and operated by Core77 working with additional product management teams as necessary and supporting contesting, production of imagery and identifying new platforms to amplify the Core77 brand.

Primary Objectives for this position include—

– Production of copy for Core77 social media channels
– Structuring and building Core77's presence on Pinterest
– Promotional copy for social media and editorial project campaigns as necessary
– Assist in collection of metrics and data for social media efforts, newsletter production and distribution and website page activity
– Execute daily searches for relevant social media content (videos, images, news, etc.)
– Assist in maintaining and updating internal pitch document for potential newsworthy story ideas
– Creating reports on a weekly basis for company meetings

Other things to note—

– Reports to the Managing Editor and Community Manager
– Innate understanding and passion for social media
– Strong social media writing skills, from 140-character – Tweet text to savvy promotional copy writing
– Display a passion for design in all of its manifestations
– Can work a minimum of 24 hours/3 days each week — in-office schedule flexible
– Must be able to report to our offices in Manhattan

We're also offering a monthly stipend for all the hard work!

If you're interested in the internship position, please send our Core77 Editors your resume, cover letter and your favorite design-related Pinterest account to recruiting@core77.com!

This is possibly an April Fools Day (or Aprillipäivä)gag, as it was posted on March 31st, by Finnish folks who are a few hours ahead. A group of Finnish farmers have apparently managed to get a drone to carry a running chainsaw:

The POV footage is a little suspect, as you'd think they'd have some B-roll of that as well. And the usefulness of the rig isn't clear, as I understand that arborists and forestry workers typically remove problematic limbs nearer the midpoint of the trunk (rather than lopping off the tops) and have a whole lot of pre-tying of ropes to do first to control the fall. Still, it's fun to watch, and you have to love that the fearsome tool can be brought down by a children's balloon.

Your American correspondent noticed something astonishing in Nuremberg. Each night after Holz-Handwerk I'd repair to a local café or restaurant, all of which were crowded at that hour. Among all of the patrons, not a single one was staring into their phone or photographing their food. They were all actually talking to each other and eating the food, and if they had smartphones, they remained out of sight.

This is a breath of fresh air to someone who lives in a city (New York) where you must now dodge sleepwalking phone-starers on the sidewalk. It's enough to make me want to ditch my smartphone and pick up one of Punkt's MP 01 Mobile Phones.

The MP 01, designed by Jasper Morrison, does just two things, and in just two colors (black and white): Phone calls and text messages. There's no camera, no Twitter, no Facebook, no apps. And there are nice-looking round buttons that you must physically press. "Technology is a very powerful tool, but as our lives become increasingly complicated, it's important to find time to disconnect and rediscover the simple things," says Punkt CEO/Founder Petter Neby. "We're very excited about launching the MP 01, a liberating device that removes unnecessary distractions and goes back to the essentials of communication."

Demand has been strong enough that all pre-orders for the MP 01 sold out, and the company is now catching up, saying current availability is "good."

The company notes that this phone is not meant to replace the smartphone, but to be used in conjunction with one, "to allow users some time off from the flurry of updates and notifications that so often shape our lives." I could swallow the $295 asking price, but signing up for a 2G contract with T-Mobile while continuing to pay my existing smartphone bill is the stumbling block for me. I guess I've got to face the facts that the genie is out of the bottle, and there's no going back.

The window is closing, but it's not over yet.

Enter your work by 9PM Eastern time, tomorrow, April 6th, to participate in the 2016 Core77 Design Awards.

Waiting until the last minute is a risky strategy for a number of reasons, but that doesn't mean it won't work. Last year, 10 projects were entered with less than an hour to spare before the Final Deadline and they all received an honor. We hope their victories will motivate you to get your entries in before the Final Deadline hits. Here are a few of the highlights:

The weDub Project - Design for Social Impact - Student Winner

The weDub Project - Submitted at 8:43 PM

Submitted just 17 minutes before the Final Deadline last year, The weDub Project, by Tina Zeng, is a locally developed DIY audio mixer and preamplifier that fits in the palm of your hand. Created in the urban slum of Kamwokya in Uganda, the circuit is made by youths to perform live improvisations of reinterpreted media to a participatory audience. The project is designed from a position of abundance—it leverages existing youth talent and resources to foster youth engagement through the making of technology.

Bridging the communication gap: A new touchpoint for pediatric asthma education in Emergency Departments - Service Design - Student Winner

Bridging the communication gap - Submitted at 8:56 PM

Coming in with just 4 minutes to spare, Bridging the communication gapis a design service that addresses the communication of complex discharge instructions to pediatric asthma patients and their families in the emergency room following an asthma attack. Through the development of a new discharge tool for asthma education that organizes the conversation in simple actionable terms, the designers—Paula Falco, Tara Flippin, Sarah Norell, and Jaime Rivera—encourage a re-frame of the discharge experience as an active collaboration for more effective self-management beyond the ER.

Cone - Consumer Products - Professional Runner Up

Cone - Submitted at 8:59 PM

Entered with literally seconds remaining until the Final Deadline hit, Cone, by Aether, is the first music player to learn what you like and the context in which you're listening to play the perfect sound for the moment. Cone uses contextual computing to make interactions simple, recommending songs based on where, when and how we listen, and puts it all behind the natural user interface of a dial.

***

See all the honored projects, last minute winners or otherwise, from the 2015 Core77 Design Awards. 

History is bound to repeat itself—will it be your design that's featured in this article next year? The only way to find out is by submitting!

There's still time, but it's running short. We're down to the last 36 hours of the 2016 Core77 Design Awards.

Enter Now!

Staff Engineers have 5+ years engineering experience, appreciate all customer perspectives, understand the nuance of technical design, and coordinate project engineering activities. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s of Science degree from an ABET accredited engineering program OR a Bachelor’s in a related field with successful completion of the EIT exam.

This is one of those things I didn't see coming, but which makes perfect sense. Festool's engineers have exploited the mortise-cutting capabilities of the Domino (specifically, the big-boy XL) by creating knockdown fasteners that can be inserted the same way as loose tenons. 

Here's the demo they were giving at Holz-Handwerk:

The connectors, which come in both flat and corner varieties, look to be a boon to Domino-equipped shops that want to ship flatpack and/or need to create reusable structures that can be broken down again (exhibit designs, for instance). As for why they've only created these for the XL, it's because you won't be joining 3/4" stock with Domino Connectors; they're only designed for use in 30mm (1.18") stock and up.

The Domino Connectors are available this month in Europe. Those of us in North America will, as always, have to wait a bit longer.

More from Core77's coverage of this year's Holz-Handwerk Show!

Vanderbilt in her Corvette in the mid-1950s (after starting at GM, Vanderbilt became a lifelong Corvette enthusiast). Image via the Suzanne Vanderbilt Papers, Cranbrook Archives

Last week, we looked at the story behind GM's famous Damsels of Design, a group of ten women brought on board by the automaker in the mid-1950s in an attempt to better reach newly powerful female consumers. Unfortunately, America's first all-female design team was short-lived; most of the designers departed by the early '60s, after their department was taken over by Bill Mitchell, who reportedly said, "No women are going to stand next to any senior designers of mine." Despite this pronouncement and widespread sexism in the industry, one of the original Damsels, Suzanne Vanderbilt, stayed on and tenaciously worked her way up GM's ranks, ultimately to the title of chief designer. Today we'll take a closer look at Vanderbilt's career and her automotive design innovations.

Vanderbilt graduated from Pratt Institute in 1955 with an industrial design degree and was promptly recruited by GM to join its Styling Section, where she worked in the automotive interior design department, first as a junior designer for Chevrolet and then as a designer for Cadillac. In an interview with David Crippen for the Automotive Design Oral History Project, Vanderbilt recalled that even though she didn't have a background specifically in auto design, she and her fellow junior designers "really learned from ground one how to put the car together…. But, those were the days when [there was] a misconception about interior designers, meaning you just select fabrics and sew things together…but there's a lot more to it than that, and that's what we tried to tell the press over and over again. We weren't there just to decorate. Unfortunately, the projects that were publicized were decorating." (In addition to their regular duties, Vanderbilt and the other female designers were often asked to take on publicity tasks for GM like designing special exhibition cars and appearing in television interviews, promotional films and photo shoots.)

Vanderbilt posing with a Cadillac interior of her design. Image courtesy General Motors Design Archive & Special Collections

Vanderbilt, then a junior designer at Chevrolet, demonstrating the placement of controls on an interior door. Image via the Detroit Public Library Digital Collections

In the late 1950s, Vanderbilt wanted to broaden her experience at GM and joined the Advanced Research Studio, where a diverse group of engineers, designers, human-factors personnel, drafters and material specialists all came together to brainstorm the future of car design. There she worked briefly on the Firebird III concept car ("they were hesitant to give me much to do except an arm rest and a little doorknob or something…") and an experimental automated highway system called the Autoline. In 1960, Vanderbilt became a senior designer in the Advanced Interior Design Studio and also worked on human factors and safety for the Research Studio, which led her to secure two patents. One was a design for an automobile seat with an inflatable lumbar support that improved the seat's ergonomics by inflating or deflating three horizontal rubber tubes with a small switch-on motor. The other was for a collapsible safety switch that was designed to recess on impact and could be used on the instrument panel instead of standard knobs (which protruded dangerously in a crash). Regrettably, GM never put Vanderbilt's innovations into production.

A joint effort between GM's research laboratories, styling staff and engineering staff, the Firebird III was a "laboratory on wheels." Image via the GM Heritage Center Collection

Vanderbilt and colleagues experimenting with seating arrangements for a sedan in 1958. Above and below images courtesy General Motors Design Archive & Special Collections

Vanderbilt working on a clay model related to the Autoline research project in 1960—the vehicles developed for GM's futurist transportation study would have had a Chevrolet Corvair engine for city travel and an electric linear motor for automated highway travel. 

Vanderbilt's 1963 sketch for the interior compartment of an Autoline vehicle. Image courtesy Ryan Vanderbilt

From 1963 to 1965, Vanderbilt took a sabbatical from GM to pursue an MFA in metalsmithing at Cranbrook Academy of Art. In her interview with Crippen for the Oral History Project, she admitted that she had hoped studying in the metals department would help her transition to designing for automobile exteriors at GM. It didn't. Despite her new degree, Vanderbilt was never able to break into the male-dominated field of exteriors; even more galling, upon returning to GM she found that she had been demoted, "working for people that had been working for me…I, essentially, had to begin again. And, it took four years to move back up again."

A 1965 drawing by Vanderbilt for the interior door of the Panther (a code name for the Camaro). Above and below images via the Suzanne Vanderbilt Papers, Cranbrook Archives

Interior door drawing for GM's F-Body platform, 1965

Vanderbilt spent this time in Chevrolet's Interiors Studio, working on designs for doors, seats, steering wheels and knobs, as well as taking on extra work coordinating color trim for commercial vehicles. By 1972 she finally became chief designer of Chevrolet's Interior Studio, working on small cars like the Nova, the Camaro and the Chevette. Sadly, at the height of her design career an illness forced Vanderbilt to scale back her work and ultimately take an early retirement from GM in 1977. She passed away eleven years later at the age of fifty-five. Speaking with Crippen three years before he death, Vanderbilt reflected on her career and what motivated her to stay in such a challenging field: "[W]hat makes a designer go on is that you're never satisfied, you're constantly looking [for] perfection, new and creative answers."

Drawing for a Corvette wheel, 1966. Above and below images courtesy Ryan Vanderbilt 

Drawing for a "sport wheel," 1965

Vanderbilt's diagram for a safety switch. Image via the Collections of The Henry Ford

Vanderbilt's inflatable back support was an early attempt to make automobiles more ergonomic; unfortunately, her innovation was set aside by GM.

Vanderbilt in 1976, a year before her early retirement, with fellow designers Barbara Munger and Jan Tribbey; the three collaborated on a special bicentennial car interior that referenced American quilt patterns. Image via the Suzanne Vanderbilt Papers, Cranbrook Archives

This was the latest installment of our Designing Womenseries. Be sure to also read our profile of Mimi Vandermolen, an ergonomics pioneer at Ford.

A true Oregonian, Christian Kaylor was born and raised in the state and holds a degree from the University of Oregon. Kaylor has spent just about the entirety of his career working in Oregon politics and economics—it's tough to find an individual better suited to comment on the financial state of Portland than Christian Kaylor.

He'll break things down for us at Curiosity Club on Tuesday, April 4 at 6 PM (PST).

Downtown Portland By Jamidwyer 

Portland's booming—people are flooding in, rents are going up, new businesses are always within a stone's throw and the "metro" continues to push west. So, what are the positives, negatives and unexpected sides of all this growth? Kaylor will look at the effects of Portland's economic boom and you can sip on a beer from Ft. George while he throws the numbers around.

A Portlander or not, Kaylor's talk will certainly strike a chord with anyone living in a city experiencing major growth. Join us or go to the Curiosity Club homepage for a live stream. 

This week we bring you our pressing topic of the moment straight from our reader-driven discussion boards! One Core77 reader has an interesting query about how ceramics are used in different industrial processes. bepster asks: 

"I have been fascinated with ceramic for a long time...[I've] always enjoyed the look and feel of the material.
I am curious what the options and implications are for this material to be used in consumer electronics.

Braun launched a watch in '14. I ordered it (as it is also a great looking time piece) but I wanted to see if there are any experiences with this material here? And maybe guesses how this watch is made? I would guess it's molded in some way and then post CNC'd?"

Any idea as to how these ceramic watches come to be? Know of any other awesome modern applications of ceramics that are highly functional or totally unexpected and worth sharing? Share your knowledge with us in the comment feed below!

(Also feel free to check out the original post and contribute on our discussion board!) 

Our tendency to buy groceries and waste them along with shrinking kitchen spaces and a large influx of niche products on the market all make for an anthill of issues revolving around food. This storm of factors makes the realm of food and kitchens perfect fodder for design improvement and therefore a great 1-Hour Design Challenge topic! 

We asked the Core77 audience in our latest design challenge, how could you design a multipurpose tool for the kitchen that adds true value to your life? Well we're happy to report that you all had tons of answers and great ones at that, and we've determined a grand prize winner! 

Here's our list of winners and honorable mentions in the 1-Hour Versatile Kitchen Tool Design Challenge:

GRAND PRIZE

The 3-in-1 Mixing Bowl Cutting Board Oven Tray by Nina Zheng 

Nina Zheng's ingenious mix of functions and form factors make it a true winner. After being continuously irritated by all the dishes you have to wash after preparing a home-cooked meal, Zheng had to "address [her] laziness" by making this clever cutting board-mixing bowl-oven tray combo. Judges Kyleigh Wawak and Eleanor Sandford of gravitytank saw this as a clear favorite due to it's thoughtful intent: 

"They understood the process and where there was opportunity to improve it. Transformational aspect is something we're seeing a lot of recently. [We would] encourage the designer to explore different materials and prototype functionality to understand how it would actually work."

HONORABLE MENTION

Food Savior by Cindy Mijares

Mijare's design challenge entry stood out due to it's innovative thoughtfulness regarding how to tackle a very relevant topic today in the world: food waste. Her "Food Savior" solution utilizes a novel sticker technology that detects when food is about to rot while storing the information on your phone. "By detecting ethylene, stickers sense the ethylene and change color", says Mijares. "This sends a warning to your cellphone letting you know [your food] is about to rot." Judge Joey Zeledon saw this as a very fresh idea: 

"Food waste is an extremely relevant issue. The Food Savior is addressing the right problem to solve in the kitchen...[Plus] it's more about the food and less about the gadget. The gadget is just an enabler of the larger experience. Well done."

Thanks again everyone for your submissions! Congratulations to the grand prize winner, who will be taking home the amazing OXO On Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender, designed by Design Challenge judge Joey Zeledon's team at Smart Design!

Also: stay tuned in the future for more 1-Hour Design Challenges by joining our Facebook group or following our 1-HDC discussion board page!

Stratasys is trying to knock it out of the park with their new J750 3D printer. Billing it as "the world's only full-color multi-material 3D printer," the company says it can produce more than 360,000 different colors—in gradients, no less—in six different materials at once, enabling one to use flexible, rigid, transparent and opaque materials at the same time. 

On top of that, the machine is capable of producing layers as thin as 0.014mm. (For contrast's sake, a human hair runs anywhere from 0.04 to 0.12mm.)

Here's a look at what the machine can produce:

And here's a look at how Israeli-based product development company Synergy has integrated it into their workflow:

Crucially for ID firms that are on the fence, the Synergy case study reveals how the numbers pan out:

Synergy redesigned a keypad for an emergency–response system used in the after–market automotive industry [using] the Stratasys J750…. The project meant producing multiple designs for the panel, which mounts above the rear–view mirror, to test which would best fit the car's interior and pass ergonomic and mechanical testing. Each iteration included soft–touch buttons, backlighting, graphics, housing and internal connections to the electronic panel.

Before the Stratasys J750, Prototyping Manager Omer Gassner would have tapped several vendors to create a single keypad panel prototype: CNC machining and water printing for the body, casting for the light pipes, sanding for smoothness and then silicone engraving and additional printing for the buttons. It would have taken ten days to two weeks to create, at a cost of $700 per unit. With the Stratasys J750 it took just hours and cost $200 per unit.

The J750 is a time- and money-saver, but it will take a deep-pocketed, long-term-thinking ID firm to pony up for one. While Stratasys will not reveal the price—you must contact them to provide them with your region—Investor Place estimates the cost "will likely be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range."

Taiwan is looking like a good place for design entrepreneurs to set up shop. We've already seen what Mininch has done time and again, successfully kickstarting a bunch of little pocket tools (here, here and here); a similar approach is being taken by their neighbors Human Mechanic Method, who launched their Rule/One Pen & Ruler on Kickstarter a couple of years ago.

What Mininch and HMM have in common is what I'll call the Design Nerd Aesthetic; both presumably have Dieter Rams books on their shelves at home and started with small, digitally-fabricated re-takes on common household items. They both manufacture in Taiwan and are presumably in close proximity to their manufacturers, and they both continued to push outwards and design new objects after their initial hits. In HMM's case they've followed up with Mugr, combining fine ceramics with walnut or beech handles…

…and an upcoming collection of coffee-brewing paraphernalia that includes a cast-iron scoop with a wooden handle.

The other thing both firms have in common is that they both set relatively tiny (~$20,000 USD) Kickstarter targets that they were easily able to reach. Just a reminder for you would-be design entrepreneurs that being close to your manufacturers and starting small isn't a bad way to go. Just be ready to follow up with more.

Candidates will participate in concepting and developing new product designs by providing innovative and on brand design concepts for all aspects of product appearance and user interaction. Designs will meet cost constraints, manufacturability and durability criteria as well as deliver a sense of scale and realism. 1+ years experience required.

The Argus C series camera is perhaps the most successful film camera of all time (not including those single-use throw away cameras popular in the '90s). It was made from 1939 to 1966—an incredible run for a camera considering that most other companies rolled through multiple models during that same period. It could be argued that the C3 would have had a longer life if affordable Japanese SLR cameras hadn't started flooding into the US in the early '60s. 

The C3 gained its nickname "brick" for its shape and heft. Consumers liked that it looked scientific and technical, despite being relatively easy to use. The camera is modestly equipped with an old fashioned leaf shutter and simple range finder, making it fairly easy to repair, long-lasting, and reliable. C3 fans will tell you that they often take comparable photos to many higher end units of their era, though it is often dismissed due to the fact that over 2,000,000 were manufactured—making them common and affordable today.

Image from navajopeople.org

Being one of the most popular cameras of all time there is a good chance that at least a few of the pictures in your family photo album could have been taken with a C3. Certainly unpretentious, it's how many amateurs (and developing professionals) cut their teeth. WWII photographer Tony Vaccaro used one to document his tour in Europe, capturing harsh images of war through the beady little lens of the C3, sometimes developing film in discarded helmets.

The C3 seen in these pictures is an early post-war example I picked up for $7 at a local thrift store yesterday. I popped it open last night to clean up the shutter mechanism to get it working smoothly again. Anyone with even modest mechanical aptitude can work on a C3 with some patience. As far as using one, it isn't the most intuitive machine, but once you get the hang of it, the Cintar lens captures strong, crisp images. A good C3 can be had for less than $20 on Ebay, a reasonable price for a beater camera you don't have to baby.

What other affordable vintage camera models have you used? Share some snaps and advice for vintage camera hunters below. 

Written by Luke Murray, originally for Hand-Eye Supply.

The end's not near, it's here.

Well, very nearly, at least. When the clock strikes 9PM Eastern, today, April 6th, the 2016 Core77 Design Awards season comes to a close as the Final Deadline officially passes.

That leaves but few precious hours to put the finishing touches on your entry, and get it in before the door shuts for another year. You've seen our incredible international jury teams comprised of design leaders, you've looked through our broad, inclusive categories, you've taken a peek at our customized, one-of-a-kind trophy reserved for the Winners in each category...all that's left to do is press that final submit button.

Vermilion Sands - 2015 Built Environment - Professional Notable

Your work deserves to be seen. Don't miss your very last chance to enter the 2016 Core77 Design Awards. It's all over today at 9PM Eastern time.

Submit your work before it's too late!