I've long been aware of Poppin's office furniture and supplies, since so many of the products are organizing-related: file cabinets, staplers, pen holders and much more. So when I learned Poppin had teamed up with the Rochester Institute of Technology for its Metaproject—an industrial design senior project—I was intrigued and eager to see what the students had developed.

Many of the designs were specifically geared to modern offices with their unfortunate trend toward "shrinking or shared work spaces." The High-Rise Hanging Family from Evan Cincotta is one of those, with products designed to go over Poppin's privacy panels.

The series includes large and small bins, a cord holder, a magnetic bar and more. It's a nice way to use the vertical space, keeping things close at hand but off the limited desktop space. But there's one significant drawback: The person on the other side of the panel is going to see the hooks that keep these in place. And if the people on both sides of the panels both want to use these items, they might interfere with each other. 

Kyle Laidlaw designed the Extrude Universal Holder, which can sit on the desktop or go over a privacy panel; that's a clever bit of flexibility. However, I doubt that most users would want to use this for something like pens (which would work better in a cup of some sort) and I don't know many people who use calculators any more. But it could hold notepads as well as cell phones and tablets (if those latter two aren't going to go in some sort of charging station). 

Instead of looking upward for storage areas, Ethan Young looked down and created the Under Shelf, which attaches to the leg of a Poppin desk. I'd be a bit worried about things getting knocked off that shelf when users get up and down from their desks, but it might be something they adjust to with no problem. (I'd still be reluctant to put a cup of coffee on there, though.) Looking at the Poppin desks, it seems like there would be plenty of room for this little shelf if the end user didn't put a file cabinet under the desk.

Brendan Babiarz designed Branch to hold an office worker's typical daily commute items: bags, coats, hats, headphones and keys. (I was pleased to read that Babiarz did his research, surveying employees to find out what items they actually brought to the office.) 

Branch attaches directly to the table, so there's no dependency on dividers. In a crowded environment, bags often get shoved under the desk, and Branch provides a nice alternative. And keeping all of the commute items together helps ensure nothing will get left behind at the office.

Branch uses a friction fit clamp that slides onto the edge of Poppin's Series A desk system. Babiarz considered alternative designs that would fit on other desks, but the attachment mechanisms became too complex.

Other designers chose to add storage solutions to the chairs rather than the desks. Emily Moore designed the Task Chair Overhanger to accommodate many of the same things that Branch handles, including scarves, bags and hats. If a coat is then hung over the chair (including the Overhanger) it keeps the other items out of sight, providing a smidgen more security since the user's belongings aren't out on display. 

Dylan Panarra designed Side Note to add pockets to the chair, under the arm rests. Notebooks, files and other items can be stashed in the pockets, freeing up desktop space.

Side Note just hooks onto the chair, so it's easy to install.

Other students tackled problems beyond the need for storage. Afifi Ishak created the Sticky Note Ball, with its 12 pentagonal faces—each of which is a stack of sticky notes. (The ball has a plastic core.)

I've had clients who use a lot of sticky notes, and they often wind up with the little pads buried under some papers; the Sticky Note Ball would avoid that problem. And unlike some creative variations on sticky notes, these are a reasonable shape for note-writing (although not quite as good as a basic rectangle). 

Small shared work spaces seldom have room for a whiteboard, but they would have room for the Pyramid Messenger designed by Sandro Hatibovic. Only one surface is exposed, so anyone walking by would see only the message intended for them and not anything written on the other surfaces.

Hatibovic says the Pyramid Messenger could be used for anything from messages such as "back in 5 minutes" to a checklist or to-do list. However, it really seems too small for those lists, unless they are much shorter than what most people have. I can't see very many uses for a message/note board that's this small. 

Kasia Kozak designed a communal Recycling System for an open office. The lid cutouts indicate what materials are taken; this bin is designed for single-stream recycling since it would take both paper (the long slot) and cans and bottles (the round slot). The rounded edges on the bins are a nice touch, avoiding sharp edges (and fitting in with the look of the Poppin file cabinets).

The angled lid makes it easier to see those cutouts.

A trans-radial prosthetic arm for the sport of rock climbing. Currently, almost all prosthetics are designed for general use, with a ‘one does all’ outlook. This product aims to turn disability into ability by designing specifically for the task. SCALO is fully mechanical and modular, aiming to be as economical as possible. The aluminum fairing is designed to dent and deform under contact while in use, developing with the user and becoming a more personal item as time progresses.

John Pickett Council founded the family business in 1886 and 130 years on, Council Tool is still known for making hand tools of strength, quality, and durability. Made with pride and expertise in North Carolina, all Council tools meet a time-tested standard. 

Hudson 28" Axe

Council, the company's founder, established four core beliefs early on that continue to guide the company today:

1. Manufacture a quality product
2. Offer value by being innovative and progressive
3. Be straightforward and honest in your dealings
4. Be a good corporate citizen

In our dealings with the Council Family, we found these beliefs alive and well. 

We sought a quality, durable and affordable axe, and we found it in Council. In fact, we found their whole line so irresistible, we grabbed four variations that will suit anyone from the casual camper to the seasoned feller. 

Jersey Classic 36", Wood-Craft Pack 19", Hudson 28", Hudson 18"

The company is now led by the fourth generation of the Council Family. They still cut classics like the 36" Jersey, but they also innovate with tools like the Wood-Craft Pack Axe. 

The Wood-Craft 19" Pack Axe is billed as a "multi-functional premium axe." It weights in at two pounds, cut from 5160 steel, and a premium 19" handle made from American Hickory.

The Hudson Bay Axes bring a strong, curved handle to the cutting game. They're both lightweight, well-balanced, and drive tent pegs with laughable ease and are equal to long bouts of chopping and splitting. 

And the Jersey 36" Classic Axe is, well, the classic felling axe of the bunch. The blade has deep bevels, which shed chips and make it easy to pull the blade from the wood. It feels incredible in hand. 

Jersey Classic 36"

All Council axes have a Rockwell Hardness of 48-55 and they have great grain orientation (but the Wood-Craft sporting has the best out of the collection). 

Simply put, Council is a name synonymous with quality. 

Check out the Council Tool axes here.

Throughout the years, as technology and manufacturing bloomed and prospered, mankind's imprint on the planet, similarly, grew exponentially. Initially very little was understood about the adverse effects of pollution and waste, and even as information came to light, it was often met with indifference. Recently though, particularly the last few decades, a concerted effort has been made to reverse the detrimental impact humans have had on the environment. In keeping with this trend, designers have focused on creating sustainable, eco-friendly solutions that not only won't harm the wellbeing of the planet, but may even improve it. Below is just a sampling of the 2016 Core77 Design Awards honored projects that incorporated sustainability into their design.

Outside In - Built Environment Professional Winner

Inverting the traditional relationship of a typical tree bench, where one sits with their back to the tree, Outside-In instead refocuses the viewer's attention toward the Heritage's cherished tulip tree, creating an intimate space between the viewer and what is being viewed.

Waste wood trimmed from logs in the normal milling process as they are rough sawn into lumber, is then cut, rotated, and reassembled to form Outside-In's basic structural unit.

Outside-In is a proposal for the Secret Shelters Exhibition at the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. The project rests on the theme of inversion—inverting the bench to point inward, toward the tree, and inverting the bark on the bench material to face the center. In this way, those sitting on the bench are offered a more intimate experience with not only the tree, but with those they share the bench with. Most importantly, as the designers detail: "Outside-In was created entirely from waste resulting from the manufacturing and processing of commercial timber products. Traditionally when a tree is processed into building material, approximately 38% of the processed log is waste that is then used in the creation of low-quality secondary wood products. [Outside-In] aspires to maximize this renewable resource and divert this waste material, instead upcycling it into a viable building product, with the added benefit of locking additional atmospheric carbon within the fibers of the material rather than allowing its re-release into the environment."

Paper Water Bottle - Packaging Professional Runner Up

Paper Water Bottle is based on global patents that integrate specialized materials and manufacturing processes to the highest level of compostable performance specifications available.

The Paper Water Bottle exoskeleton pulp material is made from 100% organic and sustainable combinations of plant-based fibers including bagasse, bulrush, wheat straw and bamboo.

Paper Water Bottle is a drinking vessel made entirely from organic plant fibers. The aim of the designers was to reduce the negative effect of waste on the environment, and create a more biodegradable and compostable product. The pulp material from which Paper Water Bottle is made is a promising alternative to plastic, which, as the designers detail, "is made from nonrenewable petroleum and lingers far too long" and only thrives because "the market lacks a viable substitute." Paper Water Bottle hopes to be that substitute, a container that "addresses the growing concern over plastic, both its petroleum sourcing and its disposition in landfills." Still in its first generation, Paper Water Bottle continues to develop to become more practical and sustainable in its effort to become ubiquitous.

Brum Brum - Transportation Professional Runner Up

The basic cornerstone was to keep it simple, ecofriendly and designed for our own children.

Brum Brum balance bike was designed to have natural suspension which greatly helps little rider to make his first steps to riding experience.

Brum Brum is a bicycle designed for children that uses a wooden frame to maximize eco-friendliness. Brum Brum is a fun, light-weigh alternative to traditional metal-centric bikes, and utilizes 'finger-safe', puncture-proof wheels to reduce the risk of injury and eliminate the need to maintain tire pressure. As the designers detail, the frame is made from the "highest quality Baltic birch and oak plywood to ensure the durability and natural suspension we get from bended frame." To reduce potential waste "all parts holds together with just one construction screw." All told, Brum Brum is an inventive blend of simple, elegant design and environmental consideration.

Waze is one of the more brilliant apps out there, effectively wielding the power of shared information to improve individual situations. In the old days, motorists used to flash their headlights at oncoming traffic to warn them of upcoming speed traps; it was easy and conveyed useful information. With Waze and connectivity, drivers can easily share a far richer variety of data, including traffic accidents, weather and, passively, how fast they're actually traveling down any particular stretch of roadway.

Something I never realized was how Waze got their maps in the first place. I always just assumed they linked up with an established company. But in the following video by Google reporters Nat & Lo, we see that the original developer, Ehud Shabtai, enticed average drivers to chart the maps by taking a cue from Pac-Man:

Via The Awesomer

Those of you that make things with your hands: What is your absolute favorite process? Grinding a weld, serging an edge, routing a roundover? For me it is, hands-down, using a handplane to create smooth, flat surfaces. I was hooked from the first time I used a block plane to turn edgegrain into glass. There is just something incredibly satisfying about shaving things other than my face.

An artist named Abe Haruya also shaves his workpieces, though his medium of choice is ceramics and the tools he wields are finger-held. He posts these mesmerizing Instagram vids of him putting facets and flutes onto his pieces, and watching his skilled results scratches a deep OCD itch:

I…can't…stop…watching.

Via Colossal

While it's common practice for a company to take the last name of a prominent inventor, few have taken the first name. But since "Tesla" was already taken, electric vehicle company founder Trevor Milton went with "Nikola."

Milton's Nikola Motor Company develops sleek-looking, electric-powered vehicles, but they won't be competing with Elon Musk. That's because the former company's vehicles cost around $375,000 and are aimed at the lone driver. Luxury car? Nope; the Nikola One is a bad-ass semi truck with "near-zero" emissions by virtue of its electric-drive motor.

Unlike a Tesla, the Nikola One never needs to be plugged in, as the batteries are charged by a natural-gas powered turbine. The company reckons that this will halve fuel costs for operators compared to diesel, to say nothing of the cleaner air left behind.

The performance statistics are impressive. First off, it being electric, there is of course no clutch and no gears to go through; just a gas pedal and brake. And the absurd torque of an electric motor--at 3,700 ft. lbs., more than double what a diesel engine provides--is available as soon as you hit the gas. The company says the motor will put out 2,000 horsepower compared to the paltry 500HP put out by a diesel engine, and they claim their range to be 800-1,200 miles, which dwarfs the 500-750 miles you'd get with diesels. Lastly, the Nikola One weighs nearly 2,000 pounds less than a diesel rig.

From a design standpoint, the interior cabin will reportedly be a vast improvement over a diesel cab. Without that huge engine to contend with, Nikola says the driver will be placed further forward to enjoy a panoramic view and greater visibility, which they're touting as a safety feature.

Though the Nikola One is not to be unveiled until December of this year, fleet operators and individual leasees seem convinced: This month Milton announced the company had clocked a whopping $2.3 billion in pre-orders. With any luck, by next year perhaps you'll see one of these on the road…hauling a carrier full of Teslas.

Gulliver's Gate is a brand new, scale-model destination in New York City's Times Square. We're putting together a killer team of engineers and model makers to make our miniature world a must-see. You'll be on a team collaborating on concept development, design, and 3D modeling of one of our most

The Community Choice Prize is an award that debuted during last year's Core77 Design Awards season as a means to incorporate the voices of our loyal readers (that means you!). Fourteen total Community Choice Prizes are distributed: 13 Category Winners—the top vote-getters in their respective category—and one Grand Prize Winner, the project that receives the most votes overall. You can vote for as many projects as you like, however, you are only allowed one vote per project. Every honored project

The thing about books is that they're not very much good when they're closed and wedged into a shelf. At the same time, no sensible curator would let you put your grubby little mitts on a 250-year-old treasure. So, starting in 2013, the British Library began scanning thousands of books from the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries, and has now made all of the images contained within them free to download (they're all well out of copyright).

The curation is a bit all over the place, but there are some loose categories. In "Cycling," for instance, you can see strange inventions of yore like a bicycle that uses a crankshaft and bevel gears rather than a chain, and another that features oddly asymmetrical wheels. You can also see things like old designs for saddles.

"Technology" provides helpful diagrams of early war-making machines, production machinery and scientific inventions:

The "Architecture" section is perhaps the densest, and features tons of lovely etchings:

The "Highlights" section is good for random browsing. Here you'll find strange furniture and product designs or random stuff, like what people thought sharks used to look like:

Get started here.

Now that they've mastered disgruntled humanoid robots that can curse, Boston Dynamics has turned their attention back towards emulating the animal kingdom. Their latest creation serves as a demonstration to the world that when playing God—or is that playing dog—a robot manufacturer needn't hew to the laws of biology. They can, for instance, create a dog-bot that has a fifth limb and claw instead of a proper neck and head.

Called SpotMini, this dog-giraffe hybrid can perform some rather impressive tricks:

How terrifying are those final few seconds of the video? When handing over the can, the robot's don't-drop-stuff software seems confused as to whether it should release it or struggle to retain it. It pursues the can a little too persistenly for my tastes, and while that engineer might be smiling as he gets himself out of harm's way, I'm convinced that at least a couple of drops of pee came out.

The SMART Brailler is unique in its multi-function, multi-sensory output using the standard braille keyboard. Fitted with a proprietary electronic device that displays large print, simulated braille images and audio output, the SMART Brailler allows non-braille users to access what is being typed. Because the device is built around a Next Generation Perkins Brailler®, hard copy braille is also generated simultaneously. It not only functions as a mechanical brailler, it allows a student to save a

This past Thursday artist Tom Sachs and drummer, DJ, and music producer Questlove met for a discussion on the intersections of art and science, and their mutual love of music from across the globe. 

On view until August 14 at the Brooklyn Museum, Tom Sachs: Boombox Retrospective, 1999–2016transforms the gallery space into an immersive soundscape. Sachs transforms the boomboxes beyond a state of pure function and into one that confronts notions of adornment. The result is somewhere between a throwback to the 1980s and a fantasy of the future— yet not quite in the present.

Presidential Vampire Booth, 2002

Clusterfuck, 2015

Bodega, 2014

Aside from sound and music, both artists have the shared subject matter of "looping culture back," as Questlove says. In a manner similar to how Tom Sachs used this retrospective exhibition and the Brooklyn Museum's Boombox Residencies to give new life to an old icon, the boombox, Questlove uses his DJing and Instagram feed to spread old music to new listeners. His DJing is more than mashing together today's top hits into a continuous, nauseating loop. Instead, he chooses curated and unexpected audio in a way that brings new audiences to old—now obscure—music. His album choices and accompanying captions educate viewers about music of years passed and the physical form music took: the record. In this way, both artists bring new life to old music culture. 

This past Thursday people gathered in the Brooklyn Museum's auditorium to hear an intimate discussion between Tom Sachs and Questlove. Moderated by poet and activist Tom Healy and the museum's Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum Rujeko Hockley, the two creators were scheduled to discuss the intersection of art, science and music across cultures. Like in most discussion panels, the speakers deviated from the set topic and virtually ignored what appeared to be an extensive PowerPoint presentation. Instead, we caught an intimate glimpse of the personal practices that have led these two designers to success. Both creators maintain sanity through rituals.

While Tom Sachs' rituals are precise and set standards for studio practices, Questlove's rituals are more personal. He takes time before each public appearance to indulge in silence, and travels to Philadelphia before each European tour to have a philly cheesesteak. Questlove really loves philly cheesesteak.

Photo credit: Tony Luke's Franchise— one of Questlove's favorites

Photocredit: Omen Restaurant/ NY, New York

During the Q&A, one viewer asked the two artists what their last meals would be. Questlove obviously chose a philly cheesesteak. On the other hand, Tom Sachs replied with a more complicated kampai caviar uni shot and his wife's spaghetti bolognese topped with grilled Nathan's hot dogs sliced into coins—an interesting combo. 

The Q&A proved to be one of the most insightful portions of the evening. It was the only portion of the discussion that related to science thanks to one viewer's question: "If NASA started a Creatives In Space program and you two were selected to go up on the first ship, what are the three pieces of equipment you would take to do your art with?" Questlove replied with an elaborate response describing how he was the physical Youtube before the birth of the internet sensation, so he would bring his "murse," (male purse) giving it the same shout out in the Q&A that he did on Instagram when it broke.

Post on Questlove's Instagram

Tom Sachs' answer?

Makita cordless drill

Bosch jigsaw

5" angle grinder

Interestingly enough, neither of them chose the boombox.

First released in 2005, the Nerf N-Strike Maverick REV-6 has become a toy design classic. The six-round revolver fires foam darts, but former NASA engineer and current science YouTuber Mark Rober decided that wasn't enough foampower for him. Thus he created, with a little help, this rather scaled-up version that fires plunger-tipped pool noodles:

Okay, that was the kid-friendly video. Ryan and David of Eclectical Engineering subsequently replaced the air system with a black powder cannon, inadvisably creating something with true firepower. While we're not willing to embed the latter video here, the curious among you can check it out on their channel.

Core77's editors spend time combing through the news so you don't have to. Here's a weekly roundup of our favorite stories from the World Wide Web.

Smart Talk With Yayoi Kusama

After getting lost in down an internet rabbit hole, I stumbled on this series from Lost Paradise TV called SMART TALK. Each film approaches the often inaccessible world of art through a conversational lens, giving back story and history to many popular artists who are creating work today. This one, in particular, sheds light on the life of Yayoi Kusama, her somewhat unconventional introduction to art, and how she uses her work to confront her own mental illness.

—Carly Ayres, columnist, In the Details

In the Breuer Archive

Research this week led me down the splendid rabbit hole of the Marcel Breuer archive at Syracuse University, which has digitized over 50,000 drawings, photographs, letters and project records. Beyond the typical treasure trove of design sketches is an amazing time capsule of personal ephemera such as old invoices, contracts, itineraries and lists that give a true sense of Breuer's day-to-day design process. 

—Rebecca Veit, columnist, Designing Women

Wood Block Alleys

Who knew that the streets of Chicago (and Boston) used to be paved with wooden blocks? It sounds like a terrible choice of material, and would slowly wear down in height, but apparently it was the go-to in areas where cobblestone wasn't readily available.

—Rain Noe, senior editor

How Unions and Regulators Made Clothing Tags an Annoying Fact of Life

Why are there so many different tags inside our t-shirts? Beginning with unions and federal regulators and ending with textile printers, this article sheds some light on one itchy fact of life: textile labeling.

—Molly Millette, editorial intern

Typeset in the Future: Blade Runner

An insanely rigorous analysis of typography in Blade Runner: "Blade Runner's opening crawl is distinctly un-futuristic in its choice of font. It uses Goudy Old Style—designed by Frederic W. Goudy in 1915—as part of a veritable typographic cornucopia." (Hat Tip: Wired) 

—Eric Ludlum, editorial director

Why the Humble Notebook is Flourishing in the iPhone Era

This article delves into why, ironically, the rise of notebook users has a lot to do with the quest for more and more likes on social media: "There's an irony in seeing such an old-fashioned technology as the notebook so widely celebrated online. But in another sense, bullet journal pages seem like a natural fit for the aspirational lifestyle motifs of social media. Looking at perfectly planned, beautifully penned bullet journal pages online quickly gives rise to the fundamental pair of emotions that Instagram seems to have been designed to elicit: "Why doesn't my life look like that?" and "Maybe, with the right pen, and the right notebook, and the right handwriting, and the right stickers—maybe, my life could look like that!"

—Alexandra Alexa, editorial assistant

Bringing Tools Back From the Dead

This week Jimmy DiResta takes four basket-case flea market hand tools, including a beefy Buck Bros. mortise chisel and what looks to be a timber-framing slick, and returns them to full functionality using shop magic and elbow grease:

Framing Upstairs

Jesse de Geest is building out the second story of his shop, adding his signature beefy timber-framed elements:

DIY Belt Sander

If a stationary belt sander is needed, but too expensive, most people would just buy a handheld belt sander and clamp it upside down in a vise or on their bench. But Matthias Wandel is not most people, so decides to build his own:

Two More Quick Ones from Matthias

Wandel's inexpensive, no-building-required way to get your screws organized:

The Wandel Kitchen Hammer for reheating leftovers:

Revisting and Refinishing

I'm digging this one because Steve Ramsey shows us something most makers don't: He revisits an outdoor table he built two years ago to see how it's stood up to the elements. Turns out the table's had a rough time of things, and here he fixes it, while also mentioning what he should have done the first time around:

Turning a Hair Stick Without a Lathe

Here April Wilkerson shows that you don't need to have every tool in the world to make something you need:

How to Put Your Hair Up With a Pencil or Hair Stick

As someone who had a ponytail in college (it was the '90s, get off my back) I found it often got in the way, particularly in the shop. Now that I've had a shaved head ever since, I was mystified to see how this thing worked:

Adding a Riser Block to a Bandsaw to Increase Resawing Capacity

As with a jointer, the advice given to those buying a bandsaw is always "Buy as large as you can." But few can afford the larger models right out of the gate. One option is to buy smaller, then add a riser block as your needs grow. Here Jay Bates shows you how:

How to Build Outdoor Firepit Benches with Countertops and Storage Areas

Ana White dips into furniture design this week, creating an unusual and functional piece of outdoor furniture:

Hanging File Box

This week Bob Clagett's getting his paperwork in order, starting by building a box to hold hanging files:

The Bowtie Clamp

Here Ron Paulk demonstrates a handy organizing accessory produced by one of his sponsors, FastCap:

Small Parts Organizer Wall Cabinet With Drawers

Like most of us, Linn from Darbin Orvar is running out of storage space. Here she hunts down a rare piece of available real estate in her electronics workshop, and builds a unit that will fit it precisely while keeping things organized:

Modern Outdoor Bench

Another one from Linn, as she builds an outdoor bench with a contemporary design. Note that she finished it with spar urethane--ought we put her in touch with Steve Ramsey? (See his video, above.)

Entryway Catch-all Sideboard

Here self-taught designer/builder Chris Salomone, a/k/a Four Eyes, invokes George Nelson to create a handsome sideboard for his entryway. We'd guess that most of the makers in our weekly roundup put utility first and aesthetics second, which is my personal preference as the curator; but Salomone unabashedly states it's the other way 'round for him, and I wanted to include him for the sake of balance.

Teak Endtables with Brass Inlay

Here Laura Kampf whips up a pair of bedside endtables using teak scraps, and adds some nice design flourishes via brass bar stock:

Build a Boat in Your Backyard

This week Louis Sauzedde from Tips From a Shipwright kicks off what's bound to be a fascinating project: He's going to build a work skiff from scratch in his backyard, without plans, showing us every step as he goes. Here in Part 1 he introduces the overall plan and materials. Can't wait to see the rest!

Maybe it's because I just watched Fury Road for the 12th time and wish I were a desert warrior, maybe it's because summer is FINALLY here in Portland, and maybe it's because this design was a long time coming, but I want to huck around on one of these weird little bikes and you should too. 

Lithium Cycles is currently kickstarting their mini e-bike the Super 73, and with just a few days to go they've already destroyed their goal by a juicy 1256%. It might look like a retro (or retrofuturist) ride from the disco days, but inside it's decidedly modern and outside seems fun as hell. 

To start, it features a 1000 watt battery and Bafang motor with a 20 mile range before pedal-assist, which stretches battery life farther. The top speed is around 25-30 mph, which is impressive, but I'm reassured knowing you can set a top speed in the bar-mounted control unit for your own comfort/local legality. You can also adjust how much assistance you'd like your pedaling to contribute and other helpful customizations.

The thick 20 x 4.25-inch tires can carry you over all types of terrain and get up to a bunch of dumb tricks. And in addition to the fun element, they're a lot more comfortable than most traditional bike options, even in the Stingray department.

The size and speed cap mean you wouldn't need a license to ride one, but at 65 pounds you could still lug it into your buddies truck if you partied to hard on the boardwalk. 

You get disc breaks and a built in rear light. The lithium-ion battery is lockable and removable, and lives under the fat moto-ish seat without detracting from the aggressively '70s profile. Add a sweet paint job, a bottle holder, a bottle opener, and you've got yourself a party mobile for one.

Because of course it does

The video and lifestyle photography is pretty over the top in hip yellow lighting, but that's nothing new. Overall this post-scooter/pre-motorcycle vibe is a great one and I'm excited to see more designs in it, because I for one still don't want a motorcycle and I don't care how stylish the Italians are, mopeds are still dorky. Try jumping a dune on a Vespa and let me know how it turns out.

The earlybird pricing is $1,799 with an expected retail of $2,999. The Super 73 campaign runs through July 27, 2016.

Are you a Color Material and Finish (CMF) designer looking for a new challenge and a possibility to work in a creative environment for the premium brand of Volvo Trucks in North America? We are now looking for a CMF Designer to join our design team.

Motivated to pass down what he's learned to the future generation of designers, Dieter Rams granted filmmaker Gary Hustwit unprecedented access to him and his archives for two weeks. Hustwit's research will culminate with Rams—the first documentary about the designer who, over the course of his influential career, has designed over 500 products, many of which you've probably owned.

Having already released a much-loved documentary design trilogy with Helvetica, Objectified and Urbanized, Hustwit is experienced in creating engrossing narratives that uncover design culture. This time around, Hustwit says: "I'm also interested in exploring the role that manufactured objects play in our lives, and by extension the relationship we have with the people who design them."

A select few of Dieter Rams's designs featured in the Kickstarter campaign

"We hope to dig deeper into Rams's untold story—to try and understand a man of contradictions by design," Hustwit says. Through candid conversations between Hustwit and Rams, the documentary will shed light on his philosophy, process, inspirations, and even his regrets.

"If I had something to do in this world again, I would not want to be a designer. Because I believe, in the future, it will be less important to have many things and more important to exercise care about where and how we live."

Photograph by Abisag Tüllmann

The documentary could not be more timely. In many ways, the ideas that form Rams's design philosophy—developed fifty years ago—resonate now more than ever before, especially when you factor in our current tensions over climate change. "His design philosophy is actually about more than just design—it's about how you live. It's about getting rid of excess and visual clutter and just living with what you need," says Hustwit. It's no surprise then, that Rams's Ten Principles of Good Design remain at the center of today's industrial design education and are frequently cited by some of our most admired designers. In an interview with Hustwit for his 2009 documentary Objectified, Rams revealed:

"I didn't intend these 10 points to be set in stone forever. They were actually meant to mutate with time and to change. But apparently things have not changed greatly in the past 50 years."

Dieter Rams at work at Braun, circa 1970s. Photo by Abisag Tu¨llmann.

When asked how design has changed, if at all, in the past half century, Rams noted that design today has become an inhumane industry marketed as a "lifestyle asset."

"I'm bothered by the arbitrariness and the thoughtlessness with which many things are produced and brought to the market. There are so many unnecessary things we produce, not only in the sector of consumer goods, but also in architecture, in advertising. We have too many unnecessary things everywhere. And I would even go as far as to describe this as inhumane. That is the situation today. But actually, it has always been a problem."

Dieter at Vitsoe London working on a re-design of his 601 chair

Dieter Rams and Mark Adams of Vitsœ , London 2015. Photograph by Gary Hustwit.

It's not just the ideas that continue to strike a chord. The physical products Rams has developed are finding new audiences as he refines his work to be reissued by Vitsœ. Rams's work is also reported to be the inspiration for current Apple products. Jonathan Ive, Chief Design Officer, for Apple has said that "Rams's ability to bring form to a product so that it clearly, concisely and immediately communicates its meaning is remarkable… He remains utterly alone in producing a body of work so consistently beautiful, so right and so accessible."

Last week, Hustwit launched a Kickstarter campaign which he hopes will "dig deeper into Dieter's untold story—to try and understand a man of contradictions by design." The money raised will go towards finishing the shooting and producing the film, as well as covering archival costs. At press time, the campaign has already exceeded half of its goal: $200,000. The film is expected to debut sometime in 2017.

Jumpstart your week with our insider's guide to events in the design world. From must-see exhibitions to insightful lectures and the competitions you need to know about—here's the best of what's going on, right now.

Monday

Don't miss the last days of Cycle Revolution at Design Museum London, a celebration of contemporary cycling with examples that span competitive cycling to everyday commuter bikes—and even including rare samples such as the earliest prototype Brompton in existence and Francesco Moser's 1984 Hour Record bike.

London, UK. On view through June 30, 2016. 

Tuesday

Accompanying Cooper Hewitt's new exhibition of grotesque ornament prints and drawings, Fragile Beasts, a discussion with the show's curators Cowcumbers and Cornucopia: Rediscovering the Grotesque in Design, will give an overview of the print's origins in ancient Rome, its rediscovery and eccentric treatment during the Renaissance, and its grandiose and elegant variations in the 17th and 18th centuries.

New York, NY. June 28, 2016 at 7 PM. 

Wednesday

After a successful first run in Copenhagen, Snøhetta's first retrospectivePeople, Process, Projects is currently on view in Portland, Oregon. The playful exhibition design—created by the Snøhetta's designers—allows viewers to interact with the studio's process models and view over 200 process sketches for projects like the Oslo Opera House and SFMOMA. 

Portland, OR. On view through June 30, 2016.

Thursday

"We live in radio. The real architecture of our world is that of electromagnetic frequencies. We are constantly being reshaped by countless overlapping waves that pulse through our buildings and bodies, yet we don't really know what this means." During Radio Redux, Andres Jaque and Mark Wigley will explore this idea through the lens of Buckminster Fuller's work.

New York, NY. June 30, 2016 at 7 PM.  

Friday

Roberto Burle Mark—one of the most influential yet lesser-known landscape architects of Brazil—is finally getting his due with a retrospective at the Jewish Museum. The show traces his varied work (the most iconic of which are his graphic pavements in Rio de Janeiro) and the influences he brought in from his many other interests: Burle Marx was a painter and sculptor; a designer of textiles, jewelry, theater sets, and costumes; a ceramicist and stained-glass artist, art collector, a baritone, a prolific cook, and a visionary self-taught botanist and ecologist.

New York, NY. On view through September 18, 2016. 

Saturday/Sunday

For Tempting Art, designers Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman invited 22 guests—architects, photographers, painters, industrial designers, etc.—to concoct a three-course culinary design menu, meant to be devoured with the eyes. The playful concept explores what happens when we throw the "Don't play with your food!" cautionary mentality aside and celebrate the kitchen as a playground.

Luxembourg. On view through September 19, 2016. 

Check out the Core77 Calendar for more design world events, competitions and exhibitions, or submit your own to be considered for our next Week in Design.